Like about 200 other bored hardy souls, I traipsed down to deepest Sussex to watch YMCA 2 Borstal 0. Which, it has to be said, was a tad unfair on us. OK, it wasn’t our first team, and it appears that our back four hasn’t played together before, but when you hit the woodwork about three times, make a great deal of the play, and lose the first goal to a penalty that would be described by most people as “harsh” (or described by SW19 as “fucking poxy”), you’re entitled to feel a little bit POed. We had some new players, check out the OS if you want to know who they were. I think really this was another try-out session, so I suppose that you shouldn’t read too much into the result
Still, I suppose you’ll be awaiting some more info. So…
Plus points: Jones B played sublime. Constantly pushing forward even at 2-0 down. At least it didn’t rain during the game
Minus points: But it did on the journey back. Losing. Without scoring.
The referee’s a…..: Bloody hell. If I was to tell you that he got the biggest cheer when he gave us something after 75 minutes, would that suffice? Looked a bit like Charles Koppout by all accounts, with the same grasp of the rules of football.
Them: Club very welcoming, players went a bit Southallesque on us, crocking at least one of our players. Bastards. Seemed to have perfected staring at the linesman whenever things went against them, which seemed to have the desired effect. What do they teach them in youth hostels?
Incidentally, and in true fascist pig journo style I have no qualms about repeating this, had a very interesting chat with a very high up official at Horsham YMCA. Basically – YMCA’s ground is owned by them and is worth something like £7m. Horsham FC – who we’re playing soon in the Ryman and are looking forward to us, and our cash – are paying stupid money to their players, are considering selling their ground, and moving to a council owned place in the less salubrious part of town. Now, where have we heard THAT before? Just bear this info in mind when in a couple of years time you read about Horsham FC about to go under and rattling the collection tin under our noses.
Spotted: One Anne Eames……
Roast Pork: Ought to go into “Truth…” but is worth a category on its own. The lovely West Sussex constabulary turned up. Good of them. Except they went just a tad beyond the call of duty. I counted no less than six coppers, who all came in one big van. And then, as the pic above shows, they even bought in CCTV. Last time I saw that was at Plough Lane when we played West Ham. Now, there was the Horsham vs Crawley chav derby next door, so maybe they were just checking us out, but it is a bit of overkill. Either that or the CCTV is being used as cheap footage for next season’s end-of-season DVD. And as somebody said to me yesterday, with that level of un-necessary surveillance, is it any wonder people get fucked off with the police?
Point to ponder: Why can’t we score? Seriously. It’s not like we’re not getting shots on target because we are, and I seriously doubt if KC leaving has anything to do with it. What does worry me is that a bad start will get the professional neo-Luddite whingers on everyone’s back. Point is this : other teams in similar positions to us told us at the end of last season that we’d need to massively renovate our squad this close season. Which we are – in fact, I’m surprised it hasn’t gone further. Methinks a lot of people need to see what really happens at this level….
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Horsham FC refer to Horsham YMCA as the “donkey sanctuary”. Isn’t it nice to see mutual respect and appreciation of your nearest rivals? (2) Us having the half time team talk on the pitch again, a la Banstead. Come on, it wasn’t as bad as us at half time at Oxford in 1987, when Harry threw them out of the dressing room. (3) Dons Outlook filming next to me……
Anything else? Yes. The YMCA goalie has a VERY loud voice.
So, was it worth it? Probably, these things take time
In a nutshell: Would really love to see a PSF win. Please?
And finally: A whole report without one mention of the Village People. Oops….