Messages

946

The B-Ark / Re: FT 2-3

« on: November 04, 2009, 06:44:11 PM »

I think I must be cursed.

Actually Pete I think it is me that is cursed. I watched Quorn quite a lot last season, as it is very close to home for me and their midweek matches on Tuesdays never seemed to clash with our own matches on Wednesdays. In seven or eight visits to Farley Way, I don't think I've ever seen Quorn lose. I hoped and I expected to break that duck last night, though have to concede that Quorn were the best side.

The talk about "let's concentrate on the league" is about all we can say now, but in truth there have been enough warning signs from the performances at Burscough, Stocksbridge and Quorn to suggest that this squad plainly isn't good enough. The management too must take some criticism for some of their substitutions. When 4-3-3 works it works well (e.g. Nantwich), but Plan B always seems to involve changes players rather than changing formation. And some teams have worked out how to play against 4-3-3. Last night, a goal down in a cup competition, we replaced Yates with Cotton. Like for like. Surely we should have been looking to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Quorn, especially given some of their goalkeepers fine ball juggling skills?

Newsham has scored goals and Davidson has height, but in my opinion none of our forwards are currently imposing enough pressure on opposing defenders. When you're playing against a dodgy goalkeeper you need to put them under pressure. But at times I'm not sure some of our players even know what a challenge is. Memories of Matt Bloomer at Kendal, anyone?

947

The B-Ark / Re: BUSA travel

« on: October 31, 2009, 08:54:02 PM »

I watched Quorn a few times last season when their fixtures didn't clash with Boston's, and thought I'd offer a few pearls of wisdom for anyone travelling to the game - either by coach or by car.

I'd recommend getting to Loughborough via whichever route you prefer (Grantham-Melton or Newark-A46-Six Hills), and then following Leicester signs out of Loughborough. You'll come to a roundabout (junction with the A6) where Quorn is straight on, and their Farley Way Ground is then a left turn at the traffic lights before you actually enter the main part of the village. You can see the floodlights if you approach from this direction.

If people are looking to grab a bite to eat, then there isn't that much in Quorn itself I'm afraid. There are places to eat - I know of a large eat-in Chinese Restaurant (Chequers) and a pub named the Quorndon Fox, though its meals tend to be a bit pricey and it isn't really a "football shirt" pub. If people are looking for more choice - McDonalds, Fish and Chips, etc. - they'd definitely be better off pulling over in Loughborough.

There is a decent-sized car park at Quorn and a well presented club house inside the ground. There is one end which is terraced and covered, and a covered seating area running part way up one side of the pitch. If you're above 5'4" however you'll be complaining that there isn't enough leg room in that stand. The rest of the ground is open to the elements.

The ex referee Peter Jones lives in Quorn, as does fitness guru Rosemary Conley.

948

The B-Ark / Re: Quickest ever Boston goal?

« on: October 29, 2009, 01:11:07 AM »

I'm just bitter that after the recent success I show up to watch that shower of shit. Stocksbridge deserved to win and their number 7 absolutely ran the show on the wing - he looked like the only semi-competent player on the pitch.

Sure it's just a blip, hugely disappointing though after that fantastic start.

I believe the number seven was Alex Callery. Pilgrims fans of a certain vintage may remember his father Neil playing for us.

Very disappointing performance. Perhaps we scored too early and then allowed complacency to set in. Our forward line was ineffective from minutes two to ninety to inclusive, and it says something that Newsham, Davidson and Yates were all substituted. None of them had good games, but when you're 2-1 down how do the managers legislate for removing the entire forward line? Surely we'd be better off throwing an extra striker on and going for broke?

(For what it is worth I also thought Weir-Daley played poorly tonight. How many times did he get caught offside from wide positions? Looking along the line, a player of his experience shouldn't allow that to happen).

In relation to the original question about the fastest ever Boston goal, I can remember Richard Toone scoring in an opening day Conference fixture after a similar period of time. I think it was against Merthyr Tydfil. It was the first goal of that particular season anywhere, though I'm not sure if it was quicker than tonights. I'm sure Ken's site will answer the question, though I'll leave that for a more sociable time of day.

949

The B-Ark / Elding not wanted by Crewe

« on: October 26, 2009, 06:24:18 PM »

Full story .....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/crewe_alexandra/8324616.stm


Discuss.....

950

The B-Ark / Re: Last day as happy as this?

« on: October 25, 2009, 09:41:41 AM »

I got to go tuesday now

I know we'll have a good following at Stocksbridge, but setting out 24 hours early to beat the rush is a bit eccentric.

951

The B-Ark / Re: Spencer Weir Daley!!

« on: October 23, 2009, 06:12:44 PM »

I've heard of him, highly unexpected.

Begs the question, who was the last double barrelled surnamed player to play for us?

Does Dany N-Guessan count?

952

The B-Ark / Re: Vs Chorley

« on: October 18, 2009, 07:54:43 AM »

We won the match yesterday and it will be the managers' prerogative to stick with a team that is currently winning. But for me there were some clear warning signs in yesterday's performance and things do need freshening up a little bit.

Chorley were from a lower league and it showed. How many times in the early stages did their players dribble the ball straight out of play whilst not under pressure? In truth, I don't think Chorley were much better than Spalding. A win is a win, but it should have been a whole lot more convincing.

We started the game well and were two goals up very early on. But after that, complacency seemed to set in. It was Lowestoft all over again, but with the safety of a two goal cushion. At times yesterday I thought Chorley looked like they wanted it more than we did.

Any teams that finds itself two goals up at home, especially against lower league opposition, and then gets pegged back, deserves a rollocking.

Luck played a part in yesterday's result. Did Davidson really mean to score the opening goal, or was it meant to be a flick to the far post? And the chance that Chorley missed when their striker blasted the ball into Tom Evans' face had "goal" written all over it. Good save or bad miss? I don't think Tom knew too much about it so I'm going with the latter.

Some of our forward players are equally guilty of missing good chances. The cross that Dan Cotton put into the box in the second half was an absolute beach. If David Beckham had put that ball into the box heaven knows when Steve Bruce would stop talking about it. Newsham simply had to score. But the header was tame and straight at the goalkeeper. Newsham may be our leading goalscorer, but his ratio of missed chances to goals is still rising and he doesn't often seem able to find the target from outside the six yard box. Maybe he needs glasses? Joking aside, I think there are other forward players in the squad who are a bit more clinical in front of goal (Clarke,Kennedy, etc) and are perhaps not getting enough of a look in at the moment.

953

The B-Ark / Re: Help Required - Looking for Ex-Pilgrims

« on: October 15, 2009, 07:08:22 PM »

I can't really help in terms of knowing the whereabouts of any of the players listed, but haven't there been one or two others who have played for both clubs down the years? I think Phil Gray, who had a loan spell at Boston a few years back, was once with Sunderland.

And presumably Steve Evans must have turned down a job offer from Sunderland at some point?

954

The B-Ark / Re: remind me Please

« on: October 14, 2009, 06:44:17 PM »

I just don't get Dave Cusack coming back as a legend!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he leave us to take over as manager of D&R, taking with him our best players including John McKenna, Paul Shirtliffe (RIP), Paul Richardson, Paul Cavell and one other (can't really remember who, was it Gary Jones? Are you able to help with that Ken?). As Cookie says, he even got rid of him to Kings Lynn.

We then didn't replace these players with those of  the same calibre, and that started the downward spiral culminating in our relegation from the Conference a couple of seasons later.

Is this man really a legend??

I entirely accept that he was a good player for us, and alongside Tex Hardy formed a good defensive partnership, but I can't help feeling he screwed us when he left.

Comments anyone???

I might be wrong and I haven't got time to check this right now - my tea is nearly ready! But I thought Dave Cusack left us to become manager of Kettering Town at around the same time that we appointed Peter Morris. Cusack did have a spell at Dagenham, but wasn't someone else in charge there when they raided us for Cavell, Richardson, McKenna, Shirtliff and (ahem) Nuttell?

955

The B-Ark / Re: v Lowestoft Town - Match Thread

« on: September 26, 2009, 10:12:16 PM »

Boston started strongly but (in my opinion) we started to panic when we didn't get an early goal. As the game went on and on we resorted to long hoof balls down the throats of the Lowestoft central defence, and they dealt with these fairly easily.

There was no point in Cotton being named in the side today or in Kennedy coming on as substitute. That's no criticism of them at all, but we simply did not pass the ball out to our wingers at any time. I like to see football played with wingers, but if we're not going to use them then there's no point in picking them.

I can only remember one move in the whole of the second half where we played the ball on the ground. That resulted in Danny Davidson putting the ball in the net, albeit the linesman's flag came to Lowestoft's rescue. But to me it demonstrated what we can do when we play to our strengths. And its infuriating that we didn't do that the rest of the game.

Cullingworth needs to dropped from the side and arguably fined until he has learned some discipline. Against Retford in the week he launched a foul-mouthed onslaught at a linesman and stronger officials would have been well within their rights to send him off then. And to get sent off for two yellow cards after two bouts of dissent today is simply not accepatable. Yes it was late in today's game and probably didn't have a bearing on the final outcome. But we already have a number of injuries in defensive positions and now he will be suspended as well. Cullingworth, you have let your team-mates and the supporters down.

956

The B-Ark / Re: Walking wounded! Injury crisis at Boston United, from the Standard

« on: September 25, 2009, 07:03:46 PM »

My assessment of the situation is that:

(i) we need to add another full-back to the squad.

(ii) another centre-half wouldn't go amiss.

and

(iii) some of our fringe players are young and lack experience.


All of the above could be solved by Rob Scott and Paul Hurst switching from being managers to becoming "player-managers". Both played a sufficient number of times for Ilkeston to suggest they could still do a job.

My understanding is that Ilkeston have hung on to their playing contracts, meaning that they can't currently play for Boston. Sour grapes presumably over the way that Hurst, Scott, Sleath and Church all ended up at York Street over the summer.

But in all honesty Ilkeston are getting nothing from this.

Let's strike a deal with them - they release Scott and Hurst from their playing contracts, and we play a pre-season friendly at the Manor Ground next year. We get two new players, they get a decent pay day from one of the best supported teams in non-league football. Problem solved.

I know we are in a lower league than Ilkeston and maybe not the usual club they would look to invite for a friendly. But Gainsborough were quite happy to open the Northolme to us this summer so surely something similar could be arranged?

957

The B-Ark / Re: Storytime Steve At It Again

« on: September 23, 2009, 06:48:28 PM »

When exactly did we play Newcastle?

I can remember a friendly circa 1987 in which Newcastle fielded the likes of McReary, Roeder, Mirandinha, Frank Pingel, etc. That was well before Evans' time, and I can't remember us playing them more recently.

958

The B-Ark / Re: Fancy Dress Man

« on: September 23, 2009, 07:31:25 AM »

I didn't see all of the Manchester United vs Manchester City match at the weekend and have only seen the highlights, but I know that the main controvery was over the referee allowing six minutes of added time - at the end of which Michael Owen scored. From the highlights that I saw I wasn't aware of any long stoppages during the game - aside from the usual goals and substitutions.

Six minutes was the same time allowed last night for Boston vs Retford. And there most certainly was a long stoppage when the Retford dugout held onto the ball. Surely on the evidence of other matches there had to be more than six minutes added on? I'm not necessarily sure we would have scored in that time - it was one of those games - but I do think it highlights a serious lack of consistency in referees at all levels of the game.

959

The B-Ark / Re: Metro Fantasy Football - Mini League created for Pilgrims' Patter Users

« on: September 21, 2009, 06:33:46 PM »

Latest positions...

1 Lamberts Lumps(Mathew Barker) 449
2 Tash Terrors(David Rose) 406
3 shortybufc(mark short) 395
4 ParfittsRedPlectrum(Andrew Dawson) 391
5 Warno Fc(Gareth Warnes) 383
6 Fatzio(Ian Chaplin) 377
7 kirton cavaliers(steve massam) 375
8 Caspers Pilgrims(Melvin Robertson) 368
9 ASG Masters(Adrian Gosling) 368
10 Townend Utd(Michael Burgess) 367
11 Tom Graves Utd(Tom Graves) 367
12 wez utd(wez elston) 359
13 mattys xi(matty homewood) 357
14 Stumpies Yorkers(Jamie Beamish) 354
15 BUFC(stephen mcnichol) 348
16 Bostonshires army(David Kitchen) 346
17 Big-Toms XI(Tom Hallam) 337
18 Anitas Cheetahs(stephen andrew) 333
19 Scottys Boys(Scott Walden) 327
20 Boston Utd Reserves(Richard Collins) 321
21 North East Pilgrim(stephen mcnichol) 317
22 Mickeys Magic Men(Adam Upsall) 313
23 steve evans cheats(neil smalley) 311
24 amberexile army(paul nixon) 308
25 Milos Mission FC(PAUL MILES) 303
26 we always win 2-1(Paul Johnson) 301
27 Pilgrims Progress(Ken Fox) 299
28 Liam Rovers(liam watson) 299
29 Boston Pigrims(Michael Burgess) 289
30 Bartmacs Boys(John McLelland) 273
31 Bostup(John Stanwell) 232
32 Sunnyland Hotspur(Paul Johnson) 220
33 remus05(robert sharman) 173

960

The B-Ark / Re: UNITED LEGEND-STEVIE ADAMS!

« on: September 17, 2009, 08:09:07 PM »

I vaguely remember a pre-season friendly at Spalding United one year.

Steve Adams was playing down the wing, and the chairman of the time Pat Malkinson was stood near the touchline eating an ice cream. Adams ran off the pitch and licked the ice cream before promptly returning into play!