Flippin 'eck

I wish the railway fans who come on here pretending to be town fans would "come out"

The announcer put his hand up, if you can do any better Mr Cowell (or is it Geoff) I look forward to hearing you. The pies will be back in the winter, and town will be in mid table.

To assemble a squad from scratch is one thing, to turn that squad into a team is not a 5 minute job. The attitude I saw at Workington needs to be built on and yes it is disappointing when people don't turn up in the middle of the summer holidays when the sun is shining to support the team. Unfortunately and unlike many other places in the BSN (yes I have been to those places), there are actually other things to do in Harrogate on a Saturday/ wet Tuesday night which compete with football.

I have been to numerous premiership games (my boyhood team is one at present), been fortunate enough to enjoy hospitality on occasions but I have to say that I enjoy non league football more. Home or away, you are closer to the game, the players, the officials !, the stadium announcer, and to be able to chat with opposition fans before during and after the game without (in general) needing to have a plan for armed extraction, is a breath of fresh air.

The attendances are not helped by having two non league teams within 2 miles of each other in what is not a football town. It is unfortunate but a fact, and perhaps if everyone who came to a game decided to bring a mate along for the first time, you never know but some of them might decide to come back.

I am in this for the long ride, and I am sure Simon will do what he needs to do with the squad/system to learn how to tackle the majority of BSN teams we will come across, who in general play plenty of long balls into the channels and then play the percentages to win bits and pieces/free kicks/corners/second balls etc.

If we are going to see some criticism let's at least have it constructive. On saturday, we simply played too many high balls into our front two and gave their giant no 5 a chance to show us all that he can head the ball. Let's play to our strengths, one of which does appear to be that we have pace in the team.

There, thats better.

S.

Thanks, Slicker, I needed that! I just realised I was more worried about the absence of pies than why there weren't so many fans there on Saturday!
Have to make do with a hotdog!
Yes, it was disappointing on Saturday, but on reading Simon's comments, he was no more happy about it than we were! At least he is prepared to give us a clear view on what he expects, and those who were late for the team briefing know that he's not afraid of making known his displeasure.
Too early to start making judgements, I thought we played so well at Workington, in poor conditions, with rubbish floodlights, maybe we just couldn't get it togather on Saturday.
Like Slicker, I enjoy the game, especially at Wetherby Road..........so, spread the word, bring a friend - or,even better, convert a Railway supporter!!!

Oh believe me, I interviewed Simon for the programme and he was not a happy bunny! He is certainly not afriad to say what he is thinking, which in my opinion is good. I'd rather have a gaffer that tells me it in black and white then sugercoats it. I am sure as well that he players respect him more then perhaps they did before.

Good little summary slicker.

I agree that having two teams so close to each other within a non footballing town really doesnt help anyone. Even with a game that wouldnt have a great attendance such as saturday, if there was only one team you could probably add another 100, maybe 200 on that if there was only one team. Okay not much, but the more money we get obviously it benefits the club.

Harrogate as a town could more than support a reasonable league footballing side if everything was put in place (new stadium, facilities etc.). Look at Burnley, okay a traditional footballing town with a very good footballing history but a population of just 80,000 playing the premiership. HOWEVER i think to start with two things need happen. Either one of the clubs achieves a much higher standard of football, say league 2, and so becomes the much better supoorted club and converts some of the others fans perhaps with a wealthy backer coming in and subsidising transfers, or, dare i say it, the clubs merge so the town has one club. Attendances would be up, we would have more money to spend, and we could all enjoy a hihger standard of football. With the new stadium that is trying to be sorted out, both clubs could sell the prospective bits of land they currently reside creating some revenue, and use this for towards the development of the stadium and the playing staff. I know the hardcore wouldn't like to entertain the idea, but for a town of Harrogate's size where there aren't too many who follow football I think it is an idea that needs to be considered. I dont envy Bill's position at all trying to make us progress everyear but facing a lot of Barriers.

I also follow a premier league team but love going to watch town games. How you can hear all the players, the managers and officials is brilliant and you get a unique atmosphere you dont get at fully seated premier league stadia. I think Simon is doing a good job and need to give him a bit of time as it has only been five games. However I do think we need someone stronger striker up top, not a big 6'5 lad like Smith or Hume who we will just end up lumping it to, but someone with a bit of power and strength who can hold up the ball if needs be but also has a good eye for goal, in the James Dean mould only without the flying elbows.

Only early in the season though, we've had one good win at home and from what I've heard a good performance away at Workington so there is something to work with there. A 10-12 game unbeaten run and we'll be around the playoffs so keep the faith its still early, and get behind Simon and the team.

PS What happened to the manager or Kevin coming on here as was said when the forum was first setup?

PPS Alan, do you still check the town forums, you havent posted for a while?

Just a quick follow up to what has been said above (which I agree with).
Have you all noticed the attendances at every other game in BSN on Saturday. EVERY crowd was well below what you would have
expected.

Examples....
Alfreton v Southport 448 (lowest so far at Alfreton)
Fleetwood v Eastwood 976 (below 1,000 for the first time)
Gainsborough v Telford 434 (Telford took over 150 there)
Hinckley v Vauxhall 243 (got an average of nearly 500 last term)
Northwich v Redditch 483
Stafford v Farsley 515
Stalybridge v Workington 393

The last weekend before the Bank Holiday is a strong holiday time for families, local cricket is still being played and, of course, the Ashes was boiling up to a big finish.

Just a thought.

Very nice to have a positive thread for which I feel motivated to add to.

Unless you have that magical element of pure luck, all the ingredients that were put together this summer (new manager, completely new team made up of players with little or no experience of the level and a greatly reduced budget) would never produce an immediatly sucessful team. Simon Weaver has done a great job so far and some of the players he has attracted here from lower levels will make it in the Conference North. But really (and I am sure he knows it) it is only half the job done. The real test now is to take the "skeleton" that he has made and add to and change it so that gradually the whole improves. I for one (although very disappointed with Saturday's show) will keep behind what has been done and believe that the manager will make the necessary changes (one thing that Neil Aspin would not have done) to keep HTFC in the league. I know there is a lot of talk about play offs but reality has shown to me at least that will not happen and I did not expect it anyway.

I personally think that the club have made the right decision and if anything, should have made it at the end of the previous season. Three times failing to make headway into the play offs with an ever increasing budget was not acceptable. That would have meant we would be a year down the line of re building now. But that is the past and as far as I am concerned the new set up is worth supporting. It is just the start of perhaps a difficult journey and a good cup run this year will put on some sugar coating.

I think that gates will gradually improve when people are convinced that the past is behind us and the new set up is worth them going. I hope I never hear again those words on exiting the ground "what a load of rubbish - overpaid prima donnas, not worth £12"

TheTown wrote:

PS What happened to the manager or Kevin coming on here as was said when the forum was first setup?

Both Simon and Kevin are aware of the forum and I am fairly sure that at least one of them keeps an eye on it. We certainly have some players watching the views of Town fans.