Pilgrims' Patter
The Forum => The B-Ark => Topic started by: Kearsley Pilgrim on November 11, 2019, 01:56:35 PM
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So we're off to the Borough of Wigan!!
A nice easy to get to away game for me - infact, at just under 7 miles away, it will probably be my 4th closest away game in the 40 years since I left Boston (after Salford City; Radcliffe Borough and Bury and moving FC Utd of Manchester and Leigh RMI further down the list in the order of my nearby away grounds).
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I wasn't too sure where it was. Their website has nice directions:
http://athertoncollieries.co.uk/location/ (http://athertoncollieries.co.uk/location/)
Skuna Stadium
Alder Street
Atherton
Manchester
M46 9EY
As the street sign says, Atherton is in Wigan which was a North West in Bloom finalist in 2006 and 2007. Lovely.
Easily accessible on the train and bus from Manchester.
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Maybe an argument to rest 10 of the first 11 like we did in lincs cup v grantham last week. Focus on the cup and league? With the cup run and postponed matches we've got to play several extra midweek league matches, so a busy schedule. Got a big squad of 22 first team players so may as well use them, nearly all of which are decent at this level which is unusual for us to have as in previous seasons we've had smaller squads and struggled to fill the subs bench when having a player or 2 out injured.
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Short trip for Whittle and Knowles to cut down on their travelling time especially with the number of midweek home games coming up.
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Seven hours of travelling in total for me. No chance !!
TEP
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Maybe an argument to rest 10 of the first 11 like we did in lincs cup v grantham last week.
No, this is a competition we can win, or at least go very far in. I'd accept a few changes, but not 10 or 11.
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They are in the NPL so only 1 division below us and have already beaten both Scarborough and Morpeth in the Trophy, both from NPL. No push-over! Be warned!
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They are in the NPL so only 1 division below us and have already beaten both Scarborough and Morpeth in the Trophy, both from NPL. No push-over! Be warned!
https://www.flashscore.co.uk/football/england/npl-premier-division/standings/
P W D L Goals Pts
Atherton 13 3 2 8 16:28 11
Currently third-bottom (though with games in hand on a few teams) - it does have the look of a potential banana-skin.
Whatever team Craig selects just need to go there with the same attitude as shown at the four FA Cup ties this season, and try not to be distracted by the FA Cup match coming up the following week - as hard as that might be.
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Maybe an argument to rest 10 of the first 11 like we did in lincs cup v grantham last week.
No, this is a competition we can win, or at least go very far in. I'd accept a few changes, but not 10 or 11.
100% agree with you on this one! Any club from step 1-3 who really wants to win this Trophy will usually have a really good run in it. So many step 1-3 clubs will field "fringe" players in this competition as it is a "distraction" to them.
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I believe money is given to winners of each round, just like Fa cup.
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3750 quid for the winners of this game, so worth it.
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Deduct traveling expences and put all winnings in a pot for the squad, I certainly think we should be going for this a great chance of going very far this year (and I don't mean bloody away trips).
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Maybe an argument to rest 10 of the first 11 like we did in lincs cup v grantham last week.
No, this is a competition we can win, or at least go very far in. I'd accept a few changes, but not 10 or 11.
In any of our past recent seasons I'd agree but we're not normally still in the cup at this time of the year and playing catch up the league with games in hand.
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Maybe an argument to rest 10 of the first 11 like we did in lincs cup v grantham last week.
No, this is a competition we can win, or at least go very far in. I'd accept a few changes, but not 10 or 11.
In any of our past recent seasons I'd agree but we're not normally still in the cup at this time of the year and playing catch up the league with games in hand.
It's a nice "problem" to have!
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Absolutely agree we shouldn't be fielding "fringe" players in this game. It's an important competition for us and winning is a good habit to get into. And they will be no pushovers either.
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The fringe players are as good as any in this league, but we need to keep in these competitions, as we are now compiling a nice pot of prize money, and its excellent for the fans morale.
So play the strongest side possible and keep this run going.
The money will give Craig the opportunity to strengthen his side next season and also be able to hold on to his top players.
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I had cause to be in Atherton yesterday and, as I’d not been for several seasons, went by the Atherton Collieries ground to reacquaint myself with it.
I spoke with someone outside who told me that, although crowds are usually only around 300, the car park outside the ground gets full quite early. For those that went to Farsley last week, it looks a very similar set-up and sized car park, maybe a tad smaller.
The chap also mentioned that the residents of the neighbouring streets full of terraced houses can get a bit shirty if anyone parks next to their houses on matchday – so recommended going to the free town centre car parks if the ground car park is full when you get there.
The town centre is very close to the ground – 5 or 6 minutes walk – and is actually a much shorter walk than the drive around the one-way system in the town centre might suggest.
It is only a 7 miles journey for me yet, because of the way the local boundaries run, I start off from where I live in the Borough of Bolton, cross into the City of Salford, go back into the Borough of Bolton and then finally into the Borough of Wigan. A route I travel on very often, as I pass through Atherton on my to Wigan Warriors’ home games.
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I'll be there. A new ground for most of us
Can't imagine it'll be a bumper gate
Lots of ours will save the money... 60 or 70 at most
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8 changes from Tuesday, 6 of the usual first 11 rested and on the bench + 2 suspended which is the max Elliot could change with everyone who isn't injured or cup tied or suspended. Justified decision with cup and league matches coming up. Still a strong 11 though and big chance for likes of green to show what they can do
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Oh bugger, 1-0 we've failed against a lower League team - again!!! >:(
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Would have been nice to have a Trophy run but I’m not too disappointed, still can see us getting a positive result next Sunday.
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Very disappointing.....am sure the regular team would have won. Bad decision in my opinion.
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Very bad decision to by Craig full stop, why oh why did he make 8 changes.
We are never going to win the FA Cup, but we did have a chance of winning the Trophy.
Would he have played this team if it had been a league game, l don't think so.
The fans pay their money and deserve to see the best team play.
Craig has been outstanding this season, but l am afraid this was a bad call today.
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waiting for Oxo's verdict......
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A politician would say 3 very positive things came out of todays game: We can concentrate on the FA Cup match without the inconvenience of a mid-week replay, Rochdale were unable to study the team they will be against and we have less games to play which aids our promotion push.
I say it's a missed opportunity to keep the momentum going. It's what happens when you make too many changes at once.
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Craig must have changed his mind over team selection overnight because in his BBC Radio Lincs interview last night he suggested he wouldn't change for change sake and he wanted to go as far in the FA Trophy as possible.
Well according to the commentary they were players who haven't played together much.
Poor decision Craig and had I gone to watch I would have felt short changed. Always field your strongest team no matter what the match is. Injuries can happen during training not just in matches.
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Should've played the first 11 today and rest a few had it go e to a replay
A wasted opportunity. Nobody coming in today did themselves justice. First 11 have nothing to worry about
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a wasted opportunity IMO....why "rest" your best players when the "big game" is EIGHT days away?
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waiting for Oxo's verdict......
Well Prof here it is. I and I am sure others who travelled to the dark side felt we were very much short changed. Craig has maintained that this competition was as important as any other so I expected a much better side than he put out. It has cost us travelling fans a lot of money supporting the team away from home (our choice I know) but we do expect to see the best possible eleven take to the field. On to the match, pretty boring to be honest but we had a few chances which we didn't take' they had a few and took one (that's it). Rest assured the first team has little to worry about from these lads. Still feeling short changed but will be there next Sunday when I still believe we have a great chance of a result. UTP.
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Personally I'm not too fussed about this. The number one priority this season has become cash from the FA Cup run. Additional income here will be invaluable for the months/year ahead.
League is next but realistically it was never going to be a big push for promotion season. The new ground won't be finished, we need to build gradually and it needs to be sustainable. Play offs at best.
FA Trophy is never going to be a big money spinner unless you get towards the end of the competition. That's why I went fishing today. CE was never going to put his best 11 out.
If Craig had played some of the key players today and they had got injured or sent off then he'd be in for plenty of stick from everyone.
Of course it's nice to win every game but we're still competing in the two most important competitions that we enter. It's not like previous years when this could have meant that we have nothing left to play for.
TEP
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Personally I'm not too fussed about this. The number one priority this season has become cash from the FA Cup run. Additional income here will be invaluable for the months/year ahead.
League is next but realistically it was never going to be a big push for promotion season. The new ground won't be finished, we need to build gradually and it needs to be sustainable. Play offs at best.
FA Trophy is never going to be a big money spinner unless you get towards the end of the competition. That's why I went fishing today. CE was never going to put his best 11 out.
If Craig had played some of the key players today and they had got injured or sent off then he'd be in for plenty of stick from everyone.
Of course it's nice to win every game but we're still competing in the two most important competitions that we enter. It's not like previous years when this could have meant that we have nothing left to play for.
TEP
With your take on things carry on fishing.
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Very unhappy with the decision to field a weakened team in a competition we could have gone a long way in. The prize money from this game alone would have benefited the Club and paid for a few items required in the new stadium or at least reimbursed the Chairman for some of the money he has put in the business. As many co-contributors have suggested, we should have fielded the current first team and given them EIGHT days rest before the next game.
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All entitled to our opinions. Mine just as valid as yours, particularly as I attend 75% of matches and have done for the last 38 years.
TEP
Personally I'm not too fussed about this. The number one priority this season has become cash from the FA Cup run. Additional income here will be invaluable for the months/year ahead.
League is next but realistically it was never going to be a big push for promotion season. The new ground won't be finished, we need to build gradually and it needs to be sustainable. Play offs at best.
FA Trophy is never going to be a big money spinner unless you get towards the end of the competition. That's why I went fishing today. CE was never going to put his best 11 out.
If Craig had played some of the key players today and they had got injured or sent off then he'd be in for plenty of stick from everyone.
Of course it's nice to win every game but we're still competing in the two most important competitions that we enter. It's not like previous years when this could have meant that we have nothing left to play for.
TEP
With your take on things carry on fishing.
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Personally I'm not too fussed about this. The number one priority this season has become cash from the FA Cup run. Additional income here will be invaluable for the months/year ahead.
League is next but realistically it was never going to be a big push for promotion season. The new ground won't be finished, we need to build gradually and it needs to be sustainable. Play offs at best.
FA Trophy is never going to be a big money spinner unless you get towards the end of the competition. That's why I went fishing today. CE was never going to put his best 11 out.
If Craig had played some of the key players today and they had got injured or sent off then he'd be in for plenty of stick from everyone.
Of course it's nice to win every game but we're still competing in the two most important competitions that we enter. It's not like previous years when this could have meant that we have nothing left to play for.
TEP
Craig went back on what he said in Friday's interview then. I wonder how many would have travelled had he said he would be fielding the fringe players.
Players can get injured during training - so using your logic - will training be banned until after the FA Cup tie at Rochdale?
We had a very good chance of going a long way in the FA Trophy and perhaps win it - that won't happen with the FA Cup.
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Okay, it's not a good result, but the dangling carrot of getting a result away next week meant tough choices had to be made. In his post match interview the manager candidly admitted the side he picked should still have been good enough to win today. Sadly it wasn't. But for me he did what he should have done, and that is save the better players for next week. That's the real prize this season, the potential of a third round appearance and the dream of a tie against a premiership club. It's about 20 years since our last run that far. Is it a realistic expectation? Who's to say? Ask yourself if we fielded a first choice XI today and suffered a couple of injuries or a red card, then the opinions would have possibly suggested he should have rested players. Today's game was the sacrificial lamb to ensure the manager had his best options available for next week. Shame we lost, but if means we've fitter and rested first choice players for next week, then I'll accept the manager's judgement in the circumstances.
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Craig's the manager and he does what he thinks is right. He doesn't appear to be doing badly so let's trust his judgement whether we're winning or losing. Unless anyone else on here has his sort of managerial experience then we probably aren't qualified to question his decision making.
I imagine there'll be no risks taken in training this week and thankfully no more of our first team regulars will be suspended - a possibility if they'd played today. I take it you were there when Thewlis and Rollins were red carded earlier in the season.
TEP
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I take it you were there when Thewlis and Rollins were red carded earlier in the season.
TEP
Not sure what those 2 red cards have to do with the current situation.
Both could and should have been avoided. Lack of discipline.
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My take on this is out of the two comps we should prioritise the FA cup, purely and simply for the money, at this stage in our relocation we need the chance of some financial gains. Yes we could go all the way in the trophy (although I doubt we could win it). If, and I stress the word if, we win on Sunday then the financial rewards could be significant. The trophy prize money is fairly poor, so imo the manager made the right decision to play some fringe players, we had enough chances by the sound of it to win the game with the players he selected. I am pretty sure if he had selected Thewlis, Thanoj,Abbott and Knowles and one or two of them picked up injuries that kept them out of Sunday’s tie this thread would be mostly condemning him for not resting the said players. I ask you who’d be a manager
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I totally agree with the above statement. I think what's miffed most people is the fact CE said he was going with a full team. I think we have a genuine chance of causing an upset next week. The manager of Rochdale is under pressure and I can see us being his last game in charge. CE has to approach this game with a win attitude, I think that's our best chance.
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Craig's the manager and he does what he thinks is right. He doesn't appear to be doing badly so let's trust his judgement whether we're winning or losing. Unless anyone else on here has his sort of managerial experience then we probably aren't qualified to question his decision making.
I imagine there'll be no risks taken in training this week and thankfully no more of our first team regulars will be suspended - a possibility if they'd played today. I take it you were there when Thewlis and Rollins were red carded earlier in the season.
TEP
You and TTT have got to be right , less chance of getting a card or bad injury on the training ground than playing against a lower league team desperate to beat us . If we pull it off against Rochdale with the right draw the next round would earn us far more than winning the trophy . Still sad that the travelling fans were let down , I think with hindsight Craig will regret not revealing earlier a second eleven was going to be fielded .
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I admit I'm disappointed George Greene didn't make an impact yesterday. To be fair though, he must be rusty at this time and needs more games. I still believe he can "do the business".
On a more positive note, Rochdale are NOT on form. They were borderline hopeless against Pompey yesterday. The cold fact is they play 3 leagues above us, but I do think we can give them a game. I'm going to have a bet on a 1-1 draw. That's not wishful thinking, it's a possibility.
UTP
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Green is a good player, but he was effectively our only midfielder yesterday. He can't do it on his own. Wafula isn't a central midfielder and isn't going to get a game in the front 3.
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Don't quite understand why we still have Wafula - must be on next to nothing wages and not costing.
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I was there with my camera. Put a few snaps on twitter (https://twitter.com/kenafox (https://twitter.com/kenafox)) and Facebook and the usual little Gallery (http://www.bufc.drfox.org.uk/athertoncollieries231119.html (http://www.bufc.drfox.org.uk/athertoncollieries231119.html)) on my website. So if you want to see what the away strip looks like or the players in the 2nd team take a look!
(http://www.bufc.drfox.org.uk/acfc4025.jpg)
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Don't quite understand why we still have Wafula - must be on next to nothing wages and not costing.
Wafula is here because Craig wants him here, or do you prefer the revolving door fiasco of last season?
The problem is none of these fringe players are getting enough proper game time, if we had a reserve team, which Chris Cook craves for, these lads would be getting regular competitive football.
Then they would get the chance to gel and then wouldn't look so disjointed when they do play together.
No amount of training sessions will help them with this, match action is the only remedy.
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The problem is none of these fringe players are getting enough proper game time, if we had a reserve team, which Chris Cook craves for, these lads would be getting regular competitive football.
The return of a proper Reserve team playing mostly at weekends, as opposed to an U-21/U-23 side playing limited fixtures mostly in midweek, has worked in the past. The Lincolnshire League is always looking for more clubs and its committee have worked tirelessly to try and restore its once good reputation and is still able to provide 3 match officials for games. The Peterborough & District League would involve less travelling but can only supply 1 match official for a game so the club would need to find a volunteer linesman for each match. Both are Step 7 leagues and, theoretically, the same standard of opposition - I am sure other contributors have opinions as to which is actually the stronger!
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The problem is none of these fringe players are getting enough proper game time, if we had a reserve team, which Chris Cook craves for, these lads would be getting regular competitive football.
The return of a proper Reserve team playing mostly at weekends, as opposed to an U-21/U-23 side playing limited fixtures mostly in midweek, has worked in the past. The Lincolnshire League is always looking for more clubs and its committee have worked tirelessly to try and restore its once good reputation and is still able to provide 3 match officials for games. The Peterborough & District League would involve less travelling but can only supply 1 match official for a game so the club would need to find a volunteer linesman for each match. Both are Step 7 leagues and, theoretically, the same standard of opposition - I am sure other contributors have opinions as to which is actually the stronger!
I appreciate that our current management/playing staff situation that could change in the future, but given the size of our current first-team squad and where the majority are based, it might make it more attractive from a travelling perspective on away games if we had a reserve team playing in an equivalent level South / West Yorkshire League? That's of course if the league members were prepared to travel to Boston to play an away game.
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The problem is none of these fringe players are getting enough proper game time, if we had a reserve team, which Chris Cook craves for, these lads would be getting regular competitive football.
The return of a proper Reserve team playing mostly at weekends, as opposed to an U-21/U-23 side playing limited fixtures mostly in midweek, has worked in the past. The Lincolnshire League is always looking for more clubs and its committee have worked tirelessly to try and restore its once good reputation and is still able to provide 3 match officials for games. The Peterborough & District League would involve less travelling but can only supply 1 match official for a game so the club would need to find a volunteer linesman for each match. Both are Step 7 leagues and, theoretically, the same standard of opposition - I am sure other contributors have opinions as to which is actually the stronger!
Interesting view this. Problem is you need a lot of players to run two teams on a Saturday. If a Res side went into the Lincs League or PDFL you'd have to have a fair few U23/U21 players playing along with fringe players, you can't use all the fringe players as you'd need some for the bench for the first team.
In terms of which is stronger the last time the league rep sides played Lincs beat Peterborough 2-0 however in Lincs Cup matches the PDFL teams generally come out on top, especially in the latter stages. Moulton Harrox v Hykeham Town this weekend in the third round which will be a good indicator.
The location of league is again a good point but if you're including U23/U21 players I'm guessing a fair few of those are Boston based if they've come through the academy system so would make sense to be in a league local to Boston rather than Yorks.
A final point is how committed will the fringe players be? It's a bit of a come down signing for Boston United but then ending up playing away at Leverington/Tydd St Mary/Wyberton/Nettleham in what is pretty much an amateur league!
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So Atherton Colls have drawn top-of-the-National League Barrow at home in the next round.
Can't get a 'stronger' team than that in the entire draw - though the National League does look a bit 'odd' at the moment in as far as top of the table Barrow have lost 7 out of 21 games whilst bottom of the table Chorley have only lost 9 of their 22 games.
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I see CE has called Wafula out in the press. Can't see him being around for much longer now. For his own sake he should probably drop down a level. Maybe Gainsborough.
Don't quite understand why we still have Wafula - must be on next to nothing wages and not costing.
Wafula is here because Craig wants him here, or do you prefer the revolving door fiasco of last season?
The problem is none of these fringe players are getting enough proper game time, if we had a reserve team, which Chris Cook craves for, these lads would be getting regular competitive football.
Then they would get the chance to gel and then wouldn't look so disjointed when they do play together.
No amount of training sessions will help them with this, match action is the only remedy.
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I see CE has called Wafula out in the press. Can't see him being around for much longer now. For his own sake he should probably drop down a level. Maybe Gainsborough.
Don't quite understand why we still have Wafula - must be on next to nothing wages and not costing.
Wafula is here because Craig wants him here, or do you prefer the revolving door fiasco of last season?
The problem is none of these fringe players are getting enough proper game time, if we had a reserve team, which Chris Cook craves for, these lads would be getting regular competitive football.
Then they would get the chance to gel and then wouldn't look so disjointed when they do play together.
No amount of training sessions will help them with this, match action is the only remedy.
I wouldn't be surprised if we see Nicky Walker depart also, he has no been good enough so far this season, and has had the opportunity as well.
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