Chelmsford City V Bath City

comrade powell wrote:But like Pete, I'm even more concerned that there doesn't appear to be a plan B..

Isn't plan B: stick head in sand......

unless it can be proved otherwise...

Ashley wrote:We're switched on to it but what can we do?? I go to every game, buy a programme and drinks at home games, go on the coach, sell and buy 50/50 tickets, buy a shirt and tried to watch last weeks England game in the bar last week but that's another story.

As fans there isn't a lot we can do apart from keep supporting the players and trust the board.

It's seems the dissatisfaction and frustration with the board's statement is pretty universal. In which case would it be appropriate for either the Supporters Club or Society to formally respond to the board?

From the Chronic:
Howells said: "The reason we lost it was that one goal wasn't a goal." (referring to the first goal going/not going over the line)
I would suggest the reason we lost was that the only goal we could score was a freak goal, despite having plenty of possession. Is it ever Howells/Brittan's fault?!

Ashley wrote:We're switched on to it but what can we do?? I go to every game, buy a programme and drinks at home games, go on the coach, sell and buy 50/50 tickets, buy a shirt and tried to watch last weeks England game in the bar last week but that's another story.

As fans there isn't a lot we can do apart from keep supporting the players and trust the board.

The thing is that many of us are trying to get our mates to come along and find ways to get the club a couple of hundred quid here or a couple of hundred quid there. We are then told that we are ignoring calls for extra funds. At which point, you think "why bother?"

Eddie Hitler wrote:Cannonball is always been a poster who makes considered and reasonable posts, and really sums things up perfectly.
I too am very worried about the offhand comments of the board regarding a situation which could have catstrophic consequences.
As for Stearn - I've been in two minds about him, he's had some indifferent performances for us, but two games ago we had a player growing in confidence and having a real impact. His reward? Relegation to the bench.

Well said Eddie - I was going to say similar about Cannonball's postings - he speaks for the vast majority of the fans that are left, let alone the ones that have recently abandoned us. I see no light at the end of the tunnel, unless the team management is changed, and the Board find the ability/aspiration to solve the increasingly critical financial problem - more liaison with the Society perhaps? - an emergency working group to comprise of Society/Supporters Club/and other diehard fans? With people in the key positions of this Club not seeming to be able to do their jobs properly, surely the last vestige of hope lies in the hands of us all?

Eddie Hitler wrote:

Ashley wrote:We're switched on to it but what can we do?? I go to every game, buy a programme and drinks at home games, go on the coach, sell and buy 50/50 tickets, buy a shirt and tried to watch last weeks England game in the bar last week but that's another story.

As fans there isn't a lot we can do apart from keep supporting the players and trust the board.

It's seems the dissatisfaction and frustration with the board's statement is pretty universal. In which case would it be appropriate for either the Supporters Club or Society to formally respond to the board?

As far as the Society is concerned, we thought long and hard about going to the Chronicle last week. What put us off was the memory of many fans justifiably complaining about disputes being aired in public at the time of the previous chair's clashes with the Foundation. That's not to say we will be ignoring the recent statement and I'm sure our board rep will be asked to convey our displeasure.

Despite having around the same number of members as the Society and raising around £100k for the club in the last decade, the Supporters Club is not represented on the board despite our frequent requests. I don't quite understand how we can be called a supporters club while this situation persists and I'm afraid we are just paid lip service when issues are raised.

So it won't be surprising to hear that my feeling is that a Plan B must be a community run club where supporters have a real say in how their club is run and those running it are accountable to those who have put them in that position.

The whole ball? Nowhere near... http://www.chelmsfordcityfc.com/videos/goals-vs-bath-city-h-61548.html

Thats never in. Do they not fancy embarassing their keeper by omitting our goal?

This is clearly one of those occasions when Bath City are determined to test the patience of even their most loyal supporters. I have to say that I can recall few occasions in 40+ years of supporting when I have felt so disillusioned.

After the Maidenhead game I really thought that we had got the season back on track, but as others have said the 2nd half against Gosport and yesterdays game have seen the air of gloom that followed the East Thurrock defeat descend again. I really thought that 4 points was possible from those games - I should know better than to be such an optimist.

It is sadly typical of our management to find an excuse for the defeat, Chelmsford's 'goal' this time being to blame, not the fact that none of our outfield players could score. The one common denominator from all our failures over the last few seasons is that it is everybody's fault but theirs, a position now backed up by the board.  

I do feel for Ross Stearn - he clearly isn't suited to the role of 'impact substitute' coming on in the last 10 to 15 minutes and is always much more effective when he starts, but for some reason that only happens sporadically.

Somebody else mentioned the suspensions - there has only been one game (apart from the two in the Somerset Cup) when we haven't had a  player booked and after yesterday Pat Keary is on 4 yellows.  

As for the future, it is hard not to feel that the club is slipping away and that, short of one of us winning the lottery, there isn't anything that can be done about it.

Just read the report and, of course, Stearn came on at 78 minutes. I have just checked his other sub times and the time he has come on has got later and later. It's bloody ridiculous.

A rare Jason Mellor goal

highlights here - http://www.chelmsfordcityfc.com/videos/chelmsford-city-vs-bath-city--61609.html

Possibly ony about the 3rd occasion I can recall seeing the keeper score from his own kick in a game I was attending and I don't think any were by a City keeper. What makes it even more remarkable is that it was completely still on Saturday, so there was no assistance from a strong wind. I bet he wishes he had gone for this option last Tuesday instead of being an assist for Gosport's 3rd!

Hi All, Chelmsford fan in peace.

As for our first goal, it did just cross the line, and I mean just! We haven't had much luck recently so we were due some luck surely! As for your goal, sorry to rain on your parade but it has been logged as an own goal by our young goalkeeper (he is only 18 and on loan so senior football isn't his forte yet) due to the fact that the ball wasn't over the line before our keeper carried it over. Again, sorry for that.

Your support was also very good I must say, that distance and the weather we had, the crowd was excellent and no doubt boosted by the travelling Romans.

Having read your manager's view on the game and some of the comments on here. I must say that he can't blame the ref for the loss, ultimately his team failed to score a goal and the goal you did score was listed as an OG. He needs to take a leaf out of Brendan Rodgers' book, claiming responsibility for his teams shortcomings rather than blaming everything else. You had some luck as well, we had a stonewall penalty not given just before our first and just after our second, your defender has taking our strikers leg completely missing the ball and the ref said no, if either had been given it could have been a different story.

Good Luck for the season! (And at Gloucester in the trophy)

Claret Boy wrote:....sorry to rain on your parade but it has been logged as an own goal by our young goalkeeper (he is only 18 and on loan so senior football isn't his forte yet) due to the fact that the ball wasn't over the line before our keeper carried it over. Again, sorry for that....

I thought the rule was that if it was on target, it is classed as a goal by the 'striker' of the ball. Only if the deflection (or carrying-over in this instance) changed the course of the ball when it would otherwise miss the target, is it an own goal.

Claret Boy wrote:...As for our first goal, it did just cross the line, and I mean just...

I have been dubios about those commenting on hear saying it was definately over, if judging by the video, which was not at the right angle to show.

Eddie Hitler wrote:

Claret Boy wrote:....sorry to rain on your parade but it has been logged as an own goal by our young goalkeeper (he is only 18 and on loan so senior football isn't his forte yet) due to the fact that the ball wasn't over the line before our keeper carried it over. Again, sorry for that....

I thought the rule was that if it was on target, it is classed as a goal by the 'striker' of the ball. Only if the deflection (or carrying-over in this instance) changed the course of the ball when it would otherwise miss the target, is it an own goal.

As a referee myself, I can tell you that because our GK had possession of the ball before it crossed the line, it goes down as an OG, sorry.

As a referee, I'm sure you'll believe the game should be null and void as both goalkeepers are wearing the exact same colour top, which I'm sure is against the laws

Although it's not as daft as Jason basically wearing a Maidenhead shirt last week.

stillmanjunior wrote:As a referee, I'm sure you'll believe the game should be null and void as both goalkeepers are wearing the exact same colour top, which I'm sure is against the laws

Although it's not as daft as Jason basically wearing a Maidenhead shirt last week.

It is acceptable, not great, but acceptable to have the same shirt but different shorts. He has obviously turned a blind eye to it because the shorts are different

Understood

I read something on your forum where people were moaning about one of your defenders being booked for the umpteenth time. Have you received a lot of cheap bookings as well? Not sure if refs are getting stricter. By the time the St. Albans game is over we would have had five players suspended already.

Jason wants it, Chelmsford keeper doesn't, Mellor goal job done.

Eddie Hitler wrote:

Claret Boy wrote:...As for our first goal, it did just cross the line, and I mean just...

I have been dubios about those commenting on hear saying it was definately over, if judging by the video, which was not at the right angle to show.

I guess it makes up for that one at Twerton in the play-off game in 2010 when it looked like the ball was over the line, which would have made it 1-0 Chelmsford and who knows what could have happened.

A bit like the old Geoff Hurst and Frank Lampard ones for England vs West Germany/Germany. I'm sure that's what fans around the world are comparing it to.

Claret Boy wrote:Hi All, Chelmsford fan in peace.

As for our first goal, it did just cross the line, and I mean just! We haven't had much luck recently so we were due some luck surely! As for your goal, sorry to rain on your parade but it has been logged as an own goal by our young goalkeeper (he is only 18 and on loan so senior football isn't his forte yet) due to the fact that the ball wasn't over the line before our keeper carried it over. Again, sorry for that.

Out of interest, where was the goal 'logged'? I've checked on various sites, including the Conference's, but can find no details. It's not the scorer I'm interested, more the goal time. 44 or 45 minutes? This could be worth a couple of points to me...

Also as a ref Jason was perhaps lucky to still be able to kick it after holding it for 9 seconds. As for the goal, the video is inconclusive when the keeper gathered and lost it as it is not in line, so benefit of the doubt goes to the attacker id say.

So, it appears there are now two people in the world who think the ball crossed the line.

That aside, is it the referee's job to decide who has scored a goal?

If an outfield player has a shot that the keeper carries over the line whilst trying to save it, it will always be awarded to them so it is no different for a keeper.

Anyway, as there is no 'dubious goal' committee at our level the goal will be forever recorded to Mellor on the website and in the programme which is the only 'logging' that matters to City.