v Bath City

[Twyford Rebel]

Fair play, my memory is not what it used to be.

[Reading Rebel]

2 hours ago, Russ_Rebel said:

Sleep walking into a relegation fight, just like Dover, Havent & Waterlooville, Dulwich Hamlet , Dartford, Taunton signs have been there for far too long our early season form means nothing now , we've seen this coming , squad inbalance has been obvious all season and addressed too late , now with injuries suffered which can't be accounted for , we are in trouble 

Squad balance, squad depth and not replacing players of the quality of Leon and dare I say it Matt Lench.

[Reading Rebel]

2 hours ago, Sir Rebel1965 said:

I bet Ashley Smith regrets handing out so many long contracts as it looks like major changes are needed before next season.

As far as I'm aware only Leon was on a contract until the end of 2025/6.

[Reading Rebel]

11 hours ago, GlenSTFC said:

We’re 11 points clear still so I wouldn’t say we’re in a relegation dogfight. But things can quickly change especially with some tricky fixtures still. I think we’ll be ok but only just.

8 points if St Albans and Welling win their game in hand.

Edited March 12 by Reading Rebel

[Reading Rebel]

42 minutes ago, Twyford Rebel said:

Yeah, think it was actually. Bit close for comfort though, wasn't it? And this season is starting to get too close for my liking!

Hopefully a point or 3 at Hornchurch will start to alleviate those fears.....

Is that the Hornchurch that sit 4th in the home form guide having won 3 and drawn 3 of their last 6 home games.

[codpiece]

24 minutes ago, Reading Rebel said:

8 points if St Albans win their game in hand.

Also , of their remaining 9 games , 6 are at home.I think it’s vital that we pick up at least 4 points from the Enfield & Aveley games,

[Sir Rebel1965]

Derek Sweetman's last 19 games in the 2008/9 season before he left:-

Won 4, drew 7, lost 8, points gained 19 gd -10

Last 19 games this season:-

Won 2, drew 7, lost 10, points gained 13, gd -16

How bad does it have to get?!?!

[Reading Rebel]

8 hours ago, codpiece said:

Also , of their remaining 9 games , 6 are at home.I think it’s vital that we pick up at least 4 points from the Enfield & Aveley games,

I think those two games are where we need to get the 6 points from to get to 50 points.

[Reading Rebel]

2 hours ago, Sir Rebel1965 said:

Derek Sweetman's last 19 games in the 2008/9 season before he left:-

Won 4, drew 7, lost 8, points gained 19 gd -10

Last 19 games this season:-

Won 2, drew 7, lost 10, points gained 13, gd -16

How bad does it have to get?!?!

Wasn't Sweetman supposed to be an experienced manager for that level?

Scott is a new manager and learning all the time, as long as we don't get relegated it's job done for this season.

[Sir Rebel1965]

2 hours ago, Reading Rebel said:

Wasn't Sweetman supposed to be an experienced manager for that level?

Scott is a new manager and learning all the time, as long as we don't get relegated it's job done for this season.

Well he was an even newer manager last season and we finished 10th.

"As long as we don't get relegated" is not a very good philosophy to have!

How the standards of the club have crumbled.

[Curtis]

I’m not sure how complaints, criticism & negativity is of any help. All we can do as fans or supporters is get along to as many of the remaining matches this season & get behind the team.

 

[Ian g f]

2 hours ago, Sir Rebel1965 said:

Well he was an even newer manager last season and we finished 10th.

"As long as we don't get relegated" is not a very good philosophy to have!

How the standards of the club have crumbled.

What from ground sharing at Beaconsfield 2 division below what we are now 50 year lease at Arbour park Give your head a wobble

[Rebel Boy]

Unfortunately the blame should not only be on the manager, who has made many mistakes this season,  by not being reactive enough to bring in the right personnel when we were lacking in defence and opted for more attackers.  I have heard on good authority that the budget was kept the same as last season which in effect with inflation is a budget cut. So what can we really expect a rookie manager to achieve? He has to wheel and deal and look for bargains. Although not everyone knows each clubs budget, people talk in football and it's widely known we have one of the five smallest budgets in the league. Keep the faith and let's hope we stay up and build again next season. Up the rebels!

[Reading Rebel]

22 hours ago, Sir Rebel1965 said:

Well he was an even newer manager last season and we finished 10th.

"As long as we don't get relegated" is not a very good philosophy to have!

How the standards of the club have crumbled.

Different season, different budget and different squad.

Because of the position we're in I think most will grab not being relegated with both hands.

Edited March 13 by Reading Rebel

[Scott Davies]

5 hours ago, Sir Rebel1965 said:

Well he was an even newer manager last season and we finished 10th.

"As long as we don't get relegated" is not a very good philosophy to have!

How the standards of the club have crumbled.

Your agenda is baffling.

Yes, finished 10th, the squad (not me) massively overachieved. Lost 6 from the starting 11 to what you could call bigger clubs. Rebuilt a new team and have avoided being in the relegation places for over 16 months.

If we had finished 15th last season and 15th again this year, then people would have seen that as okay. If anything, we are a victim of last years success but fortunately the club know what the remit is and what we face on a weekly basis in a league tougher than ever before. Also sold Leon for a phenomenal amount of money for a player at this level.

No two seasons are ever the same. Look at Aveley.. playoffs last season and now look destined to go down.

Be careful what you wish for. Oh wait, I know what you want. I’ll save that line for someone else 👍🏼

[Holyport Rebel]

I know I shouldn't, but I can't help but feel a lot of responsibility for our defeat away at Bath yesterday.

It's stupid, but I should have known I shouldn't have gone ahead and done it.
Too late now. 
I can't take it back.
I'll explain more a bit later.
There had been no supporters coach to Bath last season, no supporters coach to Chippenham this season ( which is closer than Bath), so when I was aware that a supporters coach to Bath this season was "subject to numbers", I guessed that there wouldn't be enough numbers to make a coach worthwhile so I decided to go there by train.
Unlike Truro, when I booked my train tickets near to the departure date, I booked my train tickets a few weeks in advance, and got a better price for doing so.   
(It was still more expensive though than the supporters coach would have been.) 
Parking my car in the same lay by I had for Truro, I made my way to Maidenhead train station on foot and caught the train to Reading, where I was booked on the 15.55 train to Bath.
The journey to Reading was quiet and uneventful, and after a short while waiting on the Reading platform, my train to Bath pulled in.
Booking advance train tickets means you get to choose your seat, and I had deliberately chosen a forward  facing seat by a window, with a table.
Getting on my carriage , I made my way to "my" seat, and found a lady sitting there, with a blanket covering her up to her neck.
I looked around, and although the carriage wasn't busy, there were no other seats which were forward facing, by a window with a table.
If there had been I wouldn't have said anything, but there wasn't, so I said to her
"I'm sorry, but you're in my seat."
She looked up at me , she must have been about 30, and said, with an air that suggested she wasn't used to people questioning her,
" Are you serious?" 
" Err....yes"  I said back to her.
She replied in a disparaging way
" I don't believe it."
She looked around the carriage and said
"Can't you sit somewhere else ? I can't believe you want this one."
None of the other available seats were as good as the one she was sitting in ( which was why she had chosen it in the first place), and I told her I had made this booking weeks ago.
Very reluctantly she got up, saying that she was going to have words about me to the on train manager.
" You can say whatever you like to him, I don't give a monkey's." I replied.
I was eventually able to enjoy the journey to Bath.
Getting to Bath just before 5pm, I had time for a stroll around the city centre.
Very nice it was too.
It's a 35 minute walk to the ground, which is almost in a straight line from the train station.
When you get close to the ground you can see the glow of the stadium floodlights.
I like going to Bath.
It's a proper old fashioned non-league ground, with lots of decent concrete terracing.
It's looking like we may be losing this season two other old fashioned proper non-league grounds that I like visiting, St. Albans and Weymouth, so for that reason alone I hope Bath stay up. 
Hearing the team line up for the first time about 20 minutes from kick off, I realised immediately that Lewis wasn't playing, and that we had three youngsters on the bench.
It will be great to see how these youngsters get on with plenty of playing time, ONCE we are perfectly safe from the threat of relegation.
We still need just a few more points to achieve that.
Hopefully we'd get a point or three tonight.
The game started and after a few minutes Henry had the ball smashed against his arms inside the area which I feared might bring the punishment of a penalty kick, but thankfully the ref let it go. 
We had a couple of half chances early on, which gave me encouragement.
But now was the time I cost Slough the game.
Stupidly, I turned to my fellow Rebel fan standing beside me and said to him
" The match programme says that Bath haven't scored at home in their last three home league matches".

Why did I say it ?

Talk about tempting fate.
Yes, you guessed it, no more than two minutes later Bath scored.
Charlie in goal tried so hard to stop me having to curse myself, but the onslaught was too much for him and at the third attempt Bath got the ball into our net.
Me and my stupid mouth.
We had a few chances to get back into the game before half time.
Jeanmal had a great opportunity to get a shot on target from close range, but so frustratingly, rather than get a quick shot off with his right foot, tried to turn inside onto his weaker foot, and in doing so allowed the Bath defenders to close the space down and snuff out the chance.
Half time came and most of the Slough fans congregated in a covered stand along  the touchline, near the corner flag, for the second half.
Once the second half commenced  it seemed like an over officious steward tried to stop the Slough fans from standing up in this covered part of the ground.
Not sure why, as it only contained Slough fans, but things seemed to cool down soon after.
Second half we started very brightly.
Lots of possession, but once again not being able to get the ball between the goalposts.
Bath made quite a few substitutions, one was taking off their number 9 and replacing him with their number 5, so I guessed they were replacing a forward with a defender, and doing all they could to make sure they hung on to the win.
A second goal from Bath about ten minutes from the end really spelt the end of the game for us.
The highlight of this last ten minutes for me was watching a cat running full pelt down the touchline in front of us to the corner flag, jumping high up the perimeter boards and over onto the terracing beyond.
I had arranged for my wife to send me a text at 9.30pm, to tell me if the train I was booked on which left  Bath at 22.55 was still down to run ok.
This was the last train leaving Bath for Reading that evening, and if it had been cancelled I'd have really had to have rushed to the station before the game finished to get on board the second last one of the day.  
Her message told me that all was ok, the train was listed as being on  time, so I could relax and watch out the remaining few minutes of the match.
Final whistle went, and we had lost 2-0. 
I had a leisurely 35 minute stroll from the ground to the train station, and when I got there the departure boards thankfully showed the 22.55 as running on time.
Great. 
Soon after things started to change.
The departure board started to show a 6 minute delay.
Then 12 minutes.
Then 18 minutes.
There was then a platform announcement saying 
" The train hasn't yet left Bristol Temple Meads due to it having to wait for a member of train crew who has been delayed by a late running previous service.
 I will tell you when this train has left Bristol ".
Thankfully soon after this we were informed that the train had indeed left Bristol, but was going to arrive at Bath 28 minutes late.
This meant it was due to arrive at Reading  one minute after my connecting train, the 00.19 to Maidenhead had left. .
Oh great. . 
If we gained a couple of minutes en route to Reading I'd be ok.
Typically, we pulled into Reading now 33 minutes late, and my Maidenhead train had long since departed.
That meant I had to wait another 50 minutes for the 01.15 train to Maidenhead.
At least I had a nice warm waiting room all to myself until  my train arrived. 
The 01.15 train arrived on time, and  I got out at Maidenhead station and walked the 10 minutes to my car.
It was so quiet at that time of the morning.
Eerily  so.
I drove home, and walked through my front door just before 2am.
The joy's of being  a football fan !

   .
 

       

Edited March 12 by Holyport Rebel

[sdelaney2308]

Oh HR good post but I can understand how you felt.

I once booked a reserved seat Swindon to Slough for a Saturday game same problem with football rugby supporters party groups going out for the day you can bearly get on the train it was so packed i ended up standing my seat was in the distance 🫣 to Reading.

I looked at going last night but I would of needed to get on the 22.13 train to Swindon as the last bus home was 23.15 if I got your train I would of missed the bus didn't fancy paying another £20 for taxi home.

So if I knew you was going we could of shared a taxi from football ground and caught the 22.13 train i would of got the bus home and you would of got to Maidenhead on time.

Edited March 12 by sdelaney2308

[Irishadrian]

2 hours ago, Holyport Rebel said:

I know I shouldn't, but I can't help but feel a lot of responsibility for our defeat away at Bath yesterday.

It's stupid, but I should have known I shouldn't have gone ahead and done it.
Too late now. 
I can't take it back.
I'll explain more a bit later.
There had been no supporters coach to Bath last season, no supporters coach to Chippenham this season ( which is closer than Bath), so when I was aware that a supporters coach to Bath this season was "subject to numbers", I guessed that there wouldn't be enough numbers to make a coach worthwhile so I decided to go there by train.
Unlike Truro, when I booked my train tickets near to the departure date, I booked my train tickets a few weeks in advance, and got a better price for doing so.   
(It was still more expensive though than the supporters coach would have been.) 
Parking my car in the same lay by I had for Truro, I made my way to Maidenhead train station on foot and caught the train to Reading, where I was booked on the 15.55 train to Bath.
The journey to Reading was quiet and uneventful, and after a short while waiting on the Reading platform, my train to Bath pulled in.
Booking advance train tickets means you get to choose your seat, and I had deliberately chosen a forward  facing seat by a window, with a table.
Getting on my carriage , I made my way to "my" seat, and found a lady sitting there, with a blanket covering her up to her neck.
I looked around, and although the carriage wasn't busy, there were no other seats which were forward facing, by a window with a table.
If there had been I wouldn't have said anything, but there wasn't, so I said to her
"I'm sorry, but you're in my seat."
She looked up at me , she must have been about 30, and said, with an air that suggested she wasn't used to people questioning her,
" Are you serious?" 
" Err....yes"  I said back to her.
She replied in a disparaging way
" I don't believe it."
She looked around the carriage and said
"Can't you sit somewhere else ? I can't believe you want this one."
None of the other available seats were as good as the one she was sitting in ( which was why she had chosen it in the first place), and I told her I had made this booking weeks ago.
Very reluctantly she got up, saying that she was going to have words about me to the on train manager.
" You can say whatever you like to him, I don't give a monkey's." I replied.
I was eventually able to enjoy the journey to Bath.
Getting to Bath just before 5pm, I had time for a stroll around the city centre.
Very nice it was too.
It's a 35 minute walk to the ground, which is almost in a straight line from the train station.
When you get close to the ground you can see the glow of the stadium floodlights.
I like going to Bath.
It's a proper old fashioned non-league ground, with lots of decent concrete terracing.
It's looking like we may be losing this season two other old fashioned proper non-league grounds that I like visiting, St. Albans and Weymouth, so for that reason alone I hope Bath stay up. 
Hearing the team line up for the first time about 20 minutes from kick off, I realised immediately that Lewis wasn't playing, and that we had three youngsters on the bench.
It will be great to see how these youngsters get on with plenty of playing time, ONCE we are perfectly safe from the threat of relegation.
We still need just a few more points to achieve that.
Hopefully we'd get a point or three tonight.
The game started and after a few minutes Henry had the ball smashed against his arms inside the area which I feared might bring the punishment of a penalty kick, but thankfully the ref let it go. 
We had a couple of half chances early on, which gave me encouragement.
But now was the time I cost Slough the game.
Stupidly, I turned to my fellow Rebel fan standing beside me and said to him
" The match programme says that Bath haven't scored at home in their last three home league matches".

Why did I say it ?

Talk about tempting fate.
Yes, you guessed it, no more than two minutes later Bath scored.
Charlie in goal tried so hard to stop me having to curse myself, but the onslaught was too much for him and at the third attempt Bath got the ball into our net.
Me and my stupid mouth.
We had a few chances to get back into the game before half time.
Jeanmal had a great opportunity to get a shot on target from close range, but so frustratingly, rather than get a quick shot off with his right foot, tried to turn inside onto his weaker foot, and in doing so allowed the Bath defenders to close the space down and snuff out the chance.
Half time came and most of the Slough fans congregated in a covered stand along  the touchline, near the corner flag, for the second half.
Once the second half commenced  it seemed like an over officious steward tried to stop the Slough fans from standing up in this covered part of the ground.
Not sure why, as it only contained Slough fans, but things seemed to cool down soon after.
Second half we started very brightly.
Lots of possession, but once again not being able to get the ball between the goalposts.
Bath made quite a few substitutions, one was taking off their number 9 and replacing him with their number 5, so I guessed they were replacing a forward with a defender, and doing all they could to make sure they hung on to the win.
A second goal from Bath about ten minutes from the end really spelt the end of the game for us.
The highlight of this last ten minutes for me was watching a cat running full pelt down the touchline in front of us to the corner flag, jumping high up the perimeter boards and over onto the terracing beyond.
I had arranged for my wife to send me a text at 9.30pm, to tell me if the train I was booked on which left  Bath at 22.55 was still down to run ok.
This was the last train leaving Bath for Reading that evening, and if it had been cancelled I'd have really had to have rushed to the station before the game finished to get on board the second last one of the day.  
Her message told me that all was ok, the train was listed as being on  time, so I could relax and watch out the remaining few minutes of the match.
Final whistle went, and we had lost 2-0. 
I had a leisurely 35 minute stroll from the ground to the train station, and when I got there the departure boards thankfully showed the 22.55 as running on time.
Great. 
Soon after things started to change.
The departure board started to show a 6 minute delay.
Then 12 minutes.
Then 18 minutes.
There was then a platform announcement saying 
" The train hasn't yet left Bristol Temple Meads due to it having to wait for a member of train crew who has been delayed by a late running previous service.
 I will tell you when this train has left Bristol ".
Thankfully soon after this we were informed that the train had indeed left Bristol, but was going to arrive at Bath 28 minutes late.
This meant it was due to arrive at Reading  one minute after my connecting train, the 00.19 to Maidenhead had left. .
Oh great. . 
If we gained a couple of minutes en route to Reading I'd be ok.
Typically, we pulled into Reading now 33 minutes late, and my Maidenhead train had long since departed.
That meant I had to wait another 50 minutes for the 01.15 train to Maidenhead.
At least I had a nice warm waiting room all to myself until  my train arrived. 
The 01.15 train arrived on time, and  I got out at Maidenhead station and walked the 10 minutes to my car.
It was so quiet at that time of the morning.
Eerily  so.
I drove home, and walked through my front door just before 2am.
The joy's of being  a football fan !

   .
 

       

Excellent post as always and if we get relegated we now have a scapegoat lol

[Curtis]

There doesn’t appear to be a match report on our web-site yet.

Could someone please post on here at least the details of the starting line up & subs for this match.

[Holyport Rebel]

12 hours ago, sdelaney2308 said:

Oh HR good post but I can understand how you felt.

I once booked a reserved seat Swindon to Slough for a Saturday game same problem with football rugby supporters party groups going out for the day you can bearly get on the train it was so packed i ended up standing my seat was in the distance 🫣 to Reading.

I looked at going last night but I would of needed to get on the 22.13 train to Swindon as the last bus home was 23.15 if I got your train I would of missed the bus didn't fancy paying another £20 for taxi home.

So if I knew you was going we could of shared a taxi from football ground and caught the 22.13 train i would of got the bus home and you would of got to Maidenhead on time.

 

Hi Steve.

I'm always happy to walk a mile or two from a train station to whatever ground we may be playing at when I go to matches by train.

With hindsight though, the cost of a shared taxi on Tuesday night to catch the earlier 22.13 service  would have been ideal !

I've already applied online on GWR's  "Delay Repay" system, and expect to get a refund soon for half the price I paid for my ticket.

(Sadly not half the price I paid for my train trip, just half the price of the cost of the return part of my ticket. )

Once this refund is safely in my account I'll be sending an email off to their Customer Service Dept, asking for more.

If you don't ask, you don't get !    

 

Edited March 13 by Holyport Rebel