Town 2 Raynes Park Vale 1

[blue pilgrim]

Congratulations to Raynes Park Vale, who conceded after 5 minutes and had their keeper sent off after 10 minutes. They should be proud of their efforts today.

 

As for Town, their only excuse for this performance would be if the squad was suffering from flu or food poisoning.

 

I try not to be too critical on this forum, as every player who pulls on the shirt, must want to play well  on the day. I trust they will all recognise that todays performance was abject, pathetic and pure garbage. Please do not let me read excuses like "we have injuries" or  " it's hard to play against 10 men" Nothing excuses that offering that we had to sit through today.

 

For the record Halle scored the penalty after 5 and Sapps (thank goodness) scored after 80.  RPV scored after 85.

 

PS - the Ref was also appalling and so was the crowd at 237.          COYB

[billericayboy28]

At the start of the season we was all singing and the atmosphere behind the goal was good and now it's gone a bit flat again. I think it definitely helps the players so we really need to be doing it for the whole 90 minutes every home and away game.. we was pretty poor but we're through which is good news. On another day that could of been 4/5-1 but we didn't take our chances. 

 

We miss Callum Dunne and a fully fit Sappleton though and looking forward to seeing them back in the starting XI soon

[Billericay Town Unofficial]

Hightlights from the match.

http://billericaytownfc.wix.com/fans#!raynesparkhome/caxg

 

Raynes Park Vale can be justly proud of their efforts today.  The replacement keeper had a great game, as you will see from his saves in the video.

[GazzaBTFC]

Once again, there were players that put in a shift and players that didn't. And those players that did work hard must be feeling the same as we do.... A little bit cheated and frustrated. i do believe Craig will either work to improve their attitude to work or send them on their way....

 

..... But, no matter what complaints, observations or opinions we have, the fact remains, we were good enough to win the game 2 1. So well done to those players that put in a shift.

 

And well done to Raynes Park Vale. They did work hard and despite those earlier attempts to make the game harder, deserved better for being honest as regards effort.

 

I agree with JL, if we are to move forward in the league, there has to be improvements. Either with some players attitudes to hard work or perhaps a turnaround of players to make way for some that do work hard.

[Billericay or Harrogate]

It does seem a bit uncharitable criticising a team that has earned the Club £4500 and qualified for the next round of the FA Cup but I have to say that paying £10 to come through the turnstiles to watch such utter rubbish is a bit galling.

 

The FA Cup is a great leveller and for a side such as Raynes Park Vale this was their glory day. They did battle hard but in all honesty they were not a good side and with an early goal and then a man sent off we really should have had a comfortable win. In the end we were actually struggling to hold on playing keep ball by the corner flag, an act of desperation if ever I have seen one.

 

Our strikers lack any confidence and in all honesty without a half fit Sapps we would be in very poor shape this year. This team lacks quality. That can sometimes be overcome by hard work and endeavour but even that was missing yesterday - very disappointing.

 

Some posts have said it is a bit quiet and flat behind the goal, not surprising and also when this quality of football is served up it will make fans think twice before spending their hard earned cash. Gates drop as a result.

 

It's all very well for Craig to say we need to get behind the team - but he doesn't have to pay to get in !! What we need is a bit more passion from ALL players, not just a few, a team that really wants to play for and please it's fans.

 

Finally a word about the ref. He was truly terrible. How can he get so many penalty decisions wrong.

[blue pilgrim]

It's strange BoH, despite winning, I don't think I have left a game feeling so let down as a paying customer. Last Monday against Canvey, there was commitment and passion for all to see, but yesterday, even senior players failed to rally the team.

 

I have often heard that football league scouts attend our games and yesterday I met one who was from a well known London side. I will not name them as I will share what he confided with me. He obviously knows the local scene well and has watched Town over a number of years. This was the worst performance he had seen during all his visits and he could not believe our decline from the Ryman League title winning side.  I don't think he went away with any names in his notebook. 

 

I think we all understand and accept the financial realities for our club. This is not about " big budget" signings, it's about commitment and passion -  if we see that as fans, there will be no complaints win or lose.  Take a look at Romford, beating Bury in the last round and holding Kingstonian yesterday - they don't have our budget !!!

[GazzaBTFC]

True, Craig doesn't have to pay but he does have to work with a tight budget... And there hangs the challenge. It's a bit of a chicken and egg situation. We want to be the competing with the best but the question is can we afford to? I am not going to make or cast any thoughts over what the club has earned this season as I don't really know. As Chairman of the BTSA I maybe I am lax in this but... if whatever we have earned is going to used on the squad, it will always have a retrospective effect as regards improvements to the squad. And therefore performances.

 

Of course, we can all do the math. The perfect equation is Better performances = Better Rewards = More People Through The Turnstiles which in turn = Better Revenue Stream... and so it goes on... As is all to frequently noticed in "our wonderful game", the equation has to start somewhere, usually with a pot of cash. Obviously, this isn't something that is lying around, so the club (certain individuals) go around the local community promoting the club with local business to bring in sponsorship. It's a very hand to mouth existence. We don't boast the level of support that Maidstone have or the benefactor(s) that Margate enjoy (to give two current and relevant examples). And even this isn't a guarantee of success....does anyone know how Margate got on yesterday? And just for the record, I don't begrudge them, especially Maidstone, their current elevated position in the league.

 

We have some young players which have been brought in on this limited budget. These young players are "raw" and certainly have been brought in to develop their skills and careers further whilst playing for the club. Yes, I agree, there were some on that pitch yesterday who need to look into a mirror and ask themselves did they do their best. Did they bust their collective guts to ensure we won the game? Then again, they could respond with the fact that we won the game, secured another £4,500 for the club. I only hope they can raise their game for the "Rozzers" on Saturday because that will be a different prospect all together...

 

The attitudes of youth may have to be balanced with the lessons of experience. Some of our older, more experienced players have made the decision to support the club, which they do admirably in my opinion. I acknowledge that some may not be top of (some) our supporters "favorite player list" but without them we would certainly struggle. And they can do without some of the comments from the touchline. Like the criticism of one of Glen Poole's shots going way wide... the ball bobbled up as he decided to strike and therefore the shout of criticism from the main stand was unfair and necessary in my opinion. Then again...to balance the incident, there is a frustration that does get the better of us. I would say that we all need to take a breath but in the heat of the moment.... things are said or done. Remember that when a player reacts in such a way that may get him his marching orders. We apparently want perfection (or as close to it as we can have) from our players but some supporters don't exercise the same with their comments.

 

This may all come across as criticism to both sides but it isn't meant to be. It's a view from a perspective of someone who has been here before with the club (anyone remember the late '80's and early '90's?) and thinks that it isn't all as doom and gloom as some would paint. We do have some professional "naysayers" at the club but we also have a fair number of people who balance their comments and concerns with consideration.

 

On a closing note, I for one am grateful for our volunteers that pitch up at the club to sell 50/50, Goalden Goal tickets, programmes etc. Not only do the pay their admission, they engage with both sets of supporters alike before the game and in some instances during and after the game. Without those people, I doubt we would have much of a club to discuss and muse over its fortunes.

Edited September 28, 2014 by GazzaBTFC
Clarification

[New Lodger]

Despite the final score line it was a very comfortable win that had it not been for some wayward finishing, an inspired goalkeeping performance from the Raynes Park sub keeper and a couple of clear pens not given we could have won by five or more.

 

There were quite a few major upsets in the cup yesterday but it never looked likely to happen in our game.

 

Well done boys fingers crossed for a good draw tomorrow.

[blue pilgrim]

There were quite a few major upsets in the cup yesterday but it never looked likely to happen in our game.

 

When RPV scored there was every chance of an upset. Their keeper was inspired; Sapps apart, we couldn't hit a barn door; the ref was a loose cannon and we were on the backfoot trying to run the clock down.

 

As always a balanced post by Gazza, but this is not about budgets/finance or the brilliant people behind the scenes who keep the club going . Neither is it about the misguided few who openly criticise players during the game. No it is about those who turn up week in week out to support the club and all they ask for is a bit of commitment and passion out on the park. The same commitment and passion that created all those upsets yesterday by teams with far less resource than ourselves.  COYB

[New Lodger]

I'm sorry BP but I don't agree with your negative view. I didn't see the game how you chose to see it. I have just read the report on the official website and it confirmed it was chance after chance. Apart from a slip in the first half that gave them a chance and their goal out of the blue I cannot remember Lumley making a save and most certainly not after they scored. After they scored we had three good chances to extend the lead, hardly on the backfoot.

[Billericay Town Unofficial]

Just a comment from behind the goal.  Our loudest singer, Rich Mann, has crossed the white line again and is now playing Essex Olympian League football for Southminster St Leonards so we may not see him too often.  Another loud fan has stopped coming and the numbers have dwindled.

 

I spend most of the game filming so I can't be shouting or jumping around too much.

 

As for the results, I think we have a strong squad, it just lacks a spark and they could be back to the football and form that we enjoyed last month.

[blue pilgrim]

I'm sorry BP but I don't agree with your negative view. I didn't see the game how you chose to see it. I have just read the report on the official website and it confirmed it was chance after chance. Apart from a slip in the first half that gave them a chance and their goal out of the blue I cannot remember Lumley making a save and most certainly not after they scored. After they scored we had three good chances to extend the lead, hardly on the backfoot.

I think we will have to agree to differ NL.

 

The Official Club report is never going to say anything too negative. The fact we didn't take those three good chances left the game on a knife edge and they were going for it.  As I walked round the end we were defending I saw (1) Lummers time wasting , (2) Scotty busting a gut to cut out their wing man (3) another of our defenders heading an easy clearance straight to one of their forwards and (4) players trapping the ball in the corner to run the clock down.  I'm sorry for concluding we were on the backfoot, but one slip or dodgy decision and we would have been heading back to West London.  Yes, we should have scored a shipload but we didn't and when they scored they found extra energy/belief

 

By the way, when I arrived at the ground, I heard some-one say they looked like a "pub team" - perhaps some of our players believed it.

[Barry Proudfoot]

An entertaining game, we hit the bar twice, their stand in keeper was MOM, producing save after save. The club are £4,500 richer and we are through to the next round. What made does everyone want?

Edited September 28, 2014 by Barry Proudfoot

[Barry Proudfoot]

*more not made

[blue pilgrim]

The Chairman has posted his first Blog of the season - it's an excellent piece and I agree with everything he has said.

 

Some appear to think I have been too negative about yesterday's performance, some even thought it was an entertaining game  ( and perhaps in context it was). Unlike some, I have no pretentions of granduar for this club and the Chairman is right in not being over- ambitious. Lets face it, apart from finances, the ground would struggle to meet Conference criteria.

 

No , all most regulars want, is to see a decent level of football and perhaps be rewarded with an occasional cup run. Which brings me back to yesterday - it was the most important game of our season so far and as others have already said £4500 was up for grabs. Forget sentimentality and the kudos of a cup run, that money can be critical for a club at our level.

 

So the magic of the cup and vital funds were at stake. Was it unfair to expect that each an everyone of our players would be fired up and motivated for the game?  Unfortunately, some gave the impression ( and I apologise if I got the wrong impression) that it was just a stroll in the park. Yes, I know some are very young and inexperienced but we also have some wise heads out there.

 

Finally, let me say that I never criticise individual players both at the game or on this forum and despite my frustration yesterday, it made me cringe to hear some of the comments.   COYB

[Guest chris1234]

Deleted for abusive language.  Have some respect for peoples opinions.

Edited September 29, 2014 by Dilbert

[billericayboy28]

When we talk about the gates being low we can't forget the good fans that turn up every week and support the team, i think there's a lot of idiots behind the goal who are way to aggressive and i can see why people don't take their kids..

 

Also I half interpreted our aims as not wanting to get promoted, i may have read what he meant completely wrong but the reason i personally turn up every week is to see us get in the playoffs and go up, that's the aim of playing football competitively after all

[Brightside Bloke]

I was busy so unable to get to this game. 

But from what i got via twitter, We won yet an other FA Cup game and have an extra 4.5K in the club. 

 

Well done Blues.   Now onwards to sort the old bill out. See you guy's on Saturday.

 

COYB's 

[Billericay or Harrogate]

It seems to me Chris 1234 that you are the sort of foul mouthed idiot that the Chairman would like to discourage. Stay away from the family stand please.

 

At least Blue Pilgrim can write a sensible report even if you don't agree with his views !!

[blue pilgrim]

I shouldn't worry BoH.

 

It's a troll who has probably never been to the ground. It probably got it's carer to write the post.