WP v Molesey

[hammer59]

Just feel I have to comment on the game yesterday, and in particular to the WP No.8 Dave Knowelden.

Firstly, Steve of WP is dead right when he says that they deserved the victory and we did have a long chat on the pitch after the game. The people at WP are a good bunch and I have had some great encounters with them over many years going back to the Surrey Premier days and, on the day, I felt they came out of the blocks and took a deserved lead and we could not get back into the game. I wished them good luck and, as Steve knows, this was genuine.

The game had it's moments and was certainly a feisty affair, but it was a cup game. Both sides had a player sent off and both were deserved in my view, so no complaints there.

When the game finished the person above decided to make a snide comment behind my back and called me a "bald c***". When I reacted and approached him to justify this he managed to quickly disappear into the changing room. During the game he showed the same cowardice when he quite deliberately smashed our captain Andy Graves in the face. Both linesmen were poor and it is no surprise that this was missed by them, as they gave the referee no help whatsoever on the day.

Andy spent last night in hospital with a broken jaw, awaiting news on an operation. Fortunately, this will not be required, although the jaw is broken. When the jaw is healed enough he will have 2 teeth removed and will not be able to play football for 4-6 weeks and I am unsure on how this will effect him work-wise. I doubt that Knowelden will particularly care, but hope I am wrong.

This is not part and parcel of the game, maiming people for the sake of winning a football match, and there should be no place for it. Whilst your other lad deserved his red card and it was a poor challenge, is was not done maliciously, it was a bit more of a clumsy tackle. Those things do happen in football. Just to clarify, our red card was for abusive language to the assistant.

After the incident with me, which is like water off a ducks back as far as I am concerned, Steve and several other WP players apologised on behalf of their player, as they were embarrassed and it left a sour taste.

However, we stayed on for quite a while after the game and enjoyed the hospitality of WP, which is always very good, the went home with our tails between our legs!

The news on Andy was very disappointing and for me was the bad point of the day, and my main concern over the weekend has been his welfare and not a football result.

I do not like to come on here and discuss events like this too much and I know there will be many views on this aired, but it was a cowardly attack and bang out of order.

Point made and we move on.

[bomaya]

Is he going to get the law involved?

[inmyday]

I would imagine it would be 6 peoples opinion on one side against another 6 peoples opinion on another....one group of 6 telling the truth and another 6 lying for their mate so doubt whether the law will prosecute. Have seen too much of this violent cowardice in the last couple of years. Won't name the two clubs involved as its old news but one's reaction was gracious in banning the perpetrator for life immediately and calling our club on several occasions to check how the victim was.....the other was the complete opposite....they even seemed to revel in their 'tough' reputation.

Personally if proved I think the league need to take a much tougher line in making sure the County FA's kick these thugs out for good.