The Game That Should Not Be - Weekend Matchgoing

[Ray de Galles]

Wimbledon v Franchise tonight, presumably moved to a Friday evening to minimise the attendance from followers of the vermin.

It's a weird one as the fixture against them in March at least felt like getting the inevitable first ever home meeting out of the way and the win was exhilarating. It's now even more apparent that we're going to have to suffer their presence at least semi-regularly and a victory will never match last season's, a defeat would be horrible and it is still a fixture that shouldn't happen.

After all that agita I think I'll stroll down the road on Saturday afternoon for my first visit to Molesey of the season, facing Hastings United in the Isthmian South.

[Gangster Octopus]

5th choice club v 4th choice club for me in the Vase. Cricklewood Wanderers v Rayners Lane.

[Bored Of Education]

Aw man, let it go. You've got your club now and they've got theirs. Why can't everyone just be friends. What the world needs is a great big melting pot.

[Satchmo Distel]

Molesey Goals

[Bored Of Education]

After the slightly disappointing exterior of the Nou Camp last weekend, I will be entering the fine portals of Fortress Twerton tomorrow for the first time in ages, it seems. We are playing Wealdstone tomorrow. We still haven't got a manager with Jim Rollo being caretaker and not wanting to take on the role permanently. No players have yet departed to the English Riviera yet but Marvin Morgan has moved closer to home at Hampton & Richmond. He has flattered to deceive during his time here ending last season strongly as we all thought he was trying to impress scouts. However, he started with us this season and, to be fair, has done very well. I think we will be OK goals-wise without him. It's our defence that has been a problem which has somewhat abated of late. We are second in the form table but Wealdstone have got a couple of wins under their belts in recent weeks. 6 points between us so it is a little hard to call. Should be a comfortable home win but the disruption may not help us even with a 6-0 win in the Cup against Knaphill last Saturday.

[elguapo4]

Last of the Dublin derbies for us for this year, Bohs at home to St Pats, still require a couple of points to make us safe and bizarrely a win and defeats for Bray and Derry could see us with a chance of Europe. I'll be happy with a win

[Bermuda Iron]

Start of the league season over here this weekend. I will be at Flanagan's Onions vs PHC Zebras on Sunday afternoon. PHC are fancied strongly to have a good chance of the Premier Div title this season, they are a well run community club with a good mix of experienced players and young talent coming through. Onions will be Onions, bottom half of the table, physical but lacking in pace.

[jameswba]

Zilina vs Slovan Bratislava on Sunday evening. Last season's Slovak champions against this season's league leaders.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Rare Carlisle away game for me, the West Coast mainline derby (as no one calls it) at Gresty Road - first time in a while that a trip on the train to the fixture has been feasible, and helpfully Virgin announced a seat sale just after the fixtures came out, which I believe a lot of Carlisle fans took advantage of.

I'm going with a mate who I did the same trip with in around 1995, which started with a big bottle each of 20/20 on the 9am train, and inevitably went downhill thereafter. Tomorrow should be slightly more sedate, we're on the 11am train this time for a start.

[Southport Zeb]

Retford United v Pinxton for me.

[Patrick Thistle]

Shrewsbury v Blackburn. Is this the game the wheels come off?

The senior Thistles have decided that my going means they can cope with taking my niece and nephew along so depending how much the junior Thistles can focus will affect how much of the game I actually see.

[RobM]

Rare foray into the Highland League territory for me tomorrow for Nairn County v Whitehill Welfare in the Scottish Cup. Well done the SFA for organising a free bus for the Welfare fans heading up there.

Time permitting I'll also catch the first half of the Nairn St. Ninian v Whitehills match for my first North Juniors ground, weird fixture coincidence but looking forward to the day oot.

[Lang Spoon]

Stark’s Park about 10 rows back from Brooding MacBeth in a Burton’s suit. Fucking sham club Phoenix Airdrie had better roll over for the unstoppable Raith. First game in two years, gantin for it.

[Ray de Galles]

Fucksticks!

[Bored Of Education]

Oh fucking hell.

[Sits]

Flanagan's Onions

Best. Team name. Ever.

[ad hoc]

I have been in Adelaide for the last few days and had hoped to go to the semi final* of the AFL between the Adelaide Crows and the Geelong Cats. However I couldn't get a ticket which is a shame as I have never been to an AFL game before. Adelaide won by the way.

*for reasons that are probably just as half arsed as the second division being called "The Championship" semi finals in Australia all seem to be referred to as "preliminary finals". But they are semi finals.

[Sits]

It's the first time they've made the "Grand" Final in yonks, and the Cats have been the dominant force for quite a while.

It's a shame you couldn't get there; it's a game which is much better to watch live. On TV you see isolated pockets of the field in the area around the ball carrier. From the grandstand (higher is better) you can see the huge amount of off ball running and jockeying for position. No wonder the players are so incredibly fit.

[Furtho]

I’m planning to go to the north Bucks derby between Unite MK and Grendon Rangers in the Spartan South Midlands League Division 2. Unite MK were formed by committee members from Wolverton Town after Wolverton folded for what are rumoured to be nefarious reasons two summers back. Rangers are from the village of Grendon Underwood, out in the sticks the far side of Buckingham. Mid-table v rock bottom at start of play.

[NickSTFU]

Shrewsbury v Blackburn.

I was able to access a free ticket for this so I phoned/texted several friends who have been occasional attendees over the years to over it up, only to find that every one of them had already bought a ticket.

Glory hunting bastards.

[Sits]

So two OTFers at that game then.

[NickSTFU]

I suspect ChrisJ will be there, so 3 from OTF

[Guy Profumo]

And this week's "brass neck" award goes to SYP ahead of Sunday's Derby.

Feature page spreads in The Star:

"One of the biggest police operations to keep fans safe".

Bunch.

Of.

Cunts.

[Gangster Octopus]

If I'd got a yellow and green scarf, I'd've brought that with my red, white and black Millers scarf. But I haven't, so, I've gone with a neutral blue and white Glossop North End FA Vase final one.

[Gangster Octopus]

And whilst I was typing all that, in two unrelated incidents the ball hit me and Cricklewood took the lead...