The Lower League Thread

[Macclad]

Good win for Dale last night which has sent Notts County closer to the drop....they are worse off than Dagenham & Redbridge now,which is saying something !

Wrexham got thumped at MK Dons......little hope for them now !

Forest.....a disappointing result against Bristol Rovers but at least youll be in the play offs.

[chavy]

It's the first time the bar codes have scored more than one in about 22 games !!! Just a pity they let 4 in the other end The prolific goal machine Jason "Pineapple head" Lee scored his 1st of the season to boot

3 points for the satgs tonight & get them level pegging with Notts will make it a nail biting finish for the two of them. For me the Taffys have already gone.

Our lot !!!!! Can't beat Bristol Rovers so don't really deserve to be playing championship next season & there's no chance Doughty will fire Calderdud before we've blobbed the playoffs again I say give Keith Hill a chance in the hot seat

[mrtoad]

It's the first time the bar codes have scored more than one in about 22 games !!! Just a pity they let 4 in the other end The prolific goal machine Jason "Pineapple head" Lee scored his 1st of the season to boot

3 points for the satgs tonight & get them level pegging with Notts will make it a nail biting finish for the two of them. For me the Taffys have already gone.

Our lot !!!!! Can't beat Bristol Rovers so don't really deserve to be playing championship next season & there's no chance Doughty will fire Calderdud before we've blobbed the playoffs again I say give Keith Hill a chance in the hot seat

Don't you mean Jimmy Hill?

[chavy]

It's the first time the bar codes have scored more than one in about 22 games !!! Just a pity they let 4 in the other end The prolific goal machine Jason "Pineapple head" Lee scored his 1st of the season to boot

3 points for the satgs tonight & get them level pegging with Notts will make it a nail biting finish for the two of them. For me the Taffys have already gone.

Our lot !!!!! Can't beat Bristol Rovers so don't really deserve to be playing championship next season & there's no chance Doughty will fire Calderdud before we've blobbed the playoffs again I say give Keith Hill a chance in the hot seat

Don't you mean Jimmy Hill?

No, I meant Keith Hill. Jimmy is a bit long in the chin...err I mean tooth now days

[mrtoad]

It's the first time the bar codes have scored more than one in about 22 games !!! Just a pity they let 4 in the other end The prolific goal machine Jason "Pineapple head" Lee scored his 1st of the season to boot

3 points for the satgs tonight & get them level pegging with Notts will make it a nail biting finish for the two of them. For me the Taffys have already gone.

Our lot !!!!! Can't beat Bristol Rovers so don't really deserve to be playing championship next season & there's no chance Doughty will fire Calderdud before we've blobbed the playoffs again I say give Keith Hill a chance in the hot seat

Don't you mean Jimmy Hill?

No, I meant Keith Hill. Jimmy is a bit long in the chin...err I mean tooth now days

Knowing your Boards liking for <deleted> ups, they'll probably make a mistake any how, and appoint Jimmy.

[chavy]

It's the first time the bar codes have scored more than one in about 22 games !!! Just a pity they let 4 in the other end The prolific goal machine Jason "Pineapple head" Lee scored his 1st of the season to boot

3 points for the satgs tonight & get them level pegging with Notts will make it a nail biting finish for the two of them. For me the Taffys have already gone.

Our lot !!!!! Can't beat Bristol Rovers so don't really deserve to be playing championship next season & there's no chance Doughty will fire Calderdud before we've blobbed the playoffs again I say give Keith Hill a chance in the hot seat

Don't you mean Jimmy Hill?

No, I meant Keith Hill. Jimmy is a bit long in the chin...err I mean tooth now days

Knowing your Boards liking for <deleted> ups, they'll probably make a mistake any how, and appoint Jimmy.

We don't have a board mate.......Our club is run like North Korea

[mrbojangles]

It's the first time the bar codes have scored more than one in about 22 games !!! Just a pity they let 4 in the other end The prolific goal machine Jason "Pineapple head" Lee scored his 1st of the season to boot

3 points for the satgs tonight & get them level pegging with Notts will make it a nail biting finish for the two of them. For me the Taffys have already gone.

Our lot !!!!! Can't beat Bristol Rovers so don't really deserve to be playing championship next season & there's no chance Doughty will fire Calderdud before we've blobbed the playoffs again I say give Keith Hill a chance in the hot seat

Don't you mean Jimmy Hill?

No, I meant Keith Hill. Jimmy is a bit long in the chin...err I mean tooth now days

Knowing your Boards liking for <deleted> ups, they'll probably make a mistake any how, and appoint Jimmy.

We don't have a board mate.......Our club is run like North Korea

You mean like Birmingham City are at the moment

[mrbojangles]

The Mighty Dale could only get a draw yesterday against Dag & Red. Still sitting nicely in the play off's spot though

[chavy]

great away win at Tranmere on Saturday....cements our place in the playoffs at least !!

Sad to see the bar codes get a win

[LeungKen]

Another typical end to a Tranmere season.............

[Macclad]

The Mighty Dale could only get a draw yesterday against Dag & Red. Still sitting nicely in the play off's spot though

Good 3-0 win for Dale last night,play off spot almost assured now.

Chesterfield are 5 points adrift of the play offs now and have to play Macc Town away a week on Saturday.Thats another 3 points lost for them,Macc to do you a favour !

[chavy]

The Mighty Dale could only get a draw yesterday against Dag & Red. Still sitting nicely in the play off's spot though

Good 3-0 win for Dale last night,play off spot almost assured now.

Chesterfield are 5 points adrift of the play offs now and have to play Macc Town away a week on Saturday.Thats another 3 points lost for them,Macc to do you a favour !

Good appointment from your board Macclad getting Keith Alex on board. Not pretty but effective.

[jasreeve17]

We beat the scum.

[Macclad]

The Mighty Dale could only get a draw yesterday against Dag & Red. Still sitting nicely in the play off's spot though

Good 3-0 win for Dale last night,play off spot almost assured now.

Chesterfield are 5 points adrift of the play offs now and have to play Macc Town away a week on Saturday.Thats another 3 points lost for them,Macc to do you a favour !

Good appointment from your board Macclad getting Keith Alex on board. Not pretty but effective.

Yes,Keith Alexander has a great record,at that level,with Lincoln.....not too bad at Peterborough,either.

Macc reached the play offs in 2004-05 (lost to Lincoln) and we thought that there were better times ahead.But the last 3 seasons have been a dire struggle against relegation.

So,hopefully,we can look forward to next season with some optimism.Pretty football isnt that effective in League 2.....under Ian Brightwell we were a great passing team,nice football but we won 6 out of 34 under him.

[chavy]

We beat the scum.

you played Derby did you ?

[chavy]

would that be another 3 points today ?

CALDERDUD OUT !!!!

[mrbojangles]

Come on The Mighty Dale

From the BBC:-

Rochdale squad keen for game time

Rochdale boss Keith Hill admits his squad's desire to play in every remaining match has been making his team selection difficult.

Rochdale go into the final two League Two games of the season just one point adrift of automatic promotion.

"The lads don't want to be rested," the Dale boss told BBC Radio Manchester.

"They are very competitive, they want to play football and that's what they train to do, unfortunately, I can only pick 11."

He added: "It is unfortunate because they all probably deserve a first-team opportunity.

"But while there are still six points to play for, and a third spot up for grabs, we'll be trying to select our best starting 11 against Bury and Shrewsbury."

[chavy]

Come on The Mighty Dale

From the BBC:-

Rochdale squad keen for game time

Rochdale boss Keith Hill admits his squad's desire to play in every remaining match has been making his team selection difficult.

Rochdale go into the final two League Two games of the season just one point adrift of automatic promotion.

"The lads don't want to be rested," the Dale boss told BBC Radio Manchester.

"They are very competitive, they want to play football and that's what they train to do, unfortunately, I can only pick 11."

He added: "It is unfortunate because they all probably deserve a first-team opportunity.

"But while there are still six points to play for, and a third spot up for grabs, we'll be trying to select our best starting 11 against Bury and Shrewsbury."

Didn't realise it was that close MrBJ !! Our lot now 3 points behind automatic promotion with 2 games left.

[jasreeve17]

We beat the scum.

you played Derby did you ?

Norwich. One of the few teams we are currently able to beat. (We should be able to beat Derby next season.)

[mrbojangles]

Didn't realise it was that close MrBJ !!

Yeah i know Chavy. The Morris Dancers are getting all excited now. Tuning their Tamborines and re-soling their cloggs in anticipation

[chavy]

Wow !! How come your lads have TWO on loan goalies MrBJ? I understand one has been recalled back to Spurs ??

[mrbojangles]

Wow !! How come your lads have TWO on loan goalies MrBJ? I understand one has been recalled back to Spurs ??

News to me buddy. I thought we only had one, David Button who is on loan from Tottenham. We also have a Defender, Lewis Montrose who is on loan from Wigan.

[chavy]

Button's gone back to Spurs leaving Tommy Lee in goal. ( who's on loan from the Macc lads ) Tomorrow Greater Manchester derby........Bury v Rochdale !!! I think there'll be a few black puddings flying about before, during & after the game MrBJ !!

[aries27]

hi...

i dont know much about football or soccer but i was in cologne in 2006 (world cup) when england played vs. trinidad and tobago and germany vs. sweden (not so sure about which fought which but i am certain about those 4 countries. i had an article about it (spectator experience type, no didnt get to see the games not even on the free giant screen but the experience of being there was just great). it was published in a local daily. if you guys want to see it, let me know.

AND OF COURSE, IF I AM INTRUDING TOO MUCH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW TOO AND I WILL BACK OFF... NO PROBS.

[chavy]

hi...

i dont know much about football or soccer but i was in cologne in 2006 (world cup) when england played vs. trinidad and tobago and germany vs. sweden (not so sure about which fought which but i am certain about those 4 countries. i had an article about it (spectator experience type, no didnt get to see the games not even on the free giant screen but the experience of being there was just great). it was published in a local daily. if you guys want to see it, let me know.

AND OF COURSE, IF I AM INTRUDING TOO MUCH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW TOO AND I WILL BACK OFF... NO PROBS.

We'd love to read it Aries.....bring it out mate.

There's no heirs & graces here mate your welcome to contribute....the more the merrier.......we've even got a Torquay fan lurking about somewhere

[aries27]

k, in a little while. its not longer online. so i have to find it in my HD.

and remove some compromising stuffs. fun to be anonymous you know...

later!

[mrtoad]

hi...

i dont know much about football or soccer but i was in cologne in 2006 (world cup) when england played vs. trinidad and tobago and germany vs. sweden (not so sure about which fought which but i am certain about those 4 countries. i had an article about it (spectator experience type, no didnt get to see the games not even on the free giant screen but the experience of being there was just great). it was published in a local daily. if you guys want to see it, let me know.

AND OF COURSE, IF I AM INTRUDING TOO MUCH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW TOO AND I WILL BACK OFF... NO PROBS.

We'd love to read it Aries.....bring it out mate.

There's no heirs & graces here mate your welcome to contribute....the more the merrier.......we've even got a Torquay fan lurking about somewhere

Whats wrong with Torquay????

[Macclad]

Button's gone back to Spurs leaving Tommy Lee in goal. ( who's on loan from the Macc lads ) Tomorrow Greater Manchester derby........Bury v Rochdale !!! I think there'll be a few black puddings flying about before, during & after the game MrBJ !!

Yes,Tommy Lee is on loan from Macc till the end of the season......even if thats Wembley

He's not a bad keeper (ex Man Utd) and lost his place at Macc through a broken hand a few months back.

Bury v Rochdale.....dont know about black puddings flying about but maybe a few nervous sheep,depending upon the result

Rochdale v County in the play off final !

[aries27]

ok, here's the article i promised...

something tells me some people here in TV dont reserve this kindness from me, but what the heck...

-----

i added some notes to keep things a little updated. this is the unedited version i sent a Manila paper but this is no longer online. the final version is just a few words less. it got a lot of readers too, and good feedbacks...written/published a couple of weeks or so before the finals. please take note that this was written with the Filipino readers in mind.....

---------------------------------

Getting a Kick out of Soccer

I had my first brief love affair with soccer during the World Cup 2002. On one of those after midnight TV-surfing one day in June 2002, I chanced upon a game between Brazil and Belgium. At that time, I was running my own ezine called ________. I wrote two separate articles on it and here were my impressions:

"I decided to watch the game on pure curiosity, hoping that in doing so, I will also get some reasons why soccer has not caught on among Filipinos.

Well there may be a lot of factors. It may be cultural, as the Americans who introduced basketball and other sports to us was not that big on soccer before, and therefore did not pass the game or the interest to us. Lack of facilities is another thing. Soccer fields that take up a bigger space are definitely not as commonplace as basketball courts, so only a few big universities have it. Or maybe for spectators used to the fast scoring game of basketball, volleyball and the like, the mechanics of soccer may be a little too slow. Hitting a goal is not as easy as shooting a ball into a hoop. Scores are definitely more difficult to make. There is therefore as much tension and excitement just seeing the ball kept alive by a team and bringing it near the goal, while it is the ultimate and shining moment of a player when he finally makes a kick that eludes the opponents.

A follow-up article goes:

"I have begun to understand why the game is becoming very popular and appealing the world over. It is easy enough to understand. The rules are simple and the movements are smooth that one can watch it from many scores of meters away in a stadium filled with tens and thousands of spectators. But though at first, it may seem like people plain kicking a ball, a closer look reveals an intelligent strategy and well-coordinated teamwork, as players follow and all eyes are on the ball. And who can disregard the fan factor? I have never seen a game that draws watchers so enthusiastically they put on paints on their faces and bodies and don on the colors of the team (and the goofy chants and cheers to boot).

Unfortunately, it can also be very physical as the game of Brazil winning over England showed. Sprained ankles, landing on your face, bad falls, etc. were the order of the day. Well, considering that Brazil is the perennial favorite but at the same time acknowledging how the English 'bloody feel' about this game (hey, it started with them), I guess those skirmishes are expected and part of drama."

As the world embraces the game of football, it would be nice to see the fever catching up in the Philippines as well. Who knows maybe for some reason, it is a game we can excel in. For instance, the Turkish players were not so tall or for inspiration, or we can look at South Korea, a country which has earned its place quietly but gradually by way of well trained players, a good foreign coach and a strong national football mentality. Filipinos playing football? Yes, that would be a tempting idea because suddenly, during this season of World Cup passion….basketball looks a tad boring."

Four years later, I found myself in Europe. Attending an ordination of a cousin in Haarlem, Netherlands, I was on the 14^th day of my 15-day stay. With a few more days unspent with my Benelux-Germany Eurail ticket, I was desperate to reach Germany.

A Dutch friend suggested Cologne or Köln. It is only 2.5 hours by train from Amsterdam and the Cologne Cathedral or "Dom" is especially beautiful. Site of the World Youth Day in 2005, Pope Benedict first visited his home country after installation and said one of the biggest masses here. The Dom was also special for its centuries-old Gothic architecture and tall and impressive façade (the cathedral started its construction in 1248 but was only finished in the 19^th century). But its main attraction is housing the relics of the Three Magi or three wise men (Melchor, Gaspar and Balthazar).

And so with sheer guts that my little knowledge of the railway system and my English will guide me through, I pushed for Cologne on June 20, 2006, not knowing there was a match to be played (Cologne along with other German cities are hosting the games separately). At the Amsterdam main central station, I learned the 10:00 am trip to Frankfurt, which will pass by Cologne, was cancelled. One of the train information officers told me to take the domestic train to Arnhem (Netherlands) and from there, catch the international train to Cologne.

At Arnhem, I learned one should have a reservation on the train. I had a ticket but I had no reservation. I was told to occupy the first few coaches. I assumed later that this special arrangement could have something to do with crowd control for the games. But thankfully anyway, there were still a few available seats. On the car I took, a number of soccer fans from England were already excitedly discussing the games in their red and white shirts and a lot were buying beer from the train's dining car. I got to exchange notes with three fans from tiny Trinidad and Tobago who also had a team playing and were of course also proudly donning their team color of red. I envied them.

But I had no idea what was going to welcome me when I stepped out of the terminal. The Dom opens right in front of the main entrance of the Cologne train station. There was a sea of humanity. I am not good at estimating crowds but it could well be 30,000 or so packed in the small area around the Cathedral (a big crowd by European standards). And each time a train came, more people would pour out, literally, out of the gate.

There were the red and whites from England. They carried the slogan: "We still believe", playfully hooting small horns as they walked along. Not to be outdone, Sweden, which would be playing against them that afternoon, also sent their own yellow and blue shirt-clad fans, even Viking costumes. Once in a while, they would trade cheers good-naturedly.

Later, Germany who was playing against Ecuador came in full force. Hey, what good is being a host country if you cannot support your team 100%? A number of German youths organized themselves and walked through the crowd playing their drums. Cheers of "Deutschland, England and Sweden" would be heard every so often and passers-by would smile at these repartee. I am sure Ecuador was well represented but coming from a country thousands of miles away, the contingent was not as big.

Aside from these nationalities, I spotted a group of sexy Brazilian girls (green and yellow) catching the eyes of the mostly male crowd. There were also a few Asians, like a Korean-looking gentleman filing what could be a journalist report in the middle of the road with his laptop. Some afficionados from neighboring Holland also dropped by. I guess it is safe to say that in events like this, every country from around the world is well represented. I saw some Filipinos now carrying the colors of their new home countries like England and Germany. I voluntarily represented the Philippines. I got to write on the giant cloth on the floor outside of the Cathedral and wrote it so. (aries27 note: It was from England's fans )

The three main countries have put up a special fan center where their nationalities and anyone at least who needed information can approach for assistance (On a recent CNN report, it seemed Germany got high marks for organization and security for World Cup 2006. There were no major incidents and worries against hooliganism and terrorism did not come about. Journalists who covered the event were satisfied with the preparation…On a personal note, aside from my Schengen visa being scrutinized a bit with a lens by the train inspector, it was a breeze coming out of the station; no search, no stamps, no gates). But police and men in green security uniform were everywhere.

Along what they called the café-lined and picturesque "Fishmarket" which lies along the River Rhine (something like our Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard), the crowd was even thicker.

On a sunny 27C or so, some have taken off their shirts and were sunbathing. Beer was flowing and everybody was just having fun. German hotdogs, pizza, swarma and ice cream were lunches for most people. A live band playing Abba music entertained the crowd. There were giant screens where the fans, who could not watch the games live, could see it here for free and feel they were actually there (a few yards away from the stadium anyway). From one of those fan centers, I learned that the ticket to the game costs 1,250 euros (that is a cool 85,750 pesos!) and a lot were still looking to buy. I am not sure if this is a scalper's price though; it probably is. (Aries27 note: It wasnt scalpers, on the final games, the going price for the best seats was about 5k euros, I read).

So what is it with soccer or football that it has become the world's most popular game but remains relatively unknown to Filipinos?

Soccer is a team sport played between two teams each consisting of eleven players (or a minimum of seven). It is a ball game played on a rectangular grass field with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to score by maneuvering the ball into the opposing goal. The predominant feature of the sport is that players other than the goalkeepers may not use their hands or arms to propel the ball in general play. The winner of the match is the team that has scored most goals at the end of the match.

The game lasts for 1.5 hours (two 45 minute plays separated by a 15 minute break), excluding stoppages for injury, substitutions, etc. It usually could happen that no one team could make a goal or score even. Frustrating?

But for a lot who have come to understand and love this game, soccer is a game of intelligence, skill and stamina. It is a game of defense as much as offense. It is simple to understand yet exciting to watch.

As my companions (who chose to stay in Netherlands) and I had to fly to Manila the following day, I could not stay long enough to watch the games even on the free giant screen. But on the train back to Amsterdam, the train driver, in between his normal announcement of the stations, gave an up-to-the-minute report of the game of Germany vs Ecuador which was currently playing at that time and which the former won. He spoke in German out of sensitivity perhaps to the other nationalities in the train. But he couldn't help out a chuckle each time he reports a goal for Germany.

Boarding the plane to Manila from Amsterdam, I picked up the morning papers. Splashed on the front pages were pictures of the triumphant win of England over Sweden.

Yes, sometimes side trips are a lot more fun than the main destination.

[Jockstar]

Nice story. Thanks for sharing that with us.