Programme et al

[GHA EFM]

Right. I know it's rather pointless, as this is the Officially Unofficial and Secret Closed Football Forum That No-One That Needs To Know Knows About, and so no action will be taken over any points raised, but I feel it needs raising anyway.

 

There is one programme (price £1.50) for 4 (four) friendlies - those of Luton, Watford, Millwall and Charlton (?). Mr. Gibson, not many regular punters are going to buy 4 programmes, are they?

 

One programme, four matches, yet not one page mentioning the possible City line-up for any game? Mr. Gibson, to new punters who turn up to one friendly and buy a programme, they're not going to know much about the side. A line-up would help. Come to think of it, a full line-up would help the match announcer (rather than him announcing players' first initials followed by the surnames).

 

The middle-page, a poster of the victorious Bedford team after the final whistle celebrating. Great idea and all that. The programme obviously wasn't proof-read though, was it? Or was it? 'SOUTHERN LEAGUE, HERE WE COME' is the headline at the bottom.

 

We're not Southern League bound, we're Conference South-bound. Yet for all four programmes new punters aren't going to know that, are they?

 

Out of three people with luminous yellow jackets yesterday, I spotted one new face. The 'drive' doesn't seem to have taken off yet. As an aside, the chap with the walking stick. How on Earth can he even be considered a steward? How is he going to contribute in times of crisis? He didn't even realise there were about four or five kids sitting on top of the match sponsors board, thus almost entering the field of play. EFM wouldn't get away with that. He didn't do anything about it, and they were no more than 20 metres away from him.

 

 

It would seem, unfortunately, as though nothing has changed.

[AFF]

I spotted that the one programme from last night is intended to cover the 4 pre-season friendly matches, GHA, and I was so impressed with the thing that I determined to buy one at each of the games that I attend. Just to show willing. Help the club at a time of tight fiscal policy, etc. etc.

 

Although I am too young to sit down and watch a game, my father isn't and I shall bring a bucket, sponge and detergent to clean a seat for him at the next game.

 

The hooligans sitting on the Sponsors sign board, GHA. The sponsors last night were David Lane Associates, Planning Consultants from St Albans. Their first sponsorship of the club. They would have been in the boardroom, directly opposite the sign, presumably. In the first half those louts turned the letters of 'Lane' round making OXZE or some such. HeHeHe.

 

I've known people thrown out for less.

 

[mdetaylor]

Barnet not Charlton

 

Charlton gets its own programme

 

You may also have noticed that the Luton page had had more time spent on it

[GHA EFM]

Charlton. We're playing Charlton, are we?

 

Quote:

Fri Jul 16 Welling United 19.45 A Friendly

Thu Jul 22 Jianlibao 19.45 local time A Friendly

Sun Jul 25 Guangzhou Sunray Cove 16.30 local time A Friendly

Wed Jul 28 Wycombe Wanderers 19.45 A Friendly

Fri Jul 30 Gillingham 19.45 A Friendly

Sat Jul 31 Luton Town 15.00 A Friendly

Tue Aug 03 Colchester United 19.45 A Friendly

Fri Aug 06 Chievo Verona 19.45 H Friendly

 

That's taken from the Charlton Athletic Football Club website Fixtures & Reports page. I've copied and pasted all the friendlies from the list.

 

'Guangzhou Sunray Cove'. Can someone tell them it's City, not Cove?

[YB941 5thD EFM ~soul~]

As for "Southern League Here We Come"... maybe they know more about it than we do.

 

Seems the Conference South/North have been told to drop the "Conference" part of their name at an AGM last night.

 

So we are in the Southern League.

 

<img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

 

 

[GHA EFM]

The Southern League's the one Braintree are in, isn't it? Or is it Bedford?

[Laz]

Perhaps they are thinking ahead.

[YB941 5thD EFM ~soul~]

GHA - you are right, but there is a link somewhere to the Stortford board, which has a news item about the "Conference" part of the division's name having to be dropped.

 

I hate non-league football.

 

 

[AFF]

Strange about the Luton page, mdet!

 

[i noticed that Paris Opai gets a mench among the Luton penpics, and, of course, he played for us last night. I had a picture of Steve Castle chatting to Mick Harford before the game:

SC "Wotcha Mick. You won't belive it bu Craigy Rydeheard hasn't shown. You haven't got someone who could play wide right for us, mate?"

MH "Course we can help out, Steve. I'll tell Parisy to get himself into your changing room for this one".]

 

Anyway mdet. If you have any influence in that direction, you might like to mention to the chap who drafts the text for the programme that it should be "Conference South here we come!" rather than "Southern League etc." if that centre spread is to be used for the Charlton game.

[Rob_the_Saint]

It's the Mationwide South. No Conference, no League, just Nationwide South.

[GHA EFM]

Right. So it shouldn't be 'SOUTHERN LEAGUE HERE WE COME!' then, should it?

 

And another thing. Was the '1 Programme, 4 matches' scheme introduced to save money, time, effort?

 

Let's say it was to save money. We had plenty of time during the close season (we didn't sign anyone for the first half of it) and the effort thing can't be right. So we saved money. Surely we could've taken a little of the money saved and put it intoa half-decent publication in colour??

[The Lyrical Tarantula]

Maybe the slogan "Southern League here we come" was sent to the printers before the Bedford game and the photo was just to be inserted afterwards. Imagine the printers surprise when that photo of all the saints fan in tears didn't arrive .... too late to change the wording now though!

[Woody]

Parys Okai has been trialling with the Saints most of the pre-season, AFF. Keep up now.

[AFF]

Thanks for that Woody. Noted.

 

I'll ask mdetaylor to mention that to the chap who 'spent more time' on the Luton Town FC page in the programme:

 

Parys 'Parysy' Okai: 21 year old pacy right winger. Local lad, a product of the Hatters successful Youth side. Made his debut for the 1st team 2002. 14 senior appearances last term. Been trialling with The Mighty Saints most of this pre-season.

 

Hi Rob.

 

I'll take that as Nationwide South then Rob. The 'M' and the 'N' are beside each other on the letter thing at the bottom of the PC on mine as well!

 

One of the great mysteries of the Universe is this. Why aren't the 'Q' and the 'U' beside each other on a keyboard?

 

Hi GHA.

 

Are you sure you got that fixture list from the correct 'Charlton Athletic F.C.' web-site?

 

If so they have a game in Chievo Verona on Friday August 6th and they are playing at our place on the Saturday. Perhaps they fly back to the UK via Luton and they'll stop the coach for a refreshment break at t'Park on the way down to London. A quick 45 minutes each way and onward. A good day for us to take on a team from the top flight. They ought to be jet-lagged.

 

They ought to put the match on their web-site though. All the CAFC season-ticket holders who live in Hertfordshire would want to come along, I would have thought.

[mdetaylor]

I think that the 4 in 1 idea was the chairman's (or at least a directorial decision). The centre spread almost certainly was nothing to do with the chap who spruced up the Luton page.

 

One other thing, did you notice how Watford elected to have a pen-pic of Jimmy Davis the Man Utd loanee who sadly died last year.

[GHA EFM]

Bad news about the 'Chievo - they'll be jet-lagged' idea, the game's being played at the Valley.

 

Oh, and no mention of the friendly on the Charlton - Mad! website (remember them?).

 

Bit odd, all this. We're printing a seperate programme for a friendly against a side who may well not actually know we're playing them.

 

Slightly worrying, too.

[AFF]

Hi mdet.

 

I have no problem with the 1 programme for 4 matches idea. It would be very difficult to have too much 'current' news relative to The Mighty Saints as things seem to be changing every day. [i heard a very disturbing rumour that Neilly Gough is no longer with us this morning, but I won't pass that on].

 

I was very careful to use the expression 'drafting error' when referring to the banner relating to the Southern League. There is no way that one could go down to the Graphic Designer chap. I blame herts blue actually.

 

I didn't spot the Jimmy Davis penpic as I wanted to leave the Watford page until we play them. I hope it is a 'tribute' rather than out of date as if he is still with them?

 

Hi GHA.

 

I've had a thought. It could be one of those minor administrative errors that anyone could make. How about checking Carshalton Athletic's web-site to see if it's them? Oldham Athletic? Athletico Bilbao is a hell of a long shot. I think there's an Aussie Rules side called Carlton.

 

 

 

 

[mdetaylor]

Tribute but smacks of space filler

[GHA EFM]

I'll have a look at the famous Sunday-Leaguers Athletico Wigan as well.

 

Nothing on the Millwall or Barnet sites, either.

 

The Watford double pager, any big recognisable names in the pen pics section?

[AFF]

Chorlton cum Hardy F.C.?