Half time entertainment

[Hempstead Gaz]

After only 2 games, the crossbar 'challenged' has decended into comedy.

10 year olds wearing trainers, tring to hit the bar from 25 yards with a flat medicine ball perched on a loose mat. Even Beckham or Debolla would struggle!

Can't see the prize going that often!

And why use the mat?

A 6 stone lad in trainers is hardly likely to cause more damage to the pitch than Matt ' Haystacks' Redmile .

[Riverview Supporter]

How about resurecting "Kenny Bingo" like discussed years back. Everyone picks 5 kennyisms and whoever has all five knocked off by half time wins..

 

How do you split £40 between 1000 people. 4 p each

[John Pearce]

Quote:

Chatham Gary said:
After only 2 games, the crossbar 'challenged' has decended into comedy.
10 year olds wearing trainers, tring to hit the bar from 25 yards with a flat medicine ball perched on a loose mat. Even Beckham or Debolla would struggle!
Can't see the prize going that often!
And why use the mat?
A 6 stone lad in trainers is hardly likely to cause more damage to the pitch than Matt ' Haystacks' Redmile .

The sponsors obviously don't want to have to pay out too often, so appear to be making it as difficult as is possible. The first attempt on Saturday barely reached the goal, let alone hit the cross bar.

Perhaps the first payment should be given to Macdonald for his goal attempt in the second half??

[John Pearce]

Quote:

Quecerasaha said:

Perhaps the first payment should be given to Macdonald for his goal attempt in the second half??

Before all the usual criticism's etc etc begin to appear....what I said was meant as a joke! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Harry J Allstars]

I think your all missing the point. The half time entertainment is meant to be crap, that way people won't want to watch and will go into the bar instead. At least I think so.

[Fleetbabe]

At the moment, the cross bar challenge pot isn't that big. A lot of adults who by the programme have given the vouchers to the kids. We're hoping that as the pot gets bigger, more adults will try it.

 

As for the mat, its one of the conditions that we have in being allowed to run the challenge. It's so that the pitch doesn't get huge divets taken out of it, which could affect play in the second half, or cause a player an injury. The safety of the GNFC players and their opposition is paramount to the challenge, so the decision was taken to use a mat to protect damage to the pitch.

[Riverview Red]

You have obviously never played the game !

 

To chip a ball onto the bar you need to get your foot under the ball, which is exactly what those poor boys were trying to do on Saturday.

 

However, the mat stops that being possible and the whole thing is becoming a joke.

[FleetFanatic]

Quote:

Fleetbabe said:
At the moment, the cross bar challenge pot isn't that big. A lot of adults who by the programme have given the vouchers to the kids. We're hoping that as the pot gets bigger, more adults will try it.

As for the mat, its one of the conditions that we have in being allowed to run the challenge. It's so that the pitch doesn't get huge divets taken out of it, which could affect play in the second half, or cause a player an injury. The safety of the GNFC players and their opposition is paramount to the challenge, so the decision was taken to use a mat to protect damage to the pitch.

As the prize is in cash and involves the purchase of an item to stand a chance of winning, does this competition fall under any lottery / gaming laws?

I'm sure this has all been checked out but I am just curious as to whether allowing minors to participate is or is not a breach of anything?

[David Holden]

Probably not, because it involves an element of skill rather than pure chance.

[FleetFanatic]

Good to hear as the last thing the club needs is any problems.

[Fleet4Ever]

Quote:

Fleetbabe said:
The safety of the GNFC players and their opposition is paramount to the challenge, so the decision was taken to use a mat to protect damage to the pitch.

So after three efforts of trying to hit the crossbar, the pitch is going to be churned up and 'dangerous' for the players?

What a load nonesense.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Quote:

Harry J Allstars said:
I think your all missing the point. The half time entertainment is meant to be crap, that way people won't want to watch and will go into the bar instead. At least I think so.

That makes Hirsty God..........He has always thought that way! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/bow.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Hirsty]

Steady on now.......

....my half time dash to the bar also enables me to avail myself of the facilities to get rid of the pre match entertaiment i.e the several pints consumed to ease pre match nerves !!

 

Cheers,

 

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

[Andy Y. (G&NFC)]

Two of the three lads who took part in the crossbar challenge on Saturday are in my charge!

 

They both play to a good standard at their respective years, and the oldest plays for the district. One of the lads who took part in the first week is a club goalkeeper with a kick like a mule! (How r u Fleet-boy!)

 

I can say with absolute certainty that both are well capable of doing serious damage to a goalkeeper from that distance under normal conditions. (I will carry the scars from having a ball booted at me by the little buggers for a long time!)

 

Now I'm not moaning too much because they were well pleased just to be on the pitch

 

But, neither of them could kick it off the mat as they couldn't get their foot under it and its raised well above the level of the pitch. Also, they weren't allowed to even get a touch of the ball beforehand so they had no idea how heavy it was. As a result, all three were made to look like kids with no idea whose only future in football is maybe a place in the Tamworth defence to look forward to.

 

I'm sorry Fleetbabe, I think its a great idea but the rules have got to give the participants a chance.

[chris blanc]

I does sound like it needs a re-think

[MHL]

Couple of Barmaids certainly got my mates attention, aside from beer and update on other scores not something to be sniffed at.

[Jeff]

We couldn't even get served in the bar on Saturday.

It wasn't that busy either.

Gave up in the end.

[JimGNFC]

Quote:

Riverview Red said:
To chip a ball onto the bar you need to get your foot under the ball, <SNIP> However, the mat stops that being possible and the whole thing is becoming a joke.

Maybe similar to Golf and Rugby the Club could invest in a "Football Tee" that could sit on the mat. This would allow the kids to evelate the ball sufficiently to have at least a chance of hitting the crossbar. See link below as an idea:

http://www.prokicker.com/catalog/products-c-34_28.html

[Bernard]

Quote:

Fleetbabe said:
As for the mat, its one of the conditions that we have in being allowed to run the challenge. It's so that the pitch doesn't get huge divets taken out of it, which could affect play in the second half, or cause a player an injury. The safety of the GNFC players and their opposition is paramount to the challenge, so the decision was taken to use a mat to protect damage to the pitch.

You miss the point here, I feel. If protecting the pitch by means of a mat will jeopardise the chances of hitting the crossbar, then don't do the challenge in the first place. There was more than one heckler on Saturday as the 'compere' came on the pitch and the mockery continued until the challenge was over. Surely the idea is to attract people to the Fleet, not to alienate them by showing our club to be incapable of organising anything more taxing than an orgy in a brothel.

[NAG Boy Dan]

it will only ever be kids as no "grown-up" will come on the pitch infront of 1,000 people (sounds about right) and kick a ball 2 inches off the matt.