Tuesday 30 August 2011
Bank holiday disappointments....
Was going to write something long and witty about the two games against Tamworth at TP and FGR at The New Lawn, but too be honest am way too depressed about it. Lost 2-0 at home to Tamworth and 3-0 away at FGR. Will respond when feeling better!
Sunday 21 August 2011
Barrow
After the disappoinment of Wrexham at home, the faithful congregated at Twerton Park yet again for Citys third game in a week. After the optimism of the Mansfield result, the stripes were brought crashing down to earth against Wrexham and there was hope that there would be a reaction against Barrow.
City started with Jamie Cook, the new forward signing, partnering Lee Phillips which most people were happy about given the minimal chances created against Wrexham in the 451 formation. City started brightly enough with the Barrow keeper making a sharp save to deny Phillips.
However, after the opening 15 minutes City began to run out of ideas and the game dragged to half time. After the break the same game continued, lots of long balls and very little else. Then from a cross from the left (yet again) Barrow scored.
City then changed things around and the legend that is Jim Rollo came on to a rousing reception, however, Jim coming on meant Mark Preece was pushed from centre back to centre forward, leading to a increase in the ineffective long ball. However, City did manage to get the ball down occasionally and from one of these spells Alex Russell burst into the box (possibly controlled the ball with his hand!) and was felled by the defender, penalty to City.
There was a mumour when it appeared the Lee Phillips was to take the penalty, as for all his running and hold up play, Lee lacks a certain finese and Scott Murray and Lewis Hogg were the names banded around for penalty taking duties, however, TP took a deep breath as Phillips ran up, and hammered the ball in the middle of the goal and the Barrow keeper parried the ball away....the frustration was palatable, and at the moment you sensed the game was lost. It was, and for the second time in 5 days we left Twerton disconsolette.
Main points from the game the lack of width in the starting XI, and Jamie Cook's continuing lack of effectiveness and even more damning lack of effort, however with a game on Tuesday and Saturday we can but hope for a turn around and two wins. UTC!
City started with Jamie Cook, the new forward signing, partnering Lee Phillips which most people were happy about given the minimal chances created against Wrexham in the 451 formation. City started brightly enough with the Barrow keeper making a sharp save to deny Phillips.
However, after the opening 15 minutes City began to run out of ideas and the game dragged to half time. After the break the same game continued, lots of long balls and very little else. Then from a cross from the left (yet again) Barrow scored.
City then changed things around and the legend that is Jim Rollo came on to a rousing reception, however, Jim coming on meant Mark Preece was pushed from centre back to centre forward, leading to a increase in the ineffective long ball. However, City did manage to get the ball down occasionally and from one of these spells Alex Russell burst into the box (possibly controlled the ball with his hand!) and was felled by the defender, penalty to City.
There was a mumour when it appeared the Lee Phillips was to take the penalty, as for all his running and hold up play, Lee lacks a certain finese and Scott Murray and Lewis Hogg were the names banded around for penalty taking duties, however, TP took a deep breath as Phillips ran up, and hammered the ball in the middle of the goal and the Barrow keeper parried the ball away....the frustration was palatable, and at the moment you sensed the game was lost. It was, and for the second time in 5 days we left Twerton disconsolette.
Main points from the game the lack of width in the starting XI, and Jamie Cook's continuing lack of effectiveness and even more damning lack of effort, however with a game on Tuesday and Saturday we can but hope for a turn around and two wins. UTC!
Wednesday 17 August 2011
Bloody Wrexham again....
Hot on the heels of Mansfield away, come Wrexham at home on a Tuesday night. There are definitely odd feelings around Tuesday night games, on one hand there is the brilliance of having something to do on a work night, however, there is the effort of getting from work to Twerton, to meet everyone and manage to get a few ales in before as well!
For the first Tuesday night game of the season, I headed down from the crime free leafy suburbs of Combe Down (thanks Hilly!) to Twerton with a few lads from work, managed to meet everyone at The Old Crown and hit the first joy of the midweek game meeting your mates to have a drink and a catch up.
Second thrill of midweek games is the fresh, green colour of a pitch under floodlights. However, that is basically where the fun ended! City lined up in a 4-5-1 formation again, cue grumbling from the Legion about the need to take it to teams at home....from which follows 90 mins where City manage two shots on goal. Awful, however, as Wrexham handed us the biggest arsekicking of last season I can't say it was unexpected! Also laughed at the fact I thought the Wrexham game last year was a 3-0 loss, to be informed the game finished 2-0....how bad do your team play that you add an additional goal to the scoreline!?! Happily we only have to play Wrexham twice a season and I will definitely try to blank this one!
For the first Tuesday night game of the season, I headed down from the crime free leafy suburbs of Combe Down (thanks Hilly!) to Twerton with a few lads from work, managed to meet everyone at The Old Crown and hit the first joy of the midweek game meeting your mates to have a drink and a catch up.
Second thrill of midweek games is the fresh, green colour of a pitch under floodlights. However, that is basically where the fun ended! City lined up in a 4-5-1 formation again, cue grumbling from the Legion about the need to take it to teams at home....from which follows 90 mins where City manage two shots on goal. Awful, however, as Wrexham handed us the biggest arsekicking of last season I can't say it was unexpected! Also laughed at the fact I thought the Wrexham game last year was a 3-0 loss, to be informed the game finished 2-0....how bad do your team play that you add an additional goal to the scoreline!?! Happily we only have to play Wrexham twice a season and I will definitely try to blank this one!
Away days part I (parts II etc to follow after additional games!)
And so at 3:10 (kick-off was delayed for 10 minutes due to the crowd size) the 2011/2012 season started for the mighty stripes!
Mansfield, the opponents for the last game of the season, lined up at Field Mill in front of a crowd of 3,997.
Away days (especially Northern and midland ones) throw up many a conudrum for the following fan. For this game we had a fellow stripe in Sheffield, so on Friday night, me, Timbo and Palmer set off. Having got horribly lost in Sheffield we arrived, had a few excellent ales at the Hillsborough Hotel and slept dreaming of future victories.
Field Mill is an odd ground, one big main stand, two reasonable ends, and a closed (and I assume due for demolition) stand opposite the main.
City started awfully conceeding from a cross (following last seasons trend early on!) however, steadily the stripes built there way back into the game and scored via a heavily deflected Adam Connolly shot. 1-1 was how the game finished with plenty of effort, but little in the way of chances, so we departed Field Mill happily unharrassed by the stewards and happy with an away point.
Friday 5 August 2011
New beginnings......
Welcome to my new blog on my experiences, thoughts and dreams while following the mighty Bath City FC (officially the best performing part-time team in England, and therefore by my reckoning the world!)
After finishing their first season back in the Conference National in a highly respectable 10th place, finishing with a thoroughly deserved 2-0 win over Mansfield on 30th April, myself and fellow stripes filed out of Twerton Park ecstatic with a season which had exceeded all but our most optimistic fans expectations.....only to hit the worst part of the year for the football fan, the summer break!
Having found myself drifting aimlessly on my Saturdays I decided to keep this blog, and join the Bath City Supporters FC (http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/bathcitysupportersfc) which has helped while the time away and kept the close knit group of black and white faithful in regular contact. However, happy days are here as the season is only a week away. The fixture list has been published and the mighty stripes find themselves travelling to Mansfield (our final opponents of last season!) before a Tuesday night game at home to Wrexham.
The fixture list has brought many a grumble with Twerton Park playing host to Wrexham, Luton, Cambridge and Stockport on a Tuesday night. Arguably the 4 largest teams (and therefore largest travelling contingents) coming to Twerton on a Tuesday, vastly lowering expected crowds. This is a fear of all non-league fans, as at this level we are all accutely aware of the precarious state of many a clubs finances (as I type the Wrexham game maybe at risk as they could be expelled from the league for financial issues) Nevertheless, many a fan are planning on how they are getting to Mansfield....
After finishing their first season back in the Conference National in a highly respectable 10th place, finishing with a thoroughly deserved 2-0 win over Mansfield on 30th April, myself and fellow stripes filed out of Twerton Park ecstatic with a season which had exceeded all but our most optimistic fans expectations.....only to hit the worst part of the year for the football fan, the summer break!
Having found myself drifting aimlessly on my Saturdays I decided to keep this blog, and join the Bath City Supporters FC (http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/bathcitysupportersfc) which has helped while the time away and kept the close knit group of black and white faithful in regular contact. However, happy days are here as the season is only a week away. The fixture list has been published and the mighty stripes find themselves travelling to Mansfield (our final opponents of last season!) before a Tuesday night game at home to Wrexham.
The fixture list has brought many a grumble with Twerton Park playing host to Wrexham, Luton, Cambridge and Stockport on a Tuesday night. Arguably the 4 largest teams (and therefore largest travelling contingents) coming to Twerton on a Tuesday, vastly lowering expected crowds. This is a fear of all non-league fans, as at this level we are all accutely aware of the precarious state of many a clubs finances (as I type the Wrexham game maybe at risk as they could be expelled from the league for financial issues) Nevertheless, many a fan are planning on how they are getting to Mansfield....
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