Away support and facilities.

[I.C.@G&NFC]

I'd been told over the last week or so how great the Oven Chip Stadium was, but what a let down. It looks like exactly what it is, a shabby ex-league arena that has seen better days, with facilities to match.

Being the first and at that time only one through the gate, I jokingly said I'd hold back the masses of Gravesend supporters. The lone steward asked asked how many we were bringing. 'Not many', I said. 'About 100 to 150'. Blind Bigot must of heard the clang as his jaw hit the floor in Huddersfield.

They were expecting a handful of supporters, so only had two stewards available. Chips(of course), Pot Noodles or sweets to eat and only tea, coffee or chocolate to drink. 'It's a long way to come, just for a game of football', the steward had said. No wonder a lot of these Conference clubs bring so few supporters to Stonebridge Rd. Talk about lack of interest and bloody lazy.

Luckily, I and most of the other suppoters had eaten in Scarborough before the game, though they did manage to get some pies and burgers from the home end, but as I say of the ground, it's staff and it's facilities, very, very shabby.

 

A warning to all other Conference grounds. You can expect at least 100+ Gravesend supporters, and we like our food and drink hot, and plenty of it.

[Guest]

Sorry you didn't like the McStad - 3 years of one finanical crisis after another have hampered ground improvements/maintenance somewhat. It's still a better ground than most in the Conference though. Have you been to Farnborough? It piddled down big style yesterday, but you will have kept dry.

 

The stewards come mainly from a firm based in Hull. They are not footballing people and they cannot even understand the home fans for turning up for games, never mind visitors from the far-flung south.

 

I daresay the caterers did underestimate the visitors numbers - Margate brought a mini-bus load up the other week and other Kent teams like Dover/Welling etc brought very very few up with them. Well done on having a good away support.

 

As regards the game, Chances galore and G&N missed a gilt-edged one very early on. I knew our luck was in there and then. Could have been a 7-7 draw.

 

 

[jc]

Thanks for your honest and informative reply.

[I.C.@G&NFC]

I must admit the steward did say that your caterers were outside contractors,too.

 

And we met Ryan Mallon three weeks ago at Halifax. Also, if the fat, lazy lino had kept up he would also of seen that Mallon was off-side.

[Alan W (GNFC)]

IC - As I wasnt there, I dont know if Mallon was offside or not, but talk like that will get us the sort of name that we've given to some of our opposition - bad losers and all that - your suggestion that he was offside has not been mentioned elsewhere & I think you're on dodgy ground.

 

At the end of the day, they took one more of their chances than we did, and thats that !!

[FleetFanatic]

Bad losers? <img src="/forums/images/icons/confused.gif" alt="" />

 

Just think of how many points having poor officials has cost us this season. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif" alt="" />

 

Now I wasn't there either on Saturday - but the standard of these people is so poor that you can't help but to complain!

[Jimmy]

I've heard that the goal was slightly dubious in the offside stakes from 5 other people, seeing as I.C was actually present, as he always usually is, I'd be more inclined to believe him.

I don't mind losing but when the officials have influenced the result as they always seem to do it gets pretty wearing.

 

[David Holden]

The match report will be of the opinion that both Mallon and another player were offside at the time the ball was played.

[Andy Y. (G&NFC)]

I wasn't at the game either, but Geoff was keeping me updated (and Awake) all the time and said he was miles off. Geoff is an ex-ref and is generally unbiased. BUT we will never get any friends if we continually have a go at the officials.

 

I was watching the Spanish game on Sky last night and there was an interesting interview with one of the Real players who had the view that match officials weren't biased but they made mistakes. It was just something you had to live with.

 

I agree that the standard has been poor this year but it generally evens itself out over the course of a season. That said if that pillock who reffed the Stevenage game ever comes within 20 miles of Stonebridge I'll nail the b*****d myself!

 

Nice to see seadogD and the reports on their web-site say good things about our club. We can be very quick to slag supporters off (myself included) but lets give credit where its due.

 

[Andy Y. (G&NFC)]

And another thing...... If you think the catering was bad there did you go to (dodgy) Barnet?

 

At least the Tea bar in Scarborough sold Tea!!!!

[Guest]

I was there and I "counted" 35 of your fans!!!

[David Holden]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote wimbldonseadog:</font><hr />

I was there and I "counted" 35 of your fans!!!

 

<hr></blockquote>

 

Didn't your feet get cold?

[Yorkie]

Sorry to let you down guys. I had hoped to get to scarborough but ended up travelling down to gravesend for the weekend to show off new arrival to parents!!!

Keep the fleet flag flying

Yorkie

[Alan W (GNFC)]

As a coach ran to the game, and at least 40 people are needed to make that viable, I think you probably need to go back to school to learn to count - especially as there would no doubt have been Fleet fans who used their own transport to get there ! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/thefinger_red.gif" alt="" />

[FleetFanatic]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote wimbldonseadog:</font><hr />

I was there and I "counted" 35 of your fans!!!

 

<hr></blockquote>

 

Tut tut - you are getting confused with the Dons home support again.....