Matlock Town FC

[LUMSDALE]

I think we can all skirt round the facts today with comments about Rico's sanitised version for the Mercury but that was utter pants. Every time Ashton went forward they looked like scoring. the back nine were quite frankly awful other than one exceptional save from kennedy but then I thought he should have done better with both goals. That was a 2-0 spanking by a team that have been frankly awful away from home. There was not a single player from Town that could go home happy with their performance.

Of greater concern was the on and off field bickering. It always seems to be the case that everyone blames Ben Algar (including the manager) to the extent when even Fez told MA to calm down at one stage. Lukey had quite clearly lost the plot at one stage during the first half and was lucky to stay on the field having been booked and then ranting at the ref. Rico's comment at half time that if you cannot speak to the ref suggested he had either inbibed a lot or needed to!!

For me though of greater concern was and is the off pitch scenario. there is no atmosphere at the lane nowadays, many of the former diehards are missing (those that used to serve in the bar FOC for instance), I hear stories of potential social club members wanting to fight with loyal supporters, you cannot post an opinion on the forum without having to defend your position and other posts include silly bickering wtf is going on?

[Gra]

and here was me thinking you were on about your defeat at Stevenage...
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Theres only one Wayne Mardle, one Wayne Mardle, Walking along, singing a song, walking in a Mardle Wonderland

[JMG]

If I had any sort of power then I’d give local schools free tickets for a game or two as a way to entice youngsters to non league football and I’d use social media (facebook/twitter) more maybe run competitions and I’d give the website a fresh lick of paint and produce previews and such but these are just general ideas in regards to improving attendance.

Theres being a lot of arguing on here and it’s getting to the point where it’s becoming personal and abusive to others which it doesn’t need to be, everybody wants the club to succeed from the fans to the players to the management and to the board and to do that we need to stick together and get behind the club.

Something isn’t working on the playing side of things and Mark has brought in a few players recently to try and improve and with another friendly on Tuesday then hopefully we will see a few more trialists get a run out.

[LUMSDALE]

No having had the week we have had...... (surrogate child aka dog death) the bride didnt want me to travel too far so kindly let me suffer Town rather than that other overpaid bunch of t**ssers.

[islander]

[Shiner Glad]

No offence Jmg, but giving the website 'a lick of paint' wont do f**k all for how the team are playing.

Neither will facebook or twitter. Just because you have hours every day to spend trolling round the sites doesnt mean others do.

The club has been dead for quite some time now fact! It wont change back over night fact. Even people who used to give there all dont give it the same attention anymore, was only saying this earlier to gra.

Phil
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[JMG]

[Shiner Glad]

Tried, tested, never worked before probably wouldnt again, but your entitled to your view of course.

And again, new fans wouldnt mean the players would get any better, thats something Mark has to sort and damn quick.

You may as well do website as your first to everything anyway (ps before you say it you cant do it)

Phil
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[JMG]

[StuB]

Hi U lot. Lowly part timer here logging in on my hubby's user name at stupid o'clock after drinking numerous strawberry daiquiris - home made so excuse any spelling c**k ups!. I do have my own log in but for the life of me have no bloody idea what it is!! Anyway whatever i say here is my own opinion and not necessarily that of my lovely hubby's (i.e the users, although most of you who know me may disagree!!!). I was never even into football. I came to watch Matlock to be with and support my husband. I have continued to do so because not only did I feel I was trying to get involved, I actually found I enjoyed it. Not just because of the football, but because I enjoyed the social aspect - more so actually - what a cracking load of people. Those of you who know me know I spend most of my time gassing with you all and miss most of the goals!! I appreciated the dedication and hard work of the social club members and looked forward to having a laugh and a bit of banter with people who I very quickly became to view as friends. I am very sad now as most of them have been offended, pissed off or alternatively just had a gut full of being unappreciated by certain members of the commitee. Since the new clubhouse has been built, (which has been the aspiration of all of the aforementioned people I have supported in the short time I have been around), the attitude of some of the committee, has been to treat those aforementioned as if they have been "surplus to requirements". They have now got a potentially commercial franchise that without YOU who I am referring to, they would never have had. That is my personal opinion. Phil, Ry, Gra, Sal, Mal, Jay and probably many others I have missed mentioning - I know some of you have other life commitments, but I want you to know I appreciate you, and so do many other people. I miss you, and am sure others do to. One day those people will regret the fact that they lost your support as without the likes of you, they would not have achieved the goal of the new stand and clubhouse, and Matlock Town FC is a poorer place without you there.

[denise]

looking back to how it used to be at mtfc is very sad away bus always full great atmpspherem home matches were fab the drum would be out good crowd of ppl outside club singing and having the banter where did it all go wrong?? the last match i went to has no atmosphere at all even club house was dead such a shame i agree with sharon i also miss the group of folk who made matlock what it was all that hard work and it was better off befor, so gra sal phil ry jay stu thankyou for great memories x

[Gra]

You make it sound like we are all gone forever!!

Whilst the atmosphere was much better in those days, the team etc was also. (although i believe this current squad is almost as good if they were in the right frame of mind)

I guess those days of the buses and lots of singing were when we all didnt have other commitments, thats life i guess, things move on. Hopefully there will be another group coming through soon!

Regarding the social club, it had to become more of a business to do well and although it could have run with the usual volunteers maybe on matchdays the rest had to be managed well, gone were the days of us stood outside and nipping in when someone wanted serving. On a plus side the bookings for the club are flooding in, so at some point in the future we should clear the debt and start adding funds to the club kitty
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Theres only one Wayne Mardle, one Wayne Mardle, Walking along, singing a song, walking in a Mardle Wonderland

[StuB]

Mr.B here this time. Just seen my other half's post. Wow! A rant to rival any of Ry's. Perhaps over did it on the strawberries in those daiquiris last night. Well impresses that you could still speel at two in the morning cos you had a job saying it. I think she has proved that one should never go on the forum after you've had more than your five portions of fruit per day.

[StuB]

The Mrs again. He's right you know. I have been quite poorly all day - very literally. Never again - well not that many in one go anyway!

[Captain Crash 2]

A few thoughts about things:

First of all i thought that yesterdays attendance of 283 was excellent when you consider that:

1. As expected Ashton hardly brought any fans at all.
2. Results, performances and style of play have been pretty bad recently.
3. You consider the size of the town, and the attendances of clubs in a similar position to ourselves
4. You look back at attendances in the last 20 years, they have never really been anything amazing compared to now. Ok at one time in the 90s I think we might have averaged close to 500? but thats when we were high up in the league one below the Conference Premier.

As for atmosphere - what do you expect now that there is no decent terracing for fans to stand together on? Instead everyone is spread out into a single row which is never going to be conducive to getting fans to sing and provide a good atmosphere in general. The new social club, seats and changing facilities have been a major step forward but the destrction of terracing in front of the social club has been a major step back for the club in terms of atmosphere at games and overall capacity of the ground. In my opinion the club should really have sought to maintain some terracing here even if it meant having a poorer social club, changing facilities or stand.

I have no doubt that we will have gained extra fans with the new stand but will have lost fans because there is no no decent terracing. If a group of lads want to come down and stand together they can't really do it since the view from the terracing by the tea bar is so bad and the view from behind the goal does not include the 6yard box.

The idea that somehow changing the website (which I believe is already a very good website) will increase attandance is hilarious!

As for on the field matters. The first half an hour we were particularly bad. I can't remember the defence staring off so sluggish before. 2nd half performance was to a reasonable standard but nothing great. I thought the new lad Winter showed a lot of class at times but at other times looked very casual and had no where near the work rate that Steve Warne provided. Nelthorpe never really got involved and I don't think he had too much to complain about being substituted. The fact that he obviously had lip on and proceded to leave the field of play as slowly as possible despite Matlock being 2 nil down was an absolute disgrace. I really hope that Atkins gets rid for that and we never see him in a Matlock shirt again.

As for general performances.... I was pleased Atkins mentioned in the press about the players failing to pass the ball on the ground enough as to me this is one of the main problems and this shows that Atkins has identified it. I was however a bit surprised by Atkins saying this as his teams have always leant towards a long ball style of football. This I would say is Atkins biggest weakness as a manager, opting for this long ball style. I know many like Rico will probably diagree with that assesment and say we pass it around well and don't hoof it up like Eastwood but funnily enough when Eastwood came here last season there was only one team hoofing the ball up non stop and that wasn't Eastwood. There was only one team that day who got the ball down tried to play it on the floor and that wasn't Matlock!

If Mark can sort things out and we have a reasoable finish to the season and finish 10th or 11th for example then I will be reaonably content. If howver the present sort of form continues for the rest of the season and we end up finishing say 15th, 16th ish then I will be very worried and may consider it a time for a change in manager. Two seasons ago we finished 7th, then 11th, so if we were to finish around 15th then, well you can see were the trend is going should it continue.