Arcticterntalk.org

The blog of a travelling psychiatrist and football lover. Who happens to be a halfway decent photographer. Takes a cynical view of the world

Archive for the tag “FA”

Brentford get promotion on an exceedingly Good Friday


Having followed Brentford for 50 years days like this are rare and rarely are they better. Looking at the maths just before lunchtime it became apparent that Bees had a chance of being promoted yesterday if they won and results went their way. Both happened. A tense game but perhaps more easily won than score suggests 1-0, a penalty at that, and Bees also missed another at the Ealing Road end…..

But the outpouring of happiness could only be seen in a small club over achieving and now wondering how much further we might go? We are no smaller a club than Fulham. Indeed in those days when Fulham flirted with relegation from Division 4, their crowds were in the 3-4000 mark and Bees rarely got anywhere as low as that in comparable times.

What has happened? Well Mark Warburton has happened. A manager in his first job taking over a third of the way through the season. Without doubt he improved the play and the players. He signed only a small number of good players instead of dozens of me-too’s. My own view that may not be shared by all is that he is a far superior manager to Uwe. That is a compliment and not a put down to Uwe.

These photos below show the exact moment we thought we had won promotion ( in fact because of that crazy Wolves v Rotherhams game, ending 6-4 eventually, we were a little premature).

Just enjoy and share these photos!

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Football at Met Police Football Ground East Molesey


Met Police play their football in the Ryman Premier league and since their promotion from Ryman south a few seasons ago have been solid performers and have sometimes even threatened to reach the play-offs.  Crowds are not massive and generally around 100-150. The ground however is one of the best in the Ryman League. You can see a whole series of photos on my website http://www.footballgroundz.co.uk but for those unfamiliar here are a few shots from yesterday.

What made me laugh a little was the guy who looks like he is trying to escape from the ground! Maybe he was a Cray fan as they lost 7-1

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Stuart Dallas. Footballer at Brentford. A League 1 club in West London.


In a few years remember the name Stuart Dallas. A young Northern Irish footballer who joined Brentford last summer. He played ostensibly his debut game tonight in the FA Cup win over Bradford 4-2. He had a great game, good skill, good effort and my humble prediction is that he will go far. You heard it here first!

Brentford are better than Arsenal


Football is a strange game. Last week Bradford beat Arsenal and tonight they were playing Brentford in an FA Cup replay at Griffin Park. This is a game that in all honesty no-one really wanted. Brentford thought they were through to the third round as Bradford got expelled for playing an ineligible player. A minor crime but a crime all the same. For reasons that no-one in football understands the FA rolled over and reinstated them .A chilly night in front of a small crowd, with one side of the ground closed. A decent game which Brentford seemed to want to lose. They gave Bradford their opening goal with a bad defensive error, scored through a penalty on the stroke of half-time, then gave away a penalty in extra time ( though what for no-one in the ground knew), but then decided to score 3 goals in under 5 minutes to win the game. Bradford were actually quite poor in defence and if this is the standard at the top of League 2, then I never want to go back there.

Final score 4-2 to Brentford. The prize? A trip to Southend United on Jan 5th that will not be an easy game. So does this mean Brentford are better than Arsenal? Football is a funny game built on confidence and often some luck. This Brentford team might just be getting promoted this season.

The linesman on the far side was Sian Massey and she looked one of the best linesman we have had.

South Park 0 Met Police 3 FA cup 4thQualifying round


South Park sit high up in the combined counties league just below Ryman. Today was their chance to make it to the first round proper of the FA Cup. The reality was that they were totally outplayed by a decent Met Police team who had some very competent players, especially in defence where Jay Lovett stood out despite looking double the age of some of the younger players.

SouthPark have a small ground that is essentially a fenced off playing area, with concrete to stand on and a small 100 seater stand behind one goal. a neat ground with plenty of off road parking nearby. Nice clubhouse with nice burgers and rather oddly an ice cream van in attendance in the autumn with chilly temeperatures.

South Park almost took the lead early on with a shot that hit the post but from then on it was really Met Police’s game. They looked two divisions above in many regards but especially their defending. Despite saying all that both keepers had equal amounts of work to do but the second goal just after half time killed off the game in reality.

 

james wastell

Probably the Oddest Football Mascot in the world?


South Park V Met Police in the 4th qualifying round of the FA cup.  This was the mascot going around the ground.

Police Mascot

Darlington Football Club . All football fans should read this story


The story of what has happened to Darlington is so well written that I am not going to even paraphrase anything other than to say it makes sad reading and could apply to any football club. just click the link

http://www.darlofc.co.uk/news.php?NewsID=923

 

My own photos of Darlington are all on my website

http://www.footballgroundz.co.uk

 

Carshalton Athletic 3 Lincoln City 1


Without doubt one of the best games I have seen this season. Not the most exciting nor skilful but the workrate and belief of the Carshalton players that they could beat Lincoln from the Conference was there from the start. Lets be frank, Lincoln were appalling. Little or no skill and little perhaps none desire to win the game. The Ryman Premier league table will tell you that Carshalton are not the best side, a sort of mid-table berth but with a few bad results of late. Yet watching them one would imagine that they were Blue Square south level. They battled, they defended well and in fact nick Hamann their keeper did not make a save all night. All their goals were good. Paul Vines must be man of the match as he scored all of them and the thrid goal was an exquisite finish from a one on one. I am not sure where David Holdsworth can go from here. His players are either very poor or very disinterested, and tonight a cocktail of both.

The crowd of 488 was good and about double the recent home gates. The away support from lincoln was quiet and would fill a small minibus. This however was Carshalton’s night and they fully deserved it. In the next round they are away to either Newport county or Worksop and i would not bet against them winning that too. Highlights of the game? Josh Gowlings hair, David Holdsworth expressions, the look of absolute horror on the faces of the Lincoln city directors sitting in the back of the small main stand. They must wonder what next. Maybe I can give them some advice. Find 11 players who want to play football, put in 90 minutes of effort and play for the club. This is one night I am glad to be a Brentford fan and not a Lincoln city fan.

One exception and that is Josh Gowling. One notices him by the hair. He came on as a late secons half substitute but put more work in in a few minutes than most team mates had all game. He also played with a smile on his face, and he apologised to the away fans gathering like a small pack of vultures near the tunnel at the end when the players departed.

Action

Carshalton Attack as they did most of the game

Action

David Holdsworth, Lincoln city Manager

Carshalton attack

Striking for goal

Joe Anyon beaten by Paul vines penalty

The rustic surroundings of Carshalton

Consolation goal for Lincoln

shellshocked Lincoln directors and chairman

Paul Vines

Paul vines

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