Football 20/21

[barney]

Totally different topic , when did the kick off rule change from the ball having to be played forward, which was certainly how our sports master taught us to kick off, and why you always needed 2 players on the halfway line in the centre circle?

The world has moved on John
They no longer suck an orange segment at half time or have a crafty fag.

[barney]

Last night the Cherries beat Palace 11 : 10 on penalties x 21 goals

The Hornets back-up goalie saved the first three from Oxford so after scoring ours we won 3 : 0
.

Ours was basically Gills fringe players against Coventry 2nd eleven.
Not a bad match but some awful tackles from a couple of Cov players trying too hard to impress.
Our skipper is now out with a broken ankle and the Cov player was only booked.
Shocking tackle and a defo straight red in my book.
They were over physical all game culminating in giving away a late penalty totally unnecessarily.
We went on to win on pens, probably undeserved.

[barney]

Macclesfield Town were wound up today with debts of £500k
Southend have their hearing tomorrow.
It’s very sad to see small town clubs fail as they are part of the community.
£500k is about one weeks wage for Gareth Bale.

[Manoverboard]

Macclesfield Town were wound up today with debts of £500k
Southend have their hearing tomorrow.
It’s very sad to see small town clubs fail as they are part of the community.
£500k is about one weeks wage for Gareth Bale.

Went to watch Macc Town many times, also went to their ' social dos '.

Many moons ago Towny's AZ funded them but now it's no gate money or advertising revenue etc

[barney]

Such a shame.
I’ve a good mate who’s a lifelong Southend fan and he reckons they are also doomed.
They’re can always reform as Wimbledon did.
They are now in league one.
Maidstone reformed and got back to the high end of the Conference then the wheels came off and they dropped down again buts have kept their fan base, so will be back.

[oldbluefox]

Always a shame to see these clubs go under as they are the real heart of football, as opposed to a big business sometimes totally divorced from the fans by owners who are not particularly interested in the sport.

[Manoverboard]

Interesting ( or not ) that the vast majority of Watford's Prem League Players have yet to make a start this season and are also training apart from those who have thus far been selected to play. Add that to the fact that Neil Warnock was at the Stadium 7 days ago with Middlesborough and that he has just been tested positive for Covid .... odd that.

[barney]

Fire sale?
Maybe a few unrealistic contracts have been signed while in the Prem without a relegation clause.
That’s the start of the demise for many teams.
Wigan are unloading good and rated players for peanuts.
We’ve got them away on Saturday.

[Manoverboard]

We won't have to wait too long to find out, the end of the transfer season will soon be upon us. They are probably sulking cos their new Serbian boss is working them too hard and are hoping that Carlos Moneybags United pops along with a offer ... or maybe they are simply biding their time waiting for a new Head Coach to be appointed

[barney]

Brilliant winning goal for the Terriers last night against some Florists

[towny44]

Brilliant winning goal for the Terriers last night against some Florists

Forest were poor Barney, but as you say Campbell's goal was a bit special, and Town are now off, if not running very fast as yet.

[JillD66]

Please spare a thought for the lower leagues.

Shots are due to start the season on 3rd October - away v Hartlepool which is 4/5 hours each way on coach plus stops. IF it goes ahead I understand it will be "behind closed doors" although probably will be postponed due to increase of Covid cases in the area.

The next match is at home on the Tuesday- probably behind closed doors. Then on Saturday 10th Oct we have probably our only match of the season to be televised by BT - home to Macclesfield!!!

Its going to be a rocky ride.

[Manoverboard]

Please spare a thought for the lower leagues.

Shots are due to start the season on 3rd October - away v Hartlepool which is 4/5 hours each way on coach plus stops. IF it goes ahead I understand it will be "behind closed doors" although probably will be postponed due to increase of Covid cases in the area.

The next match is at home on the Tuesday- probably behind closed doors. Then on Saturday 10th Oct we have probably our only match of the season to be televised by BT - home to Macclesfield!!!

Its going to be a rocky ride.

Macclesfield Town folded recently ... did you not know ?

[barney]

Please spare a thought for the lower leagues.

Shots are due to start the season on 3rd October - away v Hartlepool which is 4/5 hours each way on coach plus stops. IF it goes ahead I understand it will be "behind closed doors" although probably will be postponed due to increase of Covid cases in the area.

The next match is at home on the Tuesday- probably behind closed doors. Then on Saturday 10th Oct we have probably our only match of the season to be televised by BT - home to Macclesfield!!!

Its going to be a rocky ride.

I not only spare a thought but have total sympathy.
The Dover chairman announced this week that they will fold in a fortnight if they cannot start the season with fans present.
By the way, they are a well run, profit making club, not one of those basket case clubs like Charlton.

Lower level football is in absolute crisis financially and there are only three options for help.
The premier league assist.
The PFA assist.
The government assist.
All unfortunately unlikely.

The Premier league could easily divert some of the TV money to be spread between the 72 clubs outside it.
That would make a huge difference.

My own club, Gillingham has had the same chairman for over 25 years and is considered a well run club.
He’s not a sugar daddy millionaire but runs a frugal business that makes a slight profit each season.
He gives the manager the players budget and that’s it.
He cannot and will not risk the club by running at a loss, unlike many other teams.
He reckons that we have enough money to keep going until Xmas.
If fans are not back by then, which they won’t be, they we will not be able to continue without financial assistance.
He’s not too keen on borrowing millions because that will need to be repaid at some point .

I unfortunately think that the National League will not even start in October and many clubs will just lock the gates, lay off all the staff and mothball the grounds.
Many of those will become housing estates eventually.

I was particularly disgusted with Sean Dyche of Burnley and his attitude, saying it’s not up to the Premier league to help clubs down the pyramid.
He spent his career in the lower leagues.
I remember seeing him down at our place playing for Chesterfield, now in the National league.
How times have changed.

[Manoverboard]

Sean Dyche played for Watford and it doesn't get any lower than that, he also became their Manager and was doing a good job but got sacked by the Pozzos and replaced by Glanfranco Zola who in turn got sacked etc ....

Some of the Prem Managers are presently making noises about supporting the lower leagues during this difficult period, some like Frank Lamphard at the top of the tree so I would anticipate some help being given but will it be enough.

[towny44]

I must admit I feel far more concerned about the fate of all lower league sports clubs if the govt do not allow paying spectators to attend their games, than I do about the possible closure of hundreds of pubs and restaurants. The latter will quickly resurface once things return to normal, but it is very unlikely that all but a handful of semi professional sports clubs would be able to be resurrected.

[JillD66]

Yes Moby I did know anout Macclesfield - Its difficult to accept that football is "just a game" when the future is so uncertain.

Off now to follow our last friendly - Shots v Tonbridge Angels via a twitter feed - how sad!!

[barney]

Not at all Jill
I used to play for Tonbridge Angels in the twilight of my football career
Nice little outfit.
I played for Gravesend & Northfleet, now Ebbsfleet, back in the very early 80’s before starting my proper job.
I’ve had many a good away day at the Shots with the Gills.

[Manoverboard]

Aldershot .... Ebbsfleet supporters.

You must read this report

[JillD66]

Thanks Moby - yes I did donate! Kinsella is a very good player and is missed.

Barney - I first went to see Shots play Gravesend & Northfleet in the 1990s - Ryman division something. Sorry I missed you playing! Then went to our away games at Ebbsfleet a few times but not this season as they're in National South.

[barney]

What an unusual victory for us yesterday.
We set up as 4-3-3 but reverted to 4-5-1 when not in possession.
It was a brilliant tactic and worked well given that our two centre backs are 20 years old and the two centre midfield are 19 so very inexperienced.

Blackpool had 70% possession yet hardly troubled our keeper .
Tippy tappy in their own half but nothing else.
Gills broke with pace and power and won comfortably.
Two nil was a bit flattering to them.
It reminded me a bit of the way Leicester played the season they won the title.
Maybe we’ve accidentally hit on something caused by injuries to senior players.

[oldbluefox]

Blackpool had 70% possession yet hardly troubled our keeper .
Tippy tappy in their own half but nothing else.

Sounds like an England tactic. Is Southgate advising them?

It reminded me a bit of the way Leicester played the season they won the title.
Maybe we’ve accidentally hit on something caused by injuries to senior players.

Every cloud has a silver lining and it's good the younger players have been given a chance. If you have the players to break quickly this tactic works well although we got undone by defences which held back. I think we got rumbled!!!!
It's Man City away for us today so will be lucky to get anything there. Even though they have a couple of injuries they have such strength in depth I doubt it will make that much difference.

[towny44]

It's Man City away for us today so will be lucky to get anything there. Even though they have a couple of injuries they have such strength in depth I doubt it will make that much difference.

You're not looking too bad after 70 minutes Foxy, top of the league if it stays like this.

[oldbluefox]

Well you wouldn't Adam n Eve it. I didn't see that coming!!!
Great display especially considering we have Ricardo out and Ndidi.

[screwy]

Great result for you Foxy, now please do the same to the Scouse gits.