New Years Day 2024 Fixtures

[denzel ecfc]

Strange game, probably not worthy of five goals, but defensive errors and a couple of decent strikes. We are of course down to bare bones but that doesn't excuse how a few of our players performed. Azeez was the difference though, quality player and sadly I think Reading will pull away and we won't now.
Busy week ahead. Carlisle game could be toxic.

 

[folletto]

How on earth are sat 13th with a -19 goal difference!? This league is horrendous this year. The teams in the bottom four must be truly, truly horrendous, let alone the ones sat just below us or above us. Can anybody on this forum hand on heart say that their team is good this season? I don’t think there’s a single one. Not even Portsmouth or Bolton!

I seem to say this every season but this is the worst I've ever seen Charlton, we've won one away game, never keep a clean sheet, constantly concede late goals and yet are still loitering around midtable. Of the games we've lost a lot of it has been due to our frailties rather than the opposition blowing us away. There are a few good teams but definitely the weakest league one I remember

 

[Carver]

It's poor standard because there were two basket case clubs come down from the championship in Reading and Wigan, 3 really good quality teams went up into the championship last season in Plymouth, Ipswich and Wednesday and of course the 4 teams that came up from L2 last season were all dog shite cash strapped minnows with one of them Stevenage being the most ugliest, unattractive club imaginable who make the top half of L1 look so tinpot with them up there.

So that's why it's so miserable, one word... STEVENAGE.

 

[Pompeyblueboy]

Yes

Shows how poor you are with all that finance and backing your still playing #teamslikeportvale even had a good 4 years a league below us recently as well.

Ah well.

Difference is that the PV etc are happy being in this league whilst the traditional bigger clubs ain't

 

[Pompeyblueboy]

And I believe this little team beat you on Boxing day.

and that was a fluke

 

[valefan16]

Yes

Difference is that the PV etc are happy being in this league whilst the traditional bigger clubs ain't

Always striving to improve, we've actually spent nearly half a century of our history in the second tier...

 

[Si Robin]

Pompey can't be that great, they couldn't even beat us when we couldn't score a goal

 

[Bartonyellow]

Stevenage will be in the championship next season. Mark my words. This division is so poor they will go up.
Like when we did - only Wigan and us could string wins together. So many parallels with this season.
Bolton to win it - still maintain that.

 

[E10rifle]

Apparently some embarrassing homophobic chanting from the terrace too towards your keeper.

This, on the day we just signed a striker from non-league who fled the Ivory Coast for fear of persecution at being gay - and he was announced on the pitch before the game.

What a bunch of c*nts.

 

[valefan16]

Awful comments from some Carlisle fans towards Ripley yesterday, good to see it condemned by a lot of their fans as well.

Banter is one thing and he loves engaging in that, but telling him to “go hang himself” is a bit too far, as he says you don’t know what that person your saying that to is going through behind closed doors.

 

[hellogregory]

Awful comments from some Carlisle fans towards Ripley yesterday, good to see it condemned by a lot of their fans as well.

Banter is one thing and he loves engaging in that, but telling him to “go hang himself” is a bit too far, as he says you don’t know what that person your saying that to is going through behind closed doors.

Whoever the 2 “fans” are, they need bans, a bollocking from their parents and most importantly some educating from people who’ve lost family/friends through suicide.

This is one of the most sickening things you can say to someone. All over a fucking game of football ffs.

 

[valefan16]

Whoever the 2 “fans” are, they need bans, a bollocking from their parents and most importantly some educating from people who’ve lost family/friends through suicide.

This is one of the most sickening things you can say to someone. All over a fucking game of football ffs.

Credit to Carlisle and the majority of your fans for the statement and response to it. Ripper loves banter but this has clearly got to him understandably.

 

[CTFCfan99]

We're still playing ok though and I'm not overly concerned.

This is the key thing - don't think we've been outplayed in any league game since DC came in. We were ok yesterday and could have nicked a point, but as usual our home form will decide things. I'm more confident of getting something at home to Pompey than yesterday's game. And now that I've said these things we'll probably get smashed 4-0 on Saturday

 

[leedsvaliant]

Yes

Difference is that the PV etc are happy being in this league whilst the traditional bigger clubs ain't

Come on....this just shows how little football knowledge you have. Vale have been in the Championship for almost half their existence and played alongside Portsmouth in that league for many years. You're a relatively big club for level 3 but you'd be a fairly average sized club in the Championship. Just because you spent more than you earned to get into the Premier League doesn't make you a huge club all of a sudden. You'll have undoubtedly picked up a number of hangers on due to your time in the Premier League (see Bolton, Stoke etc.). I wager that if Vale had spent 10-15 years in the Premier League recently, we'd be averaging 15-20k.

Try and do a bit of research into your own and other club's history. We're not 'happy' to play at this level....just over 20 years ago we were pushing for the playoffs to the Premier League. We've been in the main dreadful for 20 years and are trying to rebuild ourselves.

 

[Si Robin]

This is the key thing - don't think we've been outplayed in any league game since DC came in. We were ok yesterday and could have nicked a point, but as usual our home form will decide things. I'm more confident of getting something at home to Pompey than yesterday's game. And now that I've said these things we'll probably get smashed 4-0 on Saturday

I've predicted a 3-1 win on the pod this week. God knows why...

 

[BRFC_Gas]

I've predicted a 3-1 win on the pod this week. God knows why...

It's the hope that kills you

 

[Don Tonberry]

Come on....this just shows how little football knowledge you have. Vale have been in the Championship for almost half their existence and played alongside Portsmouth in that league for many years. You're a relatively big club for level 3 but you'd be a fairly average sized club in the Championship. Just because you spent more than you earned to get into the Premier League doesn't make you a huge club all of a sudden. You'll have undoubtedly picked up a number of hangers on due to your time in the Premier League (see Bolton, Stoke etc.). I wager that if Vale had spent 10-15 years in the Premier League recently, we'd be averaging 15-20k.

Try and do a bit of research into your own and other club's history. We're not 'happy' to play at this level....just over 20 years ago we were pushing for the playoffs to the Premier League. We've been in the main dreadful for 20 years and are trying to rebuild ourselves.

As much as I agree with some of your post (mainly us and others having hangers on and being an average sized Championship club and Vale having that potential) and I hate defending Pompeyblueboy, you need to take your own advice when it comes to researching other clubs' history,

Pompey did not spend more than they earned to get into the Premier League back in 2003. I would say we might have got a bit lucky with a few other clubs spending money they didn't have after the collapse of ITV Digital but our signings were funded by the £5 million sale of Peter Crouch to Villa, and Redknapp used those funds to build a Division One winning team.

In fact, the first two seasons Pompey were in the Prem, they made a profit. It's only when Gaydamak came in that the issues started happening.

If I were a Vale fan, I'd be thinking there's a good opportunity in the next decade to become the biggest club in Staffordshire if the setup and ambition is there given Stoke's slow fade into obscurity. They could well end up playing in League One next season if their malaise continues.

 

[valefan16]

As much as I agree with some of your post (mainly us and others having hangers on and being an average sized Championship club and Vale having that potential) and I hate defending Pompeyblueboy, you need to take your own advice when it comes to researching other clubs' history,

Pompey did not spend more than they earned to get into the Premier League back in 2003. I would say we might have got a bit lucky with a few other clubs spending money they didn't have after the collapse of ITV Digital but our signings were funded by the £5 million sale of Peter Crouch to Villa, and Redknapp used those funds to build a Division One winning team.

In fact, the first two seasons Pompey were in the Prem, they made a profit. It's only when Gaydamak came in that the issues started happening.

If I were a Vale fan, I'd be thinking there's a good opportunity in the next decade to become the biggest club in Staffordshire if the setup and ambition is there given Stoke's slow fade into obscurity. They could well end up playing in League One next season if their malaise continues.

Would be lovely but they have their “2008ers” and usually find a way to hit a bit of form at the right time!

That said they’ve had to chew on us beating them a few times for over 20 years now and us winning at Huddersfield to save ourselves and send them down in 98 (with Man City how times change!).

It’s why I never want them in the cup… would be great if they came down mind, it’s a great atmosphere and occasion the Potteries Derby.

Ultimately we are all where we are on merit regardless of size, we can look back to being a decent second tier outfit and can’t imagine many would have considered being below Fleetwood or Crawley of the regional leagues in 20 years so a lot changes in football.

 

[leedsvaliant]

As much as I agree with some of your post (mainly us and others having hangers on and being an average sized Championship club and Vale having that potential) and I hate defending Pompeyblueboy, you need to take your own advice when it comes to researching other clubs' history,

Pompey did not spend more than they earned to get into the Premier League back in 2003. I would say we might have got a bit lucky with a few other clubs spending money they didn't have after the collapse of ITV Digital but our signings were funded by the £5 million sale of Peter Crouch to Villa, and Redknapp used those funds to build a Division One winning team.

In fact, the first two seasons Pompey were in the Prem, they made a profit. It's only when Gaydamak came in that the issues started happening.

If I were a Vale fan, I'd be thinking there's a good opportunity in the next decade to become the biggest club in Staffordshire if the setup and ambition is there given Stoke's slow fade into obscurity. They could well end up playing in League One next season if their malaise continues.

Fair enough, I assumed that you had made it to the big time through overspend, as many clubs seem to do at that time. I just get annoyed when people like Pompeyblueboy group us in with teams like Stevenage and Fleetwood....we're nothing like those teams. You're a good club with a solid fanbase, certainly bigger than ours, but the way Pompeyblueboy talks is like you’re a vastly superior club with aspirations way beyond our own. We were both in the Championship when teams like Bournemouth, Brentford and Burnley were in it....so if they can do it why can't we? It would need serious investment of course but I'd say we have more potential than Bournemouth ever had before the money came their way. Brighton also were a pretty small club 20 years ago and Brentford were a similar size.

With regards Stoke...unfortunately they have one of the richest families in the UK owning them and Bet365 has become a monster. They've been spectacularly mismanaged but I think if they were in real peril of dropping to this league then they would spend. Annoyingly, just when you think they are dropping like a stone they pick up 2 or 3 good results in a row to keep their head above water. They do massively inflate their gates though by adding all season tickets into the attendance...somebody said they're only actually getting 10-12k in each week....they have lost a lot of the hangers on as their fan base never seems to be massively committed to them...it's odd. I know a lot of Stoke fans and a lot of them never go and don't even know who they're playing.

 

[valefan16]

Fair enough, I assumed that you had made it to the big time through overspend, as many clubs seem to do at that time. I just get annoyed when people like Pompeyblueboy group us in with teams like Stevenage and Fleetwood....we're nothing like those teams. You're a good club with a solid fanbase, certainly bigger than ours, but the way Pompeyblueboy talks is like you’re a vastly superior club with aspirations way beyond our own. We were both in the Championship when teams like Bournemouth, Brentford and Burnley were in it....so if they can do it why can't we? It would need serious investment of course but I'd say we have more potential than Bournemouth ever had before the money came their way. Brighton also were a pretty small club 20 years ago and Brentford were a similar size.

With regards Stoke...unfortunately they have one of the richest families in the UK owning them and Bet365 has become a monster. They've been spectacularly mismanaged but I think if they were in real peril of dropping to this league then they would spend. Annoyingly, just when you think they are dropping like a stone they pick up 2 or 3 good results in a row to keep their head above water. They do massively inflate their gates though by adding all season tickets into the attendance...somebody said they're only actually getting 10-12k in each week....they have lost a lot of the hangers on as their fan base never seems to be massively committed to them...it's odd. I know a lot of Stoke fans and a lot of them never go and don't even know who they're playing.

Brentford I would agree with, historically we'd be as big if not bigger, 10-15 years back we'd get as big crowds and generally would be higher in the pyramid than them or on an even keel.

Brighton though I think were always a sleeping giant but hamstrung with playing at an athletics stadium. Once they got the new ground they could live to potential.

Bournemouth got a rich owner didn't they? But again a side we'd spent a lot of time either with or above in the pyramid until 10-15 years back.

But yea we are not in the same boat as Stevenage/Fleetwood size wise, we haven't been in non league for 105 years when there were only about 20-30 league clubs! and we'd been one of the 2nd tier founder members before going pop briefly and do have 41 years in the second tier.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Brentford I would agree with, historically we'd be as big if not bigger, 10-15 years back we'd get as big crowds and generally would be higher in the pyramid than them or on an even keel.

Brighton though I think were always a sleeping giant but hamstrung with playing at an athletics stadium. Once they got the new ground they could live to potential.

Bournemouth got a rich owner didn't they? But again a side we'd spent a lot of time either with or above in the pyramid until 10-15 years back.

But yea we are not in the same boat as Stevenage/Fleetwood size wise, we haven't been in non league for 105 years when there were only about 20-30 league clubs! and we'd been one of the 2nd tier founder members before going pop briefly and do have 41 years in the second tier.

Seriously, you only had 5000 home fans last week!

 

[valefan16]

Seriously, you only had 5000 home fans last week!

Exactly which is what Brentford and AFCB were getting at this level which is my point.

 

[dwightyorke]

Exeter only get 4k crowds apart from the last season or so so I don't know why your going off on one about vale getting 5k for a home match.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Ruben Selles charged with being on the touchline for the game, when he was apparently banned. Be interesting to see what happens with this

 

[HutchECFC]

Ruben Selles charged with being on the touchline for the game, when he was apparently banned. Be interesting to see what happens with this

Give us the 3 points