NEWS
27 September 2006
Ah, life is so much easier when you can delegate match reports. I'm getting used to this proper editorship lark. Anyway, all thank Chaffers ye Buffet Slayer for this. He sure as hell ain't thanking me....
Actually, before I - er, Chaffers - go on, I think this may prove something that could hold us in good stead this season. It's all very well basing how you'll finish on a good performance, when everything goes right. It's when we don't play as well as we should, which makes all the difference. I have to be honest though, once they scored I feared the worse. At least, until I saw us running back determined for the restart. And our we-are-not-going-to-fucking-walk-out-of-here-with-a-draw reaction after we scored the penalty bodes well. I hope so anyway.
What more can I say?
Seeing me armed with a single piece of A4 (the back of the team sheet) and
a pen, REPD seized on the opportunity to demand that I increase my workload
by not just writing the match report for the official site but also to cover
his arse and generate something for all you SW19’s Army fans. Sorry
it’s taken this long, but at least it’s faster than the Man in
Black would have done it ...
Anyhow, what an event Postcode 1 County 2 turned out to be.
After 80 minutes of looking like Ramsgate or Margate repeated - you know,
the usual domination without relief - we went behind to a sucker punch on
the break. Cue wailing, moaning and gnashing of teeth. Faster than you could
say “Wimbledon never come from behind” and before the Guestbook
could muster more than 100 Anderson OUT posts, we were given a soft penalty
and Roscoe created an opening for Wales that he put away despite waiting at
least 5 minutes wondering what to do with the ball before shooting.
Yes we really did
show balls - and not just the Billy Big version that we normally seem to have.
The celebrations showed how much it all meant to them and somehow it felt
like we might have just seen a very real turning point for the season; perhaps
good players turned into a good team in front of our eyes. We'll probably
lose to Oxhey now I've said that, but truely things do look to be on the up
and up ...
I could write more about the game, but can't be arsed to repeat myself so
just look at the Official Site for the "who did what when" part
of the report. Now onto the stuff that I couldn't put into that one ... :)
Plus points: We won. We came from behind (ooh err Mrs). We looked good.
Shroot looked useful on his debut.
Minus points: We should have scored more and earlier ... it's generally
less stressful not having to come from behind.
The referee's a.....: Useless, officious twat who gave us a soft penalty
when it mattered ... hang on, I obviously meant he was a high class official
who we would like every week.
Them: Nice friendly club, but rather well endowed with Chelski-supporting
chavs out for the "craic". Was most impressed with a small "hoolie
crew" who came to the Dons end for the last 10 minutes, it will only
be around 3 years before their voices break. Tried a few "what's it like
to share a ground?" and "you've got no history" chants that
were superbly replied with our "There's only ONE Ashford Town ... doh!".
Point to ponder: Why can't a forward lineup the envy of many Conference
South sides supplied by a midfield that includes 2 players eyed up by Conference
National sides manage to score more goals? I haven't seen a team look that
good playing football without actually getting goals since Terry Burton's
side post-relegation.
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) One supporter at his last game
before emigrating to Australia and one who flew in 2 hours before the game
from Pisa - we are a global club. (2) Scott Curley doing a block tackle with
his, erm, tackle. Didn't look any the worse after it either, unlike the Ashford
defender who managed the same trick with a Roscoe shot and went down pole-axed
for 5 minutes. Early proof that we had balls of steel ? (3) The club sec's
explanation for the late withdrawl of Steve Goddard from the bench : "he
sprained his bellend". Not quite what DA's post-match interview suggested
....
Anything else? The bizarre optical illusion that led to around 10
of us in a group shouting for handball against the keeper when it turned out
that he was over a yard inside the box. My explanation that we couln't see
the line because "it was glistening in the dew" was not well received.
So, was it worth it? Do chavs support Chelski?
In a nutshell: Wombles are back.
24 September 2006
[apologies for this being a bit late and a bit shit. Some golf tournament took up most of my time today. Don't think anyone noticed it though.]
Before we start, let's get it out of our system first off. After three : ddaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnn to Margit. Oh, we'll have a pill of jellied eels at the cockle stall etc etc. OK, I'll stop there. Though after finding out who Franchise have got in the Coke Cup I think I might need to reprise another Chas n Dave song. I'll need a wash afterwards though.
As for Cockles 0 Muscles 0, I'm in two minds as to whether it's a point gained or two lost. And I'm veering towards the latter, as we had probably the best chances (OK, the only chances as it turned out). But then again, am I being unfair? Margate were after all third, and doing pretty well, so maybe this was a better result than I'm giving it credit for.
And with this game and Horsham last week, I really can't say that we're much worse than they are. Actually, I'll make a bold statement : we will up there with them this season. We made an indifferent start and are getting better. We need to improve in certain areas, like sharpness up front. And I think DA just needs to be a little more bold with his substitutions - christ, if DG came on yesterday we might have shit them up a la last week.
If their goalie hadn't made three blinding saves, and especially if RB had just managed to finish off the 1-on-1 at the end, I don't think they would have been able to answer us back. The sad thing is, on paper at least, this was a worse result than the same fixture last season.
As usual, our season will be made/broken not by these sort of games, but by the likes of Ashford Town this Tuesday. Once, just once, I want a decent 5-0er.
While I live in hope for that, you'll have to endure...
Plus points: Clean sheet. We didn't lose. Generally more likely to win the game. Defence looking better.
Minus points: We didn't win. Finishing. Utterly dull first half.
The referee's a.....: I'll give you an idea of what he was like. Just imagine the (PEEP) thing is his whistle. Anyway, it was a bright (PEEP). I'll try again - it was a bright day, and (PEEP). Grr. The trouble with him (PEEP). I said, the trouble with him (PEEP). One more time - the trouble with him was that he wasn't exactly (PEEP). He wasn't exactly (PEEP). For christs sake - he didn't let the game (PEEP). Flow (PEEP). And really didn't make for a very flowing (PEEP). Game (PEEP). Oh fuck off (PEEP). You're going to book me for that, you (PEEP).
Them: I know they're higher than us, and their record is pretty good this year, but I didn't really think much of them at all. OK, they whip the arse of people like W&H and Folkestone, but I thought Horsham were better. Put it this way, their goalie was MoM. Maybe they had an off day? Shame to see Justin Skinner acting a bit of a tit...
Point to ponder: Why did 1385 feel like 138 inside the ground at times, atmosphere wise? Actually, scrub that - I know the answer. When their ground finally gets built, it'll probably be the preferred fixture of the season. Think Dover in the FAC with a better ground. One other point - how much better is it to see clubs who are actually determined to progress? Obviously, we're doing it, Margate are as well and to a lesser extent Chelmsford (think Canvey Island though). Mind you, each club has one thing in common - they've been sizeable in the past and are in the process of rebuilding...
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Had a quick look at Margate sea front and saw this rather bizzare gathering on the beach, which looked like a cross between your average Sunday Service and a voodoo ritual. Wonder if they need anyone to sacrifice? (2) Taking me four fucking hours to get home for a journey that should take just under 1 hour 45 mins. And neither the AA or BBC reported the holdup on their systems. Presumably the BBC used the same level of research as they did for Panorama. (3) Seeing shitloads of Weymouth fans at Clackett Lane services, on their way to D&R. One day, that will be us. They also lost 4-1. As I said, one day.....
Anything else? Last season, I wrote this about Margate itself:
If you want a good reason why people go abroad for their holidays, just look at Margate sea front. Basically, it's grubby 60s style amusement arcades, bingo populated by night shift cleaners, couple of chippies (some closed) and an air of grim decay. Margate's "Dreamland" complex has to be the most misnamed product since Reg Davis' Smart car. Some pikey looking locals as well, one of them threw an object at the kebab shop I was in. I know there's a romantic view of British seaside resorts in some quarters, but you now have to be seriously hard up to go to them. Were these places really the highlight of the working man's year.....?
Yesterday, I gave it another chance. It was broad daylight, the weather was pretty decent. And guess what : I think it has got worse. Even the chippy on the corner of the station, which was open last year was boarded up. The sad thing about Margate is that if you remove the tacky shit, flatten "Dreamland" and give it a little bit of a clean, it would actually look reasonably decent. Just imagine a non-touristy coastal town in Ireland or Devon. What I think places like Margate need is a couple of decent, Hilton-quality hotels and a very nice conference centre. Sort of an ExCel-by-the-sea.....
So, was it worth it? Suppose so
In a nutshell: Insert seaside related pun here.
17 September 2006
In many ways, it's a shame that Cookeen 1 Lard 0 wasn't a league match, as it would have been a damn good broadside against the rest of the RP. As it stands, getting into the next round of the FA Cup is always a good thing. Last year we were timid against Wailton and Hurtum, a game so awful we ended up walking out of the ground with brown bags over our heads, to hide our embarassment. This time round, the only thing I could really fault was somehow not getting at least one more.
I've waxed lyrical in the past that we can't win the "big" games. And while this wasn't a St Albans/Fisher playoff type affair, it was sure as hell the hardest draw we could have had. Is this an omen? Sooner or later, we're going to have to knuckle down to get results in difficult games, if we want to win things that aren't called the Surrey Senior Cup.
Even - or especially - last season, we probably would have lost this game. We would have played well, sure, but they would have gone ahead on 87 following a breakaway. But right now, things feel more solid. When Rosco D'Insane ran to the by-line, crossed in for Darren "Don't call me Alan Cork" Grieves, it was back to ye olden days. A hard fought game against a side higher up than we were and getting it right late on. Really late on - 89 minutes according to the OS. Villa at PL, anyone?
But the best thing about it was the end. The fact that we went mental is one thing. The fact that the players went mental is another. It was one of those moments that, despite the AFCW rollercoaster of the past four years, we haven't really seen too much of in a while. OK, there's Herne Bay, and one or two others, but right then, something clicked and clicked well. Forget which one, but the sight of one of our goalies at the warm-down acting like we'd drawn Chelski away said it all.
In the grand scheme of things, this was only one game in a competition we probably won't win. But I doubt there was a Womble who walked away and didn't glow with glee. Hell, I was almost smiling (I said almost).
With that disturbing thought in mind, here's....
Plus points: A win. A clean sheet. Rosco D'Insane. The 89th minute.
Minus points: BB's injury.
The referee's
a.....: I understand that the Horsham assistant is about to be reported
because of a little, ahem, remonstrating with the man in black (no, not me)
afterwards. The alleged phrase being that the referee was an "absolute
cunt". And I agree that calling the ref that is wrong. After all, a cunt
has a function, which is more than can be said for that consumer of equine
love goo. Managed to miss their #7 throw a punch, or so I'm told by a Main
Stand regular. This despite taking 4 minutes discussing the incident with
his two linos. Reports that D'Insane headbutted the Horsham player will be
conveniently ignored. Certainly seemed to let same #7 gob off complain
at him for god knows how long afterwards, escaping a red in the process. Sure
you can add your own, there's not enough hours in the day for me to add more.
Them: Best team we've played this season, yet even so I felt that we edged them. Turned up in number, and for the most part justified why they're amongst many fans' favourite visiting side. Still can't quite help thinking that they've been louder in the past though. Shame that one bald headed individual took the defeat a little bit too badly outside the main bar afterwards, in particular to one of our fans with his kid in toe. Still, he got cut down to size (not literally.....)
Three's a crowd: I was quite surprised to hear it was 1966, though I reckoned 1700 beforehand. Going sub-2000 for a Saturday game doesn't do much for psychology though. Still, looks like the club's recent leafleting drive may have had some effect...
Point to ponder: How nice would it be to have a cup run? Just imagine the buzz we'd get if we somehow made it to the first round proper, and drew a Mansfield, or a Cheltenham, or a Wycombe. I won't mention Franchise.
Actually, my main point hit me at 5.03pm yesterday as I was walking back to my car. I had a secret grin on my face, walking along drinking a bottle of water and really looking forward to the next round. I had a realisation that this is what football is about. Watching a club isn't about whether to elect a CEO, or to deal with corporate governance, or whether a 13% dip in crowds will affect mid-term fourth quarter targets.
It's about the last minute win against tough opponents. It's about seeing the players up for it. It's about that orgasmic thrill. And, if you're a certain type, it's about giving the opposition/referee a strategically placed gesture knowing full well victory is yours. Not that I condone such vulgar acts, obviously.
To me, football generally has lost its spark because too many clubs, players and yes, fans have gone down this accountant-led inertia that cup games are a distraction. That the league is the be-all and end-all, and not because of the success but because of the financial boost. Where's the glamour in that? Where's the feeling of achievement with that attitude? Yesterday, we captured that old feeling for at least a couple of days.
On a related subject, and it's not a specific AFCW point, it depresses me whenever I hear phrases like "let's get them back to our place and get the money". Not "let's get a replay so we can beat them". Has it ever occured that perhaps winning big games generates momentum, which generates interest, which does generate money?
I think what I'm saying is, the league may be the most important thing, but it's not the only thing. You cannot buy the interest generated from a decent cup run. Think Burnley/Leeds from 1975, the 88 cup run, even the games against Man Utd in the late 90s. Football isn't all about balance sheets....
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Hearing DG's name and our result on R5 as I drove back to SW19 Towers. Little things like that can make a nice day better. (2) Was it really this time last year that W&H dumped us out of the FAC? (3) Seeing our goal on Sky Sports News. Looked awesome. Shame they didn't broadcast the atmosphere..
Anything else? Confession time. I don't know whether it was simply because of the opponents, but cup fever didn't really grab me at first. To me, half the enjoyment of cups is to draw really obscure teams, preferably in a part of the country where you'd never go even if they paid you. And come away with a 5-0 win, naturelment.
I know plenty want home games all the way through to the first round proper, preferably against cannon fodder. As noted above, it may be good for the coffers but is it really as much fun to take that attitude? Be honest, how many of you were slightly disappointed that we drew Horsham at home when the draw was made? By all means go for a home tie against a Conference side. No idea how the FA determines the regional boundaries, though if it's how they usually run things expect us to be drawn away to Northallerton Town.
So, was it worth it? If it isn't, I'll quit watching football and take up something passive instead, like gardening or watching rugby union
In a nutshell: Four games until Franchise. It is four, isn't it?
10 September 2006
The big problem about writing up Robbers 3 Cops 0 is that even I can't be moved to slag it off too much. This was in many ways the right performance : solid, if not entirely spectacular. An early goal, an improving defence and - perhaps for the first time in a long while - a team that knew it was in control and yet started to click in front of our eyes.
And in that paragraph above, I used a word that I haven't used in a while. Not conciously anyway. No, not "performance" but team. Towards the end of the second half, we were starting to look like a unit. Not a collection of individuals, or of a side that was stuttering a bit, looking for the end product. But a unit.
No, it wasn't the perfect performance, there's no such thing. There's still a little bit of ring rust, and at times when we were 1-0 up there was a slight feel that a better team could cause problems. And I don't think SF will be extending his loan with us, somehow. But in the past, and especially last season, a 1-0 vs Hendon would have easily been 1-1. We would have been nervy, defensive and scraping home. Now, we really could have had 3 more in the last 20 minutes alone.
But I don't hope for this level of performance each week - I expect. A team (that word again) who have realistic aims of promotion should make this the standard. And we're now stepping up to the plate, loosening up with the trusty old Louisville Slugger, and wait while the pitcher scratches his nuts and makes fingered salutes.
Dare I risk catastrophe and suggest that finally, things may be starting to happen? Actually, I won't, because it's the surefire way of disaster next week. Remember, we're still unbeaten and that will end one day.
The game? Well, Rosco
capitalised on a defensive fuckup mis-communication after about 30
seconds and that almost settled the game there and then. Except that we sat
back a bit too much for my liking. Still, I don't know what's happened with
DA's team talks but for the last two games we've looked a helluvalot better
in the second 45 minutes.
After a period with me thinking that we deserved the second goal without actually getting it - we got it. Well, Steve Wales did, after a close range header courtesy Bubb. From then, we could have had a couple more. On second thoughts, I'll rephrase that - we should have had a couple more. When Rosco put away that penalty, it merely reflected the play.
That enough for you? Good. Moving forward....
Plus points: Practically everything I said in the first three paragraphs, and quite a few of the others as well.
Minus points: First half after Rosco's goal was a bit shit.
The referee's a....: Hmm. To quote our manager after about 2 minutes, "we've fucking got Montgomery Burns running the line."
Them: I like Hendon, and not just because of the three points. You know how you have teams that you have time for, and some you definitely don't, and they're in the former. Rather see them stay up than a certain other team down the bottom ;) Bit crap though.
Three's a crowd: 2274, and I can't help feeling just a tad disappointed. Plenty of column inches have been written already about how to entice the crowds back, though if word gets round that we're playing some good stuff at home who knows? Our aim by the end of the season is to get them back past the 2.5k mark. That said, I wonder if it's because we haven't had a "big" game yet?
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Just why do the Diet Coke bottles sold at KM come from Georgia? And I don't mean Atlanta, GA either. (2) Sure Donsonline has them on view, but those banners at the back of the TE are a bit disturbing. There's that neo-Communist "Form Follows Function" one. There's the one with the double headed eagle that looks like it's taken a mixture of PCP and caffine and is lashing out at a poor defenseless bit of grass. And now the one with the eyes staring out, in rather an evil manner. Can we next have a "Welcome To Hell" banner put up?
Franchise watch: Haven't done one of these for a while, as writing about their relative successes is a pretty horrible experience. Well, to be more specific, this is not actually about Franchise. Yesterday, WISA had their meeting about the honours, and after a quick skim through their blurb, we basically get the honours back. The cups, the medals, even the name Wimbledon FC. That means badges and the like. In return, Franchise officially get left alone by us, WISA officially calls off the boycott and are allowed to join the FSF and all that.
First things first. If there isn't a 95% plus vote in favour of the motion, I'll eat a KM burger this Tuesday (maybe). Secondly, Franchise joining the FSF isn't that big a deal - the FSF is about as effective as a toothless tortoise in the grand scheme of things. And as we've seen this season, friendlies are called off by the teams in question in the first place.
What really intrigues me is the possible return of the WFC name. Now, it won't go to us, LBM will have it. To begin with, anyway. And here's what I'd like us to do. Bring back the WFC name and the badge in a retro way. By this, I mean t-shirts, replica kits, videos of the old days at PL when somebody bought along a video camera. Give the old badge and name its metaphoric dignity back.
I don't want to rename AFCW as WFC, though if we can use both the names at the same time let's do it. If you want an idea of how this could be marketed, a little taster can be found here.
Will the Frenzies go for it themselves? I understand they have. There's no real attachment there, and they want to be known as their own identity. And being realistic, they do exist and they are starting to flourish a little, unfortunately. We may think that they don't have a right to exist, that this action "legitimises" them. TBH, it's pointless expending energy over it - you'll never win.
But we've won out far more than they have. OK, so they get FSF recognition. Big fucking deal. They've got our league place, but they've fallen so far that perhaps they'll never get up. And league places are never guaranteed anyway. They've practically been forced to admit that they stole our identity, they're now being forced to abandon their main selling point. We had to restart from scratch, but they've lost just about everything they had post-28/5/02. We've been wounded and "legitimising" them may hurt, but they've been humiliated by the traitors at the pub team. That's far more of a slap in the face. And besides, you can individually do things to make sure they collapse - it's not like after this every AFCW fan has to be grateful to them.
Perhaps in agreeing to it, they even have a twinge of guilt. Not holding my breath though....
Anything else? Yeah. I've made the JS stand (behind the dugouts) a sort of semi-permanent home now. Anyone who calls me a moaning piss-stained geriatric can fuck off and empty my colostomy bag. Bloody youngsters with their singing, and their so-called popular music. Some of them don't even get married these days. Anyway, you do get to hear some interesting comments, but the one that struck me happened right towards the end. Forgot who said it, but somebody on our bench said to a few of the players, "after the game, you go down there, alright?". Down there being the TE. It may be de rigeur, I may even be making far too much of it. But I'd rather hear that unprompted rather than "last one in the showers is a Frenzy"..
So, was it worth it? I would say so.
In a nutshell: Arresting.
8 September 2006
In the end, I decided not to do a report on Slough (as you no doubt noticed). Reason was quite simply that I could have taken all the comments from the Ramsgutter game and just amended the names of the opposition.
To be totally honest, after Tuesday I had one of those feelings that the clock was starting to tick on DA. It was a case of another game, another blown opportunity. Worse, I can't recall many saves that their goalie made. Although it has to be said that the second half - and most of the first come to think of it - was ours.
When I read the OS this morning, I found this bit of info, courtesy of DA:
"We spent last night in training practising moving defenders around. Our problem is that teams are coming to defend and we need to pull them out of position more often and to create gaps."
At least we're trying to address these issues now, instead of a "we've been working hard in training and remain confident" type comment. If tomorrow we succeed in doing that, great. We need to show tactical nous if we're going to get promotion. If we don't, then at least we're putting the right groundwork in. So I think the clock's stopped on DA for now.
Before I forget, one thing I did notice from Slough was that we looked more composed defensively. I'm no tactician so no posts about how we've switched to 442, or 433, or 4x4, or 4x2 or 69 or something, please.
Actually, it's nice to do a rare foray into what happens on the pitch. As you all know, things have gotten, well, hectic off the pitch.We all know what's happened now, and things really do feel calmer at the moment.
I said I'd go more in-depth over the events of the past week. Trouble is, right now there isn't much more to say. Since Tuesday, there's been the usual platitudes and not nearly so much bloodletting as I thought there'd be. Maturity? Shock? People just aren't so wedded to the AFCW cause these days, and don't see it as a personal attack whenever something major happens?
As uncomfortable as it may be for some, we needed this week to happen. No, nobody likes upheaval, and especially when it features people you "know". But be honest - a pressure valve has been opened, hasn't it? Once you realise that the club won't collapse when individuals leave, it feels much better. I've lost count of the amount of times I've heard "it will be a disaster if [insert person] leaves". This was always a bullshit attitude to take - it's more damaging to a club to rely on individuals to keep it together. Refer to the Hammam-era WFC to see what I mean. Well, Kris has gone, the club's still here and your world hasn't caved in....
I'm personally up with the idea of getting an "outsider" into the Chief Exec position. Actually, I'll go one step further - I think it'll be a missed opportunity if we don't. I don't doubt that Erik Samuelson will do a competent job in the interim, and indeed if he got the job full time. But we need fresh impetus at AFCW, and certainly we need somebody who can look at how the club does/doesn't do things without the baggage.
Tomorrow will be interesting to see in more ways than one. Firstly, let's see if the crowds pick up. It would be nice if 2500 turn up, though 2300 would be good. If we slump below 2100, we have major problems. Secondly, let's see what the general vibe is. Anything approaching the surlyness of the last year will be bad, anything else isn't. And thirdly, let's see if the club can pull off defenders during the game, though that may bring a new meaning to the term "hosing the pitch".
Though no doubt we'll lose tomorrow...
5 September 2006
And just when you thought it was all going swimmingly again, it's all kicked off. And typically, I'm on deadlines, so I'll try and flesh this out as much as I can in a short space of time. I'll go into it all in more depth when I can, but for now you'll have to make do with this. Apologies for any wrong ends of the stick, I haven't really proof read this.
Firstly, Kris is gone. Or, if you want to be more formal, the CEO has stepped down from his role. Read all about it here. If I'm being honest, I can't say I'm massively surprised. Not at anything blindingly obvious as such, but for the recent period, something hasn't been right. I mentioned it last year quite a bit, and it's been rearing its head again since this season's began.
Actually, I wouldn't have said that Kris would have been the first major figure to step down at AFCW. In fact, he would have been one of my last choices. Mind you, when you think about it, AFCW has been a massive pressure cooker within the past four years. Whether it's just time to move on, or tempers have been frayed I don't know.
Speaking of tempers frayed, looks like Vicky and Dennis Lowndes are gone from the club. It appeared to all come to a head Saturday, in public no less, for what reason we don't know. Or at least don't know sufficiently to put it down as gospel. Now, these people have been at AFCW since the start, so again it's a bit of the end of an era.
The one thing that intrigues me is how this has all come about together quickly. In the past week I've seen some pretty vocal infighting (to put it mildly) on the SW19 guestbook and elsewhere. It's been suggested that it's been going that way ever since Mr Smith entered the building for some fun. It's certainly true that it couldn't have continued like it had, and if it puts the club down on a calm footing (with a bit more oomph than it's generally shown recently), that's only a good thing.
Also, and probably coincidental, a review of how the club operates was announced in the programme this weekend (what do you mean, you don't read it?). Personally, I reckon none of this is totally out of the blue. Kris leaving will certainly force a re-evaluation of how the top brass is structured.
So, now what? Well, we'll need a new CEO (if we feel the need for one still), matchday secretary and kit man. Unless somebody can put up with the manhours for diddly squat, all three will need renumeration. The CEO certainly will, anyway.
One final thought for now, I wonder if anyone has already gone to Wimbledon Bookmakers and asked for odds on who will be the next club official to quit......?
Anyway, see you at Slough. At least I won't be the only one unable to concentrate on the game :)
3 September 2006
Now THAT'S more like it. David Cameron 4 Michael Howard 0, and they were lucky to get nil. Well, sort of anyway. After a mix of bloodletting/tactical discussion based on playing Championship Manager this week, we decided that it was enough arsing about, head down, whips out and gave the oppo a jolly good seeing to.
Before we get carried away though, they were pretty much a pile of llama feces. Then again, so were W&H on Monday. But I'm sure that yesterday's performance/result wouldn't have happened without the debacle at Stompold Lane. When I walked away on Monday, I felt shit to the pit of my stomach. Yesterday, I felt, well......
Actually, yesterday was more job done than jubilation. A sigh of relief rather than a jump for joy. Flatulence rather than the follow-through. Masturbation as opposed to copulation. You get the idea. We all know that we've got to make these performances the norm rather than the exception. Losing or even drawing yesterday wasn't worth thinking about, and even a (s)crappy 1-0 win would have increased the pressure.
We have to repeat that against Slough and Hendon. Do that, and we'll be getting somewhere. No, we won't win every game 4-0, this ain't the CCL. We won't even play that well every week. But when somebody said that it was the most complete performance under DA so far, he wasn't far wrong.
So, what went right? I won't mention tactics, as they're boring as fuck and send me into a near-fatal coma. Well, apart from the fact that it did seem to make a difference. But perhaps above all that, everyone had a point to prove. The first 20 minutes I think we were just unstoppable, and I can't recall an AFCW team in a decent league doing that. OK, I got into trouble this week for not mentioning Wes Daly and Frankie in the "those who shouldn't fuck off and die" category. I won't need to do that this time.
Despite the fact that I rather like winning 4-0 at home, I'm not getting carried away as it's really too early to say whether this is a turning point or not, but for now, enjoy it. We'll have to do it again on Tuesday.
The game? Oh, that. We went 1-0, then 2-0 up, then got a penalty and D'Insane missed it. Then 3-0 then 4-0. Inbetween that, they put pressure on us a bit. Still would like a defence that doesn't make me shit myself whenever an oppo player goes into the penalty area.
As for the rest of it...
Plus points: A win. At KM. A good win as well. Looking like we had a clue. First 20 minutes. Looking like we bothered. Decent passing. Clean sheet. Good crossing. SF looking a bit more like a pro-footballer.
Minus points: Should have been five. A better team would have scored a couple against us.
The referee's a......: Wasn't he the guy who sent off about 4 players between Billy Ricky and Chavsford last season? Some people thought he was all right. Me, I think he was a little bit too lenient with the cards...
Them: Crap. Sort of like W&H without the grudge against us. Our opening 20 minutes destroyed any confidence they had. Before you get carried away, we beat them 4-1 at KM last season. OKish turnout by then, couple of small time MK Dons/AFC Kingston comments towards the end. Then again, the people doing it did sound pissed.
Point to ponder: Our turnout was 2165, which I think was the lowest ever for a Saturday league game. While a win will put a few more on the next gate, that statistic should make AFCW shit itself : what is it doing to get people in? How are they going to attract not only newcomers, but (perhaps more importantly) those who have stopped going to games?
Here's the SW19 three-pronged answer, feel free to take on board or ignore completely. Firstly, reduce prices for the turn-up-on-the-day brigade., £9 is too expensive for this level of football - reduce the price to £7. Think Sunderland v Arsenal in the league cup last season (£5 entry, full house). £9 is clearly a ceiling now, and should we get higher it'll get more prohibitive for people to go.
Secondly, make sure everyone in Wimbledon and the surrounding area knows damn well about it, and whom we're playing. And yes, I do mean posters around the place. We did posters once, stopped doing it for some inexplicable reason and I'm sure our attendances slightly dropped. Could be coincidence I guess.
Thirdly, give incentives
to those who do go. For example, you could have done Kids For A Quid - Back
To Skool special yesterday. FCUM were going to let u18s in for nowt yesterday,
although their game got rained off. Or, for a crappy LSC game, those who keep
their ticket stub can get 20% off their next purchase in the Club Shop
Kiosk. Give a little something back, and who knows - you might get people
wanting to become more involved again.
I'm starting to hear murmurings of "but it'll take funds out of the playing budget." Well, if crowds keep falling, there'll be less people for advertisers, less people who could potentially join the 1889 Club etc etc. And less people = less playing budget. Right now, apart from Keith McGuinness' efforts, the whole AFCW marketing machine seems rather uninspiring and plodding. It certainly doesn't jump out at me and yells "look at what we're doing" to my face. I think ever since I started paying on the gate, I'm more acute to this sort of thing. The club can't rely on its "aura" or its name any more....
And yes, a decent performance or two doesn't hurt.
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Seeing TomTom advertise. More intriguing, the ad mentioned PL..... (2) At school, whenever you played football, goalhanging was always frowned upon. It was suggested that you were too lazy to run like a blue-arsed fly and you didn't give a shit about the team. Good job that SF never listened to his teachers.
Anything else? Yeah. Was it me or was the atmosphere a bit muted again yesterday? Forget the attendance, there was an attempt at a buildup for a couple of days this week, and it didn't quite happen. Are we expecting too much in the vocal department? I don't recall us ever being the loudest even at PL, and it was always away games where you got more of it. My feeling is that you'll only get it at KM when it's a genuine biggie. By that I mean a vital league game like ETU last season (yesterday, whilst important wasn't the be-all/end-all some thought it should be). Perhaps we ought to vacate the Tempest...?
So, was it worth it? I can cope with that for a while.
In a nutshell: The road to recovery?