Hereford

[Old boy thin]

Well am I glad this season is over? You bet I am. Having supported the Pilgrims for over 50 years I have never wanted the season to finish as much as this season and that includes when we were relegated from the Football League. This season has been utter garbage, I am not one who thought we would win the league nor that we have a divine right to get into the play offs. But I do expect we should be entertained at York Street and for the most part of this season we have not.

I was very much in favour of Craig's appointment last season and impressed by the entertainment we witnessed in the second half of the season. I was not disappointed that we didn't reach the play offs as I thought it may have been too soon. I was disappointed we were unable to keep the spine of that team (probably due to money?) but felt we should not overstretch ourselves financially - we have been there before. I was not carried away by the "star" signings in the close season as I questioned their recent record but fully supported them being moved on quickly as I thought they were a disruptive influence on the team.

But after that I have become increasingly annoyed by what I have seen at home matches. Such as before signing Allott and Smith hoofing the ball up to a non existent target man for a full game - and it wasn't working so for Gods sake change it.  The ball kept coming back to put pressure on a shaky defence and ultimately goals were conceded and games lost - easily. I may not have managed a team, nor won a league title, but even I could work out it wasn't working.

Turning over nearly 50 players in a season will not bring success. Craig, you may like tinkering with your team but such a large turnover of players will not bring consistency or team spirit. I doubt whether the teams who finished in the play offs fielded anything like the number we did.


What happened to Thanoj and Abbott? From being as good as any midfield pairing in the league last season both players suffered alarming dips in form this season. Why? Are the players not up to it or too big for their boots or is it down to the manager/tactics? Whichever why are they signed for next season? Because I am left thinking we will get more of the same next season.


After the defeat by Altrincham earlier in the year I left the game wondering why I had bothered coming to the game. Not because we had lost or to a late goal. But we had been soundly beaten, anything less would have been an injustice to Altrincham. The games against Telford, Stockport and Chorley did not show an improvement to me, just how far adrift we were from having a play off team. Craig said we were not good enough for the play offs in March most supporters knew that in October.


For the last 12 years I have sponsored the team to say thank you to the Chestnuts for saving my club, to do my little bit. Next season I won't and I feel very guilty about that, disloyal to them. But I will not reward a manager (and team) who have given so little this season for him to waste during the close season. I may be wrong, I hope I am. If he changes the way the team plays to produce more entertaining football (and I do not mean winning) or indeed leaves I will sponsor the team again.


What I have said may upset some supporters but that is how I have felt this season (but pleased for our away support who have been rewarded with most of our better performances). And yes I will watch them again next season but may not attend as many games if this season's level of entertainment continues.

Bang on, I've renewed today but only on the basis that its the last season at the best ground outside the football league and its been my second home for 42 years. Once we move to Legoland that will almost certainly be it for me, in my mind BUFC belong in Boston, not in Wyberton at the back of a field on the edge of town. My contempt and loathing for what Evans did to this club to necessitate this move knows no end, its matched only by my anger at the 'fans' who welcomed him back like some sort of hero and then disappeared never to return after he declared 'season over' after a pitiful surrender to Lincoln.

The debt owed to DN and his company is immeasurable. Sadly subsequent manager and players have continued to let us all down to the point we're now seen as a middling club in a league below our natural level.

Unbelievable comment, the reasons for moving will ensure the club remains solvent and can progress on and off the field.
That will never happen at our current home, life moves on and does with or without you, your choice not to follow the club to it's new home, it's a shame you feel that way.
 But on the other hand it gives us a chance to draw a line under and put the past of corruption and wrong doing to bed forever.
This will be a new start for us all and l for one can't wait for it to happen, l love York Street with all my heart and will have a few tears on the day l walk out of the ground for the last time.
I follow Boston united, were ever when ever and if that means to a new home, so be it.

[oxo]

Well said mate.

[Wyberton pilgrim]

I have supported BUFC since 1946/7 and hope and pray I will still be well enough to see them in the new stadium. Win loose or draw I will keep supporting for as long as I am able.

[Pete Brooksbank]

The closest clear/farming areas that would be suitable are near Toot Lane, at the back of Co Op on Eastwood Road, the other side of the Crem or Wyberton West Road...

Looking at the map, it's definitely closer but the road access isn't good enough there. The new stadium is served by a main trunk road, as Boardsides would have been. Gloucester (or Leamington - I forget which!) have had a hell of a time trying to overcome objections from their local police for similar access reasons. Plus with the existing residential estates, no way would a stadium ever be granted planning permission in that location.

[Pilgrim86]

The closest clear/farming areas that would be suitable are near Toot Lane, at the back of Co Op on Eastwood Road, the other side of the Crem or Wyberton West Road...

Looking at the map, it's definitely closer but the road access isn't good enough there. The new stadium is served by a main trunk road, as Boardsides would have been. Gloucester (or Leamington - I forget which!) have had a hell of a time trying to overcome objections from their local police for similar access reasons. Plus with the existing residential estates, no way would a stadium ever be granted planning permission in that location.

Absolutely, I wasn't saying those sites should have been used - but they are the closest areas to the town centre that have enough space for a stadium.

I believe DN's feasibility study for locations included Boardsides (land not commercially available) and Kirton Distribution Park (near the Sports Bike Shop - too far from Boston).

[howmanynames2pick]

Nothing we can do if the landlords want to sell.

And as much as we love it, YS is no longer fit for purpose. It's an obsolete 70s design, expensive to maintain, and earns us pitiful levels of non-matchday income.

I highly doubt the York Street site is big enough to accomodate a new stadium that complies with the Green Guide even if we owned the site and had money in the bank to build it.

I agree the Wyberton site is a bit too out of town for my liking, but it's preferable to the Boardsides proposal and I can't think of any suitable sites closer to the town.

Is what it is.

sad but true Pete

[Lee Newell]

The new stadium is only 2.5 miles from york street, really not that far. Hopefully there will be good buses on match days from town centre.

However it's very rare a new stadium gets built in town centre these days and out of town is far more practical. It appeared that DN spent a lot of time planning options for a location for the new ground, so I think we can be happy that the best overall location was selected. I think we also need to bare in mind that the new stadium is being partly funded by the other developments at the Quadrant, another reason why this location was the most feasible, without the enabling developments there wouldn't be the funds for the stadium.

Usually when a club moves stadium it's to something bigger and better. The capacity of the new stadium is slightly lower than York Street, however we don't really need bigger. In all the time I've been going to York Street the only matches when the stadiums was close to/at capacity were the friendlies and Man Utd and Liverpool, League Cup game against Fulham, First Match in Football league against Bournemouth, Matches against Lincoln in Football League, match v Nuneaton when tickets were free after being called off at half time on new years day in 2002. Not been close to full since we got relegated.  So we don't need a bigger ground. York Street is known as being one of the best non league grounds with good character, let's hope the new ground has a bit of character of it's own and doesn't feel like a downgrade.

What we must remember though is staying at York Street isn't viable, it's simply not affordable due to lack of income/rent, we don't own it and owners want to sell it so they could if they wanted to have kicked us out before now and left us homeless. The new ground should see us being more financial stable and have a club for the long term and hopefully soon playing at the level above.

[Pete Brooksbank]

The new stadium is only 2.5 miles from york street, really not that far. Hopefully there will be good buses on match days from town centre.

However it's very rare a new stadium gets built in town centre these days and out of town is far more practical. It appeared that DN spent a lot of time planning options for a location for the new ground, so I think we can be happy that the best overall location was selected. I think we also need to bare in mind that the new stadium is being partly funded by the other developments at the Quadrant, another reason why this location was the most feasible, without the enabling developments there wouldn't be the funds for the stadium.

Usually when a club moves stadium it's to something bigger and better. The capacity of the new stadium is slightly lower than York Street, however we don't really need bigger. In all the time I've been going to York Street the only matches when the stadiums was close to/at capacity were the friendlies and Man Utd and Liverpool, League Cup game against Fulham, First Match in Football league against Bournemouth, Matches against Lincoln in Football League, match v Nuneaton when tickets were free after being called off at half time on new years day in 2002. Not been close to full since we got relegated.  So we don't need a bigger ground. York Street is known as being one of the best non league grounds with good character, let's hope the new ground has a bit of character of it's own and doesn't feel like a downgrade.

What we must remember though is staying at York Street isn't viable, it's simply not affordable due to lack of income/rent, we don't own it and owners want to sell it so they could if they wanted to have kicked us out before now and left us homeless. The new ground should see us being more financial stable and have a club for the long term and hopefully soon playing at the level above.

Very rare for new stadiums in the UK to be built in urban centres. It happens a lot more in the USA, but their towns/cities are laid out very differently in blocks, far more spread out, and you'll find available brownfield land quite close to the downtown areas. Not so here. I really don't think Boston Utd could have found a better location without expending millions more on demolition and land costs. Anyway, as the decades pass, Boston will expand outwards and future generations of fans won't feel it's as "out-of-town" as we do today. The City Ground was once on the outskirts of Nottingham, along with Trent Bridge!

[howmanynames2pick]

The new stadium is only 2.5 miles from york street, really not that far. Hopefully there will be good buses on match days from town centre.

However it's very rare a new stadium gets built in town centre these days and out of town is far more practical. It appeared that DN spent a lot of time planning options for a location for the new ground, so I think we can be happy that the best overall location was selected. I think we also need to bare in mind that the new stadium is being partly funded by the other developments at the Quadrant, another reason why this location was the most feasible, without the enabling developments there wouldn't be the funds for the stadium.

Usually when a club moves stadium it's to something bigger and better. The capacity of the new stadium is slightly lower than York Street, however we don't really need bigger. In all the time I've been going to York Street the only matches when the stadiums was close to/at capacity were the friendlies and Man Utd and Liverpool, League Cup game against Fulham, First Match in Football league against Bournemouth, Matches against Lincoln in Football League, match v Nuneaton when tickets were free after being called off at half time on new years day in 2002. Not been close to full since we got relegated.  So we don't need a bigger ground. York Street is known as being one of the best non league grounds with good character, let's hope the new ground has a bit of character of it's own and doesn't feel like a downgrade.

What we must remember though is staying at York Street isn't viable, it's simply not affordable due to lack of income/rent, we don't own it and owners want to sell it so they could if they wanted to have kicked us out before now and left us homeless. The new ground should see us being more financial stable and have a club for the long term and hopefully soon playing at the level above.

Very rare for new stadiums in the UK to be built in urban centres. It happens a lot more in the USA, but their towns/cities are laid out very differently in blocks, far more spread out, and you'll find available brownfield land quite close to the downtown areas. Not so here. I really don't think Boston Utd could have found a better location without expending millions more on demolition and land costs. Anyway, as the decades pass, Boston will expand outwards and future generations of fans won't feel it's as "out-of-town" as we do today. The City Ground was once on the outskirts of Nottingham, along with Trent Bridge!

true again Pete... you are on a roll

[Kirtonian]

Strange thing that Forest's City Ground is in West Bridgford and Notts County's ground is in the City. Sad to see County struggling but it is not that long ago BUFC played them in the League.

[Lee Newell]

In spite of all the ups and downs this season, we ended up only 7 points off the play-offs. The phrase "if only" applies to some of those matches we should have won but didn`t.

Had we had a top strike (like we have Miller/Southwell in prevous seasons that made playoffs) that scored 25+ might have been enough to close the gap.

[Pilgrim86]

Strange thing that Forest's City Ground is in West Bridgford and Notts County's ground is in the City. Sad to see County struggling but it is not that long ago BUFC played them in the League.

WBA's ground also forms part of the boundary between Birmingham and West Bromwich (on the West Bromwich side). The fence going down the east side car park is the boundary!

The new stadium for BUFC is literally only yards inside Wyberton.

[Pete Brooksbank]

Strange thing that Forest's City Ground is in West Bridgford and Notts County's ground is in the City. Sad to see County struggling but it is not that long ago BUFC played them in the League.

It's not THAT long since we played Bournemouth as equals! Crazy.

[howmanynames2pick]

Strange thing that Forest's City Ground is in West Bridgford and Notts County's ground is in the City. Sad to see County struggling but it is not that long ago BUFC played them in the League.

It's not THAT long since we played Bournemouth as equals! Crazy.

and they scored our first league goal if memory serves me right

[Pilgrim86]

Strange thing that Forest's City Ground is in West Bridgford and Notts County's ground is in the City. Sad to see County struggling but it is not that long ago BUFC played them in the League.

It's not THAT long since we played Bournemouth as equals! Crazy.

and they scored our first league goal if memory serves me right

Neil Young, went on to manage Chester against us a few seasons ago.