Saturday 10th December 2022

[Tom_ITFC]

I think that's the same with most derbies. The East Anglians will always tell you about the vitriol between the two teams but it always looks pretty cordial from the outside. Similar with the 2 Sheffield teams.

What you have to remember with the potteries derby is that the Potteries is a deprived area, many people don't have anything to lose and are a bit rough (not me, I'm from the Staffordshire Moorlands don't you know). You're also talking about one of the most feared hooligan gangs in football (the naughty forty) from Stoke....all that mixed plus the fact that the lardies are delusional and hate it if Vale are above them and it does become a pretty vitriolic game. The Victoria ground games were among some of the most intimidating I have ever been to.

My school was in between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek (North of the city), and I'd say it was a pretty much 50/50 split at our school between Stoke and Vale fans. It still exists to a lesser extent (more Man City and Liverpool fans now).

It really is funny how people say something like that but so often on social media people compare us to Norwich for no reason whilst they are as an ‘outsider’ other than the fact there is a derby between us in our region.

I for one would feel uncomfortable ever living in Norfolk (not just Norwich) because I wouldn’t want to be near them.

It’s probably seen by others as not a derby as we haven’t played each other much over the last decade.

There’s only two large teams in East Anglia (historically Suffolk and Norfolk are East Anglia. Essex and Cambridgeshire are ‘loosely’ seen as East Anglia) so the bulk of football fans would be fans of one or the other.

 

[Bar Carousel]

The difference between inner city rivalries is that you are hating on a team and its fans.

The rivalry between two towns or cities means that you are hating on an entire region. In extreme cases, it reaches a point that you wouldn't purposely visit there, spend money in their shops to boost 'their' economy, date their women etc. It is more tribal. You never see a rival shirt in your town for example, unless they are on a death wish. The two fan bases rarely mix, so the mere sight of a rivals colours is enough to tip some over the edge. I guess inner cities have recognised districts of support for a particular side (North, South etc), but I don't know if it is as exclusive as this?

There's no doubt that come match day, some of the fiercest rivalries are inner city clashes just as much as those between different places.

I imagine each rivalry has its own level of intensity, with some being much more tepid than others. I've only ever been to ours, so have nothing to benchmark against.

 

[valefan16]

It really is funny how people say something like that but so often on social media people compare us to Norwich for no reason whilst they are as an ‘outsider’ other than the fact there is a derby between us in our region.

I for one would feel uncomfortable ever living in Norfolk (not just Norwich) because I wouldn’t want to be near them.

It’s probably seen by others as not a derby as we haven’t played each other much over the last decade.

There’s only two large teams in East Anglia (historically Suffolk and Norfolk are East Anglia. Essex and Cambridgeshire are ‘loosely’ seen as East Anglia) so the bulk of football fans would be fans of one or the other.

I found Norwich a strange experience, had an Ex who was a Canary years back and went and was surprised by how polite they were, MK were proper shithousery that day and winding them up something chronic (ended 1-1), it was "bloody hell" and stuff...

At Vale it would have had us seething with every swear word under the sun coming out!

 

[CTFCfan99]

Two key players in our defence are out through injury and suspension (adding to all of our other woes). Can't see us winning this one.

Any idea if your pitch is covered? Seems touch and go whether it'll go ahead.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Our frost covers are on so no problem with getting the game on. Just hope we can Continue on from last week, but with more of an end product

 

[Stroud]

Any idea if your pitch is covered? Seems touch and go whether it'll go ahead.

I suspect pitch will be covered overnight but your post reminded me of your title winning year when your long throw player (forget his name) could not throw ball into penalty area because the groundsheets prevented him from a run-up.

 

[PlymouthCasual]

Do Cambridge have frost covers to help ensure the game is playable?

A large part of me is hoping that the game gets pulled as I cant see us getting anything on a ice cold Winter Saturday in Cambridgeshire I must admit. Especially with the injury issues we are currently experiencing.

 

[Essex2Wessex]

We do have frost covers, and even through we've only seldom had problems with the pitch freezing (rain and fog have caused more problems), not sure I'd bet on the match going ahead - because of potential safety hazards on the roads around and nearthe ground perhaps more than anything involving the state of the pitch.

 

[Luke Imp]

Do Cambridge have frost covers to help ensure the game is playable?

A large part of me is hoping that the game gets pulled as I cant see us getting anything on a ice cold Winter Saturday in Cambridgeshire I must admit. Especially with the injury issues we are currently experiencing.

All EFL Clubs are required to have to have frost covers. They became mandatory about 12 years or so back IIRC.

 

[Luke Imp]

Accrington vs Portsmouth off.

 

[Greenacres]

We do have frost covers, and even through we've only seldom had problems with the pitch freezing (rain and fog have caused more problems), not sure I'd bet on the match going ahead - because of potential safety hazards on the roads around and nearthe ground perhaps more than anything involving the state of the pitch.

True...the issue is that the half of the pitch in front of the Main Stand is in shade at this time of year until late afternoon, even with covers on the pitch I can't see it thawing out during the morning as it will be in shade. Temperature for Nailsworth predicted to drop to -4C overnight.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Portsmouth are going to have a few games to get through!

 

[Si Robin]

True...the issue is that the half of the pitch in front of the Main Stand is in shade at this time of year until late afternoon, even with covers on the pitch I can't see it thawing out during the morning as it will be in shade. Temperature for Nailsworth predicted to drop to -4C overnight.

Obviously I'm sure different manufacturers have different levels, but I'm sure when they became mandatory for EFL clubs a few years back, it was stated that the Cheltenham ones protect down to -7c.

I think the game goes ahead tomorrow myself.

 

[Fuzzyvalefan]

Accrington vs Portsmouth off.

Not surprised. Accringtons pitch has always been shite.

 

[valefan16]

Not surprised. Accringtons pitch has always been shite.

Still remember going up on a Tuesday on the train, staying over when it got called off 30 minutes before kick off! Went down to the ground the next morning to take a look and to be fair the groundsman saw me and took me on the pitch to show me the ground etc... went up two weeks later... same again another £100.00 with hotel and train... 2-0 down early on and were awful... things we do!

 

[Luke Imp]

We had a pitch inspection this afternoon and it was playable, with another to take place at 10am tomorrow morning.

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

We had a pitch inspection this afternoon and it was playable, with another to take place at 10am tomorrow morning.

Good communication from the club on this. Not only are they thinking of the away team and fans, but we have a high portion of season ticket holders who live a good distance away from Lincoln too!

Thinking about it, their team will already be up here. Hopefully its on!

 

[Luke Imp]

Good communication from the club on this. Not only are they thinking of the away team and fans, but we have a high portion of season ticket holders who live a good distance away from Lincoln too!

Thinking about it, their team will already be up here. Hopefully its on!

Should be fine looking at this, unless the temperature really plummets over the next few hours.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1601286958550233089

 

[BRFC_Gas]

To be honest for Saturday if the temperatures drop as they’re predicted to do for the remainder of the week it wouldn’t surprise me if the game was at some risk due to a frozen pitch. I’m assuming Rovers don’t have undersoil heating.

No, we just have Barton to provide the hot air from the sidelines

 

[Bartonyellow]

Going to be interesting today / derby fans have clearly bought tickets for the home end. See how the stewards deal with it if and when they score. Loads on Twitter gobbling off how they are going to take the home end.
Hope we fucking smash them.

 

[Greenacres]

Pitch inspection at 10am.

 

[Luke Imp]

Ours has been pushed back an hour to 11am because the ref apparently wants the covers off and the pitch exposed for an an hour to see if there's much/any change.

 

[Greenacres]

Further inspection at 12...this suggests to me that there is some doubt about areas of the pitch being playable but the referee is hoping that they will be by then and the game can go ahead.

 

[K-Win]

Accrington vs Portsmouth off.

Good. We're rubbish at the moment.

Portsmouth are going to have a few games to get through!

Yes indeed, although hopefully we'll be in better shape for these after Jan window and some key players back from injury etc. Never good to be chasing games, though.

The FA Cup will no longer be a distraction after our visit to Spurs early Jan but we're still hanging around in the Pizza so that will likely use up more game slots.

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

Game on!

 

[HutchECFC]

Game on at our place. Covers have done their job, pitch looks immacuate, considering the temperatures.

 

[BarrieOwl]

Hoping we get our first ever league win down there.

Is a tough place to go when their fans are up for it.

 

[kieran_vale]

Our game is definitely on. Would probably expect the starting lineup as the one we had against Plymouth, only possible change I can imagine would be Harrison on the bench if he’s back fit. Be nice if Funso Ojo can be close to a return too.

 

[stevowanderer]

Wish ours had been called off…. We have loads missing through injury and illness. 2 kids on the bench plus bodvarsson who has an operation booked tomorrow for his broken nose and will aimson who isn’t supposed to be back from injury yet. No santos, Morley, beck, Thomason all who would have started. And no Sadlier as well who has been such a good impact player for us.

 

[stevowanderer]

Already 1 down after a minute. Just had that feeling today we are gonna be on the receiving end of something with so many players missing