Football

[Mcr Warrior]

Didn't a team from the Northern Premier League once shoot into the Scottish Premier League and waltz to the Scottish FA Cup Final where they only lost to Hearts on penalties?

That would be Gretna. Went out of business in c. 2008 after their backer became terminally ill and then sadly died.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Does anyone remember Colne Dynamoes FC? They had a wealthy backer.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Does anyone remember Colne Dynamoes FC? They had a wealthy backer.

They also went bump, in 1990, albeit in slightly different circumstances. Their supposedly rich owner allegedly had a hissy fit and withdrew support after his club were denied promotion to the Conference. Might possibly have spent too much money on playing staff rather than upgrading Colne's sloping pitch and slightly ramshackle stadium, which then perhaps unsurprisingly failed a ground grading.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Does anyone remember Colne Dynamoes FC? They had a wealthy backer.

My first ever football match was the 1988 FA Vase final, in which Colne Dynamoes defeated Emley 1-0 after extra-time.
Emley (from a village of around 2,500 at the time) used the revenues generated by this run to Wembley (no doubt helped by the lack of success their bigger neighbours Huddersfield were experiencing at the time) to punch well above their weight for a good few years, and came within minutes of being promoted to what is now the National League North. They reached the 3rd round of the FA Cup where they gave Premier League West Ham United a scare at Upton Park before being defeated.
Then alas, some people got a little greedy and moved the club to Wakefield, hoping to build further with a bigger catchment area... Wakefield however doesn't seem to be bothered by their lack of a football team, so when they gained one it was met with indifference.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Didn't a team from the Northern Premier League once shoot into the Scottish Premier League and waltz to the Scottish FA Cup Final where they only lost to Hearts on penalties? And they were even kind enough to remember their friends in the NPL and sell me a couple of tickets. Mind you a team from the NPL did much the same in England, in fact they won the FA Cup, but it took them a little longer! And they sold me a cup final ticket as well.

When they reached the Scottish Cup Final they were in the third tier of four in Scotland, part way through three consecutive promotions which followed several seasons of consolidation in the lowest tier. Sadly, with their major funding withdrawn (having bought, sorry, won the promotions by paying much higher wages than their competitors), and having to play home games 80 plus miles away in Motherwell, the Premier League was a stretch to far for them and to enable them to complete that season the authorities advanced their end of season prize money to keep the club afloat until the final game had been played. And so ended that fairy tale. Interesting though that a Scottish Club was in the NPL in the first place.
I did see them in action in the Premier League, and previously visited their ground for a Youth Cup tie.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Then alas, some people got a little greedy and moved the club to Wakefield, hoping to build further with a bigger catchment area... Wakefield however doesn't seem to be bothered by their lack of a football team, so when they gained one it was met with indifference.

Wasn't the main problem with the original Emley AFC that their long time home, the Welfare Ground, was three sided, which doesn't ever seem to sit well with ground grading committees?

 

[Butts]

Didn't a team from the Northern Premier League once shoot into the Scottish Premier League and waltz to the Scottish FA Cup Final where they only lost to Hearts on penalties? And they were even kind enough to remember their friends in the NPL and sell me a couple of tickets. Mind you a team from the NPL did much the same in England, in fact they won the FA Cup, but it took them a little longer! And they sold me a cup final ticket as well.

That was Gretna 2006 , 1-1 and Hearts won 4-2 in Penalty Shoot out.

I was there and it was a bit of a come down after hammering Hibs 4-0 in the semis for us.

Squeaky bum time but we made it.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Wasn't the main problem with the original Emley AFC that their long time home, the Welfare Ground, was three sided, which doesn't ever seem to sit well with ground grading committees?

That was a factor behind the initial move to Wakefield Trinity RLFC's Belle Vue stadium. However for most of their history (both the original Emley and the phoenix club) their stadium was not the primary limiting factor.

 

[madannie77]

That was Gretna 2006 , 1-1 and Hearts won 4-2 in Penalty Shoot out.

I was there and it was a bit of a come down after hammering Hibs 4-0 in the semis for us.

Squeaky bum time but we made it.

I was there too, with the Gretna contingent, which consisted of far more than the population of the place . The train back down the G & SW to Gretna and Carlisle was rather cosy, it being a pair of 156s. There was only one Jambo on that train, who took a lot of good natured ribbing.

I was a regular visitor to Raydale Park from the first season in the Scottish League up until they hit the Premier League, when a trip to Motherwell and back was just too much for my limited means. My desire to follow Gretna to away games was scuppered by having a husband who was not interested in football at all.

They also went bump, in 1990, albeit in slightly different circumstances. Their supposedly rich owner allegedly had a hissy fit and withdrew support after his club were denied promotion to the Conference. Might possibly have spent too much money on playing staff rather than upgrading Colne's sloping pitch and slightly ramshackle stadium, which then perhaps unsurprisingly failed a ground grading.

I understood it to be all about the ground not being up to the required standard (it certainly was a bit rubbish). As a follower (and occasional steward) of Witton Albion I was quite happy as quite a few of the Colne players joined Witton Albion, who promptly won the NPL and spent a few years in the Conference before it all went pear-shaped for them as well.

Curiously, the first football match I went to when moving up to Carlisle was Gretna vs Witton Albion in the NPL. Absolutely no thought back then that Gretna would be anything other than a struggling non-league team.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Looks like Dover Athletic have had a £40,000 fine imposed upon them for failing to fulfil fixtures this season. Their 2020-21 playing record is to be expunged and they also face a 12 points deduction next season.

But they haven't been relegated (or removed) from the National League, though, which some thought might happen.

 

[SteveM70]

Does anyone remember Colne Dynamoes FC? They had a wealthy backer.

Theres still a sign in Colne pointing the way to Colne Dynamoes

 

[Cletus]

Looks like Dover Athletic have had a £40,000 fine imposed upon them for failing to fulfil fixtures this season. Their 2020-21 playing record is to be expunged and they also face a 12 points deduction next season.

But they haven't been relegated (or removed) from the National League, though, which some thought might happen.

As a Dover Athletic fan I feel that got away quite lightly with that punishment.

And I was really looking forward to being in the NLS and visiting places like Concord, Welling, Ebbsfleet & Tonbridge again

 

[Loppylugs]

Looks like Dover Athletic have had a £40,000 fine imposed upon them for failing to fulfil fixtures this season. Their 2020-21 playing record is to be expunged and they also face a 12 points deduction next season.

But they haven't been relegated (or removed) from the National League, though, which some thought might happen.

If you relegate them where do they go ? You have to displace someone to accommodate them and you cannot replace them in the National League as that would cause a hoo-ha amongst teams in North and South divisions.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

If you relegate them where do they go ? You have to displace someone to accommodate them and you cannot replace them in the National League as that would cause a hoo-ha amongst teams in North and South divisions.

Good question.

At present, the National League has 23 clubs.

National League North has 22 clubs.

National League South has 21 clubs.

Where might Dover go?

 

[Loppylugs]

Good question.

At present, the National League has 23 clubs.

National League North has 22 clubs.

National League South has 21 clubs.

Where might Dover go?

Yep, fair do's. Does seem to make sense and drop them to South division. I believe Gloucester City were thinking of bringing action against the National League for suspending the season when it seemed they were certs to go up. Perhaps no movement amongst any division solves a problem for the league.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

As a Hearts fan it is humiliating to say the least - did they put out a 1st Team ?

Just as well we are so far ahead in The Championship or promotion back to the SPL could be in doubt.

Today's result underlines your concern but Hearts do lead by a huge margin, 13 points with 11 games left although the two Fife sides have games in hand, and Hearts will have to play both again.
EDIT: I see it is 5 games left not 11, so surely the margin is wide enough!

Brora Champions after three games!

Brora & Kelty Hearts declared champions

Brora Rangers and Kelty Hearts are declared champions after the 2020-21 Highland and Lowland League campaigns are ended early.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

World Cup Qualifying.

Mongolia 0 ... Japan 14

The match could not be played in Mongolia on account of Covid-19 restrictions there. Mongolia kept the score down to 0-5 at half-time, but were totally over-run in the second half by a Japanese side that had a total of 34 shots on goal, 25 of which were on target.

 

[Loppylugs]

World Cup Qualifying.

Mongolia 0 ... Japan 14

The match could not be played in Mongolia on account of Covid-19 restrictions there. Mongolia kept the score down to 0-5 at half-time, but were totally over-run in the second half by a Japanese side that had a total of 34 shots on goal, 25 of which were on target.

This should be in the Rugby section !!!

 

[DarloRich]

Darlington fined £2000 for failing to fulfil a fixture. Clown Townism from the National League. https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/league-fines-quakers-2000

DFC: Non fulfilment of Boston game

The club has today received notification from the National League that we have been fined £2,000 for breach of league rule 8.39, for failing to fulfill our home fixture against Boston United on Tuesday 16th February 2021. We have also received a suspended two point deduction.

 

[Loppylugs]

I feel sorry for Darlington and teams of that ilk that suffer fines of a nature that can seriously affect their finances. I have to say I have an intense dislike for the Premier League and it's riches where £2000 is a very small drop in a very large ocean. I notice that the teams at the top of the Championship are the same ones that were relegated last season. These clubs receive a parachute payment after relegation from the PL enabling them to retain their best players and return to the PL immediately. Supposedly to keep them on a secure financial footing this surely denies any other clubs from promotion unless they have very rich backers. The PL is now a boring, predictable non-event as is the SPL. I'd rather watch Darlington thank-you.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Chelsea 2 ... West Bromwich Albion 5

That result has been something of a shock to those "knowledgeable football pundits".

 

[Old Yard Dog]

They also went bump, in 1990, albeit in slightly different circumstances. Their supposedly rich owner allegedly had a hissy fit and withdrew support after his club were denied promotion to the Conference. Might possibly have spent too much money on playing staff rather than upgrading Colne's sloping pitch and slightly ramshackle stadium, which then perhaps unsurprisingly failed a ground grading.

A new club Colne FC was formed in 1996 and play on Colne Dynamo's old ground at Holt House. They are currently members of the Northern Premier League Division One North-West.

 

[Loppylugs]

The PL is now a boring, predictable non-event as is the SPL.

Chelsea 2 ... West Bromwich Albion 5

OOPS.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I wonder how Arteta feels to find Arsenal in tenth place at this stage of the season?

 

[Peregrine 4903]

I wonder how Arteta feels to find Arsenal in tenth place at this stage of the season?

I'm an Arsenal fan. The only progess I see us making under Arteta, is progressively moving towards becoming a relgation team. That might be a slight exaggeration, but we are only moving in one direction, and its certainly not upwards.

 

[roversfan2001]

So we lost...again. Watching us is increasingly becoming a chore. We’re sleepwalking into a relegation battle.

 

[DarloRich]

I feel sorry for Darlington and teams of that ilk that suffer fines of a nature that can seriously affect their finances. I have to say I have an intense dislike for the Premier League and it's riches where £2000 is a very small drop in a very large ocean. I notice that the teams at the top of the Championship are the same ones that were relegated last season. These clubs receive a parachute payment after relegation from the PL enabling them to retain their best players and return to the PL immediately. Supposedly to keep them on a secure financial footing this surely denies any other clubs from promotion unless they have very rich backers. The PL is now a boring, predictable non-event as is the SPL. I'd rather watch Darlington thank-you.

You would be very welcome!

It is "only" a £2k fine but that is lot to a club like Darlo. However & more importantly is the fact that this decision may prompt a no confidence vote in the NL leadership who, frankly, have been poor during corona. Fining clubs for not playing during a pandemic when no testing is available and all our players are not pro foootballers but blokes with real jobs)is a very poor optic

PS Swindon v Darlo was the highlight of the season!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Fining clubs for not playing during a pandemic when no testing is available and all our players are not pro foootballers but blokes with real jobs) is a very poor optic

Some might say that's the flipside of a number of clubs' owners, at both National League North and South level, vociferously asserting a year or so ago that their clubs were participating at an "elite" level, possibly in order that they could then still participate in end-of-season promotion play-off matches.

 

[DarloRich]

Some might say that's the flipside of a number of clubs' owners, at both National League North and South level, vociferously asserting a year or so ago that their clubs were participating at an "elite" level, possibly in order that they could then still participate in end-of-season promotion play-off matches.

We didn't. We are a semi pro, fan owned club and said so. In any event that decision was predicated on support for clubs by way of grants until such time as fans could return. Those grants changed to loans of indeterminate time, value and interest rate creating this whole mess.

 

[Loppylugs]

You would be very welcome!

It is "only" a £2k fine but that is lot to a club like Darlo. However & more importantly is the fact that this decision may prompt a no confidence vote in the NL leadership who, frankly, have been poor during corona. Fining clubs for not playing during a pandemic when no testing is available and all our players are not pro foootballers but blokes with real jobs)is a very poor optic

PS Swindon v Darlo was the highlight of the season!

My wife and the rest of the family are all Swindon Town fans and indeed season ticket holders so weren't happy bunnies ! However I am an AFC Wimbledon supporter for my sins and we are in just as bad a state as one another at the moment. We meet on April 17 in a relegation scrap.
We were on holiday in the North-East several years ago and went to watch Darlo play at Feethams, forgotten the opposition and the score but I did purchase a home shirt, which I am sure you'll be pleased to know hangs next to a Hartlepool United one in my footie shirt cupboard !!!