What's it like to see a crowd? Weekend Matchgoing

[Gert from the Well]

First game in three months, as I make the short journey to watch Godmanchester Rovers v Long Melford. Nice weather, new jacket and hopefully depression will stay away long enough to make the game.

[beak]

I think Gert from the Well might be my favourite username on here.

[elguapo4]

Bohemian FC 1 Finn Harps 0
Ss predicted a scrappy, hard fought game was won by a single goal, Bohs started with 6 debutants ,Harps with 5, as my brother said " it's the type of game that when the crowd shout "who are ya? " It's an honest question ", so it was no surprise that the first half was tbh pretty dire, apart from Harps hitting the post with a header nothing much happened until some nice Bohs interplay put striker Dinny Corcoran through on goal and he finished tidily.
The second half started with Bohs very much in control and had 4 or 5 excellent chances denied by the keeper or their own poor finishing, as in such cases the longer it went without a second the more nervous everyone got and Harps began to grow into the game. Unfortunately for them they didn't really have the skill to break down the Bohs defence and we saw the game out handy enough, I'm sure we'll play better and lose but it's always good to start with a win.

[EIM]

First game in three months, as I make the short journey to watch Godmanchester Rovers v Long Melford. Nice weather, new jacket and hopefully depression will stay away long enough to make the game.

What jacket have you got?

[CY_Boaby]

Perth Glory v Brisbane Roar. Glory currently 7 points clear at the top, whilst the Roar are having a shocker of a season, being 2nd bottom with only 2 wins all season and have just lost their top goalscorer, Adam Taggart, who triggered a clause in his contract & has buggered off to South Korea. Brisbane could be on the end of a hiding this evening.

Yep, Glory won 4-0 & could have had a lot more had they tried. Brisbane were god-awful & will be thankful it wasn't more having gone in at half-time 3-0 down.

[San Bernardhinault]

San Diego Sockers 6 - 4 Tacoma Stars

Crowd, 8500ish at the Pechanga Casino Arena (Formerly Valley View Casino Arena, formerly Sports Arena... who knows what it was called when Ursus used to watch regularly - it was probably still a field - which was the last time the Sockers had a crowd this big)

Well, that was more fun than I was expecting. It seems to be football based, but ridiculously high paced, like watching Ice Hockey played with a football on astroturf. Which is fun enough, but I have to remind myself not to judge it the same as actual football.

Things of note:

A "traditionally shaped" referee was very satisfying to see
Swapping players in and out all the time - like ice hockey or basketball - does my head in
Landon looked like he was struggling at times with the lack of space and time, but also with less skilful players who couldn't read what he was doing
Decent local craft beers on tap is nice, but at $15 a pop, and with a $2 Bud Light promotion and a $5 margarita promotion, it was margaritas for me
How are vuvuzelas still a thing?
I felt totally glory-hunterish, like someone going to watch Real Madrid straight after they signed Zidane. And it was kind of fun. Maybe I am becoming American.

[Gert from the Well]

Did not make it in the end, window of calm did not stay open long enough.

Beak - thanks for the comment has cheered me up no end.
EIM - it's a Frahm field jacket, very nice and from a small British firm that does a lot to promote mental health.

Will try again next week!

[ursus arctos]

Is it just me, or is "Your Golf Travel" a rather anomalous sponsor for AFCW?

[HORN]

Goldie Lookin Chain currently on the pitch whipping the Newport crowd into a muted frenzy. “Run lads, shoot lads, give us all a goal...”

[Nocturnal Submission]

It looks like the plan is to disorientate Manchester City's players to defeat.

[HORN]

Oh frig.

[Ray de Galles]

Is it just me, or is "Your Golf Travel" a rather anomalous sponsor for AFCW?

Isn't it, one of the founders is a long-term Dons supporter apparently. Former Wimbledon (and Arsenal, Cardiff and Wales) player Rhys Weston had a post-football job of some kind with them at one point.

Not a classic Cup tie today. A well-worked early goal was enough for Millwall to win 0-1 but they hardly dominated or forced many other chances until Wimbledon chased the game early on.

Another bewildering starting line-up, formation and substitutions from Wally Downes who I am yet to be convinced has a clue tactically. Will watch MOTD with interest mainly for what seemed a clear home penalty denied for a non-existent offside but one shot on target tells it's own story and The Dons just didn't do enough even if they were never outclassed.

[Felicity, I guess so]

Real game of 2 halves today. Dundee Utd passed it well from the back 1st half and had 2 good chances before getting a penalty (and sending off) just before halftime.
Stroll and control against 10 2nd half? Er, no.

Plastic pitch, wind and referee (2nd wrongly disallowed) all played a part in a nervy 2nd half where they rattled us and the bar.

2 points gained on Ayr and a nice weekend in Dumfries but am glad we weren’t playing a good team today

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

For once Carlisle exceeded expectations - the 8KforMK campaigned paid off spectacularly, with an eventual crowd of 10,459.

As TRL highlighted last night (courtesy of Radio Cumbria), on the last three occasions Carlisle have had a league crowd over 8,000 they had conceded three goals in each game - two 1-3s and a 3-3. They inevitably filled in a gap in the pattern with a 2-3 defeat, the main surprise being that we managed two goals without playing a striker for most of the game. There was a bit of pantomime when our goalie Adam Collin went up for an injury time corner, pace Jimmy Glass, but couldn't pull it off.

Its been a positive week for the club and it was a great achievement, but not sure how much lasting impact it will have.

[elguapo4]

Real game of 2 halves today. Dundee Utd passed it well from the back 1st half and had 2 good chances before getting a penalty (and sending off) just before halftime.
Stroll and control against 10 2nd half? Er, no.

Plastic pitch, wind and referee (2nd wrongly disallowed) all played a part in a nervy 2nd half where they rattled us and the bar.

2 points gained on Ayr and a nice weekend in Dumfries but am glad we weren’t playing a good team today

Plastic referees are always the worst kind.

[Billy Casper]

Barnsley 2-1 Wycombe

A routine win in a mostly forgettable game.

We scored from our first penalty in ages, added another well worked team goal, and then looked comfortable until they scored in the last minute of injury time.

With both Sunderland and Portsmouth dropping points, it's been a good weekend.

[jefe]

San Diego Sockers 6 - 4 Tacoma Stars

Crowd, 8500ish at the Pechanga Casino Arena (Formerly Valley View Casino Arena, formerly Sports Arena... who knows what it was called when Ursus used to watch regularly - it was probably still a field - which was the last time the Sockers had a crowd this big)

Well, that was more fun than I was expecting. It seems to be football based, but ridiculously high paced, like watching Ice Hockey played with a football on astroturf. Which is fun enough, but I have to remind myself not to judge it the same as actual football.

Things of note:

A "traditionally shaped" referee was very satisfying to see
Swapping players in and out all the time - like ice hockey or basketball - does my head in
Landon looked like he was struggling at times with the lack of space and time, but also with less skilful players who couldn't read what he was doing
Decent local craft beers on tap is nice, but at $15 a pop, and with a $2 Bud Light promotion and a $5 margarita promotion, it was margaritas for me
How are vuvuzelas still a thing?
I felt totally glory-hunterish, like someone going to watch Real Madrid straight after they signed Zidane. And it was kind of fun. Maybe I am becoming American.

The idea for indoor soccer came from a couple guys watching an NHL All-Star game in the 70's.
The Sockers gave out 600 vuvuzelas specially for the game.
They've got I think 5 more home games this year, against the Turlock Express, Ontario (as in the LA burbs) Fury, Dallas Sidekicks, RGV Barracudas, and the Monterrey Flash. in that order. If you want to see an asskicking, go to the Turlock game; the two best quality games left are likely the last 2. Also, your physical ticket/bar code from last night gets you BOGO for any of the remaining home games.

[Third rate Leszno]

Aintree Villa 0-2 South Sefton Borough (reserves)

Clash of the top 2 in West Cheshire division 3, which is at least one (if not two) levels below where these two teams really belong. However, both of them switched leagues in the summer from the Liverpool County Prem to the West Cheshire, and were given places in the 3rd tier. It's no surprise that Villa came into this one with a goal difference of +81 and Boro were hot on their heels. It's worth noting that this wasn't really Boro's rezzies, as the first team folded without fulfilling a fixture this season, so the reserves are now the de facto first XI.

Fairly feisty game, an early late tackle on the Villa left winger led to him limping off - the ref didn't bring out a card, which led to one of the other Villa players to offer his team mates some tactical advice with a shout of "That's it lads, we fucking go through these now, every time!" It felt like a red card was inevitable, but despite a few more robust challenges (and there were a couple of robust lads on both sides), it's to their credit that it finished 11 v 11.

Boro were better organised and held their shape better but Villa possibly had a couple of players with more individual skill. Once the visitors went in front with a low shot after a corner, it felt like they'd hang on, and indeed they added a second before the end to overtake the home side at the top of the league, albeit having played a game more.

The pitch is inside the famous horse racing venue, with fences providing an unusual backdrop.

[Third rate Leszno]

Don't seem to be able to add multiple photos to that post, so I'll have to add some follow-ups

Not often you can stand on the track of the British Grand Prix (albeit most recently in 1962) and watch 9th tier non league football

[Third rate Leszno]

First pitch I've stood at that's used leftover running rails to fence off the playing surface

[Third rate Leszno]

And some suitably ramshackle dugouts to complete the picture

[Felicity, I guess so]

Plastic referees are always the worst kind.

Well it was Andrew Dallas...

[Merlin the happy pig]

Managed a double-header this week.

National League North. Chester 4-1 Boston United, Boston hit the post twice in the first half and were unlucky to be two down at half time, Chester quite comfortable in the second half though.

Irn Bru Cup Semi-Final. Connah's Quay Nomads 1-1 (a.e.t.) Edinburgh City, Connah's Quay won 5-4 on penalties. Crowd of 1068, programmes printed 125. It took me about half an hour to get from Chester to Connah's Quay, so walked in as the turnstiles opened, still didn't get a programme. Both teams are top of their leagues, not that you would have thought it watching this game.

[Southport Zeb]

First pitch I've stood at that's used leftover running rails to fence off the playing surface

Uttoxeter Town do something similar.

I've not done any football this weekend as it has been my brothers stag do. I am going to Oldham v Workington rugby on the way back though.

[Patrick Thistle]

Irn Bru Cup Semi-Final. Connah's Quay Nomads 1-1 (a.e.t.) Edinburgh City, Connah's Quay won 5-4 on penalties. Crowd of 1068, programmes printed 125. It took me about half an hour to get from Chester to Connah's Quay, so walked in as the turnstiles opened, still didn't get a programme. Both teams are top of their leagues, not that you would have thought it watching this game.

I watched that on telly. Connahs Quay play the long throw, pack the box with tall players, hoof it upfield game every week.