AFC Totton watch

[Rother]

Thought it would be useful to have a thread keeping an eye on our rivals - whoever goes up as Champions, and it will certainly be one of the 2 teams, it will have been well deserved as we appear to be head and shoulders above the rest of the league. The run in is going to be fun and Totton's backlog of games might end up being crucial.

 

Good luck to their fans who are a decent bunch.

 

Anyway, after the rather interesting little contretemps on their website a few weeks back it was interesting to see a letter published in the Non League Paper this week, as follows:

 

WORRYING BEHAVIOUR OF TOTTON BOSSES

 

I am a fan of Totton and I'm sure that I'm not the only fan that is becoming increasingly worried about the club and, in particular, the behaviour of the management team of Stu Ritchie and our Director of Football, Mick Budny. In the last 4 weeks we have had things like our DofF sitting on the bench issuing instructions to the management! Where else would that happen?

 

We are second in the league with a greta chance to catch up on Windsor although we have a lot of games to play which is worrying for everyone. However at the moment all that is coming out of the club is bad vibes and news with consistent rumours of a very unhappy dressing room, which is caused by Messrs Ritchie and Budny!

 

Signed, Alex Hunter, Southampton

 

I suppose it could be someone from another team being michievous but I doubt it as it does seem in keeping with other information that their own forum was alluding to before it was closed to outside access.

 

It will be very interesting to see what develops there.

 

Meantime, let battle continue and, to any Totton supporters who might happen across this, good luck for the rest of the season. We might revel in the possibility of discomfort if it means we are more likley to win promotion with our pretty harmonious squad, but wish you no ill whatsoever.

[Geggy]

It's certainly shaping up into an entertaining second half of the season. And I think this thread may become equally as entertaining!!

[Fuzzy Royal]

An interesting thread and would love to hear from a a few Totton fans on here as it harder to get on Totton's forum than to beat us in the first four months of the season.

 

It is clear that there are two teams looking to realistically win the league (at the moment) and a battle royale scenario that could run to the last couple of games of the season, however it would be a shame if the championship was decided due to Totton failing due to internal issues, although if that is the difference between us winning and losing the title, I'll take it.

 

Another 3 points today in a game we should have won more easily and just failed to finish quite a few chances, how many times have we drawn or lost games like this in the past, but now 14 points ahead of Totton and another game for Totton to fit into their already busy schedule, its looking better for us every week.

 

Have Totton lost any further players do we know?

[Stag Whippet]

OK, No further players gone. 3 or 4 in. cant comment on those yet as a bit ealr y to say.

i would suggest that the quote you have from some bloke called Mr Hunter is probably from someone from VT or Gosport. Nobody i know is called anythiung simialar.

Sorry for misspelings, bit pissed

will review tomorrow.

 

good Night friends at W & E

 

the pint for spoting me in April still stands !!

[dansilk]

Thought it would be useful to have a thread keeping an eye on our rivals - whoever goes up as Champions, and it will certainly be one of the 2 teams, it will have been well deserved as we appear to be head and shoulders above the rest of the league. The run in is going to be fun and Totton's backlog of games might end up being crucial.

...

 

And the other results were quite handy for us both today. Bridgwater lost, and Paulton (who aren't such a threat at 17 points back with no games in hand) beat VTFC, now 26 points behind us from 4 fewer games.

So at present the closest any of the chasers other than Totton can come are VTFC, with a theoretical reach of 50 points, and Gosport who could hit 52 points if they win all 5 games in hand - still 12 points behind. So it's truly very hard now for anyone bar Totton to close the gap, and for that matter Totton must be increasingly confident of coming out no lower than second... and still unbeaten at home, so they may not be to worried should they have to go to the playoffs.

[Stag Whippet]

OK, feeling a little better than when I appear to have posted last night !!

Dansilk, Did you really come up with those fugures at 3am ?? I am impressed

 

As Rother says the little spat that happened a few weeks ago was a little disturbing and unecessary as it was just a player leaving - happened before and will happen again. Don't want to go over that issue again as it was all said at the time.

An update.

All seems happy and rosie again and I can see no signs of discontent. If there is then they cetainly keep it in the dressing room. When they players are in the bar post match, they all seem to be fine and seem to get on well.

I did notice last week that Mr Budny was not in the dug out, but watched from the nearby, also he has not posted anything further on the website. He may at times say some thing that are best left unsaid, but I do think that some people have given him an undeserved bad press.

Players have left. Mr Jack, we will not dwell on that !!

Matt troon has gone to VT as was only keeping the bench warm, Joe Bye has also left - can't remember to where - Wessex league I think, for the same reason.

Ross Bottomly (AKA nellie the elephant) was loaned out to Bashley after being a bad boy and has jst exstended for another month. I don't think we will be seeing him again.

Players in

Castle from bashley - ready made replacement for nellie

Byrne from, i think Winchester

Spinney - or something - from VT

 

The build up of games is a problem. Couple of tuesdays ago a county cup game was abandoned after 70 mintues (up 2 - 1) when the lights went out so had to be replayed last week. Won that, so thats another game. After yesterday was off, it looks like it is going to be 2 games a week all the way now.

[Rother]

Thanks for the update SW.

 

You seem to have a pretty deep squad so perhaps you'll get through 2 games a week intact but it's a hell of an ask for a non-league outfit to train and play to the intensity required to keep it going for 3 months with that workload. Especially when it's a game of catchup.

 

Bit of a leap but the way it's going the pair of us could finish 20+ points clear of 3rd place - don't you just love the play offs!

[Stag Whippet]

If they are as entertaining as our little 'encounter' with beaconsfield last year, worth the season ticket money alone!!

[Woody SUFC]

http://www.southern-football-league.co.uk/fixtures/south_westFixByTeam.asp?teamID=2&section=fixtures

 

You just need to look at that fixture list, and indeed the run up to the game with us, to know they're going to have to play VERY well every game not to drop a few points. We just have to keep doing what we are doing. They've got 5 extra games to fit in so 5 midweeks for us to catch our breath more than they do and lets face it more games could still yet be off.

[Rother]

Don't know exactly when this happened but a mate of mine down Totton way tells me that a couple of the 1st team squad have been banished to the Reserves and made to sit on the bench. Another breach of club discipline or some such.

 

The Reserves coach didn't like the way it was handled and has apparently walked.

 

I'm sure all clubs have their problems at times but as I said a few weeks ago, the signs are that all is not well down there.

[Stag Whippet]

Not completely correct i am lead to believe.

 

1st team game was off, so a few played for the reserves. I know, I was there. There was no team displayed but 3 were on at the start and one came off after scoring two mid way through the 2nd half.

there may be some truth in the coach getting the hump, he has resigned.

[Fuzzy Royal]

The big problem with being the reserve team coach/manager is that your team is there to support the first team, however well they play as a team and good they are as a unit it is the job of the reserves tosupply players to the first team and give first team players somewhere to play whennot in the first team or coming back from injury.

 

If you get hacked off when this happens you are probably not the right man for a reserve team manager's job. It is tough but it is their raison d'etre, simple as that. Having played reserve team football (as good as it got for me, and punching above my weight as well!!) it is annoying but such is life.Oh well, any disruption to Totton is good news for us

[Woody SUFC]

I've noticed their match next midweek is no postponed to as yet undecided date due to North Leigh's involvment in the county cup. That means, apart from next week, they have a game every midweek until the end of the season and will only be level on games coming into the last game of the season! I'm sure they still have to arrange their county cup game aswell so they will have one thursday match. Plus there is still every chance games getting called off....

[Fuzzy Royal]

Well it is definitley in our favour, we just need to make it count. I doubt we'll get a better chance to take the title and Totton must know that and that will heap extra pressure on to them, just have to keep playing our game and we will be fine.

 

With all the rain I am sure there will be other games off as well so lets all look forward to the fixture backlog!!

[Stag Whippet]

Yep, we do have a county cup semi to fit in as well.

The bonus is that I get an excuse to go out every Tuesday night !!!

Edited February 4, 2010 by Stag Whippet

[southwestred]

I wouldnt pretend for 1 minute that anyone other W & E are going to win the league. Only a calamitious capitulation will see someone else win the league but then "funny" things happen in football dont they. I reckon its going to be too much for Totton & come the end may well find themselves settling for 3rd place, or worse???

In feburary Frome Town will play Cirencester, Bridgewater, Totton & Windsor. 4 out of the present top 6. Thats a very tough month for anyone but we go into the month now on 19 games without defeat so i dont suppose any of these teams will be looking forward to playing us either. Keep an eye out on our position after these games & if were still undefeated then watch out Windsor coz we'll be the team chasing you not Totton

[Stag Whippet]

I'll be there on the 24th, a pint on it ?

[Rother]

WORRYING BEHAVIOUR OF TOTTON BOSSES

 

I am a fan of Totton and I'm sure that I'm not the only fan that is becoming increasingly worried about the club and, in particular, the behaviour of the management team of Stu Ritchie and our Director of Football, Mick Budny. In the last 4 weeks we have had things like our DofF sitting on the bench issuing instructions to the management! Where else would that happen?

 

We are second in the league with a greta chance to catch up on Windsor although we have a lot of games to play which is worrying for everyone. However at the moment all that is coming out of the club is bad vibes and news with consistent rumours of a very unhappy dressing room, which is caused by Messrs Ritchie and Budny!

 

Signed, Alex Hunter, Southampton

Unfortunately the paper itself didn't make it into my hnads this week but I understand that there is a response to Mr Hunter's letter this week from a Mr Bagshaw along the lines of "don't know what he's moaning about, the management team is doing a great job"....

[dansilk]

...In feburary Frome Town will play Cirencester, Bridgewater, Totton & Windsor. 4 out of the present top 6. Thats a very tough month for anyone but we go into the month now on 19 games without defeat so i dont suppose any of these teams will be looking forward to playing us either. Keep an eye out on our position after these games & if were still undefeated then watch out Windsor coz we'll be the team chasing you not Totton

 

Well, Frome are the only league team we failed to beat since September, and the only ones to stop us scoring at home; plus they've only lost once at home themselves. So I'd agree we (and others) might not be relishing the visit... but we'll surely be extra careful and our record this season is literally second to none!

 

Only nasty point is playing away on a Wednesday evening, but we've probably got the easier game on the following Saturday (home to Cinderford as against away to Abingdon) as well as before (home to Mangotsfield vs home to Bridgwater).

[Fuzzy Royal]

Dan, i agree with you except for Cinderford point, they have new players and are on a crest of a wave having beaten Totton, won't be easy I'll bet.

 

Frome will be tough, but that is where champions com einto their own, it where we see if we have the right stuff to go all the way. All i will say is if we play like we did against VT (who are a decent side) we have a good chance of getting something there.