Tonbridge 3 Tunbridge Wells 0

Match 04/07/621 - Tuesday, 31st July 2007 - George Piper Courier Cup

Tonbridge (0) 3 Powell 53 Main 66 Barr 87
Tunbridge Wells (0) 0
Att. 405

Entrance: £5
Programme: None published
Mileage 26/242

Match Report

The Courier Cup was this year played in the memory of George Piper, a stalwart of local football with links to both clubs who had died at the grand old age of 100 earlier in the year. These days in terms of the football pyramid there is a lot more distance than the 6 miles that separate them geographically. Over the years Tonbridge have always been the more senior of the clubs, but when I was a kid the rivalry between them was far greater. In those days both were Southern League sides and I can certainly remember games at both the old Angel Ground (now a Sainsburys) and the Old Showground (now a housing estate) that attracted 3,000 people. It was a good crowd for a pre-season game that turned out for this year’s match, but it still only amounted to 405.

Longmead looked lush and the new hard standing in front of the clubhouse is much more practical than the grass it replaced no matter how ugly it looks. In time to come when there is proper terracing on top of the concrete it will look more fitting. I will see Tonbridge many more times this season so I can focus on them in the near future, so for this posting I will focus on Tunbridge Wells.

Tunbridge Wells are a club in a big transition, one that will hopefully pull them out of the slump in fortunes that has lasted far too long. This is a club that is almost a true to its conservative roots as the town it represents. Culverden is a ground at the end of a leafy road, a small tree-lined bowl. Up to a couple of years ago, when you went for your half-time cup of tea it was served in a china cup, it was a club run by a committee for, well the committee, and that tells the tale.

But as I said the club is in transition and the ex-England international Gary Stevens has taken over the club, the committee has gone amongst much acrimony and Stevens has pledged upwards of £50,000 to take the club forward. His background in Tunbridge Wells is with a local, very successfully run youth side, Forresters. They initiated a partnership with the Wells, to provide their players with access to senior football once they had reached their age limits.

Gary Stevens has said that as a town Tunbridge Wells should have a football club with a much higher profile than they presently have and it is very hard to argue that viewpoint. It is no longer, if it ever was, a small spa town, it is a large, mostly prosperous area that could easily sustain a Conference South team if they were ever to reach those heights. Whether Gary Stevens is the man to take them upwards or whether the old fashioned attitudes of the past eventually prevail time will tell. I hope my home town team will steer at path that at least will mean that their paths will cross Tonbridge’s on a properly competitive basis.

As for the Courier Cup, Tonbridge regained the trophy they lost for the first time last season. For 45 minutes, although the Angels were obviously the better footballing side, the Wells dug in and slowly got a foothold in the game. But an early second half goal put them on the backfoot and two class finishes from the quality of Jon Main and Hamid Barr wrapped up a comfortable win despite losing Matt Lovell to a disappointing pre-season sending off.

Gillingham 0 Charlton Athletic 5

Match 03/07/620 - Saturday, 28th July 2007 - Pre-season Friendly

Gillingham (0) 0
Charlton (3) 5 Ambrose 14, 28 Todorov 39 King (o.g.) 47,
Thomas (pen) 69
Att. 3,315

Entrance: £15
Programme: None published (free teamsheet)
Mileage 45/216

Match Report

If you are going to get stuffed 5-0 at sometime during a season, pre-season is easily the best time for it to happen. Little can read into this game, hopefully Gillingham will not meet the like of Charlton, fresh out of the Premiership, during the league season and whilst Charlton certainly look the part for a quick return to the top level, they will know that there are sterner tests to come.

Considering the 3,000 crowd at Dover last week, another 300 on the gate to see this match is disappointing. I’ve always maintained that Mr Scally overprices these friendlies and at £15 many chose to give it a miss and given the result who can say they were misguided. As the Gordon Road Stand was not being used, I chose to sit on the Rainham End looking out on a beautifully manicured pitch that played really well given the amount of rain we have suffered this summer.

The game was pretty much a procession of Charlton’s superiority and the only talking point worthy of mention was a sending off for Gillingham’s £200K centre half, Simon King. Nobody can dispute that in the course of a fully competitive game, King would have been sent off for the professional foul he committed. But given the nature of the game, the referee could have shown a modicum of common sense and booked the player, even ask the manager to remove him, but with the sending off now comes a suspension that will be served at the start of the regular season, it hardly seems a just punishment.

I also have a good deal of sympathy for a triallist, listed only as M. Hamilton on the team sheet. To come on seven minutes from the end with your side already 5-0 down really doesn’t give you the greatest chance to impress. Gills manager Ronnie Jepson said in a Radio Kent interview following the game that he has to see these triallists in real situations to make a judgement, well Ronnie I hope his seven minutes gave you that insight.

Dover Athletic 1 Gillingham 4

Match 02/07/619 - Saturday, 21st July 2007 - Pre-season Friendly

Dover Athletic (0) 1 Pouton 59
Gillingham (2) 4 Mulligan 24, 31 Crofts 66 Pugh 80
Att. 3,011

Entrance: £9
Programme: £1.50
Mileage 96/171

The Dover website predicted a 3,000 crowd for this Pre-Season Friendly, I for one poured scorn on such a figure, but was proved completely wrong as 3,011 turned up to see Andy Hessenthaler’s opening match as the manager of Dover Athletic. I would guess that Gillingham fans made up 50% of the attendance and this would be as much a tribute to the true Gillingham legend as to the fans wish to see their new signings for a first time. As a Tonbridge supporter, Douvre, as they are affectionately known because of their close proximity to France, are great rivals, but with Hess in charge I can only wish them the very best of luck for the coming season.
I like Crabble, high on a hill and surrounded by trees, it appears that it has been built on a plateau. It is a ground that whilst these days may not satisfy the criteria of their previously owned Conference status, it is far above the standard of most of their counterparts in Ryman South. There are covered terraces behind both goals and a seated stand that goes the full length of the pitch. The second length is a bit of a gaggle of buildings with a smaller stand and a wooden club house and as you walk along the touchline you actually descend below the level of the pitch but that adds to its charm.

Gillingham arrived direct from a four day training stint in Le Touquet. It was a shame they did not play a open doors match in France as this proved to be a very good day out a couple of years ago. They started with what would be considered their first choice side at this stage of pre-season. Of the new boys, Barry Cogan showed up well and it was a very good cross that allowed Mulligan a deft header for the second goal. Efe Sodje and Simon King looked solid enough in the centre of defence, but perhaps next week’s game against Charlton will be a better stage to judge their partnership. Aaron Brown flitted in and out of the game with no great effect. As always with these pre-season games the second half became disjointed with substitutions and after a great free kick from Alan Pouton brought the score back to 2-1, goals from Crofts and Pugh sealed the game.
Match Report

Thamesmead 0 Tonbridge 1

Match 01/07/618 - Saturday, 14th July 2007 - Pre-season Friendly

Thamesmead (0) 0
Tonbridge (1) 1 Main 22
Att. 70-ish

Entrance: £5
Programme: Free with entry
Mileage 75/75

Pre-season is always a welcome arrival, but this July it has come when summer frustration, borne out of poor weather and a Test Series against the West Indies that was one-sided and consequently lacking in interest was setting in. There is still a series against India that might redeem the cricket season, but in a summer that doesn’t have a major tournament to focus on, albeit that the U21 Euros proved a distraction, I was ready to hit the road again.

Tonbridge’s initial pre-season game at Kent League Thamesmead Town provided the first game of my 2007-08 season. This was my second visit to Bayliss Avenue, having visited five or six years ago when Tonbridge were themselves in the Kent League. The ground has not changed at all in that time, still just the one stand (pictured). But big change is expected in the very near future as Thamesmead have submitted plans to build a new stadium for the beginning of next season. The south London side have a large catchment area that should provide more than an average attendance of just 65, but the competition is fierce not only from the major London clubs, but several non-league clubs are also parked on their doorstep. The one thing that has improved is signage directing visitors to the ground. I vividly remember last time driving around in circles, but this time with the aid of the signs I found the ground with ease.

Without a tannoy system, the first 20 minutes are spent are spent working out who’s who of the Tonbridge new boys. The game itself was usual pre-season, lacking any sort of competitive edge and Tonbridge won more comfortably than the one goal scoreline suggests. Jon Main, who else, scored the only goal after a mid-half drinks break latching on to a punt forward that could not have been dealt with any more poorly by the Thamesmead defence. The second half fell away with multiple substitutions and banter between the portly Richard Dimmock and the Tonbridge bench provided the best entertainment. Over the years I’ve seen quite a few of the likes of Dimmo, players that have obviously had something about them in their day and whilst the years might have added a few pounds there is still that bit of quality that catches the eye.

Fan-style pre-season training will continue next week at Andy Hessenthaler’s Dover.

Pay days and play days

After what seems months of waiting, season ticket holders at Gillingham finally found out the cost of their viewing next season. For me personally it amounted to £340, a rise of £45 or 15%. Our esteemed chairman has basically made the point that if we want a winning (or at least competitive) side then it is us, the punters, that will pay for it. I will quite happily bite on the bullet of the £45 if he can deliver, but no amount of throwing cash at football has guaranteed a winning side (although, of course, it is bound to help, Chelsea being a case in point). He also made the point that football at Gillingham last season was cheap, he omitted to mention it was dross. A year ago Gillingham went down the route of reducing prices to attract new season ticket holders and whilst there was a slight rise it was not enough to cover the shortfall. General opinion seems to take Mr Scally to his word and there is a tempered optimism that a resurgent Gillingham could emerge for our money.

The fixture list for next season has also been announced and I see it as a good list with some attractive fixtures at key times should we be challenging. A Boxing Day home game is always seen as a bonus and relegated Southend will be the Christmas visitors to Priestfield. Easter Saturday provides another home game against Bournemouth whilst Easter Monday sees a travel day to Port Vale. The end of the season could prove very interesting with old foes Swindon being the last visitors to Priestfield and the final game sees us travelling to Elland Road to face those fallen giants Leeds United. There are a couple of grounds that I haven’t visited. Having missed two opportunities to go to Swansea’s Liberty Stadium, an early November, Saturday fixture gives me every chance of ticking the box. Doncaster’s Keynote Stadium might be more of a challenge with a March, Tuesday night date.

Tonbridge’s Ryman Premier fixtures are to be published on Tuesday, 10th July and they have announced there will be no price increase at Longmead with entrance remaining at £8.

On the bench for Tallinn

No ticket, so reduced to the armchair for England's game in Tallinn. The visiting allocation was only 1,140 for this game and with 34 caps needed as a guaranteed ticket I fell a long way short on 27. Tried both the second ballot and the reserve list but no ticket was forthcoming and the television had to be settled for. England played well enough to overcome a Estonian side that have no points and no goals in the group and thankfully there was no repeat of the over-the-top reaction of some England supporters in Barcelona. Beckham was once again to the fore and despite playing the second half on a twisted ankle set up goals for Crouch and Owen (welcome back, Michael) to add to Joe Cole's first half opener. My good friend, John Gilmour was our man in Tallinn and hopefully he will add a comment and a picture.
Match Report

The new Wembley experience

Match 48/06/617 - Friday, 1st June 2007 - International

England (0) 1 Terry 66
Brazil (0) 1 Diego 90
Att. 88,745

Seat: £55
Programme £5.00
Mileage 100/3,946
New ground: 218

Match Report
View from F70: The occasion was much more significant than the actual match. Brazil showed why they are world-class when they seemed bothered, but for the most part seemed to be in second gear. Being pro-Beckham it was great to see him back and performing as well, if not better than any other England player on the pitch. Have to admit to being a little emotional at the return to Wembley after seven long years. The new stadium is absolutely magnificent, although we were disappointed that for 55 quid we had seats on the corner flag, but everything else was first class. Plenty of leg room, a good view even from a poor vantage point, we got in and out easily (albeit we did leave before the end and missed Brazil's goal!). Atmosphere was subdued, but I put this down to the friendly nature of the game. Against Germany in August, although another friendly, I anticipate a better atmosphere given the greater rivalry between the nations. If England are still in with a chance of qualification come the final game against Croatia, then I can imagine Wembley rocking to the rafters.