Wisbech Town Fenland thread

[Petersfield]

Is there any Wisbech fans out there?, let me answer that, no, or even Yaxley.? As a disaffected Cambridge fan, i now follow the fenlanders, especially when a burger, coffee and chips is a fiver.

It isnt much better though. The Wisbech chairman last season sacked the manager after the first team had no training facilities, and the team met on matchdays. I wonder if they now have training facilities, if they havent its bottom of the league time again. It will be the managers fault though. Good luck to Kings Lynn, they deserve being in the conference. Ill be going there occasionally.

It would be hard to find a team less successful than Wisbech, but youve got to love them for it though.

 

[Atavistic]

As someone involved with Yaxley - and hence well aware of the constant jumping of players between us and Wisbech - I know for a fact that Wisbech were using our ground for training last season, though it's unclear whether that's still the case.

The bigger problem Wisbech have is the travelling in their league is very offputting for the players they could sign, so that really ties the manager's hands in terms of what he can do. It also means that we often end up poaching their better players (Joel Earps, Aaron Hart and the returning Charley Sanders and Sam Spencer have all joined us from Wisbech in the last 12 months), which merely worsens their position.

The travelling situation should improve if they can avoid going down this coming season, as the restructure will shift the leagues around and cut the northernmost teams out of Wisbech's league in while pushing us, Stamford, St. Neots and Cambridge City (assuming all remain at Step 4) into it. That should at least let them recruit better and maybe fare a little better at this level. Though, if still without training facilities, there is a big limit on what any team can do.

As for Yaxley, we seem to have done a decent job of establishing ourselves at Step 4 so far, despite a small budget and fanbase for this level. We were pushing for the play-offs before the season was cancelled, and despite the loss of Dan Jarvis (who scored 8 in 12) I'd like to think we can do similar again this time out. However, our AGM was recently delayed at very short notice, so it may not be all rosy behind the scenes (I have vague ideas of some stuff that has been happening, but it's not all clear yet).

 

[Petersfield]

I keep meaning to visit Yaxley, i will get round to it. Seb Hayes the ex manager did say the team had trained at Yaxley, but it was temporary, and that he paid for it out of the playing budget. Whether the training was sufficient to practice set plays, skills practice, fitness, team morale etc is anyones guess. To me just turning up is so amateur.

Just using a bit of common, i wonder why they didnt practice on a common, no pun intended. As for regionalisation, i quite enjoy watching Kidsgrove or Leek. Local derbys will be good though. You cant beat a warm August or september evening under floodlights.

You are right about travelling, an evening game oop norf cant be any fun coming home. Whats been happening at Yaxley then?, i wont tip off the Mail.

 

[Atavistic]

I can't say too much about what I think might be the cause as the club have asked me to keep it under wraps. All I can really say is that rumours about this have been rumbling on since at least early last season and that if it were to happen it would be a real boost to our long-term staying power at Step 4.

I'm hoping that's the reason for the AGM delay, and not because of any financial problems arising because of Covid. At the very least, besides the loss of Dan Jarvis to Peterborough Sports, I believe we have maintained all of last season's squad (as of the final match played before lockdown), while also making a few additions here and there. In other words, business as usual in the transfer market and the core of our squad once again kept together (as it has been since the promotion season).

 

[SGW]

I saw Wisbech twice last season, home and away and, yes, they were far and away the worst team in the division. Very lucky that coronavirus has given them a second bite of the cherry.

Putting the travel issue into reverse, I had to travel all the way from the North West to Wisbech on the opening day of the season to watch my son's Stoke-based team play them. It was a bloody long way to do once a season and I really wouldn't fancy it the other way around (not that every trip is THAT bad, of course).

Point of order, though, Stamford already are in the same division as Wisbech so there'll be no movement between leagues needed there. The fact that Stamford did so well last season despite being in the same neck of the woods is also an indicator that there's more than just geography going on to explain Wisbech's dire season.

 

[Petersfield]

Ive watched a lot of non league football, and i can assure you that the Wisbech team at the beginning of last season was the worst professional football team i had ever seen. It did get better as the season wore on but not by much.

Its a shame because Wisbech are potentially a premiership club in the southern or northern leagues.

I presume your sons team is Newcastle, i used to live three minutes from the ground when i lived in Stoke. Its a small world. By the way, didnt Wisbech win at Newcastle last season?

 

[SGW]

No, mate, he plays for Leek (not strictly Stoke, I know).

I can easily believe that Newcastle lost to Wisbech: a lot of youngsters and very up and down (on one of their better days, they were one of the very few teams which took points off Leek, although granted that Leek were a man down for most of the game).

Anyway, enjoy the season and hopefully it will be a better one for Wisbech. Can't say that I am looking forward to traipsing over your way again, though.