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Far from it. But I see and have seen absolutely no reason for either Shakpoke and then Chukwu to come in and replace a player who has clearly needed a strike partner that’s all. What I will add is it seems nothing other than completely foolish to me that you can sign a player who has a goal scoring record at this level and the one above, but who was clearly lacking game time and would require some patience and minutes to get up to speed…..only to give him that and then bin him the week after he actually starts to show what he’s capable of and shows signs of being the goalscorer we’d wanted…and then to compound the problem by replacing him with someone who was in exactly the same boat that Hutchinson was in 6 weeks ago and start all over again was mental !!!! Ludicrous. I’ll say it again, I liked the look of Chukwu when I saw him v Welling and think he’d be a good fit to play with a Hutchinson. However as I said, my pal plays for Welling and he said Chukwu had been bloody awful. The fact they chose to list him and not Taylor Crossdale who’d been equally as awful suggests they at least felt Taylor Crossdale had more to offer longer term. Again, repeating myself, Sam Youngs is not a forward and the goals he gets are from later runs into the box unmarked. As a forward he gets in the way. As an example (and I wasnt their Saturday but saw it on the highlights) a cross from the right was easily cleared before it reach Chukwu because Youngs made his run too early. He got in the way and alerted a defender to the danger who reacted and got back on position to clear.

Darren Way announced today as new manager of Bath City played 220+ games for Yeovil .

It wasn’t that long ago that some fans were wanting Mo back.

I'd suggest it would be more likely he'd go somewhere like B****t. But just imagine the lift it would give supporters - and the club as a whole - if he did come back. Anyway, very very very unlikely, I'd imagine.

Cruz, You might find this article interesting. It's about the old Bedford Town Ground, from a greyhound racing perspective. Some good, if sad, photos of what was lost to the town in 1982 and 1983. https://greyhoundracingtimes.co.uk/2019/01/31/bedford-the-eyrie/

I understand that, but I genuinely think the quality of the game was terrible. Worthing only had 3 shots on target in the game and scored from it. It just wasn’t a pretty day for both teams, and I was expecting more ‘action’. It was a cagey game and they got the luck of the draw on the stroke of halftime. It’s not a game you judge our team off in my opinion as Worthing are flying, granted not playing great on Saturday. Gavin is allowed to try new things, it’s paid off recently with the new formation. He’s obviously looked at Chukwu for 3 training sessions and ‘thinks’ he can offer more then Hutchinson up-front if he’s broken that partnership. If he decides Hutchinson should get the next start against Boreham Wood, then so be it! Both teams attackers were poor, Faal/Cashman both had a relative quiet game. Chukwu/Youngs didn’t really add anything, Peake didn’t do a lot either. I’ve got some things wrong with signings like Shakpoke etc, that’s fair enough. I imagine every time Chukwu starts and doesn’t score, you’re going to be on here talking about Hutchinson and not being constructive. This also means you can’t be quiet if Chukwu does start scoring though in place of Hutchinson! I don’t think you should be agending against players just because you feel another player should be playing in place of them, you back the 11 on the pitch and hope we win the game.. I’ve been harsh on here about Hutchinson, definitely. But I’ve also praised him massively at times when he has turned up. I hope you do the same for Chukwu if he does start showing why we signed him. It’s obviously not been this dream move other strikers before him and Wyllie thought it would be. Anywho, I do think that ship has sailed. I imagine they’ll be looking at a playoff NL side that can offer full time resources.

Surely we would have had first dibs on him as part of the deal when sold him?

Mumblings coming out of Gillingham: 'Wylie needs to be loaned out - needs consistent games at National League level".

Mooney has finally surfaced.....at Farnborough. Came on as a sub in their 4-0 defeat.

Very best wishes to match Official PetetheGreek this Christmas, I hope you are keeping well:

A Happy Christmas thread for the SSML 'Community', best wishes to all and let 'beleaguered' The 61 FC (Luton) kick us off, no pun intended: 61 FC -To all involved in 61 FC we wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Fantastic and Winning New Year!

Groundhopper and Blogger Oliver Sims was at this Quarter Final tie earlier this month:

A good win for Langford at Hayden Road albeit, surprisingly, the Club's last away win in Division One:

Groundhopper and Blogger Oliver Sims was at the Kingsway Recreation Ground to see this rout:

Barton Town have confirmed that Saturday's home game with Eccleshill United will go ahead, the first to take place following the tragic news of the passing of goalkeeper James Hitchcock last week.View the full article

The draw for the Beds Senior Cup semis been made and if Bedford Town had not thrown away a 2-goal lead at Barton Rovers, the Bedford derby in the final at Kenilworth Road would have been on course. Biggleswade FC or Crawley Green v Barton Rovers Real Bedford will play AfC Dunstable, but not sure if it's home or away,

Onwards and upwards, we now focus on Boxing Day (Thursday 26 December) and the visit to nearby AFC Dunstable's Creasey Park home where Real Bedford played Dunstable Town twice last season, winning 6-1 in the SSML Division One Cup Second Round and drawing 2-2 in a SSML Premier Division fixture:

I see that London Lions will travel to Egham Town's Runnymede Stadium (pictured) in the Fourth Round of the FA Vase on Saturday 11 January, Egham Town beat Spelthorne Sports 5-0 in their delayed Third Round tie and sit in second place in the very competitive Combined Counties League Premier Division North, one point behind former, and 'rejuvenated', SSML Club Amersham Town with a game in hand. https://www.eghamtownfcltd.co.uk/

Sports Shots photographer Luke Stafford was in attendance at Springfields, see over 100 photographs:

A groundhopper from another Forum was at this thriller. Also see Stony Stratford Town's match report: https://www.stonystratfordtownfc.com/Matchreport.aspx?id=780548 Stony Stratford Town 3-4 Pitstone & Ivinghoe - Spartan South Midlands League Division 2 This afternoon is a chilly one at Ostlers Lane, a damp spot in a bend in the Great Ouse as it meanders its way through far north Bucks and on into Northants. Stony’s line-up is weakened by pre-Christmas absences and inside 10 minutes they go 2-0 down to a Pitstone & Ivinghoe side not needing to be at their best. The home side pull one back with their only chance of the opening period, but are 4-1 down at the break; as the floodlights come on, the mood among Stony supporters is listless. P&I manage the early stages of the second half to good effect, but two goals in seven minutes from the hosts’ very own Jack Grealish-wannabe set up an exciting last 20 minutes… or at least, they had the potential to be exciting but in fact, a red card for the visitors aside, the match rather peters out, Stony not good enough to raise their game. Despite the seven goals, it was all pretty subdued and spectators soon sloped off for beer or dinner.

Good video, that.

The match programme from Bell Close and Leighton Town Reserves 3-0 win over Raunds Town: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/files.pitchero.com/clubs/3144/6k6Fh6LpSzS4VCcRtdPQ_20241221 Leighton Town Res v Raunds Town Programme.pdf

Disappointingly no Ollie Bayliss's BBC Three Counties Radio Non League Show this evening (Monday 23 December), the next show will be on Monday 6 January: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0kbbxk8

An early look at next Saturday's post Christmas fixtures: Saturday 28 December (kick off 3.00pm unless stated) Premier Division Arlesey Town v Baldock Town Colney Heath v Cockfosters Dunstable Town v Tring Athletic (kick off 1.00pm) Harpenden Town v Crawley Green Kempston Rovers v Shefford Town & Campton Potton United v Biggleswade United Winslow United v Aylesbury Vale Dynamos Wormley Rovers v FC Romania Division One AFC Welwyn v London Colney Ampthill Town v Cranfield United Eaton Socon v Huntingdon Town Irchester United v Wellingborough Whitworth Leighton Town Reserves v Buckingham FC Letchworth Garden City Eagles v Royston Town Reserves Moulton FC P Long Buckby AFC Rothwell Corinthians v Desborough Town (kick off 1.00pm) Rushden & Higham United v Raunds Town Stotfold Reserves v Langford Division Two Eynesbury United v Milton Keynes College Football Academy (kick off 2.00pm) New Bradwell St Peter v Old Bradwell United Pitstone & Ivinghoe v Padbury Village (kick off 2.00pm) Sarratt v Bovingdon (kick off 2.00pm) Stony Stratford Town v Newport Pagnell Town Development The 61 FC (Luton) v Caddington AFC (kick off 2.00pm) Totternhoe v Codicote (kick off 2.00pm) Tring Corinthians AFC v Aston Clinton (kick off 2.00pm)

Saturday's belated results: Saturday 21 December Premier Division Aylesbury Vale Dynamos P Kempston Rovers Baldock Town 1 Potton United 1 Biggleswade United 1 Milton Keynes Irish 1 Cockfosters 4 FC Romania 0 Crawley Green 1 Colney Heath 1 London Lions 1 Winslow United 1 Shefford Town & Campton 2 Arlesey Town 1 Tring Athletic 1 Harpenden Town 4 Wormley Rovers P Dunstable Town Division One Buckingham FC 0 Moulton FC 2 Cranfield United 1 AFC Welwyn 2 Desborough Town 5 Royston Town Reserves 2 Huntingdon Town P Rushden & Higham United Langford 0 Irchester United 4 Leighton Town Reserves 3 Raunds Town 0 London Colney P Letchworth Garden City Eagles Long Buckby P Ampthill Town Stotfold Reserves 3 Eaton Socon 1 Wellingborough Whitworth P Rothwell Corinthians Division Two Caddington AFC 4 Bovingdon 0 New Bradwell St Peter 2 Sarratt 1 Padbury Village 4 Milton Keynes Irish Reserves 2 Stony Stratford Town 3 Pitstone & Ivinghoe 4 The 61 FC (Luton) 0 Totternhoe 8 Tring Corinthians AFC 1 Codicote 2