Friendlies

Interesting game v Gloucester. Their players obviously think they are something special and to be fair we had to dig in for quite long periods without seeing the ball. But dig in we did and it is quite clear we have a potent forward line this season.

Defensively we don't look too solid. Jack Batten is not fully fit and obviously Gerring is missed. I am not convinced by Fuller, I can't see him keeping Clarkey out of the team. We missed Omar too.

There was a huge cheer when Joe Raynes made his appearance on the pitch. It is like having a new star signing.

Our players are something special. Didn't you see the equaliser by Jordan Young?

kermit wrote:Hopefully not in Conference North

It is an infintely better and more interesting league. Hated those two seasons we had in the South!

tigerroar wrote:Our players are something special. Didn't you see the equaliser by Jordan Young?

I did. I thought my grannie could have saved it.

Better get her in then.

tigerroar wrote:Our players are something special. Didn't you see the equaliser by Jordan Young?

Another one heading to Chesterfield then?

I wouldn't have thought so, he wasn't a Rowe signing or controlled by his dad. New regime.

tigerroar wrote:

kermit wrote:Hopefully not in Conference North

It is an infintely better and more interesting league. Hated those two seasons we had in the South!

I know that you dislike the south east bias of NLS but apart from that what makes NLN better and more interesting?

I totally agree with tigerroar on this - not because of the quality of football, which is as variable as in the south, but because the majority of NLN clubs represent actual towns and cities, rather than suburbs of London. The grounds and histories of the clubs are more interesting and the geographical dispersal much greater. I just hope we can escape the NLS soon (upwards rather than downwards, of course!)

Manchester Romans wrote:because the majority of NLN clubs represent actual towns and cities, rather than suburbs of London.

There's only 3!

comrade powell wrote:

tigerroar wrote:

kermit wrote:Hopefully not in Conference North

It is an infintely better and more interesting league. Hated those two seasons we had in the South!

I know that you dislike the south east bias of NLS but apart from that what makes NLN better and more interesting?

It's not really a dislike although the bias doesn't help. If anything is there to dislike it's the old Isthmian cosyness that sent us to Kent and Essex while those teams could go to away games on the tube!

I was going to games at Evesham, which really didn't help, but we were facing teams and I was really struggling to think who they were, then it would come to me, Welling, it's Welling! And then you'd realise that it was just a postcode in south east London.

But when we beat Farnborough in the playoffs, we beat Farnborough. I love saying that we beat Farnborough. I don't not like them but they're nothingness. Farnborough, we beat you. We were horrified that we were going into the north yet it turned out to be a great adventure. We played in front of almost 6000 at Stockport. Our first home game of the season is against York City. We get to go further than Newcastle and stop off at the Angel of the North. Why else would anyone go to Gainsborough?

Prior to the time that we beat Farnborough I think I could count on one hand the number of times we played northern teams; Bishop Auckland, Witton Albion, Southport, Runcorn all in the FA Trophy and the one season that Leek Town were in our league. Sorry I couldn't find a sixth which would've provided great ammunition for the scallywags

It's just better. A breath of fresh air. You'd love it. But then you'd have to go around that Avon Ring Road which I find rather tedious.

BTW, good to see that John Freegard was there yesterday, sadly I didn't get the chance to say hello.

Friggy watches most of our home matches.

Thanks for your reply. I know what you mean about the cosy Isthmian set up but now that several of those clubs have become regular rivals in recent years I think there’s more connection.

Of course it’s down to personal taste, but we spent two seasons traipsing around the north when in the NL and by the end I was glad to  return to the easier journeys. These days I use the train which for most of our trips is a breeze. Looking at some clubs on your fixture list that wouldn’t be possible in a day so it’s that slog up the M5, M6 etc.

Some of the places in our league are rather drab but then there’s Oxford, St Albans, Eastbourne and Dorking which make it a good away day. Which are the best for you?

I work five Saturday's out of six now so hardly make it away but can't say I really have a favourite. Maybe Telford. I'm looking forward to the teams in the next league up next season

Further to my earlier comment on Will Fuller I think he must have suffered an injury during the game. He started Ok but must have strained something, as Jerry confirmed in his interview. He did well to carry on at all.

tovid wrote:Further to my earlier comment on Will Fuller I think he must have suffered an injury during the game. He started Ok but must have strained something, as Jerry confirmed in his interview. He did well to carry on at all.

Ah...did he strain something v. Exeter as well??

I think he put his back out

tigerroar wrote:

kermit wrote:Hopefully not in Conference North

It is an infintely better and more interesting league. Hated those two seasons we had in the South!

You certainly had an interesting game today!

A bet "Tiger" loved it.

I thought that I was reading the rugby result.