Messages

751

The B-Ark / Re: clean sheets

« on: October 18, 2010, 07:30:49 PM »

We should have gone to Wembley in that 79/80 season with the team we had,
and did we really play away at Barrow on the Sunday after losing in the semi final
on the Saturday 

It appears so.

Also noticeable that we went away to Barrow, Maidstone and then Weymouth in the space of a week. Now that must have been some serious mileage. One for Ken perhaps, have we ever travelled further over the course of seven days?

752

The B-Ark / Re: todays game

« on: October 17, 2010, 01:19:56 PM »

Good performance and good result, because Stalybridge are a good side. Any team with aspirations of winning Blue Square North this season will have to finish ahead of Alfreton, but any team aspiring to go up via the play-offs will have to overcome Stalybridge in the process. I see them very much as the Blue Square North equivalent of Bradford Park Avenue.

Didn't have the best of views of the Newsham sending-off, so can't really comment. But Jamie Yates took a long time in being substituted a few minutes earlier, and you sensed the ref was losing a bit of patience when he ran across the pitch to hurry him along. From that moment on it always seemed likely the ref would try and book a Boston player for time-wasting. Any Boston player would have done, and it's just a shame he picked the one player already on a yellow card!

As someone else has said Weir-Daley worked very hard and deserved man-of-the-match. Murphy though wasn't far behind in his performance on the day.

753

The B-Ark / Capello's England

« on: October 12, 2010, 10:13:13 PM »

Rubbish.

0-0 at home to minnows Macedonia. Lucky not to lose the game with the one that hit the bar late on. What is going on? Surely we should be beating this type of opposition comfortably.

How much are we paying Capello? Does anyone on here still think he is the right man for the job?

754

The B-Ark / Re: Three weeks without a fixture?

« on: October 11, 2010, 09:02:41 PM »

Wonder if Hyde would be as kind as to bring our home fixture forward. Due to play them on the Saturday before Christmas which traditionally turns out to be a bit lower gate then normal due to all the Christmas shopping, etc.

I was having the same thoughts, but it can't happen unfortunately.

Hyde already have a fixture against Blyth Spartans on 23rd October. Both sides are already out of the FA Cup, and therefore that game will go ahead.

755

The B-Ark / Re: Three weeks without a fixture?

« on: October 10, 2010, 08:42:01 PM »

It made sense to bring the game at Hyde forward to yesterday though, as the fixture was originally scheduled for a Friday night in April. That would have been more problematic in terms of players and supporters fitting in the match around work commitments, etc.

With the two blank Saturdays that are coming up, the problem we'll have is that there aren't really any other scheduled night matches between now and the end of the season. Corby are due to come to York Street on a Tuesday night, but that's not an option as they too are still in the FA Cup.

So essentially we'd be looking at moving a fixture from one Saturday to another.

EDIT: Just looked at the fixture list again. Hinckley United are due at York Street on Tuesday 30th November. They lost in the FA Cup yesterday to Redditch (how?). That might be our best option for bringing a game forward.

756

The B-Ark / Three weeks without a fixture?

« on: October 10, 2010, 08:20:52 PM »

My fixture list over the coming weeks reads as follows:

16th October - Stalybridge (Home)
23rd October - Guiseley (Away)
30th October - Ilkeston (Home)
6th November - Blyth Spartans (Away)

Guiseley won yesterday in the FA Cup, and I believe the next round is to take place on 23rd October. Presumably therefore our league game will have to be rearranged.

Ilkeston, sadly, are no more.

By my reckoning therefore, we'll go from 16th October until 6th November without a first team fixture. That can't be good for keeping momentum going.

I wonder if we can bring forward another fixture to fill the void?

757

The B-Ark / Update on Ex-Pilgrims - Shepshed vs Stamford

« on: October 06, 2010, 07:09:29 AM »

For those that like to keep track on the wherabouts of ex-Pilgrims, there were eight at the Shepshed Dynamo vs Stamford fixture in Evostik South last night.

Shepshed included Rob Norris at centre-forward. Up until recently Rob's father Bob Norris was the assistant manager of Shepshed, but Norris Senior has since parted company with the club. Shepshed are now managed by ex Lincoln United (amongst others) player Dave Frecklington.

Stamford started with Chris Wright in goal, Dan Cotton and Lee Beeson on the flanks and Ricky Miller at centre-forward. They introduced Nick Jackson and Ben Sedgemore (for Cotton) as second half substitutes, and also included Tony Battersby in the travelling party.

Stamford won the game 4-1 and, as the scoreline suggests, were comfortably the better side. Ricky Miller scored their third goal. He played the full 90-minutes and didn't get booked.

758

The B-Ark / Re: Liam Parker

« on: September 29, 2010, 04:56:15 PM »

Echo the above.

Has Harry Deane disappeared from the first team squad page as well?

http://www.bufc.co.uk/Team?teamId=4310

759

The B-Ark / Re: Chris Sutton

« on: September 29, 2010, 04:52:45 PM »

even when he gave interviews he sounded like he was pissed off and had no passion so no wonder the team weren't performing `

Where is Tommy Taylor these days?

760

The B-Ark / Re: Histon Breaking Records - Gainsborough next?

« on: September 29, 2010, 10:08:08 AM »

Let's be honest though - it is a long way to Wrexham. And it seems an awful lot longer coming back!

761

The B-Ark / Re: Changed Team vs Worcester?

« on: September 29, 2010, 10:01:15 AM »

Oh, and if Butcher is going to keep goal again would someone be kind enough to let me know beforehand and I'll make alternative arrangements.......he's a liability, Spalding Utd on loan should be his next move after that 'performance'.

Smashing local lad but after2 or 3 years of willing him to make the grade im just not sure he ever will!

With all due respect, I disagree with some of the negative comments that have been posted about Aaron Butcher.

For one thing, goalkeepers at their best at a much older age than those in front of them. Off the top of my head I think of people like Peter Shilton, John Burridge, David James, Tony Roberts, Bazza and Kevin Poole. Whilst younger than these guys, even Tom Evans was substantially older than the rest of our promotion winning squad last season.

Sometimes it seems like Butcher has been at Boston for ever, because he made his debut so young. But I think I'm right in saying he is still a teenager. And whilst he isn't the finished article yet and I'm not suggesting we drop McKeown, Butcher still has time on his side to fulfill the potential. With proper coaching, the right attitude, encouragement (instead of criticism) and a bit of luck, he can have a bigger part to play in Boston's future than any ex-League goalkeeper on the way down.

I think the criticism coming out of Saturday is unjustified. The first and third goals were straight into the top corner; Peter Cech would have struggled to save them. And whilst he perhaps should have done better with the second one, nobody seems to have mentioned the fact that the ball took a deflection. Also when called upon last season (e.g. vs Retford in the League Cup Final) you have to say he didn't let us down.

How old was Bazza when he first signed for Boston? In his first season at the club under Peter Morris we were relegated from the Conference, and at that time I genuinely did not rate our new keeper. At that time I didn't think he was fit to lace the boots of his predecessor John McKenna. But over the course of 600-odd games I changed my mind.

762

The B-Ark / ¡Feliz cumpleaños Mikel Suarez

« on: September 28, 2010, 06:22:04 PM »

24 today.

And happy birthday to Harry Deane too!

763

The B-Ark / Changed Team vs Worcester?

« on: September 24, 2010, 09:27:32 PM »

With it being a cup game tomorrow, does anyone else think we may change the side around? Will Peterborough want one of their squad goalkeepers cup-tied? Butcher to get a chance? Will some of the other fringe players get a starting berth?

I seem to remember we made changes at this time last year for the FA Cup tie at Lowestpoint Town. I don't remember Simon Ashton starting too many matches last season, but I'm sure he played from the start in that match. Things didn't exactly go to plan that day. But will the League campaign looking like it will be the priority for the season I just wonder if we'll see a few team changes again tomorrow.

Any thoughts?

764

The B-Ark / Re: David Newton's interview

« on: September 22, 2010, 07:08:29 AM »

Like any supporter I want to progress, but .....

As I understand it the lease on York Street still runs for a few more years. Do we have a "get out early" clause on it? If not, then any ground-share arrangement would presumably mean we'd simultaneously have to pay rent on two separate stadiums. Is that viable?

The other issue to consider is that the bulk of clubs at Conference National level and above have full-time players. Would we need to go full-time to remain competitive? And how realistic would that be alongside the potential expense of running two grounds?

..... On the pitch we've taken two steps forward and three steps backwards once before. We all know why that happened. But whatever the reason, we wouldn't want it to happen again.

765

The B-Ark / Re: Alfreton Town - not necessarily as good as statistically suggested

« on: September 17, 2010, 06:53:19 AM »

They might have a strong defence, but with Darren Stride in the middle they might just be vulnerable to the pace we have in our front four.

Darren Stride was a very good player for Burton Albion, a one-club man and the first name on their team sheet for many years. He was Burton's equivalent to Paul Ellender and should have played at a higher level than he did. But when midfielders (or strikers for that matter) move back into the centre of defence it generally means only one thing - the legs have gone! The pace and movement of our strikers will be important on Saturday.

I don't think anyone else has yet mentioned the ex-Pilgrim in the Alfreton Town squad, namely Ian Ross. He looked a class act when he joined us on loan from Sheffield United a few years ago and scored a lot of goals from midfield. It's a mystery of the game how players with potential such as that end up at Alfreton via Gainsborough, and for that matter tend to be on the bench more often than they play.