Two minutes with... Concord Rangers

Last weekend saw the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup, with the winners going into the hat for the first round proper. Concord Rangers, of the Conference South were the visitors to The Hive and Beachboys fan, Alan (@Bulljet) gives his thoughts in this instalment.

Saturday 26^th September 2013

Barnet (8^th in Conference) v Concord Rangers (14^th in Conference South)

Previous weekend:

Hereford 0-1 Barnet

Weston-Super-Mare 5-0 Concord Rangers

Pre-match

How did you get to the game?

I was on the team coach, leaving Concord Island just after 11am.

What did you make of The Hive?

The facilities looked fantastic, however the away bar seemed very new with nothing really in there, almost as if it wasn’t finished. The stands were quality, bit disappointed we weren’t allowed to stand behind the goal though. The Hive was impressive for a non-league ground (although I know until last summer you were not a non-league side!) and the pitch looked like a carpet out there!

Match

What did you make of the game?

I was disappointed with the result, but it was a good game and made for a quality day out.

Who (from either side) impressed you?

Your lad Lopez, thought he played exceptionally well. The whole Barnet side moved the ball around very well – crisp and sharp play. Was impressed with the determination of our lads too, was a big occasion for them and they did themselves proud.

Who (from either side) could have done better?

The referee! Think he missed some key decisions, like our centre back being elbowed in the face quite clearly!

Post-match

Was the score line a fair reflection on the game?

The better side won that’s for sure. At half time I think the score didn’t really give us the credit we deserved, certainly hadn’t been the sort of half to see us 2-0 down in my eyes. But as I mentioned, Barnet were the better side, quite clearly a full time, professional side and were in the end worthy of the winning margin.

Who do you play next and how do you think you’ll do?

Next up for us is Ebbsfleet, big spenders over the summer and have proven to be a decent side in the Skrill South this season. However we’ve already shown ourselves to be able to hang with the big guys this season (see our 1-0 over Dover) and a decent result is not out of the question.

Ratings

Price of match day ticket

10/10 – I think it was a great price for 4th Qualifying Round FA Cup tickets (£10.50), I know league prices in the Skrill Premier are a lot more, so credit to the clubs for organising the rate.

Purchases made at the ground

6/10 – I think the drinks were overpriced in the away bar, especially given the shed-like feel of it. The food in the home bar was equally expensive however it was worth it, a decent cheeseburger!

View

7/10 – the seated views were very good, no doubt about that. But I wanted to be able to stand behind the goal, it’s one of the things I’ve come to love about non-league football.

Quality of football

9/10 – both teams showed desire, attempted to play the ball along the ground and attack, couldn’t fault it.

Overall experience

7/10 – average overall in my eyes. I think the attitude of the stewards in general was poor when asked about standing behind the goal, and standing in general. I know Barnet were a league club last season, but need to realise that they are not right now, and things are different for small clubs like ours that play in front of a couple of hundred people each week. But the football was very good, the experience of being in the 4th Qualifying Round made up for the bar prices and stewards!

Total = 39/50

 Post Match

Round One

Preston North End v Barnet

Following game

Barnet v Kidderminster Harriers

Ebbsfleet v Concord Rangers

Thanks Alan!

If you’ve been to The Hive this season, give me a shout and you can be your club’s voice. Additionally, if you know you’re heading down for your game, let me know - @Luuuce_x

Two minutes with… Oxford United, an FA Cup special

Oxford United travelled to Underhill at the weekend for the first round of the FA Cup. The visitors won the game 2-0. Fan, Kevin, gives his thoughts.

Pre-match

Had you been to Underhill before?

Yeah, I’ve been a few times with Oxford.

How did you get to the game?

I live in London now so got the tube. It only took 30 odd minutes, so nice and easy!

The match

Whereabouts in the ground did you sit/stand?

I was stood in the away end down the side. Always love away stands with a low roof, however the pillars were quite annoying.

What did you make of the game?

I thought we did a professional job against what was unfortunately a poor Barnet side. Was surprised by the decision to leave Davids on the bench for so long, most the home fans picked up when he came on and he made a slight difference. All in all very happy with how we played as so often this season we have dominated and came away with nothing.

Who (from either side) do you think deserved to be man of the match?

For us I thought Constable was our best player, looking back to his best thankfully for us; Rigg on the left put in a good performance. For Barnet, I thought Kamdjo won a few headers and put himself about but other than that no one stood out. Thought Collins John was by far the worst player on the pitch!

Post-match

Was the score line a fair reflection on the game?

I think so, though we could have scored more to be honest. In the FA Cup it is all about getting to the third round for lower league teams so happy with the win.

Who do you play next, and how do you think you’ll get on?

We have Dagenham on Tuesday and Torquay on Saturday both at home and given our current form we should hopefully have six points, but after years of watching Oxford, it’ll probably be two draws!

Ratings

Cost of match day ticket

Given Barnet are a London club the cost is not surprising but think you would attract a lot more fans with lower prices ––– 5/10

Purchases made at ground

Took me ages to find someone selling a programme but it is quite a decent read. Food and drink - normal football standard so can’t complain ––– 7/10

View

If you are in front of the pillars it is ok, but with quite a few away fans in there the views were quite restricted ––– 5/10

Quality of football

Both teams tried to play football to their credit but obviously at that standard it’s not always possible. I thought Barnet were quite poor and have to say Collins John was woeful, expected a lot more from him ––– 7/10

Overall experience

I always enjoy going to Barnet as I am in London and with lots of away fan friendly pubs nearby it is always a fixture I look out for. Really hope you guys stay up and get a new stadium sorted. On a final note, a win in the FA Cup is always good! ––– 8/10

Total ––– 32 /50

And you can follow Kevin on Twitter @kevinspackman

Two minutes with… MK Dons

Saturday saw us face MK Dons at home in the second round of the FA Cup. I think it’s fair to say when the draw was televised, nobody really wanted them – an easy tie would have been a bye to the third round when the Premiership and Championship teams join in. Dan (@MKdan08) came to the game and shares his post-match thoughts:

03/11/11
Barnet 1–3 MK Dons
(McLeod ’87 – Potter ’39, MacDonald ’78, Powell ’88)
Attendance 2,608 (away 912)

How did you get to the game?

I came via coach, which dropped us off at the pub next to the stadium.

What did you do pre-match?

I went to the pub for a quick drink before going into the ground where I watched the players warm-up; grabbing some food and a programme.

Where did you stand/sit in the ground?

I stood on the East Terrace, next to the food bar.

What did you make of the game?

The game was great: good possession at times from both sides, despite some sloppy play. It was really exciting with chances at both ends. The best team won though – if you don’t take your chances, you deserve to be punished.

Was the scoreline a fair reflection?

I suppose so as both teams had chances – Barnet didn’t take advantage of theirs, though.

Who, in your opinion, was man of the match?

I thought that Darren Potter for MK was man of the match – he scored a great goal, set up opportunities for the team and played a great passing game.

Who have you got next and how do you think you’ll get on?

It’s back to League games for us next weekend and we play Tranmere away. I reckon we’ll win, as they’re not doing too well at the moment. We have a good chance.

Thanks Dan

My final word:

It’s always disappointing to be dumped out of the Cup early on (particularly before the third round when the big teams join in!) and on a different day, we could have sneaked at least a draw. It’s fair to say that wasn’t our best performance of the season, and although once again we looked decent going forward, we didn’t take our chances. McLeod, in particular squandered countless chances, despite scoring our (consolation) goal. There’s no doubt he’s a quality player who will probably leave us shortly for a bigger, better club, but at times you have to question his decisions – he’s awful at one-on-ones and there were two chances in the game, where, had he squared it to another player, would have resulted in goals. It was great to see Ricky Holmes back after some time out and for me, Sam Deering played very well. There’s always next year…

The FA Cup: is the magic gone?

Fan Poll:

Following on from my previous piece, I thought it apt to ask readers for their opinion, asking: ‘Has the FA Cup lost its magic?’ with the results shown below.

To make this particular entry different from others I have done before, I thought it only right to ask football fans for their reasons for voting the way they did. With a handful of teams from Non-League playing in round two, I was interesting in hearing their views. Added to this are the views of a fan so used to not having to qualify for the cup, so imagine the disappointment when not only their team had to join the preliminary stages, and then not even making the first round proper!

AFC Totton are a club in the Southern League (for those who don’t know, this is the league below the Conference North/South), who face Bristol Rovers on Sunday. Ryan is an AFC Totton fan:

“It’s been a fantastic FA Cup run so far and I’m cautiously optimistic of continuing it for a little while longer against Bristol Rovers. The town is buzzing. Ever since the draw was made, it’s all anyone in Totton is talking about. Totton have never made the first round proper in our 125-year history, so to reach round two this season is incredible; this game will be like our cup final. It’s also the first time we have ever played against Football League opposition in a competitive match AND the first time we’ve ever been on live TV. The financial implications are huge. We’ve already made £40,000 in prize money so far, and the club will receive about £72,000 in TV revenue – big money for a club of our size. Win or lose there will be a real party atmosphere at the Testwood Stadium this Sunday.”

You can follow Ryan on Twitter @Ryn_Bru; as well as the club’s official Twitter feed @AFCTotton, which Ryan runs. Check out his blog for match reports and other Totton related articles.

Another team playing at the weekend are Salisbury City from the Conference South, who face Grimsby Town. Liam is a Salisbury fan:

“Some may say the FA Cup has lost its magic, but come to the Ray Mac and you’ll see that it really hasn’t! After starting our Cup campaign in September, slogging through the qualifying rounds, all of a sudden the city has sparked to life, especially when the word ‘proper’ gets used. It’s amazing how it pulls people in and creates a buzz around the place – it captures the city and gives it that spark that doesn’t happen in the league. This being only the third time we’ve reached the second round means it’s a huge thing for the club and the players involved. Only two-thirds of the squad have been involved in the proper rounds and it’s a great chance for the club to make history. Grimsby Town will be a test but realistically it’s the biggest chance to the make the third round we’ll ever get! It’ll be nice to see a big crowd and decent away support – we haven’t had one of them since our conference days! Forest was great in 2006, and a 1–1draw was deserved… hopefully these lads can go one better and mix it with the big boys!”

You can find Liam on Twitter @LiamSCFC

It’s not been a great time to be a Lincoln City fan of late – the club stared relegation to the Blue Square Premier in May, not only losing Football League status, but also having to qualify for the FA Cup. In the final qualifying round they faced Alfreton Town and after drawing 1–1, they then went on to lose the replay 2–1, meaning they failed to qualify for the Cup for the first time since 1924/25. Karl is a Lincoln City fan, who despite his club’s misfortunes, believes the magic of the cup is still very much alive:

“Having to qualify for the FA Cup this season was very strange, due to the fact it was the first time I’ve had to experience it, what with it being my first season as a Lincoln City supporter outside of the Football League. The qualifying rounds made me realise how much I took for granted that instant first round proper status, having that privilege and not needing to qualify. However, I guess it could have been made harder, particularly given all the other qualifying rounds prior to when we joined. I felt this season was more important than ever to at least make round one – to generate some much needed revenue, and hope for a cup run before reaching one of the big boys. All those dreams were diminished, however, losing at home in the replay 2–1. Even though we didn’t qualify for round one this season, I still love the FA Cup and one day hope to have that dream tie at Old Trafford. In my experience as a lower league fan, there is nothing more exciting than seeing the cup draw on TV on the Sunday waiting in anticipation to see who you get – hoping one of the minnows could cause an upset. I still think the magic of the cup is very much alive, especially by the third round stage with the big boys joining in.”

You can follow Karl on Twitter @Lincoln_Karl

The FA Cup: is the magic gone?

“The FA Cup doesn’t start until January” is something I’ve heard far too often of late, and, in my opinion, epitomises everything wrong with the modern game. Chances are, if you support a team from the comfort of your own armchair or are a real supporter of a Premiership or Championship side, these are the sentiments you agree with. For the football fan of the lower leagues, this isn’t the case and is a competition that started months ago.

For me the Cup starts in the first round proper (the clue is kinda in the name) – when the teams of the lowest end of the Football League join those luckiest from its preliminary qualifying rounds. I’m not just saying that because it’s the point in which my team join – if we were to join any later, I’d be saying the same and if we had to qualify, I’m not sure I’d have that same kind of buzz about playing for a place in the competition. Obviously this is with no disrespect to those teams of the lowest end of the footballing pyramid – the cup run and money it accumulates is probably of great importance to them and their fans – but the preliminary stages are just that. For me it’s all about the proper rounds!

Bearing money in mind, though, I honestly never realised how much money was involved in the Cup. After researching, I couldn’t believe how many teams are initially involved. Take a look at this:

Round                                        Clubs                     Prize moneyExtra Preliminary                          763                          £   750
Preliminary                                  559                          £  1500
First round qualifying                    392                          £  3000
Second round qualifying               276                          £  4800
Third round qualifying                   196                          £  7500
Fourth round qualifying                 156                          £12500
First round                                   124                          £18500
Second round                               84                           £27500

I suppose when you look at it from the point of view of the likes of say, Redbridge, the lowest ranked team playing the second round, you see the importance of the qualifiers and cup progression. The sums of money involved obviously mean a great deal to those at the lowest ends of the football pyramid.

I won’t lie, I don’t really follow the cup in its preliminary stages, although I do tend to have a quick glimpse to see how my local teams are getting on (maybe in hope we’ll face them at some point!). Living in Essex and not supporting a club from the county means there are plenty of teams to look out for and I love looking out for those representing the county at the lowest levels. Both Billericay and Brentwood Town are a mere five miles away from my house and as they both regularly feature in my local paper, the Brentwood Gazette, I often check how they’re faring in their respective leagues. This season in the FA Cup, Brentwood got knocked out in the first round of qualifying, losing to Hemel Hempstead Town in the replay (4–2 on penalties) and Billericay did slightly better, losing to Leatherhead 3–0 in the third round of preliminary qualification. East Thurrock and Southend Manor are two other teams slightly further afield that made the final round of qualifying and the first round proper respectively. But for me, the pick of the bunch has to be Chelmsford City – the Clarets play Macclesfield Town in the second round over the weekend.

Of late the Cup hasn’t been too kind to us: last year we were paired up with Charlton Athletic in round one; despite two great performances we were knocked out at The Valley after a 1–0 defeat in the replay (0–0 at Underhill). The previous year we were knocked out of round two, at the hands of Accrington Stanley (again in the replay), after beating Darlington in the first round. The 08/09 season again saw us gone from the competition in its first proper stages – losing to Rochdale – and despite a decent round one tie against Southport this year, we face the MK Dons in the second round. To say it’s not to our likely is a real understatement.

No matter the round and regardless of whether or not we are still in the competition, I always get excited for the Cup draw. I’m not sure what exactly is about it, but for as long as I can remember, it has been my personal highlight of FA Cup weekend – waiting with anticipation through all the discussion for it to start. I think it’s a mix of nerves and excitement, simultaneously – if we’re in the cup, will we be home or away? Who will we be playing? Will we face a non-league outfit? Could we cause a Cupset? If we are knocked out, who could we have been facing?

The coverage it gets (although not as good as it once was, some my say) and the fact it involves teams from the very extremes of football: the highest positioned teams and the lowest, set it apart from all other cup competitions. With a handful of teams from Non-League still involved in round two mean Cupsets are still on the cards and for me, the magic of the cup is still very much alive.

Cup competitions: should they really be a priority?

Our unsurprisingly bad start to the campaign continued last week with two league defeats (at home to Northampton, 2–1 and away to Shrewsbury 3–2) on either Saturday with a victory on the Tuesday night – 3–1 in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy at the hands of Gillingham, at Priestfields.

This was our second win in the competition, following a further 3–1 victory in the first round against Colchester United at the Weston Homes Community Stadium. The draw which took place on Saturday morning before the game at the Greenhous Meadow saw us pitted against Cheltenham, which will be in the Southern area quarter final (for those who are remotely interested, games will be played on the 8^th/9^th November) – a mere three games away from a trip to Wembley for the final. It’ll also be our fifth away tie (out of five games) in all Cup competitions this season so far!

I think it’s fair to say we seem to be performing a lot better in the cup competitions this season, in comparison with recent years; however, for me, this is massively frustrating, as despite decent runs, we are clearly underachieving in the League. The table doesn’t lie and I would much rather be getting the points on board (now, and throughout the season), than be having these cup runs. Even more so when you take into account one is nicknamed the “paint pot”, and the other, the “Mickey Mouse” trophy – both inferior in terms of prize money and overall club revenue, and the former inferior in terms of the quality and stature of the teams that participate.

Talking of the League Cup, a further example of where we fared well (up until the second round, that is). Round one saw us paired up with a massively difficult away tie at Fratton Park and Portsmouth – where we triumphed to a victory, albeit a 1–0. The second round wasn’t much kinder to us, again another trip on the road, this time at Burnley. Despite unfortunately losing in extra time (with the scores levelled at 2–2 after 90 minutes), we gave a very good account of ourselves – it’s just a shame we cannot put those kind of performances in on the average League game, where ultimately it matters.

With the FA Cup still in its preliminary qualifying stages and us not scheduled to play until the first round proper (November 12^th is the date for that), the following month is surely high time to get some wins together and more importantly, gain some points. We haven’t got the concern of any Cup competitions up until the second week of November – but it looks set to be a busy month with the League and two Cups to worry about.

Now, let’s be honest, if you’re a supporter of a League 2 club like myself, you’re only ever interested in a cup run if it culminates in your team getting a glamour tie at the stomping grounds of the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham etc. This is where the League Cup was harsh on us (with no disrespect to Burnley, of course) – in our case, it’s all about getting a tie we as fans, and the players could only ever dream of.

After looking at the prize fund in the said, JPT, I can’t help but feel slightly disappointed and that surely our priorities should be focused elsewhere, i.e. the League. Obviously this is scraping the bottom of the barrel for the worst case scenario, but imagine if we (or any other club, for that matter) got that trip to Wembley and won the £40,000 jackpot at the end, but then got relegated. Think of all the money lost as a consequence. Like I said, worst case scenario, and it doesn’t really bear thinking about.

For beating Colchester in the first round of the cup, we received a measly £5,000 – probably covering the wages of Izale McLeod and Mark Marshall for a week! The victory against Gillingham last week saw us pocket £7,000, again not much better! A win in round three against Cheltenham will see a prize of £10,000; area semi final winners receive £17,000 and area finalists, a more modest £25.5k. I was unable to find the prize pot for each round of the Carling Cup, but I can’t see a knock-out after round two really generating that much cash. The FA Cup has yet to release its prize money for this season, but again, that will also depend on how far we progress.

In the long run, is it really worth it?

Fan Poll:

To see if it was just me who felt this way, I decided upon putting a poll on the blog for a couple of days. The question posed was: ‘As a fan, which do you feel is more important?’ – with the answers ‘League’ and ‘Cup progression’. The results are as follows.

The magic of the game under floodlights

I don’t know about you, but I find there to be something really special about the beautiful game under floodlights. The atmosphere in and around the ground before the game itself is very different; in fact my whole match routine is very dissimilar to that of the average Saturday afternoon. With the visit of Andy Hessenthaler’s Gillingham to Underhill tomorrow night (which coincides with my first game of the season – once again my summer holiday clashed with the start of the season; hey, at least I have a real tan now!), I thought I would look back at my favourite five games from seasons gone by, under the floodlights.

1.    04/09/09

Coca Cola League 2

Northampton Town 1 – 3 Barnet

The match that saw us go top of the league, albeit over night, as the game was played on a Friday. Undeservedly, we were losing at half time – Town scored after half an hour (against the run of play!). However, three second half goals (all in front of the Bees fans) meant the three points were heading back to North London and jubilation at the final whistle – with “we are top of the league” ringing around the Sixfields complex for minutes after the game. I remember it well – we completely dominated the second half, and to be honest, it could well have been more than three goals! The equaliser was an absolute beauty – a free kick from Ahmed Deen. The second, a volley from Paul Furlong had us all in raptures – another fine goal! And the game was over three minutes later, when after 70 minutes John O’Flynn joined in the scoring – a cheeky shot through the legs of the Cobblers keeper. Again, everyone went mental – and I can remember it clearly as one of my mates was on crutches at the time; the celebrations didn’t do his ankle any favours! It’s a shame the season pretty much went downhill from there, though!

2.    22/01/08

FA Cup Round 3

Barnet 1 – 1 Swindon Town (Barnet win 2 – 0 on penalties)

Certainly a game I’ll always remember, although it can’t be said it was that entertaining – despite over three and half hours of football! For the second season running, a win against higher places opposition meant a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Two goals for Billy Paynter – one in each net, in each half – sent the game to extra time and consequently penalties. The win, which amazing considering the difference in leagues of the two teams was made even more note-worthy considering we had 10 men for much of the second half and subsequent play. Michael Leary saw straight red for a challenge on a Swindon player who had to be stretchered off. The penalty shootout will be one I will always remember, although it certainly was no thriller! Swindon missed all of their penalties – and if I am correct, Beckwith made one save with their other attempts going high and wide of the target.  Bristol Rovers (who beat Fulham in their tie – a shame!) at Underhill followed, where a loss incurred.

3.    09/01/07

FA Cup Round 3

Barnet 2 – 1 Colchester United

A fourth round appearance in the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history awaited as we beat a Championship Colchester side 2-1 at Underhill. Despite the U’s taking the lead, after half an hour of play – through Jamie Cureton of course – there was no real gulf in class between the two sides and we were unlucky to be behind at half time. With the likes of Bailey and Sinclair dominating the centre of midfield with their partnership, it was always obvious we were to equalise – and we did. A deflected goal from centre back Ismail Yakubu on the 62 minute mark and game on for the remaining half hour. From what I can remember it was end to end stuff with chances a plenty for both sides afterwards – the Bees dominating for the next 5 or so minutes after the goal, in the ascendancy. But Lee Harrison in the Barnet goal also was called for a number of saves. The winner came in the 80^th minute – Jason Puncheon the hero this time with a 20 yard curler; Dean Gerken had no chance. Plymouth were the visitors in the fourth round, where we were, unfortunately, knocked out.

4.    26/10/05

Carling Cup Round 4

Manchester United 4 – 1 Barnet

Okay, so not a game we won, but a special occasion nonetheless. The magic of the cup once again pulling out one of those ties smaller teams can only dream about – Manchester United at the theatre of the dreams for us. 4,500 Barnet fans made the journey and the overall crowd was well over 40,000 – twenty times the average amount usually at Underhill on a Saturday afternoon! A game myself, or any other Bee will ever forget – unfortunately, probably for all the wrong reasons! Ross Flitney was sent off within 90 seconds for handling outside the area – with young Louie Soares off and substitute keeper Scott Tynan on, his first job was picking the ball out of the net as United went ahead from a free kick. At half time it was 2-0, with Kieran Richardson  also netting. Things could certainly have been different had Grazioli’s goal after 15 minutes stood, but alas it was offside. Manchester United made their class and extra player count when Rossi scored after 50 minutes. But Dean Sinclair, scoring in front of the United fans got a goal he’ll never forget, pulling back a mere consolation. The match finished 4-1 with Sylvain Ebanks-Blake scoring a minute from time. Despite the scoreline, it was probably one of the best moments of my life and one I’ll never forget. Regardless of all the incident early in the game, the Bees fans never stopped singing and chanting and I’ve never seen an atmosphere like it.

5.    28/09/04

LDV Trophy Round 1

Barnet 3 – 1 Stevenage

A win against your fiercest rivals is always good, no matter what competition it’s in – particularly as it’s a while since we have beat Stevenage! In fact the last time I saw a win against the ‘scum’, I was 14 and it came in the LDV trophy first round, where we won 3-1. With both sides playing weakened sides, it was clear neither was going to take the competition too seriously. The ever-popular Nicky Bailey opened the scoring after the break, from the penalty spot after a foul on him by the Stevenage keeper. Anthony Elding got the equaliser almost instantly for the visitors and despite constant pressure from the Bees afterwards, fair play to the Stevenage keeper that kept them in the game. However, the constant barrage of pressure paid off with Bailey getting on the score sheet again, capping off a man of the match performance – and also preventing the game from going to extra time. Lee Roache completed the rout within the five minutes of injury time, meaning the Bees entered the second round of the cup; as well as having the Hertfordshire bragging rights!