Archive
Dr Martens League Premier Division 2002-03
3/5/03 Hastings United (0) 0 Stafford Rangers (2) 2
OVER AND DONE WITH
Att: 410
|
Well, that's that then. A truly damp squib of a final game as United once again showed that impotence in the opposition's half as they finished off an awful 02/03 by scoring just one goal in their last five games - one can hardly add Simmo's penalty on Wednesday night that saw the U's shake football's foundations by winning the Hastings Senior Cup against Westfield. Quite how the players managed to raise anything for that game following confirmation of relegation the previous Saturday is beyond me. The looks on their faces on the back page of the Observer as they "paraded" the trophy after that game said it all. Surely - back to Saturday - one could have expected something better than a performance that in terms of urgency was on a par with the Crawley game. Of course we all knew United weren't going to escape from the bottom four but on previous occasions clubs who have finished fourth from bottom have ended up retaining their Premier Division status due to off pitch circumstances intervening - Cambridge (twice), Ashford and Crawley to name four. So - hoping to finish above Halesowen might have resulted in a bit more of a scrap. Yeah yeah yeah - it all harks of desperation - but why not? Not that it would've counted for anything cos Halesowen beat Chippenham 3-2 which confirmed we finished 20th - something of a contrast to this time a year ago when 743 turned up to see Tony Burt lift the Championship shield. Of the 410 who turned up for the final rites - a good 100-150 came down from Stafford. The game started off with a Simmonds/Honey partnership up front. George Wakeling had said he would take the flak in the Observer - and what else can he expect as once again he started with Monster but left the likes of Bevis and Suleymanoglu kicking their heels on the bench. As on plenty of other occasions - Chris worked his socks off and put in some good touches but as has been the case all season, was gobbled up by the Rangers defence where it mattered. Surely - SURELY - Ahmet would have been a better option. What was the point of signing him? Ellis Remy, incidentally, was shown at 9 in the programme - but was nowhere to be seen - hence Chris starting. Yes - damp squib sums up the game nicely. United weren't to really threaten the Stafford goal till just before half time by which time they were two goals and a man down as the game somehow spluttered into some semblance of life towards the end of the half. Steve Yates had been deservedly booked for a foot high challenge on 29 minutes - the shoving retaliation of the Stafford 3 resulted in a quiet word by Referee Woodward. Those who were at Stonebridge Road last season will recall Macca being instantly sent off for exactly the same offence when we played Dartford in the penultimate game of 01/02. And a minute later it was one in, all in, on halfway when a Flanners foul on Robin Gibson (who spent much of the game falling over) resulted in everyone squaring up. When tempers had cooled - it was a second yellow for Yatesie who - if the video is anything to go by - was trying to pull players away and calm things down. He ended up being shoved all over the place by two Stafford players while Gibson who'd lashed out in the first place after the foul was trying to get involved. Even the Rangers keeper was booked - and it has to be said that he too looked as if he was trying to calm things down. Gibson wasn't even spoken to and I was told at half time that Yatesie could consider himself very unlucky to be sent off and that at least one U's player was equally fortunate to get away with using his pugilistic skills in the middle of it all. Granted -such things are difficult to sort out - but the number selection for yellow cards seemed to be carried out on a National Lottery like basis and several culprits (from both sides) got away with it. As to the football match - er, 0-0 on 41 minutes became 0-2 on 43 minutes. United failed to clear a corner - a shot rebounded off a post and the ball landed perfectly for Gary Fife to score from close in. And with United still trying to recover from the blow, the arrears were doubled a minute later when someone else with an unpronouncable name - Paul Szewczyk - fired into the net from a tight angle. United did actually threaten the Stafford goal just after that - but a Rudds first time effort was wide and weakly hit from just inside the area. The U's went off looking thoroughly deflated while the noisy Stafford mob just got noisier as they enjoyed themselves at our expense. The second half was a non event which was hardly surprising. Stafford took the piss when their keeper went up to take a free kick just outside our area. It was beaten out and there was nobody there to latch onto a hopeful punt upfield as he ran back to his area. United could well have been well beaten as Stafford missed two good chances and another not so easy one. Special mention for Stuart Playford who's superb tackle dispossessed Fife as he shaped to shoot. Macca and Gibson were having quite a set too throughout and Macca was subbed late on before a red card appeared. Ahmet came on in Macca's place and it was he who created United's best chance on 86 minutes (what's that about too little, too late?) as he ran onto a King Dave throw out, outpaced the Rangers center half and fired in a diagonal shot that Price - the Rangers keeper - did well to beat away for a corner. Soon afterwards, Ahmet from virtually the same place put in a cross/pass that Rudds couldn't get on the end off as United finished scoreless for the 12th league game of a misfiring season in which only Dover scored less goals. Referee Woodward put us all out of our misery when he blew for time. Rumours were already doing the rounds about players going - budget cuts for next season - Mick Maplesden calling it a day.......... Bollocks to it - when does the cricket start? |
HALESOWEN COMPLETE THE CROCKED QUARTET
Yep. The leap in standard between Eastern/Western and Premier is nicely illustrated once again as two of the relegated four are last season's Western Division champions, Halesowen - they won it by around 17 points - and us. Halesowen's 3-2 win against Chippenham - the only one of the four promoted sides to do well and that's probably connected with them having money to strengthen their squad - wasn't enough as Grantham secured their place by stuffing Moor Green 4-0 at South Kesteven.
DORCHESTER AND EASTBOURNE UP
Both finished on 93 points and are promoted. Dorchester's better goal difference carried the day as both sides won, Dorchester 1-0 at home to Kings Lynn and Eastbourne 2-0 at home to Fisher. I'm genuinely pleased for Garry Wilson who was shat on from a height when he was sacked at The Pilot Field back in 1998 after a dozen years here as a player, reserve manager and first team manager. I suspect the atmosphere at Priory Lane was rather more lively than here in Hastings this afternoon where this season has ended up a kin disaster for local football with the Stains rock bottom of the Eastern and us not a lot better off in the Premier.
You have to look at what Eastbourne have achieved in a very short period of time and ask where we've gone wrong. I remember going over there for an FA Vase tie back in 90/91 when they were still known as Langney Sports and you were a prat if you paid to get in - so wide open and unenclosed was it then. Since then they've put together a stadium that will be amongst the best in the Premier Division and rubbed our noses in it by taking our place in that division. And as for The Pilot Field - anyone who's been to Priory Lane knows it comes a distant second in terms of facilities. The place is a tip in comparison. It looks ok when you come in through the new turnstile block - we do have a good clubhouse and that balcony is hugely popular amongst away supporters and gets many a mention on various websites - there's the new teabar and clubshop - and then there's the ground itself which is a massive disappointment after all that initial promise. Borough have left us trailing in their wake. What have they done that we might have done?
But as we all know - things happen very quickly in the semi pro game. Be very interesting to see what moves they make to strengthen their squad in the close season. Will Garry be after the likes of Danny Simmonds? How much money will be made available to him? One thing for sure - he'll be only too aware of what's happened to us and Borough will know they have to strengthen or they will struggle. Good luck to Garry - but as for the inevitable pisstaking - well, you'll just have to put up with it from those loyal Borough supporters who've been following their side since at least last August. 937 were at Priory Lane to see them beat Fisher, so Beaker told me Saturday night.
NEW SIGNING.......
I can't remember the lad's name - but he was playing for Stains a few seasons ago when things were going well up at Fort Fun. He's from Zimbabwe I believe and has been trying to get work permits etc sorted out - and apparently was at The Pilot Field getting things moving on a move into United colours. Just a shame we didn't do anything like that about 6 months ago.....
PLAYER OF THE SEASON
King Dave deservedly won with 60% of the vote and if I hadn't had a last minute of change of mind and plumped for Stuart Playford then Dave would've had my vote without hesitation. He's been superb in goal throughout a tough tough season - especially the latter part of it when we've really found life difficult. Oddly - I will recall most of all that bizarre goal he conceded at Tamworth when his clearance was scuffed straight to a Tamworth striker who scored the easiest goal of his career - not so much for the goal but for the utterly depressed look on his face. I don't think any of the Hastings hard core who'd traipsed all that way held that bloomer against him - after all he'd gotten us out of the shit enough times. Well played Dave - and come back next season.
RUNNER UP
Danny Simmonds who's played the fireman of the side - rushing around filling gaps all over the place putting out those fires as they flared up - no Yatesie at Weymouth, in stepped Simmo, or tidying up as a sweeper and if he wasn't doing that he'd be up front and indeed finished with 12 goals and a place in the Premier Division scoring list. The only thing he didn't do was go in goal - not that he wouldn't have been able to - he did just that a few seasons ago at home to Tonbridge. Our Mr Versatile and a vital part of the team. Hands off Eastbourne.
GOAL OF THE SEASON
This was based on home goals and was won by Macca for his tremendous solo effort against Newport County a few weeks ago. That diagonal run, turn and chip in off the cross bar. A superb goal and certainly one that I voted for. With only 28 home goals in 21 DMP games - there weren't many others that came anywhere near it though the Yates/Zahana-Oni combo to set Ellis Remy up against Hednesford, Mylie's rocket against Ilkeston, Landry's long range special to knock Chelmsford out of the FA Trophy and Simmo's first timer against Hendon all warranted mentions of their own. That was only Macca's second goal of a troubled season - but what a good un it was.
POST MORTEM PART 2
More to follow in due course. Too depressed right now.
SS
17/5/03
UNITED IN LIMBO
What a joke - well, it would be if it didn't have such serious implications for United. Tony Cosens - the club secretary, presumably someone you'd expect to be reasonably well clued up on what's going on - having to rely on what he'd read in Friday's Observer when it came to putting out the U's ClubCall update for that date. Yeah - that's what he said - something along the lines of "I see in the Observer" etc etc with regard to Nick Hegley going to Folkestone and the actual future of the club following Mick Maplesden's decision to call it a day. Is there a better word than joke to describe it? Through no fault of his own Tony finds himself in an impossible situation.
NEW OWNER(S)?
Apparently Mick Maplesden is seeing someone next Tuesday - but nobody is really sure just what is up for discussion. Is someone going to buy his shares - and there is talk of a general manager being appointed. We've been in the unbelievable position for a semi pro football club to have had as owners, two Lottery winners - Mark Gardiner and Mick Maplesden - who must've sunk the best part of half a million between them into the football club over the last 6 years or so. You can't believe we're going to be third time lucky and get another loaded benefactor in - surely not.
So - who out there will want to buy Mick Maplesden's shares in a lowly football club that's just been relegated, struggles to attract more than half of one per cent of the indifferent local populace to games, leases it's run down stadium from an equally indifferent Hastings Council that uses the existence of another lowly club next door - the Stains - as an excuse to not upgrade The Pilot Field - and a club that finds itself in limbo with all this close season uncertainty - unable to set next season's playing budget and most of it's players the targets of vulture like moves by other clubs. What a 'kin lash up.
You have to wonder if some of this could've been avoided - in particular the void the club is in at present. Presumably Mick Maplesden knew he was going to call it a day - given his health problems it wouldn't have come as any great surprise that he would eventually do just that. But the timing of it all - last day of the season with players - most of them at any rate - out of contract the next day and free to move on. Football being football - for every concerned U's supporter there'll be someone else laughing his bollocks off at our situation.
PLAYERS
Rub it in - rub it in. Tony Cosens on the ClubCall update said there were strong rumours of Eastbourne doing what we singularly failed to do a year ago - couple of weeks into the close season and they are looking at bolstering their squad and - rubbing our bloody nose in it - by snapping up our two most outstanding players - Stuart Playford and Dave King. Teletext and the Observer say Heggers has gone to Folkestone though Tony Cosens states on the ClubCall line he can't confirm that.
Others are bound to move on. Strong rumours were doing the rounds several weeks ago that Adam Flanagan was either going to pack in football altogether or move to far more local Hornchurch who've just been promoted to the Ryman Premier. Will Tony Burt carry on? What about that chat of Yatesie dropping down to more local Bumpkinship football at Sidley. Any talk right now of aiming to go straight back up with our defence wiped out altogether (if all this talk is anything to go by) can only be treated with the derision it deserves.
Right now the only contracted players we've got left - who aren't free agents because of their age etc etc are Duncan McArthur and Chris Honey. I'm convinced Stuart Myall will be a United player next season - but as for the rest of them - well, the longer this shambolic vacuum like situation goes on, the more likely it becomes that those vultures will flap up and down Elphinstone Road.
We'd do the same - we're no different in that respect - but right now, this is all on a par with the close season of 99 when people just didn't know what the fuck was going on. If we lose players to Eastbourne though.......
GET TALKING
Can't help thinking that now might be the time for the two clubs in Hastings to get their respective acts together and start looking at merging. All this talk of what's in it for who is all very well - but football is stagnating in Hastings with both clubs having dropped leagues and now that it looks as if there will be no big names involved who would inadvertently or advertently dominate proceedings - is now not a good time for merger talks to start?
Whatever - something to chew over.
WEBZINE - CLOSE SEASON
As usual, Karl and I'll be getting heads together in the next few weeks with regard to improvements to the site which needs updating anyway following our succesful battle to regain Eastern Division status. The home page will be tinkered around with and there are other things we want to do subject to every day being 36 hours long.
Watch this space.
NEXT SEASON
As predicted - the Burgess Hillbillies have been promoted to the Eastern Division from the Bumpkinship and will be our Sussex derby opposition. Also up are Wessex League champions, Eastleigh who, amongst others last season, included in certain home games, one Matt Le Tissier. Dropping out of the Eastern are Spalding and the Stains. That's interesting in itself - when did the bottom two last actually drop out of the Eastern Division - for a change the natural progression of football has worked as it should do.
Of minor interest - minor cos we very likely won't play them - up into the Western Division are Team Bath (Western League) and Yate Town (Hellenic League). Team Bath attracted all that FA Cup attention last season - they're based at Bath University and their upward progress must be causing some concern to local rivals Bath City. Hastings Town played Yate for a couple of seasons - 89/90 and 90/91 - back in their Southern Division days.
One consolation - rather less travelling next season. I suspect Kings Lynn will be our marathon - but there will be a lot more local games to look forward to. And next season will be dominated by the proposed reorganisation of the semi pro game in 04/05.
Catch ya later.
SS
25/5/03
WAKELING GOES
At least something has happened to stir up the torpor of the last two or three weeks. George has - not surprisingly - called it a day and United are advertising for a new manager. No doubt there will be at least 350 applicants - if the numbers of us on Saturday afternoons who thought they could do the job better than George is anything to go by. Mike Flanagan has also resigned so we're looking for a coach as well.
Mick Maplesden is still trying to sort things out with regard to selling his HUFC shares and is involved in meetings towards the end of the week according to Tuesday night's ClubCall update. A committee has been set up to run things in the meantime, a budget has been set for 03/04 and let's hope we don't lose too many players while the club is putting itself back on a level footing. Getting a new manager in will bring some stability - and who knows, he might bring some decent players with him. And the club needs to know what the Maplesden factor is as well - is he still involved, is he not - the longer that goes on, so that long term stability remains a distant target.
So far as George Wakeling is concerned - well, I don't think he was ever widely accepted at The Pilot Field. I remember shaking my head when the moans and groans started befoere half time on the opening day of 01/02 when things weren't, initially, going too well at home to Wisbech Town. George had also taken stick - lots of it - the previous season when things weren't going as well while the team tried to adjust to his way of doing things. As it happened - once the new system bedded in, the team looked in good nick and went on a 17 game unbeaten run. But even while we were winning the Eastern title in 01/02 - you couldn't help feeling there were a fair number of supporters who thought the team won promotion in spite of George and not due to him.
Personally - I didn't fall into that category - but must admit to becoming very disillusioned with George last season as he persisted with players who weren't up to Premier Division standards and when he did eventually get someone who looked as if he could do a job (Suleymanoglu) - never made anything like the use of him he might've done. Nick Hegley's all round game fell to pieces due to that defensive role he had to play as left wing back and I couldn't believe George's criticism of Heggers in the Observer after the home defeat by Tamworth. Apparently - this was all to culminate in us losing a decent attacking player to a Folkestone outfit that's strapped for cash. Perhaps Heggers might've stayed had he known George was going.
It's unfortunate that George will be associated with relegation at the end of 02/03 - most of us will have short memories and won't recall a superb 01/02 or the FA Cup run that saw us at Stevenage last season. Not all of last season was down to him - it was hardly his fault that the budget wasn't increased sufficiently for him to make those crucial three or four signings that ANY side going up from the Eastern has to make in order to survive - and we duly became the third Eastern Division champions to be relegated in consecutive seasons.
Good luck to you, George, wherever you end up. And thanks to Mike Flanagan. Er - any chance of getting Jack Dalton involved again? Could Terry White end up back at The Pilot Field? The football rumour engine was coming out with talk of Dean White being discarded by Brighton - would Deano come back for a third spell? What about Jimmy Quinn who's just left Lewes in very good nick after three or four years? I do know there are people at The Pilot Field who don't approve of Quinn - but could he do a job for us?
And there are those 350 others I mentioned a little earlier. Get those applications in............
SS