[ Sat 15th Sep ] v Fakenham Town KO 3pm FA Vase HOME

[Bob's Bitch]

No, we are going tio make the old Doughboys shop into a tea bar

Oh and in the next couple of weeks we will have another surprise for you 8-)

Come on, creche and a bouncy castle at the Embankment End! ;)

[Red Dragon]

Right, I wasn't there, I haven't been to single game since we reformed - primarily because I'm three hundred miles away most of the time - BUT I would say this:

1) Anyone who bares their arse at opposing fans at any level of football deserves to be thrown out of the ground with no ifs or b... no, wait a minute, bad phraseology... without question or argument. He's a cock, end of.

2) Anyone on our side who reacts to the arsehole showing his arsehole by throwing something is also a cock, whatever it was which was thrown, and he should be banned for a number of games, much like a player getting a red card, and warned as to his future behaviour.

3) A football ground is indeed, as Bobos said, not a church. You can tell, because in church we sing in tune and actually know the words. Anyone who strays into a football ground innocently expecting the language and behaviour to be such as to be able to fool the casual observer into thinking they had wandered into a church is deluded, and ought to told in no uncertain terms that they are deluded, BUT I still expect the fans to observe a certain code of conduct. So, for example, obscenity for its own sake is not funny, it's just crude, charmless, and sometimes shameful - that doesn't mean though that obscenity of itself is always wrong: what matters, I think, is whether what is being sung would be just as funny, or make its point, without the obscenity. If the answer to that question is "yes" then the obscenity is just a garnish to the joke, and it's borderline acceptable.
Anyone who encourages, or starts, or composes, a chant which they would be ashamed to repeat in another context - either because it's racist, sexist, or homophobic, with or without obscenity - is a cock.

4) Anyone who throws any solid object of any kind at another fan, or a player, or an official, whatever the provocation or for whatever reason, is a cock, and needs to be dealt with by all of us, as fans, because it damages the reputation of our club - and could cause serious injury. Even something so supposedly innocuous as a lucozade bottle can be exceptionally painful and cause injury. I know, because some cowardly little knob-end at the back of the de Banke threw one at me at the last game I ever went to at Nene Park, and it caused an injury that took weeks to clear up. My daughter is blind in one eye. If that had hit her good eye, it could have blinded her for life, just because she came with me and her husband to a football match.

The bad behaviour of opposition fans is never, ever, a justification for bad behaviour on our part. We are better than that. Singing songs which are about causing offence and offering mindless thuggish abuse, rather than being witty or clever in order to amuse does nothing to enhance the reputation of our club and its fans. It just makes whoever joins in look like a cock.

So, as Fans' Chaplain, I would say the general rule of thumb can be summed up in four words.

Don't be a cock.

Here ends the lesson. Bless you all, have a happy Sunday: especially if you are in church, singing in tune and knowing the words.... and you aren't being a cock.

[Dazzler]

From the FA Site

AFC Rushden & Diamonds 4 Fakenham 1
15/09/12 19:49

Diamonds enjoyed a successful bow in the FA Vase with an ultimately convincing win over their visitors from Norfolk.

The prolific Alfie Taylor set the ball rolling with a 24th minute opener for AFC.

The Ghosts equalised after 62 minutes when Toby Harris headed home from a corner.

Diamonds were back in front after 74 minutes when Taylor headed home after Chris Hope headed a Joe Merrill free kick back across goal.

With four minutes remaining Jack Wisniewski sealed Diamonds' place in the next round.

Recent recruit Jake Newman had the final word three minutes into time added, tapping in his first Diamonds goal after Taylor's effort rebounded from the crossbar.

Author: Jeremy Biggs - > The FA Site - Match Link <

[stamboy]

This week has gone so slowly! Come on the Diamonds!!

I don't remember feeling this excited about RDFC games. Hell, i'm even excited for one of Haydn's burgers!

Feel exactly the same, except for maybe the last few months of the playoff season, I've never been this enthusiastic and excited for Diamonds games before (wasn't there for the glory days) and I could never have imagined I'd be this excited for games against teams like Olney or Fakenham, but I am! Not sure exactly why, probably either because of the year out from Saturday football or because we go into every game with a decent chance of winning.

I fully agree. I feel the atmosphere is extremely friendly, and everyone goes out of their way to help (not like a lot of jobsworths you get at say premier matches). I have to say that having a young family it is excellent both home and away as kids can kick a ball around by the side of the match (e.g. at Harrowby and yesterday behind the far goal if they want to).

Being seen as a "number" was one of the things that put me off taking my nephew to Chelsea matches in the first place, as well as the tiring long day for him and the expensive non-discounted child ticket :( So I opted to go to Diamonds and we had 2 season tickets and here we are now.... :P

[stamboy]

No, we are going tio make the old Doughboys shop into a tea bar

Oh and in the next couple of weeks we will have another surprise for you 8-)

Come on, creche and a bouncy castle at the Embankment End! ;)

A bouncy castle would be a FANTASTIC idea!!!

No need for a creche as can push the pram round anywhere and take it into the clubhouse like we did yesterday

[Biggles]

No, we are going tio make the old Doughboys shop into a tea bar

You surely mean a Tea shop, with little lace doileis, Rose Porcelain tea set, Cucumber Sandwiches,SconeS and Jam with waitress service to lure those that shop at M&S from across the road and no doubt sponsored by Whittards of Chelsea.

[stamboy]

Having read all the posts on here, I can say that I fully concur with Red Dragons’ postings, like it seems most people do.

A couple of points if I may. Firstly, the guy who did the moonie, (I didn’t see) wouldn’t have bothered me a few years ago when I was a regular at Chelsea. However, I feel we are a more family orientated club and I myself have a young family, so wouldn’t want my son to see that sort of thing. I do feel we should take action either with a stern word initially and if bad behaviour continues ejection from the match.

As for the person “lad” throwing the bottle, again I didn’t witness this. I’m sure this will be a one-off incident (and I’d like to think so), but it is something we need to be careful of. One of the many things I enjoy about football as this level is being able to be treated like a mature adult. On this I mean, I am able to have a pint (in a plastic glass) and watch the match by the side of the pitch. Being a Chelsea fan and latterly a RDFC season ticket holder I was never able to enjoy this privilege. If said incidents do re-occur, I can see a point whereby the club may say, right we’ll only serve in the clubhouse (as was the case yesterday because of FA rules). Now that would be a great shame, so let’s all please try and ensure this doesn’t happen. A very stern warning or again ejection from the match maybe necessary. Perhaps at this point it may even be worth considering having notices saying that if anything is thrown onto the pitch or at someone then said people will be ejected (as a deterrent). As I said, I hope this will be a one-off and won’t happen again so notices may not be necessary, but perhaps something to consider?

Lastly, we all want what’s best for the club, and whilst some people might not agree with others on some things, that’s fine (hey isn’t football meant to be discussed and argued over down the pub or at work on a Monday morning) as is constructive criticism. From what I’ve read on here there isn’t really any bad criticism more people raising concerns. I do fully understand though that some people who put in an awful lot or work and effort into the club may take it that way, and is thus disheartening. However, I do feel that these posts are genuine concerns by fans and not just rants.

[Biggles]

Excuse me People but did a football game take place yesterday or was it a full scale riot, it must have been the 2nd option given the column inches given over to a bloke doing a mooney and a kid with a plastic bottle, maybe we should have interviews with them, sod the manager and players and the win.

Jesus a mole hill turned into the Himalayas.

[BartonRaz]

Since i posted last on my views on today and read all the posts since i think that this may have bubbled over into something that we aint talking about. Im not sure i remember the singers getting criticised in anyway, my main point was the object thrown and thats it. Had the little boy not have thrown it then the main point of this debate would just be the plank from fakenham.

I - and others - were referring to things other people were saying CD.

Excuse me People but did a football game take place yesterday or was it a full scale riot, it must have been the 2nd option given the column inches given over to a bloke doing a mooney and a kid with a plastic bottle, maybe we should have interviews with them, sod the manager and players and the win.

Jesus a mole hill turned into the Himalayas.

Nice to have some good debate though eh? Where better to air your views than on here.

[BartonRaz]

On a positive note - great result and I must say a quality matchday programme today !! Top job guys n gals !!

I'll second that. It's well worth the money - especially when you compare what we got for our £2 at Wootton.

Agree there for sure. The programme is awesome.