What a pleasant surprise !

**spireitematt** · 12-04-2016, 18:32

It is a sad state of affairs. That's why I believe football clubs should be fan owned. That's why I have a soft spot for FC United.

Devongone · 14-04-2016, 13:19

(12-04-2016, 18:01)spireitematt Wrote: Yeah I just checked as well Devon it was a small error.

You were quite insistent mate!

Turning up at the wrong ground can be quite a big error ........ as it was for Brechin's? goalie who travelled 80 miles to the wrong location. And I seem to have spent quite a bit of my youth seeking out Hope Valley league grounds when new teams came into the league ....... for a start you were looking for a fairly flat piece of ground which wasn't easy in the peaks ....... though even that wasn't always the case. At Taddington you kicked steeply up hill both ways and at Grindleford you played on a hillside so steep end to end that you had to adopt completely different tactics at half time. I remember Litton Mills having a team one season when I was about sixteen. Could we find it? We arrived about forty five minutes after kick off, no mobiles in those days. Hardly any signposts. It was nearly dark!

Don't know whether in a local derby like Fleetwood and Blackpool it's an advantage to be at home .......... I always fancy the underdog in derby games. We are the underdogs on Saturday aren't we?

**spireitematt** · 14-04-2016, 17:54

(14-04-2016, 13:19)Devongone Wrote:
(12-04-2016, 18:01)spireitematt Wrote: Yeah I just checked as well Devon it was a small error.
You were quite insistent mate!

Turning up at the wrong ground can be quite a big error ........ as it was for Brechin's? goalie who travelled 80 miles to the wrong location. And I seem to have spent quite a bit of my youth seeking out Hope Valley league grounds when new teams came into the league ....... for a start you were looking for a fairly flat piece of ground which wasn't easy in the peaks ....... though even that wasn't always the case. At Taddington you kicked steeply up hill both ways and at Grindleford you played on a hillside so steep end to end that you had to adopt completely different tactics at half time. I remember Litton Mills having a team one season when I was about sixteen. Could we find it? We arrived about forty five minutes after kick off, no mobiles in those days. Hardly any signposts. It was nearly dark!

Don't know whether in a local derby like Fleetwood and Blackpool it's an advantage to be at home .......... I always fancy the underdog in derby games. We are the underdogs on Saturday aren't we?

Yeah I was and it was pretty late when I was looking at the fixture list.

Some ok grounds in the Hope Valley League.

I would say we've got home advantage on Saturday which can be a good thing in Derby games. I would say we've got a good chance lately with how we've been playing and Sheffield United have been unpredictable this season and have been a bit poor, surprised that they haven't reached the playoffs.

Devongone · 15-04-2016, 18:52

Fairfield Venturers in January or February was a cold place to keep goal - that's Buxton, don't suppose they exist nowadays.

My dad used to run a team so I can remember how it was over fifty years ago and stuff happened that would never go on today. I can remember us going to Youlgreave convinced the game would be off, because there was snow everywhere. We struggled even to get there, but the whole village had been out to clear the pitch ...... and most of the village was there to watch. And perhaps I was ten, but I know my dad's team were bloody excellent that year. They always won. I know they won easily that day too .... but everyone had a great time. Youlgreave knew they were playing the best team in the league ...... and still they came out to clear the pitch to get the game on. These days the FA would give them a sportsmanship award. Those days were wonderful, there were some hard men in that league who led tough lives, but it was competitive football without much nastiness!

**spireitematt** · 15-04-2016, 19:07

(15-04-2016, 18:52)Devongone Wrote: Fairfield Venturers in January or February was a cold place to keep goal - that's Buxton, don't suppose they exist nowadays.

My dad used to run a team so I can remember how it was over fifty years ago and stuff happened that would never go on today. I can remember us going to Youlgreave convinced the game would be off, because there was snow everywhere. We struggled even to get there, but the whole village had been out to clear the pitch ...... and most of the village was there to watch. And perhaps I was ten, but I know my dad's team were bloody excellent that year. They always won. I know they won easily that day too .... but everyone had a great time. Youlgreave knew they were playing the best team in the league ...... and still they came out to clear the pitch to get the game on. These days the FA would give them a sportsmanship award. Those days were wonderful, there were some hard men in that league who led tough lives, but it was competitive football without much nastiness!

Yeah I know Fairfield in Buxton. Fairfield still have a team but its called Fairfield FC. There's three divisions in the Hope Valley League (Premier Division, A Division and B Division) Some teams in the Premier Division or A Division have Reserve sides which play in the A Division or B Division. Two local teams near me used to play in the Hope Valley League but they left and joined the Manchester League and the Cheshire League.

Don't Youlgreave play cricket on the football pitch as well?

Devongone · 16-04-2016, 13:40

Yes Youlgreave's outfield was on the football pitch. I've played cricket there. I could never work out whether this was the same field I'd visited as a little boy to be honest.

Fairfield Venturers used to have an excellent player called Oscar - dunno his surname, but he would run the midfield completely if you didn't clamp down on him. I could never understand why he wasn't in the pro' game ..... and he seemed happy on this freezing cold pitch too.

**spireitematt** · 23-04-2016, 18:58

Bury next week is a must must must win game if we win then we stay up. Blackpool got Wigan next week and I can't see them winning that. Doncaster have Crewe and Burton remaining.

bluepooch · 23-04-2016, 20:52

We really are a poor team at the moment and will be fortunate to survive .
I really dont know if Wilson is to blame but the buck stops at the top with Dave Allen .

**spireitematt** · 23-04-2016, 21:24

(23-04-2016, 20:52)bluepooch Wrote: We really are a poor team at the moment and will be fortunate to survive .
I really dont know if Wilson is to blame but the buck stops at the top with Dave Allen .

Can't blame Danny Wilson he's just working with what resources he has and trying to get the best out of a bad situation.

If we stay up in L1 this season I think we could be in for another struggle next season.

What will be will be.

**themaclad** · 24-04-2016, 08:42

Thought Blackpool would have got 4 points from their last three games expected them to get somnething at Fleetwood which they did but also expected them to win at Peterborough, but now medal winner has been sacked expect Boro to win that one, think Chesterfield are safe