I've just got back from the game. Stamford won 2-1 and are promoted. Ricky Miller scored the winner. The sides were level 1-1 at half-time, but Chasetown had been the better side in the first half and at that stage I didnt hold out too much hope for Stamford. For some reason managers from Stamford seem to get a bad press on this forum. But whatever the current postholder said at half-time certainly worked, as Stamford came out a much better side in the second half.
I overheard someone saying that Dennis Greene was in the crowd taking a look at somebody from Stamford. I didn't see him personally, but then it was apparently Stamford's biggest home crowd for twelve years. I'm not sure who he'd be looking at, but I thought Stamford's number 7 (Hall?) was the best player on the pitch. Not a defensive player though, and not sure he's the type of player we'd be looking for.
I saw the best and worst of Ricky Miller again tonight. He took his goal extremely well, but celebrated by ripping his shirt off and picking up a pointless booking. I was stood near to one of the Stamford club officials, and apparently clubs at that level get fined £250 if they pick up five yellow cards in a match. That was Stamford's fifth booking of the game(!), and whilst the first four were all for challenges that are excusable in a pressure game like tonight, Miller's really was a stupid yellow card. The rules are what they are, and surely players with any kind of brain power wouldn't pick up silly bookings like that?
(In the event the Stamford goalkeeper got booked for timewasting even later in the game, so the club would have had the £250 fine anyway. But that's hardly the point).
One other ex-Pilgrim involved tonight - Andy Turner (who had a spell on loan with us about 10-11 years ago) - he is now on the coaching staff at Chasetown.
I also went to the game with my son in law and his Dad a Stamford die hard of some forty years, and had a really enjoyable evening, and must say their supporters, in fact whole club were really friendly and welcoming
I love your posts KP, always well thought out and interesting but for once cant agree with your comments which perhaps highlight why we all love football so much, its about opinions. I like you thought Hall had a very god game, especially in the first half, but where I disagree is that I thought he did a lot of defensive work, and imo is exactly the type of player we could do with
Shauney G can perhaps confirm, but wasn't Hall one of the players that turned down Drurys approach, and equally Miller, did not Drury put in a seven day notice for him? Like Hall, if that was the case, you can see why. Stamford supporters love this lad, and as I have previously admitted, I have always liked him, and last nights winner, according to the programme I nicked from Brian, that was his 31st goal in 31 games, an astounding record at any level, and apparently he scored against us earlier in the season in the county cup, I don't remember that?
But to suggest you had seen the worse of him simply for taking off his shirt, is really harsh. It most certainly didn't appear to bother any of those Stamford fans around the tea bar where we stood who loved his celebrations, scoring the winner with ten minutes to go in a play off final is it not more than understandable that decorum goes out of the window, and if that's the worse thing he ever does no-one will complain
Oh how I would love to Newsh do the same this time next year in the Conf North play off final, I guarantee not a soul would criticise him
I was also impressed (again) with Stamfords Richard Jones, the elder brother of our own departeee, who didn't put a foot wrong and according to Brian has been superb all season, now he could be worth a look at as well
PS: Though it is easy to miss, Mr Graham Drury was also at the match, and in truth, when walking past me I completely bottled it, I so badly wanted to ask him what he thought went wrong, but my nerve disappeared as quickly as he did....damn it
