Saturday 11th November

[Reginald Fodstain]

I’m aliiiiiive. Dangerous place that Belgian bar in Crewe town centre I tell you.

What an absolute bin fire that was then. I still don’t like the penalty and if I was in charge that simply wouldn’t be one, but cold light of day I can see why he’s given it.

I imagine both sets of clubs are going to be in a fair bit or trouble about what happened at the end. I don’t know whether anyone actually did anything to the linesman, if so they’re obviously a dickhead and need banning, the massive delay was basically because he was refusing to come back and linesman in front of loads of people calling him a cheat. On the other side there was a pitch invasion and all sorts getting lobbed over the segregation from both sets, all very unbecoming.

I would say the whole set up at Crewe needs looking at, it’s not very often I’ve felt unsafe at a football match but yesterday was pretty close. The stand can’t cope with those numbers - I don’t think it was even quite sold out but I ended up stood on some stairs with my 70 year-old dad and a poor kid who couldn’t see anything because there was no space anywhere. The bit behind the stand was horrible at half time, particularly around the bar bits and coming down those stairs. Police operation was like a Belgrade derby as well, the first train back to Nottingham wasn’t until 7:10 after the game but they were adamant no one was going anywhere other than the station and that ‘every pub in Crewe is closed’. We snuck round in the end, walked into town and had a pint and a chat with some sound Crewe fans in a pub that clearly hadn’t got the memo.

Crewe's side stand is terrible, they oversold it for New Year's Day last season by allowing pay on the day and it was chaos. This season we had a similar incident with the linesman, where an idiot threw a bottle in his vague direction after we had a man sent off (liner ignored a handball in the build up and we have equally braindead fans as everyone else) and the linesman stopped the game for ten minutes because he told the ref he didn't feel safe. Don't know where else Crewe could put away fans is the only problem.

 

[AdamStag]

Crewe's side stand is terrible, they oversold it for New Year's Day last season by allowing pay on the day and it was chaos. This season we had a similar incident with the linesman, where an idiot threw a bottle in his vague direction after we had a man sent off (liner ignored a handball in the build up and we have equally braindead fans as everyone else) and the linesman stopped the game for ten minutes because he told the ref he didn't feel safe. Don't know where else Crewe could put away fans is the only problem.

Could always put them in a section of that main stand which is usually about 1/5th full? (clearly i appreciate not going to happen)

We had problems there on the opening game of the season, there was a mini crush as several had tripped over a step which wasn’t marked (obviously very crowded) and the toilets facilities are shocking.

 

[Optipez]

Could always put them in a section of that main stand which is usually about 1/5th full? (clearly i appreciate not going to happen)

We had problems there on the opening game of the season, there was a mini crush as several had tripped over a step which wasn’t marked (obviously very crowded) and the toilets facilities are shocking.

The stand is fine although the touchline is close but behind the stand was very crowded at half time.
End of the day fans should behave, the linesman was truly dire but you can't have him being afraid to stand with his back turned.
Notts fans have assaulted the Colchester keeper, yesterday's fracas, last season a fan fell over the wall onto the pitch at Maidstone twice and had to be arrested and our keeper was hit on the head by a vape stick at Gillingham a few weeks back. That's more trouble than I've seen in the previous two decades and it needs stamping down on.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Our last few visits we’ve been told the pubs are closed too, never are though. How can the police tell landlords to shut up and turn away that amount of cash? Love being a football fan and treated like sub human scum everytime you go away.

 

[jacobncfc]

Crewe's side stand is terrible, they oversold it for New Year's Day last season by allowing pay on the day and it was chaos. This season we had a similar incident with the linesman, where an idiot threw a bottle in his vague direction after we had a man sent off (liner ignored a handball in the build up and we have equally braindead fans as everyone else) and the linesman stopped the game for ten minutes because he told the ref he didn't feel safe. Don't know where else Crewe could put away fans is the only problem.

If nothing else they need some stewards and organisation to stop people getting next to the pitch. There were loads of mad things flying around yesterday about people throwing missiles and assaulting the linesman, but I’m not sure anything like that actually did happen… it was just a lot of pointing and shouting. The delay seemed to be more about the linesman (understandably) being worried about what might happen, rather than anything that actually did.

 

[Son of Cod]

Crewe and Notts fans getting all aggy and throwing shit around and scrapping with each other almost selling out away ends, what kind of parallel universe League 2 are we living in this season?!

 

[jacobncfc]

https://x.com/chrischibbett/status/1723392817165201891?s=46&t=QZhIP4tzxaOmjFS5bDYo_A

Now we can laugh about it… there’s so much going on this pitch invasion. The baffled police, the dad and lad duo casually strolling over, a girl on the pitch in her (presumably Crewe-issue) work lanyard!?!

 

[ForzaCounty]

There's only one truly great pitch invasion

 

[chipmunx]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1723626560798720037

the start of the Bradford v Barrow match....
or.... how to go 1-0 down without touching the ball...

 

[saddler78]

I’m aliiiiiive. Dangerous place that Belgian bar in Crewe town centre I tell you.

What an absolute bin fire that was then. I still don’t like the penalty and if I was in charge that simply wouldn’t be one, but cold light of day I can see why he’s given it.

I imagine both sets of clubs are going to be in a fair bit or trouble about what happened at the end. I don’t know whether anyone actually did anything to the linesman, if so they’re obviously a dickhead and need banning, the massive delay was basically because he was refusing to come back and linesman in front of loads of people calling him a cheat. On the other side there was a pitch invasion and all sorts getting lobbed over the segregation from both sets, all very unbecoming.

I would say the whole set up at Crewe needs looking at, it’s not very often I’ve felt unsafe at a football match but yesterday was pretty close. The stand can’t cope with those numbers - I don’t think it was even quite sold out but I ended up stood on some stairs with my 70 year-old dad and a poor kid who couldn’t see anything because there was no space anywhere. The bit behind the stand was horrible at half time, particularly around the bar bits and coming down those stairs. Police operation was like a Belgrade derby as well, the first train back to Nottingham wasn’t until 7:10 after the game but they were adamant no one was going anywhere other than the station and that ‘every pub in Crewe is closed’. We snuck round in the end, walked into town and had a pint and a chat with some sound Crewe fans in a pub that clearly hadn’t got the memo.

Was the same when we went think its all to do with there youth they started with some of our fans and got done over served them right little scrotes.

 

[GTFCfish]

There's only one truly great pitch invasion

Was it Ironside who got the winner?

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

I have to say, when I saw what subs Stockport County brought on yesterday, it made me feel physically ill.

How can a League Two, that is already missing the likes of Stretton, Hippolyte and Rydel still name a strong starting XI AND bring on Knoyle, Camps, Madden, Touray and Nick freaking Powell.

If they don't win the league and break the 100 point barrier, I'll be shocked. Just a ridiculously good and deep team with quality in every position.

We’ve no proper back up/competition at DM if anything happens to Croasdale we’re properly screwed.

We also had no proper left back when Touray went down with Rydel out for the season but luckily Pye proved he could fill in there.

With Stretton out for the season and Barry till the spring we only really have Tanto as our only attacker with any pace so we’ve got to avoid losing him or we lose any counter attacking threat.

Sarcevic went off injured yesterday which could derail us if it’s medium to long term. In theory we’ve got Powell or Camps to come in but our success under Challinor has been so dependent on how hard everybody works off the ball and we’ll be a lot easier to play against minus Sarcevic with a luxury player replacing him in midfield.

I’d say the depth on paper is a lot more impressive than it actually is.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Seen a lot going on about the away end so here we go.

It's the clubs ambition in the medium to long term to rebuild the away end as the roof is riddled with asbestos. It'll likely be bigger with corporate facilities but nothing will happen until the solar farm (which those absolute twats at Cheshire Police have delayed) is built on the car park. It's impossible to use any other stand. The Main Stand was designed when we were in the Championship and 10K sellouts happened a few times a season whilst there. There was no need for segregation and it'd be a logistical nightmare if away fans were put in it. The GRE, the traditional away end until the Main Stand was built in 1999, is too small to meet the 10% EFL away ticket regulations by about 80 seats. The Railway End is even smaller and has facilities behind it that currently prevent expansion. Access into it isn't the best either. So the current away stand is the only one that can be used for away fans

Away end stewards have been useless for years, nothing new there. The police were, once again, embarrassing. Treated the young lads behind the goal like shit on Sunday vs Derby and were very keen to kettle them back to town when absolutely nothing was going to happen. However, they were very reluctant to go near the away fans on Saturday and it took them some time to get there. Had to earn their time and a half for a change and they didn't like it.

This shutting all the pubs is hilarious because it's only a handful that ever do shut and even then, they lock the regulars in if it's Nantwich Road but every pub past Retro bar on Mill Street heading into town will be open I guarantee it. That's why Hops the Belgian Bar remained open.

I do think looking back it was a proper storm in a teacup though. The sort of storm in a teacup the national media and police get an absolute hard on for in their wider persecution of football fans. The simple solution would be not to add fuel to the fire but some fans really don't help themselves and all of a sudden it's the wider collective of football fans that end up being treated like scum by the powers that be because of it.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Last season we all sorted getting back into the Craft begger I think it was with the landlord. Knocked on door at FT and let us all in, pub fall of Crewe fans. Decent bit of back and forth sing song and a few beers with em though, always enjoyed Crewe away.

 

[Indian Dan]

Our last few visits we’ve been told the pubs are closed too, never are though. How can the police tell landlords to shut up and turn away that amount of cash? Love being a football fan and treated like sub human scum everytime you go away.

You’ll love it ours next week, then. Tbf, the police are pretty even handed with away fans. There’s a pub near the ground that is always a mix of home/away fans and there’s no trouble.

 

[Conker]

Already paid £27 for Crewe I’m not doin it for Swindon!

 

[Richard Cranium]

You’ll love it ours next week, then. Tbf, the police are pretty even handed with away fans. There’s a pub near the ground that is always a mix of home/away fans and there’s no trouble.

Coach I’ll be on tends to make a pit stop out of town for a few pints then into Swindon for about half 2ish, season before last I think we ended up in a pub on a roundabout but I’m reliably informed that there are quite a few of those in Swindon… it was alright though, mixed but no bother, earlier in the season so could sit outside in the sun.

 

[jacobncfc]

Seen a lot going on about the away end so here we go.

It's the clubs ambition in the medium to long term to rebuild the away end as the roof is riddled with asbestos. It'll likely be bigger with corporate facilities but nothing will happen until the solar farm (which those absolute twats at Cheshire Police have delayed) is built on the car park. It's impossible to use any other stand. The Main Stand was designed when we were in the Championship and 10K sellouts happened a few times a season whilst there. There was no need for segregation and it'd be a logistical nightmare if away fans were put in it. The GRE, the traditional away end until the Main Stand was built in 1999, is too small to meet the 10% EFL away ticket regulations by about 80 seats. The Railway End is even smaller and has facilities behind it that currently prevent expansion. Access into it isn't the best either. So the current away stand is the only one that can be used for away fans

Away end stewards have been useless for years, nothing new there. The police were, once again, embarrassing. Treated the young lads behind the goal like shit on Sunday vs Derby and were very keen to kettle them back to town when absolutely nothing was going to happen. However, they were very reluctant to go near the away fans on Saturday and it took them some time to get there. Had to earn their time and a half for a change and they didn't like it.

This shutting all the pubs is hilarious because it's only a handful that ever do shut and even then, they lock the regulars in if it's Nantwich Road but every pub past Retro bar on Mill Street heading into town will be open I guarantee it. That's why Hops the Belgian Bar remained open.

I do think looking back it was a proper storm in a teacup though. The sort of storm in a teacup the national media and police get an absolute hard on for in their wider persecution of football fans. The simple solution would be not to add fuel to the fire but some fans really don't help themselves and all of a sudden it's the wider collective of football fans that end up being treated like scum by the powers that be because of it.

I agree with all of the last couple of paragraphs. For all of the wild reporting on it, I'm not sure anything actually happened inside the ground beyond lots of people shouting and waving their arms around and a man not wanting to go and stand in front of the people shouting and waving their arms. Saw some mad stuff about the linesman being pelted with missiles and people going onto the pitch and attacking him, but if that did take place I definitely didn't see it.

All it needed was a few police to go and stand there, as they did eventually when the game restarted. Took them forever to turn up (and there was plenty about judging by the picture outside before and after..) and those who were there in the first place stopped doing any policing to go and negotiate with the referee for some reason. All very silly.

 

[ForzaCounty]

Was it Ironside who got the winner?

That took me a while. Very good

 

[Sinkorswim]

My Stockport title bet sure is looking good so far but it's very early days. The bookies offering me 3X my stake as a cash out now.

Wrexham or Mansfield should run them very close and could easily finish above them

Although Mansfield Top 3 is my best looking bet offering 4X my stake.

Should have gone more

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Good work, great bet but the question is are you gonna cash out?

I'm not on my bets, still spending my Langstaff winnings from last season.

 

[Reremnart]

The problem I have with that away stand at Crewe is that there is only that one narrrow set of steps for the entire stand to get in and out. Its an accident waiting to happen at half time especially when there is an away sell out due to the sheer number of people trying to go both up and down the stairs at the same time. It would only take one person to trip and thats it. Also that "concourse" is nowhere near big enough to handle the number of people queuing for food, drinks, toilets etc . It was seriously over crowded when we went there last season and it wasn`t much different this to be honest despite the lower number of Tranmere fans. It needs seriously looking at as I know from things published on various club websites and on here for that matter over the years that a lot of fans of various clubs have the same misgivings as I do.

 

[Sinkorswim]

Good work, great bet but the question is are you gonna cash out?

I'm not on my bets, still spending my Langstaff winnings from last season.

Will probably wait until we play them on New years day to be honest.