Untitled Document

NEWS

NOTE: Unless there are substantial sums of money involved, I do not give permission for other clubs to use my match reports in their match day programmes. Use your own bloody material.

29 March 2008

What a time to make my WDON guest summariser appearance. A throat sorer than Jenna Jameson's after a hard days work, absolutely crap weather and a "treat" of Low Fat Spread 2 Lard 4.

Fed up? Yes. I'm going to try my hardest and not burst an artery today. Though personally, I'm getting concerned that people just come onto SW19 and watch me explode for entertainment, a bit of the Simon Cowell syndrome if you will. If that really is going to be the case I think it's best that SW19 ceases publication, on my own health/sanity grounds alone. Not joking either.

No, it's true. I really don't have the energy to risk another stroke. Instead, I'll tell you a little story. For the first time in ages, I was in the KM press box (it's still as cramped as it ever was) and I decided, straight off my own back, that I would listen to what TB had to say. Typically, I forgot my dictaphone, and my hands were too cold to make copious notes, but his words were "Now I'm off to fucking hang myself".

Whilst I'm sure some of the kneejerk brigade will right now be hanging him the rope and rubbing their hands with glee, it's what else he said that caught my ear. We've been shit since Chelmsford - no, really? We need a settled side now, especially at the back, and we'll be using Ramone Rose a fair bit for the run in. Not exactly rocket science.

But the first thing he said - at least, what I think he said - was that we need to go back to basics. Even if he didn't, he should have done. No, I don't mean in a John Major way either, although if Rob Quinn gets caught shagging in a Chelski shirt....

But something is now clearly missing. And for the first time this season it's not just me thinking the playoffs are beyond us now. It was the way people walked out not angry, but resigned. We've seen it all before, deja vu all over again, that kind of thing. I've waxed lyrical on this a lot recently, but there's no other way to describe it.

This "back to basics" thing is nagging me right now. Yes, the team needs to certainly do that - it needs to get out of its complacency. I think TB needs to be brave in dropping players regardless of how much they're paid. If one plays well on £50 and the other plays badly on £500, drop the high earner. It's obvious he ain't earning his keep. Nine goals conceeded in our last 4 games? Remember how we had about 6 games with clean sheets? Seem like another era, don't they...

But as more worry comes that history is repeating itself time and time again, another pensive thought. If the team has to go back to basics, shouldn't AFCW itself? No, I'm not trying to shit-stir for once, I drove away today thinking exactly that.

In fact, I'll tell you something else. I had to come back via Plough Lane/Durnsford Road, and seeing the massive construction going on there. Believe it or not, it doesn't hurt me as much passing there as it used to. Maybe it's because the massive carbuncle there now just puts a bit of finality on it, or maybe having OUR honours back in Merton softens the blow a lot. But if we like to think we're the continuation of WFC, shouldn't we start acting like it?

No, I don't mean shunting off AFCW to Corby and alienating everyone in the process, although at times that thought can cross my mind. I mean, how did WFC get to where it got to in the first place? By that I'm referring to becoming one of the top non-league clubs and then eventually up to the highest level in English domestic football. WFC was the most un-prima donna outfit ever to exist in the top flight. It never got covered weekly in a TV show, nor did it get invited to prestige events at the national stadium. It just cocked a snoot at everyone else and just got on with it.

What is AFCW in 2008? A fiercely ambitious club, certainly. But it's also one that just needs to be seen. It's a club that just has to ram itself in everyone's face. It's a club that never misses the opportunity to say "look at me, look at me. Aren't I wonderful for what I've done?". And the consequence of that is, people then start to look at you. They start to probe you, maybe in ways you don't like. Some may not believe entirely what you say about yourself. In short, you invite loads and loads of pressure onto yourself.

And guess what? We can't cope. We've always known we can't cope, even if we daren't admit it. It's very difficult to move a club with 2500 fans onto a level it may not quite be ready for yet. It certainly can't cope when it's constantly telling itself - no, constantly winding itself up - that it has to push onto the next level. Then the next. Then the next. This is a club that is so shit scared of failure that it's stifling success in the process.

Not for the first time, today we went ahead then they went ahead and then our heads dropped. And then they rose again and dropped immediately afterwards. And stayed dropped. Today proved once and for all we have a terminal illness at AFCW and one that just cannot be cured. Yes, we're second, but for how much longer? Sack TB? Yeah sure, why not. Let's get some fresh ideas in, a fresh approach to the club. Er, hold on, wasn't that what we were saying last year? I won't mention it again, I've gotten bored of mentioning it for about the last 200 times. And people constantly doing that are doing my fucking head in.

But I will ask if the approach of AFCW is causing us damage. Not on the field, but off it. Are we collectively showing just how utterly naive we really are in running a football club? Yes, I'm sure we manage ourselves well on a business setting but are we doing the right thing football-wise? The people who run AFCW are collectively accountants, management types, a few trade unionists here and there, that sort of setup. I ask, are they trying to run AFCW like a management consultancy firm or a branch of USDAW? Are they using man-management skills that you can get away with in an office yet actually cause great problems in something like a football club?

I don't know, I'm only guessing here. I know I shouldn't say this but I'm actually quite looking forward to the close season now, and I'm not sure if us going up or not is going to change that. Sure, I'd love to go up, but like last season I'm getting fed up of the constant browbeating that is everywhere you turn right now. The club was at it again today, with its big mock-up posters with MG/TB on them, telling any passing punter to JOIN JOIN the Dons Trust, or BUY BUY your Golden Goal, or SIGN UP SIGN UP to the Dons Draw. Assuming of course you haven't CHOSEN CHOSEN your new kit so you can BUY BUY the new strip when it comes out.

Pretty intensive stuff isn't it? Especially when it's helped by a nice bit of hysterical screaming like IT'S YOUR CLUB or an insinuation thereof. I really could notice the intensity of AFCW generally today. If the poor average fan is getting an in-your-face bombardment almost before he's even got off the bus, what's happening in the football side? I mentioned it a few months ago, but it's even more relevant today. I would have given TB a three year contract rather than a two year one. The reason why I say that is because if TB doesn't succeed this time round, he basically has one year to save his job. And if he's constantly getting told to get us up at all costs, of course things are going to break down. Especially if you consider that if we finished second but don't go up the season will have been seen as a TOTAL DISASTER. We are not mature enough as a club to handle that additional pressure.

AFCW needs a new approach. If, and this is purely an idle thought on my part, there is undue pressure on our players and staff by our club, IT MUST STOP RIGHT NOW. AFCW will forever underachieve if it's under constant fear of failing. And again, purely an idle thought on my part, if there is external pressure on the squad and managers where there should not be, IT MUST STOP RIGHT NOW. Times are fraught enough in the dressing room as it is, without a club barging in and telling its main business section it's a failure if it's not promoted at the end of the season. From now until the end of the season, TB must be allowed to do his job. SC must be allowed to do his job. The players should be allowed to do their job. If they are, and they fail, it's their fault and theirs alone. But if there's any external pressure that isn't necessary, or isn't warranted, go and do one right now. You're not helping. And you certainly won't help us getting promoted.

Were Horsham beatable today? Of course they were. Was it our fault we let them back in? Of course it was. But when the latest post mortems finish, just ask yourself what hasn't been examined with a fine comb......

Didn't write too many notes, obviously, but....

Plus points: At least we'll be at the same level as Sutton next season.

Minus points: Everything. Again.

The referee's a...... : Actually, he seemed quite a friendly bloke in the changing room area afterwards. Even shaking a couple of hands, and a comment of "see you in the Conference South next season". And no, he wasn't taking the piss or shaking the hand of a Horsham official...

Them: As usual, had a number of players out and did what we can't do. Depressing ain't it?

Point to ponder: Is there one?

Truth is stranger than fiction: Just your editor doing 90 minutes as guest summariser on Radio WDON and not swearing once. Tell you what, I hope I didn't sound as nervous as I felt. Seriously, I've never had to talk for a set amount of time and make it sound remotely intelligent and with no re-recording available. Still, I might be invited back next week...

Anything else? Yeah. RS is in the Norn Iron squad for a tournament in Portugal. Bet he'll be wishing he'll stay there at this rate.

So, was it worth it? No

In a nutshell: Fuck off.

24 March 2008

OK, it wasn't pretty. It was pretty hard work and laborious at times. But thankfully, it was SM5 0 SW19 2. And after Friday I think I would have almost accepted a 90 minute scramble off Marcus Gayle's nob to win us the game.

You could really sense the relief when Fergie netted right at the end. I'm not going so far as to suggest that a weight has been lifted off our shoulders, but at least something from Friday got out of our system. There were times in the second half when CAFC could have snatched one back. Not because I think they were significantly better than we were but because it's the sort of thing we do. Remember last season?

Got to admit, when Pullen failed to hold onto it right at the end following a corner, my heart was in my mouth and my shit was finding a final resting place in my pants. Can you imagine the fallout had any of it gone in? I'm not joking when I say that could have permanently damaged our season. To balls up one game a week (Chelmsford) is one thing. To then throw another game away (ETU) five days later is unforgivable. To have thrown it away today.....

Thankfully we didn't. I've no idea if the players read SW19's "advice" willfully dished out to them after Friday, but Fergie might have done. Wonder if he'll point to the bench this time? Maybe after today I can pass that off as just outright frustration. Things obviously got to a point (again?) after ETU - reportedly the players were very quiet in the dressing room afterwards, as well they should be.

There is one thing that I do want to address though. Today, Tony Finn reportedly had a clash with Stuart Cash and drove off home. Yes, you read that right - touch of the Mark DeBolla there. At least this time Finn wasn't blocked in. This came after a comment on Facebook by one of our players (and I'll come onto that later) that the two clashed after ETU. Or rather, Cash "went for" Finn.

Now, I've no idea what "went for" means, but I can guess it wasn't a Blind Date type selection. But it's not as though Finn was exactly undroppable was he? Especially recently, when you consider that Finn was recently getting slagged off for his lack of distribution amongst other things. Remember what I wrote on Friday about having the players' bluffs called? Maybe Finn got his on Friday and again today, and you can guess the rest.

If he did walk out just like that, then fuck him. We don't need players like that. We don't need any players that will disrupt things at this already tense time of the season. Not too sure why we don't recall Beckford, but you can forget about DeBolla coming back (you'll have to trust me on this one). We all know about Jolly. I'm not naive enough to think that our dressing room is all chummy, but if we're getting rid of whingers, backstabbers and other disruptive elements, then bring on the cull. We should have enough to get that vital second spot, and come the playoffs we need everyone on board.

Oh, and Facebook - are our players who use it thick as fuck? To put messages that should be private on public view (I don't use FB myself so I've no idea quite how it works) is really going to endear themselves to their public I don't think. Not to mention a passing journo or two. Whilst I would hope the players wouldn't need to write such messages even privately, when you get a situation like Friday it does make a tense situation even worse. Somebody at AFCW should just tell the players that at the very least they're on public display, or even better keep them away from their computer..

Back to today. If truth be told, this sort of performance won't win us the playoffs. We don't really look like we'd gelled at times. And the less said about Danny Webb's regression into an invalid old man when he was one-on-one the better. Hatton continues to be as unimpressive as a Franchise fan trying to talk about the history of WFC. And as I keep saying, our defence really isn't that good.

But hey, we won, and I'm content enough. Satisfied even. I would hope TB now has done what he needs to about who needs to stake their place and where, finds a starting XI and stick with it. Even if it's this XI that won us the game today, keep them all together and make the others come in and displace them. OK, I'd probably start Rose instead of Webb, and for the life of me Hussey doesn't deserve to be dropped at all (Haswell and Hussey on the same wing? Interesting...), and I've said what I've thought about Hatton. And we need a new CB....

UPDATE: Urg, wrote all this up before TB's comments went up on the OS. Can't be arsed to rewrite it. Anyway, it's good that he's finally admitted in public that we need some cover at CB. Whether that will mean a loan signing or a more permanent replacement I don't know. Funny thing is, I actually thought our CBs had a better game today.

I do get the impression he's at the end of his tether though. After all, it is his job that is ultimately on the line, and should we not go up this season he'll effectively have one more season to gain promotion (OK, I hope that isn't the case, but if AFCW have given him two years...). The alleged strop by Finn really can't have helped matters either, and to echo what somebody wrote on the Other Site, our players are semi-pro footballers. They are nowhere near as important as they think they are.

We could do with a couple of days off now, just clear our heads and refocus again. Just think, if we had beaten Chelmsford and ETU, and the champions-elect results hadn't changed, we would have been three points behind them this evening. I doubt if I'm the only one at AFCW who now realises that.

Plus points: We won. Away. Clean sheet. Banana skin avoided. Alfie Potter. Fergie's bollock busting runs. Far more effort put in today. Did look promising on the odd occasion.

Minus points: Friday's smell still lingers

The referee's a......: Did Danny Webb shag his missus over Easter? The ref really hardly gave him anything at all, especially in the first half. He even missed Matt York's stamp on him - then again, the referee would have joined in if he had seen it.

Them: Do we still call them Friends of Franchise or not? At times I do wonder how they were ever a Conference South outfit. They battled hard though, maybe felt they could have gotten something out of the game etc etc. Did like their kit though. Oh, and hopefully this game will finally kill off the "Rob Ursell should return to AFCW" comments that pop up from time to time. He may show the occasional glimpse, but I think RS has much more to offer AFCW than he does. Besides, as the Yanks say, you can never go home again.

Point to ponder: Was this the first time I can remember the crowd collectively still smarting from a previous game? I don't mean the usual moan and gripe all football fans do, I mean a genuine sense of outrage. Certainly did seem everyone I spoke to had that bad taste still in their mouth, and I think at times it showed in the crowd full stop. We were silent for about the last 10 minutes (not that we were exactly venomous for the first 80) and every so often you wouldn't have been that surprised if a few loud murmurings were to happen. Even now, the reaction is a bit of "yeah we won but we're still smarting from ETU". No wonder SC and JG were trying to gee us up...

Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Getting from SW19 Towers to Carshalton takes me less time than SW19 Towers to KM. Hmm... (2) The bloke behind me excitably yelling "Yes" every time we even touched the ball. To be fair to him, it was the last five minutes of the game. (3) Really, really dodgy 80s music over the PA. Made the Wombelle's efforts sound like the XFM playlist. (4) Snow. Bloody snow. In March. No doubt it'll be put down to some bizarre weather system called by global warming, and we'll all have to pay triple more taxes while our cars get compounded.....

Anything else? If like me you're into symbolism, you may have noticed against ETU the sky went very black and forboding just before they scored. Before we scored our second today, the sun shone as bright as it has done all weekend. An omen? Of course, some may scoff at such superstition, but then again millions of people have been slaughtered over the years because some book told them a beared bloke came out of hiding.....

So, was it worth it? Compared to Friday, yes it was. Then again, so is rubbing your bollocks with barbed wire whilst wearing a Franchise shirt.

In a nutshell: Glad this week is over TBH

And finally: For those of you back at work after Easter, I put up an article whilst you were away. Enjoy. And finally, after seven months of ~~playing with myself~~ hard toil, the SW19 Archive has finally returned. Yes, it's not entirely finished, but there's more of my back catalogue available than ever before. Including some stuff I've not released again since original publication date. And a word of advice - if I was you, I would read match reports from our time in the RP. Seriously, just read about how tetchy the mood was around the place for times even before the Jermaine Darlington fiasco, and how many points we dropped from winnable positions. Then tell me we've gone backwards since then...

Go on, let it out. Let out what you need to, whether it be a massive fart of disappointment, a sigh of exhasperation or a yell of outrage. Give yourselves about five or so minutes to do it, preferably in a darkened room away from household pets or sharp objects.

Done that? Be brave....... Champions-Elect 3 Runners Up-Elect 2. I won't bullshit anyone - this fucking hurt. We lost out not only on the field, but the Ryman attendance record for this season is now at Melbourne Park instead of KM. To compound that further, we no longer have the biggest FAT turnout as well. And to finish it all off - the vermin cunts cheated 4-0 and are now squatting at the top of the old fourth division. Your editor is currently locating a high building to jump off.

Funnily enough, it's not the result (as much as that hurts) or even one of our worst performances for a while, it's seeing our season flash in front of our eyes in a five-minute spell in the second half. You see, when we went 2-1 up, it was real smash and grab, win ugly stuff. We hadn't really played that well, if we're being honest. But we got the slight bit of good fortune and by fuck did Luke Garrard handle that pressure brilliantly. Shame he then decided to wind up the home bench straight after that penalty and rub it in their faces, because they then did to us what we've struggled to do ourselves this season. Was it a penalty for them? Dunno, but sometimes things are inevitable. Five minutes of madness on our part, and that's how quickly it took to end our slim-but-still-possible chances of automatic promotion.

Well, actually it hadn't. If truth be told, we threw away our chances of automatic promotion when we threw away leads against Tonbridge, when we fucked up twice against Boreham Wood, and that four-game run just before the Torquay game. In hindsight, we came into today with too much to do, and as we all know, we can't always perform. Had it been a point or two difference coming into today, we'd be absolutely fuming yet still with enough time to rectify it. If indeed we had lost in the first place....

And really, I think we could have seen today coming. Those who saw the second half against Hendon last week would have twigged that defensive-wise we look pretty creaky again. Those with long memories may remember H&R last season at their place - I think we've improved since then, but we still bottle it when we need to win. And yes, I'm afraid that TB made a couple of mistakes today. Hussey didn't deserve to be dropped, and changing your routine to catch the opposition out backfired on us today. TB gambled and we lost. We seemed disrupted because of it - certainly didn't play to our capabilities. Maybe there was a bit of that old fear/self-doubt creeping in again? And you wonder why I'm shitting myself over the playoffs? That said, I don't think TB made a mistake by not playing Frankie. I'll explain why later.

Anyway, I suppose we ought to congratulate Chelmsford. They were better than us today, and had that right amount of mettle/discipline we lack right now. We can certainly learn something from them, and it's this : we are this season what Chelmsford were last season. Up there but not quite there yet. If the ~~inevitable~~ worst happens in the playoffs (come on, we can't throw that away, surely?) then it just takes a bit of hard work, stability in the management side of things and a bit of time to go that next stage up. I'd like to think we could do what they did today over the whole of next season, when we lose on penalties to Staines in the playoff final.

What I hope we don't do now is switch off. We need to secure that second place, just to test the theory that teams who finish second do do better in the playoffs. One of the fears I had about losing today was how we'll react should we get defeated. I would like to think we'll pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down, take on board what we've learnt today (and with AFCW, it is one big learning curve) and keep building up wins together with our new aim of two cup finals at the end of the season. We'd help ourselves by blooding people like Shroot, Alfie Potter, and hopefully a new CB all the while we keep momentum and victories up. What makes me think we won't though?

The referee's a...........: Only gave us a penalty because there weren't enough notes in his brown envelope. Surprised he even let our first goal stand, considering there was an infringement of the ball crossing the line against the home side.

Them: Actually pretty gracious in winning the title today. Seems like a lot of them are wishing us luck in the playoffs and hoping we join them in the CS next season, although they probably think it'll be six points for them next season. I think I know who Chelmsford remind me of - Grays Athletic. Bankrolled outfit with a fair bit of potential and enough real support to make it less like an AFC Coldseal type venture. If they get a couple of decent breaks they'll be in the Conference in a couple of years time but would probably ultimately punch above their weight. If you've ever been to Grays, you'll know that the success of their team has outgrown their stadium (sound familiar?), and IMO Chelmsford could find themselves in that position quicker than they realise. God help anyone in our end today who needed a seat, certainly. Still wouldn't swap their long-term future for ours though. Oh, and their #11 was a cock.

Point to ponder: Remember what I said earlier about TB not making a mistake by not playing Frankie? Here's my thinking. How disruptive is playing a player who ain't going to be with you for much longer? Especially one who I'm told has been a bit "emotional" recently and presumably unfocused? Yes, JG and MG are far too slow, and today proved that once and for all. But at least their minds are focused - I'm not so sure whether Frankie would have been as effective as some believe he would have today. Can you imagine what would have happened had he played today and did a defensive mistake? We certainly need at least one young, talented centre back before the season's out if only to give MG a break. And certainly one who will stick around until the end of the season.

There is also something else as well I want to mention. I made light of it a couple of weeks ago, but it cropped up again today, and it involves TB's relationship with the players. When we lose, tales like TB having problems with some players that bring on extra significance (even though the Nuts TV thing suggests something different and (deliberately?) more positive). I'll say this : last season, there were quite a few strong rumours about that DA was having issues with some players. I don't expect a manager to be 100% brilliant in dealing with his team all the time, and our managers can and do get it wrong from time to time. But if both stories are correct, isn't there a little flashing light somewhere? To have one manager falling out with his team is one thing. But the successive manager apparently having similar problems? I wasn't born yesterday.

A couple of years ago, I remember somebody commenting that our players at the time had gotten too big for their boots, they were too happy to revel in the glory at AFCW and generally throw their weight about. Might have been the first RP season, or maybe the R1 campaign. Now, I'm not suggesting that of our current crop. But if there's one thing we can say about TB, he doesn't suffer fools gladly. Perhaps more so than ever now. I won't delve into why (suffice to say, his off-field circumstances may have a lot to do with it), but maybe there's some more upset people upcoming....

Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Reminding myself just how shit football and life can be when you've lost, you're stuck in a traffic jam in enemy territory and it's pissing down. One thing about AFCW is certain - we've done a lot, but there's still a helluva lot we need to rediscover. (2) Getting in the wrong lane and getting an unscheduled view of Essex's cricket ground. As it goes, it looks quite tidy and unlike the Oval has permanent floodlights. Aren't they going to hold an England match or two there this year? (3) West Ham/Spurz/Arse flags on the burger vans. Apparently, it's the teams that the burger van stall owners support. Presume any flags with Chelski would have been burnt down. (4) Felt really, really odd in entering a Ryman Premier game an hour before kickoff to guarantee some sort of vantage point.

Anything else? Yeah, that fat retarded cunt giving it the big one in front of us in the first half. You can imagine him acting like that on one of those £10 Sun holiday deals in Benidorm or whether they go to, at 4am after about 150 pints down his West Ham shirt and singing "No Surrender" to a bunch of pissed off Spanish waiters. At least before somebody twats him. OK, it was pretty funny to see him escorted away for his own safety (had somebody run after him he would have died of a heart attack after five yards), but I'm definitely convinced coppers/clubs should come down harder on incitement by people in front of crowds. Face it, he wouldn't do it if he knew he didn't have any barriers protecting him. Believe the expression is called "chickenshit". Anyway, if the thought of him celebrating tonight at our expense pisses you off, console yourself with this - his job as a scaffolder has been taken away from him by a Pole...

So here we go. The countdown to by far away the most important game of the season. Forget last week, forget Xmas. Forget even the start of the season. Only one game matters now, and in less than 48 hours the talking will be done. The pontification will cease to be. Yesterday's predictions become tomorrow's toilet paper. And life may possibly never be the same again.

Yes, I'm talking about Derby v Man United at Pride Park. Can United hit back after Pompey dumped them out of the FAC last week? Will their goalkeeping crisis give the initiative back to Arsenal? Could the strike forces of Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney have a fatal desertation of form? And what of Derby? Will they confound all the odds and overturn a team who should do them? I'm sure we're all particularly interested in the way they will handle almost certain relegation, coupled with a 6-1 thumping by Chelski only this week. While top v bottom clashes should be pretty predictable affairs, I'm sure those with longer memories will point to an already-relegated West Ham preventing United from winning the Premiership. Anything can happen.

There's also the small matter of us travelling to the champions elect on Saturday. Don't think anyone's noticed.

Actually, one thing that has grabbed me is that (up until now anyway) how hyped up it is. Or rather, how it isn't. Seriously. Granted, I know we're all looking forward to it, in a perverse way, but it's been quite businesslike if anything. Nobody's waving their undersized nobs about, saying we're going to do this and that. Instead, the concensus is that we've got to win and let's focus on that more than anything else. It sure as hell makes a change from ye olden days, when we bigged up playing AFC Wallingford in our first season, stuff on the PA etc and we ended up losing 3-0. We seemed to have grown up a bit since then, thankfully.

Certainly TB's got the right idea, if his South London Press comments are anything to go by. He's obviously not sure whether this current bunch of players are able to step up to the plate though. Personally, I reckon this game will prove to us not just whether we can catch Chelmsford, but how likely we are to succeed in the playoffs. Think about it - this will be a high pressure game, and will be the nearest game thus far to a playoff type situation. If we handle it well but draw/lose in the last minute, it's a bastard but will show us we can equip ourselves.

What concerns me isn't so much us losing, as painful as that will be, it's us freezing. I don't think we've been playing up to our potential recently (even with the results), and I'm certainly not convinced with JG and MG as centre backs. It's possible we can win. It's just as possible we can draw (which IMO is the most likely result). Unfortunately, it's also very possible we could lose this 3-0.

That's why I think this game will decide where the title will end up. Lose or draw and they might as well get the t-shirts printed right now. Win, and suddenly the whole season changes just like that. Yes, it'll still be a 5 point gap, but play sensibly on Good Friday and it's down to two. And then the pressure is on Chelmsford. As TB's SLP comments above make clear, they've had a relaxed time this season, and nobody's put pressure on them. But get within 2 points by 4.50pm a week on Friday and who knows?

Lest we forget that on Easter Saturday they have to travel away to Maidstone, who gave us a little scare or two down there IIRC. And they'll have to win that for once. A draw there for them would just mean a win for us and a loss for them...

OK, I'm getting ahead of myself. Although maybe that's no bad thing - it will after all tell us exactly why we should focus on winning Saturday. I certainly don't take the line that some Wombles have been taking that we should really forget about chasing Chelmsford and settle for second. That's a bollocks small time thing to say - firstly, if you can still win the title up to the last day of the season, you go for it. Bet Alex Ferguson never tells his players to give up chasing Arsenal at 5 points behind. That's probably why United win more titles than anyone else (and you thought my choice of teams in the opening paragraphs were mere accidents). And we would do well to copy a bit of that attitude.

Secondly, take our foot off the pedal and then what? Lose momentum? Rely on a rather dubious theory that we can turn it on for the last two games of the season? Wind down simply to avoid injuries? Never quite works like that, and if we keep chasing and chasing we continue to build into a (hopefully) winning team with plenty of confidence. And we'll need shitloads going into the playoffs. If we lose the title on the last day of the season, then lose in the playoffs but put 2 zillion percent then we have to accept it wasn't our turn. But to meekly surrender when you still have got a chance, no matter how slim? Unforgivable. And with the amount of money put into the side, more than a little anger-inducing....

Basically, it really is all to play for on Saturday. One final comment to make, and it's about allocations etc. Although we're going to get 1100, it's kind of telling that Chelmsford are leaving that figure a bit open to interpretation, IYSWIM. How else do you explain the following from our OS?

"Chelmsford will try and be as flexible as possible on the day of the game to ensure there will be sufficient room for our supporters but that will be governed by the size of the crowd."

In other words, if there's 1500 of us, everyone get in at about 1.30pm and they'll have to give us extra spaces. If they don't, some of our more clued up fans will know what to do*

* DISCLAIMER: SW19 does not condone anyone going in home ends. It's wrong and against the spirit of the game. Certainly do NOT pretend to be a fan of the opposition and claim to know who's playing in order to avoid ejection. Your editor has never done this at Liverpool and Newcastle. Honest.

In all seriousness, I'm surprised this wasn't all ticket, at least for us. I would like to think at KM we'd ensure people didn't need to travel and resort to attempting entry to the home support. Last year we only took about 600 or so, for reasons I don't quite know why, but this time it could well be a four figure turnout. Gloryhunters? Us? While there's no obvious needle between us and the champions-elect (in fact, I'm surprised how cordial relationships are between us and them), there's always a flashpoint around the corner.

If we're going to do anything on Saturday, we just need to keep our heads, concentrate on what we're doing and let the rest happen. And that applies to our team as well....

It's typical that the champions-elect won yesterday (and who was that cocksucker who spread the rumour that Staines were leading at one point? Kindly die, preferably painfully) otherwise it would have been a pretty good weekend. Chelski lost rather gloriously ignominiously, Pompey won and your editor's bet on Pompey to win the FAC may yet pay dividends, and Franchise are at time of writing no longer cheating their way at the top.

This was a bit of a strange one, if truth be told. I don't mean so much in the pattern of play either - not for the first time we got comfortably ahead in the first half then switched off too much for my liking in the second - but there was a general sense of real, proper nervousness beforehand. Dare we fuck up one more time? Especially in this of all weeks? The players didn't show it, thankfully, but for the first time in eons we really did face a legitimate brown-trouser day.

Those with long memories will know what I mean when I suggest that yesterday was the most important league game since Bradford City away in the Prem in 2000. Yeah, you could argue that the Villa game later was more important, or the playoffs, but there's a good reason why I picked that fateful spring day up in t'Yorkshire. Then, as yesterday, it was a defining game. Forget the marquee games, when we lost up there you just knew that we would be going down. The later game at Soton just confirmed the inevitable, but it's not always the big event games that turn a season.

Had Hendon beaten us, I think we would have known finally that Chelmsford would be out of sight. They still might be come this time next week, but this was probably our biggest test of the season and we came through it pretty damn well. OK, I think the Goodliffe/Gayle partnership will ultimately cost us promotion, and we did have to do too many off-line clearances for my liking, but even at certain points of this season this would have been banana skin territory. Maybe, just maybe, there's life left in this campaign?

Let's look at the game briefly. They started off well, we came back into it. We got a penalty which Hussey cooly slotted away. We then had the upper hand, should have had another penalty when Webb got upended. Some minutes later, Webb did an absolutely fabulous cross which was met with an even more fabulous header by Ramone Rose. 2-0 and maybe should have been more. Then Quinn and one of their players got into a little bit of a discussion of the Lib Dem's approach to the EU Treaty, which caused so much ire in their #3 he looked like he wanted to fight everyone in the stadium (including their lamb mascot). So much so that TB and their manager had to do some calming measures at half time.

Second half? If we weren't 2-0 up I would have said it sucked big time. They had far too much possession, and we had to rely on a good stop by Pullen right at the end (not to mention another goal-line clearance). I really do hope we're not lapsing back into bad old habits, especially when we go 2-0 up at half time. Do that next week and Chelmsford will do us over about 5-2.

Mind you, I'm probably being unfair about that second half. The pitch was pretty lousy, the weather was shite and this really was a win-ugly type day. Further proof of our improving character maybe? I'm not too if anyone picked this up from the last Nuts TV programme, but the players really did act like they know they have to at least push all the way for automatic promotion. As I've maintained from the beginning, our biggest enemy this season is ourselves, and perhaps finally we're doing ourselves a bit of justice?

Yesterday, we did ourselves a massive favour maybe without realising it. Yes, it's disappointing we didn't close the gap, and I think that kind of muted celebrations a little. But a quick glance at the table shows that while we're still 8 points behind, we're 13 points ahead of third place. It's a good sign that we're more obsessed with the former statistic than the latter, but barring the biggest fuckup since Mr and Mrs Wankelmann forgot to wear a condom we should at least get one playoff match at KM (and yes, I know getting home advantage isn't necessarily an advantage with us). More thoughts on that later.

But it's fair to say our tails are up, even if chants of "We are going up" and "Bring on the Chelmsford" are a little bit premature right now. Could it still happen? Guess we'll find out next week. But for now, there is still a little bit of light.....

Plus points: Win. Away. Clean sheet. Potental fatal result avoided. Constantly battling even when 2-0 up. Coping with ugly conditions. Rose's goal. Webb's cross for Rose's goal.

The referee's a........: Dildo. Sorry that I won't expand, I've just lost the will to write yet another load of invective prose about yet another referee at this level. Apparently he took charge of us against Staines, and obviously the training courses since then haven't improved him.

Them: Hendon are one of those outfits who if we were champions I wouldn't mind going up through the playoffs. Not that they'll do it on yesterday's performance (watch them stuff us in the playoff final now I've said that). Their #3 had a bit of a massive strop. Seems like the sour taste left in many mouths over the "last game at Claremont Road" has largely subsided, though us winning probably helped :) As for that lamb mascot of theirs, perhaps somebody one day will dress up as a kebab grilling machine and stand next to it?

Point to ponder: As said above, there's a 13 point gap between us and third place, and how I wished the Ryman used the Serie B method of playoffs. With yesterday's results, could we be facing in the playoffs teams we didn't expect to? We all know about Hendon, Staines are slipping, and Horsham's season is starting to turn out like their groundsharing arrangements with Crawley. So from maybe Boreham Wood upwards we could be facing anyone. In a way that shows the inconsistency of this league, but on the other hand it makes the chance of an upset at our expense just that little bit greater. Just imagine facing a fired up Ramsgutter.....

Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Crowd of over 1000 at the game. Considering public transportation problems and the weather, that ain't bad at all. Though of course one could argue with us still chasing auto promotion, it should be higher. (2) Unless I've got a case of amnesia equivalent to that of an Arsenal fan, this was the first time I've ever seen us win at Hendon. And yes, I know that AFCW won at Claremont a couple of seasons ago but I wasn't there. Maybe things really are looking up. (3) Some mad gyspy woman (complete with Dublin-sounding accent) standing on the pavement on Kilburn High Road shouting random bits of abuse at nobody in particular. Rumours that she was a regular in the John Smiths stand are as yet unconfirmed. (4) Speaking of Kilburn, is it me or are they trying to make it more like Clapham? These days, they don't go round collecting in pubs for "the cause" in buckets, they carry around a chip-and-pin device.

Anything else? Yeah. If I was Al-Qaeda, I wouldn't bother trying to bomb people any more. All they need to do is just infiltrate London Transport and close down not just section of line each weekend but a good three or four. The amount of chaos they can cause is pretty spectacular. I know that you have to make railways safe, but is planned engineering work so vital that you have to take out no less than five sections of the tube network on the same day? And believe it or not, people do travel across London on weekends. Apologies to anyone who works for LT and has an IQ in double figures, but if you put the people who make these decisions in control of a car, they'd be driving the wrong way up a dual carriageway. Backwards.

It's quite nice for once to write a match report without too much bitching. William the Conquerer 4 Harold 0 was the kind of result/performance I expect from us - maybe not at 100% but able to sit back and have a rare moment of relaxation.

OK, I could be churlish and suggest that they hit the bar more times than an alcoholic. But unlike Tuesday the vast majority of us will happily admit this was a decent enough performance. Even without the Cue (hope he's not returned to Gillingham), we did look like finally we've found our shooting boots this season. Not a bad time to start doing that either.

I did say that it wasn't 100%, but when we got that third goal (which I thought was going to get given as a foul) we visibly shut up shop then. Although I think it's starting to fade with each week, there's still that feeling in the back of my mind that when we go 2-0 up we can still throw it away. Even now, oppo teams seem to know that, and as said last time out, it'll prove the difference between us playing Eastleigh next season and us playing ETU. We ain't there yet.

But I said I wouldn't be churlish, and I won't be. Seriously, this was not only nice to watch but also quite fun as well. I did actually enjoy that game (far more than Margate anyway) because we kept going and could have got a couple more. Tight games are fine once in a while, but they're best against teams who are better than you. Without being BBB, we are one of the top two sides in this division and I do have a level of expectancy against sides down the bottom. It doesn't always work like that of course, but slowly these sort of performances are the rule rather than the exception.

Hatton's thunderbolt was certainly a good effort. Missed Shroot's effort as I was talking to somebody buying me a nice cup of tea as gratitude. Third goal? Like to see that again, and Fergie's effort for the fourth really did kill the game off. Hell, even I relaxed then.

As usual, thoughts are now turning to catching up the champions-elect for the umpteenth time this season. The anticipation in the main bar, when everyone crowded around the big screen waiting for their result on SSN was something I can't recall for a long while at AFCW. This was genuine anticipation, an actual bit of competition. When we found out it was 0-0 we were happy. Not estatic (and I thought a little bit muted, as in a "shame they didn't lose" manner) but I think we know that however slim it really is, there's still a chance of catching them.

Right now, the following applies. Firstly, we have to beat Hendon next week - if we don't, all bets are off. Assuming we can do that, they have to face Staines at the same time. Chances are they'll probably win that, but they could just as well lose it - nothing is impossible in this division as we all know. Then of course comes the big one at their place. It's not so far fetched to suggest that our next two games will determine our season - namely whether we finish top or go through the playoffs. And quite frankly, I'm glad we don't have a midweek game from now until the end of the season.

While I think it's unlikely even now, if we beat Chelmsford and other results go our way, we could be just two points behind them with seven games left. Should that be the case, anything could happen, and probably will. Get to that stage and it'll be whoever has the nerve, the psychological strength, the character to perform as and when needed. In other words, whoever can keep their pants changing into a shade of brown the longest.

Of course, knowing us we'll lose to Hendon and Chelmsford and will be battling it out for second place with dented confidence again. And once again we'll be kicking ourselves for letting it slip.

Actually, I'm quite glad we've got a difficult period coming up because I think it'll focus us. Even though we've done well (results wise) recently, I still can't help thinking things just quite aren't right even now. Apparently we had six players under 20 years old today, which while that bodes well for the future does suggest we've got injuries a plenty. Certainly no Cue, or Webb (though Rose and Shroot were more than capable). I think we do need some difficult games now - by that, I don't mean ones where we are expected to win but make life difficult for ourselves (see: Swifts, Heybridge) I mean ones where it's not so expected. Ones that we might even possibly lose. And I do mean a Chelmsford type game at their place - we'll be the underdogs for that one and it'll be interesting to see if we cope with what could be the first league game ever where we're in the minority.

I'm not sure what I want from the champions-elect versus Staines game next week. If Chelmsford win, it'll basically solidify our second place which is vital. If Staines win, it's game on and then some (assuming we don't do our usual fuckup against Hendon). Draw? All to play for. But again, it's down to us to win next week, and I've been to Claremont Road a couple of times and I don't think I've ever seen us win there. Come to think of it, I can't remember a game there which had any sort of enjoyment whatsoever. Even the walk to the ground is bloody horrible.

Actually, I do know what I want at Melbourne Park next week. I want it to be 0-0 in the 90th minute then suddenly there's a nasty tackle. Doesn't matter by who on whom, but a real good one that incenses everyone. And I mean, everyone. First a 2-man brawl, then a 4-man brawl and then all 22 players get involved. Not girly handbags, proper mano y mano fighting. Proper clouts on the chin, that sort of thing. Three players of each side suffer GBH, another load look like they've gone twelve rounds with Joe Calzaghe, and at least one act of sodomy on the field. But it doesn't end with that - the managers run on and pound away at the ref, with Jeff King arrested for ~~eating~~ headbutting a police horse that's been urgently dispatched to keep some order. Fans go toe-to-toe as well, with one famous internet City supporter getting a smack in the melee (it's unclear whether it's from his own fans or not). The scene is carnage, and the athletics club complain that it'll take ages to wash the blood and tissue away from the track.

And if this wasn't enough, Turdey turns up and somebody accidentally breaks his rich tea biscuit in the brawl. Result will be 20 point deductions for both sides with no appeal either, meaning AFCW are promoted. And even the Ryman couldn't get away with deducting points from us for that. Although they'll try....

Plus points: A win. A good win at that. Clean sheet. Not full strength side. Knowing we can get better. Constantly pressurising. Decent enough debut from Alf Potter. Mark Beard. Chris Hussey.

Minus points: They hit the bar too many times for my liking. Realising just how much we fucked up against Heybridge last week

The referee's a.......: I've promised not to use the word "cunt" about him. Instead, I wonder if this Ray Charles-alike knew where he lived, such was his complete lack of awareness. Christ, even the lino had to help him out for our third goal. Did at least book their #2 afterwards for excessive whinging.

Them: Quite a decent turnout from them as it goes. Not sure about that "support your local team" bollocks they came out with, especially as a couple of them were wearing colours of Portsmouth and even one Palace t-shirt. Hmm. They hit the bar a couple of times, tested Pullen with a couple of lobs in the first half but not really much more than that. Keeper got loads of stick in the second half, anyone know why? Oh, and their #2 was a mouthy wanker. What a shame we all started singing "You're going down with the Leyton" to them. Cruel? Us? As if.

Point to ponder: I've got to be honest and admit that at various times recently, I've been a bit concerned with whether all is well in the dressing room. Be honest, I bet most of you have looked at the odd performance, or the odd player and wondered whether they were really into it. Lest we forget Mark DeBolla's strop during the BW game and subsequent problem with the car park attendant.

I've no idea if the players were happy with TB's comments this week but judging by the way Fergie came on and performed they weren't. Trouble in the camp? TB feeling the pressure? I've heard his wife is seriously ill again, which surely cannot help matters - certainly wouldn't blame him for stressing out at the players, especially when they put in shit like the Heybridge game. Or maybe, just maybe, TB is playing mind games with the players? Managers can and do do that sort of thing. Think about it, when their manager says in public (with names) that one or two of them aren't pulling their weight, it does suggest a point or two needs to be proved. And when you play your next game and win 4-0, that would prove it, right? Maybe that's what TB is banking on? The guy is quite wily, if you read what happened to Marcus Gayle last season at Aldershot. I'm led to believe that when he came in to AFCW, TB had already looked at our squad and knew who did what......

Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Doesn't Alf Potter look like Justin Timberlake? At least, when he was 12 years old. (2) Is it true that one of the Dons Trust election nominees said they'd get their baps out should they get elected? Hopefully it's just my hearing playing up. (3) "We need it low and hard into the corner" - the bloke behind me before Hatton's goal. High and hard do you? (4) Merton libraries giving away free programmes in return for signing up for library services. Obviously it's a marketing drive for OUR honours being on display at Morden Civic Centre, but somebody forgot to tell Merton that half our lot can't read....

Anything else? Yeah, if you don't get the new front page there's no hope for you. In all seriousness, it's a bit of a wrench seeing Frankie depart earlier than expected, and not just because we're now short of a centre back at a vital time of the season. To play something like 190 odd games is something, especially when you consider Alan Cork played something like 430 games for us over a 10 year plus period, but even more special at this level. Normally at RP level you get to play that many games because you're either the manager's son, your team is so crap they can't do without you, or you've got pictures of the club chairman with that bird he met at a function in 2004.

Still, the tears in Frankie's eyes looked genuine, and it was nice to see some Hastings fans staying behind afterwards and clapping. Still no answer as to who he's going to be coaching for, as many people think he's off to New York but others suggest he's actually going to California. If it's the latter, the old Frank Sinatra song was a little bit out of place. This all said, I think the dormant looking US Dons supporters club may have an application form to send out...