Gloucester City!

Apparently referees don't like the "C" word.

Not "C**t", not even "Cheltenham", no, they don't like to be called a cheat. Which is unfortunate because our official today, Andrew Miller from County Durham was one.

In a game where there are two teams and very few fouls, none of which were either hard or bad he could book three City players in a first half where he hardly blew up against anyone from the home team? Maybe he'd read the preview in the local paper that stated that we were very physical and decided to stamp his authority on the game, or, on one team.

Matt Rose was cautioned for a standing late challenge, where he didn't even raise his foot as he closed a clearing defender down. Will Morford saw yellow for something which was little more than a free kick and Matt Lock went into his little black book for accumulated fouls, two of them, neither of which merited even a warning.

Added to that one-eyed salvo against the Tigers there were also identical incidents where a player from either team tried to control a bouncing ball with his chest and used a bicep, therefore handling it. Both were identical but only City's was penalised.

He even missed the incident that left City skipper Tom Webb needing nine stitches in a nasty inch long gouge in his chin.

Leaving the field at half time even normally placid City Chairman Nigel Hughes was seen to verbally barrack the cheat in black.

Football wise there had been very little to write home again in the first half as a virtually new Harrogate side failed to impress and as late as ten minutes from the end neither keeper had been forced into making a save.

Steve Davies had had City's best two chances, flicking Tom Hamblin's header over the bar at a corner and lifting a shot over keeper Chris Elliott when put through after the break.

Although from a free kick Lock forced a good save from the keeper with a long range piledriver whilst Davies looked as though he was shoved over in the penalty area, surprise, surprise, no penalty was given.

But City eventually lost and the defeat was probably a result of the lack of depth in the squad.

Matt Coupe limped off and Rose took his place in the heart of defence. A succession of flicked headers saw the ball fall nicely for winger Stephen Turnbull to beat Kev Sawyer and somehow scuff a shot home despite Rose looking as though he might've scooped the ball clear.

Boris threw on the other two of this three substitutes and within two minutes ex-scuzzer Paul Brayson made it two to totally distort the scoreline.

At the end of the game the referee even appeared to be hugging the players from the home team.

tigerroar wrote:Well, at least someone reads my website.

I was really expecting more from Harrogate yesterday. With three players out banned and two injured all in the stand we were short of options and ideas and it showed so I would've been more than pleased to get a point, which on the performance both teams deserved.

On the field the game was won after Matt Coupe had limped off and been replaced by an ex-youth player who'd played a handful of games whilst Harrogate brought on Ross and Elam, talented and experienced players.

Off the field it seemed that the local press had described us as big and physical, which the twat in black had gotten wind of and with prior knowledge about the unfortunate incident from last year obviously decided he was going to clamp down on any fouls that we committed. Only one of them (Will Morford) may have been anything like a card, the other two were laughable. I don't normally single out referees but he cheated us. I dread going to Blyth cos we'll probably get the c**t there again.

And for the record your keeper had to make at least one save, from Matt lock's long range free kick whilst your first goal was from your second shot on goal in the second half.

They say a sign of a good team is one that can play badly and win, as England did against Wales but you sure as hell didn't deserve it

sulphurite wrote:

tigerroar wrote:Well, at least someone reads my website.

I was really expecting more from Harrogate yesterday. With three players out banned and two injured all in the stand we were short of options and ideas and it showed so I would've been more than pleased to get a point, which on the performance both teams deserved.

On the field the game was won after Matt Coupe had limped off and been replaced by an ex-youth player who'd played a handful of games whilst Harrogate brought on Ross and Elam, talented and experienced players.

Off the field it seemed that the local press had described us as big and physical, which the twat in black had gotten wind of and with prior knowledge about the unfortunate incident from last year obviously decided he was going to clamp down on any fouls that we committed. Only one of them (Will Morford) may have been anything like a card, the other two were laughable. I don't normally single out referees but he cheated us. I dread going to Blyth cos we'll probably get the c**t there again.

And for the record your keeper had to make at least one save, from Matt lock's long range free kick whilst your first goal was from your second shot on goal in the second half.

They say a sign of a good team is one that can play badly and win, as England did against Wales but you sure as hell didn't deserve it

Yes we did

tigerroar wrote:

sulphurite wrote:

tigerroar wrote:Well, at least someone reads my website.

I was really expecting more from Harrogate yesterday. With three players out banned and two injured all in the stand we were short of options and ideas and it showed so I would've been more than pleased to get a point, which on the performance both teams deserved.

On the field the game was won after Matt Coupe had limped off and been replaced by an ex-youth player who'd played a handful of games whilst Harrogate brought on Ross and Elam, talented and experienced players.

Off the field it seemed that the local press had described us as big and physical, which the twat in black had gotten wind of and with prior knowledge about the unfortunate incident from last year obviously decided he was going to clamp down on any fouls that we committed. Only one of them (Will Morford) may have been anything like a card, the other two were laughable. I don't normally single out referees but he cheated us. I dread going to Blyth cos we'll probably get the c**t there again.

And for the record your keeper had to make at least one save, from Matt lock's long range free kick whilst your first goal was from your second shot on goal in the second half.

They say a sign of a good team is one that can play badly and win, as England did against Wales but you sure as hell didn't deserve it

Yes we did

No mate, Harrogate were average at best and that was robbery. If I was the person or people financing the club I'd want more for my money than was on offer on Saturday.

I look forward to the return fixture where we can get some proper tackles in without them being spoiled by a referee with an agenda.

tigerroar wrote:Fair point but 12 v's 11 is always going to be tough.

sagalout wrote:To be fair tigerroar makes some points I'd agree with. I didn't see any challenge that warranted a yellow from either team, and the Town fans behind me were saying the same. Having said that, Nowakowsi got a yellow for kicking the ball away (well, continuing with a strike on goal after the whistle) when a Gloucester player threw the ball away and didn't receive anything, so its more just poor refereeing than anything else.

As for the points, over the first 80 mins a point each would have been fair, but for the last 10 we played some good football and scored 2 goals therefore we deserved the points!

Nice to see the improvements in the clubhouse

tigerroar wrote:Fair point. He wasn't corrupt, he was just bent.