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FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

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    #26
    FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

    Finishes 2-0 to Lane as the wonderfully named Mandela Gbagbo scores an injury time penalty.

    Not sure how the Middlesex-Norfolk darts match in the other bar is doing.

    Comment


      #27
      FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

      Gangster Octopus wrote: You should've joined me at the other end of Harrow, Rayners Lane have just scored a joke goal to go one up.
      That was my second choice. I believe I made a mistake. I watched two fairly poor sides in a game which, to be fair, improved significantly in the second half.

      Comment


        #28
        FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

        Wimbledon won 2-0 thanks to a decent performance from them and an absolutely suicidal one from Gillingham.

        The goals came from an absurd back pass and an equally blundering penalty concession. To top it off for them the guy responsible for the back pass got a straight red late on for giving the finger to the crowd.

        Slapstick fun.

        .

        Comment


          #29
          FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

          Carlisle United U18s v Blackpool U18s, EFL Youth Alliance

          Hawick Royal Albert v Civil Service Strollers, SFA Cup

          An unnecessarily early start from t' bridge as I had managed to get my timings wrong and I was two hours ahead of myself. So I was off on the 0636 Blackpool service, one minute and one carriage down on schedule.

          The main activity on the train was night shift warehouse workers in yellow hi-viz switch between reading the Daily Star and pretending to be sound asleep when the ticket collector came round. Despite it being clear in the Calder valley, by the time we hit the moorland at Copy Pitt, we were shrouded in mist.

          I changed at Preston onto a Glasgow bound TransPennine service.

          Carrying on from last week, I'm building quite a library of distant shots of Heysham Nuclear power station. Here is one down the Eyre valley at Lancaster.

          As we passed Kendall, home of mint cake and K Shoes, the sun was shining down....

          ....however, the mist was still prevalent in the lower foothills.

          Further on, this scarred field is at Grayrigg, where a Virgin Pendolino derailed in 2007 after a set of points had not been properly secured. Fortunately it was a late night service and wasn't very busy, but one old lady was killed. It is well known for Branson's quote about how the train driver somehow 'steered the train to safety'.

          Back in the 1980s, TV series about railways had yet to be conquered by reformed Nazis in pastel knitwear making shows for the mass market. Instead, they were intended for middle aged sex offenders and retired vicars, and were usually voiced by Anton Rogers. The most well-known was the 'Train Now Departing' series, which was basically various pensioners in the arse end of nowhere, moaning in impenetrable regional accents, about the withdrawal of a local train service that they never used anyway. However, it had a very good title sequence, which showed a train on a viaduct fading away into the current view of the abandoned railway. It was shot on this viaduct that we passed at Low Gill, which is where the line from Hellified came in until it closed in 1964.

          Through Penrith, and no Panthers, but instead the Northern Belle was looped for us. This calls itself a 'land cruise', whereby pensioners who can afford Ł2,500 for a weeks luxury train journey, yet still get free bus passes and heating allowances, are taken round Britain in newly converted Pullman carriages, which gives wonderful opportunities such as having a full cooked breakfast whilst stabled in Penrith down side engineers yard. Who wouldn't want a great view of some thermit welding gear and a rail grinder, whilst tucking into your eggs and bacon?

          Football grounds visible from the railway; Gifford Park, now home of Carlisle City but built up by barmpot outfit Celtic Nation.

          Into the back platform at Carlisle. In the siding alongside, are the water jetting wagons in the Railhead Treatment Train. During leaf fall season, the mulch from the squashed leaves compacts onto the rail, causing adhesion problems for trains braking or getting moving. These trains go out overnight and spray the rail with high pressure water to remove the leaf debris, then lay down a sandy glue mix. In rail terms, Autumn starts in October and goes on to mid-December.

          By now the Northern Belle had caught up with us.

          Carlisle is still a big centre for trainspotters so the social elite (including one in an AFC Wimbledon shell suit) chased off to get their photo.

          So, arriving into Carlisle with two hours to kill. Previously this would have not been a problem, straight to the Whetherspoons to clear everything in whatever they have in this weeks faux beer festival. However, after hitting the 1000 pint mark in August, I had waltzed through Dry September, so will stay off it at least until I go on holiday later this month. A rethink was therefore in order, and I hit the tourist leaflets at the station.

          Whilst the Specialist Shops guide to Penrith, and Jamie Theakston at the Carlisle Book Festival were tempting, instead I decided to follow a leaflet on 'a walking tour of the monuments and museums of Carlisle'.

          First off was the Guildhall museum. Except on arrival, I found it shuts at the end of September and doesn't re-open until April. 'You should have come yesterday' said the helpful man in Franco’s. Yeah, thanks for that.

          So next stop was the Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery. I enquired at the reception what it was a museum of as neither the leaflet nor any of the signage disclosed that. 'Um, er, like, artefacts' was the hesitant response I got from the girl on the desk. What about the art gallery? She appeared relieved at this and confidently told me 'Oh, its paintings by local people', yes, but what of? Clearly sensing some follow up questions, see added that I could ask the lady in the cafeteria as she might know more. I got the feeling that a museum where the catering staff have more expertise over the curators, might not be much to shout about, and with lots of other attractions to visit, I decided to give it a miss.

          I headed for the very elaborate cathedral. Except it didn't open until 1100.

          So on to Carlisle Castle. At least this was open. I'd say it was less a castle and more a big house with castellated walls, with a dual carriageway going right through its grounds.

          Never mind, what about the next attraction, a stroll around the city walls. We'll see if you can spot in this picture, where the walls have been sympathetically breached for a ring road, and a foot bridge built. Pretty much indistinguishable from the historic walls, I'm sure you will agree.

          By now I'd given up the tourist trail. The final attraction should have been the Carlisle Museum of military history, but this was probably just a pea-shooter and a selection of Paul Dodd anecdotes, so I gave up, as long as I don't relapse to a Wetherspoons. I’d even missed this music festival, which seemed an attempt to re-create the first day afternoon line up of the third stage at the 2003 V festival. Just need the Kooks.

          The Cumberland news is an OTF favourite for bizarre stories so I was disappointed that today’s headlines were quite mundane. Good to see the nice balanced diet for the giveaway.

          So 5 minutes later and I'm in the Whetherspoons. If you ever want to kill some time, hours, days, even years, then just try and get served at a Wetherspoons during breakfast. Firstly, there will be one, or at best two members of staff on a bar designed for five, they will be staff who are even too thick to work at the Tullie House museum, and they will be serving uber cunts ordering multiple breakfasts, in all sorts of 'no tomatoes but extra toast' connotations, but the killer is, all sorts of wanky hot drinks. If you are a person who orders hot drinks in pubs, you need to take a long, hard look at yourself . Why don't you go to a cafe or coffee shop for them, rather than to a place which isn't set up to make them in any sort of efficient or palatable way. I'm not convinced that Lord Lucan is missing, I think he just popped out for a Morning pint and is still trying to get served at the Belgravia 'spoons, as a group of pensioners individually order the smallest breakfast and Lattes without any froth.

          After an hour or so I eventually got served, the outlandish request for a pint of Diet Coke becoming 'we don't sell soft drinks in pints, just large, and it's actually Pepsi Max, is that OK?'. However, it was projector screen Ryder Cup, so I headed off. However, what I didn’t realise is that there is another Weatherspoon’s next door. Stay classy Carlisle.

          My first game was Carlisle's youth team. They play at Creighton rugby club in the south of the city. I checked the game was on as they have a habit of being changed at the last minute, and it was so I set off for the walk. A short way from the centre, I passed over the railway that heads out to Newcastle and the renowned Settle and Carlisle, the latter currently closed because of a land slip.

          After 45 minutes or so, I was surprised to see a half full coach, with a Preston address on it, heading away from the ground.

          Arriving at the ground and all seemed suspiciously quiet. Checking Twitter and sure enough, the game had been moved, with 25 minutes notice. Contemplating a fruitless stomp back to the station, a car turned up with a couple of groundhoppers from Bolton, who were doing this game before heading off to Pirelli Sports. They were keen to still do the game so we negotiated terms of a lift from them in return for directions.

          After managing to direct them through every set of roadworks in Cumbria, we arrived at Brunton Park and the Hugh McIlmoyle statue.

          We were directed 'through the flood prevention barriers' to the training pitch.

          I bid farewell to my new friends, and as we had discussed my new found Sowerby residence, I was given a stern warning of 'don't ever become a Yorkshireman'.


          Carlisle United U18s 1 v Blackpool U18s 4, EFL Youth Alliance

          The ground itself sits out the back of the main stadium.

          The last minute change meant it appeared the players had got changed pitchside.

          The whole ground stank due to an enormous pile of horse shit on one touchline.

          The ground is surrounded on three sides by a massive earth bank.

          It was a fucker to climb….

          ….but the reward was a tremendous vantage point.

          The Under 18s games seem to be officiated by under 18 officials as well.

          The Blackpool keeper was being warmed up on crosses. He was catching them well, but was given an almighty bollocking by the coach because he wasn't shouting 'keepers'.

          The shouting he did prolifically from then on, but at the expense of dropping the ball. A partial success with that then coach.

          Carlisle U18s have had a strong start to their season, unbeaten in the last seven games, so it was a surprise to see them lose 1-4 to Blackpool, who had brought along a camera on a telescoptic pole and had someone doing the opta stats.

          Youth team travel update. Carlisle = 2013 Ford Transit long wheelbase.

          I'd headed off some time before the end, as I needed to catch a bus to my next game. Another chance to explore Carlisle's arterial road network on foot, took me back to the centre.

          I needed to grab some food for the journey, and there was a local food market in the centre. Unfortunately, there was no sign of any cheese, instead it seems Cumbrians feast on rotting organic vegetables, and whilst it was apparent these had not seen any pesticides, it did look like some of the stall holders bathed in it.
          So instead it was off to the Wilkinsons of the north, B&M bargains. This place has the look of having just bought Woolworths bankrupt stock and is still knocking it out. It is the only place I have seen KP Choc-Dips for sale since 1985.

          Instead of my anticipated twenty odd quids worth of artisan cheese and fruit cordial, I ended up with the B&M version, for Ł1.38.

          Despite my reservations about Carlisle (this was the first time in umpteen visits that I hadn't witnessed paralytic locals fighting each other), they have the most ornate bus stop parades in the land. This is the interchange outside the station.

          In rolled my bird to freedom, the X95 bus to Edinburgh.

          This is a route only for the criminally insane as it takes four hours to get to Edinburgh. I was on it only for 90 minutes to Hawick. The route heads north out of Carlisle, firstly passing through Longtown, which has moved on from its previous ‘me love you’ promotion.

          Then a start of a continual shadowing of the river Esk, looking a lot larger than it does later on the journey.

          The bus also shadows the former railway from Carlisle to Edinburgh. This 'Waverley' route was a controversial closure in 1969 as it had survived the Beeching cuts, and it served remote areas that the line was allegedly a lifeline for. This bus service and the road upgrade were implemented as a direct replacement. The railway has actually re-opened north from Tweedbank to Edinburgh, but there is little chance of this part re-opening as it isn't in Scotland and Carlisle isn't the major centre that Edinburgh is. There are frequent relics to see, such as this goods shed standing isolated in an adjacent field.

          The 12 passengers on my bus didn’t really demonstrate an urgent need for the re-opening of the railway.

          Soon we crossed into Scotland.

          Initially, the route is quite flat. However, the valley then narrows into a gorge shared with the Esk.

          I'd done a bus trip into the borders at the back end of last season, but that time in from Berwick and the east. I'd been very underwhelmed at the mundane scenery and was expecting much of the same. However, this route was immeasurably better because as well as the twisting gorge, we had now stared to climb into the Southern Uplands.


          This was the oddest thing I have seen for a very long time. Completely in the middle of nowhere, we passed a field, which contained some miniature goals and a load of blokes in see through inflatable spheres, playing football. Buckieholics v methadone addicts me thinks.

          As we left the hills behind us, the valley opened out….

          ….but as we neared Hawick, it narrowed down again.

          Into Hawick…..

          ….obviously some Highways Agency v Town Council rivalry with place name signs. It would be more helpful if one of them told you it is pronounced ‘Hoik’

          We were on the outskirts of the town and on seeing a sports complex with a grandstand….

          …..I jumped off the bus.

          However, this was actually the towns athletic stadium, and the football ground was at the complete opposite end of Hawick.

          This did give me the opportunity to have a walk through the town. The borders region claims it is a deprived area, but Hawick seemed very opulent. They seem to love a statue. This one represents the struggle of local landowners against Frankie Boyle’s twitter feed in the Scottish independence referendum.

          This is the main high street which seemed to just consist of butchers and wool shops. I bought three haggis for Ł6 from one of them.

          The one Pete Wylie missed.

          Back out the opposite end of town and carrying on along the river.

          The football ground is part of a conglomeration of sports venues, three being located end-on-end at the base of the valley.

          The first of these is the rugby club. A bloke at work was telling me how Hawick has produced more Scotland rugby internationals than inner city Glasgow or Edinburgh, which just shows how Scottish rugby union mirrors the English set up in just being for privileged twats (Wales is much more a people's game).

          Next was another rugby club, whoever Hawick YM might be, I can’t be arsed to google it.

          Then the main event.


          Hawick Royal Albert 6 v Civil Service Strollers 2, William Hill Scottish Cup, First Round Replay.


          Hawick Royal Albert were formed in 1947. From what I can work out, they broke away from Hawick Railway, led by someone who was also involved in the Royal Albert team from south Glasgow. They played in the border league initially, before moving into the strong East of Scotland league, where they had a decent amount of success before it became the Lowland league, a feeder into the Scottish Division 3. Notably, they were runners up to Clydebank in seeking election to the Scottish league when it had an additional place in 1966.

          Civil Service Strollers were formed in 1908 as the sports team of the Edinburgh Civil Service. They too were in the East of Scotland league before moving to the Lowland League this season. There isn't too much about them, other than they won the mysterious Kings Cup three times in the 1920s. I'd like to know more about their Strollers nomenclature.

          The initial game had finished 1-1 and the second round drawer has already been undertaken, the winners heading east for an away tie against Berwick Rangers.

          The ground is in an amazing setting, alongside the river in the valley.

          The major structure is a substantial grandstand that was built in 1963 using the frame of an old wool factory, when they moved to the ground from their previous home at Wilton Dean.

          On the far touchline, is very steep and narrow grass banking, that whoever mowed the grass seemed to lose interest in by the time he got to this end.

          Behind both goals are vast flat grassed areas. The near one had some temporary barriers so you could stand at that end.

          Behind the main stand, was some swish pad with a great view of the game

          A couple of hardy souls hand ventured over to this side.

          The game started after much back slapping and hand shakes between players. The reason for this is that the Hawick players and management are all from Edinburgh, and train up their, only coming down for home games. So they are very much muckers with their Lothian buddies.

          Almost immediately into the game, Hawick scored.

          And then got a second

          A good quota of feral kids climbing on anything they weren’t meant to.

          The majority of the crowd occupied the back rows of the main stand. Seeing as this was one of Hawick’s biggest games of the season, it seemed a low turnout.

          The other two grounds stretched out behind the town end goal.

          Next to the stand was a tiny shelter, which revealed itself to be the disabled accommodation.

          However, the view from it was mostly of the away subs warming up.

          Lowland League ground, but Premier league clutter. Propane canister, three lamp posts, plastic barriers on the roof of the disabled shelter, and best of all, a huge pile of old UPVC window frames.

          Added to this was discarded corrugated sheeting at various points around the ground.

          And a huge pile of grass cuttings in one corner.

          Hawick scored some more...

          …but the Strollers also got a couple, and the game ended 6-2.

          After the game, it was back into town for the bus back to Carlisle. The bus stop was festooned with Celtic Ultra stickers. No doubt there is a fleet of buses heading Glasgow way each Saturday.

          Promptly, my bus turned up.

          My travelling companion was someone who’s name I never found out, but spent most of the early part of the journey swearing down the phone to someone called Kenny. However, he then wanted to show me the hill where Gregor Fisher lives.

          This manifested into a minute by minute update of where he’d ever seen Rab C Nesbitt. On a bridge in Langholm with Billy Connolly, and in the Nisa one stop in the village.

          After announcing to the driver not to leave back to Hawick without him, as he was just picking up some ‘smoke’ off a friend, my new friend headed off the bus. We carried on, back into Carlisle.

          Straight to the station. The bus on the left are the replacement service for the Settle and Carlisle line.

          I hadn’t noticed on the way through in the morning, but the reason for the plethora of trainspotters was because East Coast were diverting via Carlisle as the route north of Newcastle was closed for engineering work.

          Whilst HSTs can operate normally, the electric 225s have to be hauled by a freight loco across through Haltwhistle. This sort of thing excites the spotters.

          My move was a southbound TransPennine service, heading for Manchester Airport.

          By now the day was drawing in over the fells.

          Into Preston, and a fill-in move to Blackburn as there is a plug socket in the waiting room, and my phone was dying.

          Getting on the York service, the vestibule was full of Stone Island clad lads. These turned out to be Sheffield United returning from Fleetwood. They jumped off at Burnley to go and find/assist/start/end some trouble. I carried on to Sowerby…..

          …..where I cooked up one of my earlier procured Haggis.


          Cumberland Times.

          Comment


            #30
            FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

            That Hawick main stand is a beauty.

            Zilina 1 Podbrezova 0 in the Slovak league. Everything you'd want from a 1st vs 2nd game ; two sides with a healthy respect, yet also dislike, for each other, contrasting playing styles, and the result in doubt till the end.

            The Argentinian players on each side stood out. Zilina's Ivan Diaz is a central midfielder who runs most games in this league and looks just too good for it. The visitors' Pablo Podio has a superb left-foot and whipped in a succession of free-kicks and corners that had Zilina scrambling frantically in front of their own goal.

            Zilina better in open play and deserved the win.

            Comment


              #31
              FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

              Santutxu 1-2 Deusto

              The Bilbao derby was pretty dull but full over-exuberant refereeing. I'm not sure how many yellow cards there were but it wouldn't surprise me if 10 was an underestimate. There were two reds as well in what was not a dirty game at all.

              Santutxu, unfortunately, failed to create any real opportunities from their dominance and were punished by sloppy mistakes at the back. A draw would have been a fair result but it wasn't to be. Deusto continue their fine start to the season whilst Santutxu stare the drop zone in the face with only 4 points.

              Comment


                #32
                FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                Three matches in the end for me. Started at the youth match between Maghull and Maghull Town (the latter actually a second youth side of Maghull and not a separate club). Maghull [no suffix] dominated possession but didn't score! allowing Town to win with two late goals.

                From there I went to Wales and the village of Hawarden where local side Rangers were playing Mid-Wales League side Carno in the Welsh Cup. Fairly even game but the home side did enough to win 2-1 and advance to the next round.

                I hadn't planned on a third game but Hawarden is a couple of miles from Broughton, were Airbus UK had a late kick off (because of live TV coverage) against Llandudno. Entertaining game which Llandudno hung on to win 3-2. Their third goal was from the centre circle and really excited the S4C commentators behind me (at least the English ones - I don't know what the Welsh commentators at the other end of the stand thought, although their pre-match build up had seemed to include many mentions of Alan Mills).

                Comment


                  #33
                  FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                  A BB&F trip to what is 'home' ground for me, wonderful. Particularly enjoyed the Longtown gag, though it wouldn't work so well with local pronunciation (Langtoon).

                  Comment


                    #34
                    FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                    jameswba wrote: That Hawick main stand is a beauty.
                    Quite, reminds me of the main stand at Hertford, which I visited recently:

                    Comment


                      #35
                      FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                      Third rate les bleus wrote: A BB&F trip to what is 'home' ground for me, wonderful. Particularly enjoyed the Longtown gag, though it wouldn't work so well with local pronunciation (Langtoon).
                      Seconded. Also love the "Cumberland Times" gag.

                      Comment


                        #36
                        FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                        Frickley Athletic 2-3 Barwell

                        An even match that wasn't as exciting as the scoreline suggests. Frickley had a last minute penalty saved which was exciting.

                        Comment


                          #37
                          FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                          Bytcica 0 Bela 1 in the Slovak 5th division central today. This level is basically mountain villages and little hamlets playing against each other, but you can see some surprisingly good games. This wasn't one of them really. Bytcica are bottom of the league and are painfully limited. Bela discovered lots of new ways to miss, before finally scoring the winner in the 75th minute.

                          What I'll probably remember the occasion for is the two goalkeepers. Bytcica's was almost certainly the fattest player I've ever seen in a competitive fixture, Bela's one of the thinnest. A photo of the two of them together would be something. The Bytcica guy was superb though ; he made several fine saves, was surprisingly sharp coming off his line and had a formidable kick on him. He really didn't deserve to be on the losing side.

                          Comment


                            #38
                            FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                            Is that Tatran Bytcica? I did them last January whilst doing a Brest to Brest European slog.

                            We'd done an overnight into Zilina and they were playing at the strange time of 1100 on a Tuesday morning.

                            It didn't look promising as the station was in the middle of a huge industrial estate that seemed to encompass most of the south of Zilina. However, the ground was through a village and actually bordered onto the hillsides.

                            I've got some photos but alas, no fat goalkeeper.

                            Comment


                              #39
                              FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                              Well that's unexpected. Yes, Tatran Bytcica it is.

                              I've got some photos too, from previous visits, will perhaps try to upload later. Meanwhile, here's one from a big cup-tie 2 seasons ago :

                              http://www.futbalsever.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/165-018.jpg

                              There's a view of Lietava Castle from the ground on a nice day too.

                              January would have been a winter-break friendly, or part of a friendly tournament, I guess(?) I'm a bit surprised they played on the main pitch.

                              Comment


                                #40
                                FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                                Checking my moves book and it was actually in February, 24/02/15 to be precise.

                                To be even more precise, it was actually Kysucké Nové Mesto we watched at 1100, Bytcica was in the afternoon. I have it listed as a cup competition.

                                My mate was spending the day doing moves to get the CD 150 'sewer rats' which do the Zilina legs of the trains in from Trine.

                                My only other note is that Zilina station subway was knee deep in piss and the town seemed to be inhabited by beggars. I'm sure there are nice parts though!

                                Comment


                                  #41
                                  FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                                  The game at t'Turf yesterday was a lovely reminder of why I really can't stand the Premier League.  If that goal had gone in at the other end, there would have been post-match MOTD ranting and five opinion pieces this morning all calling for video technology.  Instead I have to read that the winning goal "it had an element of fortune" as Burnley get patronised to the high hills for being "obdurate" in restricting Arsenal, conquerors of Chelsea and Basle in the past week to one shot on goal in 90 minutes.  Oh, and "parked the bus" despite having the three best chances in the game. It seems that it is perfectly fine to grab hold of a ref and demonstrate physically on him and not get a yellow.

                                  Walcott is clearly in his annual six week run of form but Alex Iwobi is going to be some player.

                                  I love Scotty Arfield to bits, but my heart sinks when he is brought on, usually after an hour, usually for Steven Defour, who is the best player in a Claret and Blue shirt for 40 years.  Arfield is a Championship player, a willing worker, always gives his all, but he needs that extra half second he gets at that level.  George Boyd, top of the Opta stats for running again and knowing stats are bollocks, because I'd rather have someone strolling no further than the centre circle as long as he was doing something effective.  (I'm also curious to know how that is calculated, because George has a little habit of jogging on the spot...)

                                  The switch to 4-5-1 in the absence of Andre Gray looks very effective, to the point where people are wondering whether how it can be dropped when his ban is up. Hendrick has slotted into the system really well and Clarets are no longer getting overrun.  Gudmundsson was superb all game and was my MOM.  He had no right to win that header that Cech pushed around the post.  Only downside is that Matt Lowton (again solid) has a habit of dropping narrower as the game progresses and he tires, gifting his opposing winger a lot more space on the left hand side.

                                  But it is all a circus and we're just the patronised onlooker for the Big Clubs.  I mean, Gary Cahill and Glen Johnson are in the England squad and Michael Keane isn't?

                                  Comment


                                    #42
                                    FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                                    So.

                                    Are Bishop Auckland and the FA going to conspire to ruin my weekend a week on Saturday week, and grant a home draw to Bishops on the 15th of October, and scupper my pre-booked train ticket for the Gainsborough Trinity match?

                                    Comment


                                      #43
                                      FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                                      BB&F well up to usual standards. Even without beer* and cheese.

                                      *well done BTW.

                                      Comment


                                        #44
                                        FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                                        steveeeeeeeee wrote:
                                        Originally posted by jameswba
                                        That Hawick main stand is a beauty.
                                        Quite, reminds me of the main stand at Hertford, which I visited recently:

                                        Hertford Town are my brother's local team and I love that stand (though, like many of that ilk, the view of it is way better than that from it).

                                        I vaguely recall some story about it coming from Spurs but I must have got that wrong as surely it's far too small.

                                        Comment


                                          #45
                                          FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                                          Snake Plissken wrote: Glen Johnson [is] in the England squad
                                          WTF?

                                          Comment


                                            #46
                                            FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                                            Hayes & Yeading Utd 1-2 Dorchester Town

                                            A dismal first half performance from Hayes had the effect of making Dorchester's equally limited team look half-decent. Slack defending (greeted with resignation by those who have watched H&Y more often than me this season) let the visitors in for an early goal and we never seriously looked like equalising for the rest of the half.

                                            Once the gigantonormous figure of Melford Simpson came on in the second period, we at least had a target man to aim for and some chances were created with faster passing and movement. It also helped that the game was spread out a bit more, looking less like a primary school match as had been the case with 20 players crammed into one quarter of the pitch.

                                            The equaliser came with a belting shot from the edge of the box from Sam Humphreys, but the rest of the game was then very much overshadowed by a nasty-looking head/neck injury to Dorchester's Nathan Walker. The game was suspended for 70 minutes as an ambulance had to come onto the pitch and ensure that he could be safely moved onto the stretcher and off to hospital.



                                            It was a big surprise to see the ref intent on restarting the match after such a long break, but once things got going again, Dorchester scored a nice free-kick, conceded stupidly with a needless foul. The final whistle came a couple of minutes early as H&Y were building up some pressure again but the defeat is irrelevant really - main thing is that Walker was released from hospital on Saturday evening and hasn't suffered any serious, lasting injury.

                                            Comment


                                              #47
                                              FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                                              Big Boobs and FIRE! wrote:
                                              To be even more precise, it was actually Kysucké Nové Mesto we watched at 1100, Bytcica was in the afternoon. I have it listed as a cup competition.
                                              To my shame, I've never been to Kysucke Nove Mesto's ground. A friend lives in the town and you can just about see from her flat across the railway to the ground, but I've never been. Her Dad was a semi-regular at the club and has a story about Sparta Prague going to play there once. The team coach had to take a diversion en route, got lost in a little village somewhere in the region and the driver had to ask directions : 'We're Sparta Prague and we're lost, how do you get to Kysucke Nove Mesto?'

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                                                #48
                                                FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                                                JVL wrote:
                                                It was a big surprise to see the ref intent on restarting the match after such a long break...
                                                I can't imagine the players being too keen either. Glad the guy didn't suffer a serious injury.

                                                Trying to follow updates on your club's ground situation, just because I went to Church Road once and I think it's still my favourite English non-league ground of all the ones I've been to.

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                                                  #49
                                                  FA or not FA (again). Weekend matchgoing

                                                  Church Road is indeed sadly missed, have many happy memories (and just as many frustrating ones!) of games watched there and now it's gone, with nothing to show for decades of local football history in the housing estate that has replced it. But that is a lament familiar to fans of many clubs.

                                                  We'll never know whether the financial situation at the time of the merger and in subsequent years really was so bad that the only option available was to sell the ground and surrounding land, and then move to a council-owned ground that still isn't finished, five years later. The books were cooked by the previous chairman and board to the extent that no-one knows where the money went (beyond the usual expenses: wages, ground repairs, running costs for a Conference club with few fans - but that lot wouldn't have eaten up all the cash) and we'll never find out.

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