Havant game ON

Listening to the radio (excellent again, despite the early issues) it did sound like the introduction of Pratty made a huge difference. If he does stay fully fit between now and the end of the season then I don't think it will be long before relegation fears are gone.

Like Pete, I've just watched the video and it is great to see a well-worked corner routine. I've never understood why we don't try the near post flick-on more often. Going back many years, Chris Banks and Richard Crowley used to use this tactic to great effect.

That said it was pretty poor defending from Havant, especially not having anyone on the back post.

A36 wrote:I actually brought three friends along with me who rarely watch City, but there was no sign of those that were supposedly staying away until the manager was changed.  Well, maybe they will all turn up on Saturday!

I know you'll correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm assuming that all 4 of you live well within an hour's drive of Havant. When I organised the SC coach I got the impression from many that they viewed Havant as a local trip - at nearly 90 miles from Bath, it's not. For an evening fixture it can be a nightmare journey, with the problem of Bath and Salisbury's traffic and the frequent hold ups on the M27. With the recent bad weather and reports of Havant's dreadful pitch, I wouldn't blame anyone for not wanting to reserve time off work to catch the SC coach, however much in raptures they are concerning the departures of Adie and Archie. For those driving independently, GoogleMaps suggests leaving by 4.30 to arrive by 7 - that looks risky to me, but you have 45 mins leeway before ko.

The train is a good option on a Saturday but you would have missed at least 15 minutes of the second half to get the last one back yesterday.

And as Junior suggests, it's not the most appealing of places even on a Saturday and the surrounding pubs are IMO the worst in the league!

So I say, well done to all those who got there last night and I'm sure the encouraging results of late will entice back many more!

See you at Hemel on Saturday, Alan!

yuffie wrote:Listening to the radio (excellent again, despite the early issues) it did sound like the introduction of Pratty made a huge difference. If he does stay fully fit between now and the end of the season then I don't think it will be long before relegation fears are gone.

Like Pete, I've just watched the video and it is great to see a well-worked corner routine. I've never understood why we don't try the near post flick-on more often. Going back many years, Chris Banks and Richard Crowley used to use this tactic to great effect.

That said it was pretty poor defending from Havant, especially not having anyone on the back post.

I thought that you were optimistic! That's Gary's first 3 games unbeaten, and we are just 10 points behind 7th placed Margate, with 3 games in hand

pete mac wrote: I did hear the ranting Havant man on the BCIR mic. He must have been close to a seizure when Watto scored the late equaliser!

Having listened to a bit of The Hawks commentary I have to comment on how good BCIR commentators are. Very professional indeed. Not completely unbiased which is what you want from your club commentary but enough that opposition supporters can listen to it without chewing the carpet.

Just like to commend the actual BCIR commentary which is pretty polished. Some way ahead of Havant's which, controversies aside, is not in the same league. They made plenty of positive comments early on (when they were winning) about the game, City and away support. But it was awfully stilted stuff and sounded like they were struggling to keep up with play.
I was glad to switch back to BCIR once the gremlins expelled.

Great to see the goal again on video, what a relief after all the chances!

Shouldn't laugh but I'd quite like to see a clip of Quelch getting hit in the face by the ball....

Ashley wrote:Shouldn't laugh but I'd quite like to see a clip of Quelch getting hit in the face by the ball....

1:29:07 on the full match video.  And the answer to a question I asked at the time was that Theo Lewis (Havant's number 11) grabbed the ref's whistle and blew it. And the other answer was that it was Matt Taylor's clearance that the ref got in the way of.

Sir Ged Roddy wrote:Most of us standing behind the goal thought that the ball probably didn't cross the line.  The ball didn't go behind the keeper, and the keeper was not behind the line.  Difficult to say but perhaps the film will show us.

The ball was behind the keeper, it was the defender on the line that it didn't get past (1:23:35 on the full match video if you want to find it). I do agree that, at the time, I didn't think the ball had crossed the line, and the video, though inconclusive, doesn't change that opinion.

So pleased to see positivity and expectation again after such a torrid time!

It was my first visit to Twerton Park last Saturday since the dire Basingstoke game early last October - I had just had enough of the excuses and acceptance of team/player mediocrity - and despite the game being ruined by the high winds and weather, the atmosphere around the ground was SO much better.

Just about everyone in the ground seemed to buy in to the new Management regime and accepted that a hard fought, no frills 1-0 win was enough - it could and would have been comprehensive but for the penalty misses, so well done to Gary Owers, Jim Rollo and the squad for that and also for the battling, hard fought and by all accounts well deserved 1-1 draw last night.

Owers is a professional through and through and I hear he has already instilled a more professional outlook on the players regarding training, preparation etc and won't accept low standards.....great news! He is positive in his press interviews and will have learnt a huge amount since he was last here as Player/Manager and I am now more than hopeful than we will avoid relegation and that the club will be a better place all round on the playing side.

Lets hope this encouraging start continues at Hemel on Saturday.....

A36 wrote:On the other hand, one disappointing thing was that, after all the talk on here of new enthusiasm from the fans with the change of management, it was still just the same old faces on the terraces this evening.  I actually brought three friends along with me who rarely watch City, but there was no sign of those that were supposedly staying away until the manager was changed.  Well, maybe they will all turn up on Saturday!

Firstly, it takes time. We have all seen false dawns. Also, I think that home attendances are the real litmus test of supporter enthusiasm not Tuesday away games. They are always going to be for the nutt...erm, hardcore loyal supporters.

comrade powell wrote:

A36 wrote:I actually brought three friends along with me who rarely watch City, but there was no sign of those that were supposedly staying away until the manager was changed.  Well, maybe they will all turn up on Saturday!

I know you'll correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm assuming that all 4 of you live well within an hour's drive of Havant. When I organised the SC coach I got the impression from many that they viewed Havant as a local trip - at nearly 90 miles from Bath, it's not. For an evening fixture it can be a nightmare journey, with the problem of Bath and Salisbury's traffic and the frequent hold ups on the M27. With the recent bad weather and reports of Havant's dreadful pitch, I wouldn't blame anyone for not wanting to reserve time off work to catch the SC coach, however much in raptures they are concerning the departures of Adie and Archie. For those driving independently, GoogleMaps suggests leaving by 4.30 to arrive by 7 - that looks risky to me, but you have 45 mins leeway before ko.

The train is a good option on a Saturday but you would have missed at least 15 minutes of the second half to get the last one back yesterday.

And as Junior suggests, it's not the most appealing of places even on a Saturday and the surrounding pubs are IMO the worst in the league!

So I say, well done to all those who got there last night and I'm sure the encouraging results of late will entice back many more!

See you at Hemel on Saturday, Alan!

Worth adding that the unreliability of Havant "pitch" / beach may have planted a seed of doubt with some fans. Just because it hadn't rained for 48 hours previously and there was no rain forecast didn't make it a foregone conclusion.
(I know its childish and 2 wrongs don't make a right but I found myself hoping that Truro's game at Concord was postponed at 7pm)
Also, it didn't help that the A36 was shut south of Salisbury for roadworks on the way home.

While the away support is important (I go myself and have a great time).... I would prefer to see more people at the home matches. That way at least the club get increased gate money.

Steve Whites Missus wrote:While the away support is important (I go myself and have a great time).... I would prefer to see more people at the home matches.  That way at least the club get increased gate money.

Absolutely right.  Fortunately, the 1000BC team is working regularly and hard over attracting people.  Contacting people, putting up posters regularly etc is really important and has not been done well, or in a sustained way, in the past.

There is still more to come as well.

I was erring on thinking that it was just improvement in home matches that mattered, of course, we mustn't lost sight of the fact that away support spurs the team on - especially as it can often be more vocal than home. Either way, it doesn't have to be an either/or.

Marc Monitor wrote:There is still more to come as well.

I was erring on thinking that it was just improvement in home matches that mattered, of course, we mustn't lost sight of the fact that away support spurs the team on - especially as it can often be more vocal than home. Either way, it doesn't have to be an either/or.

If taking along someone new to City, I do think it is better to take them along to away games, they are far more likely to become hooked on City if they see a few away games. Also, Twerton Park, much as we all love it, is quite an awkward place to get to. The nearest motorway is over ten miles away, or if you are coming from south of the M4, well, there just aren't any major routes that go anywhere near at all. There are plenty of grounds in Conference South, where you can watch City play, that are much easier to get to (depending on where you are starting your journey from).