2017/18 National League North

[Lucky Bobble]

Promotion should be the minimum expectation for us after the £75k Dan Bradley signing.

Ridiculous how we have ended up with no pot to piss in 2 years ago with Hockaday leading the headless chickens, to now being able to dish out fees of that magnitude. It's an excellent signing, and if we can't go up with a midfield of Croasdale/Elton/McQuilkin/Bradley I don't know if we ever will. You throw in Daly, Vaughan and Ironside as the other big names and there is serious money being thrown at it this year.

Gordon is a self-made millionaire, but he's been drumming down our ears about the club being self-sustainable. Whether his University/College link has erupted, then I struggle to see how it is the case.

Brackley's record transfer fee paid in a 127 years as a club is £0 I believe....
We're too small for this league, but enjoying it whilst it lasts. Good win vs FCUM on Saturday - dominated the game, but we won't score enough to maintain a challenge inside the top 4 or 5 I fear.
In no other country in the world surely would a sixth tier league have top earners allegedly on £1000 a week and £75K transfer fees being paid out

 

[Darlo On Tour]

Promotion should be the minimum expectation for us after the £75k Dan Bradley signing.

Ridiculous how we have ended up with no pot to piss in 2 years ago with Hockaday leading the headless chickens, to now being able to dish out fees of that magnitude. It's an excellent signing, and if we can't go up with a midfield of Croasdale/Elton/McQuilkin/Bradley I don't know if we ever will. You throw in Daly, Vaughan and Ironside as the other big names and there is serious money being thrown at it this year.

Gordon is a self-made millionaire, but he's been drumming down our ears about the club being self-sustainable. Whether his University/College link has erupted, then I struggle to see how it is the case.

Most definitely, absolutely nailed on for a top seven finish with that Dan Bradley capture.

 

[Swedes]

So we're 3 points clear at the top with a superior goal difference, and we're only two days into the season. Am I allowed to get bullish now?!

 

[Darlo On Tour]

Brackley's record transfer fee paid in a 127 years as a club is £0 I believe....
We're too small for this league, but enjoying it whilst it lasts. Good win vs FCUM on Saturday - dominated the game, but we won't score enough to maintain a challenge inside the top 4 or 5 I fear.
In no other country in the world surely would a sixth tier league have top earners allegedly on £1000 a week and £75K transfer fees being paid out

Mark my word your the dark horses in this league, as I've previously said when I went down to Brackley last season and we came away with a 2-2 draw, we were very fortunate from my point of view.
Easily finish in the top 10. Ooops! I shouldn't have said that.

 

[Darlo On Tour]

So we're 3 points clear at the top with a superior goal difference, and we're only two days into the season. Am I allowed to get bullish now?!

Bookmakers think so, now down to 12/1 latest odds.

 

[DOLF87]

With Weaver in charge... Nah. He wouldn't win a raffle if he the only one in it

He's only been our manager for 8 years. Give him a chance!

 

[DarkSithLord]

First away game of the season tonight at Boston. We have a horror record there. No win in 57 years. Two gut wrenching defeats in the past two years. Lost 5 of the 6 games against Boston in all competitions. Add to that Boston are going to be up for it after Saturday. Have high expectations for us this season and if any Alfreton team could end the awful record it would be this one but I would still snap your hand off for a point.

 

[MWS]

First home game of the season tonight as we entertain Curzon Ashton at EP.

Not the most ideal start losing away to Spendymoor but hitting the post and missing a penalty probably contributed a reasonable amount to the result.

Would expect us to have a more attacking set up tonight with Minihan back at right back and hopefully McKenna out wide right.

Defeat will see our message board go into meltdown!

 

[Railway Blue]

He's only been our manager for 8 years. Give him a chance!

You'd be in the Football league now if you had a decent manager, lol.

 

[DOLF87]

You'd be in the Football league now if you had a decent manager, lol.

We should have had at least more then one go at the playoffs. The national league is as far as we will go in the medium term. Getting precious land of Harrogate council for a league worthy stadium is unlikely at best. Apparently they are not fans of an ambitious club in the district. Golf clubs and tea rooms are more their thing.

 

[Lance Stoe]

This league pisses all over its Southern counterpart. York, Darlington, Boston, Stockport and Kidderminster are all ex league clubs with good tradition. Then you have the rich nouveau riche clubs like Harrogate, Salford and Spennymoor. Then good traditional non league clubs like Tamworth, Nuneaton and Telford. Then decent underdogs like Curzon and Brackley. It's a hell of a league. Braintree will probably win The South

 

[Silver Stone]

This league pisses all over its Southern counterpart. York, Darlington, Boston, Stockport and Kidderminster are all ex league clubs with good tradition. Then you have the rich nouveau riche clubs like Harrogate, Salford and Spennymoor. Then good traditional non league clubs like Tamworth, Nuneaton and Telford. Then decent underdogs like Curzon and Brackley. It's a hell of a league. Braintree will probably win The South

They're more likely to go down than up. Money's on Dartford, Chelmsford, or Hemel.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Stockport away tonight......tough, tough game, I am just hoping impatience may be our helping hand tonight.

Think the Stockport fan reaction to Saturday was harsh......they had a very tough start at a big spending spennymoor, think even Gannon probs would have hoped to just grab a draw.....what I think Gannon didn't expect was the next game to be vs a side coming off the back of a thumping win and one after that (Harrogate) probably coming off two wins......i expect he looked at these home game to get them going.

We at least have little to lose and won our needed game. If we play like sat this is a very different Curzon to usual......3 big,, strong, tall and experienced centre backs, 5 'grafters' in front of them.....less passing, more a mixed game, more sit back approach and aiming on two useful forwards doing the business going forward.

Didn't play the ball around forever, certainly went for clean sheet....not a mass defend job, but going for solid than fancy.

Think if we can make 60 mins level their fans will get annoyed and give us our chance.

We I think now are a side which may struggle to get back into a game when behind, but can hold a lead

 

[HG Yellow&Black]

We should have had at least more then one go at the playoffs. The national league is as far as we will go in the medium term. Getting precious land of Harrogate council for a league worthy stadium is unlikely at best. Apparently they are not fans of an ambitious club in the district. Golf clubs and tea rooms are more their thing.

The ground footprint could easily host football league stands, indeed and extension of the main stand wpuld easily sort that. Is dangerous talk of moving ground given the past time and in it for his son remit of the owner. Can you imagine the prospective shite hole we would end up in if we did move for stadium reasons.....not that junior will get us anywhere near the football league. Won't stop 'em trying tho and certain village idiot hangers on dressing up the need to move when none exists.
Given the fortune of the towns egg chasers Wetherby Road should be the only ground the club ever play at in Harrogate.
Ironically, given the slating and out of our hands nature of how the club blame the council for anything and everything these days, the council will be the ones most likely to safeguard wetherby road and long may it continue given its location.

 

[HG Yellow&Black]

They're more likely to go down than up. Money's on Dartford, Chelmsford, or Hemel.

Liking the new stand btw. Any plans for further development?

 

[Silver Stone]

Liking the new stand btw. Any plans for further development?

It's pretty great, good atmosphere under the roof!

There are plans in at the local council to develop the other end plus the undeveloped river side, but neither is going to happen soon unless we look like a promotion contender (we'd also have to rip up our pitch in that case). I'd just be happy with a copy of the new stand at the Town End and call it a day for now.

 

[DOLF87]

The ground footprint could easily host football league stands, indeed and extension of the main stand wpuld easily sort that. Is dangerous talk of moving ground given the past time and in it for his son remit of the owner. Can you imagine the prospective shite hole we would end up in if we did move for stadium reasons.....not that junior will get us anywhere near the football league. Won't stop 'em trying tho and certain village idiot hangers on dressing up the need to move when none exists.
Given the fortune of the towns egg chasers Wetherby Road should be the only ground the club ever play at in Harrogate.
Ironically, given the slating and out of our hands nature of how the club blame the council for anything and everything these days, the council will be the ones most likely to safeguard wetherby road and long may it continue given its location.

its about as good a location fans could ask for, though some of the neighbours might disagree . 1500 extra seats is a lot to fit in when we would also have to increase the overall capacity by 1000. It would require probably 2 levels of seating across one length and 2 of standing across the other. It would be mint if it could be done, but what would the neighbours say?

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Stockport 1-0 Curzon at half time.......deserved lead for them.

They should have scored in 1st minute due to our 'passing across back' cock-up, but then all seemed good for us....them frustrated, us creating chances and on top of the game. Then they scored with us in control, a good cross in and runners not being marked and since then we have been a panic stricken mess....creating nothing and doing little and really it was all Stockport possession, but little in way of chances either way.

Only positive is Stockport are creating little, so maybe if we refresh and change approach may get back in it, but I fear as mentioned earlier we are I team which will struggle to get back into games.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

3-0 Stockport, left early to get me train. No complaints we were second best for large chunks. Approach and formation just didn't suite playing Stockport, our poor forwards left stranded against strong defenders meant chances were few.

Not much we could do with early second was an unstoppable free kick and i think that pretty much winded us as we'd come out with a fresh approach to the game and suddenly 'bang' 2-0, we really needed to change it here, but sadly waited until it shambolically went 3-0.....defence and goalie all over place. Looked better after changes, but too late and just 20 odd minutes of that 'both sides know game over but will strut it about' stuff.

Playing at Stockport bizarrely seems to bring panic in Curzon, they snap at shots and give ball away at silly moments.....it is strange as normally a club of 200 fans playing in front 3000 normally would inspire that big game fight, but never happens here.

Stockport too good for us, their no.11 looked very good and won the game by using pace and runners and our 3 slow centre back approach just failed miserably vs their style, but these games wont make or break our season.....others will and well.......we won't play that type of attack each week.

Stockport tonight did what they had to if they want to challenge and that was react from saturday.

 

[CFC4LIFE]

Unlucky today, absolutely battered them just got a spawny goal, most players put a good shift in, carver is frustrating up front...

 

[Darlo On Tour]

Unlucky today, absolutely battered them just got a spawny goal, most players put a good shift in, carver is frustrating up front...

I wish you'd have beaten them.

 

[Darlo On Tour]

National League North Results - Tuesday August 8th

Blyth Spartans 0 York City 2
Boston Utd 3 Alfreton Town 1
Chorley 0 Salford City 1
Leamington 1 Tamworth 2
North Ferriby 0 Harrogate Town 2
Nuneaton Town 1 Kidderminster Harriers 0
Stockport County 3 Curzon Ashton 0
Telford Utd 1 Brackley Town 3
FC United of Manchester 2 Spennymoor Town 3

 

[AnimoEtFide]

Good win tonight. Looked comfortable for most of the game, especially after we got our first. Warburton's going to be this year's Danny Lloyd for us. Against Spennymoor he was anonymous and we lost. Tonight everything went through him and we won.

Despite the result I thought Curzon looked decent. With a decent forward they probably would have got one or two. Impressed at how their heads didn't drop at 3-0. They'll be nowhere near relegation this year.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Boston 3-1 Alfreton

Disappointing night last night. By far the worst I have seen us play under McDermott. Large passages of play remind me of us last season. Think we got it wrong tactically and played straight in to Boston`s hands. Conceded some poor goals and didn't take advantage of the 20 minute spell in the first half where we were on top. Brody Robertson is not up to this level. How he missed with the goal gaping with the header last night I will never know. That would have made it 2-2 and it could have been a different game. But unlike the last couple of seasons where we could feel aggrieved to have lost, on this occasion I dont think we could have too many complaints.

Lets see how we react on Saturday in another very tough away assignment at Darlington.

 

[wilsontown]

We won, thank Christ. It sounded like Mills' tweak (to an identical starting lineup) from 3-4-3 to 4-3-3 made us a much improved attacking proposition. Off to Bradford PA on Saturday, looking forward to it now.

 

[The Reverend Skyblue]

Nice to see Brackley starting off well again.
I used to play for them back in the eighties so always look out for them, and all my family is from the area so always get down when I go back.
Be interesting if they go up how they manage on still smallish crowds, I think the chairmen used to be the CEO of Royal Mail and is loaded, but I may be wrong on that. Does anyone know if he's still there ?

 

[Idsall Buck]

AFC Telfwolves 1-3 Brackley Town.
W.I.P. Telfwolves huffed and puffed for a bit, and then we're turned over by a classy Brackley outfit, who will be a contender for the championship. Hopefully, this joke of a bank-rolled club will be stopped in it's tracks by the ground grading committee. Again, no away fans travelled as each goal met with absolute silence.

 

[Railway Blue]

Nice to see Brackley starting off well again.
I used to play for them back in the eighties so always look out for them, and all my family is from the area so always get down when I go back.
Be interesting if they go up how they manage on still smallish crowds, I think the chairmen used to be the CEO of Royal Mail and is loaded, but I may be wrong on that. Does anyone know if he's still there ?

Are you Anglican?

 

[MWS]

AFC Telfwolves 1-3 Brackley Town.
W.I.P. Telfwolves huffed and puffed for a bit, and then we're turned over by a classy Brackley outfit, who will be a contender for the championship. Hopefully, this joke of a bank-rolled club will be stopped in it's tracks by the ground grading committee. Again, no away fans travelled as each goal met with absolute silence.

Hehe! AFC Telfwolves made me giggle a bit

 

[Fyldefan]

Backed York, Brackley, Stockport, Harrogate and us last. Surprise surprise my own team lets me down. I should know better really. A good win for Salford away at Chorley, always a tough place to go. Harrogate have started really well, have they brought a few decent players in? Surprised to see kiddy lose their opening 2 games and I think another defeat in their next 2/3 games and their title chances will be over. As crazy as that sounds. It took 15 league games before we tasted defeat last term and I think 3 in your opening 4/5 games is too much to recover from