Property developers and the death of non league football clubs

paulisi · Tennis legend

Property developers and the death of non league football clubs

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Hamlet turned up at Maidstone with another new (striker) player Shamir Mullings straight in the team on a months loan from Aldershot. I think we are touching 70 players in 18 months and a meagre 9pts from the last 45 available.

The first 15 minutes was unrelenting pressure from Hamlet.

Unfortunately our defence has more perforations than a Tetley tea bag. True to form on the 17th minutes Maidstone broke away to open the scoring, quickly scored another and apart from a brief rally before half time it became a routine spanking.

By definition our trip into the Kent country side became another pointless outing.

The club is run by fans (ie all the directors are fans) whose primary motivation was altruistic and to keep the club afloat, our managers have just completed 600 games in charge and been in charge for a decade, incrementally they have done an outstanding job of taking us through step 3 and 4.

They have a very decent budget for this level, we have gone full time yet are flirting with relegation. I cant say I envy those making the football related decisions but it maybe time to make some tough ones.

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Monday 30th of December 2019 09:13:45 AM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

So, firstly apologies that I havent been on this chat section for a little while. I have been following the National League and Harrogate from the comfort of my laptop as firstly my son going to live in London took away my attendance partner for matches and then work got in the way.

But...Town have coped well without my support, and are now sitting comfortably in 4th place, several points clear of 5th and right on the tail of 3rd and 2nd (Bromley and Yeovil), with Barrow at the top and with games in hand. Town took good points versus Hartlepool (twice, home and away) and Chorley over Xmas ( I like the Boxing Day/New Years Day double headers home and away to the same opponents, good move and harking back to the olden days when that was quite normal).

Town are playing Maidenhead this weekend and son and I plan to go before he heads back down south on Sunday. Crowds coming back as well, always going to be fickle in a non footie town. There is a hardcore Town support of around 600-700 and then this season we are getting around 500 more due to National League and perhaps up to another 500 or 600 more will come as we start to challenge for the play offs again. If we ever got up into League Two, I suspect we would get no more than 2000 each week, initially we would get above that but I think as we get into a season we would struggle to better that and think 1500 is more likely, which isnt good but it was where we are.

Rumour flying around of us taking a player from Inter Milan who is currently at Hastings United. Must be the funny season. Simon Weaver playing it down, Hastings bosses playing it up. Truth probably in the middle

www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/sport/football/harrogate-town-boss-plays-down-clubs-interest-former-inter-milan-striker-1353446

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

PS - reading Peter Crouch book, good read and enjoying it - never realised he was at Dulwich Hamlet on loan in his early days!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

And, according to his recent podcast, could have been a professional tennis player !

Oakland2002 · All-time great

JonH comes home wrote:
PS - reading Peter Crouch book, good read and enjoying it - never realised he was at Dulwich Hamlet on loan in his early days!

The peak of his career!

Hamlet have now loaned a defender from Millwall and got a New Years Day win at Hampton and Richmond! Trouble with the trains so I went down to watch Herne Bay v Whitstable with 830! other, top step 4 gate of the day 3-0 win for the hosts beautiful curling side footed finish from 18 yds for the third. All for a tenner! Best of my three festive games (Millwall v Brentford £27 1-0, Maidstone Hamlet 4-1 £15)

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Saturday 4th of January 2020 03:26:56 AM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Oakland2002 wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
PS - reading Peter Crouch book, good read and enjoying it - never realised he was at Dulwich Hamlet on loan in his early days!
The peak of his career!

Hamlet have now loaned a defender from Millwall and got a New Years Day win at Hampton and Richmond! Trouble with the trains so I went down to watch Herne Bay v Whitstable with 830! other, top step 4 gate of the day 3-0 win for the hosts beautiful curling side footed finish from 18 yds for the third. All for a tenner! Best of my three festive games (Millwall v Brentford £27 1-0, Maidstone Hamlet 4-0 £15)

Sounds like a good mix. My son has managed to get to three matches since being in the smoke - Charlton v Derby, Palace v Liverpool (away end), and Leyton Orient v Bradford (away section and felt very intimidated apparently!)

paulisi · Tennis legend

I did three matches as well over the holiday period.
Southport v Chester
Altrincham v Southport
Prescot v Marine

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Not that I went but a fair number of Hamlet fans did and talk very highly of their preseason trip to Marine. Torn today between the Crayola derby Hamlet v Braintree, Fulham v Villa Reserves and a play off battle between Cray Valley PM v Herne Bay.

seriously tempted by CVPM v Herne Bay after the quality of the finish for the Bays third on New Years Day, clip doesnt really do it justice as missing by 2 ft when left his foot and bent like a banana. I am sure this Ex Millwall then Chelsea academy youngster wont be around for long but presently playing some beautiful football in the bay. Teaming up with Zac Ansah ex Arsenal (16 goals this season so far!) and this goal is one of a number of similar finishes so far this season from TT.

HBFCSA on Twitter

Probably go for a splash of colour ie. the first

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Saturday 4th of January 2020 05:51:25 AM

paulisi · Tennis legend

We have York at home today(who are second), then a trip to AFC Fylde in the trophy. We have somehow never played there and it's supposed to be a very nice ground, so looking forward to that.

Not many new local grounds left for me to visit.
Cammel Laird, Litherland REMYCA and Rylands are on the list to visit, but them we may have to go further a field or look at league clubs.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Went to watch Town beat Maidenhead 1-0 in a scrappy, dour match. 1281 crowd, 46 came up from down south. Not much goalmouth action, Connor Hall scored from a corner taken well by Alex Bradley, and Maidenhead had 2 sent off near the end, out of nowhere really as it wasnt a match that deserved 2 red cards.

Town now 3rd and on same points as second placed Yeovil. Barrow won 7-0 however and look strong at the top.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

I went to CVPM v Herne Bay, an entertaining away win in front of about 100, the 20 Herne Bay fans were superb singing throughout (well the 3 that sung). Well worth £8. Hamlet blitzed Braintree 6-0, perhaps its not too late for a play off push?

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Oakland2002 wrote:
I went to CVPM v Herne Bay, an entertaining away win in front of about 100, the 20 Herne Bay fans were superb singing throughout (well the 3 that sung). Well worth £8. Hamlet blitzed Braintree 6-0, perhaps its not too late for a play off push?

Predictions for the tennis next year, Oakie? Can the addict tempt you?

You've got an official 24 hour grace period biggrin

the addict · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
Oakland2002 wrote:
I went to CVPM v Herne Bay, an entertaining away win in front of about 100, the 20 Herne Bay fans were superb singing throughout (well the 3 that sung). Well worth £8. Hamlet blitzed Braintree 6-0, perhaps its not too late for a play off push?
Predictions for the tennis next year, Oakie? Can the addict tempt you?
You've got an official 24 hour grace period

Oakie was the most obvious omission from this years entties - apart from Leafster !

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Harrogate 18 quid each and then 10.50 for pie and chips and two coffees...