| Match thread: Doncaster, home 14:01 - Oct 13 with 27493 views | 442Dale |
|  |
| |  |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 11:14 - Oct 15 with 1950 views | ParkinsGimp |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 20:33 - Oct 13 by 49thseason |
A number of issues have been exposed today:
Goalkeeper.. Lillis has not improved in any aspect of goalkeeping since he arrived at the club, this despite the daily attentions of our so-called goalkeeping coach Collis. Today "Crocus" ('cos he only comes out once a year), managed to get both hands to the first shot and basically helped it into the net, their second was the sort of goal we have been conceding for 3 seasons; a corner into the centre of the goalmouth and a free header. Its what happens when you goalkeeper is firmly rooted on his line and does not command the area. The third was a cross which you might have expected a goalkeeper to go to ground in front of, but today Crocus decided that discretion was the better part of valour and simply let the big lad who had just come on put it past him. Lillis is not fit for purpose at this level and his defenders seem to have little confidence in him.
Perkins... Clearly his legs have gone, he aided and abetted them with the first goal by first losing the ball in a poor area and secondly by then losing his man.
At the corner they scored from, he ran part way towards the corner flag when one of their players made a run out of the area and then gave up and was stranded marking no one 5 yards outside the area on the by-line. By comparison, Dooley was a revelation, calm on the ball, available for a pass and quick to move the ball forwards and capable of getting into the box.
Inman and Clough, neither did anything to affect the outcome of the game, and were invisible for much of the match, Andrew should have started instead of one of them, some of their passing was neat and easy on the eye, but ultimately they are paid to stick the ball in the onion bag and neither looked as though they might.
Individually, there are some decent players in the squad, but until Hill decides what his best side is and sticks to it they will never be a team.
We have now won just 5 home league games in the last 12 months and just 7 since the start of last season. Today I heard a lifelong supporter saying that its time to find something else to do on Saturdays. Shocking. |
Spot on apart from the Andrew bit, if you want goals dont put that waste of space on the pitch. He wins one header in 4 and then that is usually played to opposition players. Not worth a contract should of gone after the assault on Biffo player.
I agree with the Lillis thing, he's becoming a legend with some of the Mongs at the ground...for what ...he's always been poor or at best average. |  | | |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 11:17 - Oct 15 with 1941 views | ParkinsGimp |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 20:52 - Oct 13 by 442Dale |
Opinions are just that and everyone is entitled to one, I just don't think it's very fair attribute such names to one of our longest serving players. One who has been a previous player of the year, won us many points and contributed almost as much as anyone to the most successful period in he club's history. If he wasn't "fit for purpose" then he wouldn't have played all those games or remained at the club for so long.
Onto today, he should have done much better for the first and he knows it. If Norman wasn't suspended I'd fully expect him to be in again next week. And therein lies the problem, yet again a loan keeper comes in and Lillis' form is affected, possibly due to confidence as he half expects to be left out all over again - that confidence always being his main issue.
It's been done to death, is Lillis perfect? No. Name a keeper who doesn't make mistakes though.
Could we do better? Maybe. We did when Logan arrived, but Lillis proved to have the better longevity.
And again, what goalkeepers are there at L1 level over the last few years who could have done the same job Lillis has on our budget?
His time will come to leave, but when he does we may then reflect more favourably on a pretty consistent goalkeeper who has given the club fantastic service, especially if we revert back to the constant chopping and changing of keepers that occurred during Hill's first spell. |
Lillis is not fit for purpose. he hasnt been for a long time, just accept it. Dont make him a legend..we have far too many with that moniker at this club already . | | | |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 12:02 - Oct 15 with 1893 views | James1980 |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 11:17 - Oct 15 by ParkinsGimp |
Lillis is not fit for purpose. he hasnt been for a long time, just accept it. Dont make him a legend..we have far too many with that moniker at this club already . |
Didn't he have 20+ clean sheets last season, yep definitely an awful keeper. | |
| |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 12:02 - Oct 15 with 1893 views | Molly |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 11:17 - Oct 15 by ParkinsGimp |
Lillis is not fit for purpose. he hasnt been for a long time, just accept it. Dont make him a legend..we have far too many with that moniker at this club already . |
Well PG once again you have made a short sweeping and all encompassing statement about a long serving player who has served the club well over several seasons.
442 put forward a logical and reasoned argument as to why your comment about being "unfit for purpose" is perhaps being over harsh. Your response was to basically say that it is true and he should "just accept it" yet you give no analysis of why this is so.
Perhaps if you gave a more detailed and rational explanation of why you hold such extreme views about certain players then your opinions might be more accepted and discussed by others on this board.
For example, I am somebody who thinks that Calvin is a useful and integral member of the squad who certainly wins more than 1 in 4 headers and whose purpose on the pitch is not always necessarily to score goals. I believe that according to you my own view concerning Lillis makes me a "mong". You then wonder why other posters feel antagonistic towards you. Think about it.
If you listened a little more to what others are saying and put forwards your own views in a less antagonistic more objective manner you might be pleasantly surprised about the acceptance of your views by others [Post edited 15 Oct 2018 12:08]
| | | |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 12:54 - Oct 15 with 1815 views | TVOS1907 |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 11:17 - Oct 15 by ParkinsGimp |
Lillis is not fit for purpose. he hasnt been for a long time, just accept it. Dont make him a legend..we have far too many with that moniker at this club already . |
Are there any Dale players, past or present, that you do like? |  |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
| |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 13:22 - Oct 15 with 1758 views | BigDaveMyCock |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 12:54 - Oct 15 by TVOS1907 |
Are there any Dale players, past or present, that you do like? |
Steve Kinsey. Oh sh1t wrong thread. | |
| |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 13:27 - Oct 15 with 1749 views | soulboy |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 11:17 - Oct 15 by ParkinsGimp |
Lillis is not fit for purpose. he hasnt been for a long time, just accept it. Dont make him a legend..we have far too many with that moniker at this club already . |
Such as? |  | | |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 16:09 - Oct 15 with 1640 views | TVOS1907 |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 13:22 - Oct 15 by BigDaveMyCock |
Steve Kinsey. Oh sh1t wrong thread. |
Can we blame Steve Eyre for him? | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 19:59 - Oct 15 with 1503 views | BigDaveMyCock |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 16:09 - Oct 15 by TVOS1907 |
Can we blame Steve Eyre for him? |
Certainly not, according to his CV Steve Eyre was only responsible for the 68 championship, 69 FA Cup and the 70 European Cup Winners Cup City sides. That and signing Colin Bell and Sergio Ageuro, building the Etihad and writing Oasisās entire back catalogue - apart from Come On Feel the Noise, that was Noddy although he claims he gave him the idea for it whilst he was co-writing Dark Side of the Blue Moon (as it was originally titled) with Pink Floyd. [Post edited 15 Oct 2018 20:02]
| |
| |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 20:08 - Oct 15 with 1485 views | soulboy |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 19:59 - Oct 15 by BigDaveMyCock |
Certainly not, according to his CV Steve Eyre was only responsible for the 68 championship, 69 FA Cup and the 70 European Cup Winners Cup City sides. That and signing Colin Bell and Sergio Ageuro, building the Etihad and writing Oasisās entire back catalogue - apart from Come On Feel the Noise, that was Noddy although he claims he gave him the idea for it whilst he was co-writing Dark Side of the Blue Moon (as it was originally titled) with Pink Floyd. [Post edited 15 Oct 2018 20:02]
|
And he always looked very dapper in his jumpers! | | | |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 20:09 - Oct 15 with 1486 views | 442Dale |
Itās a good job former managers or their associates arenāt reading this messageboard.
Much. | |
| |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 20:12 - Oct 15 with 1475 views | BigDaveMyCock |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 20:09 - Oct 15 by 442Dale |
Itās a good job former managers or their associates arenāt reading this messageboard.
Much. |
Youāre right, he looked shite in jumpers really!! [Post edited 15 Oct 2018 20:15]
| |
| |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 20:46 - Oct 15 with 1417 views | 49thseason |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 22:53 - Oct 14 by TVOS1907 |
I know, you've said before and I've seen all the games.
We aren't actually scoring fewer goals this season. We've scored four more league goals than after the same number of games last year. OK, it's only four more, but if we want to start being all statistical, it's a 33% increase.
You're right about the goals conceded, though, which nobody has even disputed as far as I can see. It's a massive worry that hasn't been addressed since Eastham left, in my opinion.
However, you suggested we didn't attack yesterday when the statistics prove otherwise. You never said anything about shots on target. [Quote: ...these days of playing most of the game with our backs to the opposition goal and being apparently terrified of taking a player on].
Or am I wrong in presuming you're meaning across the season as a whole, rather than after arguably the most attacking home display of the season? Apologies if so.
You have also just said "there were undoubtedly chances created", which contradicts us playing with our backs to goal and taking players on...
I did try to make some other fairly reasonable points and agree with a lot of what you said about the matchday experience (DJ, stewards, visiting hoodlums, etc), so I'm not sure why you're getting so irate about a difference of opinion elsewhere.
What about the other question I asked - what kept you going in the old days, given the 120 years you and your pal have between you?
For me, after I first went in 1982, I couldn't wait to go back again. I can't explain why, but I suppose it was new; it was exciting; I didn't have to wait for Match of the Day to see football; I could see players who had been on Match of the Day and in my sticker album; defeats were forgotten more quickly; as a teenager, life wasn't as serious; I had no commitments.... Hundreds of reasons really.
I always wish I had been there in the 1970s. Reading about it, I have no idea why as it sounded absolutely dreadful at times, but I regret not being born ten years earlier.
[Post edited 14 Oct 2018 23:02]
|
"what kept you going in the old days, given the 120 years you and your pal have between you"?
We went with our Dads and stood in the paddock where we could peer over the wall at the front, night matches were particularly exciting for me (being a bit younger than my mate). I loved the whole deal, ciggy smoke, grown men abusing players, what seemed to me to be great players because there was no footy on TV then and even when it got on TV MOTD was only one game and never outside the first division. I had a hand-painted rattle , scarfe and bob cap and was probably a complete pain. (I know, what's changed!)
We were there when we beat Blackburn Rovers in the League cup semi-final when Stan Hepton appeared from the mud and scored the winning goal at Ewood. And we were sickened when Norwich thumped us in the first leg of the final.
I was 9 when I played for Rochdale schoolboys U11s and about 15 when I was training at the ground with the U16s town team that Bob Stokoe was introduced to us as the new manager. Mostly we ran up and down the terraces, I can still remember him shouting "give those boys a ball to play with"
Then there was promotion and a team with players the likes of which we had never seen before... Butler a regular starter at Bolton, Jenkins, Melledew, Buck. they really were transformational days.
As we got older, we took our own kids but to be honest, the magic was less pervasive and the comparisons with other clubs made you realise Rochdale was not the bees knees we had assumed them to be as kids. MoreTV coverage meant fewer regulars turning up, the genie was out of the bottle and we didn't get any wishes. So we contented ourselves with being amongst friends, occasional cup matches, hyped signings that always seemed to be less than the hype, sharing mints and flasks of coffee. Habit no more no less.
And the Keith arrived and the world improved, we played with "No Fear" at last! Scoring 4 was a frequent experience and in the opposition goal too! Players could actually pick out their own teammates with a pass, there seemed to be rhyme and reason to replace kick and hope. Watching was fun again! And now Keith seems to have become scared, fearful almost, certainly not the cavalier that he used to be. Its as if he swallowed all that coaching badge guff and realised he had been doing it all wrong. Playing with 2 wingers? Paaah. it has to be 5 or 3 at the back, play through the midfield, thirds of pitches, turnovers and the rest of the modern bollaux as heard on MOTD weekly. There are no characters, can you imagine todays kids playing "three and in" and "i'm being Aaron Wilbraham or Brad inman"? Well maybe "I'm Ian Henderson" but compared to "I'm being Reg".....or "Joe Richardson" or even "Paddy McCourt"
So there you have it, most of the fun has gone out of it and the temptation to jack it in increases as more people tell us about the 22 shots the % possession and why we have a centre-forward who scored 3 last season and who has a 38 year old understudy. Really it's about winning and scoring goals, lots of them preferably. I don't expect Manchester City standards but a return to "no fear" and two wingers and a beast of a centre-forward would be a fantastic start. Oh, and a "proper" left back. Meanwhile I live in hope and my mate will be there next match even if I have to give him a lift. |  | | |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 20:56 - Oct 15 with 1393 views | TVOS1907 |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 20:46 - Oct 15 by 49thseason |
"what kept you going in the old days, given the 120 years you and your pal have between you"?
We went with our Dads and stood in the paddock where we could peer over the wall at the front, night matches were particularly exciting for me (being a bit younger than my mate). I loved the whole deal, ciggy smoke, grown men abusing players, what seemed to me to be great players because there was no footy on TV then and even when it got on TV MOTD was only one game and never outside the first division. I had a hand-painted rattle , scarfe and bob cap and was probably a complete pain. (I know, what's changed!)
We were there when we beat Blackburn Rovers in the League cup semi-final when Stan Hepton appeared from the mud and scored the winning goal at Ewood. And we were sickened when Norwich thumped us in the first leg of the final.
I was 9 when I played for Rochdale schoolboys U11s and about 15 when I was training at the ground with the U16s town team that Bob Stokoe was introduced to us as the new manager. Mostly we ran up and down the terraces, I can still remember him shouting "give those boys a ball to play with"
Then there was promotion and a team with players the likes of which we had never seen before... Butler a regular starter at Bolton, Jenkins, Melledew, Buck. they really were transformational days.
As we got older, we took our own kids but to be honest, the magic was less pervasive and the comparisons with other clubs made you realise Rochdale was not the bees knees we had assumed them to be as kids. MoreTV coverage meant fewer regulars turning up, the genie was out of the bottle and we didn't get any wishes. So we contented ourselves with being amongst friends, occasional cup matches, hyped signings that always seemed to be less than the hype, sharing mints and flasks of coffee. Habit no more no less.
And the Keith arrived and the world improved, we played with "No Fear" at last! Scoring 4 was a frequent experience and in the opposition goal too! Players could actually pick out their own teammates with a pass, there seemed to be rhyme and reason to replace kick and hope. Watching was fun again! And now Keith seems to have become scared, fearful almost, certainly not the cavalier that he used to be. Its as if he swallowed all that coaching badge guff and realised he had been doing it all wrong. Playing with 2 wingers? Paaah. it has to be 5 or 3 at the back, play through the midfield, thirds of pitches, turnovers and the rest of the modern bollaux as heard on MOTD weekly. There are no characters, can you imagine todays kids playing "three and in" and "i'm being Aaron Wilbraham or Brad inman"? Well maybe "I'm Ian Henderson" but compared to "I'm being Reg".....or "Joe Richardson" or even "Paddy McCourt"
So there you have it, most of the fun has gone out of it and the temptation to jack it in increases as more people tell us about the 22 shots the % possession and why we have a centre-forward who scored 3 last season and who has a 38 year old understudy. Really it's about winning and scoring goals, lots of them preferably. I don't expect Manchester City standards but a return to "no fear" and two wingers and a beast of a centre-forward would be a fantastic start. Oh, and a "proper" left back. Meanwhile I live in hope and my mate will be there next match even if I have to give him a lift. |
Great story that reflects what kept me going in the 1980s.
I wouldn't disagree with many of your later points either, but it won't stop me going, even if it's not as much "fun" as losing 4-1 at home to Telford in the FA Cup! | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
| |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 21:18 - Oct 15 with 1359 views | MoonyDale |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 20:46 - Oct 15 by 49thseason |
"what kept you going in the old days, given the 120 years you and your pal have between you"?
We went with our Dads and stood in the paddock where we could peer over the wall at the front, night matches were particularly exciting for me (being a bit younger than my mate). I loved the whole deal, ciggy smoke, grown men abusing players, what seemed to me to be great players because there was no footy on TV then and even when it got on TV MOTD was only one game and never outside the first division. I had a hand-painted rattle , scarfe and bob cap and was probably a complete pain. (I know, what's changed!)
We were there when we beat Blackburn Rovers in the League cup semi-final when Stan Hepton appeared from the mud and scored the winning goal at Ewood. And we were sickened when Norwich thumped us in the first leg of the final.
I was 9 when I played for Rochdale schoolboys U11s and about 15 when I was training at the ground with the U16s town team that Bob Stokoe was introduced to us as the new manager. Mostly we ran up and down the terraces, I can still remember him shouting "give those boys a ball to play with"
Then there was promotion and a team with players the likes of which we had never seen before... Butler a regular starter at Bolton, Jenkins, Melledew, Buck. they really were transformational days.
As we got older, we took our own kids but to be honest, the magic was less pervasive and the comparisons with other clubs made you realise Rochdale was not the bees knees we had assumed them to be as kids. MoreTV coverage meant fewer regulars turning up, the genie was out of the bottle and we didn't get any wishes. So we contented ourselves with being amongst friends, occasional cup matches, hyped signings that always seemed to be less than the hype, sharing mints and flasks of coffee. Habit no more no less.
And the Keith arrived and the world improved, we played with "No Fear" at last! Scoring 4 was a frequent experience and in the opposition goal too! Players could actually pick out their own teammates with a pass, there seemed to be rhyme and reason to replace kick and hope. Watching was fun again! And now Keith seems to have become scared, fearful almost, certainly not the cavalier that he used to be. Its as if he swallowed all that coaching badge guff and realised he had been doing it all wrong. Playing with 2 wingers? Paaah. it has to be 5 or 3 at the back, play through the midfield, thirds of pitches, turnovers and the rest of the modern bollaux as heard on MOTD weekly. There are no characters, can you imagine todays kids playing "three and in" and "i'm being Aaron Wilbraham or Brad inman"? Well maybe "I'm Ian Henderson" but compared to "I'm being Reg".....or "Joe Richardson" or even "Paddy McCourt"
So there you have it, most of the fun has gone out of it and the temptation to jack it in increases as more people tell us about the 22 shots the % possession and why we have a centre-forward who scored 3 last season and who has a 38 year old understudy. Really it's about winning and scoring goals, lots of them preferably. I don't expect Manchester City standards but a return to "no fear" and two wingers and a beast of a centre-forward would be a fantastic start. Oh, and a "proper" left back. Meanwhile I live in hope and my mate will be there next match even if I have to give him a lift. |
My lord what a brilliant post, agree with every word of that...well apart from the "Grown men abusing players" I'm sure there's been a few prosecutions recently about that....  |  |
| |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 21:36 - Oct 15 with 1338 views | soulboy |
I first saw Dale in Nov 1966, a real pea souper of a day (very foggy!) and a 1 0 home defeat to Bradford City, saw most homes games that season and was well and truly hooked. Pipe and cig smoke were in the air no matter where you stood and of course you could walk round to the end Dale were attacking. There were a pair of twins who stood roughly with the edge of the Sandy Lane penalty box oppsite the main stand every game. Another regular always shouted "give him a bloody kiss ref" whenever an opponent went down injured. There was a bloke who stood in front of the tea hut between the Sandy Lane end and the paddock with a Northern Ireland accent who wore a deerstalker hat who got wound up like hell inside a couple of minutes, with our players and the ref, it was amazing he didnt have a heart attack. No matter how the results were going, Saturdays couldnt come round quick enough. Not only a great time to be a Dale fan but a great time to be growing up, but thats another story. Happy days. Speaking personally, i think once you get older than the players the game loses its romance to a degree, once you get older than the manager and directors dont even go there! | | | |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 21:47 - Oct 15 with 1317 views | kiwidale |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 20:46 - Oct 15 by 49thseason |
"what kept you going in the old days, given the 120 years you and your pal have between you"?
We went with our Dads and stood in the paddock where we could peer over the wall at the front, night matches were particularly exciting for me (being a bit younger than my mate). I loved the whole deal, ciggy smoke, grown men abusing players, what seemed to me to be great players because there was no footy on TV then and even when it got on TV MOTD was only one game and never outside the first division. I had a hand-painted rattle , scarfe and bob cap and was probably a complete pain. (I know, what's changed!)
We were there when we beat Blackburn Rovers in the League cup semi-final when Stan Hepton appeared from the mud and scored the winning goal at Ewood. And we were sickened when Norwich thumped us in the first leg of the final.
I was 9 when I played for Rochdale schoolboys U11s and about 15 when I was training at the ground with the U16s town team that Bob Stokoe was introduced to us as the new manager. Mostly we ran up and down the terraces, I can still remember him shouting "give those boys a ball to play with"
Then there was promotion and a team with players the likes of which we had never seen before... Butler a regular starter at Bolton, Jenkins, Melledew, Buck. they really were transformational days.
As we got older, we took our own kids but to be honest, the magic was less pervasive and the comparisons with other clubs made you realise Rochdale was not the bees knees we had assumed them to be as kids. MoreTV coverage meant fewer regulars turning up, the genie was out of the bottle and we didn't get any wishes. So we contented ourselves with being amongst friends, occasional cup matches, hyped signings that always seemed to be less than the hype, sharing mints and flasks of coffee. Habit no more no less.
And the Keith arrived and the world improved, we played with "No Fear" at last! Scoring 4 was a frequent experience and in the opposition goal too! Players could actually pick out their own teammates with a pass, there seemed to be rhyme and reason to replace kick and hope. Watching was fun again! And now Keith seems to have become scared, fearful almost, certainly not the cavalier that he used to be. Its as if he swallowed all that coaching badge guff and realised he had been doing it all wrong. Playing with 2 wingers? Paaah. it has to be 5 or 3 at the back, play through the midfield, thirds of pitches, turnovers and the rest of the modern bollaux as heard on MOTD weekly. There are no characters, can you imagine todays kids playing "three and in" and "i'm being Aaron Wilbraham or Brad inman"? Well maybe "I'm Ian Henderson" but compared to "I'm being Reg".....or "Joe Richardson" or even "Paddy McCourt"
So there you have it, most of the fun has gone out of it and the temptation to jack it in increases as more people tell us about the 22 shots the % possession and why we have a centre-forward who scored 3 last season and who has a 38 year old understudy. Really it's about winning and scoring goals, lots of them preferably. I don't expect Manchester City standards but a return to "no fear" and two wingers and a beast of a centre-forward would be a fantastic start. Oh, and a "proper" left back. Meanwhile I live in hope and my mate will be there next match even if I have to give him a lift. |
Fantastic post 49th brilliant. | |
| This is not the time for bickering.
|
| |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 23:22 - Oct 15 with 1235 views | DiddyDave |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 20:46 - Oct 15 by 49thseason |
"what kept you going in the old days, given the 120 years you and your pal have between you"?
We went with our Dads and stood in the paddock where we could peer over the wall at the front, night matches were particularly exciting for me (being a bit younger than my mate). I loved the whole deal, ciggy smoke, grown men abusing players, what seemed to me to be great players because there was no footy on TV then and even when it got on TV MOTD was only one game and never outside the first division. I had a hand-painted rattle , scarfe and bob cap and was probably a complete pain. (I know, what's changed!)
We were there when we beat Blackburn Rovers in the League cup semi-final when Stan Hepton appeared from the mud and scored the winning goal at Ewood. And we were sickened when Norwich thumped us in the first leg of the final.
I was 9 when I played for Rochdale schoolboys U11s and about 15 when I was training at the ground with the U16s town team that Bob Stokoe was introduced to us as the new manager. Mostly we ran up and down the terraces, I can still remember him shouting "give those boys a ball to play with"
Then there was promotion and a team with players the likes of which we had never seen before... Butler a regular starter at Bolton, Jenkins, Melledew, Buck. they really were transformational days.
As we got older, we took our own kids but to be honest, the magic was less pervasive and the comparisons with other clubs made you realise Rochdale was not the bees knees we had assumed them to be as kids. MoreTV coverage meant fewer regulars turning up, the genie was out of the bottle and we didn't get any wishes. So we contented ourselves with being amongst friends, occasional cup matches, hyped signings that always seemed to be less than the hype, sharing mints and flasks of coffee. Habit no more no less.
And the Keith arrived and the world improved, we played with "No Fear" at last! Scoring 4 was a frequent experience and in the opposition goal too! Players could actually pick out their own teammates with a pass, there seemed to be rhyme and reason to replace kick and hope. Watching was fun again! And now Keith seems to have become scared, fearful almost, certainly not the cavalier that he used to be. Its as if he swallowed all that coaching badge guff and realised he had been doing it all wrong. Playing with 2 wingers? Paaah. it has to be 5 or 3 at the back, play through the midfield, thirds of pitches, turnovers and the rest of the modern bollaux as heard on MOTD weekly. There are no characters, can you imagine todays kids playing "three and in" and "i'm being Aaron Wilbraham or Brad inman"? Well maybe "I'm Ian Henderson" but compared to "I'm being Reg".....or "Joe Richardson" or even "Paddy McCourt"
So there you have it, most of the fun has gone out of it and the temptation to jack it in increases as more people tell us about the 22 shots the % possession and why we have a centre-forward who scored 3 last season and who has a 38 year old understudy. Really it's about winning and scoring goals, lots of them preferably. I don't expect Manchester City standards but a return to "no fear" and two wingers and a beast of a centre-forward would be a fantastic start. Oh, and a "proper" left back. Meanwhile I live in hope and my mate will be there next match even if I have to give him a lift. |
Great post that man! Think you must`ve been about my brother Richard`s age,he played for Rochdale Boys mid sixties,captained Heybrook and was also invited to train on Tuesday and Thursday nights at Spotland,but didn`t take up the offer. Said he loved to play football,but didn`t want to take it seriously,sad as he was a brilliant right half. The ciggy smoke you talk about was that lovely pipe tobacco most of the old blokes used to smoke. Yes I used to go in the Paddock with my old man,but had to stand at the back,so I didn`t really get to see much. I don`t know if it was the football or the atmosphere,but it certainly got into my blood. Great days. | | | |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 07:54 - Oct 16 with 1123 views | EllDale |
Outstanding posts 49thseason and soulboy.
I'm of the same generation and appreciate and echo everything you say. | | | |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 08:14 - Oct 16 with 1118 views | pioneer |
| Match thread: Doncaster, home on 07:54 - Oct 16 by EllDale |
Outstanding posts 49thseason and soulboy.
I'm of the same generation and appreciate and echo everything you say. |
got in my blood too about the same time. Great recollections....we never got too upset about results because we expected to lose. Avoiding the bottom 4 was our Wembley. And then we had those wonderful years from 68 to 73. | | | |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
