The Hee-BGB-Ees

[brian potter]

Christ it's tight at the foot of the BGB Southern Premier this year.

Cheshunt and Ciren are already down, after that there are 2 points separating 7 teams.

My team, Mangotsfield, looked dead and buried a month ago, but a change of management and 3 home wins on the spin have given renewed hope.

We have 3 home games left 2 of them against fellow strugglers, if we collect 6 points from those games we're surely safe.

I also hope that Hitchin stay up, for AdC's sake.

[Ray de Galles]

The Hee-BGB-Ees

This thread deserves a reply for the title alone, also because Mangotsfield is just a great name to say out loud to yourself. Go on, it's great.

[Crusoe]

The Hee-BGB-Ees

The BGB league is also home to Swindon Supermarine, Romulus, Rushall Olympic, Bishops Cleeve and both Taunton Town and Tiverton Town. Great names.

[My Name Is Ian]

The Hee-BGB-Ees

It's tight at the top, as well, isn't it? The last time I looked at it before this week, Kings Lynn were nailed on to win it, but they're third at the moment. You've even got the despicable Team Bath in second place, for the "pantomime villain" effect.

[Ray de Galles]

The Hee-BGB-Ees

Could someone please bring out a recording of Pam Ayres reading out an entire season's BGB results? I'd like the CD for Xmas.

Actually did anyone ever record Mark E Smith doing the classified scores earlier in the season,I never heard it.

[mirko bolesan]

The Hee-BGB-Ees

brian potter wrote:

Christ it's tight at the foot of the BGB Southern Premier this year.

Seven sides fighting out for two relegation spots. Merthyr Tydfil, Hitchin Town, Mangostfield United, Rugby Town, Corby Town, Bromsgrove Rovers and Bedford Town. Beautiful.

It's incredibly tight at the bottom of the BGBSW division as well, albeit between two sides. Both Bracknell Town and Slough Town are fighting to avoid the last relegation spot alongside Newport Isle of Wight. Bracknell are two points clear of Slough who are still homeless (playing in Beaconsfield rather than Windsor nowadays).

If Slough do drop it will be a mighty fall from grace for a club in the Conference not long ago. If they are relegated I suspect they will be the team lowest in the league ladder with a Scandanavian supporters club.
http://www.swedishrebels.com

[My Name Is Ian]

The Hee-BGB-Ees

Slough Town's supporters deserve so much better than they're getting at the moment. They were tremendous throughout their 9-0 defeat at Wimbledon last year.

[mirko bolesan]

The Hee-BGB-Ees

From what I've read locally they aren't too far from moving back into Slough which is obviously very important.

They've suffered (quite bizarrely) this season on a couple of ocassions from losing players to international call-ups.
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/03/29/from_slough_to_the_caribbean_a.html

[Amor de Cosmos]

The Hee-BGB-Ees

Thanks for the good wishes BP. Most Canaries are feeling surprisingly optimistic. From being second bottom as recently as the beginning of February Darran Day has led the club to the edge of safety. We've beaten, or drawn, the top four teams in the league in that stretch. Three of our remaining games are at home and the only team that you'd expect to stretch us are Bashley who are in with a play-off chance. Two wins out of four should see us comfortably safe. Of the rest of the bottom group only Mangotsfield are showing real signs of resurgence, while Bedford appear on the verge of imploding. There was a brawl at Swindon the other evening where several players, including Josh Sozzo, saw red. He was also sent off against us last weekend and now won't play again until well into next season.

[Furtho]

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Darran Day is no way the name of a football manager. I just can't accept that that might be true.

[Amor de Cosmos]

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You're right it isn't. A late night Freudian slip wasresponsible for turning the decidedly macho Darran Hay into Darran Day.

[Gangster Octopus]

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The Stones can smugly ignore this struggle this season. And concentrate on the Isthmian Premier relegation struggle instead...

[mirko bolesan]

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twohundredpercent wrote:

Slough Town's supporters deserve so much better than they're getting at the moment. They were tremendous throughout their 9-0 defeat at Wimbledon last year.

Slough Town lost 2-1 at home to Oxford City today, whilst Bracknell Town won 2-1 away at Thatcham. Slough are now 5 points adrift and with 4 games to go it look as if they'll be playing in the Combined Counties League next season. On the plus side it will guarantee a trip to Wembley.

Wembley FC, currently 13th in the CCP.

[XXXXXX]

The Hee-BGB-Ees

Today in the BGP, Kings Lynn drew 0-0 at home against Team Bath in front of 2,336. A dissapointing result, seeing that 'we' beat Team Bath 4-0 in Bath, just 5 weeks ago. Without looking,m I wonder just how many non-league attendances were higher than Lynn today ?

Here's the BGP table right now.

01...Halesowen....P40..Pts.77
02...Team Bath....P39..Pts.76
03...King's Lynn...P38..Pts.75

Lynn have 4 games left, 2 at home, 2 away. Team B have 1 at home, 2 away and Halesowen, 1 of each. Hopefully Lynn will push on and win the Division, especially after losing it all right at the end of last season...

This season Lynn are averaging 1,336 (before today). The next best are Chippenham and Halesowen with 440+. Team Bath ? Bottom of the division with 147.

[brian potter]

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After last night it looks like we are safe now. 4 wins in 10 days (a quarter of our points for the whole season) have left us just a point away from safety, although with our goal difference a lot of results would have to go against us.

Bromsgrove's recent run makes them look doomed which leaves one of Bedford, Corby or Rugby likely to grab the last spot.

At the top end I'd expect KL to finally manage automatic promotion, Halesowen chucked away a 4-1 lead at home in the last 10 minutes on Saturday, whilst the students still have to go to Chippenham on the last day.

[XXXXXX]

The Hee-BGB-Ees

King's Lynn now 2-0 up at home to Brackley Town... got to love BBC local radio - here I am in the USA listening to the game live on Radio Norfolk. And Team Bath are 1-0 down at home !

[Guest]

The Hee-BGB-Ees

My team Merthyr need just a point from the last 3 games to make sure we stay up.

It's still quite tight at the bottom, I think Corby and Bedford still have to play each other too. I think it'll be Bromsgrove and Corby to fill the remaining relegation places.

At the top I think it'll be Kings Lynn to shade it, with a game in hand they have to be favourites.

Merthyr play already relegated Cirencester at home tomorrow evening, we should (hopefully) get what we need there to stay up.

[Crusoe]

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Farnborough look like champions now. Three games left to play and we're six points ahead of Didcot and Fleet with a game in hand. We'd have to lose all three and Didcot or Fleet win their remaining two while overturning a major goal difference (+70 vs +56 for Didcot or +28 for Fleet).

[Guest]

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In an eventful match where Cirencester needed 3 goalkeepers (2 of them outfield players due to no sub keeper on the bench) Merthyr finally found themselves safe from the dreaded drop with a 3-0 win.

It was one of those games though, where it took us until midway through the second half to finally get the breakthrough after dominating possession and chances against a poor (but young) Cirencester team.

It's a relief to be able to go into the final two games of the season without the worry of relegation and we can enjoy going to Hitchin and hosting Kings Lynn, who could be crowned Champions before our game, so they could be presented the trophy at Penydarren Park before the game, I suppose, if it all works out for them.

Good to see Farnborough bouncing back too, we played 'em in the FA Cup on our way to the 1st Round proper and a Sky Sports TV date with Paul Merson's Walsall. Happy days, unlike current times...

[Crusoe]

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Yeah, it's nice to have some good times. I'm a little wary of the future - rumours that Francis Vines is being installed as manager, a bit of a "big fish in a small pond" attitude occasionally, slightly ostentatious touches like having a limited edition kit for our Hampshire Senior Cup final appearance - I'd like us to remain a little grounded as well.

[brian potter]

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Jimmy, what's the latest with the power struggle over at Penydarren?

We were gobsmacked at some of the stories we heard when you visited us last month. Especially given the sums of money that the supporters had raised and the efforts that some had put in.

[Guest]

The Hee-BGB-Ees

I agree Crusoe, it's best to remain grounded, especially at the level we're at. Look forward to seeing you in the Southern Premier next season anyway.

Situation remains the same Brian. Our owner and his cronies remain idiots. They are promising the usual and it will come to nothing. They are apparently waiting for the Merthyr Village development planning decision, if it gets the go ahead they will invest in the club. I just don't see it happening.

Owen Money declared at our ex-player's day last weekend that we'll be back in the Conference in two seasons. What a joke! Not a funny one either, there's absolutely no chance of that.

How are things for the Mangos now? From the outside all looks to be going well, you've shot up to midtable safety since Gregan's sacking. Looking good for the future there?

[Amor de Cosmos]

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Congrats to JHC and BP on your respective survivals. Hitchin still need a point to be sure. With luck it'll be against a deck-chair bound Merthyr this weekend. Needing something at Corby the following Saturday would be far too much excitement. I have to say that the run in since the middle of February has been brilliant, the best the club has played in years. If we can keep this squad together next season should be a blast.

Sadly — because, should we stay in the Southern League, they're our one and only localish derby — I think Bedford are for the drop. They've got injuries and suspensions up the ying-yang, hopelesly divided management and support has dropped at an alarming rate. Doesn't look good for them.

[My Name Is Ian]

The Hee-BGB-Ees

Considering how far Bedford's ground is from, well, anywhere, I'm not surprised that their crowds tail off when they're doing badly.

[Amor de Cosmos]

The Hee-BGB-Ees

For sure, plus the relative success of the Rugby club which is closer to the town's centre, doesn't help.