Easter bunny delivers……goals goals goals

26 03 2008

For some fans, this Easter has seen some cracking games and scorelines, for other fans, its been less than jolly.

Brid lose 4 and 5 zip, but this was countered by Scarborough scoring 8. Here are some other results from around the non-league scene……..

Unibond prem

Kendal 6 Marine 0

(The division saw 30 goals in 10 games Fri/Sat, and 33 goals in 10 games on Monday)

Unibond North

(The division saw 24 goals in 8 games on Saturday & 28 goals in 8 games on Monday)

Ryman Prem

AFC Hornchurch 9 Leyton 0

Hastings 6 Folkestone Invicta 1

(28 goals in 9 games Fri/Sat & 34 goals in 10 games on Monday)

Ryman Div 1 North (Brids level)

Aveley, Brentwood and Ware all win 4-0 at home & Wivenhoe beat Witham 4-3

(24 goals in 7 games on Saturday & 23 in 9 on Monday)

British Gas Prem

Kings Lynn 6 Cirencester 2

Bashley 4 Bromsgrove 0

(27 goals in 9 games on Saturday & 33 goals in 11 games on Monday)

British Gas sth&west

Godalming 8 Newport IOW 1

(44 goals in 11 games on Saturday in this league, and 34 in 11 on Monday)

Who says there’s no value in the lower leagues – so many goals over the weekend 362 goals in 112 games

Come on Brid, its your turn to score some…..

   




Brid 0 v Skelmersdale 5 (a)

24 03 2008

As there had been no let up in our Siberian conditions, and the fact I’ve got work tomorrow, me and the lad decided to go to see Scarborough at home. Good job we did too – they absolutely pulvorized their opponents 8 (eight) – 0 (nil) today. They also had a man sent off after about 75 minutes for a late lunge (6-0 at this point) – to be fair it wasn’t a dirty game.

Its amazing the support that turns out to see the Seadogs, there was apparently 559 there today with no noticeable visitors fans either.Someone even told me he loved Queensgate more than the McCain because the bar and facilities were better.

8-0 was a new record for the new Scarborough team, and to be honest they deserved more today.

My lad even said, “why don’t we go to their away games when Brid are at home, at least we see some goals and wins.” There has to be a bedtime bullsh*t story coming up, about supporting your team through thick and thin, and its not about the winning all the time (though it helps etc etc), its about belonging to your home town team etc etc……

As for the Brid result, I can only offer my sincerest sympathies to those that traveled all the way there today to see us get thumped (and there were a few that did). A good 6 hour round trip for that – sadism.





Brid 0 – Wakefield 4 (h)

24 03 2008

Well the omens weren’t our way as usual. The weather has been shocking nationally, but up here over the last few days, its been horrendous. One minute its snowing, then hailing, then raining, then snowing…you get the idea, then mix in 40+ mph winds in sub zero temperatures, this gives us the makings of a typical Norwegian winter game. It was bloody cooooold.

The game unfortunately for us, wallowed in the bleakness too. The lads started off quite well, but conceded a penalty after about 15mins and scored (which was smartly dispatched). After this, the rest of it became a blur, and descended into the same old same old – perhaps it was just me with with my Roald Asmundsen glasses on.

Had a good chat and laugh with Uncle G in the second half, and before i knew it me and the lad were ready to go home to warm up. The visitors having got two in the last 5 minutes. 133 peeps in for the game.
Thats about as much as my cold fingers can muster for today.





Brid 0 Clitheroe 1 (a)

16 03 2008

With the long trip to the Lancastrians to contend with, I was more content in making the long trip to Queensgate (all of about 500 meters) to watch Scarborough entertain Gedling. At the start of play Gedling were second and Scarborough were 9th. As the game progressed, you would have thought the tables were wrong and that is was Boro who were second. Gedling were poor throughout, even brining on a guy who was about 45 in the second half, that gave hope, even to me of getting a game.

For Boro it was one of those days where you (in this case me) came away from the ground disappointed with only a 4-1 win. Boro should have and could have won 10-0, such was there dominance of the game. There were 446 at the game yesterday, and looking at the NCEL website, thats as many as nearly the two divisions combined got yesterday (bar this game of course !!). When Gedling did score towards the end of the game, you could have heard a pin drop – it was really surreal.

There is some good news for the Seadogs this week, I understand they have had some really fruitful meetings with the local council with a view to trying to get back into the McCain ASAP – the only pisser, is that I would have to go over there to watch their home games if there was nowt on here. Being 500 meters away is enough inconvenience I can tell you.

Their current landlords on the other hand, weren’t fairing as well. By some accounts, they had played well, but had a man sent off and played on a fairly boggy pitch, with a huge slope – in front of an impressive 247. The hosts getting the winner 15 from time. But our league position hasn’t changed we are still 3rd from bottom – on some very thin ice. For some inspirational words I will recite a proverb from Thomas Carlyle with my own twist at the end…..

“He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything, and he who has 40 points has safety





What message are the FA sending out with this…?

11 03 2008

Whilst delving into the BBC website the other day, I came across this compelling story which I just couldn’t believe. I obviously side with the chairman of Gray’s Athletic, but the dear old FA, well, you make up your own mind….here’s a copy from the BBC site (obviously its their copyright and I will remove it if required).

Club refuses to pay jailed player


A non-league club faces suspension by the Football Association from all competitions for refusing to pay an ex-player jailed on a robbery charge. Grays Athletic FC terminated Ashley Sestanovich’s contract before his conviction for conspiracy to rob.

Grays have been given 14 days by the FA to pay Sestanovich £14,000 for the five months up to his conviction.

He was jailed for eight years. Two other men were jailed for life for shooting a man dead during the raid.

An FA disciplinary hearing ordered Grays to pay Sestanovich five months’ wages, in June, last year, after ruling they were in breach of FA regulations.


The club must also pay a £500 fine and the hearing’s costs.

If they fail to do so, the south Essex club will be suspended from all football.

Grays have been involved in a counterclaim against Sestanovich who played one pre-season friendly for the club before his arrest.

The club claim that Sestanovich originally told them he was being held on remand for motoring offences, but once the nature of the charges became known they served him with 14 days’ notice.

His conviction related to a robbery in Streatham, London, in 2005 in which Thomas Fahey was murdered.

‘Shot in cold-blood’

Grays chairman Mike Woodward said: “I am bitterly disappointed in the FA’s judgment, all they seem to want to do is take money from football clubs.

“We are being forced to pay approximately £14,000 to a player who only had three training sessions and 20 minutes in a pre-season friendly due to his involvement in a heinous crime which saw a young father shot in cold-blood.

“Unfortunately my principles will not allow me to pay this money from either my own pocket, or from the club’s, and the directors are of the same opinion.

“I feel sorry for the supporters of this club but I hope that you will back me on this decision.”

The FA said because Sestanovich was arrested after he signed for Grays, the club were obliged to honour his contract until he was actually convicted of an offence, under contract law.

Sestanovich also doubled for former Arsenal star Thierry Henry’s TV advertisements for clothing company Nike.

Perhaps the dear old FA (or even the bloody government) should change the rules to say “If anyone is convicted of any serious offence whilst under a football related contract, then they will 1) receive no further payment upon arrest 2) said payments should be made to the victims of said crime 3) they will be banned from any further participation within football where payment is made for any related work 4) made a bloody example of.”

In this case, you have to feel for the fans, the management and other players at Grays and the agree that the stance they are taking is morally the right one.

The FA can make the rules up as they go (and at times it appears that they do), but when it comes to social responsibility, I feel they sometimes give the wrong message. The thing is, this guy could be out in 4 years, and could go out and sign for another club – yeah, that sends out all the right signals to impressionable kids.





Brid 1 Woodley 0 (h)

8 03 2008

The thought of going to todays game was somewhat mixed. I’d not seen a game in ages, but the weather was bright but extremely windy and thus cold. And as it turned out, the weather had a massive impact on the game. Apart from 3-4 chances, there was little else in the way of excitement. Good to see (and chat with) a few of the regulars.

It had been a while since i’d seen a win, so todays result was good. It may lift us some four places if other results go our way. Having read through the blog, I don’t tend to discuss or dwell on our league position, for the casual followers out there, having read loss after loss after turmoil within the team, it wouldn’t have come as a surprise that we were languishing at the wrong end of the table, but there is someone below us ! and after some decent results over the past few months it looks like we will be out of the relegation spots. For the players, chairman, support staff and followers of the club, this is brilliant.

Well done to phil Harrison on scoring again, but a round of applause to the rest of the team, who restricted the visitors to bugger all for the whole game and ran their socks off all game.

Two things to mention in summing up, 1) why were there so few people at todays game after the brilliant display at Mossley and 2) my sympathies go to young Mick (who stewards the door to the bar from the ground on matchdays) who tragically lost his wife this week – my thoughts are with you matey.





Brid 5 (yes thats F I V E, cinq, cinco, fünf, cinque) Mossley 2 (T W O, deux, zwei, due, dos) (a)

7 03 2008

Well bugger me !!! Says it all really.

Apparently the M62 was an absolute nightmare and made everyone late. Some observers say the first half was the best they’d seen from a Brid team in many a year – 4 zip up (obviously lost the second half 2-1).

Heres the write up from the Mossley website (its their copyright and all that, if you want it removed let me know) :

Just when it looked like things were clicking into place once again following the week end showing at Wakefield, Mossley’s season took another disastrous turn for the worse. Well at least it did if you’re just going off the scoreline.On the face of it there’s no denying that a 5 – 2 defeat at home, to the team currently second from bottom of the division, is an embarrassing one. Especially when you’re trailing by four goals at the interval.

The full picture however is not entirely one of doom and gloom as the Mossley performance in this game was light years ahead of those witnessed in the similarly heavy defeats against Lancaster and Skelmersdale, and even some of the more recent ones where we’ve lost by the odd goal such as Harrogate. Not that that really makes the result any less of a bitter pill to swallow or hide the fact that the warning signs are flashing.

The match almost got off to the perfect start for the Lilywhites when, with just twenty seconds having elapsed, Adam Morning bounced a shot off the right hand upright. A little over three minutes then went past before the same post was hit again, this time by Gareth Hamlet following a goalmouth scramble. Unfortunately for the Lilywhites though these efforts sandwiched Bridlington’s second minute opener – a stunning strike by Gowens from the right wing that left Ashley Connor rooted to the spot as it arced around him and into the net.

Despite being a goal behind Mossley looked the better team but with no-one able to direct any of the numerous chances that presented themselves towards the target, Bridlington’s keeper Hill remained relatively untroubled with only a close range effort from Darren Royle causing him any kind of consternation

That said he was still seeing more of the ball than his opposite number at the other end of the pitch so it came as something of a surprise when Town doubled their advantage in the 22nd minute. The first goal was good but the second was even better. Receiving the ball a good 35 yards away from goal, Fleming hit a thunderous drive that evaded Connor’s vertical leap before dipping under the crossbar and hitting the back of the net.

If the first two goals were ‘wonder strikes’ that little could be done about, the same can’t be said for the next two. Mossley’s failure to adequately clear their defensive lines following a throw-in led to McGarry adding a third for Bridlington on the half hour mark, and on the stroke of half-time the same player was given the time and space to make it four with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Mossley finally managed to get on the score sheet in the 53rd minute whren Martin Allison’s attempt to charge down a clearance was rewarded after the ball ricocheted off him and into the net. And when the same player pulled another goal back from the penalty spot seven minutes later, it suddenly looked as though Mossley were about to fashion a remarkable comeback.

That optimism lasted for less than two minutes. Taking advantage of a huge gap that opened up in the home defence, Gowens made his way towards the edge of the box unchecked before slotting the ball past Connor for Town’s fifth goal of the night.

To Mossley’s credit though they refused to lie down and die. Right up to the final whistle they continued to enjoy plenty of possession and created a host of chances, but just as in the first half (and many games prior to this one) the lack of any kind of accuracy meant that the deficit in the score remained at three.

Report by SJNR

 

 There is also a decent Mossley blog similar to this, well its a lot better than this to be fair. It appears he’s still in shock, coz Tuesdays result hasn’t appeared yet. http://mossleyafc.blogspot.com/

Many apologies to everyone thats been coming back and finding no updates, this should be rectified as of now (problems with blog uploading and “other” situation sorted). Big 6 pointer v Woodley tomorrow.





Brid 1 Ossett Albion 1 (a)

7 03 2008

Wow, i can’t believe its over a month since I saw the chaps turn out in their well worn strip of red. It seems so long ago.

Brids very own Mark Owen got the goal, and there isn’t a nicer chap – he talks to the fans, is always smiling (even when things seem down), loves playing for the club, always gets stuck in etc etc – good lad !!

Todays conundrum, which of the following is Brids very own Phil Harrison and which one is Take That’s Mark Owen ?

penpicphillo.jpg2289402.jpg