ElGlosico: FGR v Cheltenham Town

[FGR Stroud]

This is the first time in decades that the Gloucestershire teams enter a derby match with FGR clear favourites to win.

Cheltenham are enduring a run of tough fixtures against most of the top teams that might well sap their confidence, although without a game last Saturday their new manager has had two weeks on the training pitch to put over his ideas.

FGR just suffered their first loss of season, albeit a 97th minute goal at Northampton. The feedback from the players and staff however is that FGR remain positive – indeed Mark Coper has said it was probably good to get that ‘no loss’ monkey is off our back.

The weather forecast for Saturday is a decent one so I expect a packed TNL to be rocking at 3pm with the two sets of fans deafening the neighbourhood.

 

[Chris FGR]

Cooperman v Duffman.

Will we be Cheltenham's kryptonite yet again or will they be going out on the piss celebrating beating us tomorrow night?

 

[Si Robin]

Meh...

 

[FGR-Star]

Meh...

This comment sums up a lot of Cheltenham's fickle support. If they were doing well they would be bang up for this.

As it is they have sold 600 tickets, and we have had to make tickets lay on the gate, they have sold so few.

Cheltenham have to have one of the least passionate fan-bases going.

Anyway, I and many other FGR fans are bang up for this game and it is really starting to become a bit of a proper Derby now.

 

[Si Robin]

For what it's worth it sums up my feelings on football in general.

The irony of FGR fans mocking us for selling so few tickets when they have never, ever, sold out our away end, and they'll be lucky to see 3,000 home fans tomorrow. But that's by the by.

Tomorrow is not a derby, it has never been a derby and no matter how many times FGR fans, and a few Cheltenham kids keep trying to make it such by acting all Green Street crossed with Sesame Street, it never will be a derby. FGR fans sound like we did in the early 00s when we tried to make derbies out of Swindon, Bristol Rovers and Oxford. Bloody hell, even Rushden and Diamonds were on the radar.

Our derby, and I will repeat this every time this fixture is brought up, is with Gloucester City, it will always be with Gloucester City. The reason isn't just rooted in football, where we were genuine rivals for many years, but it's rooted in the places themselves. Cheltenham and Gloucester, the two biggest conurbations in Gloucestershire, traditionally do not get along (originally due to the perceived class status between the two) and that permeated into the football.

Cheltenham-FGR is nothing. It was nothing when we played each other in the 98/99 season and it means as much to me now as it did then. The only one that has ever come close in the last 20 years was Hereford, and that was more because of how we poached Neil Grayson, John Brough and Dave Norton from them in the late 90s.

You actually contradict yourself - "it is really starting to become a proper Derby now". If it was a proper derby, I can assure you that a) I would be going, and b) tickets would have sold out earlier this week because, as with proper derbies, fans just have to be at those sorts of games - regardless of how the team is doing.

So I reiterate, tomorrow's game - which we will probably lose, and quite handsomely - meh...

 

[FGR Stroud]

For what it's worth it sums up my feelings on football in general.

The irony of FGR fans mocking us for selling so few tickets when they have never, ever, sold out our away end, and they'll be lucky to see 3,000 home fans tomorrow. But that's by the by.

Tomorrow is not a derby, it has never been a derby and no matter how many times FGR fans, and a few Cheltenham kids keep trying to make it such by acting all Green Street crossed with Sesame Street, it never will be a derby. FGR fans sound like we did in the early 00s when we tried to make derbies out of Swindon, Bristol Rovers and Oxford. Bloody hell, even Rushden and Diamonds were on the radar.

Our derby, and I will repeat this every time this fixture is brought up, is with Gloucester City, it will always be with Gloucester City. The reason isn't just rooted in football, where we were genuine rivals for many years, but it's rooted in the places themselves. Cheltenham and Gloucester, the two biggest conurbations in Gloucestershire, traditionally do not get along (originally due to the perceived class status between the two) and that permeated into the football.

Cheltenham-FGR is nothing. It was nothing when we played each other in the 98/99 season and it means as much to me now as it did then. The only one that has ever come close in the last 20 years was Hereford, and that was more because of how we poached Neil Grayson, John Brough and Dave Norton from them in the late 90s.

You actually contradict yourself - "it is really starting to become a proper Derby now". If it was a proper derby, I can assure you that a) I would be going, and b) tickets would have sold out earlier this week because, as with proper derbies, fans just have to be at those sorts of games - regardless of how the team is doing.

So I reiterate, tomorrow's game - which we will probably lose, and quite handsomely - meh...

Si Robin, your manager says differently.
Okay FGR and Cheltenham are local rivals from same county. That I think makes it a derby. A new derby to Cheltenham but a derby all the same. That is the reason you guys are desperate not to lose tomorrow. But you will

 

[Si Robin]

We're desperate not to lose because defeat likely leaves us in the relegation zone.

A derby requires more than just locality to make it such, and there really is nothing else to thus game than location.

 

[GEORGE]

A derby in my opinion is a game between two teams from the same city or town. Thus this game is simply local rivals game. I don't think either of you realise what a proper derby is.

 

[Grimbarian]

A derby in my opinion is a game between two teams from the same city or town. Thus this game is simply local rivals game. I don't think either of you realise what a proper derby is.

Try telling that to Ipswich or Norwich, Chesterfield or Mansfield, us and Scunny/Lincoln, Chester and Wrexham etc etc

 

[Stripes]

I suppose it depends if their are any bragging rights to be had, if you feel like you just stuffed the enemy even if it is by one goal then great, it is a Derby. I remember feeling pretty chuffed when we beat Bristol Rovers at the Memorial ground back in their Conference days. You work with what you have. Every dog has it's day, and I'll settle for feeling very very happy if we beat Cheltenham.

As for the game today it's another crossroads for us now the gloss is coming off our season.
I don't know if this squad has the balls to get the job done. We're more talented but wins remain ellusive. If we do treat this like any other game we'll get stuffed. Looking for a reaction after last Saturday.

 

[PaulHaddock]

A derby in my opinion is a game between two teams from the same city or town. Thus this game is simply local rivals game. I don't think either of you realise what a proper derby is.

What’s Man U - Liverpool then? And El Clasico?

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Cheltenham fans seem to think they've got a stronger line-up out than recently and without Reid we're starting without a recognised striker I think. Jesus

 

[Si Robin]

Back 5 is by far our best when all fit, front two practically pick themselves and the middle 4 are what I would have gone with. It depends on what sort of Atangana turns up.

I'm still not confident though.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Back 5 is by far our best when all fit, front two practically pick themselves and the middle 4 are what I would have gone with. It depends on what sort of Atangana turns up.

I'm still not confident though.

Don't think there's that much between us even with your slower start, pretty much anything is possible.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Hah, another Sanchez pen conceded without much cause. Saved it but rebound knocked in.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

We sound all over the shop and despite the pen being a bit of a gift to Cheltenham they were the better side most of the half so can't complain.

ETA Not often you get five minutes added in the first half either.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Scored off a corner after about the only decent move we've made. All our subs long used, hope Cheltenham are tiring after pressing so well.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

A one all draw at home, whatever next. Came on a bit late but set up all wrong and Cheltenham right on it from the off. Realise the injury to Reid shook things up but surely we need a better Plan B than that. No Brown or James starting seemed nuts.

 

[Si Robin]

Would have snapped your hand off for that at 3:00 - an away point, even against a team who love drawing games, will always be welcome. Thank God Mullins headed Winchester's header off the line near the end as that would have been unbearable on Twitter and our forum until the rematch in December.

I see the attendance was 3,598 (698 CTFC fans). Very poor from both sides I would say, and not what you would expect at a "derby" match.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Would have snapped your hand off for that at 3:00 - an away point, even against a team who love drawing games, will always be welcome. Thank God Mullins headed Winchester's header off the line near the end as that would have been unbearable on Twitter and our forum until the rematch in December.

I see the attendance was 3,598 (698 CTFC fans). Very poor from both sides I would say, and not what you would expect at a "derby" match.

Think we gave figure for you as 682, I'm sort of reasonably pleased we can find 2,900 home fans (expect wouldn't have been to many away in the home ends this time) for a league match. Which is why I'll no doubt be forever tinpot

 

[Si Robin]

Of course, it may have been 3,582 in total, I was going from memory.

There should have been none in the home ends as it was pay on the gate.

 

[dog]

There were CTFC fans in one end.

 

[FGR-Star]

Would have snapped your hand off for that at 3:00 - an away point, even against a team who love drawing games, will always be welcome. Thank God Mullins headed Winchester's header off the line near the end as that would have been unbearable on Twitter and our forum until the rematch in December.

I see the attendance was 3,598 (698 CTFC fans). Very poor from both sides I would say, and not what you would expect at a "derby" match.

No terrible support from Cheltenham!!!

We will take more than that in he reverse fixture that's for sure.

Cheltenham although being a large place has shown it is not a footballing area here, whereas the rural Stroud area has in that we had 2,900 home fans.

We may be a small club, but we are growing and as an area have far more passion for football than Cheltenham does.

 

[Si Robin]

 

[FGR Stroud]

I believe it is the first time in FGR's history that a group of troublesome opposition fans had to be escorted out of TNL by police and made to walk down the long steep hill to Nailsworth.
That group had been made to wait for 20 minutes within TNL after match. One of them demanded to go to the WC and had a policeman walk by his side to the WC and on his return to group.
I'm not sure what sparked the police operation but I saw them surround them a few minutes b4 end of game. There had been mutual verbals and finger waving all game and at one time Cheltenham's Red Army tried to break through to the FGR stand.
Reading the Cheltenham forum even their own fans are disgusted with these youth's actions.

 

[GEORGE]

What’s Man U - Liverpool then? And El Clasico?

Not derby's anyway. And El classic is not even a local game -- Simply a rivals match.

 

[dog]

I believe it is the first time in FGR's history that a group of troublesome opposition fans had to be escorted out of TNL by police and made to walk down the long steep hill to Nailsworth.
That group had been made to wait for 20 minutes within TNL after match. One of them demanded to go to the WC and had a policeman walk by his side to the WC and on his return to group.
I'm not sure what sparked the police operation but I saw them surround them a few minutes b4 end of game. There had been mutual verbals and finger waving all game and at one time Cheltenham's Red Army tried to break through to the FGR stand.
Reading the Cheltenham forum even their own fans are disgusted with these youth's actions.

Police had been following them all afternoon up to the George at Newmarket and back to the Britannia. One tried to snap the mirror on my car. But they're all mouth no trousers.

 

[FGR Stroud]

A lot of humbug written up about 'derby' games.
ElGlosico is a 'derby' game because that is a shortened version of 'match between too local rival teams'
I also noted on a Gloucestershire forum that a pompous so-and-so declared the word 'ElGlosico' could be used as an incitement for the Cheltenham youths to riot in Nailsworth. Complete and utter tripe by that poster.

 

[Si Robin]

ElGlosico is a pathetic attempt to make the game more than it is. It's trying to piggyback off the fact that El Classico is a big sporting occasion, so lets try and get people out to watch it in our own backyard.

It was originally coined when FGR played Gloucester in the FA Cup a few seasons back and it was cringeworthy then.

I don't condone anything that went on Saturday, personally I don't see the fascination with flares and smoke-bombs. However, I would bet a pound to a penny that both sides were as bad as each other, just as they were back in April. As is evidenced by my earlier posts on here, I didn't go and had no interest in going. I've been to The New Lawn enough times, and frankly I simply don't believe in the hype surrounding the game.

That's it until December when we can go through this whole charade again, Gloucestershire Police won't be able to enjoy their Christmas break and we'll probably lose or draw against a team that's fast becoming our bogey team.

Football - meh...