Division 1 South
From the Piper Stand
An alternative view... ... we tell it like it is, Although if anyone threatens to sue we apologise!
| 27th January 2007 |
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HALFWAY POINT Now we have reached about the halfway position of our first season in the Ryman Div One South , it is a fair time to assess how we have approached this different level of football. Whilst our first few results were disappointing once we found our feet we have competed in every game we have played, apart from the FA Trophy tie at Thurrock against Dartford when we were very poor on a very very wet Sunday afternoon. Quite surprisingly our away record is very good ,our home record is not that good quite why is an unknown factor. The one down side to our new league is that all postponed /abandoned games are generally reorganised for Tuesday or Wednesday nights which whilst being much more focused than our previous league when games just appeared like a change in the weather.obviously does make availability more difficult, but the league we play in is much more professional and I as secretary find it much more easy to work with, long may it continue. Conversely I am rather concerned at the current plight of our reserves having only played 2 home league games with at least another 11 to fit in before the end of April and with only 7 available Saturdays free , there will be at least 4 midweek games to fit in , this with at least 5 first team midweek games already programmed, it does mean our playing strength will be tested to the limits in the next 3 months. This is exactly the reason I am glad the first team play in league with a whole seasons fixtures in print before the season starts, it makes scheduling and rearranging games much easier. |
| 18th November 2006 |
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CONTRACTS Quite who signed the farcical contract with Sven which sees the FA still paying him £13000 a day yes that's every day until either he decides to get another job or some stupid club deem that he is the manager to move them forward , quite frankly the person should be hung drawn and quartered , what with this ludicrous situation and the final bill for the new Wembley being about £800 million, its shows that the powers that be that run our game are quite frankly a shambles , these 2 incidents show that there has unfortunately some very bad management gone on at our HQ, anyone else running a business in this manor would have been sacked and or spending time at Her Majestys Request, Mind you the scenario at Crawley shows how toothless our Government are with the deadline now well past for the repayment agreed with the receivers, shows that that deal was a total waste of time, SPORTSMANSHIP Two weekends ago Jose Mourienho showed in his clubs defeat at Tottenham that he really does live in cloud cuckoo land , his pathetic whinning and moaning that the only reason they lost was because of poor referee-ing, quite what you make of his decision to give one of players just over 20 minutes when he would not have looked out of place playing a much lower level of football, sorry Jose you bought him and played him , he looked lets be generous and say poor, he moaned about a disallowed goal at a corner by Drogba ,even before he had headed the ball referee Poll had blown up , and you could quite clearly see that both King and Robinson had stopped because of the referee’s decision. Terry may have been unlucky to be sent off but he showed an admirable attitude in leaving the pitch without any pantomimic antics. On the same day that blind Frenchman also lost the plot whatever Alan Pardew said in the heat of the moment he later apolgised , and offered his hand at the end of the game, Arsene’s actions to refuse to shake his hand and then cancelled his regular Friday press conference , show that he is another manager who has got far to big for his boots. Whatever happened to honesty and manners. SHAMBLES The ongoing scenario at the Broadfield Stadium shows absolutely no sign of any permanent decision being made with the winding up order against the owners company being deferred, quite why the order was even entered into or why the receivers gave the SA group till 31/10/06 to pay of 50p in the pound to all the creditors when they never had any in of endorsing that stance, it is quite mind boggling the sheer level of incompetency, the SA group must be chuckling in background ,they have one way or another turned a success football club into a bankrupt football club and are basically told to carry on, how long will it be allowed to go on'???. All genuine football fans whether Crawley supporters want is have a football club to support , run by competent people the interests of the club as paramount. I expect more will follow OPINIONS So the first Premiership casualty turned out to be Iain Dowie although his dismissal would appear not to be down to results. What also clouds the issue even further is the protracted case involving his departure from Crystal Palace, which still rumble on with the delicate scenario with compensation , a case which, Charlton are quite prepared to back their former manager. It appears that Iain Dowie could technically be back as an in capacity at his previous club Crystal Palace, due to the stance being taken by the Palace chairman Simon Jordan, it ultimately wL be down to who a tribunal believes the version from either Iain Dowie or Simon Jordan quite frankly neither of them have covered themselves in glory , still it seems a regular event to wash ones problems in the public domain. |
| 4th November 2006 |
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RYMAN v SUSSEX This time last year we were plying our trade in the relatively Cosy Sussex County League Division One, and we ultimately won that league in a canter , we now find ourselves playing in the next grade which obviously is a challenge , but having witnessed all the league games so far apart from Sittingbourne I feel it is a promotion we are making great efforts both on and off the pitch to adjust to. The grounds we have been to and the facilities they have far outdo nearly every county league venue and yes in some games we have struggled , but I feel we have generally adapted well. I am not nieve enough to think we wont have highs and lows,but it is all a learning curve , I for one would not wish to return to our old league whilst there are some very picturesque grounds , there accompanying facilities leave a lot to be desired. Obviously the rewards some of our opponents receive for their 90 minutes efforts I find quite mind boggling , without meaning to belittle any club some of the money our opponents receive do not in any way , make any sense when you make an easy estimation of the income generated by the attendance, it is clear to see a lot of clubs rely on a wealthy benefactor, nothing wrong in that unless the benefactor gets fed up with his hobby. To ensure continued playing in the Ryman League is not solely down to where we finish next May , we still need to do a few jobs to upgrade our ground, but I am more than confident these will be achieved well inside the FA guidance . So as you can see we are all pulling in the same direction. UP THE ROAD Top of the agenda is the quite shameful saga up the road at The Broadfield Stadium , the current owners agreed a rescue package with the Official Receiver to pay 50p in the pound of all monies owed other than their own self inflicted debt, this they have not done and they have the gall to say it is due problems outside their control, on that basis why did the Official Receiver ever agree the package with the 90 day cut off, they say the flat they put up as a guarantee is for sale , they say it is worth 1.4 million , but other sources say it is worth about 800,000 with a potential profit or amount after the up to date mortgage is paid off, of about 200,000 which will presumably go those unconvinced by the dodgy dealings of those 2 brothers, it is quite clear the Official Receiver is utterly powerless and about as useful as a chocolate teapot, but then we have now had years of a government bent on feathering its own nest! Just as the blue rinse brigade did in the eighties. Whilst on the band wagon I doubt I am the only genuine football Supporter or follower utterly fed up with the arrogant stance taken by that very, very lucky manager Jose Mourienho,he continually moans at all and sundry never once thinking that the problem lies a lot closer to home, with the money he has used to buy the last 2 premiership titles , yes he has bought them , he has not had to wheel and deal or use his own initiative, if he had not "won " those 2 titles he should have been sacked, he may be a good manager, but the word great is a sham in his case , to mention with other true greats like Shankly, Stein, Nicholson or Busby is a sad incitement of the incredible hype assosiciated with our great game today. |