A worried old badger

[Beery Trainspotter]

Chaps I’m a tad concerned.

 

And, no I’m not talking about the seemingly lost attempt to get real ale and a less smoke filled environment into the club bar.

 

I have a horrible feeling all is not well at the Club. Is all as it should be morale wise? A work colleague of mine is very close to the family of a long serving player who left in the summer. When I asked if she’d be watching him at his new club, she said that she understood a number of players were leaving because they ‘didn’t get on with the manager.’ I kind of dismissed this at the time, but:

 

· Isn’t it possible that this view has also gone around other players & clubs? Might explain – apart from money - why getting players to join us has been difficult. Phil Collins choosing Welling over us? (Not that I’d have seen him as the answer to our prayers.)

· Am I the only person to suspect that Andy does a great job all the time things are going in the right direction; clinching promotion over Canvey proves the guy has real talent; but that, when things are not going well, he has a tendency to be rather abrasive with his players? Anyone who has to manage people knows that you can administer a bollocking without it causing long-term offence & resentment, if you have the knack, but one or two of the ‘reprimands’ I’ve overheard have seemed a little too personal for comfort. You can criticise someone’s mistake, without implying that they, as an individual, are totally useless.

· Why has Lee Turner gone? Is the rumour about Strouttsy wanting out, just that, a rumour and no more?

· Just how bad is the financial situation? We don’t seem able to compete with anyone in the Conference or its immediate feeders when it comes to getting people to sign. Is the budget cut from last season? Is it just as well we already have a Supporters Trust in place? (OK. I’ll stop the questions. My own gloom is driving me towards the medicine cabinet.)

 

Really hope I’m wrong, but that performance at Canvey, so close to the start of the season was worrying. Yes it was only a friendly, but everyone seemed so at sixes & sevens & there was absolutely no sense of a clearly understood system of play in the 1st half.

 

I still clearly remember returning from holiday to see us play Enfield at home in what was our 1st, possibly 2nd, season after switching to the Ryman. (I believe Steve - no idea - Lovell was in charge?) It was utterly depressing. We were totally unprepared and they beat us at a trot. I just hope the rest of you don’t witness something similar against Burton on Saturday. I shall be on holiday, again. Be back for the Chester game though. (Oh dear!)

 

Please make me eat my words, boys.

 

BTS

 

[Matt (GNFC)]

A good well written piece. If 90% of the fans are concerned about the start of the season we must be in iffy shape? I hope im wrong but the fans are generally a good judge of the standard of the team and the people who write on this board are generally smart fellas and ladies who know what they're talking about. Saturday will be the moment of truth as we all know.

[Ronnie]

I think that much of what has been said here reflects the general mood and thinking of a lot of us. The turnover of players is alarming, and that doesn't include the ones that we failed to sign. I don't think this always comes down to money alone. I've looked forward to the start of this season since the final whistle of the Halifax game, but frankly I haven't got a clue what to expect on Saturday either in terms of performance, or even who is going to play. Something at the club is obviously not right. I just hope it is sorted out very quickly.

[John@TheFleet]

Many of these views have been expressed, maybe not so eloquently, in varying threads recently, especially in 'Has Andy lost the plot?'. Many of us are concerned with the team as a whole and performances like that against Canvey & Thurrock give little re-assurance. However, the first-half display against Millwall was actually very, very good (and we were very nearly 1-0 up at half-time) and this should not be forgotten. We do have a basis of a very good team and maybe we, I include myself here, have read too much into the friendly performances, the comings & goings, rumours and tribulations and let ourselves get a bit too despondant too soon. Chin up, cheer up, we're alright.

[FleetFanatic]

The moment of truth - 3pm saturday 9th august.....

[John@TheFleet]

Let's 'ave it! Bring on the Burton...... <img src="/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

[mightymole]

from what i saw last season and recent friendlies yes we can play well the thing is the results the finishing and defence leaking goals some good some sloppy goals next season we will have to put good performances into results other wise we will stuggle and lets get behind the team as we usually do who ever is in starting 11.

[Guest]

We have nothing to fear except fear itself. We actually have some really good players and if we can add to the squad in the right places we will do ok. Talking things down like this at the start of the season can only wreck team morale. Yes, we need another decent forward and another keeper until Wilko gets back but in the meantime we have a team to support. Let's get behind 'em!

[Alan W (GNFC)]

Well said, Geoff B - if we're not careful, all this negativity on this board will feed its way thought to the players. Lets just make sure we dont carry it over on to the terraces on Saturday.

 

Any Burton fans reading our board will be thinking they're going to get an easy ride on Saturday and that they will walk away with the points - thats not going to be the case, and I'm sure the team will show what they can realy do on Saturday, come 3pm.

[Wobbly Wayne rides again]

Theres more doom and gloom on here than an Eastenders omnibus !!!

 

I just hope all the despair on the terraces does not affect the performances on the pitch, and the Fleet faithful don't turn on the team or Andy, as that will help no one.

 

Just remember after 10 games last year, we only had 11 points on the board, and at the time we were more than happy with that sort of start.

 

Lets give the current boys in red our full support, we know this is a difficult league and we need to pick up as many home points as possible.

 

So lets all get behind them, encourage as many as we can to get down to the games , and generally make Stonebridge Road an unhappy and intimidating place to visit for the opposing teams.

 

[John@TheFleet]

Quote:

Wobbly Wayne said:

I just hope all the despair on the terraces does not affect the performances on the pitch, and the Fleet faithful don't turn on the team or Andy, as that will help no one.


So lets all get behind them, encourage as many as we can to get down to the games , and generally make Stonebridge Road an unhappy and intimidating place to visit for the opposing teams.

You'll always get the odd few who'll do their best to moan better than the next man on the terraces. Jees, I can remember someone shouting "You're bloody useless!" at a game about two weeks before we won the Ryman!! The average Fleet supporter knows what's what, they stayed on the terraces clapping their team off the pitch despite losing to sides like Kettering last season and, lets face it, there's a darn sight more of them now than 2-3 years ago, myself included as I'm still a relatively new boy (boy?!?). Didn't Andy once say Fleet supporters are more intelligent (football wise?) than many others? I believe there is quite a large degree of truth in that. Deep down I think we all know the lads are going to do the business and all this negativity & counter-negativity boils down to the fact that we just can't resist a bloody good forum! Well, I can't! So there!

[Guest]

After staying up last year, I was looking forward to this season with cautious optimism. However, having gone to the Millwall and Gillingham home games, and the Canvey and Thurrock away games it isn't looking too good for me. The players that have left havn't been replaced adequately. Considering some of the loan signings we made last year, like Lovett and Giles, why are we not able to attract these sorts of players this year? We need to find a settled team and system fast, because the long ball that we have been playing to two small front players in the pre-season games is going to get us nowhere against Conference defences - hell, it got us nowhwere against two Ryman League defences! As for Mr. Ford's man management skills, anyone who was at Farnborough last season can testify that they are not the greatest. Jay Lovett was contemplating becoming part-time and joining us, but Mr. Ford's actions that day changed his mind pretty sharpish. But enough bitching, 5 days to go and we're back into the swing of things, I just hope everything gets resolved by Saturday, or we are in for one hell of a long season!

[Beery Trainspotter]

John, Alan & Wobbly

 

I'm concerned, not a moaner.

 

I hate those negative buggers who only go to moan & relieve their personal inadequacy more than anyone.

 

A seson ticket 7 nearly £300 a year into the Trust proves my loyalty I think.

[John@TheFleet]

Quote:

Beery Trainspotter said:
John, Alan & Wobbly

I'm concerned, not a moaner.

My post was in no way direct at you, or anyone else on this forum, sorry if it sounded so. Listen around you on Saturday, you'll know who I'm on about... but then I think you do anyway!!

[Beery Trainspotter]

John.

 

Cheers mate, no offence taken.

 

I just didn't want to be associated with those idiots who think paying their entrance money gives them the right to scapegoat individuals & get on the whole team's back the moment things go wrong. We've always had that element. They confuse open - minded, support, which is constructively critical, when required, with mindless, ill-informed griping. I've been going for 30 years & they've been there - inhabiting different bodies - all that time.

 

I do have a horrible feeling about this season, though. Rest assured, I won't be shouting abuse or criticism from the stand, if I'm proved right and I dearly hope that when I return from holiday, just in time for the Chester game, I feel obliged to place a post, saying how wrong my pre-season misgivings appeared to be.

 

All the best,

 

BTS

 

PS Thoroughly approve of your taste in the wet stuff, as expressed in another thread. If you're ever in the Somerset Arms & the Pale Rider is on, try it - a paragon amongst beers. Perhaps we could get some others to join us in campaigning for some minipins of the real stuff to be sold in the bar, once the weather turns a bit cooler?

[John@TheFleet]

All for that, mate. Farnborough did it with the barrel of Hogs Head behind the bar. It means someone coming in the day before to set it up, though. Try the Crown & Thistle, cracking beer. And as for your signature, it's your round!!!

 

You have been reading Pub-watch U.K.......

 

The true supporters will drown out the moaners on Saturday when the Fleet beat Burton 2-0.

 

 

[Beery Trainspotter]

John - 3.28 am?

 

Do you work nights or just dispense with sleep? Don't sleep in a coffin during the day do you? Are you the guy who always has every speck of skin covered and wears shades to daylight matches?

 

100% agree re. the Crown & Thistle - been put forward as this area's entry for Camra's Kent Pub of the Year.

 

Actually, Phil, the owner runs - or used to run - a wholesale beer suppliers in Bentley Street, I think. He supplies - or always used to supply - the Gravesend Beer Festival, every October, at Old Gravesendians. Perhaps he could do the business for us one Saturday, on a trial basis? Have to check with Brian that Courage haven't got us tied up with some Gestapoesque clause, forbidding using anyone else's beer. If the regular staff didn't fancy it, maybe a couple of us could sell it from a temporary stand at the far end of the bar towards the toilets, with a stict proviso that we were stopping at 2.45.

 

Re. my signature. Something I have to say frequently & assertively if ever drinking with any of the men from my wife's family. If you go into the pub with one of them, he'll always hang back until you've bought the drinks, then happily sit there, with 7/8 of his left, just as his wife has barely touched her Cinzano & lemonade, while you and your other half have been gagging for a 2nd for at least half an hour.

 

Well, that's successfully dispensed with the original footballing theme of this thread.

 

BTS

[John@TheFleet]

Aren't the big brewers obliged to offer guest beers or does that only apply to public houses? Is our bar classed as a club? Worth looking into and I'm sure Phil would happily get involved.

 

And to put your mind at ease, I'm not a vampire!I'm om the 18.00 - 03.00 shift this week so I'm winding down now with a cool bottle or four of Asda's Gentleman Jack, brewed by Sheps, 98p for 500 ml, 5.0%. You can tell by my posts when the fourth one's kicked in..........

 

Hhhhhup ther wwwrreddsstthh!*?!