Re: Bognor thread...

[LB]

Listening to today's commentary was just like Margate and Wealdstone - City having lots of possession and not using it and being 'unlucky'. I wonder just how many times you can be unlucky before it becomes something else?

The disappointment of losing to a late goal today, losing points at Margate to another late one, and the defeat at Wealdstone last week would have been unnecessary if we could score goals ourselves - it says a lot that our leading scorer is a midfielder who has got most of them from penalties.

Our record now stands at 2 wins in 17 games, and one of those against a team from the South West Peninsula League - really nowhere near good enough.

I am not really sure whether I feel angry or disappointed at today's result. For the second time this season we were given an excellent chance to progress in one of the national cup competitions and didn't take it - after last season's trophy run today is very hard to take.

It will be interesting to see where the club goes from here - I would dearly like to think that Howells and Britton were writing their letters of resignation on the way back from Bognor but I don't think there is any likelihood of that happening, and I expect things to carry on as if today didn't happen.

I will be there for the Hayes game on Saturday - I have supported the club too long and suffered too many disappointments to walk away now - but I do wonder how many more will turn up.

Even the news that North Ferriby were knocked out as well and seeing Yeovil at the bottom of League 2 doesn't really soften the blow.

[Bognorbiker]

A close game today, and to be fair, a draw would have been a fairer result.
Both teams had numerous chances but none were taken. Officials were ok but I thought one of the Bognor bookings was a bit harsh. It was definitely a penalty but as it was in the 92nd minute I would have been gutted if it had gone the other way.
Credit to your number 7 who is a really good player, I would definitely swap him for our number 7!!!!!
Good luck for the rest of the season

[Marc Monitor]

Thanks for that.

That means that there are only 2 home games between now and the 9th January.

[LB]

That means that there are only 2 home games between now and the 9th January.

I see Gosport were also knocked out today (at Cirencester) - we are due to play them at home on a Tuesday in March so I wonder if we might try and bring that game forward. I am sure they would rather come here on a Saturday.

[pete mac]

I think we have reached an absolute crisis point......weekly misery on the pitch and paralysis off it.

What are the Board going to do to put this right?

Not holding my breath.

What an awful time to be a Bath City fan......week upon week with little to cheer. It isn't supposed to be this bad.......

[miker]

No one has yet stated that old cliché "now we can concentrate on the league" Oh...

[Marc Monitor]

See, presently, if we were community-owned presently, I would keep Britton and Howells. I think they can keep us up in a consolidation season while we switched over and had to keep a steady ship.

In a normal season with the same old, same old, it's a different situation.

[Elmore James]

Then I would want my money returned. As would others. The community owned club would need to start afresh. New beginnings and such.

[Marc Monitor]

I think that I can guarantee that, when the bid is successful, I will not be personally in charge of hiring and firing managers. Indeed, I don't think any one person will.

Personally, I think that, with a huge change behind the scenes, a season of mid-table obscurity isn't the worst thing in the world. Having a season of consolidation on the pitch in the short-term while such a change happens isn't a bad idea to provide a solid foundation in the long-term. I am prepared, for one season only, to forsake the football - as long as we stay up - in exchange for the sake of a greater future for the club as a whole.

As it goes, I don't think that paying more for another manager guarantees better results either. I mean, picking up a brilliant manager on the cheap is difficult as well. Finding the right manager is a complicated involved process which, with a club converting to community ownership, could be rushed or handled badly. Better to do it after everything has settled down behind the scenes with time to make the right decision. Of course, another way of doing it is to get rid of Howells and Britton and keep on Rollo as care-taker manager and perhaps bring someone in to assist him. I have a feeling that Rollo could easily this team with these players up.

Anyway, presently, the club and team is in exactly the same position (if not a lot worse) than a lot of recent seasons and it is getting unacceptable.

[Ashley]

Marc, we forsaked that last season (if that's a word) - but for the Trophy run it was a poor season. How much longer can this go on? I'll never turn my back on my team but I can see why some might. Ebbsfleet away the day after my work Christmas do isn't exactly a tempting proposition at the moment.

[LB]

Marc, I appreciate that you are much closer to it than me, but aren't you being a bit optimistic saying "when the bid is successful" - I would have thought 'if' was more realistic. I say this for a couple of reasons - firstly I have never been convinced that the Board thought it was a good idea (except perhaps as a very last resort) and secondly what is there at the moment to persuade new investors to come on board.

As for the prospect of Howells and Britton staying on to give us stability, if that is what we have now I am not sure I want more of it.

[Marc Monitor]

Ashley, we forsook (which I think is the right word) last season due to reasons that were nothing to with the bid and, I am sure, completely accidental. I am talking about a pragmatic one season decision down to specific and one-off reasons.

LB, presently, due to other commitments, I am not as close to the Bid as I was during this hiatus. However, if I said "if...", people may ask why I was saying if rather than when. As it goes, I think that the club will definitely end up as a community/support-owned club. It just depends what the circumstances are that lead to this.

I have never been convinced that the Board thought it was a good idea (except perhaps as a very last resort)

This is self-evidently the case that brought the Board to accept the Bid. If there had been other buyers, investors etc, the Bid would never have got a sniff.

what is there at the moment to persuade new investors to come on board.

Did you receive this notification from the Bid team?

We are working with a professional fund-raiser, who is giving his time and expertise free of charge, to shape the fundraising strategy and help make direct approaches.

In order to bridge the gap between the £300,000 we’ve raised and the absolute minimum of £750,000 that’s required, we are working to achieve matched funding from wealthier individuals and grant-funding organisations of another £300,000. This would take us to an interim total of £600,000 before re-opening the share offer to the wider public.

We have made significant inroads towards that new £300,000 investment, with substantial verbal commitments.

This phase may take up to three months so we ask for your patience while we work through the more involved approaches and discussions required for these larger sums.

If we’re able to achieve the matched funding, we will re-open the share offer on 1 February with a close date of 1 May. If we can get that money faster, then we’ll re-open the offer sooner and can potentially work to a faster timescale.

[SteveS]

Only 2 wins in 17 games is even worse than I thought, just don't see how anyone can now say that they cannot see that there is a problem or anything that we need to be concerned about.
The team have lost belief that they can score goals and win matches. That is what I saw at Wealdstone and it seems it was the same yesterday. We keep hearing all the excuses about the budget, training facilities etc but the truth is you have to get the best out of the players we have and that is plainly not happening.
Will anything happen? I think most of us know the answer is no. It we lose 4-0 next it will still be no, and the week after, the week after that as well.
I have always thought, like most, that despite some differences the 5 major shareholders were supporters of the club who wanted the best for it. I therefore find it incredible that in my view they seem prepared to stand by and do nothing whilst the club slowly dies both on and off the pitch.
Like Cannonball and others I have been supporting for over 50 years but feel very despondent about the future.

[BenE]

I'm not convinced they can keep us up this season so the idea of consolidation is a bit wide of the mark.

[comrade powell]

Can't disagree with anything Lee Howells says here. Comments about Mohamed and McCootie are spot on...

http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Misfiring-frontline-cost-Bath-City-FA-Trophy/story-28259678-detail/story.html

[Marc Monitor]

That is a frontline now that hasn't been scoring for three games by his own admission and all season in reality. Artus has scored as many as all of them except for Pratt who, with 5, has been profligate my his own usual standards.

You can scratch your head about one game but when it is a series of games, you have to have come up with some idea.

[stillmanjunior]

Missed out on Maidstone. Away, obviously.

I'll live with that.

[comrade powell]

So can I if we turn this dreadful run around quickly and make a challenge for the play offs. If we don't, I suppose we can look forward to some excitement trying to avoid the drop.

[BenE]

Can't disagree with anything Lee Howells says here. Comments about Mohamed and McCootie are spot on...

http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Misfiring-frontline-cost-Bath-City-FA-Trophy/story-28259678-detail/story.html

Yes a fair reaction.

If I could sum Nick McCootie up it would be that you get one good performance in 10. In that one game he is unplayable but otherwise you get nothing, his touch is poor, his passing is poor and he wins no headers.

Kaid thinks he is league standard. I suggest he starts showing it.

I said months ago Dave Pratt needs a rest. We would have been better off if he had had it. He hasn't played himself into form and now his striker's sixth sense is shot.

[stillmanjunior]

Can't disagree with anything Lee Howells says here. Comments about Mohamed and McCootie are spot on...

http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Misfiring-frontline-cost-Bath-City-FA-Trophy/story-28259678-detail/story.html

And credit for not just pinpointing the referee for our exit, which could have been an easy excuse as it was a late penalty and seemed a foul in the build-up. Several other managers would have done the same, drives me up the wall.

[SteveS]

Have to agree about McCootie, looked good at the start of the season but all downhill since. Just wonder if he wants away and his heart is no longer in it. Now, wonder where he might go -----?
Perhaps he wants to be nearer Comrade.

[comrade powell]

I think a lack of hunger is the case with a few of our team at present, but then a state of staleness is pretty endemic throughout the club.

[Elmore James]

Have to agree about McCootie, looked good at the start of the season but all downhill since. Just wonder if he wants away and his heart is no longer in it. Now, wonder where he might go -----?
Perhaps he wants to be nearer Comrade.

That is down to a lack of man management.

[comrade powell]

Maybe you're in the know about that. Surely a player making the move up from Southern League football should have the necessary self motivation to want to succeed at a higher level.

[yuffie]

I wonder if he is still struggling with fitness. I haven't noticed his heart not being in his performances but if he is still not 100% then that is bound to be affecting his confidence.

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