Well, it's not the Tuesday after the Saturday before, and I'm only now getting to full terms with the Shrewsbury horror show. Again, having not been to the game it's incredibly hard to write a justified opinion, but from what I've seen of the goals and the reports, County were quite simply, awful. The whole performance was summed up by Shrewsbury's second goal - a woeful back pass from midfield, a feeble (if that) attempt to beat the Shrewsbury forward to the ball, a lack of determination to make up for the mistake (Swailes, on both occasions) and a less than convincing effort to save the final shot - all resulted in a gift of a goal to (admittedly) superior opponents.
I mentioned previously about some players needing a big performance to win over the County faithful. Suffice to say that the impressions made by some players were certainly far from positive. Swailes by all accounts had an appalling day (new dad syndrome?); Assoumani - up to now a solid looking defender,simply wasn't at the races; Lynch struggled, the midfield was once again over-run (despite the extra man) and no support whatsoever was given to Donnelly up front. Conlon when he came on was anonymous, while the less said about Proctor the better.
In the end it was 4-0 and in the words of one wag, County were probably lucky to get nil. Paul Simpson summed it up perfectly in his post-match interview - defending that would shame a Sunday League team coupled with a chronic lack of confidence is really hurting the team (and supporters) at the moment. Quite simply, at the moment, County have to score first to stand a chance of getting something out of any game. The problem is however, scoring that goal....
There has however been a slightly more positive development today (Tuesday). Although it's never nice to see people leave (unless their name is Jamie Proctor), County have announced that Gianluca Havern, Sam Hare and Ritchie Partridge have left the club by mutual consent. To be fair, none of them really made that much of an impact - Havern & Hare as youngsters never really broke into the first team picture, while Partridge simply didn't make any impact - a pretty damning statement for a senior player in an otherwise inexperienced squad. What probably also didn't help was his rumoured wages - one of the top earners at the club thanks to the Administrators offering him a new contract over the summer without the consent of the new owners or manager.
So how is 3 players leaving good news? Well for starers it give Simpson a bit more of the wage structure to play with; so much so that Robbie Williams (the footballer) has been signed up permanently. When fit - Williams is a excellent player, and his presence can only be of benefit to the team (he hasn't lost yet in a County shirt - mind you, he hasn't won either). It also means Simpson can look elsewhere - loans, free-agents - to try and bolster a squad crying out for additional bodies. If they happen to be a tough tackling midfielder, all the better.....
Tuesday 31 August 2010
Friday 27 August 2010
Taming of the Shrews?
Firstly, apologies for the lack of a post last week. Being in the North East for the weekend, I watched (via the BBC) as Stockport fell 3-1 at Stevenage; a disappointing result and a missed opportunity to continue the unbeaten run. Saying that, 2 of Stevenages' goals were real belters, and the third was, shall we say, a bit iffy - when they go in you really know it's not going to be your day. About the only good thing that seemed to come out of the trip was another goal for Donnelly. It may be early in the season, but I dread to think what would happen if he gets injured any time soon.
This weekend it's another of the anticipated big guns of League 2 - Shrewsbury Town - who make the (relatively) short trip to Edgeley Park. Shrewsbury are unbeaten in the League so far this season, and come into the game having narrowly lost away to Stoke City in the League Cup. They also come with an expectation that they will be up amongst the promotion contenders at the end of the season. Once again, there is a touch of additional spice to the match; Shrewsbury are another of Paul Simpson's former teams.
The big question for County supporters is which version of their team will turn up? If it's the side that came so close to beating Wycombe then there is a real chance of 3 points. However if it's the side that turned up for Stevenage last weekend, the story may be markedly different.
The key - as always - appears to lie within the midfield. Questions are still being asked about the Tansey-Turnbull partnership in the middle (who is the ball winner and who is the creator?), while the on-loan Proctor could do with a decent performance to win over those fans not exactly enamoured with his (thus far) selfish and lacklustre displays. Furthermore, do you go for the adventurous-but-raw Danny Pilkington or the solid-if-unspectacular David Poole on the right? Either way, support is needed for the blossoming Conlon-Donnelly partnership - given the right service, these two could score plenty of goals.
My gut feeling at the moment is that the Shrews may have a bit too much for a still bedding-in County. A win would be fantastic, so would a draw if I was being honest; but I just think we may be waiting another week before celebrating 3 points.
This weekend it's another of the anticipated big guns of League 2 - Shrewsbury Town - who make the (relatively) short trip to Edgeley Park. Shrewsbury are unbeaten in the League so far this season, and come into the game having narrowly lost away to Stoke City in the League Cup. They also come with an expectation that they will be up amongst the promotion contenders at the end of the season. Once again, there is a touch of additional spice to the match; Shrewsbury are another of Paul Simpson's former teams.
The big question for County supporters is which version of their team will turn up? If it's the side that came so close to beating Wycombe then there is a real chance of 3 points. However if it's the side that turned up for Stevenage last weekend, the story may be markedly different.
The key - as always - appears to lie within the midfield. Questions are still being asked about the Tansey-Turnbull partnership in the middle (who is the ball winner and who is the creator?), while the on-loan Proctor could do with a decent performance to win over those fans not exactly enamoured with his (thus far) selfish and lacklustre displays. Furthermore, do you go for the adventurous-but-raw Danny Pilkington or the solid-if-unspectacular David Poole on the right? Either way, support is needed for the blossoming Conlon-Donnelly partnership - given the right service, these two could score plenty of goals.
My gut feeling at the moment is that the Shrews may have a bit too much for a still bedding-in County. A win would be fantastic, so would a draw if I was being honest; but I just think we may be waiting another week before celebrating 3 points.
Sunday 15 August 2010
The Third Man
Match Summary:
Stockport County (0) 0
Wycombe Wanderers (0) 0
Venue: Edgeley Park, Stockport
Attendance: 3,837
Stockport: fon Williams, Lynch, Williams (Griffin 73), Swailes, Assoumani, Turnbull, Tansey, Poole (Pilkington 77), Rowe (Proctor 61), Donnelly, Conlon
Subs (unused): Vincent, Halls, Fisher, Ormison
Booked: Tansey
Well that's me told. After Friday's prediction of a goal-fest, yesterday's game ended as a 0-0 draw, albeit a fairly exciting one. Mind you, County did pretty much everything right except score - especially in the second half.
The first half was fairly tense - not helped by the fact County appeared to be playing with only 7 men. Once again, the midfield went AWOL, leaving Donnelly and Conlon with a pretty thankless task up front. The best opportunity of the half fell to Williams, whose free kick from just outside the area was well saved low down by Wycombe keeper Bull. Wycombe had their own chance, mainly through the reluctance of fon Williams to come any further than his 6 yard box. Fortunately this was cleared by a defence that looks more assured with each game.
And that was pretty much it for the first half. The biggest question was would Greater Manchester Police bring in the helicopter and dog squad on the search for 4 missing footballers, last reported to be in the Stockport area.
Whatever Paul Simpson said at half time must have done the trick, as County - now playing with 11 men - really set about Wycombe. Suddenly the ball was being played to Rowe (anonymous in the first half) who was enjoying the opportunity to run with the ball, while Poole was working hard on the right wing. Suddenly County looked threatening, and created numerous opportunities that on another day would have been converted. The best of these fell to Donnelly, who could have done better with his one-on-one effort having done the hard work getting into the box. The most criminal miss however came from Swailes, who - with the goal at his mercy - made a rather half-hearted attempt to reach a great free kick from Poole.
The introduction of 3 substitutes didn't disrupt the pattern of play. Proctor came on for his home debut and looked good - however he could really do with looking up once in a while and not thinking he can do it all. His insistence on beating the man 2 or 3 times and not passing to a better placed team-mate seemed to me to show a little bit of disrespect to his colleagues and opponent. The impressive Williams (rightly named as Man of the Match) limped off again to be replaced by Griffin, while Poole (who had a good game) was replaced by Pilkington. Chances continued to be created, but that final, killer touch was lacking. The same was true for Wycombe, a little bit of composure may have seen them snatch an unlikely victory in injury time, but luckily for County, the headed finish posed more of a threat to the corner flag.
So, all in all a good performance, and a point gained that last season would have very easily been lost. County look a lot more resilient, and with the discovery of a killer instinct could do well this season. I'm still not too sure about the midfield; Proctor will make a difference with his willingness to run and shoot, but an experienced head wouldn't go amiss in the centre. What really impresses me thus far is the defence - Assoumani is ridiculously calm, Lynch is solid and hard-working, Swailes never seems to shut up, and Williams - although lacking a bit of fitness - really stands out both at the back and coming forwards. A special mention must also be made about the pitch, which looked immaculate in the summer sunshine. Let's hope it manages to hold up once the rugby season starts.
The match wasn't the highlight of the day though.
Whilst getting my new County top and chatting to the shop assistant, the subject of "Where do you come from?" cropped up.
"Milton Keynes" I replied.
Assistant: "That's a fair way - get to many games?"
me: "A few - mostly away but I try to get to as many home games as I can"
Third man: "That's great commitment to your club. I like that"
The "Third man" only happened to be Paul Simpson! What to do now - ask him how he is finding his time at County? Where does he think the side needs strengthening? Nope - journalism (or spontaneity) was never my strong point, so all I could do was accept his offered handshake and smile, so that exclusive interview with the current County manager will have to wait.
BBC Match report
SCFC Official match report
Stockport County (0) 0
Wycombe Wanderers (0) 0
Venue: Edgeley Park, Stockport
Attendance: 3,837
Stockport: fon Williams, Lynch, Williams (Griffin 73), Swailes, Assoumani, Turnbull, Tansey, Poole (Pilkington 77), Rowe (Proctor 61), Donnelly, Conlon
Subs (unused): Vincent, Halls, Fisher, Ormison
Booked: Tansey
Well that's me told. After Friday's prediction of a goal-fest, yesterday's game ended as a 0-0 draw, albeit a fairly exciting one. Mind you, County did pretty much everything right except score - especially in the second half.
The first half was fairly tense - not helped by the fact County appeared to be playing with only 7 men. Once again, the midfield went AWOL, leaving Donnelly and Conlon with a pretty thankless task up front. The best opportunity of the half fell to Williams, whose free kick from just outside the area was well saved low down by Wycombe keeper Bull. Wycombe had their own chance, mainly through the reluctance of fon Williams to come any further than his 6 yard box. Fortunately this was cleared by a defence that looks more assured with each game.
And that was pretty much it for the first half. The biggest question was would Greater Manchester Police bring in the helicopter and dog squad on the search for 4 missing footballers, last reported to be in the Stockport area.
Whatever Paul Simpson said at half time must have done the trick, as County - now playing with 11 men - really set about Wycombe. Suddenly the ball was being played to Rowe (anonymous in the first half) who was enjoying the opportunity to run with the ball, while Poole was working hard on the right wing. Suddenly County looked threatening, and created numerous opportunities that on another day would have been converted. The best of these fell to Donnelly, who could have done better with his one-on-one effort having done the hard work getting into the box. The most criminal miss however came from Swailes, who - with the goal at his mercy - made a rather half-hearted attempt to reach a great free kick from Poole.
The introduction of 3 substitutes didn't disrupt the pattern of play. Proctor came on for his home debut and looked good - however he could really do with looking up once in a while and not thinking he can do it all. His insistence on beating the man 2 or 3 times and not passing to a better placed team-mate seemed to me to show a little bit of disrespect to his colleagues and opponent. The impressive Williams (rightly named as Man of the Match) limped off again to be replaced by Griffin, while Poole (who had a good game) was replaced by Pilkington. Chances continued to be created, but that final, killer touch was lacking. The same was true for Wycombe, a little bit of composure may have seen them snatch an unlikely victory in injury time, but luckily for County, the headed finish posed more of a threat to the corner flag.
So, all in all a good performance, and a point gained that last season would have very easily been lost. County look a lot more resilient, and with the discovery of a killer instinct could do well this season. I'm still not too sure about the midfield; Proctor will make a difference with his willingness to run and shoot, but an experienced head wouldn't go amiss in the centre. What really impresses me thus far is the defence - Assoumani is ridiculously calm, Lynch is solid and hard-working, Swailes never seems to shut up, and Williams - although lacking a bit of fitness - really stands out both at the back and coming forwards. A special mention must also be made about the pitch, which looked immaculate in the summer sunshine. Let's hope it manages to hold up once the rugby season starts.
The match wasn't the highlight of the day though.
Whilst getting my new County top and chatting to the shop assistant, the subject of "Where do you come from?" cropped up.
"Milton Keynes" I replied.
Assistant: "That's a fair way - get to many games?"
me: "A few - mostly away but I try to get to as many home games as I can"
Third man: "That's great commitment to your club. I like that"
The "Third man" only happened to be Paul Simpson! What to do now - ask him how he is finding his time at County? Where does he think the side needs strengthening? Nope - journalism (or spontaneity) was never my strong point, so all I could do was accept his offered handshake and smile, so that exclusive interview with the current County manager will have to wait.
BBC Match report
SCFC Official match report
Saturday 14 August 2010
Market day
Having risen before the lark this morning, I've already made my way up to Stockport for today's game. I may be 5 hours early, but there is method to my madness.
Saturday is market day in Stockport, and that means cheese, very tasty cheese! I've already been for this trip's consignment: as always the problem has been deciding what to take home!
In fact, that's a problem with the whole food hall. Right now I'm sat in a little cafe with butchers, fishmongers and delicatessens all around me and all buzzing with people. Everything looks tempting but there is only so much that I can take back (both in terms of bulk and not spoiling on the way home).
It's also great for people watching; what is really nice to see is people of all ages using this market to get fruit, veg, meat, tights, socks, bread and even vacuum bags! It is, as every market should be; right at the heart of the community.
Now, how on earth do I get those tasty looking smoked haddock fillets home......
-- Post From My iPhone
Saturday is market day in Stockport, and that means cheese, very tasty cheese! I've already been for this trip's consignment: as always the problem has been deciding what to take home!
In fact, that's a problem with the whole food hall. Right now I'm sat in a little cafe with butchers, fishmongers and delicatessens all around me and all buzzing with people. Everything looks tempting but there is only so much that I can take back (both in terms of bulk and not spoiling on the way home).
It's also great for people watching; what is really nice to see is people of all ages using this market to get fruit, veg, meat, tights, socks, bread and even vacuum bags! It is, as every market should be; right at the heart of the community.
Now, how on earth do I get those tasty looking smoked haddock fillets home......
-- Post From My iPhone
Friday 13 August 2010
Going "home"
Not satisfied with going to Southend last week, I'm off to Edgeley Park tomorrow for the first home League game of the season against Wycombe Wanderers. Over the past few seasons, games against Wycombe (particularly at Edgeley) have usually produced goals by the bucketful - 6-0, 4-3, 3-3.... all (including the draw) in County's favour I may add! My only experience of seeing this particular fixture before was the Play-off semi final second leg 2 years ago; a 1-0 win that sealed a place at Wembley and a date with history. What that game lacked in goals, it certainly made up for in terms of excitement - the only downside was not being able to get directly home afterwards thanks to Virgin Trains' incompetence!
As I've mentioned before, living ~150 miles away makes getting to home games a bit of a trek. Fortunately, the train service between Milton Keynes and Stockport has seen massive improvement (particularly since that previous fiasco I've already mentioned); so much so that I can cover the distance in a little under 90 minutes and - providing I book sufficiently in advance - have enough change from £50 to buy a pie & pint. With Stockport station being less than 10 minutes walk from Edgeley Park, I'll even managed to get a train home fairly promptly - something that even a couple of years ago was not possible.
This is probably the point where I hold my hands up and confess to being a big kid. I am really excited about going to the match tomorrow. There is always something special about that first home game of the season - how does the pitch look? Who will score the first County goal at the Cheadle End? Will the nightmare home performances of last year continue or is this a fresh, bright new dawn? Only time will tell, but for the moment I'm hopeful that the glimmers of promise seen against Southend (and against Preston for 45 minutes in midweek) will continue to grow. Three points wouldn't go amiss either....
Breaking news!!
It appears that Paul Simpson has been well aware of our midfield shortcomings, and has moved to sign Jamie Proctor on a month's loan from Preston. If he's anything like the other Preston players that turned up on Tuesday, there could be a bit of pace and trickery on show down the wing tomorrow.
As I've mentioned before, living ~150 miles away makes getting to home games a bit of a trek. Fortunately, the train service between Milton Keynes and Stockport has seen massive improvement (particularly since that previous fiasco I've already mentioned); so much so that I can cover the distance in a little under 90 minutes and - providing I book sufficiently in advance - have enough change from £50 to buy a pie & pint. With Stockport station being less than 10 minutes walk from Edgeley Park, I'll even managed to get a train home fairly promptly - something that even a couple of years ago was not possible.
This is probably the point where I hold my hands up and confess to being a big kid. I am really excited about going to the match tomorrow. There is always something special about that first home game of the season - how does the pitch look? Who will score the first County goal at the Cheadle End? Will the nightmare home performances of last year continue or is this a fresh, bright new dawn? Only time will tell, but for the moment I'm hopeful that the glimmers of promise seen against Southend (and against Preston for 45 minutes in midweek) will continue to grow. Three points wouldn't go amiss either....
Breaking news!!
It appears that Paul Simpson has been well aware of our midfield shortcomings, and has moved to sign Jamie Proctor on a month's loan from Preston. If he's anything like the other Preston players that turned up on Tuesday, there could be a bit of pace and trickery on show down the wing tomorrow.
Tuesday 10 August 2010
Ouch.
Let's be fair, when supporting County you know it's going to go one of two ways. Unfortunately tonight seems to have gone the (oh so familiar) way of decent performance accompanied by heavy defeat.
By all accounts, the first half was fairly even - County holding their own against a seasoned Championship side. That is, until the stroke of half time, when - just as I was settling down to eat my tea - Preston win a penalty, score and go into the break 1-0 up. Oh well, still 45 minutes to go and still the prospect of a County comeback.
Yeah, right.
This is where being an exile doesn't help. It would appear that County never really recovered from the penalty - and once Preston went 2-0 up (just before the hour mark) it maybe that several heads went (we haven't won since a 1-0 "thrashing" of Exeter, and that was in February). a second penalty made it 3-0, and then 2 more in the final 20 minutes wrapped up what looks like a comfortable 5-0 win for the visitors (early contender for "obvious statement of the season" there). My feeling is that the lack of confidence, together with a lack of fitness may have played a part - this side is still learning "how" to play together, and - as with Saturday - it sounds like the midfield was the weak link. But - as I wasn't there - I can only guess as to what really happened.
Elsewhere tonight, it's been a real treat for shock results - big winner including Southend (typical), Port Vale, Oxford, Crewe Bradford, Accrington, Morecambe (there's more but I won;t go on). Fortunately Saturday's opponents Wycombe have been taken to extra-time (losing 2-1 to Millwall) - although I suspect they won't be the more mentally scarred of the two teams on Saturday.
3,724 attended the match; hope the hotpot and club shop "official opening" was better than the end result.
By all accounts, the first half was fairly even - County holding their own against a seasoned Championship side. That is, until the stroke of half time, when - just as I was settling down to eat my tea - Preston win a penalty, score and go into the break 1-0 up. Oh well, still 45 minutes to go and still the prospect of a County comeback.
Yeah, right.
This is where being an exile doesn't help. It would appear that County never really recovered from the penalty - and once Preston went 2-0 up (just before the hour mark) it maybe that several heads went (we haven't won since a 1-0 "thrashing" of Exeter, and that was in February). a second penalty made it 3-0, and then 2 more in the final 20 minutes wrapped up what looks like a comfortable 5-0 win for the visitors (early contender for "obvious statement of the season" there). My feeling is that the lack of confidence, together with a lack of fitness may have played a part - this side is still learning "how" to play together, and - as with Saturday - it sounds like the midfield was the weak link. But - as I wasn't there - I can only guess as to what really happened.
Elsewhere tonight, it's been a real treat for shock results - big winner including Southend (typical), Port Vale, Oxford, Crewe Bradford, Accrington, Morecambe (there's more but I won;t go on). Fortunately Saturday's opponents Wycombe have been taken to extra-time (losing 2-1 to Millwall) - although I suspect they won't be the more mentally scarred of the two teams on Saturday.
3,724 attended the match; hope the hotpot and club shop "official opening" was better than the end result.
Hotpot or hotch potch?
Tonight sees County play their first home game of the season; a League Cup 1st round match against Championship side Preston North End. Now, being located some 120miles away, midweek home games are fairly tricky affairs to get to (the same can be said for weekend games, as my experience at the play-off semi final proved 2 years ago). So, tonights game will be followed through a combination of Sky, BBC and various iPhone apps.
Hopefully, County will have a better run than last year (we went out in round 1), and the football gods have been quite kind. County have had some decent battles with PNE (from what I can recall), PNE suffered a disappointing home defeat on Saturday and the fact Paul Simpson previously managed PNE obviously adds a touch more spice. Being at home certainly helps, and with reduced admission prices, hopefully a decent crowd will be present (the prospect of free hotpot for fans has certainly caught the imagination).
So, will tonight bring a morale-boosting win (with subsequent glamour match in the 2nd round), or will dreams of Wembley be dashed at the first hurdle. We'll know the answer at 10pm tonight.
-- Post From My iPhone
Hopefully, County will have a better run than last year (we went out in round 1), and the football gods have been quite kind. County have had some decent battles with PNE (from what I can recall), PNE suffered a disappointing home defeat on Saturday and the fact Paul Simpson previously managed PNE obviously adds a touch more spice. Being at home certainly helps, and with reduced admission prices, hopefully a decent crowd will be present (the prospect of free hotpot for fans has certainly caught the imagination).
So, will tonight bring a morale-boosting win (with subsequent glamour match in the 2nd round), or will dreams of Wembley be dashed at the first hurdle. We'll know the answer at 10pm tonight.
-- Post From My iPhone
Saturday 7 August 2010
Southend - Getting there and what to do
Southend - seaside resort of choice for Essex man (and woman), and venue for Stockport's first game in Npower League 2. I've been to Southend a couple of times before, the last being a humbling 3-1 defeat for Sunderland when the travelling support in no uncertain terms informed the players that they were not fit to wear the shirt. This time, I decided to get there early and see a bit of the town - including the seafront and famous 1.5mile long pier (the longest in the world, apparently)
In all honesty, Southend is pretty similar to Blackpool - its got a pier, a mini version of the Pleasure Beach, loads of tacky seaside souvenir shops, and countless Stag and Hen parties (one of the latter certainly looked quite scary, and that's in the daylight). Unlike Blackpool, Southend has a seafront (OK, Estuary front) vista of - the Isle of Grain and the lovely industrial plants thereupon. So, with time getting on (and the aforementioned Hen party getting more boisterous), I resisted the urge to try one of the (numerous) chip/ice cream shops and headed back into town and towards the football ground.
The walk from the seafront to the ground took the best part of 35 minutes, and you walk up a fairly homogeneous, pedestrianised High Street that could be anywhere in the UK today. Southend scores a 2 on the Greggs count, and up towards Victoria station, has several national restaurant chains (Nandos, La Tasca) as well as pubs/cafes, so there is plenty of options for something to eat.
Getting There:
Getting to Southend by train is fairly straightforward from London - all you have to do is decide which of the 2 major stations to go to. If you just want to head straight to the ground, your best bet is to take the National Express East Anglia service from Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria. Trains run every 20 minutes, and typically take just under an hour to reach Southend.
Victoria station itself is roughly a 20 minute walk from the ground - head out of the exit to the right of the barriers, across the car park and head north (i.e., away from town) along Victoria Avenue. Keep going (past the Museum/Planetarium, Library and Civic Centre buildings) until you reach a large crossroads with a pub ("The Spread Eagle" - home fans only) on the left hand side and "The Fish House" fish & chip shop on the right. Here you can enter the stadium "complex" at the main entrance by the club shop - however be warned that there are a ridiculous number of heavy gates (mostly closed) that can block your way to the stand for away fans. Your best bet is to actually carry on walking down the main road to the next junction and turn left along Fairfax Drive. After about 100m you will see an entrance (between houses) signed "Away Fans" - this leads towards the back of the stand and the ticket booth.
Your second option is to use the C2C service from Fenchurch Street to Southend Central. Again, trains run very frequently (every 10 minutes) and take about an hour to reach Southend. This option is better if you want to spend a bit of time in the town centre or on the seafront. To do either, exit the station and turn right towards the High Street (you'll come out on a corner with a Starbucks cafe. Turning right will take you down towards the seafront; turning left will take you up towards Victoria station (about 7 minutes) and the football ground.
There is actually a third station that is closer to the ground - Prittlewell is the final stop before Southend Victoria and leaves you about 10 minutes away from the ground. Exit the station onto East Street (up the steps), go over the railway bridge carry on until you see the Spread Eagle pub and "The Fish House".
The Ground:
Roots Hall is a fairly typical ground belonging to a club that has bounced around the divisions. A classic looking main stand is accompanied by 2 barrel-roofed stands (one at the north side of the ground housing the away fans, the other alongside the pitch), and a narrow, steep stand at the south (Town) end of the ground known as the "Hi-Tec Stand" (surely a case for false advertising if ever there was one). This mix of styles is topped off by a futuristic ticketing system whereby you scan your bar coded ticket to gain entry. A cynic would say that if they'd have spent as much on the team as they had the admission control system, Southend probably wouldn't be in League 2.
The away stand is - well, functional. It's got plastic seats bolted onto the old terracing, numerous pillars that can obstruct your view, toilets that have certainly seen better days, and a small serving hatch selling snacks (sadly, no jellied eels, whelks or rock here). However, the barrel roof really does help to generate some noise, particularly for a vociferous following (like County's). The view (if you avoid the pillars) is pretty good, even from the back of the stand, and you are pretty close to the edge of the pitch (so much so that I got wet from the sprinkler system, and I was sat 7 rows from the front!)
Currently admission prices are £18 adults; £13 Senior Citizens; £12 Students/17-20 yr olds or £10 for under-16's. A £2 discount is available if you book in advance.
Other Links:
Southend United Football Club
Currently admission prices are £18 adults; £13 Senior Citizens; £12 Students/17-20 yr olds or £10 for under-16's. A £2 discount is available if you book in advance.
Other Links:
Southend United Football Club
Match Report:Southend vs. Stockport County
Match Summary:
Southend United (0) 1 Sturrock 90+5
Stockport County (0) 1 Donnelly 83
Venue: Roots Hall, Southend
Attendance: 5,589 (away fans = 372)
Stockport County: fon Williams, Lynch, Swailes (c), Assoumani, Williams (Vincent 81), Poole, Turnbull, Tansey, Conlon (Rowe 81), Donnelly, Griffin
Subs (unused): Partridge, Pilkington, Halls, Fisher, Ormison
Booked: Swailes, Williams, Conlon, Donnelly
Today's match can be summarised as thus: 75 minutes of turgid, early season stuff, followed by 15 minutes of absolute mayhem. The bulk of the first half and second half were pretty uneventful, Southend looked neat, tidy and nippy, but lacked a bit of bite up front (unsurprising given 9 of the starting 11 were debutant's). Stockport on the other hand, looked solid, but just seemed to be lacking that little bit of composure to use what possession they had well (a non-existent midfield didn't really help matters). Stockport gave debuts to new signings Lynch, Assoumani, Williams and Conlon and appeared in their "new 3rd kit" of all white (why?)
Both sides had a few half chances, but a lack of quality meant no-one really had a great opportunity to open the scoring. In fact, the highlight of the first half was an appearance from Southend's rather large physio - and the resultant reception by both sets of fans. Otherwise, it was fairly forgettable stuff in the Essex sunshine.
The second half wasn't really much better - Southend continued to pass quickly but without real precision, while Stockport huffed and puffed but again, a midfield quartet of Tansey, Turnbull, Poole and Griffin really didn't have the strength or the skill to retain, use or regain possession. Stockport thought they scored when George Donnelly tried a long range lob that the Southend keeper did just about enough to keep out (even if he did end up tangled in the goal net), but other than a series of wasted free kicks and corners (for both teams) the match seemed to be drifting towards an early season bore draw.
Then it all went "a bit mental".
Stockport won a throw deep in the Southend half, and as substitute Danny Rowe ran to collect the ball for the throw (I think), the linesman (on the far side to the throw) raised his flag for offside (he thinks). The referee ignored his assistant, who then put the flag down. By this time, Southend's defence had switched off, allowing George Donnelly to fire a shot into the top corner of the goal for a 1-0 lead. Cue pandemonium amongst the away supporters (hey, Stockport had scored and taken the lead in a game for the first time in a very long time), and on the pitch as Southend's players cried foul. After 5 minutes of heated debate (including an alleged spitting incident and resulting 19 man brawl), the referee decided enough was enough and sent Paul Sturrock (Southend manager) to the stands. By this point, Southend were feeling exceptionally hard done by (rightly so if it was a mistake by the linesman) and went all out for an equaliser. The 6 minutes of injury time wasn't really a surprise given what had happened, but was still met with incredulity by everyone. Both sides huffed and puffed, and as the clock approached 96 minutes the inevitable happened. A tired clearance by Mark Lynch went out for a corner; as this was fired in, fon Williams made a move to collect it. Only he didn't - by missing it completely and ending up on the far side of his 6 yard box, Blair Sturrock had the simplest of changes to put away a ultimately deserved equaliser for Southend. This was a real shame for Williams, given his generally good performance and the fact he hadn't missed a cross all day - except when it mattered.
In the end, 1-1 was a fair result. Neither side really deserved or did enough to win, and on this performance neither will be troubling the top of the table. Southend - for all their nifty footwork and fast running, showed that when it didn't go their way they got a bit stroppy; but to their credit, did respond positively to conceding rather than caving in. Stockport - well, the defence was sound (for once) and Conlon and Donnelly were a handful up front. but the midfield was so woefully lacking it was untrue. In fact, Danny Rowe did more in 5 minutes than both Poole and Griffin combined, and the Tansey/Turnbull combo in the middle was painfully short on strength and vision. Nonetheless, this is a game Stockport would have lost last year (actually they did) so to get a point was a good result and a solid foundation to build the season on.
BBC Match report
SCFC Official match report
Southend United (0) 1 Sturrock 90+5
Stockport County (0) 1 Donnelly 83
Venue: Roots Hall, Southend
Attendance: 5,589 (away fans = 372)
Stockport County: fon Williams, Lynch, Swailes (c), Assoumani, Williams (Vincent 81), Poole, Turnbull, Tansey, Conlon (Rowe 81), Donnelly, Griffin
Subs (unused): Partridge, Pilkington, Halls, Fisher, Ormison
Booked: Swailes, Williams, Conlon, Donnelly
Today's match can be summarised as thus: 75 minutes of turgid, early season stuff, followed by 15 minutes of absolute mayhem. The bulk of the first half and second half were pretty uneventful, Southend looked neat, tidy and nippy, but lacked a bit of bite up front (unsurprising given 9 of the starting 11 were debutant's). Stockport on the other hand, looked solid, but just seemed to be lacking that little bit of composure to use what possession they had well (a non-existent midfield didn't really help matters). Stockport gave debuts to new signings Lynch, Assoumani, Williams and Conlon and appeared in their "new 3rd kit" of all white (why?)
Both sides had a few half chances, but a lack of quality meant no-one really had a great opportunity to open the scoring. In fact, the highlight of the first half was an appearance from Southend's rather large physio - and the resultant reception by both sets of fans. Otherwise, it was fairly forgettable stuff in the Essex sunshine.
The second half wasn't really much better - Southend continued to pass quickly but without real precision, while Stockport huffed and puffed but again, a midfield quartet of Tansey, Turnbull, Poole and Griffin really didn't have the strength or the skill to retain, use or regain possession. Stockport thought they scored when George Donnelly tried a long range lob that the Southend keeper did just about enough to keep out (even if he did end up tangled in the goal net), but other than a series of wasted free kicks and corners (for both teams) the match seemed to be drifting towards an early season bore draw.
Then it all went "a bit mental".
Stockport won a throw deep in the Southend half, and as substitute Danny Rowe ran to collect the ball for the throw (I think), the linesman (on the far side to the throw) raised his flag for offside (he thinks). The referee ignored his assistant, who then put the flag down. By this time, Southend's defence had switched off, allowing George Donnelly to fire a shot into the top corner of the goal for a 1-0 lead. Cue pandemonium amongst the away supporters (hey, Stockport had scored and taken the lead in a game for the first time in a very long time), and on the pitch as Southend's players cried foul. After 5 minutes of heated debate (including an alleged spitting incident and resulting 19 man brawl), the referee decided enough was enough and sent Paul Sturrock (Southend manager) to the stands. By this point, Southend were feeling exceptionally hard done by (rightly so if it was a mistake by the linesman) and went all out for an equaliser. The 6 minutes of injury time wasn't really a surprise given what had happened, but was still met with incredulity by everyone. Both sides huffed and puffed, and as the clock approached 96 minutes the inevitable happened. A tired clearance by Mark Lynch went out for a corner; as this was fired in, fon Williams made a move to collect it. Only he didn't - by missing it completely and ending up on the far side of his 6 yard box, Blair Sturrock had the simplest of changes to put away a ultimately deserved equaliser for Southend. This was a real shame for Williams, given his generally good performance and the fact he hadn't missed a cross all day - except when it mattered.
In the end, 1-1 was a fair result. Neither side really deserved or did enough to win, and on this performance neither will be troubling the top of the table. Southend - for all their nifty footwork and fast running, showed that when it didn't go their way they got a bit stroppy; but to their credit, did respond positively to conceding rather than caving in. Stockport - well, the defence was sound (for once) and Conlon and Donnelly were a handful up front. but the midfield was so woefully lacking it was untrue. In fact, Danny Rowe did more in 5 minutes than both Poole and Griffin combined, and the Tansey/Turnbull combo in the middle was painfully short on strength and vision. Nonetheless, this is a game Stockport would have lost last year (actually they did) so to get a point was a good result and a solid foundation to build the season on.
BBC Match report
SCFC Official match report
Friday 6 August 2010
Welcome!
Welcome to my new blog!
After the success of the Tworockdocs blogs, I've decided to take the plunge and blog about my experiences following Stockport County during the 2010/11 season.
I'm hoping that I'll be able to provide very rough (and probably biased) reports on those matches I can attend, together with a bit of reportage of what life is like as a supporter of a League 2 side. This will (hopefully) include a bit about travel, ground guides and - most importantly of all - pie reviews!
Tonight it's the eve of a new season (unless you support Norwich or Watford who are currently in action), and for many Stockport supporters, this is a season that we thought wouldn't happen. Last season was quite simply, a nightmare of epic proportions. A whole season spent in administration together with uncertainty over the very existence of the club, lead rather unsurprisingly to some very limp performances and inevitable relegation. There were very genuine fears that the last game of the season (the latest in the 19 game winless run) would be the last ever game by a Stockport County team.
But now those fears can (to some extent) be laid to rest. A new board (comprised of local businessmen), new management team and (a few) new players mean that County fans can at least look forwards to League 2 football this season. How competitive we will be remains to be seen - a much shorter pre-season (thanks to the protracted process of exiting administration and finding a new manager) means we enter the season several weeks behind other clubs. However, thanks to the hard work of new manager Paul Simpson, it looks like we may at least be able to hold our own this season. Dreams of challenging for promotion may be a bit far fetched at the moment, but I (like most other fans I suspect) would happily settle for a season of mid table obscurity.
Our first test is an away trip to Southend, who have had a traumatic 2010 of their own. Having also been relegated from League 1 last season, Southend very nearly fell victim to the tax man and even now have a couple of dark (if not entirely ominous) clouds on their horizon. Whether any of their 14 pre-contracted players get to play remains unclear, but until their transfer embargo is lifted, they may be limited to fielding untried kids - something County were forced into doing for most of last season.
My feeling right now is that both sides may settle for a draw (although given County's recent form, a draw may be celebrated like a win). Personally, I'll be happy to see a goal, hear the Blue 'n' White Army, and watch a team bedecked in Stockport colours playing professional football.
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