Pages

Wednesday 30 September 2015

Return of the Vance

He's looked a bit cheesed off and detached of late but events over the last few days suggest Tony Vance might have got his mojo back (if he ever lost it in the first place), and it's good to see.

A full and frank 'discussion' in the dressing room ahead of Sunday's match against Ramsgate was followed by the best team performance in a long time. It seems the players were left in no doubt as to where socks needed pulling up and their initial response was just what the doctor ordered, including a Ross Allen (who has appeared to be wearing ankle socks at time this season) goal from a free kick that players earning £100k+ a week would be proud of. Best summed up in one word. Sublime.

OK, Ramsgate's pre-match preparation wasn't ideal and they might have been a short of some first choice players. Some sympathy with that but I don't recall them being too upset about playing weakened GFC sides on a Tuesday night at their place in the last 2 seasons. With regard to the flight problems we can at least all look forward to Mr Austin's dead buzzard sketch the next time he plies Messrs Vance and Fallaize with hippy crack in front of a video camera.

The last couple of days have seen the Guernsey Press run a couple of pieces on Tony's view of the necessary future direction for GFC. Today's article is well worth a read if you can access it. If you can't access the GP take a look at the forum where there's a thread on the article as the views expressed will give you a good feel as to the content.

The view from the top of Ormering Towers will follow tomorrow, along with a bit of info for anyone heading to Thurrock on Saturday (you never know we might get further than recommending a good pub to visit near Fenchurch St before getting the train. There are a few by the way.).

Keep it Green

Allez les Verts!!

Monday 21 September 2015

Back to life, back to reality...

Great to be back in comparatively cold but ever so soggy Blighty after a trip to Crete but hey ho,can't be helped.

My last view of GFC was that of a forlorn Tony Vance trudging through the car park at Sittingbourne's (not in Sittingbourne) ground, clearly eager to bag a prime spot for his bag on the coach.

Not the first time we've seen distance between coach(es) and players after an away game this season and not the first shambolic second half either.

This was followed by a home victory against (frankly piss poor) Hythe before a return to form against the country's top amateur team, Corinthian Casuals, on Saturday. Yes we had a decent amount of possession, particularly in the first half when, it has to be said, the opposition spent most of the time standing back and sizing us up.

After the game the boss told the local meeja that Doddie's sending off (with the score 0-0) cost us the game. Some where somewhat surprised that the meeja didn't enquire why personnel changes weren't made until we were 2 down (a touch of Muratti syndrome perhaps).

Our problems on the pitch are obvious - we can't defend (as a team, not just the back line).

There don't seem to be any signs of an answer to this problem off the pitch either.

The pressure to succeed comes largely from the coaching and playing staff (not all though), after all it's the boss that thinks the club will be finished if we're not established at step 3 in 4 years time. Many of us are just keen to support a Guernsey team playing at the highest level it can achieve, whether that be 3, 4 or 5.

Tomorrow we head to Molesey for a fixture that we really should be confident of winning. Offer us a point before the game and we'd take it though. Trains from Waterloo to Hampton Court every half hour (hourly on the way back), bit of a trek to the ground but plentiful (good) places to stop and refuel on the way.

Keep it Green

Allez les Verts!!

Thursday 10 September 2015

Friday 4 September 2015

Bus news, Spanish lessons and a stream

If you read the away days page (before it was edited last) and were thinking of getting the 343 bus to the Kent Science Park think again. That route no longer exists and there is now no public bus service out there on a Saturday. Sittingbourne FC run a minibus service from the station at 12.10 unless you fancy the 2.5 mile walk up the hill.

Just a 14 man squad travelling tomorrow and this is it:-

Tardif, Geall, Pengelley, Strawbridge, Cochrane, le Prevost (A), Mackay, Steel, Fernandez, Mahon (L), Black, Loaring, Heaume, McGrath

Not good news on the injury front in that Dave Rihoy is highly unlikely to play again this season having gone off early at Peacehaven with now confirmed knee ligament damage. Also Ross Allen's dead leg seems a bit worse than the ones you used to get in the playground all those years ago. Tony Vance is quoted thus by the BBC:-

"I'm not sure when we'll see him again, only he'll know that. At some point he'll come back into the frame, but for now we'll have to work with the players that we've got". Make of that what you will.

Reading this column recently you might not believe it but the season so far isn't all doom and gloom, there's Guille Fernandez. Seems to have settled in nicely, shows some deft touches and looks like a player that thinks about his game.

He's also a very nice chap, so nice in fact that Gazois wrote him a song and here it is for you to learn (it's to the tune of la Bamba):-

Para jugar por Guernsey
Para jugar por Guernsey
Es necessari
Un poco de burro
Un poco de burro y cojones
y cojones
y cojones
Guille Fernandaez
Guille Fernandez

The Spanish might not be 100% there but roll those Rs and emphasise the cojones and nobody will mind.

Hope to see you in Sittingbourne, if you can't make it go to Livestream.com and search for GFC Manelander TV where, mobile signal permitting, you will find a live transmission.

Keep it Green

Allez les Verts!!



Thursday 3 September 2015

Lewes to Sittingbourne with Pasties (blimmin good ones as well)

Ah well, at least this season's FA Cup campaign lasted slightly longer than the last one.

Everyone's a bit cheesed off with the manner of the defeat and Tony Vance is 'getting a bit bored of making excuses'. This time he wasn't making excuses though and yes, dear reader, he does realise that we're not too hot when it comes to defending.

Not too hot to the point of being sloppy quite frankly. The four goals conceded against Phoenix Sports suggest that the occasional jump to attempt to put head to ball would help, as would keeping the opposing players within touching distance (or at least knowing where they are).

Defending is a bit of a dark art and a good defence takes pleasure in denying the dashing types that play up front their opportunity to score. If you can kick the oppo in the air, without being noticed by the match officials, that's an added bonus.

So after that little lesson a clean sheet is expected against Sittingbourne on Saturday (all so easy to say from the sidelines eh dear reader!).

Talking of Sittingbourne, essential travel info plus a bit about the club can be found on the 'away days' page. The home made pasties in the cluibhouse last year were superb by the way.

Keep it Green

Allez les Verts!!



Tuesday 1 September 2015

Tomorrow's trip to Lewes sees several changes from the squad that went to Bexley on Saturday. On paper it's good enough to ensure the FA Cup is played outre mer for the first time in its history. We reveal one or two cards there that Phoenix Sports haven't seen yet and they could well be the key.

We all know that there's more to it than the players on the pitch though, so fingers crossed. Here's the squad:-

Machlowski, Geall, Strawbridge, Dodd, J Winch, Mackay, Steel, Black, Fernandez, Dyer, Loaring, Heaume, Young, Allen, McGrath.

You might be thinking that Lewes have got it a bit easy, being able to scout their opponents in the next round without too much effort. The deal to host GFC away cup ties was struck before the draw was made and the club is more than happy with the terms (those agreed with Lewes, not the ones imposed by the FA.....).

Plenty of history at the Dripping Pan, if you're able to go tomorrow directions can be found here: http://www.lewesfc.com/ground-directions/  Admission is £8 or a fiver for concessions with under 16s £1.

Keep it Green

Allez les Verts!!

A sausage, a wrap and a mild mannered janitor.

With the trials and tribulations of last season fast receding and o the back of three impressive displays, unbeaten against teams expected ...