News Shopper Article

[James GNFC]

The Article in the News Shopper re 3 fans views on how we are progressing made interesting reading especially the bit in the article when it said Jason Botley refused to comment on this matter.

 

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[FleetFanatic]

I don't blame him for refusing to comment.

 

The News Shopper is an awful, Charlton-obsessed rag.

[Stu M]

Quote:

James GNFC said:Jason Botley refused to comment on this matter.

While the board may well need to make a statement or two to allay fears, Jason's quite right in making no comment on this occasion because three blokes demand it. Imagine if he caved in on this one - every tom, dick and harry would be demanding board action when they're displeased about something.

[Jimmy]

What was said in the News Shopper for those fortunate enough not to receive it?

[James GNFC]

Very Fair Comment Stu & FF!

 

Not alot of any interest Jimmy to be honest just a few fans saying about how they fear we will be relegated for not having enough players for the start of the season.

 

It mentioned about Paul Booth as well. the 3 fans mentioned in the article that they were annoyed with the amount of information or lack of that the club was giving to fans.

 

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[BustaGut]

My problem with the article is that it may drive more people away.Fans, future players,sponsors alike.

It was more than likely meant with good intent to obtain some kind of information from the club,but as I said I feel it maybe damaging to the club.

[Slartibartfast]

Quote:

James GNFC said:

Not alot of any interest Jimmy to be honest just a few fans saying about how they fear we will be relegated for not having enough players for the start of the season.

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It is incredible how many of our fans don't seem to realise the difference between not needing a team in May and June and not having a team in August.
There is no way we will not have enough players for the start of the season, whether the players we do have are good enough or not is a different matter of course but we will have a team.
I have to say that my hopes of us signing one or two good, experienced Conference players have picked up considerably with the events at Canvey and Crawley, unfortunate for both of those sides but a possible opportunity for us.
I still believe that there will be players who have not been taken up after trialling at league clubs like Gillingham, Southend, or QPR who would not dream of signing for us now but will be desperate to sign in late July early August.

[Hempstead Gaz]

I suppose we will have to get used to the mindset of using pre-season games and the first 5 or 6 league games as "team bonding" games, much as the same as the past.

Unfortunately, in order to be a bit more ambitious than merely being a survival club, you do need to hit the ground running as far as the league is concerened, and you really out to have a settled, bonded squad, well practiced and fit, and raring to game from league game 1.

With only 37 days to go before the pre season games start, LD will now have his work cut out to sign up the 10 or so players he needs to complete his squad in time for some practice games.

[Stu M]

Quote:

Chatham Gary said:
Unfortunately, in order to be a bit more ambitious than merely being a survival club,

But that's what we are at present. I think the whole mindset at the club is geared to sticking in the Conference until this whole new ground thing gets off the...erm, ground. It's what the club needs - a fresh start and a new lease of life, and as we exist now, in a dilapidated stadium with vanishing support, we are only ever going to be a survival team - which is fine by me as long as the plan to stay in the Conference works in the time it takes us to move to a new stadium.

[Fleet4Ever]

I hope it will be possible for a club like ours to cherry pick a few players from the Canvey and Crawley sides. This should add 3/4 players to the squad of implemented by the manager.

Stay Clear of relegation this season, I'm a happy supporter. When this stadium is sorted out, thats when I hope this club will make steps forward, both on and off the field.

[Stu M]

I wonder if the strongly rumoured recruitment of Ben Judge from Crawley last season will be followed up?

[Gordon T]

Why is it, that we are unhappy with 14th in the table? I could name a hell of a lot of teams with their supporters that would trade everything to be where we are...

 

We have always been at best (maybe at times through luck) a mid/lower half conference team. I dont mind too much, obviously however I go into supporting everygame with a "we can win" mindset, but its probably not going to happen for a few years, even after we have a new stadium success will not come easy to us!!

 

Yes we only have 5/6 players, but I for one cannot bloody wait to be back out singing for the fleet, its gonna be a rocky road but i can't bloody wait, and no this is not me sticking my head in the sand forgetting problems, this is me supporting the club/management/players in all decisions they make

 

sorry for being an eternal optimist, and realising the limitations we have. (yes its probably impossible, but its how I feel i am as a supporter)

 

e-i-e-i-e-i-o up te conference we will go!!

[Slartibartfast]

You are quite right Gordon, finishing 14th is still fighting above our weight given the size of our budget compared to other clubs in our league.

Even with those constraints we can still go to each game looking for a win, as long as we remember that we can win any game but we can't win every game.

Whatever team we put out I will be 100% behind every one of them.

[michael]

We have suffered similarly at Margate in the past three seasons, but equally, did not Paul Fairclough win the championsip with Barnet two seasons ago with a young squad that he assembled entirely during the summer months !!!!

[Matt (GNFC)]

The truth of the matter is that expectations for last year were for a strong push for a play off place, i know for a fact this was one member of the boards expectation as well. Thats why our finishing position was a big disappointment.

[Stu M]

Quote:

Matt (GNFC) said:
Thats why our finishing position was a big disappointment.

Agreed... but I'm not sure that big disappointments justify calling out the chairman in the local rag.

[Slartibartfast]

Quote:

Matt (GNFC) said:
The truth of the matter is that expectations for last year were for a strong push for a play off place, i know for a fact this was one member of the boards expectation as well. Thats why our finishing position was a big disappointment.

I don't understand why anyone, even the most optomistic boardmember or supporter would have had those expectations.
Given our poor finish to the previous season, our new manager, our paltry budget and the fact that we were in a transition period a play off place would have been a very tall order.
I realise that it is a very small number of people but the majority of fans who take part in F.F.'s prediction league had us down for a 3rd quartile position last season, I suspect that next years predictions will be for a similar finish.

[jc]

Quote:

Stu M said: I think the whole mindset at the club is geared to sticking in the Conference until this whole new ground thing gets off the...erm, ground.

Indeed - in fact, Daish was quoted as saying that he hoped his new squad would allow the club to 'buy some time' before the move to the new ground.

Once again, as has been the case ever since we were promoted in 2001/2002, survival in the Conference will be perfectly satisfactory to me.

[Graham S]

Quote:

Slartibartfast said:

I still believe that there will be players who have not been taken up after trialling at league clubs like Gillingham, Southend, or QPR who would not dream of signing for us now but will be desperate to sign in late July early August.

Boy at the school where I work, who is at Charlton, reckons don't write off Onome Sodje eventually signing for us. (Must admit I'd be surprised if the reports of his b*ggering us about last season are correct.)

Apparently no one picked him up at Lilleshall, but he's going for a trial at Gillingham....

Graham S

[Andrewc]

Quote:

Chatham Gary said:
I suppose we will have to get used to the mindset of using pre-season games and the first 5 or 6 league games as "team bonding" games, much as the same as the past.
Unfortunately, in order to be a bit more ambitious than merely being a survival club, you do need to hit the ground running as far as the league is concerened, and you really out to have a settled, bonded squad, well practiced and fit, and raring to game from league game 1.
With only 37 days to go before the pre season games start, LD will now have his work cut out to sign up the 10 or so players he needs to complete his squad in time for some practice games.

Jumping in feet first to sign new players just as an old season has ended may be ok for those Clubs with a bit of cash to splash from FA Cup runs like Burton, Tamworth etc but unfortunately we cannot put ourselves in that category this year. So on that basis the directors and team management have to play it cautiosuly and if that means the fans have to wait a little while longer for new players to come along so be it. Pre-season training won't start until I guess early July so in my view there is no need for concern at this time. I'm sure that the LD and AK have their targets, but at the right price.

Also, it may have escaped your notice that one of the reasons for going fully full time was so that the management had as much training/bonding time, call it what you like, as possible with all the players in the squad rather than some full time and others two nights a week. In this way once the squad has been assembled pre season games can be played as such instead of psuedo training sessions.