'The Big One' - Kentish Town v Cockfosters

[Rhodes]

Morning all, just thought I would start a new thread, Gavin style, on our eagerly awaited top of the table clash with Cockfosters this afternoon which definitely goes ahead. This is partly due to the fact that I have been bombarded with phone calls this morning from all and sundry from all over the country asking whether the game is on, we are expecting our biggest crowd of the season by far, possibly even a full house as the interest in the game is unsurprisingly massive:

The following is from our Website:

'The news this fine morning from Claremont Road headquarters is good in that today's game with Cockfosters definitely goes ahead following a lot of rain yesterday and overnight. There were fears that the eagerly awaited encounter could be in doubt and an early pitch inspection was thought to be likely however Hendon have given us the all clear to go ahead on the hallowed turf which should hopefully see an old fashioned classic between the top two sides in Division 1 who will battle it out, Gladiator style, to a finish.

Town are hoping to be at full strength other than the suspended Tom McMullen and Daryl Malcolm is also a doubt, Daniel Young is expected to return to the side following his absence at Hoddesdon Town last week although, incredibly, he was barely missed in a midfield that was marshalled so effectively by the on fire Shaka Cole, Safraz Pivano and Thomas Kanaris who is expected to slot into Tom McMullen's position today. Dave Dawson also returns to the squad following his absence last week and against Amersham Town a fortnight ago and is likely to resume his telepathic partnership in attack with Lee Scott who only needs to look at a ball at present and it flies into the back of the net'.

[Horace]

Predicted attendance = 30

[Horace]

Kentish Town 0 Cockfosters No-Hopers Away From Home 2

[Horace]

Originally Posted By: Horace

Kentish Town 0 Cockfosters No-Hopers Away From Home 2

1 Cockfosters 17 12 1 4 28 18 +10 37
2 Kentish Town 17 11 2 4 43 19 +24 35

[Lato]

I presume Lee Scott had his eyes shut or wasn't looking at the ball throughout the game apart from twice when he briefly opened them in his own penalty area then!

 

I expect Cockfosters will be thinking all their Christmas's came at once after this result and I await the report and comment on the game with interest.

[Football Man]

I think we can put it down to that "winter Saturday" thing!

[Horace]

Come on Rhodes, tell us all about it! Very impressive crowd - all from Cockfosters?

[Rhodes]

Horace - The game should have been abandoned just after the interval when the Referee even took the players off the field for a ten minute period to take shelter and allow the biblical style deluge to subside, when it did, and the players came back, it was debatable whether the hallowed Claremont Road turf was playable and I dread to think what Hendon are going to say when they see the state it has been left in. Fair play to Cockfosters for winning the game, they played well and were in our faces again Wimbledon '88 style from the word go however the conditions played right into their hands as we were unable to play our normal Brazil '70 football with the ball barely able to roll its circumference. Yes the crowd of 81 was okay but they weren't all from Cockfosters, mind you they must have the most people on their Committee in the SSML as at least 20 must have come in with passes asking for a free programme.

[Football Man]

Originally Posted By: Rhodes

however the conditions played right into their hands as we were unable to play our normal Brazil '70 football

You mean you couldn't cope with a wintry Saturday? What a surprise!

[Rhodes]

Well we could have converted to our Leeds early 70's style but even then the conditions would have probably beaten us as Cockfosters appeared to be far more suited to them with their long ball game down the middle to their old fashioned Dixie Dean type centre forward, Ben Penfold, who scored both goals. As I said I'm not taking anything away from the Chalk Lane Club, good luck to them, but they didn't beat us today, the conditions did.

[GRS67]

I see you got a crowd of 90! thats bigger then ours. Do Cockfosters have good support, as I see they have decent enough support for div 1.

 

I am suppried that the game went ahead, and was not called off mid game, as we all know that Hendon's pitch has been a problem the last few seasons.

[Rhodes]

Gavin - Yes, the Referee actually took the players off the field for ten minutes during the height of the deluge however brought them back and restarted the game when really an abandonment would have been the most sensible decision particularly as the wind was blowing advertising hoardings all over the place, I'm not just saying that because we were 1-0 down at the time. As for the crowd Cockfosters did come mob handed but it was their biggest game of the season and I suppose you could call it a local derby.

[Football Man]

Originally Posted By: Rhodes

I'm not taking anything away from the Chalk Lane Club, good luck to them, but they didn't beat us today, the conditions did.

Funny how the conditions didn't beat Cockfosters!

[Horace]

Forgot to mention that it was a "double" for Cockfosters, and no goals conceded! They sure know how to deal with Total Football!

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted By: Potters Bar Town FC

Funny how the conditions didn't beat Cockfosters!

No, but as explained they are not a footballing side, they play to their kick and rush strengths similar to Brache Sparta.

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted By: Potters Bar Town FC

Funny how the conditions didn't beat Cockfosters!

No, but as explained they are not a footballing side, they play to their kick and rush strengths similar to Brache Sparta, unlike our total football style of the Dutch teams from 1974 and 1978.

[HTFCew]

Originally Posted By: Rhodes

Originally Posted By: Potters Bar Town FC

Funny how the conditions didn't beat Cockfosters!

No, but as explained they are not a footballing side, they play to their kick and rush strengths similar to Brache Sparta.

Playing to their strengths for the conditions eh? Must be why they are top of the league.

[cock o the north]

Kentish Town 0 Conditions FC(formerly Cockfosters) 2

No wonder it obviously wasn't a contest if they had Dixie Dean as well.

[Hendonboy]

Originally Posted By: Gavin

I see you got a crowd of 90! thats bigger then ours. Do Cockfosters have good support, as I see they have decent enough support for div 1.

I am suppried that the game went ahead, and was not called off mid game, as we all know that Hendon's pitch has been a problem the last few seasons.

You mean the same pitch that saw it's first senior game called off in five years only a fortnight ago, on a day when everyone barring the referee agreed it was playable? That said, given the rain we saw at Leyton, I'd imagine that by the second half, yes our pitch probably would have been unplayable.

[Football Man]

Originally Posted By: Hendonboy

You mean the same pitch that saw it's first senior game called off in five years only a fortnight ago, on a day when everyone barring the referee agreed it was playable? That said, given the rain we saw at Leyton, I'd imagine that by the second half, yes our pitch probably would have been unplayable.

I think he means the same pitch that was fortunate enough to be protected for a season by a £10k plastic cover that the club paid nothing for as Bravo TV shelled out for it following the postponement of a Fash XI match.