Saturday 11th January

[Son of Cod]

Top quality cyberattack by GTFCFish to block the site and head off the tirade of tinpot club abuse from Notts fans...

It was actually the Notts fans that crashed the forum so that nobody could flag their club's completely RATTLED statement.

In all seriousness though, terrible comms from us. Quite why they handled it the way they did, I'll never really know. Must have been highly frustrating for both sets of fans that travelled, plenty of which were coming from further afield than Nottingham on both sides.

To put a positive spin on things, we might now get a playoff race ding dong under the lights and we're also now evens for the 21/22 playoff tickets in my eyes.

 

[valefan16]

Not much to recap over the weekend really, Walsall march on, saw bits of the game, Tranmere unlucky with the red as it looked a foul you get most times but silly grabbing the ball and taking the risk. Walsall lethal in front of goal.

Crewe slipping up is a boost for us in the chasing pack as keeps them in arms length and their game in hand now gone without too much damage.

Congrats to Doncaster on progressing to the fourth round and thought Accrington did themselves proud and had a couple of really good chances, by all accounts great effort from Harrogate and thought Bromley did well against a very strong Newcastle XI. In those games you want that "Moment" like we had at the Etihad where you get a goal whilst the game is close and they got that which they'll remember.

Morecambe and Salford good efforts but on a hiding to nothing going away to those places really, good money to be made though.

 

[jacobncfc]

It was actually the Notts fans that crashed the forum so that nobody could flag their club's completely RATTLED statement.

In all seriousness though, terrible comms from us. Quite why they handled it the way they did, I'll never really know. Must have been highly frustrating for both sets of fans that travelled, plenty of which were coming from further afield than Nottingham on both sides.

To put a positive spin on things, we might now get a playoff race ding dong under the lights and we're also now evens for the 21/22 playoff tickets in my eyes.

I can be chill about it as we got lucky with the country’s disastrous rail network and never made it out of Sheffield anyway. Would’ve struggled to make kick-off had it been on.

Was all very silly. It was obviously really cold and I assume the areas likely to be a worry are also obvious. Why you wouldn’t do an inspection of them on Friday afternoon and then first thing on Saturday… who knows!?!

 

[gary]

I see Wimbledon's brand new pitch covers worked brilliantly.

They made it so that fans would get all the way to London before postponing, instead of doing it at 8:00 and realising that the temperature was never going increase to enough to thaw the pitch out.

We were pilloried last week for calling the game off 24 hours before (not on here tbf) but rather that than false hope and a late postponement instead.

Yeah apparently the covers only work up to -3. Friday night was considerably colder. No real excuse though for calling the game off at 12.30. Both teams apparently wanted to play the game but the ref wasn't having it. Our match at Fleetwood was called off on the morning of the game last week. I only go to the odd away game but I certainly wouldn't be booking advance train tickets for game's in the Winter.

 

[Limerick Mariner]

It was actually the Notts fans that crashed the forum so that nobody could flag their club's completely RATTLED statement.

In all seriousness though, terrible comms from us. Quite why they handled it the way they did, I'll never really know. Must have been highly frustrating for both sets of fans that travelled, plenty of which were coming from further afield than Nottingham on both sides.

To put a positive spin on things, we might now get a playoff race ding dong under the lights and we're also now evens for the 21/22 playoff tickets in my eyes.

I wouldn't say terrible comms - there were several comms updates for a start, and I'm sure the club did some sample checks on the state of the pitch under the covers. Clearly the covers can't be removed in full if it's freezing because that would let the frost in. Overly optimistic I think is the main issue perhaps, given our problem with the Blundell Park micro-climate. What is clear is that Cleethorpes was one of the warmest places in the country. I set off after a final check in the morning with the Clee temp showing -1 and a forecast showing 3 degrees by 11.30. I didn't see any great risk of it being off. It appears locally at BP the temp overnight got as low -3.

I can't see how GTFC could call it off the night before with a pitch that they believed was fine under the covers and given the forecast. I'm not sure it was even in the clubs's gift without it being frozen solid, as it was due to be televised.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

Frustrating draw for Crewe Alex. Didn't play well at all and a touch fortunate Swindons finishing was poor. Manager bemoaned the performance but I'm not sure why, that's largely how we've played in most of our away games this season. Tentative, defensive, just trying keep it 0-0 and hope a bit of quality comes along to snatch a goal. That's our 17th away league game in a row without a first half goal.

Bigger worry is, every time they try a plan B system wise, it doesn't work and throws the balance out of whack. This constant insistence on pushing Williams to LB and Conway into a LCM role doesn't work, nor does having a front 3. With better tactics and a slightly higher level of play, we could be chasing Walsall for the title. As it is, the amount of draws we're getting could see our ceiling being the play-offs. Which is annoying.

Congratulations. You are a supporter of the fifth team that we have played in the last 3/4 weeks that has said "we were shit/poor/didnt play well" (delete as appropriate|) after either loosing or drawing with us. We dont appear to be getting any credit for our recent performances (Notts apart). Yes our finishing was poor on Saturday but we've hit 3 in each of our previous 3 home games so its not too bad. Lets put things into perspective. We were 22nd and Crewe 2nd prior to Saturdays game and yet we were the dominant side. I'll say it now but you can take STFC out of any relegation equations.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Over optimistic (as if trying to convince themselves) and a little bit tinpot. But you've gotta do everything to go after that additional Sky money when on offer so I don't blame em.

 

[GTFCfish]

Weekend results:

Walsall 5-1 Tranmere
Swindon 0-0 Crewe
Onefootballforum.co.uk P-P

 

[BarraMatt]

Weekend results:

Walsall 5-1 Tranmere
Swindon 0-0 Crewe
Onefootballforum.co.uk P-P

Due to frozen server.

 

[Luke Imp]

I watched the first 60 minutes of Walsall vs Tranmere and deary me, what on earth was that from Tranmere? Unorganised, weak, undisciplined, passive, giving away stupid free kicks, bit of petulance - didn't look a happy camp.

 

[Dan Phillips]

Tranmere will go down, 100%.

 

[valefan16]

Tranmere will go down, 100%.

Doesn't look promising for them, 18 goals scored shows the real problem although 37 against isn't great either.

If Carlisle improve with their new signings and have a decent second half to the season then you'd look at them as most likely as it stands to join Morecambe.

 

[Alfie]

Tranmere will go down, 100%.

I sincerely hope not but if so Tranmere would be a big fish in a small pond and their fans would know the team would win many more games than now at their impressive stadium.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

I sincerely hope not but if so Tranmere would be a big fish in a small pond and their fans would know the team would win many more games than now at their impressive stadium.

This sounds awfully familiar.

 

[Son of Cod]

I wouldn't say terrible comms - there were several comms updates for a start, and I'm sure the club did some sample checks on the state of the pitch under the covers. Clearly the covers can't be removed in full if it's freezing because that would let the frost in. Overly optimistic I think is the main issue perhaps, given our problem with the Blundell Park micro-climate. What is clear is that Cleethorpes was one of the warmest places in the country. I set off after a final check in the morning with the Clee temp showing -1 and a forecast showing 3 degrees by 11.30. I didn't see any great risk of it being off. It appears locally at BP the temp overnight got as low -3.

I can't see how GTFC could call it off the night before with a pitch that they believed was fine under the covers and given the forecast. I'm not sure it was even in the clubs's gift without it being frozen solid, as it was due to be televised.

Terrible comms/decision making/planning of some sort then. Not solely/specifically comms. Terrible handling? I would disagree that it wasn't terrible as they were heavily indicating that the match was not in any danger of being off. Regardless of what the weather was looking like that was a clumsy approach. Had they not done that then I'd fully agree. However, if you say a match is not in danger then you have to be 100% sure of that for me.

 

[Scum.]

I see Wimbledon's brand new pitch covers worked brilliantly.

They made it so that fans would get all the way to London before postponing, instead of doing it at 8:00 and realising that the temperature was never going increase to enough to thaw the pitch out.

We were pilloried last week for calling the game off 24 hours before (not on here tbf) but rather that than false hope and a late postponement instead.

tinpot.

 

[jacobncfc]

Terrible comms/decision making/planning of some sort then. Not solely/specifically comms. Terrible handling? I would disagree that it wasn't terrible as they were heavily indicating that the match was not in any danger of being off. Regardless of what the weather was looking like that was a clumsy approach. Had they not done that then I'd fully agree. However, if you say a match is not in danger then you have to be 100% sure of that for me.

I didn’t have a problem with the ones on previous days really, you’ve only got a forecast to go on, but the update on Saturday morning was pretty crap. It was only three hours until kick-off, by that point someone should really have had a proper look and been able to say pretty definitively either way.

 

[Limerick Mariner]

Over optimistic (as if trying to convince themselves) and a little bit tinpot. But you've gotta do everything to go after that additional Sky money when on offer so I don't blame em.

It's not clear what the per match fee is on the EFL Q and A on the deal. It's subject to negotiation amongst the clubs. So the Championship nab most of the per match pot and half a crown left for league 2...

 

[SaddlerJonny]

Pretty standard victory on Saturday where we just purred in second gear all game bar the 5 or so minutes after the red card when the game got scrappy and Tranmere got one back. Sad it was Lowe's last one in hindsight, but glad he got a goal and an assist as a send off (even though I thought he wasn't at his usual form).

Club record 8 wins on the bounce too, which is unreal.

Jamma looks a completely different player than the one we got from Forest Green 2 years ago. I remember watching him at Crewe away when he got subbed on and it looked like it actually hurt him to run - slow and laboured. Thought it was gonna be one of those signings where the player realises they should have retired 6 months ago. He's been fantastic the past year though, we are so much better when he is on the pitch and I think he is a big reason Lowe has scored so many. The perfect foil and mentor.

Tranmere were pretty shocking. Ex Saddlers Kieron Morris was anonymous and Cameron Norman downright hilarious. They'll go down based on that showing.

 

[Optipez]

A shame the board crashed over the weekend, we were robbed of a spectacular meltdown from Notts fans over our postponement

Deserves its own tinpot thread.

 

[Optipez]

Terrible comms/decision making/planning of some sort then. Not solely/specifically comms. Terrible handling? I would disagree that it wasn't terrible as they were heavily indicating that the match was not in any danger of being off. Regardless of what the weather was looking like that was a clumsy approach. Had they not done that then I'd fully agree. However, if you say a match is not in danger then you have to be 100% sure of that for me.

I don't know why you couldn't roll the covers back on Friday afternoon around the shaded parts to have a peek. Pretty much the only people who thought it would be on was Grimsbys groundsman.
I wasn't going anyway so not a problem to me but the last few years Notts have had some very late postponements at Dover, Fylde, Kings Lynn and Bradford.