Sunderland Game

[noughtyforties]

Did anyone on here go?

[Uncertain Corridor]

Yep. It was an encouraging performance. I would say most players improved their performance level by 5-10%. Pressing was far more intense and forced mistakes out of the Sunderland defence. Dylan was immense in the first half. Keeper looked sharper. Not too much difference tactically but Martin’s body language was positive and encouraging on the touchline. Pemi had more support, mainly from Keaton Ward. A deserved win and should have been more. This is one area we do need to improve on and invest in..

[Pete Brooksbank]

145 at Maidenhead!

Apparently it's free to air on NLTV but there's as much value in these games as watching David Newton play chess with a gerbil. Sooner it's cancelled the better, but Mark Ives will point to "encouraging" crowds like ours and say it's got a future. As I Boston fan I find that a bit humiliating and embarrassing.

[noughtyforties]

145 at Maidenhead!

Apparently it's free to air on NLTV but there's as much value in these games as watching David Newton play chess with a gerbil. Sooner it's cancelled the better, but Mark Ives will point to "encouraging" crowds like ours and say it's got a future. As I Boston fan I find that a bit humiliating and embarrassing.

Unfortunately nothing will change, while you've clubs like ours supporting this farce the league will say there's a demand for it.

Meanwhile clubs are denied lucrative FA Cup replays on the back of this.

[Pete Brooksbank]

145 at Maidenhead!

Apparently it's free to air on NLTV but there's as much value in these games as watching David Newton play chess with a gerbil. Sooner it's cancelled the better, but Mark Ives will point to "encouraging" crowds like ours and say it's got a future. As I Boston fan I find that a bit humiliating and embarrassing.

Unfortunately nothing will change, while you've clubs like ours supporting this farce the league will say there's a demand for it.

Meanwhile clubs are denied lucrative FA Cup replays on the back of this.

Spot on. Grim stuff, particularly when you see the clubs denied replays this past week.

[Burgh Boy]

Well said Andy. We may as well play some sort of XI for the 2 remaining Group games but lets hope this joke competition isn't around next season. Been a bad idea invented by someone in the FA - or at least one which hardly anybody wants to watch or take part in.

[Pete Brooksbank]

Well said Andy. We may as well play some sort of XI for the 2 remaining Group games but lets hope this joke competition isn't around next season. Been a bad idea invented by someone in the FA - or at least one which hardly anybody wants to watch or take part in.

For once I don't believe the FA are on the hook for this - this farce has been cooked up by the Premier League and the Vanarama League all on their own. Of course the PL's own interest is entirely self-interest, they don't care about Boston United. But they waved a few notes at Mark Ives and the entirely useless bloody idiot capitulated without a moment's thought about whether the clubs - or indeed the fans - wanted it. In any sane, functioning organisation it would be a resigning offence - but the National League is not a normal organisation...

[joshb]

Should take the pi$$ and register, then field supporters alongside the 4 first teamers that have to play (sub them all off first minute)
Maybe even raffle off a few spaces to generate some money and sell a couple of places to a highest bidder

Can't believe more than 400 people paid to watch that, no doubt the "we support our club" mob, bitnjf you really supported the club, you'd boycott this to stop us being shunted down levels at the expense of B teams

But a win is a win, we take anything we can get at the moment

[Uncertain Corridor]

Interesting post. I attended as -

1. I wanted to.

2. I wanted to support Martin Woods and note any tactical or personnel changes he had made ready for Saturday.

I’m pleased I went as it was a good game of football during a quiet period for the club and we played quite well! A tenner well spent thanks.

[noughtyforties]

Interesting post. I attended as -

1. I wanted to.

2. I wanted to support Martin Woods and note any tactical or personnel changes he had made ready for Saturday.

I’m pleased I went as it was a good game of football during a quiet period for the club and we played quite well! A tenner well spent thanks.

As you've every right to, and I'll not criticize anyone for going its personal choice.

If I were attending home games I'd have probably gone on the basis it'd be interesting to see what's coming through the academies of the top end Championship clubs.

But as a competition it needs binning, complete waste of time

[dt woodhall]

I went as well and I enjoyed it. It's frustrating when good fans slag off the competition, I still don't see what the problem is. We are playing initially 4 top club academy sides, hopefully creating some good contacts for potential loan players, making some money out of it, rotating the squad a bit etc, etc. The football was pretty good as you would expect academy sides to play and I enjoyed it.

[Pete Brooksbank]

It's frustrating when good fans slag off the competition, I still don't see what the problem is.

You genuinely don't see the problem here? Quite apart from the obvious nightmare scenario of Boston United having to play Nottingham Forest Reserves on a Saturday 3pm league kick-off if the PL gets what it wants, Eastleigh succinctly outlined the many other issues here:

https://eastleighfc.com/2024/09/statement-the-national-league-cup/

Sooner it's gone the better. If you want to go, go - I won't criticise, just feel mightily depressed that fans of other clubs understand the problem, but lots of ours don't.

[dt woodhall]

Pete Thanks for that bit from Eastleigh ,its interesting and I do understand the issues. I suppose its getting the balance
right. Maybe its just me but I would much rather us be playing these academy sides rather than in my view an outdated
county cup game at Stamford next week

[joshb]

I'd much rather go to a pointless county cup game on Tuesday or even a youth cup fixture than watch that joke of a  competition
Can't even be arsed to put the free stream on as they'd probably use my viewing stat as a means to keep it