Viking Supporters Co-operative
Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: selby on November 24, 2024, 04:22:49 pm
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So for a weekend we are a giant that most of the country will want felling and Kettering's fairy tail to carry on to the third round and a tie against Manchester United away, and that is just one thing stacked against us with the TV cameras there in anticipation of just that happening.
The main problem we will have is the pitch, described in todays Non League paper as "large parts of the game were a hard watch with errant passes and the boggy surface causing mistakes.
Probably a good idea for our players used to manicured surfaces having a couple of training kick abouts on Elmfield Park pitches to get used to things as from my visits there the description fits perfectly and the surrounding amenities not that much better.
Add the fact they are used to it, are used to winning games of football being top of their division being four points clear and a goal difference of twenty goals, so confidence up as well as the lure of bigger things ahead and national exposure on TV.
The big advantage we have is we are a better side than them, with more ability and skills, but we have to play well to prove it, and attitude and desire must match our hosts.
Both sides have the lure of financial gain, just winning this tie winners walk away with 75K and even losing in a third round tie is rewarded by a substantial amount, so a lot to play for, plus of course pride, and any TV fees on top, which both clubs would be pleased with.
I expect another slug fest of a game due to the conditions, a type of game we don't excel in, and with suspensions and probable injuries from yesterdays game especially in central defence and the full back area the management could have decisions to make.
We are proving to be a hard team to beat, but have lost our way in front of goal somewhat recently, could this game be one for both Ironside and Sharp to play as a double threat, Ironside a must to start in this game in those conditions to me, and Sharp is good enough at this level to make a difference in front of goal in the box.
Midfield is the worry in games like this, an area where we struggle with in your face sides, although our younger players have responded and are more robust now than at the start of the season.
It will definitely not be one for the football purists on that pitch the man in control of the ball in slippy conditions hard to stop when on a run and in Kelly, Molly, and Hurst we have players who can get at defenders and cause problems.
One thing that will be dangerous is messing at the back with short balls on a sticky pitch, we need to play as much of the game as possible in Kettering's half of the game as defenders will make mistakes.
I hope our travelling fans have a great day out and with penalties now possibly deciding games both Ironside and Sharp being on the field at 90 minutes should come into our thinking.
So what do you think? can we look forward to an extra cup game after Christmas? or will we be a bit of a laughing stock in front of a big TV audience? ( we have been there before) Are you bothered about the FA cup now? what positions could be improved with the extra income in the January window? Lots to look forward to in this game, lots of questions about the game and our line up, please join in and have your say, any Kettering supporters welcome to join in, please have your say.
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This could be a serious banana skin of a game.
Our attitude and application need to be spot on.
Win the battle and surely we will win the game assuming we take our cHances. Hopefully we get a few goals and give our front players that much needed boost in confidence and belief.
This game should be decent preparation for our game at Fleetwood.
Horrible ground, poor pitch.
2 tricky games but 2 we should win if we are at it for 90 mins and not just 45 or 60 which has been the case in many of our games.
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I agree that playing out from the back on the pitch I have seen on youtube will be a risk .If you remember the bobble that Copps had to contend with before putting in that memorable goal against Brentford : well we will have to contend with lots of those .
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I see they had a player taken off injured yesterday (Tyree Wilson) - not sure how serious, but he was injured on 22 mins and couldn't continue. They already have Kelly-Evans suspended, so both sides have player(s) out.
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Anderson obviously starts. Would play some combination of Bailey, Broadbent and Clifton in midfield, and rely on our quality wide to get through them. No point trying to play football here. Gerrrit wide quickly and have a go at them.
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With Northampton railway station closed this morning due to flooding it must be safe to say the playing surface will be boggy and not the standard our lads are used to just down the road.
It will be an unusual experience for most of our players one they can learn from and if we have the right attitude, are willing to match their enthusiasm and effort then we can come away with a result.
I am sure our lads are looking forward to their exposure on TV and their moment in the lime light, and hopefully take the chance of showing their ability off to a wider audience, lots of players in the past have built a career and reputation by playing well in games like this at the weekend.
Lets hope one or two take the opportunity, to showcase their class, which in the expected conditions will not be easy.
Yesterday I allured to us as a little joke having a kick about on the Hyde Park pitches probably some of the worst in Doncaster, it might not be that bad an idea as Cantley are pristine compared with Kettering.
The biggest thing is that nearly everyone in the country apart from our supporters will hope Kettering win, and we need to be big party poopers.
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A few Rovers lads have experience of non-league so should know what to expect.
TSL (Bromley)
Sterry (Hartlepool)
Olowu (Wealdstone)
Anderson (Various)
Senior (Various)
Maxwell (-)
Bailey (Gateshead)
Kelly (-)
Molyneux (Various)
Hurst (-)
Sharp (-)
Ironside (Various)
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The biggest crowds that Patrick Kelly would have played in front of would be when he been wearing a Rovers shirt. He won’t have played in front of more than 2,000 before either for Coleraine ( now managed by Dean Sheilds ) Northern Ireland U21s or West Ham reserves.
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It’s just another game of football against a team of players in a much lower league but that will be bang up for it.
We should play the strongest XI possible and treat it like any other game. Don’t over think it. Yes you are likely to have to deal with more long balls but teams at that level are no more physical to playing teams that we have over the last couple of years. Even less so.
Don’t buy in to adapting the team to battle them, play the quality players. Quality beats these poor teams, not wrestling.
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If I was McCann I would be reminding the players that if we win no one outside of rovers will care, but lose and everyone will care and you will be reminded of it.
We and we have a chance of playing the biggest teams in Europe another chance to get a game like the Everton one
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Hoping Westbrook is fit enough to get a start. Just think he’s the type to unlock the midfield conundrum
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A team that cannot score and a team of battlers from a lower division. It has upset written all over it, unless GM and the squad start to use the wings to feed the forwards.
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Better still, if the wingers try getting past their full backs and cross it, rather than cutting in and trying to shoot all the time!
Mix it up lads?
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They've got some very good forwards who are probably a bit past it though.
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Let’s be honest, the very reason this has been chosen as a live FA Cup game by the BBC is that ‘they smell an upset..a ‘giant killing’.
Nobody outside of Donny will be rooting for us. Perhaps Grant might use that as part of his motivational talk before the players go out?
Effort, will, belief.
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Let’s be honest, the very reason this has been chosen as a live FA Cup game by the BBC is that ‘they smell an upset..a ‘giant killing’.
Nobody outside of Donny will be rooting for us. Perhaps Grant might use that as part of his motivational talk before the players go out?
Effort, will, belief.
There is also the fact that there would be a huge outcry if Kettering won and live coverage was absent. The general football audience isn’t interested even if it were 1st v 2nd in League 1 - the FA cup is all about giant-killing so the focus is always on the minnows in this context whatever the round.
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Let’s be honest, the very reason this has been chosen as a live FA Cup game by the BBC is that ‘they smell an upset..a ‘giant killing’.
Nobody outside of Donny will be rooting for us. Perhaps Grant might use that as part of his motivational talk before the players go out?
Effort, will, belief.
There is also the fact that there would be a huge outcry if Kettering won and live coverage was absent. The general football audience isn’t interested even if it were 1st v 2nd in League 1 - the FA cup is all about giant-killing so the focus is always on the minnows in this context whatever the round.
When it comes to the 3rd round onwards, they lose interest in smaller teams, and just concentrate on the big teams (and Leeds).
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Let’s be honest, the very reason this has been chosen as a live FA Cup game by the BBC is that ‘they smell an upset..a ‘giant killing’.
Nobody outside of Donny will be rooting for us. Perhaps Grant might use that as part of his motivational talk before the players go out?
Effort, will, belief.
There is also the fact that there would be a huge outcry if Kettering won and live coverage was absent. The general football audience isn’t interested even if it were 1st v 2nd in League 1 - the FA cup is all about giant-killing so the focus is always on the minnows in this context whatever the round.
When it comes to the 3rd round onwards, they lose interest in smaller teams, and just concentrate on the big teams (and Leeds).
And Wrexham
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Hoping Westbrook is fit enough to get a start. Just think he’s the type to unlock the midfield conundrum
Westbrooke is a real conundrum. If you look at his career and how many league games he has started, he appears to be getting less resilient and less essential as his career has progressed. At 28 he would probably hoped to have more consistently started games, being at his physical peak now.
2024/25 - 2
2023/24 - 17
2022/23 - 6
2021/22 - 0
2020/21 - 33
2019/20 - 22
2018/19 - 3
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Let’s be honest, the very reason this has been chosen as a live FA Cup game by the BBC is that ‘they smell an upset..a ‘giant killing’.
Nobody outside of Donny will be rooting for us. Perhaps Grant might use that as part of his motivational talk before the players go out?
Effort, will, belief.
There is also the fact that there would be a huge outcry if Kettering won and live coverage was absent. The general football audience isn’t interested even if it were 1st v 2nd in League 1 - the FA cup is all about giant-killing so the focus is always on the minnows in this context whatever the round.
When it comes to the 3rd round onwards, they lose interest in smaller teams, and just concentrate on the big teams (and Leeds).
And Wrexham
Not this season lol
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Hoping Westbrook is fit enough to get a start. Just think he’s the type to unlock the midfield conundrum
Westbrooke is a real conundrum. If you look at his career and how many league games he has started, he appears to be getting less resilient and less essential as his career has progressed. At 28 he would probably hoped to have more consistently started games, being at his physical peak now.
2024/25 - 2
2023/24 - 17
2022/23 - 6
2021/22 - 0
2020/21 - 33
2019/20 - 22
2018/19 - 3
Should of been let go along with Close in the summer rather than extending their deals.
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Hoping Westbrook is fit enough to get a start. Just think he’s the type to unlock the midfield conundrum
Westbrooke is a real conundrum. If you look at his career and how many league games he has started, he appears to be getting less resilient and less essential as his career has progressed. At 28 he would probably hoped to have more consistently started games, being at his physical peak now.
2024/25 - 2
2023/24 - 17
2022/23 - 6
2021/22 - 0
2020/21 - 33
2019/20 - 22
2018/19 - 3
Should of been let go along with Close in the summer rather than extending their deals.
Is McCann a bit too sentimental?
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Keeping Close was a huge error of judgement, he's done nothing to demonstrate he can stay fit or perform to a decent standard. Letting Tommy Rowe go instead of Close was criminal.
Westbrook has shown more in his time here, but is still very injury prone and inconsistent in his form.
Maybe the market in the summer didn't had loads of available midfield options? I suggested this in the summer but Harrison Neal is sat on Carlisle bench, he's a local lad who'd be the midfield engine we're crying out for.
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Hoping Westbrook is fit enough to get a start. Just think he’s the type to unlock the midfield conundrum
Westbrooke is a real conundrum. If you look at his career and how many league games he has started, he appears to be getting less resilient and less essential as his career has progressed. At 28 he would probably hoped to have more consistently started games, being at his physical peak now.
2024/25 - 2
2023/24 - 17
2022/23 - 6
2021/22 - 0
2020/21 - 33
2019/20 - 22
2018/19 - 3
Should of been let go along with Close in the summer rather than extending their deals.
Is McCann a bit too sentimental?
McCann isn’t, but I think the club is too sentimental when it comes to business (Anderson, Close, Wood, Jones renewals, re-signing Lawlor and Sharp). Or is the club scared of players going elsewhere and doing decent like Alfie?
Perhaps Grant is scarred by the injury crisis last year, because the amount of midfielders we’ve gone in to the new season with is just completely unnecessary and unfair on some of them IMO. We’re past injury crises now Rennie is in.
Why sign Clifton if you have Bailey, Broadbent and plan to get Kelly?
Why renew Close’s contract when he doesn’t fit our style of play? As has been the general consensus on this forum for the last 3 years. It looks like McCann now realises this as Close is fit and hasn’t even been in the squad for the last 3 games.
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Keeping Close was a huge error of judgement, he's done nothing to demonstrate he can stay fit or perform to a decent standard. Letting Tommy Rowe go instead of Close was criminal.
Westbrook has shown more in his time here, but is still very injury prone and inconsistent in his form.
Maybe the market in the summer didn't had loads of available midfield options? I suggested this in the summer but Harrison Neal is sat on Carlisle bench, he's a local lad who'd be the midfield engine we're crying out for.
I think we’ve got enough engines in midfield Reg. The issue for me is that without Westbrooke fit there isn’t a serious option to fill the role of someone to put their foot on the ball and dictate play.
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They've got some very good forwards who are probably a bit past it though.
Yep. Nile Ranger and Gary Hooper.
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They've got some very good forwards who are probably a bit past it though.
Yep. Nile Ranger and Gary Hooper.
Plenty of older strikers still put the ball in the net on a regular basis.
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Billy Sharp...
BobG
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They've got some very good forwards who are probably a bit past it though.
Yep. Nile Ranger and Gary Hooper.
Initially read that as Nile Rodgers and Gary Cooper. Bold selections if so.
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They've got some very good forwards who are probably a bit past it though.
Yep. Nile Ranger and Gary Hooper.
Initially read that as Nile Rodgers and Gary Cooper. Bold selections if so.
A funky yet silent strike partnership!
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They've got some very good forwards who are probably a bit past it though.
Yep. Nile Ranger and Gary Hooper.
Marvin Sordell is on their books as well.
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I think Nile Ranger was sent off in the last few minutes for arguing with the ref last Saturday and could miss the game the same as McGrath.
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I think Nile Ranger was sent off in the last few minutes for arguing with the ref last Saturday and could miss the game the same as McGrath.
I thought we'd got lucky there but it turns out he didn't get sent off, he scored the winner
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I’m not having Nile Ranger. Rubbish. I remember watching him against us when he played for Southend and Joe Wright didn’t give him a kick. Be meat and drink for our boys on Sunday.
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I hope your right MR
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I reckon they are at level 7 in the Pyramid but are at the top of their particular Division so might be 68 / 69 places below us
How many position were Frickley below us when they outed us in FA T .... less places presumably ?
Also who are the "lowest" opposition we have been knocked out by if we win on Sunday
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Was Frickley in the FA Cup or the FA Trophy ?
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https://youtu.be/NQIFjP_s_gg?feature=shared (https://youtu.be/NQIFjP_s_gg?feature=shared)
This is the FA Trophy one and never seen this before
Some familiar faces in Park Hotel
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Was Frickley in the FA Cup or the FA Trophy ?
FA Trophy , I have been told and in fact Jezza introduced it as that . It was bloody dismal though
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https://youtu.be/NQIFjP_s_gg?feature=shared
This is the FA Cup one and never seen this before
Some familiar faces in Park Hotel
Ruined my week seeing Clarkson’s face wolf. You could have put a public warning notice up first!
Wish the smug bas**rd had been born in Barnsley.
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https://youtu.be/NQIFjP_s_gg?feature=shared
This is the FA Cup one and never seen this before
Some familiar faces in Park Hotel
That is the funniest thing Ive seen in years
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https://youtu.be/NQIFjP_s_gg?feature=shared
This is the FA Cup one and never seen this before
Some familiar faces in Park Hotel
That is the funniest thing Ive seen in years
Yeah, it's brilliant :lol:
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I reckon they are at level 7 in the Pyramid but are at the top of their particular Division so might be 68 / 69 places below us
How many position were Frickley below us when they outed us ?
Also who are the "lowest" opposition we have been knocked out by if not Frickley ?
A good question re Frickley DW
Of course that was in the FA Trophy for non-league sides, not the FA Cup, and we didn’t lose to anyone else below Conference level in any competition during our Conference seasons (am not including the regional Sheffield Cups).
As a league club we have lost 6 matches to a non-league club in the FA Cup:
1904-05 Mexborough
1927-28 Carlisle
1965-66 Wigan
2003-04 Scarborough
2004-05 Exeter
2022-23 Kings Lynn
In two if those seasons we were actually Champions of our League (1965-66 and 2003-04)
We have also lost to 2 Conference clubs in the FA Cup during our Conference seasons (Rushden & D and Southport), and to two Conference sides in the AMC (generic name for Bristol Street Motors thingy) – Cambridge and Hereford (on penalties)
Mexborough would seem the ‘smallest’ of those clubs but there wasn’t a pyramid as such so difficult to say.
Technically there is one other challenger for lowest or ’smallest’ club though – Fryston Colliery who progressed in the FA Cup at our expense in 1923-24.
Not sure of the exact details (maybe The Red Baron or Bristol Red Rover can correct me) but we were due to embark on a non-league season and through a drop out we were invited back into the Football League at a very late stage, I think the season might have already started and we had a fixture backlog. We were drawn against Fryston Colliery on a very early preliminary FA Cup round. We felt that as a league club we should be exempt as far as the other league clubs were, but the FA said we were non-league when the cup started. Due to the fixture backlog we withdrew from the fixture and gave Fryston a walkover.
So we have something very rare in common with our new found galactico friends of Manchester United - we have both withdrawn from an FA Cup tie. :lol: :scarf:
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https://youtu.be/NQIFjP_s_gg?feature=shared
This is the FA Cup one and never seen this before
Some familiar faces in Park Hotel
Tbh I’m surprised he got out of there in one piece
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I remember us beating Brandon United in a replay in the late 80's who played in the northern league I think it was back then. DU or others will correct me but if we had lost to them that could have been our worst cup defeat I reckon
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I would be tempted to opt for Mexborough in 1904/5 but as DU points out it's not as easy to judge as it is these days with the Pyramid
Let's hope Kettering don't provide anything other than a path to a "plum" away draw in R3
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A long time since I laughed so much about Rovers. A brilliant video. So funny. Thanks
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I remember us beating Brandon United in a replay in the late 80's who played in the northern league I think it was back then. DU or others will correct me but if we had lost to them that could have been our worst cup defeat I reckon
The replay was also played at Belle Vue because their ground wasn’t up to standard, Paul Dobson scored for us before he was transferred. Others might be able to shed more light on it but didn’t he leave before he scored/played more because we would’ve to pay more money out due a clause in his transfer to us
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I reckon they are at level 7 in the Pyramid but are at the top of their particular Division so might be 68 / 69 places below us
How many position were Frickley below us when they outed us in FA T .... less places presumably ?
Also who are the "lowest" opposition we have been knocked out by if we win on Sunday
It might need DU to help us out, Wolfie, but I believe there were very few places between ourselves and Frickley at the time. We were bottom of the Conference, and I'm pretty sure there was no Conference North at that time, so the next tier down was the Northern Premier League, which I reckon Frickley would have been fairly well placed in.
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I reckon they are at level 7 in the Pyramid but are at the top of their particular Division so might be 68 / 69 places below us
How many position were Frickley below us when they outed us ?
Also who are the "lowest" opposition we have been knocked out by if not Frickley ?
A good question re Frickley DW
Of course that was in the FA Trophy for non-league sides, not the FA Cup, and we didn’t lose to anyone else below Conference level in any competition during our Conference seasons (am not including the regional Sheffield Cups).
As a league club we have lost 6 matches to a non-league club in the FA Cup:
1904-05 Mexborough
1927-28 Carlisle
1965-66 Wigan
2003-04 Scarborough
2004-05 Exeter
2022-23 Kings Lynn
In two if those seasons we were actually Champions of our League (1965-66 and 2003-04)
We have also lost to 2 Conference clubs in the FA Cup during our Conference seasons (Rushden & D and Southport), and to two Conference sides in the AMC (generic name for Bristol Street Motors thingy) – Cambridge and Hereford (on penalties)
Mexborough would seem the ‘smallest’ of those clubs but there wasn’t a pyramid as such so difficult to say.
Technically there is one other challenger for lowest or ’smallest’ club though – Fryston Colliery who progressed in the FA Cup at our expense in 1923-24.
Not sure of the exact details (maybe The Red Baron or Bristol Red Rover can correct me) but we were due to embark on a non-league season and through a drop out we were invited back into the Football League at a very late stage, I think the season might have already started and we had a fixture backlog. We were drawn against Fryston Colliery on a very early preliminary FA Cup round. We felt that as a league club we should be exempt as far as the other league clubs were, but the FA said we were non-league when the cup started. Due to the fixture backlog we withdrew from the fixture and gave Fryston a walkover.
So we have something very rare in common with our new found galactico friends of Manchester United - we have both withdrawn from an FA Cup tie. :lol: :scarf:
Firstly, I saw a lot of Niall Ranger who was a class centre forward at our level based on watching him play at Southend, but he got on the wrong side of the law - and not just once and it didn’t help his football career. He’s now over 30, but I wouldn’t ignore him.
The balance in the comments above is pretty good, but I go with those who favour our playing our normal game. Perhaps our overall record against non league opposition is irrelevant, but it does support the common-sense angle that statistically Kettering are less likely to win than Rovers. The Kings Lynn defeat was memorable and deserved, but we were performing dismally at the time, they were top of the 6th tier and very much in form; and probably a good deal better than Kettering are.
However, the fact is if that Kettering were to beat us, they would need to repeat a performance similar to the one they managed against 18th in L1 in which their goal underwent a barrage of shots which they somehow kept out. Of course they were playing away too which adds to their achievement, but they went into that match with nothing to lose.
This time, there will be some pressure on them because beating a L1 side away may suggest to some that they should deal with one from L2 at home and of course they will be aware that 99.9% of the public will be hoping, many even expecting, that they’ll win. Notwithstanding this, most of the viewers will not realise that they play 3 tiers below their opponents who, at 4th in L2, are probably better than the 17th place in L1 occupied by Northampton. What we also have going for us is that we are unbeaten away since September.
I say all this simply for the sake of balance and I reckon we’ll win. If we don’t, I expect we will all have to put on our tin hats!
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I remember us beating Brandon United in a replay in the late 80's who played in the northern league I think it was back then. DU or others will correct me but if we had lost to them that could have been our worst cup defeat I reckon
The replay was also played at Belle Vue because their ground wasn’t up to standard, Paul Dobson scored for us before he was transferred. Others might be able to shed more light on it but didn’t he leave before he scored/played more because we would’ve to pay more money out due a clause in his transfer to us
I thought he threw his teddies out the pram after being dropped to the bench
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https://youtu.be/NQIFjP_s_gg?feature=shared
This is the FA Cup one and never seen this before
Some familiar faces in Park Hotel
That is the funniest thing Ive seen in years
Yeah, it's brilliant :lol:
"Doncaster: It's not a bag of shite" should be our new club motto.
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I think Nile Ranger was sent off in the last few minutes for arguing with the ref last Saturday and could miss the game the same as McGrath.
I think the guy that your thinking about was the midfielder Devon Kelly-Evans...
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“Kettering Town holds the record for the most goals in FA Cup history with 922. The Southern League Premier Division side leads Tottenham Hotspur by 11 goals.”
I suppose that if you think about it, most well established non-league clubs take part in it and the lower you start, the more games you’ll play IF you make progress. So if you’ve been around for years and years - since 1872 in Kettering’ case - it makes sense. Spurs were a Southern League club for quite a long time, so they must have quite a history in qualifying rounds as well.
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All we need is a win, it doesn't matter how.
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Hoping Westbrook is fit enough to get a start. Just think he’s the type to unlock the midfield conundrum
Westbrooke is a real conundrum. If you look at his career and how many league games he has started, he appears to be getting less resilient and less essential as his career has progressed. At 28 he would probably hoped to have more consistently started games, being at his physical peak now.
2024/25 - 2
2023/24 - 17
2022/23 - 6
2021/22 - 0
2020/21 - 33
2019/20 - 22
2018/19 - 3
Should of been let go along with Close in the summer rather than extending their deals.
I could be wrong but I think their deals were extended before the summer? Also it was noted last Jan we had a money offer for close and turned it down?
Neither suit what GM wants to do, I can only assume they were trying to create a value in an assett rather than let then go for nothing.
There is a lot of deals done in football that aren't about a player being in the first 11.
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Close and Westbrooke both have real quality but their resilience isn’t great and also they don’t get through the yards that McCann typically likes from his midfield. Good for him to have some variety in options but even with our bigger budget these days, that’s a lot of cash being paid out to either the treatment table or bench.
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I think Westbrooke has performed well when he’s played this season, but Close has been poor. Maybe he just can’t do it physically after all the injuries, or maybe he can only be selected for certain games - high possession ones where he has time on the ball to pick passes and doesn’t have to do so much of the physical stuff.
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Close and Westbrooke both have real quality but their resilience isn’t great and also they don’t get through the yards that McCann typically likes from his midfield. Good for him to have some variety in options but even with our bigger budget these days, that’s a lot of cash being paid out to either the treatment table or bench.
Westbrooke does get about the pitch?
I know they’re similar in some respects but I think a lot of people lazily put all of Close’s weaknesses on to Zain.
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Close and Westbrooke both have real quality but their resilience isn’t great and also they don’t get through the yards that McCann typically likes from his midfield. Good for him to have some variety in options but even with our bigger budget these days, that’s a lot of cash being paid out to either the treatment table or bench.
Clifton probably embodies what he expects of a midfielder and he scores goals too - 2 in the Rotherham friendly.
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Last chance to collect tickets 4.00 tomorrow. No collection available on Sunday
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Close and Westbrooke both have real quality but their resilience isn’t great and also they don’t get through the yards that McCann typically likes from his midfield. Good for him to have some variety in options but even with our bigger budget these days, that’s a lot of cash being paid out to either the treatment table or bench.
Clifton probably embodies what he expects of a midfielder and he scores goals too - 2 in the Rotherham friendly.
It’s about balance isn’t it? Clifton is the hardest worker and biggest goal threat but probably the worst on the ball.
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Close and Westbrooke both have real quality but their resilience isn’t great and also they don’t get through the yards that McCann typically likes from his midfield. Good for him to have some variety in options but even with our bigger budget these days, that’s a lot of cash being paid out to either the treatment table or bench.
Clifton probably embodies what he expects of a midfielder and he scores goals too - 2 in the Rotherham friendly.
It’s about balance isn’t it? Clifton is the hardest worker and biggest goal threat but probably the worst on the ball.
Truly a replacement for Biggins.
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Kettering manager trying the mind games saying that it's a win win for them as all the pressure is on us as we (rovers) are expected to win.
I'd say more people will want them to win than rovers, pressure on them just as much
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Kettering manager trying the mind games saying that it's a win win for them as all the pressure is on us as we (rovers) are expected to win.
I'd say more people will want them to win than rovers, pressure on them just as much
People wanting them to win isn’t pressure though is it? It’s a free hit for them, same as it would be for us if we were playing Middlesbrough or Sheff Utd.
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I remember us beating Brandon United in a replay in the late 80's who played in the northern league I think it was back then. DU or others will correct me but if we had lost to them that could have been our worst cup defeat I reckon
Finally got a bit of time to do some digging. I have gone back to 1979-80 – the first season of the Conference (or Alliance as it was called that year) as the consolidated Tier 5 with feeder leagues and a proper pyramid, which has gone through a number of changes since. I have looked at the end of season placings of Rovers and every non-league opponent they have played in the FA Cup and tried to judge how many places higher we were (do not have data for positions at time we played them, so end of season will have to do, except for this weekend’s match). I have had to make some educated guesses at which tier a couple of teams were. Here is the list:
1980-81: Sutton Coldfield; Tier 7? 9th; Round 1; Rank 143; Rovers rank 71; diff 72
1981-82: Penrith; Tier 7? 9th; Round 2; Rank 145; Rovers rank 63; diff 82
1982-83: Workington Town; Tier 6; 7th, Round 1; Rank 121; Rovers rank 67; diff 54
1984-85: Altrincham; Tier 5, 5th; Round 2; Rank 97; Rovers rank 58; diff 39
1986-87: Whitby Town; Tier 7?, 11th; Round 1; Rank 147; Rovers rank 57; diff 90
1988-89: Brandon; Tier 8, 7th; Round 1; Rank 165; Rovers rank 91; diff 74
1998-99: Flixton; Tier 7, 16th; Round 3Q; Rank 152; Rovers rank 108; diff 44
1998-99: Guiseley; Tier 6, 3rd; Round 4Q; Rank 117; Rovers rank 108; diff 9
1998-99: Rushden & Diamonds; Tier 5, 4th; Round 2; Rank 96; Rovers rank 108; diff -12
1999-00: Crook Town; Tier 8, 14th; Round 4Q; Rank 173; Rovers rank 104; diff 69
2000-01: Southport; Tier 5, 4th; Round 4Q; Rank 96; Rovers rank 101; diff -5
2001-02: Emley; Tier 6, 5th; Round 4Q; Rank 19; Rovers rank 96; diff 23
2002-03: Telford; Tier 5, 15th; Round 4Q; Rank 107; Rovers rank 95; diff 12
2003-04: Scarborough; Tier 5, 15th; Round 1; Rank 107; Rovers rank 69; diff 38
2004-05: Tiverton Town; Tier 7, 8th; Round 1; Rank 144; Rovers rank 54; diff 90
2004-05: Exeter: Tier 5, 6th; Round 2; Rank 98; Rovers rank 54; diff 44
2012-13: Bradford PA; Tier 6, 7th; Round 1; Rank 123; Rovers rank 45; diff 78
2014-15: Weston-super-Mare; Tier 6, 17th; Round 1; Rank 133; Rovers rank 57; diff 76
2015-16: Stalybridge Celtic; Tier 6, 12th; Round 1; Rank 128; Rovers rank 65; diff 63
2017-18: Ebbsfleet United; Tier 5, 6th; Round 1; Rank 98; Rovers rank 59; diff 39
2018-19: Chorley; Tier 6, 2nd; Round 1; Rank 118; Rovers rank 50; diff 68
2020-21: FC United of Manchester; Tier 7, 13th; Round 1; Rank 149; Rovers rank 58; diff 91
2022-23: Kings Lynn: Tier 6, 2nd; Round 1; Rank 118; Rovers rank 86; diff 32
2024-25: Kettering Town; Tier 7, 1st; Round 2; Rank 141; Rovers rank 72; diff 69
So, the lowest ranking side we have played is Crook Town at 173rd (we won 7-0), followed by Brandon at 165th.
The highest difference in ranking with our opponents is 91 (FCUM), closely followed by Tiverton and Whitby, both 90 places lower than us. On two occasions the non-league side had a higher ranking than us - Rushden & Diamonds and Southport during our conference days,
The highest difference in ranking when we have lost is 44 (Exeter) followed by Scarborough (38) and Kings Lynn (32), even though Kings Lynn (118th) are the lowest ranking side we have lost to – we were in Tier 3 when we lost to the other two.
Footnote. There are theoretically two ways of measuring national ranking depending on how you count parallel leagues above you. For example, for Kettering this season, it could be said they are behind 92 FL clubs, 24 National league clubs and 48 National League North and South clubs for a ranking of 165. On the other hand, they would only need to climb 24 fewer places to reach us as promotion to National league would bypass 48 teams, and not 24. I have chosen this latter method for a ranking of 141.
Prior to 1979-80 I believe any team could apply for election to the league, so in some sense all leagues were parallel. It is then impossible to determine a pyramid ranking
Phew :lol: :lol: :blush: :blush: :scarf: :scarf:
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I reckon they are at level 7 in the Pyramid but are at the top of their particular Division so might be 68 / 69 places below us
How many position were Frickley below us when they outed us in FA T .... less places presumably ?
Also who are the "lowest" opposition we have been knocked out by if we win on Sunday
It might need DU to help us out, Wolfie, but I believe there were very few places between ourselves and Frickley at the time. We were bottom of the Conference, and I'm pretty sure there was no Conference North at that time, so the next tier down was the Northern Premier League, which I reckon Frickley would have been fairly well placed in.
I think you are right Selby, I think they finished about 7th and we were bottom of the Conference, so very few places between.
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Ref is Benjamin Speedie. He was in charge for the FA Cup game at Peterborough United last season. Didn’t cover himself in glory then from memory.
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The pitch will be the biggest obstacle we will encounter, and our approach to the way we handle it, and our mental acceptance that especially early on when they are enthusiastic and hopeful they will come onto the man in possession of the ball like a ton of bricks.
We need to starve them of the ball early on, but up field in their half of the field if possible as the conditions will cause mistakes to be made by defenders and playing it across our back line will be just what they will be wanting on a sticky pitch, and the ball over the top to players like Hurst and Molly with pace and making defenders turn more dangerous than usual as the Harrogate wingers showed last evening v Gainsborough the man with the ball running at pace is hard to stop in slippy conditions, and defending balls in the box more dangerous.
Its not very often I predict a result but I fancy us and Billy and Ironside to play a big part if we get forward, it looks made for them.
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Kettering manager trying the mind games saying that it's a win win for them as all the pressure is on us as we (rovers) are expected to win.
I'd say more people will want them to win than rovers, pressure on them just as much
People wanting them to win isn’t pressure though is it? It’s a free hit for them, same as it would be for us if we were playing Middlesbrough or Sheff Utd.
As I said in an earlier post, their win away at League 1 Northampton was totally without pressure, so “on paper” this will look an easier match - home and only a League 2 team to beat. The other psychological thing is that they know that nearly everyone watching on TV hopes and has high expectations of them winning because of what they did in Round 1. So is pressure really on Rovers? If we lose, nearly everyone is happy, Kettering won and they beat some league team - end of story. One thing is certain; if Rovers win 99.9% of the viewers will switch off disappointed.
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I reckon they are at level 7 in the Pyramid but are at the top of their particular Division so might be 68 / 69 places below us
How many position were Frickley below us when they outed us in FA T .... less places presumably ?
Also who are the "lowest" opposition we have been knocked out by if we win on Sunday
It might need DU to help us out, Wolfie, but I believe there were very few places between ourselves and Frickley at the time. We were bottom of the Conference, and I'm pretty sure there was no Conference North at that time, so the next tier down was the Northern Premier League, which I reckon Frickley would have been fairly well placed in.
I think you are right Selby, I think they finished about 7th and we were bottom of the Conference, so very few places between.
Selby?
OK, Hound, I'll take that as a genuine case of mistaken identity.
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I reckon they are at level 7 in the Pyramid but are at the top of their particular Division so might be 68 / 69 places below us
How many position were Frickley below us when they outed us in FA T .... less places presumably ?
Also who are the "lowest" opposition we have been knocked out by if we win on Sunday
It might need DU to help us out, Wolfie, but I believe there were very few places between ourselves and Frickley at the time. We were bottom of the Conference, and I'm pretty sure there was no Conference North at that time, so the next tier down was the Northern Premier League, which I reckon Frickley would have been fairly well placed in.
I think you are right Selby, I think they finished about 7th and we were bottom of the Conference, so very few places between.
Selby?
OK, Hound, I'll take that as a genuine case of mistaken identity.
Clever SS. :thumbsup:
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I remember us beating Brandon United in a replay in the late 80's who played in the northern league I think it was back then. DU or others will correct me but if we had lost to them that could have been our worst cup defeat I reckon
Finally got a bit of time to do some digging. I have gone back to 1979-80 – the first season of the Conference (or Alliance as it was called that year) as the consolidated Tier 5 with feeder leagues and a proper pyramid, which has gone through a number of changes since. I have looked at the end of season placings of Rovers and every non-league opponent they have played in the FA Cup and tried to judge how many places higher we were (do not have data for positions at time we played them, so end of season will have to do, except for this weekend’s match). I have had to make some educated guesses at which tier a couple of teams were. Here is the list:
1980-81: Sutton Coldfield; Tier 7? 9th; Round 1; Rank 143; Rovers rank 71; diff 72
1981-82: Penrith; Tier 7? 9th; Round 2; Rank 145; Rovers rank 63; diff 82
1982-83: Workington Town; Tier 6; 7th, Round 1; Rank 121; Rovers rank 67; diff 54
1984-85: Altrincham; Tier 5, 5th; Round 2; Rank 97; Rovers rank 58; diff 39
1986-87: Whitby Town; Tier 7?, 11th; Round 1; Rank 147; Rovers rank 57; diff 90
1988-89: Brandon; Tier 8, 7th; Round 1; Rank 165; Rovers rank 91; diff 74
1998-99: Flixton; Tier 7, 16th; Round 3Q; Rank 152; Rovers rank 108; diff 44
1998-99: Guiseley; Tier 6, 3rd; Round 4Q; Rank 117; Rovers rank 108; diff 9
1998-99: Rushden & Diamonds; Tier 5, 4th; Round 2; Rank 96; Rovers rank 108; diff -12
1999-00: Crook Town; Tier 8, 14th; Round 4Q; Rank 173; Rovers rank 104; diff 69
2000-01: Southport; Tier 5, 4th; Round 4Q; Rank 96; Rovers rank 101; diff -5
2001-02: Emley; Tier 6, 5th; Round 4Q; Rank 19; Rovers rank 96; diff 23
2002-03: Telford; Tier 5, 15th; Round 4Q; Rank 107; Rovers rank 95; diff 12
2003-04: Scarborough; Tier 5, 15th; Round 1; Rank 107; Rovers rank 69; diff 38
2004-05: Tiverton Town; Tier 7, 8th; Round 1; Rank 144; Rovers rank 54; diff 90
2004-05: Exeter: Tier 5, 6th; Round 2; Rank 98; Rovers rank 54; diff 44
2012-13: Bradford PA; Tier 6, 7th; Round 1; Rank 123; Rovers rank 45; diff 78
2014-15: Weston-super-Mare; Tier 6, 17th; Round 1; Rank 133; Rovers rank 57; diff 76
2015-16: Stalybridge Celtic; Tier 6, 12th; Round 1; Rank 128; Rovers rank 65; diff 63
2017-18: Ebbsfleet United; Tier 5, 6th; Round 1; Rank 98; Rovers rank 59; diff 39
2018-19: Chorley; Tier 6, 2nd; Round 1; Rank 118; Rovers rank 50; diff 68
2020-21: FC United of Manchester; Tier 7, 13th; Round 1; Rank 149; Rovers rank 58; diff 91
2022-23: Kings Lynn: Tier 6, 2nd; Round 1; Rank 118; Rovers rank 86; diff 32
2024-25: Kettering Town; Tier 7, 1st; Round 2; Rank 141; Rovers rank 72; diff 69
So, the lowest ranking side we have played is Crook Town at 173rd (we won 7-0), followed by Brandon at 165th.
The highest difference in ranking with our opponents is 91 (FCUM), closely followed by Tiverton and Whitby, both 90 places lower than us. On two occasions the non-league side had a higher ranking than us - Rushden & Diamonds and Southport during our conference days,
The highest difference in ranking when we have lost is 44 (Exeter) followed by Scarborough (38) and Kings Lynn (32), even though Kings Lynn (118th) are the lowest ranking side we have lost to – we were in Tier 3 when we lost to the other two.
Footnote. There are theoretically two ways of measuring national ranking depending on how you count parallel leagues above you. For example, for Kettering this season, it could be said they are behind 92 FL clubs, 24 National league clubs and 48 National League North and South clubs for a ranking of 165. On the other hand, they would only need to climb 24 fewer places to reach us as promotion to National league would bypass 48 teams, and not 24. I have chosen this latter method for a ranking of 141.
Prior to 1979-80 I believe any team could apply for election to the league, so in some sense all leagues were parallel. It is then impossible to determine a pyramid ranking
Phew :lol: :lol: :blush: :blush: :scarf: :scarf:
Well done DU on your research, some very interesting reading there!
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I reckon they are at level 7 in the Pyramid but are at the top of their particular Division so might be 68 / 69 places below us
How many position were Frickley below us when they outed us in FA T .... less places presumably ?
Also who are the "lowest" opposition we have been knocked out by if we win on Sunday
It might need DU to help us out, Wolfie, but I believe there were very few places between ourselves and Frickley at the time. We were bottom of the Conference, and I'm pretty sure there was no Conference North at that time, so the next tier down was the Northern Premier League, which I reckon Frickley would have been fairly well placed in.
I think you are right Selby, I think they finished about 7th and we were bottom of the Conference, so very few places between.
Selby?
OK, Hound, I'll take that as a genuine case of mistaken identity.
I am terrible with names me, especially when they are the only two on here older than me :blush: :lol: :lol:
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I reckon they are at level 7 in the Pyramid but are at the top of their particular Division so might be 68 / 69 places below us
How many position were Frickley below us when they outed us in FA T .... less places presumably ?
Also who are the "lowest" opposition we have been knocked out by if we win on Sunday
It might need DU to help us out, Wolfie, but I believe there were very few places between ourselves and Frickley at the time. We were bottom of the Conference, and I'm pretty sure there was no Conference North at that time, so the next tier down was the Northern Premier League, which I reckon Frickley would have been fairly well placed in.
I think you are right Selby, I think they finished about 7th and we were bottom of the Conference, so very few places between.
Selby?
OK, Hound, I'll take that as a genuine case of mistaken identity.
I am terrible with names me, especially when they are the only two on here older than me :blush: :lol: :lol:
I'll give you that one, DU.
However, you've forgotten about BB and Wolfie.
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Have this in our locker to be beat tomorrow. Let’s hope we are up for it as much as they will be.
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I remember us beating Brandon United in a replay in the late 80's who played in the northern league I think it was back then. DU or others will correct me but if we had lost to them that could have been our worst cup defeat I reckon
Finally got a bit of time to do some digging. I have gone back to 1979-80 – the first season of the Conference (or Alliance as it was called that year) as the consolidated Tier 5 with feeder leagues and a proper pyramid, which has gone through a number of changes since. I have looked at the end of season placings of Rovers and every non-league opponent they have played in the FA Cup and tried to judge how many places higher we were (do not have data for positions at time we played them, so end of season will have to do, except for this weekend’s match). I have had to make some educated guesses at which tier a couple of teams were. Here is the list:
1980-81: Sutton Coldfield; Tier 7? 9th; Round 1; Rank 143; Rovers rank 71; diff 72
1981-82: Penrith; Tier 7? 9th; Round 2; Rank 145; Rovers rank 63; diff 82
1982-83: Workington Town; Tier 6; 7th, Round 1; Rank 121; Rovers rank 67; diff 54
1984-85: Altrincham; Tier 5, 5th; Round 2; Rank 97; Rovers rank 58; diff 39
1986-87: Whitby Town; Tier 7?, 11th; Round 1; Rank 147; Rovers rank 57; diff 90
1988-89: Brandon; Tier 8, 7th; Round 1; Rank 165; Rovers rank 91; diff 74
1998-99: Flixton; Tier 7, 16th; Round 3Q; Rank 152; Rovers rank 108; diff 44
1998-99: Guiseley; Tier 6, 3rd; Round 4Q; Rank 117; Rovers rank 108; diff 9
1998-99: Rushden & Diamonds; Tier 5, 4th; Round 2; Rank 96; Rovers rank 108; diff -12
1999-00: Crook Town; Tier 8, 14th; Round 4Q; Rank 173; Rovers rank 104; diff 69
2000-01: Southport; Tier 5, 4th; Round 4Q; Rank 96; Rovers rank 101; diff -5
2001-02: Emley; Tier 6, 5th; Round 4Q; Rank 19; Rovers rank 96; diff 23
2002-03: Telford; Tier 5, 15th; Round 4Q; Rank 107; Rovers rank 95; diff 12
2003-04: Scarborough; Tier 5, 15th; Round 1; Rank 107; Rovers rank 69; diff 38
2004-05: Tiverton Town; Tier 7, 8th; Round 1; Rank 144; Rovers rank 54; diff 90
2004-05: Exeter: Tier 5, 6th; Round 2; Rank 98; Rovers rank 54; diff 44
2012-13: Bradford PA; Tier 6, 7th; Round 1; Rank 123; Rovers rank 45; diff 78
2014-15: Weston-super-Mare; Tier 6, 17th; Round 1; Rank 133; Rovers rank 57; diff 76
2015-16: Stalybridge Celtic; Tier 6, 12th; Round 1; Rank 128; Rovers rank 65; diff 63
2017-18: Ebbsfleet United; Tier 5, 6th; Round 1; Rank 98; Rovers rank 59; diff 39
2018-19: Chorley; Tier 6, 2nd; Round 1; Rank 118; Rovers rank 50; diff 68
2020-21: FC United of Manchester; Tier 7, 13th; Round 1; Rank 149; Rovers rank 58; diff 91
2022-23: Kings Lynn: Tier 6, 2nd; Round 1; Rank 118; Rovers rank 86; diff 32
2024-25: Kettering Town; Tier 7, 1st; Round 2; Rank 141; Rovers rank 72; diff 69
So, the lowest ranking side we have played is Crook Town at 173rd (we won 7-0), followed by Brandon at 165th.
The highest difference in ranking with our opponents is 91 (FCUM), closely followed by Tiverton and Whitby, both 90 places lower than us. On two occasions the non-league side had a higher ranking than us - Rushden & Diamonds and Southport during our conference days,
The highest difference in ranking when we have lost is 44 (Exeter) followed by Scarborough (38) and Kings Lynn (32), even though Kings Lynn (118th) are the lowest ranking side we have lost to – we were in Tier 3 when we lost to the other two.
Footnote. There are theoretically two ways of measuring national ranking depending on how you count parallel leagues above you. For example, for Kettering this season, it could be said they are behind 92 FL clubs, 24 National league clubs and 48 National League North and South clubs for a ranking of 165. On the other hand, they would only need to climb 24 fewer places to reach us as promotion to National league would bypass 48 teams, and not 24. I have chosen this latter method for a ranking of 141.
Prior to 1979-80 I believe any team could apply for election to the league, so in some sense all leagues were parallel. It is then impossible to determine a pyramid ranking
Phew :lol: :lol: :blush: :blush: :scarf: :scarf:
I remember that game at Sutton Coldfield in 1980. I was a snapper and it was my first game away. We won 2:0 in a scrappy affair. Can't recall who scored, but remember we played in green. Also remember some of the choice language I heard....
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I’m hoping to see a front 4 of Hurst, Sbarra and Molyneux behind Ironside.
I think Hurst is good in the no.10 position when we’re playing on the break but doesn’t solve the issue of us struggling to break stubborn sides down.
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I remember us beating Brandon United in a replay in the late 80's who played in the northern league I think it was back then. DU or others will correct me but if we had lost to them that could have been our worst cup defeat I reckon
Finally got a bit of time to do some digging. I have gone back to 1979-80 – the first season of the Conference (or Alliance as it was called that year) as the consolidated Tier 5 with feeder leagues and a proper pyramid, which has gone through a number of changes since. I have looked at the end of season placings of Rovers and every non-league opponent they have played in the FA Cup and tried to judge how many places higher we were (do not have data for positions at time we played them, so end of season will have to do, except for this weekend’s match). I have had to make some educated guesses at which tier a couple of teams were. Here is the list:
1980-81: Sutton Coldfield; Tier 7? 9th; Round 1; Rank 143; Rovers rank 71; diff 72
1981-82: Penrith; Tier 7? 9th; Round 2; Rank 145; Rovers rank 63; diff 82
1982-83: Workington Town; Tier 6; 7th, Round 1; Rank 121; Rovers rank 67; diff 54
1984-85: Altrincham; Tier 5, 5th; Round 2; Rank 97; Rovers rank 58; diff 39
1986-87: Whitby Town; Tier 7?, 11th; Round 1; Rank 147; Rovers rank 57; diff 90
1988-89: Brandon; Tier 8, 7th; Round 1; Rank 165; Rovers rank 91; diff 74
1998-99: Flixton; Tier 7, 16th; Round 3Q; Rank 152; Rovers rank 108; diff 44
1998-99: Guiseley; Tier 6, 3rd; Round 4Q; Rank 117; Rovers rank 108; diff 9
1998-99: Rushden & Diamonds; Tier 5, 4th; Round 2; Rank 96; Rovers rank 108; diff -12
1999-00: Crook Town; Tier 8, 14th; Round 4Q; Rank 173; Rovers rank 104; diff 69
2000-01: Southport; Tier 5, 4th; Round 4Q; Rank 96; Rovers rank 101; diff -5
2001-02: Emley; Tier 6, 5th; Round 4Q; Rank 19; Rovers rank 96; diff 23
2002-03: Telford; Tier 5, 15th; Round 4Q; Rank 107; Rovers rank 95; diff 12
2003-04: Scarborough; Tier 5, 15th; Round 1; Rank 107; Rovers rank 69; diff 38
2004-05: Tiverton Town; Tier 7, 8th; Round 1; Rank 144; Rovers rank 54; diff 90
2004-05: Exeter: Tier 5, 6th; Round 2; Rank 98; Rovers rank 54; diff 44
2012-13: Bradford PA; Tier 6, 7th; Round 1; Rank 123; Rovers rank 45; diff 78
2014-15: Weston-super-Mare; Tier 6, 17th; Round 1; Rank 133; Rovers rank 57; diff 76
2015-16: Stalybridge Celtic; Tier 6, 12th; Round 1; Rank 128; Rovers rank 65; diff 63
2017-18: Ebbsfleet United; Tier 5, 6th; Round 1; Rank 98; Rovers rank 59; diff 39
2018-19: Chorley; Tier 6, 2nd; Round 1; Rank 118; Rovers rank 50; diff 68
2020-21: FC United of Manchester; Tier 7, 13th; Round 1; Rank 149; Rovers rank 58; diff 91
2022-23: Kings Lynn: Tier 6, 2nd; Round 1; Rank 118; Rovers rank 86; diff 32
2024-25: Kettering Town; Tier 7, 1st; Round 2; Rank 141; Rovers rank 72; diff 69
So, the lowest ranking side we have played is Crook Town at 173rd (we won 7-0), followed by Brandon at 165th.
The highest difference in ranking with our opponents is 91 (FCUM), closely followed by Tiverton and Whitby, both 90 places lower than us. On two occasions the non-league side had a higher ranking than us - Rushden & Diamonds and Southport during our conference days,
The highest difference in ranking when we have lost is 44 (Exeter) followed by Scarborough (38) and Kings Lynn (32), even though Kings Lynn (118th) are the lowest ranking side we have lost to – we were in Tier 3 when we lost to the other two.
Footnote. There are theoretically two ways of measuring national ranking depending on how you count parallel leagues above you. For example, for Kettering this season, it could be said they are behind 92 FL clubs, 24 National league clubs and 48 National League North and South clubs for a ranking of 165. On the other hand, they would only need to climb 24 fewer places to reach us as promotion to National league would bypass 48 teams, and not 24. I have chosen this latter method for a ranking of 141.
Prior to 1979-80 I believe any team could apply for election to the league, so in some sense all leagues were parallel. It is then impossible to determine a pyramid ranking
Phew :lol: :lol: :blush: :blush: :scarf: :scarf:
I remember that game at Sutton Coldfield in 1980. I was a snapper and it was my first game away. We won 2:0 in a scrappy affair. Can't recall who scored, but remember we played in green. Also remember some of the choice language I heard....
Pat Lally scored one of the goals. I think the other might have been Hugh Dowd, both very rare scorers. I seem to remember standing behind a rope barrier right on the touchline. Proper cup tie that.
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Playing without understanding at the moment , long ball is best today and Ironside should be our target man ,,Billy is redundant upfront on a pitch that you can’t pass on !!
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Noel-Williams causing us no end of problems. Just seems to be faster and stronger, every time.
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Billy is redundant in a team that doesn’t create!
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In a nutshell.... :blush:
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The difference between Noel Williams and Sharp is huge. Ironside must be really pissed off.
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Let’s hope things improve
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They have been impressive but you have to hope they tire in the second half. To be fair, they scored from a mistake by Kelly and none of their many set pieces have really threatened. We have got to get up the pitch quicker and get it centrally. Sbarra and Kelly are there to go running through.
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Sharp has had no service whatsoever.
It's ridiculous.
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S’Barra and Sharp not in the game.
We’re not playing the conditions.
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Too many light weights playing in the squad who just want to pass without creating anything upfront and up against grafters and triers who want it more . McCann has not solved the lack of goals in recent games and with Molyneux and Gibson both not contributing enough opportunities it’s the tactics were are playing are now predictable with defenders knowing how to keep them away from the goal. High balls are useless for Sharp unless Ironside is there to put the ball into Sharps path . It could be embarrassing today and it McCanns tactics to blame …
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Awful team selection from Grant.
Always going to be a battle and played Gibson and SBarra in same team.
Sharp over Ironside again, give over Grant
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It’s proper ‘Jumpers for Goal posts’ stuff down in Kettering
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Painful to watch
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1-1 thank god
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Sharp need a partner to feed off he’s still got a contribution if the McCann sorts how to play them upfront ..
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Don’t think anyone is enjoying this.
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Ref is Benjamin Speedie. He was in charge for the FA Cup game at Peterborough United last season. Didn’t cover himself in glory then from memory.
This clown missed two clear penalties. As bad as he was last year.
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The players look knackered on both sides. Unsurprising considering the state of the pitch. Some of the players look a bit like Martin sheen at the end of apocalypse now.
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How to put your supporters through the wringer
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Feed the Tiger, and......
Good old Billy!
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Hooper and Noel-Williams are consistently holding shirts and pulling players back. Ref hasn’t called one of them back yet.
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Obviously not our best performance this season. Some positives though:
- We didn't get bullied at the back and Anderson was totally dominant
- Our set pieces were much better than the usual dross
- Sharman-Lowe looked strong
- Sharp looked very hungry and was far better playing two up with Ironside
- Josh Emmanuel looked good when he came on
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My nerves are shredded. Well done lads. Here's hoping for a decent 3rd round tie.
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Hardest FA Cup tie we're likely to get. More relief than anything and character building for some of our players.
Thank goodness Billy still recognises the value of muck and guts football.
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Hursty changed the game for us yet again, Billy immense when it matters and I thought Emmanuel did himself no harm.
Main thing is we won.
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Obviously not our best performance this season. Some positives though:
- We didn't get bullied at the back and Anderson was totally dominant
- Our set pieces were much better than the usual dross
- Sharman-Lowe looked strong
- Sharp looked very hungry and was far better playing two up with Ironside
- Josh Emmanuel looked good when he came on
Agree, thought Emmanuel looked good. He’s got a bit of Paolo Wanchope/JET about him in that he looks awkward and not at all comfortable with the ball at his feet but is somehow still pretty effective.
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Proper cup tie
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I'd be sending Copps to have a chat with Noel-Williams. Looks to have all the physical attributes needed. Showed great technique for the goal as well.
Battling performance today on a dreadful pitch, it was cut up to begin with and you could see we were having to put a bit extra on our passes just to get the ball to move across the floor. The positives are that our set pieces looked dangerous throughout, the worry remains that we still struggled to create much though.
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Obviously not our best performance this season. Some positives though:
- We didn't get bullied at the back and Anderson was totally dominant
- Our set pieces were much better than the usual dross
- Sharman-Lowe looked strong
- Sharp looked very hungry and was far better playing two up with Ironside
- Josh Emmanuel looked good when he came on
Yes to all those points.
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I’m not having Nile Ranger. Rubbish. I remember watching him against us when he played for Southend and Joe Wright didn’t give him a kick. Be meat and drink for our boys on Sunday.
Rubbish.
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Kelly losing the ball.for their goal did not look good but let's blame the pitch dor that. Molly very deserving of being on the score sheet. Good performances from Bailey, Emanuel, Hurst. Grant's substitutions well chosen.
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Thought Ironside changed the game when he came on, just ideal for Billy to play off
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Thought Ironside changed the game when he came on, just ideal for Billy to play off
I just wish Grant would find a way to play the two of them together on a regular basis.
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Much stronger and tougher second half. GM got it totally wrong first half!
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Looked a lot better when Sterry never appeared for the 2nd half
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I’m not having Nile Ranger. Rubbish. I remember watching him against us when he played for Southend and Joe Wright didn’t give him a kick. Be meat and drink for our boys on Sunday.
Rubbish.
Like I said - though got tired after 45.
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The difference between Noel Williams and Sharp is huge. Ironside must be really pissed off.
You were saying.......
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Owen Bailey m.o.m.
Work rate phenomenal
Ironside changed the game.
Why he didn’t start is a mystery in a game that was going to be a physical battle.
Billy touched the ball only 4 times in 1st half.
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Last man standing that’s Billy Sharp :thumbsup:
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Isiah Noel-Williams best midfielder on the pitch he could be worth looking at. Drive strength and ability with him and Owen we could have a stronger midfield
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Isiah Noel-Williams best midfielder on the pitch he could be worth looking at. Drive strength and ability with him and Owen we could have a stronger midfield
He might have more suitors after that performance on national TV today
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Another bonus of winning is the prize money.. the cups runs are helping the coffers out this year . Hopefully will go towards strengthening the side come January
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Got out of jail there in the end.
Disappointed that GM did not read the conditions, with such a heavy pitch, a team who are full of confidence after beating a third tier side and what do we do! right from the off you could see our regular formation and style was going to struggle in those conditions, against an eager and hungry side, i missed the point of having a team of lightweights trying to play a passing game on that field. Consequently it starved Sharp of any meaningful ball and meant we couldn't hold onto it upfield so the ball was going to be coming straight back every time.
With the changes for the second half we sort of learned our lesson and played a more direct game. Ironside , who should have started (with Sharp) managed to give their defence a more traditional puzzle to solve, which by then, tired, they struggled with.
In the end we just about shaded it with our little bit of extra quality but we really do need to learn the lessons from this. Lets hope we get a ball playing team in the next round, something we can handle far better than slugging it out with willing but limited players who just brush off our ball players and run over them. Onward.
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Tough one that was, however Reading and Burton Albion not having it easy either.
Emmanuel’s strength over Sterry’s finesse worked well today on what I’m sure was actually the Baseball Ground. Anderson won a ton of headers, but still prefer McGrath together with Oluwo. Ironside won so much ball too.
Just concerned we seem to get to the edge of the area and the final decision and /or pass is so poor and it’s becoming a common occurrence, that’s why sharp only touches the ball occasionally.
Hurst who gave us some zip, I’m sure was clean through in the box but squared it to no one, Kelly did the same recently too, it’s really odd!
Feel for Molyneux, seems the whole team rely on him to create everything. Need another Molyneux on the other side.
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Hurst attempted to square it to Billy who was on for a hat trick. Possibly showing too much respect for his elders as it did look like he was through on goal and was more likely to score himself.
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Hurst attempted to square it to Billy who was on for a hat trick. Possibly showing too much respect for his elders as it did look like he was through on goal and was more likely to score himself.
Good shout re the Hat trick, and perhaps underlines the issue we’re too nice and lose that bit of the killer instinct.
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Tough one that was, however Reading and Burton Albion not having it easy either.
Emmanuel’s strength over Sterry’s finesse worked well today on what I’m sure was actually the Baseball Ground. Anderson won a ton of headers, but still prefer McGrath together with Oluwo. Ironside won so much ball too.
Just concerned we seem to get to the edge of the area and the final decision and /or pass is so poor and it’s becoming a common occurrence, that’s why sharp only touches the ball occasionally.
Hurst who gave us some zip, I’m sure was clean through in the box but squared it to no one, Kelly did the same recently too, it’s really odd!
Feel for Molyneux, seems the whole team rely on him to create everything. Need another Molyneux on the other side.
That last part of your post RiS.
Exactly how it was last season until Adelakun came.
Maybe another one of his type on the cards for January.
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I would have put Clifton on either to start or as a half-time sub because it was his type of game. It’s a pity that Kelly spoils good positive play with some careless mistakes, but he’s young enough to get through it and improve his decision-making under pressure.
Emmanuel has previously been rather neglected by McCann, but he’s direct and reliable and created a lot today. This doesn’t mean I would necessarily exclude Sterry and perhaps Emmanuel is more of a 45 minute sub.
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Sterry is technically better and has the ability to play those balls into space for the likes of Moly.
On a decent pitch he is probably the better choice but Emmanuel certainly looked better in the slug it out type of game we had today.
IMO of course.
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Sterry was over powered in that first half - swatted aside like an annoying fly! Same could be said of one or two, today.
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Bailey was poor first half Anderson my MOM and the win revolved around our old guard of Anderson Sharp and Ironside who changed the game with Emmanuel and Olowu backing up Anderson in the second half.
We didn't have a mid field the first half when Bailey looked like he couldn't pass water never mind a football. We were heading for defeat until the changes at half time.
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Bailey looked better when Broadbent came on unfortunately Kelly looked weak on that pitch
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Kelly likes to run with the ball and that pitch today didn’t allow that to happen.
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It certainly didn’t allow for dilly dallying! Kelly dropped a right clanger for their goal.
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True Alan, in the first five minutes we gave the ball away lots of times by trying to play pretty football.
It was an “avit” day.
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Think I heard that their keeper is son of the late Keith Alexander, former Lincoln manager.
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Kelly likes to run with the ball and that pitch today didn’t allow that to happen.
Kelly gives the ball away in those areas whenever I’ve seen him play don’t think it’s the pitch. He’ll be a good player but it gets to me that we play him through the mistakes and errors and we get nothing out of his development.
Would understand if he was way better than what we have like Craig was. Imo Broadbent should play we actually stand to gain and I’m not sure he’s worse than Kelly
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Kelly likes to run with the ball and that pitch today didn’t allow that to happen.
Kelly gives the ball away in those areas whenever I’ve seen him play don’t think it’s the pitch. He’ll be a good player but it gets to me that we play him through the mistakes and errors and we get nothing out of his development.
Would understand if he was way better than what we have like Craig was. Imo Broadbent should play we actually stand to gain and I’m not sure he’s worse than Kelly
Trust me, it was the pitch which did for Kelly when he gave that ball away for their goal.
He looked nervous after that and couldn’t settle. It was a good decision by GM to sub him.
Emmanuel and Ironside made a big difference when they came on - they were the right players for the conditions.
That pitch has never seen a roller and we struggled to play on it but we powered through in the end and deserved the win.
A proper cup tie and we’re in the next round, I’m chuffed to bits with that.
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Kelly likes to run with the ball and that pitch today didn’t allow that to happen.
Kelly gives the ball away in those areas whenever I’ve seen him play don’t think it’s the pitch. He’ll be a good player but it gets to me that we play him through the mistakes and errors and we get nothing out of his development.
Would understand if he was way better than what we have like Craig was. Imo Broadbent should play we actually stand to gain and I’m not sure he’s worse than Kelly
Trust me, it was the pitch which did for Kelly when he gave that ball away for their goal.
He looked nervous after that and couldn’t settle. It was a good decision by GM to sub him.
Emmanuel and Ironside made a big difference when they came on - they were the right players for the conditions.
That pitch has never seen a roller and we struggled to play on it but we powered through in the end and deserved the win.
A proper cup tie and we’re in the next round, I’m chuffed to bits with that.
A friend of mine said the pitch grass length etc was deliberate. We used to do the same at old Belle Vue
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Kelly likes to run with the ball and that pitch today didn’t allow that to happen.
Kelly gives the ball away in those areas whenever I’ve seen him play don’t think it’s the pitch. He’ll be a good player but it gets to me that we play him through the mistakes and errors and we get nothing out of his development.
Would understand if he was way better than what we have like Craig was. Imo Broadbent should play we actually stand to gain and I’m not sure he’s worse than Kelly
Trust me, it was the pitch which did for Kelly when he gave that ball away for their goal.
He looked nervous after that and couldn’t settle. It was a good decision by GM to sub him.
Emmanuel and Ironside made a big difference when they came on - they were the right players for the conditions.
That pitch has never seen a roller and we struggled to play on it but we powered through in the end and deserved the win.
A proper cup tie and we’re in the next round, I’m chuffed to bits with that.
A friend of mine said the pitch grass length etc was deliberate. We used to do the same at old Belle Vue
The grass might have been left a bit longer at BV but it was great to play on, there was never a bobble and the ball always ran true on there.
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Kelly likes to run with the ball and that pitch today didn’t allow that to happen.
It didn’t stop Noel Williams whose strength and skill was the best on show of all the midfielders
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Kettering deserved their round of applause from Rovers fans not sure if tv showed that
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BBC play book was Kettering only with the exception of them citing the only name on the opposition team that they knew ,Billy Sharp.
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Think I heard that their keeper is son of the late Keith Alexander, former Lincoln manager.
Was a good lad, loads of banter with the crowd even before the game, gave us a clap at the end. Thought he was pretty decent, a couple of good stops and came and collected our crosses.
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Whilst Troy Deeney did not deserve a round of applause
Contradicted himself so many times.
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Whilst Troy Deeney did not deserve a round of applause
Contradicted himself so many times.
He was so biased which made his assessment poor
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Kelly likes to run with the ball and that pitch today didn’t allow that to happen.
It didn’t stop Noel Williams whose strength and skill was the best on show of all the midfielders
To be fair he was very good.
So strong as well, reminded me of Adama Traore (spelling?).
He was terrific until he tired in the second half.
He was the best on the pitch at running with the ball at his feet.
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Whilst Troy Deeney did not deserve a round of applause
Contradicted himself so many times.
He was so biased which made his assessment poor
I remember something like " they (Kettering) need to pace themselves , play in 5 minutes bursts to conserve energy" then not long after .....
"Kettering really need to get forward more , they are letting Rovers run the show with massive possession of the ball"
I've paraphrased both and he just kept on going.
I couldn't believe how he saw Ketterings opening minute as a great start as it was all down to a Sterry mistake
He also made a comment early on about shots on target and at that point I said "we haven't even been in their half yet" as I think we kicked off ,played it back , Sterry error then another minute or so till we got over HW
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Not really a game to judge any player of ours on. Everything was set up against us and they were always going to raise their game, this was their moment in the sun and everybody wanted to see a upset. Yesterday was all about just finding a way to get our name in the hat for the net round and that's what we did so it's job done well for me.
The only down side is that we've played 120 minutes on a energy sapping long grassed bobbly pitch and we don't have much recovery time before the next one.
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I thought Broadbent made a difference as well as the other subs. Played it simple in midfield, stayed in the middle and made us less of a doughnut formation with the ball.
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Two goal from set pieces and we looked a threat from them all game.
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People debating 1 ,2 or 3 penalties in the game and have mentioned :
Gibson .I.think so
Hurst probably not
Sharp should have been given
However are the highlights available anywhere because I would like to see the Moly shot blocked away by their CB
Nobody seems to have mentioned that one . Might be my eyes
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OK... to ask a slightly different question
I've seen highlights on BBC. I shouted for a Pen yesterday especially after seeing replay
Remember thinking VAR might have been handy there and I haven't changed my mind on that
The bloke leans right into it and I would love to see it in slo mo or a still
Anyone got either or are you happy with the Refs judgement
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Hurst's was a comedy dive. I say a comedy I was bloody furious.
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Hurst's was a comedy dive. I say a comedy I was bloody furious.
The defender clipped Hurst's heel, in the incident where Hurst got booked. Also Hurst was totally wiped out when having a toe-poke shot. Add to that, Billy's shorts been pulled back when just inside the box. So with the Gibson incident, that makes 4 penalties the referee could (should) have given.
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Gibsons was not a penalty. Watch the ball and you'll see the keeper got a piece of it.
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I agree but as I said earlier, surely Gibson could have gone round or over the Keeper to tap the ball home ?
Ah I.forgot though , the keeper made sure he couldn't do either by flattening him
Also I remember once that Sulli caught and held a ball by the Penalty spot at North Stand end at Keepmoat
Opposition player (was Watford maybe) ran into Penalty area and Sulli legged him up . Result .. Ref gave. Penalty.
The Ref didn't think , ah but Sulli has touched it , well actually caught it and had the ball under full control so no penalty did he ?
Exhibit B just yesterday. Diaz through on.goal , tries to round Keeper who gets a touch and ball is running parallel to goal at speed. Salah goes down Ref gives Penalty
Gibsons was for me a clear cut Penalty . He was brought down to stop him getting to a ball the keeper had touched and which was 6 yards from going over the line and if Gibson had not been fouled he would have done just that .
90 % of Refs would have given it
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I agree Wolfie and the BBC pundits made nothing of it because it was all about Kettering.
If it had been in the Prem, penalty all day long
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We won, they lost end of.
We move on.
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I agree but as I said earlier, surely Gibson could have gone round or over the Keeper to tap the ball home ?
Ah I.forgot though , the keeper made sure he couldn't do either by flattening him
Also remember once that Sulli caught and held a ball by the Penalty spot at North Stand end
Opposition player (Watford maybe) ran into Penalty area and Sulli legged him up . Result ... Penalty.
The Ref didn't think , ah but Sulli has touched it ( nay caught it and standing with it in his hands) so no penalty
Exhibit B just yesterday. Salah through on.goal , tries to round Keeper who gets a touch and ball is running parallel to goal at speed. Salah goes down Ref gives Penalty
Gibsons was for me a clear cut Penalty . He was brought down to stop him getting to a ball the keeper had touched and which was 6 yards from going over the line and if Gibson had not been fouled he would have done just that .
90 % of Refs would have given it
It was Diaz not Salah
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Corrected ... ta
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Isiah Noel-Williams best midfielder on the pitch he could be worth looking at. Drive strength and ability with him and Owen we could have a stronger midfield
Has just walked out of Kettering Town in some kind of huff.
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Isiah Noel-Williams best midfielder on the pitch he could be worth looking at. Drive strength and ability with him and Owen we could have a stronger midfield
Has just walked out of Kettering Town in some kind of huff.
Gone from challenging for promotion to Matlock who are trying to stay up in the same league.
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Matlock Town has a bit of money behind them following recent takeover. Rumoured to be the former Scunthorpe backer, which perhaps doesn't bode overly well for them. They paid a fee for Noel-Williams, which must be pretty rare at that level. Adam Clayton, Matt Derbyshire and Liam Ravenhill all play for them.