Pre-Season Part Three - Suddenly, Errors; Thousands of Them!

Boston United vs Lincoln "Red Stars Ultimate Soccer Team" City

Pre-match pleasantries.

Ok, it wasn't quite that bad but the finale to United's decidedly hit and miss pre-season didn't exactly inspire confidence either.  Lincoln City have been rebuilding and were still, no doubt, a little sore that they were playing a friendly this weekend instead of their first competitive league game. Oh well, never mind...  The teams walked out into an atmosphere which was unusually tense for a pre-season match.  United wore the white away kit, I'm still not sure we actually have a home kit, while City emerged in what strongly resembled some sort of horrific old school MLS kit.

Non-league's newest club.

The game started at a reasonable pace but it was soon clear that watching the crowd was going to be more entertaining than the match itself, at least until the Transit travelling elite were inevitably booted out of the ground in a steady stream.  United had their chances early on as the Lincoln 'keeper parried a Joachim belter only for the follow up to be smashed against the bar by Suarez.  Watching the crowd then became essential as, with the Boston Yoof questioning the whereabouts of the aforementioned LTE, it became apparent that they were in fact stood about 10 yards away... in the home end.  With all the "excitement" going on around us we pretty much all missed Lincoln's opener.  I'm reliably informed by someone who was actually watching, that a swiftly taken free-kick by Nutter while Bastock was lining up his wall did for United.

Lincoln were all over United and were two up 15 minutes later.  35 minutes into the game and already Ward wasn't having the best of days as he made a horrible mess of a clearance allowing McCallum to smash the ball past a helpless Bastock.  The sight of Bastock shouting at the defenders was to become a running theme throughout the afternoon.  There was still life left in the Pilgrims yet.  Suarez was hauled down inside the box.  The resultant penalty from Newsham was saved but not well enough to prevent the excellent Milnes from putting in the rebound.  Milnes' subsequent celebration in front of the Lincoln fans has endeared him to me nearly as much as his potential to be a superb replacement for Anthony Church.  With this the first half action, like many of the LTE and the Boston Yoof, melted away.

Newsham showing the penalty taking form that's got United
where they are today... oh, wait.

The second half returned with a bang, Holsgrove through on the 'keeper was denied by a solid block within 10 seconds of the restart.  United, unable to capitalize from the corner spot, then fell foul of yet another defensive error.  A Lincoln break down the wing, a cross swung in and a laughable attempt at a defensive clearance resulted in both a far post tap in for Power and another rise in Bastock's already lofty blood pressure.  Despite this set back the introduction of Fairclough for Canoville was keeping the danger from the Lincoln left-wing largely quiet and enabling United to attack more freely.  The introduction of Parker for the lacklustre Ward, alongside the experience of Austin looked to have shored up the back line too.  A few opportunities went begging before United grasped their chance.  A Holsgrove ball in was nodded into the path of Suarez by Parker and the Spaniard duly hit the net to bring it back to 3-2.

The Pilgrims' back line was still making mistakes and City should have been 4-2 up but for an inexplicable miss from a completely through on goal Sam Smith.  This miss didn't seem to matter too much when, yes you guessed it, yet another defensive mistake allowed Barraclough free space between Bastock and Parker to nod home a well placed cross.  This was the final straw for Bastock who seeming tried to kick the Town End down in a fit of rage.  Newsham topped off a competent, if somewhat pace-less, performance from the attacking players with a last minute dink over the on-rushing 'keeper following a Suarez flick on to keep the deficit to one goal.  The midfield had also looked pretty solid for the most part but the defensive errors will have to go if United are to get anywhere this season.  The acid test will come at Workington next Saturday when the season begins.

Next up: Stuff going all the way to Workington!  My next game is Histon at York St a week on Tuesday.

Pre-Season Part Two - That's Better!

Boston United vs Wigan Athletic

York St from Boston Stump.

After the Boston Town debacle of the week before it could be said that some improvement was required.  A draw away at Stamford preceded Wigan's trip to York St.  I'll come clean here, it wasn't actually the Wigan full team.  In fact only three of the players on show had ever had first team squad numbers.  Still the team dispatched by the Premier League outfit was good enough to provide a stern test.  Good enough to demand a £12 entrance fee too, apparently.  Steep for a friendly!

Following a poor pre-season to date the formation was switched about a bit to a supposed 4-3-3 which ended up as more of a 4-5-1.  A couple of trialists, Ben Wilkinson and Ben Milnes, dropped into the centre of the park to accompany Chris Hall while Holsgrove and Semple pushed up the wings to support Newsham in the lone striker role.  The defence seems to be pretty settled with Parker and Austin in the middle, flanked by Canoville and Jelleyman.

United playing in the new white and blue away kit

Both teams started well, with United showing a significant improvement over the previous week.  Newsham, supplied by Semple, saw the first real effort of the game well saved.  Wigan's class was soon showing through as a belting shot onto the crossbar from 35yards out was shortly followed by an altogether less classy finish from a yard out.  Rugg played the ball around the stricken United defence and slotted home.  United fought back strongly but Milnes long range effort was saved and Newsham was judged off-side after tapping-in.  Another long range effort clipped off the bar from Wigan and another goal to follow only this time it went the way of the home team.  Newsham combined well with the superb Holsgrove who, through on goal, mashed the ball into the bottom of the net to bring United level just before half-time.

Half-time saw Suarez replace Newsham and more changes shortly after saw the introduction of Fairclough, Milson and Joachim for Parker, Wilkinson and Holsgrove.  United were looking the more dangerous in the early stages of the second period, the useful Milnes bringing the adjective wheel into use once again by tanning the woodwork from range.  Joachim used his "pace" to dive onto a Semple cross as yet another United chance went unconverted.  There were still opportunities left though, Milnes excellence setting up an opening for Jelleyman to cross to Suarez.  Jelleyman was provider once again as another cross to Suarez found it's way to Semple who nailed the ball home into the far corner to put United 2-1 up.

Wigan fought to get back into the game but with just over ten minutes remaining they were unable to beat the Boston back-line.  So United chalked up the first win of pre-season with a much improved performance in front of the 722 people at a sunny York St.  The 4-3-3 formation worked much better and the team seemed much more balanced.  Milnes provided a good threat in the middle and I'd love to see us keep him on as he and Sleath, with Hall playing a deeper roll would provide a strong midfield.  The defence looked much more settled and confident in each other's abilities while the front line looked sharp and dangerous, in the first-half at least.  All in all, a much better performance.

Since Saturday, Boston have defeated Lincoln United 3-1 in the Lincs. Senior Shield and go on to play Gainsborough on Tuesday night.  The 4-3-3 system was maintained and Milnes started!  Next up for the team is Mansfield Town at York St on Saturday.

Next up for me: Possibly Gainsborough away, probably Lincoln City at York St.

Pre-Season Part One - Oh Dear...

So we're back, pre-season has kicked off for another year.  There have been a few changes in the Boston side, a few players have gone and a few have come in.  Grimsby have taken Pearson and Church, while Boyes, Clarke, Cullingworth, Davidson, Dudfield, Murphy, Weir-Daley and Yates have all moved on to pastures new.  The managers have looked to the past to replace these players by bringing in ex-Boston boys Matt Hocking, Julian Joachim, Adam Millson, Liam Parker, Jamie Stevens and Mikel Suarez all getting run outs with varying degrees of success.  Only Joachim, Millson, Parker and Suarez survived the 3-3 draw with Arnold Town in the first week of pre-season.  The managers have managed to bring in the odd new face in the form of Chris Hall, Jordan Fairclough, and Cullingworth's tormentor from last season, Kevin Holsgrove.  A few youth/reserve team players have also made the step up to first team for the friendlies.

Boston Town vs Boston United

Boston Town were United's second pre-season opponents and they also had their fair share of ex-United players with Alex Beck, Shane Clancy, Danny Matson and Chris Wright.  As the swift summer shower abated over Tattershall Road.  United lined up with Bastock in goal; Jelleyman, Austin, Canoville and Fairclough in defence; Semple, Hall, Sleath and Holsgrove in midfield; Joachim and Stones started up front.

The contest was even in the early stages with both teams creating chances but failing to convert them.  Semple lobbed a chance just over Chris Wright's bar and in his scramble to make sure it wasn't dipping in the portly, ex-United shot stopper pulled the net off the crossbar.  Clancy and Matson both failed to trouble the score-sheet at the other end.  Holsgrove had the only other presentable chance of the half but curled the ball well wide.  Bastock provided some head in hands entertainment as he decided to sprint out to the Town winger in possession, throw in a poor tackle before getting up and throwing in another one to give away a free-kick.  0-0 at half time was a reasonable representation of the game.  United hadn't impressed so far, Stones and Joachim both looked ponderous up front and didn't worry the Town back line.  Meanwhile the United back line were really struggling to deal with pace as Austin and Canoville both looked a few yards short.

The second half saw the introduction of Ricky Drury for Bazza, who'd presumably worn himself out by sprinting to left-back.  Semple was also dragged off and replaced by Harry Deane.  Sleath had clearly decided that United were incapable and so that he had to win the game on his own.  Unfortunately he could do nothing but swing a free-kick high over the bar.  Sleath was playing well and was the catalyst in most of United's attacking play, the midfield will struggle without him as he is in the Student World Games, or whatever they are called, for the first four games of the season.  Holsgrove should have scored but he dithered and gave Wright a chance to claim the ball.

Town deservedly took the lead in the 54th minute as Alex Beck cut into the box before firing a shot home to torment his old club.  United responded by changing the back line, all of them.  Millson came on at right back, Field at left with Ward and Parker in the middle.  There were also changes up front with Holsgrove and Joachim replaced by Ogden and Suarez respectively.  These changes resulted in a wave of pressure from United with three Sleath chances going begging.  Suarez also had a headed opportunity but couldn't get the shot anywhere near the target.  United were caught short at the back as Beck out-leapt the considerably taller Parker to put the game out of United's reach with a minute remaining.

It doesn't look good for United, while Town played reasonably well it doesn't mask the obvious deficiencies in the United squad.  The defence looks very short on pace in the middle and a quick opponent will take advantage.  Fairclough looked reasonable in the first half but had a shocker in the second period before being subbed.  There was at least one occasion where he ran forward, lost the ball and then didn't make the effort to get back.  The midfield looked reasonable going forward, Sleath was excellent as usual, but Hall was fairly anonymous for much of the game and isn't the sort of player who is going to put the tackles in when needed.  Holsgrove looks reasonable and commits defenders, encouraging the overlap.  The real worry is the lack of a goal-scorer.  Newsham is proven but fragile, Suarez a supporting player, Stones and Joachim just don't look good enough to put the chances away on a regular basis.

So in short, United can't defend, score or pass it around the middle; a dangerous combination.  There is much improvement needed before the start of the season.

Next up: More pre-season action.

A good send off.

England Women vs Sweden Women

Kick off at the Kassam.

The England Women's side completed their World Cup 2011 warm up with a game against a highly rated Swedish side at Oxford United's Kassam Stadium.  Sweden currently sit fifth in the FIFA world rankings, five places above England, and come into this game having comfortably qualified for the World Cup including racking up a 17-0 win over Azerbaijan.  England don't have the best record against Sweden, having not won any of the last nine meetings between the side, but came into the night full of confidence after beating the USA for the first time in 22 years in a friendly just over a month ago.

England begin to apply the pressure.

There was no Fara Williams or Faye White in the side owing to knee injuries and their absence was keenly felt.  England started shakily and Sweden were unlucky not to take advantage of Alex Scott's poor clearance as the resulting shot slammed into the post from 15 yards.  There was more trouble for England as 'keeper Karen Bardsley fluffed her lines in claiming a corner, the ball fell to a Swedish player in the box but she couldn't take advantage.  After the initial scares England went on the attack.

It soon became apparent that the Swedish defence was just as shaky as the English.  Rachel Unitt pounced on a loose ball but the Swedish 'keeper got down well to keep it out.  As the English confidence began to grow, so did the risk of being done on the break with gaps appearing down the England's right flank as Scott and Clarke pushed on.  Bardsley had to be on her toes to keep the Swedes at bay, denying them twice before the break.  The Swedes had just about shaded a first half in which neither side had defended particularly well.

Kelly Smith: England legend!

The half time break saw a visit to an extortionately priced snack bar called off due to excessive queues.  I'm not entirely sure how Oxford United can justify their stadium charging £3.10 for a sausage roll or a bargain meal "deal" of a pie and drink for well over a fiver.  RIP OFF!

Sweden try to fight back.

Hope Powell's team talk was evidently of greater value than the food and England flew out in the second period.  Aluko and Carney were two of four changes made by Powell at half time and they helped England into the ascendency.  With a minute or two gone Aluko won a corner for Yankey to swing in and it was met by Jill Scott who diverted it over the on-rushing 'keeper.    Aluko was involved again moments later as Jill Scott turned provider with a ball down the wing.  Aluko ran onto it and did well to get a cross to Jess Clarke who couldn't make the most of it.

Sweden tried to start a fight back but could only rattle the woodwork as England stepped up a gear.  Carney and Aluko combined time after time with the former playing in the latter in but the 'keeper saved well at her feet to deny England.  Carney took the initiative on the next attack and was brought down, a touch easily, while shielding the ball in the area; she dusted herself off and coolly converted the spot kick to put England 2-0 up with twenty minutes remaining.

Karen Carney scores from the spot.

England made a few more changes, including a début for Fern Whelan, while seeing the match out comfortably.  This result, combined with the win over the USA will send England to the 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany full of confidence.  Fingers crossed the girls will get the job done.

Next up: More women's football as the FA Cup Final comes to Coventry with Bristol Academy taking on the might of Arsenal.

Best fans in the world: FACT.

England vs Ghana

A little bit of Ghana comes to London.

Following the win over Wales, England were in action again.  A second string team was to face a Ghana team fresh from a nine hour flight after their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier win against Congo.  Apparently the England friendly was given higher billing than the qualifier in the Ghanaian press.  There are a lot of Ghanaians in England and they all seemed to be heading to Wembley, willing their team to be the first from the African continent to win on English soil.  The first sight of the away fans was at London Marylebone station as several fans walked down the platform in a swirling vortex of colour and noise.  The sound of bongos filled the air, accompanied by strong Ghanaian singing voices.  The singing continued on the train to the stadium itself as more Ghana fans joined the party.

Inside the ground the Ghanaians had filled their 20,000 allocated seats and some had spilled over, intermingling with the England fans.  The atmosphere was fantastic as the teams were read out and the anthems played.  The Ghana fans were doing their best to out-sing the 60,000 England fans and they were succeeding more often than not.  They cheered everything from throw-ins to passes, from shots to misplaced Glen Johnson crosses, of which there were many.

The ground filling up before kick-off.

Ghana had the better of the chances early on, with Hart forced into making good saves to keep the scores level.  England started to come back into it despite some crunching Ghanaian tackles and good attacking play in the wide areas caused the Black Stars problems.  Only some great 'keeping by Kingson denied Ashley Young a goal.  Young had another golden opportunity half way through the first period as he somehow smashed a shot into the crossbar from what seemed like a yard out.  England finally took the lead just before half-time.  Downing failed to control the ball in the area and Carroll, following some earlier lethargy, burst onto it; smashing it past Kingson.

A rare first half attack from the Black Stars.

The second half was all Ghana.  The Black Stars were putting pressure on England, who had replaced the woeful Johnson with the equally disappointing Lescott.  England, whilst under pressure, remained largely unscathed thanks to profligacy on the part of Ghana.  The Black Star players seemed to receive the ball, panic and then either shoot from an unlikely position or run the ball off the pitch.  They did have one meaningful attack but the resultant shot was well blocked by the inanimate-carbon-rod-like Gareth Barry.

There were several subs made during the second period, with Defoe, Jervis and Welbeck all making appearances in place of Carroll, Young and the excellent Wilshere.  As the clock ticked on it looked like the Ghanaian support was going home empty handed.  It took until the 90th minute for the equalizer to come but it was well worth the wait.  Gyan, beating Lescott for the third or fourth time in forty-five minutes, buried the ball into the bottom corner.  There was just a wall of noise as the well deserved Ghanaian celebrations kicked off.

Leaving the ground, the party mood continued with singing and dancing all around the stadium (video below).  I have never been so pleased to see any team score against England as I have the Black Stars.  Their fans are truly the best I have ever seen and they have surely made a lot of friends in their first senior trip to England.

Next up: Boston face Worcester City at York St.

There's a donkey on the pitch...

England vs France

Well France have improved in the last four or five months, haven't they?  England, sadly, have not.  Gareth Barry could still be legitimately supplanted by a trusty inanimate carbon rod.  It wouldn't move, the ball would bounce off it in random directions and it would needlessly trip opposing players, giving away fouls in the midfield; see, just like Barry.  Phil Jagielka is quite clearly not a right back, especially considering he spent the majority of the game at centre back.  I'm not quite sure what Capello was trying in this game.  I am sure it didn't work.

The formation at varying points in the game appeared to include three centre backs, one left back, two defensive midfielders - Gerrard being one of them - three wingers and one striker.  Unsurprisingly France bossed the game from the start.  Gourcuff was excellent in the French midfield and ensured that our shower barely got a touch before Benzema walked through the 'defence' with a simple one two and then beat Foster at his near post.  France were rampant and could have had two or three before the break as England looked like a star-struck non-league team away at a 'big club' in the FA Cup.  Gerrard had the only real England chance of the first half as, off balance, he shanked a shot over the bar.

England defend a corner.

The Mexican waves, penalties on the pitch and general entertainment during half-time are essentially football's equivalent of the X-Factor and did little to detract from the overall drizzle soaked misery which the majority of the eighty-six (ish) thousand people in the ground were feeling.  The second half didn't improve things much.  Débutante Andy Carroll did as well as possible up front; as I've noted  not to long ago running onto his own knock downs must be tough.  The players need to learn to have patience and movement, not just stand still and punt the ball up the pitch when there are no options on.  Capello took the donkey off the pitch along with a few others at half time, this sparked England into action for the ten minutes preceding Valbuena banging in France's second goal.  That was about it for England until Crouch came on for the injured Gerrard with six minutes left and promptly scored with his first touch.  It had been coming but England deserved no more than the consolation and 2-1 was about right.

Next up: Gainsborough at York St in the Trophy.

The Ghost of World Cup Past

England vs Hungary

I went to Wembley to watch England play Hungary in an international friendly this week.  The F.A. had reduced ticket prices for this friendly, possibly as an apology for the dire showing during the World Cup.  However, this reduction occurred after I'd bought my ticket though meaning I spent £30 to watch the game, £10 over the odds.  The seats were in row 16 near one of the corner flags so at least I had a good view, even if it was a good view of a poor game.  I'm not going to say much about the actual game because you either watched it or can read match reports elsewhere.  What I will say is that for the first hour it was a terrible game.  Don't believe the 'England make amends' headlines on some sites.  They didn't.  The game did perk up eventually with some of the substitutions but I'll go into that in a second.

The other thing I would like to mention is booing England players.  There has been some condemnation of fans paying their money and then booing the team.  I disagree with this, one pays ones money and is entitled to an opinion.  I do think that booing the team doesn't help and I refused to participate, making an exception for two players only (J.T. and Rooney; both arrogant tossers in my humble opinion).  At least the Hungary fans looked like they had fun.

What I thought I would do for this post is to give my assessment on the players that played a part in the game and then to come up with a line-up that, in my opinion, should start against Bulgaria in a couple of weeks.  We'll start at the back and work forwards then...

Joe Hart: looked assured at the back and surely has to be England's first choice 'keeper.  One of my mates suggested giving him the number one and telling him it's his for ten years.  I think he might be right.


Glen Johnson: did a reasonable job at the World Cup.  Good going forwards, not so good defending but I like him at the back and he is fairly consistent.  He could do with taking a controlling touch every now and then rather than going first time with crosses.


Phil Jagielka: if he can stay fit he should be competing with Ferdinand for a first-team place.


John Terry: played all right in this game but in general is a bit slow and makes mistakes.  He makes far too many last ditch tackles where a better defender wouldn't have to.  Needs to be dropped for me.  Replaced by Michael Dawson who played well other than the mistake for the goal.  Dawson would be in my starting line-up over Terry.


Ashley Cole: much as it pains me to say it I think Cole was one of our players of the World Cup (not like that is saying much) and he is consistently one of the best left-backs in the world.  Replaced by Kieran Gibbs who looked every bit the international player.  Close to being my breakthrough player of the night.


Gareth Barry: poor game and gave the ball away too often.  Could be a candidate for dropping; I'm not sure who I'd replace him with, possibly Michael Carrick.


Frank Lampard: I have to say I wasn't aware Lampard was on the pitch until I read a post-game match report.  Poor player at international level, can't play with Gerrard and is completely anonymous far too often.  Drop him and drop him quick. Replaced by Bobby Zamora.  My breakthrough player of the night.  Held the ball up brilliantly and will score goals.  I'd play him over Rooney any day of the week.


Theo Walcott: played some great stuff down the wing, just needs a better quality final ball to make the shirt his own.  Replaced by Ashley Young who similarly did a good job.  I think Walcott just shades it over Young for me.


Steven Gerrard: consistently pulls the England team's arse out of the fire, nuff said.  Replaced by Jack Wilshere. Eight minutes is not enough time to judge a player's quality, Fabio.


Adam Johnson: showed some creativity to get into useful positions but the final delivery was poor.  I expected better.  A few more caps might sort that out though.


Wayne Rooney: form is temporary, class is permanent. Unfortunately Rooney's serious lack of form is overwhelming his class.  Playing in a team which doesn't give him the support he gets at Man Utd his frustration takes over.  The guy has an attitude problem and his inclusion in the team clearly isn't working.  It is unsurprising that we looked a much better team when he left the pitch to be replaced by James Milner.  Coincidence?  I think not.

So my line-up for the Bulgaria game:
G.K. Hart
R.B. G.Johnson  C.B. Dawson  C.B. Jagielka  L.B. A.Cole
R.M. A.Johnson  C.M. Milner  C.M. Barry  L.M. Walcott
C.M. Gerrard
C.F. Zamora

It's just an opinion and I'd like to hear your thoughts and comments, agree or disagree.

Special Reserve

Newark Town vs Boston United Reserves

Welcome to Station Road.

The peanuts in question, at least the year is correct!

I was presented with a choice of games this weekend.  Boston United away at glamorous Gainsborough in the Lincs. Senior Shield or Boston's reserve team away at step seven Newark Town.  I've been to Gainsborough before and I'm going again later this season, with this in mind the lure of a ground tick and a hint of the unknown was irresistible; especially when compared to a day in Gainsborough.  The first obstacle was locating the ground.  Don't get me wrong, it isn't difficult to get there from the station, it's just not Newark station that you get there from.  Newark Town actually play their games at Station road in Collingham, a village just north of the town itself.  The ground itself is little more than a field with a fence down each touchline.  There is a clubhouse serving (terrible) beer and out of date peanuts so it is best avoided if at all possible.

The second issue came into sharp focus while I watched the Boston team warm up:  I had no idea who any of our players were.  In fact this was such an issue that for the first ten minutes of the pre-match warm-up I was watching the wrong team not realizing that Boston reserves play in the white away kit worn by the first-team last year, not the light blue away kit of this years first-team.  Worryingly I wasn't the only one confused as one of the Boston players tried warm up with the Town squad.  Even more worryingly it seems the official site doesn't know who our players are either.

We're the ones in white, yeah?

As a couple of home fans arrived, meaning I no longer outnumbered the home support one to none, the referee led the teams out.  The ref. looked about six and I'm sure it was the same guy who refereed the game I attended at Radford over Easter this year.  The reserves started the game on the front foot and Newark soon had to hack the ball off the line to keep the scores level.  Things became more evenly balanced as both teams cancelled each other out in midfield.  United had the better of the half going forward and struck the crossbar just before half-time.  Town were lucky to go into the break on level terms only mustering one decent effort in the entire half.

It's like spot the Newark fan, but without any Newark fans...

I'm not one hundred per-cent sure that the same Boston side came out in the second half.  I say this not because the faces were any different but because the performance most certainly was.  With Boston half asleep Newark looked to take advantage.  Good work from the keeper came to United's rescue when the right back dawdled, not for the first time, and was dispossessed.  Boston took the lead against the run of play when the ref. awarded a penalty.  I'm not entirely sure he got that right but it did balance a marginal decision he got wrong in the first-half, sort of.  The ball was duly dispatched and the game settled back into the rhythm that had dominated much of the second period.  Newark eventually got the equalizer that they deserved courtesy of some route one stuff.  Long ball punted over the top for the striker to run onto. Bang. One all.  'Pass the ball better, all of you'; some good advice from United's manager.  It paid off too as Boston woke up and started playing again.  Chances came and went, Boston hit the bar then had to clear off their own goal line moments later, but ultimately time ran out for both sides.  1-1.  Probably about right on the day.

Next time: I go to Wembley to watch some overpaid, badly organised chumps muck about for an hour and a half; and that's just the train on the way there...

Pre-season Episode V: The Pilgrims Strike Back.

Belper Town vs Boston United

A football ground?  Down there?  Really?

In ground car parking, it'll never catch on.

So, Belper.  What can I say about Belper?  As a town it seems to consist of a station, a mill, a football ground and several pubs.  That's it.  The ground isn't far from the station and there are several good pubs along the way.  Take advantage of them because at £3 for a pint of crap lager the clubhouse isn't what I'd call value for money.  The clubhouse itself is pleasant enough, which provides a nice contrast to the rest of Christchurch Meadow.  There is one good stand down one side and a small shed opposite, the remainder of the sides double as car parking areas (yes, really!).  A miniature piece of terracing behind one goal and a field behind the other can be used to view the game as long as you are tall enough to see over the fairly substantial fencing/wall.  The field end was my location of choice for the first half.  The field area is unsightly and spoils the picturesque views, that and it smelt of fish.  No programme was available at the game which added to the disappointment.

Boston faced Evo-Stick Division One (or whatever it's called now) opponents for the third match in a row.  The team was slightly changed to accommodate a couple of débutantes.  Gareth Jelleyman made his third début for Boston after re-signing from Barrow while Chris Adamson was on trial having been released from his position as goalkeeping coach at Hereford.  Chris played in Ilkeston's promotion season under the now Boston managers, hopefully he'll sign and provide some healthy competition for Aaron 'Adam' Butcher.

The shed, the mill and the church.

Suarez  injured his shoulder within the first minute or so but played on for a little while before another knock forced a substitution, with Davidson already out injured this pushed Newsham up front as Semple came out onto the wing.  The Pilgrims settled in this formation very quickly and looked great going forward.  Yates took advantage of some brilliant build-up play and put Boston one up inside 15 minutes.  It should have been two but for Boston old-boy Lee Thompson clearing off the line.  Thommo wasn't the only Boston old-boy in the Belper side, Jon Froggatt announcing his presence by belting home an unstoppable free kick to equalize.  At least I thought it was the Froggatt who played for Boston; I must be mistaken as this guy could actually run!  The equalizing goal was just a blip though as the Pilgrims continued to play some really classy football.  Sixty-yard pinpoint passes?  It's just like watching Brazil!  Boston piled on the pressure and were rewarded with a penalty which Weir-Daley emphatically converted.  Boston were flying and the Newsh scored a classy goal a few minutes later to send us in 3-1 up at half-time.

Weir-Daley makes it 2-1 from the spot.

To the pub it was for an extortionately priced pint and to watch some.... women's golf?!  Clubhouse not got sky then? No? No.  Some of the Boston fans were already suffering from temporary balance issues (a.k.a. being a little tipsy) and the shirts came off during the second half (not mine you'll be pleased to hear!) accompanied by some 'rich' language which seems a little much for a pre-season match.  I know it's a bit of fun but won't somebody please think of the children?!

I spent the first few minutes of the second period talking to Miles Hunter.  Nice lad who has his head well and truly screwed on.  Chatting with a player during a game, as pointed out in an FC United book I read recently, you wouldn't be able to do that in the Premier League.  Belper actually managed a shot and what a shot it was!  They were denied by a wonderful Adamson save, indicative of his solid first performance for the Boston.  The Pilgrims were still the far better side but weren't able to convert dominance into goals.  Belper's keeper did pull off some good saves and got lucky a few times to keep us out.  It is safe to say he wasn't loving the banter but that's what you get for wearing tights.  Substitutions disrupted the flow of the half and Boston had to settle for 3-1 from a cracking performance.  The final whistle saw an exodus to catch the 1658 out of Belper which, having rushed to the station, was predictably late.  Thanks, East Midlands Trains.  All in all though a good day and a useful exercise.

Pre-season Episode IV - A New Hope

Sheffield F.C. vs Boston United

They're the oldest club in the World don't you know?

The first pre-season game I've seen Boston play.  A new hope for the new season?  Sort of.  Sheffield F.C. were our hosts, the oldest club in the World.  That's right the OLDEST CLUB IN THE WORLD!  Not that they like to shout about it or anything.  Don't believe me?  Take a look at their website.  The trip up to Derbyshire was reasonably pleasant and it is Derbyshire regardless of the 'Welcome to Yorkshire' advertising hoardings, maybe geography is not big on the local syllabus.

The Coach and Horses ground is not far from the station and once you actually get there the pub from which it gets it's name is well stocked with some good ale.  Inside the ground is nothing special, a seated stand behind one goal and a shed along one side.  The ground is surrounded by hard standing on the other two sides.  Standing is not allowed in front of the seated end and this is enforced by jobs-worth stewarding regardless of common sense, so nothing new there.

Boston started a heavily changed side and in the early stages were on a fairly equal footing with Sheffield F.C.  The Pilgrims started to pick up, with new boy Miles Hunter looking very sharp.  Hunter's contribution was vital in the first goal as he flicked on a through ball for Suarez to fire home on 21 minutes.  Boston had a few more chances but some excellent goal keeping from the portly Sheffield number one (Leigh Walker) denied the best chance from a fit-again Adam Millson.  This was a sigh of things to come as keeper played a blinder all match and had some very good natured banter with our fans.  Sign him up!

The keeper and the linesman check the goal, for burgers presumably.

The Pilgrims defence was all at sea on 30 minutes, Sheffield had a man over at the back post and Cullingworth was unable to clear the ball.  The defence didn't seem to be able to sort itself out and this enabled Sheffield to take the lead.  Nothing that Adam Aaron (such a good keeper I even forgot his name) Butcher could do about either goal; I do still feel nervous when Butcher is on the receiving end of back passes or crosses and I'd feel much better with a bit more experience between the sticks.  Boston tried to get back into proceedings but more fantastic keeping from Walker kept the score at 2-1 to Sheffield at half-time.

Boston made four changes at the start of the second half and it took a little while for these to bed in.  Neither side had many chances and not much happened for the majority of the second period.  Things did liven up a little bit when Weir-Daley and a surprisingly slim-line Danny Davidson were brought on to replace Suarez and the pacey Hunter.  Boston got the equalizer with just over 10 minutes to go.  Davidson headed home, committing a clear foul in the process but the ref missed it and Boston were level.

Sheffield defend a corner.

One bit of luck was quickly followed by another as the plaintive cries of 'no foul' from the defence went unheeded and Anthony Church was chopped down in the box.  Weir-Daley calmly converted the penalty to put Boston in the driving seat.  Unfortunately this did pose a technical issue for the staff at the Coach and Horses ground who went about furiously searching for the lost number three to put up on the scoreboard.  Weir-Daley nearly made the search unnecessary but couldn't score from a good position as time ran out for the home team and the game finished 3-2 to Boston.  The result was probably a little unfair on Sheffield but it's pre-season so who cares?

S.W.D. takes the penalty to make it 3-2.

Sheffield F.C. 2 - Boston United... erm...

So, a new hope for a new season?  Maybe.  Hunter was excellent up front, sharp and quick.  That said I can't see him breaking into the first team starting line-up. With Weir-Daley, Davidson, Suarez, Newsham and Yates all in contention for places in the attack it will be very tough.  The new guy at the back, Kieran Murphy, looked very solid and could form a great centre-back pairing with Shaun Pearson.  Shane Clancey played the second half but didn't really show anything special, he is only young and his time may yet come for Boston.  Other than that the team seem to have picked up much where they left off and there is much optimism amongst the Boston faithful.  I'm going to err on the side of caution and stick to my prediction of twelfth for the season.

Next time: Yes, you guessed it, more pre-season friendlies...

Pre-season three: Once upon a time in St Neots.

St Neots Town F.C. vs Farnborough FC

Welcome to The Building Site, home of St Neots Town F.C.

Tuesday saw me make a trip across to St Neots for yet another pre-season game.  I managed to find the Hunts Post Community Stadium without too much bother.  The ground is located in the middle of a half finished housing estate and walking to it at night feels like something out of 28 days later.  This fact aside the ground has brilliant public transport links nearby (unlike Sutton Parkway) with regular bus services to Cambridge and Oxford as well as being within walking distance of an East Coast Mainline station.

St Neots have been in their ground for around a year now and the facilities are very impressive.  Currently the ground seats 300 people in a stand down one side which is shared with a nice perspex walled covered area which could, in the right circumstances, be used to make some noise.  Terraces are located at the ends of the ground, which only requires a minor upgrade to reach Conference level.  Inside: the sports bar looks very impressive and is furnished with leather chairs and sofas.  Alcohol is allowed outside in plastic and glass in the build up but not while the actual game is taking place which does beg the question, what is the point of plastic?  Wouldn't it be nice if clubs could just be a bit consistent on the issue of alcohol in grounds?

The main seated stand.

The perspex stand, how long until one of the sides is smashed?

Yet again the football proved me wrong as the match was great fun to watch and far more entertaining than any of the World Cup games.  The match was looking a bit predictable when Farnborough went ahead in the first minute but the goal was ruled out and St Neots never looked back.  You wouldn't know on this evidence which team collected 93 points last season in the Zamretto Premier, scoring 100 goals in the process and which team missed out on promotion from the United Counties League, finishing second.

The Saints were first to every knock down and won every second ball while playing some really classy passing football.  When Farnborough did manage to win back possession St Neots closed down really quickly and pressed up well.  The newly promoted Conference South side looked a bit rattled by this and they couldn't get any tempo into their game.  With Farnborough struggling to create anything, St Neots took a well deserved lead.  Some woeful marking from a corner enabled the Saints player to get loose and knock his free header down for a front post tap-in.

Desperate defending: Farnborough struggle to clear their lines.

Farnborough tried to put pressure on after the break but team changes made it difficult to get any rhythm and the frustration started to tell.  A few tasty challenges started to fly in and in a competitive match the referee would have found it impossible to keep his cards in his pocket.  Farnborough did manage to win a few set pieces but even then they seemed incapable of delivering anything other than a deep cross which the keeper collected expertly all night.  I got the feeling that a driven near post ball could have provided an equalizer but it never materialized and the chances slipped away.

On this showing St Neots could be making some real headway in the United Counties League this year, as long as Kings Lynn don't boss it that is.  On the other hand I hope that was nowhere near a full team from Farnborough otherwise I think they are really going to struggle for goals in the Conference South.  Not that you can really tell anything from these pre-season games anyway.

Next time: Boston United take on the oldest club in the world.

Pre-season - A Belfast Special

Cliftonville vs FC United of Manchester

Cliftonville are Northern Ireland's oldest club.  I say that because I think it's likely that there are some of you out there who don't know.  Founded in 1879 'The Reds' have won the Irish League three times, finishing second last season.  The week before FCUM's visit they beat HNK Cibalia in the first leg of the second qualifying round for the Europa League.  On the whole then it was looking like a tough ask for FC United to get anything out of this game, the inaugural Ladbrooks Supporters Cup.

Donegal Celtic Park clubhouse.

Sadly the game was moved from Cliftonville's Solitude stadium to Donegal Celtic Park due to work being carried out to install a 3G pitch at Solitude.  Donegal Celtic Park is basically a drinking club with a stadium attached, currently the ground holds 3,000 (1,600 seated) but there are plans to increase the capacity to 5,000.  The seated stands are quite modern in design and look a little bit odd next to the old style cowsheds running down one side.  There is access to the clubhouse during the game but it takes that long to find ones way through the dark alleys and randomly distributed games rooms that it might not be worth it.  A word of warning; the ground (and clubhouse) are in a Nationalist area so it's probably best not to walk in wearing a England shirt, or a Rangers one for that matter.  In fact it's probably best to be careful in the rest of Belfast as well.  I found it to be quite an uncomfortable place to visit.  Having said that, this is a football blog not a travel guide so let's get on with the game.

Arriving well before the game we found an Anti-Racist World Cup five-a-side tournament taking place.  Teams from around the world were taking part in an attempt to raise awareness for the anti-racist, anti-fascist cause.  The tournament looked a good laugh and the atmosphere was very relaxed with some of the substitutes taking on the odd pint of Guinness while on the sidelines.  Eventually the tournament came to an end and it was time for the main event.

Substitutes on a strict health regime.

Pouring out of the drinking club and into the ground the FC United fans took over the 400 seater away stand and proceeded to make some noise.  I'm not sure where I stand on this.  Whilst it is nice to have a good atmosphere it did seem a little exuberant for a pre-season game.  A lot of the songs were also very Manchester United orientated.  I was assured this isn't always the case but it is a little confusing.

FC United: 'A Right Bunch Of Dicks'.

Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for what FC United are doing.  I think it is a great idea to give football back to the fans; it's not just about Galzier either, it's about the ridiculous ticket prices and the kick-off times dictated by Sky.  All these things ruin the modern game.  All these things are important.  However, it does seem a little odd that fans sing songs about never going back to Old Trafford and not giving money to Glazier, yet they also sing about being the best team in Europe and some even turn up in Man Utd shirts.  Maybe I've missed the point, maybe someone will tell me I've got it wrong.  I hope so.

That all said, the atmosphere was very good and the songs about George Best had added poignancy as all fans, FC United and Cliftonville alike, joined in.  It was down to the football to provide the entertainment to match the atmosphere.  Cliftonville started slowly with FCUM having all the early chances including a 30 yard drive.  The early pressure was soon rewarded with a goal on 19 minutes from Michael Norton who took advantage of a goal keeping error to rifle home from short range.  The goal sparked the odd chance from Cliftonville but they were unable to convert and FCUM went into half-time unlucky not to be two goals to the good after hitting the post.

FC United defend a corner.

Half-time saw my companions an I make an ill-advised trip to the snack bar.  If Donegal Celtic are going to increase the ground's capacity to 5,000 they are going to need much, much better facilities.  There was only one solitary burger van outside and we started queueing just before half-time.  We we're in the queue until roughly 20 minutes from the end of the game.  It was only when we were near the front that we were informed of another bar inside serving the same types of food.  In fairness though, the queue wasn't even that long.  Slow service from a one woman team, who insisted on putting sauce on the burgers for the customers rather than getting on with the next order was a cause for much consternation.  After all that the food wasn't even that good.

FC United fans filling the away stand, taken from the burger queue.

Taking all that into consideration I didn't have that great a view of the second half.  Five FCUM substitutions seemed to damage the team dynamic and Cliftonville quickly started to assert themselves.  Five minutes into the second half and the equalizer came with Caldwell firing home as the loose ball rattled around the area.  FCUM had only one real chance in the second half but failed to convert it as Cliftonville threatened to run rampant.  The home side took the lead on 72 minutes when a square ball eluded the defence and Caldwell slotted home.  The poor view made for a moment of confusion a couple of minutes later as it was unclear whether a carbon copy of Cliftonville's second goal had been allowed or not.  This was only cleared up after the game, turns out it was offside and the final score was 2-1 to the home side.

Next up: St Neots, high flyers in last seasons UCL take on new Conference South members Farnborough.

Pre-season, part deux.

AFC Kempston Rovers vs Bedford Town

You may remember that last week I stated that pre-season games were always rubbish. I take it back. This game at the Hillgrounds was a cracker. The Hillgrounds is a tidy little ground with a covered stand running the length of the pitch on one side and the rest of the ground being surrounded by a concrete path. The stand is divided between seating and terracing but both are fully covered. At the end of the stand is the first floor sports bar. The bar has a lovely area of decking from which the game can be viewed, although the roof of the stand does restrict the view of the far end of the pitch. There was a good selection of beer for a club of this size and ale was available. The staff were very friendly and overall it was a pleasant place for the hundred or so fans and me to watch football.

The main stand at the Hillgrounds with the decking area on the right.

A combination of good attacking play and some terrible defending made for a really open and exciting game.  Kempston started the better team but Bedford soon picked up.  Amazingly the referee gave a Town a penalty for handball on 20 minutes.  I say amazingly because he'd contrived to not see the first five or six handballs of the game.  Bedford duly mucked the chance up, pinging the ball against the crossbar and out.  The pressure was mounting, Kempston were being pushed back with Town hitting the bar twice more before half-time.  Rovers were struggling to get men forward and ended the half playing on the counter-attack.

The penalty

The two linesmen taking on supplies at half-time: little and large.

Bedford put out a completely different side after the break and it showed with Kempston soon going ahead.  The Rovers centre-forward split the defence to go clear through on goal and coolly headed past the on-rushing keeper.  Five minutes later and it should have been two as the Bedford keeper threw the ball against a Rovers striker who forced it home.  I'm still not entirely sure why this goal was ruled out by the linesman, who was surprisingly athletic for someone of his proportions.  It's not often you see someone of that size 'running' the line, let alone doing it well.  More end to end play resulted in a deserved equalizer as a driven cross was headed in at the near post on sixty minutes.  The game stayed open until the end and both sides had ample opportunity to win it but neither could convert a chance leaving the full-time score at 1-1.

Bedford defend the short corner.

Next time: A Belfast special as FC United of Manchester pay a visit to Cliftonville.

Pre-seasons greetings (or something equally as enthusiastic)

Promises promises.  At the end of last season I said I would do an awards post.  I couldn't be bothered.  In fact I couldn't be bothered to write anything about the World Cup either, mainly because it wasn't very good, but also because everyone watched it and what's the point in telling people what they already know?  But I'm back now (not that I've actually been anywhere) so let's start with a brief round up of the World Cup:


- England were rubbish.
- There were a few shocks, England being rubbish was not one.
- Big players were over-rated and didn't produce, as usual.
- The games were a bit disappointing... getting the idea yet?


There, done in four points.  Anyway, now that's over we can all get on with our lives.  Luckily pre-season is already under-way so pub-team standard games played by muppets with massively inflated egos (and wage packets) and refereed by blind, incompetent fools are replaced by... well, I don't think I need to finish that sentence really.


So, pre-season.  I'm planning to go to several pre-season games this year although the actual number will probably be lower.  As a wise man once said 'pre-season is always exciting until you actually watch the games', at which point you die a little inside and vow to never go to another before figuring out where the next one is, declaring 'this one will be better' and setting off on your merry way to face inevitable disappointment once again.


The first game on the list was the Central Midlands Football League, Supreme Division's Sutton Town vs FC United of Manchester from the Northern Premier League, Premier Division at The Fieldings in Sutton-in-Ashfield.  Travelling to the ground was easy, right up until getting off the train at Sutton Parkway.  Sutton Parkway, what is the point of that place?  Really?  Usually Parkway stations are connected to the surrounding area by excellent public transport, by Lincolnshire standards at least.  Sutton Parkway isn't connected, at all.  An hourly bus was looking the only option, that or a 2-3mile walk.  Luckily my travelling companion and I were rescued by the aforementioned wise man and author on Beat The First Man (for God sake don't tell him I called him wise though, I'd never hear the end of it) giving us a lift to and from the ground.

Welcome to Sutton Town.

Parking at the ground was full but the local streets were fairly empty.  The ground is a pretty standard non-league ground and was fairly tidy except for the redecoration going on in some of the facilities.  The warning signs didn't quite prepare me for nearly falling through the toilet floor.  Other than that the ground was nice and being able to bring beer in from the cricket clubhouse next door was a bonus.  No programme for this game so I have no idea who anyone was, not that a programme really helps at this level.

A fairly tidy ground, except the scaffolding obviously.

The cricket bar obviously stocks a wide range of drinks.

Sutton were outclassed from the start.  The centre back pairing of a John Barnes lookalike and some other 'well-built' bloke were lacking in pace and both had the turning circle of a small aircraft carrier.  Playing an offside trap against a quick set of FCUM forwards was probably not the best tactic and the defence was caught out time after time.  It wasn't surprising that goals followed in both halves.  FCUM were clearly the better side and scored twice in the first half, only shoddy finishing denied them more with Michael Norton being the main offender.  Norton made amends to some extent in the second half by converting a penalty, although overall he was pretty disappointing.  Sutton didn't really have many chances and their ungainly striker proved himself completely unworthy of the yellow boots which he was sporting, for a tall lad he was completely unable to win anything in the air and those boots didn't half clash with his ginger hair.  In the end FCUM ran out worthy 4-0 winners although it probably should've been more.


For a slightly more competent review (and I do mean slightly) you can go over to Beat The First Man and read an alternative take on the game here.

Number 11:  sadly not as good as the boots might suggest.

Not the only one in dodgy footwear though.

So that's it, pre-season is under-way.  Next up is AFC Kempston vs Bedford Town in a local derby tonight.  I might blog about it; I might not depending on how exciting it is, don't hold your breath...