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Post by Padz on Mar 12, 2012 13:08:55 GMT
Saturday is another massive game for us away against another playoff contender Stourbridge. Generally Stourbridge has been a happy hunting ground for us, Felipe Barcelos fired a hat-trick for us in a midweek victory there last season and the season previous to that we also won with a Jon Douglas brace. Would be great to see as many there as possible, we can start seriously thinking of the playoffs now, but theres still a possibility of bringing the league title to Court Place Farm, let's get behind the lads!  Directions:www.stourbridgefc.com/site/ground-directions-mainmenu-81/36-sfc-war-memorial-athletic-ground |
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Post by doris on Mar 15, 2012 19:17:04 GMT
id like to welcome all the oxford fans to stourbridge on saturday esspecially hedges and his dad and look forward to having a beer with you either in the club or at my pub, THE MITRE which is in the town about 5 mins walk from the ground. good luck.
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Post by nptonexile on Mar 15, 2012 21:06:18 GMT
I'll be there, as giving Accrington a miss this season! Still, was touch and go..£28 return to B'ham New Street is frankly ridiculous!  |
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Post by doris on Mar 16, 2012 12:32:38 GMT
I'll be there, as giving Accrington a miss this season! Still, was touch and go..£28 return to B'ham New Street is frankly ridiculous! if your comming by train you will have to pass the MITRE. pop in and have a beer with the Stourbridge crew. your very welcome. |
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Post by nptonexile on Mar 16, 2012 19:59:12 GMT
I'll be there, as giving Accrington a miss this season! Still, was touch and go..£28 return to B'ham New Street is frankly ridiculous! if your comming by train you will have to pass the MITRE. pop in and have a beer with the Stourbridge crew. your very welcome. Will defo try fella..though planning to get off at Lye and being into the real ales, visit the nearby Windsor Castle. Supposed to be really good pub..then hopefully taxi or however into Stourbridge/Amblecote? |
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Post by doris on Mar 17, 2012 0:57:29 GMT
if your comming by train you will have to pass the MITRE. pop in and have a beer with the Stourbridge crew. your very welcome. Will defo try fella..though planning to get off at Lye and being into the real ales, visit the nearby Windsor Castle. Supposed to be really good pub..then hopefully taxi or however into Stourbridge/Amblecote? OUR BEERS PRETTY GOOD MATE. WHAT EVA YOU DECIDE TO DO, HAVE A GOOD DAY. |
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Post by nptonexile on Mar 17, 2012 22:20:18 GMT
...yes, good day (sort of!) Wellington near New St..16 ales on..then train to Lye, and the Windsor Castle - also top pub, top ales!
Didn't make the Mitre - sorry!
Must say, apart from a lacklustre performance today from City, shockingly poor support also! Ten, including three of us from Northampton/MK to make up the numbers is a pretty poor show for a club with aspirations of higher things.
In contrast, Stourbridge run a coach to what seems like every game. If City have designs on doing anything, they have to emulate the cup run and also run a coach - supporters can't get on a coach that doesn't exist!
The Oxford Utd factor is also wearing a little thin..Stourbridge are little more than a stone throws away from WBA..with Wolves and Kidderminster also close, yet still pull in and take numbers!
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Post by Observer on Mar 18, 2012 9:10:31 GMT
What can anyone do about that ? Supports can not be forced . Disagree about show yesterday , thought city played well , thief keeper got mom in clud after , they took their changes that's all , some people forget where we were last season !
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Post by Observer on Mar 18, 2012 9:12:30 GMT
Sorry about spelling , must be still half asleep !
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Post by TRM Stour on Mar 18, 2012 9:41:47 GMT
Thought you played well yesterday, personally, but we defended well and Solly made a couple of top saves when called on. You probably merited a draw at least, but that's football!
As for support - yes, we are on the doorstep of Wolves/WBA, and Villa as well (not many Blues fans around). But Stourbridge has always been a town with it's own identity, whereas you are part of the same City as Oxford United - therefore fans will always gravitate to them ahead of you, so it isn't really a fair comparison.
You must wonder what you have to do to pull more people in, but there isn't really any secret other than keep winning. As Observer says, look where you were last season - this is the first time you've sustained a challenge at this level. I'm sure you wouldn't agree, but if you want to build gates it might be better to do that in the SL for the next couple of seasons rather than go up and struggle in the Pretend Conference with crowds falling off as a result.
We've had nearly ten years of steady season-on-season progress now and that has gradually built support, Two great Cup runs have helped but they haven't really boosted regular crowds all that much over all. Good home form helps - only seven league defeats in the last three seasons at Amblecote (two against you lot!), but for me the main reason is the atmosphere around the Club - if you stayed on after the game you will have seen part of that in the Club with the presentation to Leon Broadhurst.
The real test will come when things aren't going so well, as with any club.
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Post by Observer on Mar 18, 2012 9:52:01 GMT
Good post, agree with all you say , but it's difficult to say , hang around for a few seasons if opportunity comes your way you win your games and end up going up what can you do ? But long term you have to have stability and realisium !
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2012 18:21:19 GMT
Always going to be a difficult game, disappointing yes but no disgrace for the first thirty of second half the better side and a good save by there goalie maybe kept us from getting a point, although yet another goal in stopage time again must keep defending to the whistle. We have a good squad and we have a week to prepare for Evesham lets not knock the support we have just encourage more to come with the new facilities and success the support will increase !
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Post by sharon on Mar 18, 2012 19:13:10 GMT
I think the comment about away support is a little harsh. Lots of us would like to go to the away games but there is usually something happening back at Marsh Lane which requires the Club's volunteers to be there. People tend to forget that the Club is run on a voluntary basis.
The support shown during the FA Cup run was fantastic and those who went all agree that the coach trips where fantastic. A lot of those who came on the coach are also managers and coaches who have their City teams to run on a Saturday. I know others also had to take holiday from thir work to attend the FA Cup games. I should also add that the Club kindly subsidised all of the coach trips we ran but obviously could not do this for every away game and I do not think they should be expected to do so.
If there was ever enough people interested in an away game to merit ordering a coach - indeed there is the possibility of a supporters coach to Hitchin at the end of the season - I would be more than happy to organise but this is obviously subject to demand.
I believe City has some fantastic supporters, this is growing all the time and hopefully something we can build on.
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Post by hedges on Mar 18, 2012 20:08:06 GMT
Despite a personal invite by Mike(doris) to get down the Mitre pre-game the old man and I couldn't make it this weekend because he was working until early afternoon. Though the volunteer factor for the nomads games certainly come into the lack of away support, the concerning issue I see is that there are very few people who go to away games who are not associated with the club in some way, everyone seems to be committee members or players relatives or volunteers all of whom have more of a vested interest. Than perhaps a regular supporter like myself or the old man do....I could be wrong in this however as increasingly I am noticing the same faces at away games, who may or may not have one of these vested interests. The fact also that for whatever reason we never seem to congregate unless its a big occasion also kind of blurs the true numbers of people who travel away. As for support at Home, that's a difficult one, the numbers plunged understandably last year due to the results on the pitch and despite a superb turn around by all concerned the numbers seem to be static or recovering very very slowly for reasons I'm not sure. The one themes that I keep hearing whispers about is people who won't return until Ford leaves...now I along with others called for his head last year, but this year he's done a great job and those that don't turn up because of ford are both not helping the club and also are missing out on the crest of some good times at the moment *touches wood*. Maybe its the issue of the pitch and the fact that to succeed on our potato patch you have to play hoof and hope football.....something we can't do much about until next season now...but on Tuesday against Ardley we showed what we could do on a decent pitch and put together a number of very sleek passing moves...something we can't do enough of at home. On a side note as things stand my away calender for next year looks grim...Added Leamy & stAlbans to my ground list this year, might not go to St Albans again because of the difficulties getting to the ground through the city centre and that there is no parking at the ground whatsoever...also Cirecester and Hemel could go down so ill lose them, Brackley could/will go up so also lose them...pretty much leaves Chesham as my 'local' game and Banbury and leamy as the others on familar territory  . |
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Post by TRM Stour on Mar 18, 2012 22:20:32 GMT
Hedges - there was no "hoof and hope" from your boys yesterday. Both sides tried to play football as it should be despite "changeable" conditions and it was a good game to watch.
As regards not watching "until Ford goes" what do your "supporters" want. You're third in the League on limited crowds and playing decent football! People who trot out this line will NOT come back when the manager changes - it's just an excuse when they're too embarrassed to say they haven't got the commitment for whatever reason. We've had it at Stour in the past with one or two managers - guess what, when those managers went the people concerned did not come back!
As for travelling support, you need to get a good bunch going together so there's a bit of a "craic". Not easy to build that up from scratch, but even with 30 or 40 it becomes a "family" and then all of a sudden nobody is wanting to miss games. 30 or 40 becomes 50 and 60, and so on. That's the way it's happened for us and each season our travelling support grows just that bit more. But it takes time.
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Post by TRM Stour on Mar 18, 2012 22:21:51 GMT
PS. Sorry for butting in - I'll leave you in peace now!
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Post by Padz on Mar 19, 2012 12:42:34 GMT
I thought we played well on Saturday and against a less inspired goalkeeper would have won the game, how he kept out the Basham effort i will never know.
We've got two games coming up at home (evesham and bedford) which on paper are winnable games, Totton dropped points at home to Redditch and their backer has pulled his funding out so there may yet be a further stutter from them also.
From what i gather Liam is due to go in for a big operation so his season will be over which will allow us to move Pondy back into the middle with Ballard, Benjamin left and Lyon on the right
Bash has been playing very well in recent games and really working hard, would like to see Felipe or Bell start with him against Evesham as they offer more energy and movement than Aaron Woodley has in the past few games, would ideally like to see Learoyd playing at left back, Kynan and Marvin are good going forward but sometimes we are left a tad exposed on the defensive side of things.
And just a note to Stourbridge, again very welcoming to the few City fans who made the trip up, a very friendly bunch who had nothing but praise for City's performance
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Post by ChrisB on Mar 19, 2012 12:56:35 GMT
As regards not watching "until Ford goes" what do your "supporters" want. You're third in the League on limited crowds and playing decent football! People who trot out this line will NOT come back when the manager changes - it's just an excuse when they're too embarrassed to say they haven't got the commitment for whatever reason. We've had it at Stour in the past with one or two managers - guess what, when those managers went the people concerned did not come back! As for travelling support, you need to get a good bunch going together so there's a bit of a "craic". Not easy to build that up from scratch, but even with 30 or 40 it becomes a "family" and then all of a sudden nobody is wanting to miss games. 30 or 40 becomes 50 and 60, and so on. That's the way it's happened for us and each season our travelling support grows just that bit more. But it takes time. I have to say that I think TRM Stour is spot on with his comments. It's travelling in a group that makes away-days exciting. A coach is the answer - but, as Sharon says, are there enough to warrant one as a matter of course (probably not), and it clearly couldn't be subsidised on a regular basis as with the FA Cup matches. A difficult problem. Not that a few numbers prove/disprove anything particularly, but I was looking at the average attendances for the last 11 seasons... 2001/02 (IL): 1492002/03 (IL): 1352003/04 (Last IL season): 1442004/05 (1st SL season: City relegated) 1942005/06 (SSML - no attendances reported) 2006/07 (Back in Div 1 S&W): 174 2007/08 (in the play offs and well attended local derbies with Didcot & Ab Utd): 2272008/09 (First season in the Prem. Division): 2742009/10 (Prem Div.): 2672010/11 (Prem Div.): 2122011/12 (Prem Div.): 224All rather odd? Now I know these are home attendances, and not travelling fans, but there must be some sort of relationship between the two. Certainly success brings bigger crowds. Straight after the move to CPF the crowds rose steadily for several seasons as City gained successive promotions and reached the Isthmian Premier with a Wembley visit on the way. Though I don't have any averages, even in the IL Prem. (which was then immediately below Conference National) a typical home gate was still only 230-250. It looks as though promotions and Cup/Vase/Trophy runs will push the crowds up temporarily and they will then settle down again to between 200-250 - and travelling support will probably do similarly. I think it's just how it is in non-league circles, and I suspect City's gates have actually held up reasonably well in the present economic climate when compared with a lot of the other local clubs. While I'd love to see bigger crowds, I have long since ceased to be surprised that they can't be maintained at a significantly higher level. On a slightly different tack. What does surprise me a bit is that, on days when the 1st XI aren't playing or for Wednesday home matches, there aren't more watching Oxford City Nomads as they challenge for the Hellenic title - a level that Oxford City were playing at just six years ago. |
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Post by Observer on Mar 19, 2012 18:55:32 GMT
I thought we played well on Saturday and against a less inspired goalkeeper would have won the game, how he kept out the Basham effort i will never know. We've got two games coming up at home (evesham and bedford) which on paper are winnable games, Totton dropped points at home to Redditch and their backer has pulled his funding out so there may yet be a further stutter from them also. From what i gather Liam is due to go in for a big operation so his season will be over which will allow us to move Pondy back into the middle with Ballard, Benjamin left and Lyon on the right Bash has been playing very well in recent games and really working hard, would like to see Felipe or Bell start with him against Evesham as they offer more energy and movement than Aaron Woodley has in the past few games, would ideally like to see Learoyd playing at left back, Kynan and Marvin are good going forward but sometimes we are left a tad exposed on the defensive side of things. And just a note to Stourbridge, again very welcoming to the few City fans who made the trip up, a very friendly bunch who had nothing but praise for City's performance |
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Post by Observer on Mar 19, 2012 19:01:53 GMT
Dont know what padz been watching , pond has always been in middle along with Ballard and Liam ! Why you would play a very one footed defender ( right ) in leyroyd at eft back bemuses me ! And would also like to belly play , but not for his energy ! Ain't gt any ! Needs to FACE the pitch padz !
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Post by Padz on Mar 19, 2012 20:33:20 GMT
I mean Pondy has been forced out wider recently, we've been playing a midfield 4 of Dec/Liam/Ballard/Pond so obviously not all 3 of them are playing centrally
I'd play Bell for his ability, he's the most naturally gifted player we've got (in my opinion)
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Post by hedges on Mar 19, 2012 22:50:29 GMT
I think Sharon had the right idea this year, sadly mother nature didn't like it. But there was an idea put forward to do a coach to Cambridge, not sure what the interest was like but I think it was at the time the weather turned sour so the plan fell through with little mention. Its more difficult than it sounds due to cups and weather but if we can pin point say 3 longer distance away games when the fixtures are released and really push it and try and get enough people to get a mini-bus together for next season that would be a good start....maybe run a poll on the website or something so everyone has an oppotunity to say? Again Weymouth is on next seasons list for me as it was this year, hopefully I won't have to rely on them to win a cup game... assuming we're still in the same league that is  |
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Post by sharon on Mar 20, 2012 8:59:06 GMT
I have tried to organise coaches to two other games this year:
Weymouth - demand for this was limited due to the fact it was a Tuesday night. In any event, the game was postponed as Weymouth had to replay their FA game and therefore we didn't go. I did speak to people about the re-arranged game but unfortunately no one could go. That said, there were spaces available on the team coach for the rearranged match.
Cambridge - despite a lot of initial interest, this fell through (probably not helped as this was this New Years Eve game). In the end there was only four of us so we went on the team coach. You can imagine if we had booked a coach based on initial interest only to have four turn up on the day.......!
If there are three or four games we want to pick out and make a concerted effort to travel to, that is absolutely fine with me and I am happy to organise. I suspect probably the best thing is that when the 2012/13 fixtures are released we see which games we fancy and promote from then onwards.
As previously mentioned, we are hoping to arrange a supporters coach for Hitchin (last game of this season) and I am currenly obtaining prices. Once I know more, I will let everyone know.
Cheers
Sharon
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Post by Ob1 on Mar 22, 2012 12:27:42 GMT
I mean Pondy has been forced out wider recently, we've been playing a midfield 4 of Dec/Liam/Ballard/Pond so obviously not all 3 of them are playing centrally I'd play Bell for his ability, he's the most naturally gifted player we've got (in my opinion) Padz - I think you will find that we've been playing a midfield 3 of Pond, Ballard and Malone. Dec and Mavin/Kynan are playing as wing backs. |
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