The story of Southend United’s demise bears many familiar hallmarks. Unpaid bills. Late wages. Transfer embargoes. Winding-up petitions. Protesting fans. A spiral through the leagues.
This week my phone has been going crazy again with calls and messages after I was announced as Darlington’s new manager. I’m really proud. Everyone has made me feel so welcome already.
There are certain grounds I’ve wanted to visit for a while but all my travelling companions have been there. One such venue is FC Clacton on the Essex coast.
80 clubs are competing for the opportunity to reach the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup and potentially be drawn to face a Step 1 National League side.
“Without going out of your door, you can know all things on earth.”
George Harrison may have had more transcendental matters in mind, but in many ways the meditative moptop could have been singing about the advent of National League TV.
There’s a touch of intrigue about today’s proceedings. I quite fancy ticking off Hullbridge Sports in the FA Cup but am convinced The Fox has been there, so decide to wait until he’s away. It turns out The Fox hasn’t been either!
Hello, it’s good to be back. I don’t mean me – although it has been a while – but the football season and hence the welcome resumption of normal service. Despite decades of practice, football’s close season is a tricky beast to negotiate.
Peter McCormack’s bold announcement about plans to take Real Bedford into the Premier League was dismissed with the same “Oh no, here we go again” reaction that all other big money men receive when taking over a club and making similar bold claims.
Football fans can so often be relied on to do good things and it’s no different when it comes to the Hereford United Supporters’ Trust and their new Community Social Inclusion project in partnership with Hereford FC.
Luton Town playing their first ever game in the Premier League brought to mind that great John Still quote having watched them lose 2-0 to Braintree Town just hours after he’d left Dagenham & Redbridge to take over as Hatters boss.
Horbury Town joined the Northern Counties East League last season. I fully intended to pay the club a visit but never managed to get around to it. This season, I am determined to tick off the Juice Personnel Stadium in double-quick time.
What do we all do in the close season? Some eagerly await new signings, complain when the fixtures aren’t out at the same time as the Premier League (“Workington away on a Tuesday, AGAIN!”) and daydream about winning the League by Christmas.
After last night’s enjoyable opener of The United Counties League Groundhop at Saffron Dynamo, I am joined for today’s four Hop games by The Fox and Essex Joe.
272 clubs are involved in the FA Cup preliminary round as the remaining Step 4 teams join those from Steps 4 to 6 which made it through the extra preliminary round, including FA Cup debutants Okehampton Argyle, the only Step 6 club to definitely be involved in this round so far.