What’s gone on here then
Allegedly there was a gentleman’s agreement between the two clubs that Potters Bar wouldn’t approach a Welling player (Femi Akinwande), but they signed him anyway during the week.
Rumour is that one manager was headbutted by the other during an “altercation”, but apparently the cops have a 42 year old in custordy as a result - Neither manager is 42.
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Ah fair enough. Could have been a wider fight with a different member of staff landing the headbutt or something
Just a baffling decision (to appoint him in the first place). Imagine the number of adequately-qualified non-nonces that would jump at the chance to manage a club of that stature at that level.
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And in the next round they have a relative glamour tie at Scunthorpe.
I know you’re all tempted to say two things here, but don’t say them.
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19 years today since my first ever Angles game (A - A Ramsgate)
Here’s to many more years of having a mental breakdown about how shit we are 
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We’re past the halfway mark of the season, how are you ranking it?
Hendon - struggling to stablise after relegation last year. It’s been a battle to stave off the hawks after the manager’s head, but I think we’ve got there.
Can’t say it hasn’t been entertaining. Worst defensive record in the league, fourth best goals for tally.
Quietly confident the second half of the campaign will be slightly better than the first and we’ll finish lower mid-table. Main thing is staving off a second consecutive relegation. I think we will. Then it’s a big summer of planning and getting recruitment right.
Highlight - 1-0 win over Dulwich in the FA Trophy. A first away win on grass in all competitions in about 18 months.
Lowlights - 5-1 defeats at Met Police and Moneyfields in the league. Oh, and FA Cup ignomany at Steyning Town.
Best player - Jordan Grey. He’s an absolute Rolls Royce in midfield. A Step 2 player in the making.
Funniest moment - Club legend Dave Diedhiou sticking one on Love Island’s Reuben Collins and getting sent off. “I regret the three match ban,” Big Dave said afterwards, “I wish I’d punched the cunt twice as hard, though.” Fair fucks.
5/10
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West Didsbury & Chorlton - came into the season aiming for at least playoffs again. Some hope of a title challenge if Wythenshawe weren’t going to spend much after their relegation.
Currently comfortably in the playoff positions but 9 points off top-placed Wythenshawe. Most of our recent postponements have been tougher fixtures so maintaining this level will be a challenge. Most excitingly, we’ve just signed Ben Elliott back from Prescot Cables, two leagues above, where he was their top scorer but he’s fed up of the travel. We’ve been desperate for a striker for months so there’s a lot of hope tied to that.
Still in the Vase, league cup and Manchester cup. We haven’t actually played great in the Vase so far but have had generous fixtures.
Highlight - 3-1 away at Chadderton, we were kind of lucky but it started an extended winning run.
Lowlight - losing at home to Glossop in the relentless rain the game before the above highlight, especially as it gave gobshite Richard Brodie a few more week in his job there before he finally got sacked. Also Baller League.
Biggest frustration - the club continue to not give a fuck about capacity. It’s supposed to be 1320, but the announced attendance on Boxing Day was 1800+. I’m pretty sure that doesn’t include kids so it was probably well over 2000, with nowhere near enough facilities for it, so the toilet queues were snaking out of the clubhouse and blocking the views for people seated.
8/10
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Ah yeah, Baller League.
Less said about that the better. It’s impacting London-based clubs a lot. Can’t imagine what it’s doing to you guys in the NW.
Splitting myself between four clubs at the minute See svenrokk’s post for West Didsbury and Chorlton.
Maine Road, haven’t won a league game since mid-September…
Trafford are rock bottom, but crowds are good and mood seems fairly positive whenever I go…
Bury are doing well in the same league as Trafford and might go up, but they did make a very, very dodgy appointment and then sack him a few days later after fan opposition.
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Worksop Town - finding it tough in the big leagues (National League North, it’s all relative) after two promotions in three years. Injuries and everyone getting on a bit is sapping the squad and really it’s worse than it was two years ago. Mostly the same players but older and slower.
The quality of football is noticeably worse too, partly due to trying to survive in the league and partly due to missing playmakers through injury or retirement.
Having said all that, they are making a good fist of it and effort cant be faulted. Only just behind Macclesfield in the table which is barely believable, although our double digit negative goal difference tells a story and they have some games in hand.
Highlights - an away win at promotion chasing Fylde, doing the double over Chester. The absolute unravelling of Alfreton fans over absolutely nothing during the game and then a late winner, man football fans can get in a tizz. Finding out our striker is a PE teacher at my mate’s school. Signing of Luke Waterfall, proper old school defender.
Lowlights - endless injuries. Speedy wingback Regan Hutchinson taking up a footballing opportunity in Australia. Not being very good at all. Going out of the FA cup at the first opportunity.
Best player: Waterfall. Immense at the back, big goal threat at set pieces. They call him the Gabriel of North Notts. I would assume.
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New pet peeve this year: Fans (home and away) calling the ref a cheat. Firstly, it’s always about a 50:50 call, barely ever see any diabolical decisions but all refs are apparently cheats. Secondly, refs can’t win the match so can’t cheat. Doesn’t make any sense.
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I’m with you - I know officials are there to be shot at, and I’ve been super guilty of it in the past, but I hate it too. Various roles at Hendon mean I’ve spoken quite a lot with referees at the level. There are one or two I have no time for because of their attitude, the vast majority are good people just trying to do their best.
Sitting and talking to them after a game in the boardroom to find out why they did or didn’t give a particular decision is interesting. 90% of them request VEO footage to review their performance, to try and improve. Often, they’ll come back via email and accept they got something wrong, or explain why they think they were right. I admire that.
I’ve had to call out one of our younger supporters for publicly saying a ref’s tyres should have been slashed after a marginable penalty decision went against us on social media.
The 10% who insist they got everything correct can get in the bin.
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Ah, you guys had this pleasure as well. We didn’t lose but we needed a replay after losing a 2 nil lead against them (3 leagues below us)
Angles season: bit of a clusterfuck
Hired a manager with 2 seasons experience who brought in half his team from the year before, having finished midtable in the league below. Lots of big talk about playing it out from the back. I was totally prepared for us to be relegated.
Winless for the first 7 games but got an unexpected away win at Worthing in September. After 11 competitive games we sacked him, he was out of his depth but it was shitty behaviour all the same. Hired ex Millwall man Alan Dunne who was the second in command for Bromley when they went up but also has a spicy temper.
Started well - some important wins over Kent rivals and Torquay away. But we have only won once at home in the league and keep conceding such embarrassing goals. Having thought we’d be safe with Dunne we are creeping towards the relegation zone and will need to find some home wins if we’re going stay up. Losing to Enfield on Saturday would be an absolute disaster.
Highlight: Sean Shields’ 98th minute winner against the Scum for our first league victory over them in 11 years. One of my best days supporting the club, the mood was electric
Lowlight: Either losing to Chatham in the final qualifying round of the FA Cup or the dreadful defending that led to us losing 4-3 to a poor Eastbourne side.
Best player: It’s been an absolute revolving door so it’s hard to say. Probably Naz Bakrin who was wildly underrated by last season’s manager but is always reliable and well liked by fans.
Funniest moment: Scum fans who had come down to our end to taunt us getting a wonderful view of the winning goal and our limbs in the stand next to them
5/10 I reckon
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I’m also now on the newly formed supporters group. it’s been really nice to get some of our most committed people in one room with lots of positivity and energy about how we can improve the club and its finances, but it’s frustrating how much cynicism there is at the same time from the board and other fans
One dude who never stops fucking bellyaching about stuff at the club was given the chance to be involved and turned it down so he could continue sniping from the sidelines instead. Sigh!
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We’ve moved our midweek home games to Wednesdays (without much notice) as our manager is involved. Currently only two players are in it (was four at one point) and they’ve both been worse or less available than last season. At least there’s a break from it now for a bit.
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There is also the occasional official that - through no fault of their own - was promoted beyond their ability. Probably the most notorious one we had fell into that bucket.
Heh, he came up in conversation on Saturday afternoon.
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These people are the absolute worst, and such a tiring force when you’re working your nuts off to take the club forward.
Especially when you offer them the chance to get involved and bring about change.
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