[ Sat 3rd Oct ] v Basford Utd, KO 3pm FATPR HOME

[Dazzler]

Official Match Preview - FA Trophy Preliminary Round.

http://www.afcdiamonds.com/afc-rushden- ... rd-october

[Trek]

Basford were beaten 2-1 at home to Sheffield in the league last evening.

[Formic]

The link to the match video of that game that's in the preview and on twitter really highlights the tremendous work that has been done on the D&D pitch during the Diamonds time there. Gilly's goal is worth another look too - http://www.afcdiamonds.com/afc-rd-v-bas ... highlights

[rushdenman]

Not only does it show how much the pitch has improved but also highlights how wasteful Jake Newman was in front of goal and what a liability Quincy could be at times.

[Formic]

There are some fairly tasty challenges leading up to the fifth goal (and Jake Newman could easily have decided to go down for a penalty too), so it was interesting to hear Starms comments about the physicality of the game, and how he was happy with the way the players coped with it without further issue. Perhaps we miss the steadying influence of someone like Chris Hope when things get heated.

[Trek]

Perhaps we miss the steadying influence of someone like Chris Hope when things get heated.

This is a serious issue that now needs urgent attention. I was speaking to a fan at the Bedfont match who said he had spoken to the club after the unsavoury scenes witnessed at Ware. I don't believe he was present at Kings Langley on Tuesday evening.

[davealbon]

Perhaps we miss the steadying influence of someone like Chris Hope when things get heated.

This is a serious issue that now needs urgent attention. I was speaking to a fan at the Bedfont match who said he had spoken to the club after the unsavoury scenes witnessed at Ware. I don't believe he was present at Kings Langley on Tuesday evening.

It has happened far too many times now in the last few months. I don't think we've been the instigators on any occasion, but we've certainly not hesitated to get involved either.

[BartonRaz]

Perhaps we miss the steadying influence of someone like Chris Hope when things get heated.

This is a serious issue that now needs urgent attention. I was speaking to a fan at the Bedfont match who said he had spoken to the club after the unsavoury scenes witnessed at Ware. I don't believe he was present at Kings Langley on Tuesday evening.

It has happened far too many times now in the last few months. I don't think we've been the instigators on any occasion, but we've certainly not hesitated to get involved either.

I forgot about Ware. I don't recall us getting involved in these type of things in previous seasons. What do we think has changed?

[Pete]

I just flicked through the Ware photos. While I know this conversation is about getting involved unnecessarily, I find it interesting that for three out of the four photos showing players getting booked following the late ruckus at Ware, all of them appear to be visibly disagreeing with the ref. While all of us would prefer players just to get on with things and be gentlemen throughout, I think sadly now players, even at this low level, will usually have a win-at-all-costs attitude. I think this then encourages them to try to get every advantage going, including trying to con the ref and feigning injury and then being so desperate to win will sometimes have the result of you backing your mate up too much when you think he's been hard done by. But then maybe they should have that attitude. After all, they're paid to win games of football, not be a bunch of nice chaps.

But this attitude, blinding people to the big picture, isn't limited to players. After the Bedfont game we had a report on here that management had suggested, albeit jokingly, that the ref was trying to fix the result as a draw, which I find astonishing, and after Tuesday's game the Twitter feed suggested that the ref hadn't told the management that he had abandoned it, which I find extremely unlikely. It's hardly respecting the guy in charge, is it? Even that official Twitter feed has regularly, publicly, criticised referees. It's a football problem, I'd say, where winning is more important than anything else - and that's sad. Do you get the best football players you can get at your club or do you only acquire players who go about business the right way, whatever that is?

[Trek]

What do we think has changed?

I think we have got a very tight knit of players with excellent team spirit. Whilst this is generally regarded as a good thing it has it's drawbacks. When one of our players is subjected to foul play as occurred at Ware and again with Brad last Tuesday, there is no calming influence and there seems to be a desire to 'stick up for your mates' without any regard for the outcome. As we know, officials tend to punish players and management who retaliate more than the original offender. A few of us were shouting out to our bench not to get involved, Jack Ashton thankfully listened, others unfortunately didn't. Why unused substitutes need to charge 40 yards down the line heaven only knows.