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I'm Spartakus - midweek matchgoing

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    I'm Spartakus - midweek matchgoing

    Spartak Moscow v. Liverpool at the Otkrytiye Arena for me tonight - and indeed tomorrow - as the anticipated 40" holdback afterwards will make it 00:20 local time before we're let out to take our chances on the Metro.

    #2
    I was offered a ticket to Cardiff v Leeds tonight but couldn't get back to Cardiff in time to go. Top of the table clash and all.

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      #3
      Parkgate v Pickering Town in the NCEL Premier. Second opportunity this season to see Pickering's foul green change kit.

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        #4
        Lewisham Borough 1-5 SC Thamesmead

        Lewisham have already won two games this season - it was January before they did that last season - so I was optimistic that they may be much improved this season. They weren't. Though better organised on the whole, and with some notably better players, they're still prone to terrible errors, bad decisions and silly lapses in concentration and three of the visitors goals were absolute gifts (penalty for off the ball push, terrible back-pass, full-back completely giving up). That said, encouraging to see a crowd that outnumbered the players and subs for the first time, swelled by a group of half a dozen groundhoppers. I've now realised that the real identifying mark of a groundhopping group is that they don't watch any of the second half of a game and instead spend the whole game talking about other grounds and trips they've made. They missed Borough's goal as they were arguing the merits of Den Haag's ground.

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          #5
          “they”? Yeah, right!

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            #6
            I am going to try and get to Roots Hall to see Southend v Wimbledon tonight, not just because I recall the chip shop near Prittlewell station being up there with the one outside the away end at Spotland as the best in football.

            If I can’t make it out of the office in time then it’ll probably be a game in London. Amongst slim pickings tonight a trip to Hayes & Yeading’s new ground appeals, if only to find out who on earth their opponents Moneyfields are. I’m presuming they’re a refreshingly honest financially-doped outfit.
            Last edited by Ray de Galles; 26-09-2017, 18:04.

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              #7
              Bury at home to Oxford. Let's see if the Lee Clark juggernaut can keep on rolling.

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                #8
                Oh, I’m also off to the England v West Indies ODI tomorrow at The Oval - weather permitting.

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                  #9
                  Moneyfields play in Portsmouth; you go past their ground on the train into the city. They won the Wessex Premier last season. Their performance so far makes me assume they are financially doped.

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                    #10
                    So, had a couple of beers, watched the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier outside the Kremlin walls and now going for more beers and a pizza. Just your typical away trip really....

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                      #11
                      One of the few good things about Southport being relegated last season is that we are playing back in the Lancashire Junior Cup rather than the Senior Cup. We have our first (and quite probably only) tie in this season's competition tonight, when we go to Bamber Bridge.

                      Who will be turning up for Southport is a big question. Alan Lewer and Mark Wright have been relieved of their duties, with Stephen Schumacher apparently taking temporary charge. Lewer had been planning on playing the youth team tonight, although this does not appear to have taken into account the fact that they played in the Youth a up last night.

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                        #12
                        Wadham Lodge v Clapton in the Gordon Brasted Cup tomorrow. What's it like parking outside Waltham Forest Stadium? I'm coming home knackered from work at the moment and really can't face the walk from Walthamstow Central to the ground.

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                          #13
                          Barnsley 1-1 QPR

                          Barnsley's worst performance at home for a couple of years. Apart from our (admittedly fantastic) goal we were clueless throughout. Despite being a goal up at half time, Heckingbottom switched from 4141 to 442 for the second half. Our midfield just isn't good enough to only have two in the middle and whether we play one or two up front it makes no difference. Both Bradshaw and Ugbo don't have the quality needed for the Championship.

                          QPR were anonymous in the first half and looked like relegation material. In the second half they had the freedom of the midfield and put us under constant pressure. They still didn't test Adam Davies though until their goal (which was a great shot but Davies should have done better). It was a fair result overall, but a forgettable match for both teams.

                          (Nice to see QPR play in their proper kit though. It's impossible to make out the numbers but worth it to see them play in proper hoops.

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                            #14
                            Well that was wholly unexpected. Bury played well and a glut in the second half should hopefully see a bit of a kick-on.

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                              #15
                              Southport registered some of their under 21 team (which turns out to be something that exists) to play at Bamber Bridge, with a few first team players. I don't think we'll see many of them again, as Bamber Bridge won 7-0.

                              Southport's last six games:
                              Stockport County (a) 0-6
                              Kidderminster Harriers (h) 0-3
                              Harrogate Town (h) 1-4
                              Bradford Park Avenue (h) 0-3
                              Nuneaton Town (a) 0-3
                              Bamber Bridge (a) 0-7

                              Played six, lost six, scored 1 (a penalty), conceded 26

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                                #16
                                Originally posted by longeared View Post
                                Moneyfields play in Portsmouth; you go past their ground on the train into the city. They won the Wessex Premier last season. Their performance so far makes me assume they are financially doped.
                                Crowds at Step 5 are normally sub 100, so you're not really raising enough revenue to pay players. But to win a Step 5 league you're normally going to have to pay players a decent wedge. Most top sides at Step 5 are "financially doped".

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                                  #17
                                  I was over optimistic with a 40" hold back in Moscow, it was 50", followed by a 20" walk round the stadium outskirts and a guard of honour from what felt like half of Moscow's Politsiya to see us onto the Metro at 01:00.

                                  All that for a drab draw in an (internally at least) unremarkable stadium with another hatful of chances missed - at least the rest of the trip has made up for it.

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                                    #18
                                    I’ve detailed the awfulness of Wimbledon’s position on the D3 thread so I’m not going to go in to it again here. Suffice to say it was an incredibly frustrating evening.

                                    I hadn’t been to Roots Hall in eleven years and had forgotten quite how awful it’s away end is. It has nothing approaching a decent view of the play and an overall feeling of being on the verge of being condemned. Someone on my Facebook commented it had good acoustics but I’m not that in to singing - to be honest it annoys me if i’m in too close proximity to it especially if it’s constant throughout a match.

                                    I always forget that I feel much less connected to Wimbledon’s away support than I do to the home crowd. They tend to just annoy me as much as most away fans do in general.

                                    The chip shop was pretty good but a) there was a fifteen minute queue for it and b) I’m not totally sure it was the same one as before that was excellent.

                                    Crap night all round really
                                    Last edited by Ray de Galles; 26-09-2017, 23:38.

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                                      #19
                                      It's the KGR Family Derby tomorrow, as my lot Birmingham host Mrs KGR and kids' Sheffield Wednesday.

                                      £15 for adult in away end, plus £5 for kids? They had to accept that offer, especially as my girls have never been to St Andrews. Oh, and Mrs KGR is workign in Birmingham all day anyway, so that kinda nailed it really. I'm paying £20 in the home end. I hope Wednesday reciprocate the prices later in the season, but hold out zero hope of that. All those big names in the Wednesday squad don't pay for themselves you know, Dejphon.

                                      We're a mere five days away from Carlos getting the sack when they get humped at home by Leeds, so what will this provide? Two clueless teams, gate of 15000, bound to be nil-nil. At least we have Kusczczak in goal, but nobody has been bold enough to drop captain Morrison.

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                                        #20
                                        Ascot United 2 Bracknell Town 0

                                        Bracknell town who had won 7 out of their first 9 and were in third place sacked their manager yesterday. They then proceeded to lose to Ascot who won only their second match of the season. The game was decided in 30 seconds just before half-time when Ascot's keeper saved a penalty. The keeper then booted the ball up pitch and an Ascot player was fouled and the ref sent off the Bracknell defender.

                                        Despite being down to ten men Bracknell had much the better of the second half, but it was Ascot who took the lead with ten minutes to go before having a player sent off themselves. And with teams level at 10 a-piece Bracknell pushed for an equaliser but Ascot broke down the other end to make it 2-0.

                                        Ascot's second win of the season and Bracknell's second loss.

                                        Perhaps more notable than the football is that Bracknell (who play in red/white/white at home on 3G) play in red/black/black away (normally on grass pitches) as the grass stains don't show up on black shorts.

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                                          #21
                                          Originally posted by steveeeeeeeee View Post
                                          Wadham Lodge v Clapton in the Gordon Brasted Cup tomorrow. What's it like parking outside Waltham Forest Stadium? I'm coming home knackered from work at the moment and really can't face the walk from Walthamstow Central to the ground.
                                          There is reasonably large car park which has only been about half full when I've been there but availability may depend on how well used the 5s pitches are.

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                                            #22
                                            Cheers Kingsbury. Website says it might be full tonight, but google street view seems to suggest there's plenty of space around.

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                                              #23
                                              An unexpected day off work meant that I was able to combine a visit to the tourist hot spots of North Staffs (don't laugh) with Port Vale v Accrington Stanley.
                                              Middleport Pottery is a very good place to visit in the wonderful world of industrial heritage and the delights of Trentham Gardens on a fine autumnal day put me in a fair good mood before the match.
                                              Sadly, port vale did their utmost to deflate my good humour by their unwelcoming attitude. I was pushed around trying to get a ticket, which cost me the outrageous price of £22 and then the social club could not so much as offer a cup of tea or coffee, never mind a hot pie or a cheesy oatcake.
                                              The seats in the stand were mostly coated in pigeon shit but thankfully there were plenty of empty seats to choose from.
                                              In the ground there were hot drinks which were the normal extortionate dishwater.
                                              The match was surprisingly good as Port Vale played a rumbustious style and deservedly took the lead and with some more luck and clinicalness (clinicality?) would have extended the lead.
                                              However, Accrington inevitably equalised before half time and in the second half played a more controlled game to take the lead. It trundled to a 1-2 result with only a couple of injury time corners where Port Vale's keeper came forward to little effect.

                                              3,500 there which is amazing considering the poor fare on offer. I can see Port Vale doing enough to stay up and Accrington challenging for top 3. I don't know how Port Vale justify being such an unpleasant place to visit. Surely they want to attract customers along??

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                                                #24
                                                Parkgate 2-5 Pickering Town

                                                First time in fifty three games that I've seen six or more goals scored. The Pickering keeper was a useful factor in this, twice making first half errors to let Parkgate score. He missed a through ball for the opener then after Pickering equalised direct from a free kick he let a tame shot slide through his hands and also through the back of the net. "He's not our usual keeper" said some travelling fans. Parkgate led at the break but once Pickering had scored twice in a minute early in the second half it was a case of how many they'd score.

                                                Very wet evening but the pitch held up really well. Can think of a few grounds where they'd have struggled to finish in that.

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