Sunday 30 September 2007

The next game(2):

We have beaten Chalfont St. Peter 2-1 in the FA Cup Second Qualifying Round this afternoon. The draw is tomorrow. Watch this space...as they say!
Hopefully it will be kind to us & we will still have a Supporters' Team match on the 13th.

Friday 28 September 2007

The next game...

is provisionally scheduled for Saturday 13th October.
Subject to who we might get drawn against if we beat Chalfont St Peter in the FA Cup at Champion Hill on Sunday afternoon, as 13th October is the scheduled date of the third qualifying round. We may have a Ryman League game, a Cup game, or maybe no game at all that day!
But Andy Tucker has emailed round to say we might be playing Welling United or even JK Jalgapallihaigla, from Estonia, at home!
Watch this space, as they say!
In the meantime if you are interesting in having a run out for the Supporters' Team then email him at Andrew.Tucker@justice.gsi.gov.uk for more details. no commitment needed, just express an interest and you'll get added to the team mailing list.

No Special K's for The Rabblers!

Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' 1
Kingstonian Supporters' 3
Intenet Football League
Saturday 22nd September 2007
at Belair Park


A game I missed as I was in Berlin for the weekend (Four groundhops at 1FC Union Berlin; Hertha Berlin; FC Brandenburg 03 & BFC Viktoria 1889, in case you were wondering) and after two heavy defeats last season against the Ks fans this must have been a game approached more with intrepidation rather than anticipation! Although it's never nice to lose, the scoreline shows a much closer encounter than the last two!

Andy Tucker kindly sent me a few words about the game:
"A game we should have killed off in the first half, but went in at 0-0. A well worked team goal saw us go 1-0 up, but some slack defending for Ks first two goals killed us off, and they scored their third on the break as we pushed forward for an equaliser. Disappointing not to win, but always nice to play against the Kingstonian lads. Also our team was once again a genuine Supporters' Team, with no 'guest' players.
My man of the match was the evergreen Ferenc Morath; & the duo who are 'named & shamed' are Phil Doyle, for running off without paying his match subs,as well as not letting anyone know he was going to turn up in the first place! (That's what emails are for folks. Please keep Andy tucker informed of your availability! And Ian Wright, for not turning up, when he said he would be."

For his 'official' report to the IFA Yahoo Group, he wrote:
" A great game played in excellent spirits. The first-half ended 0-0 although if we had taken one of our numerous chances we had from close range it wouldn't have! Kingstonian always looked dangerous on the break, and we paid for our lack of goal scoring in the second half. The key moment of the game I thought was at 1-0 up, a superb close range save from Andy in the Ks goal stopped us going 2-0 up, which I think would possibly have killed it off. It was 1-1 a couple of minutes later, some slack marking allowed Ks to score a second from a corner, and as we pushed for an equaliser, they broke to be four on one and score the third with a minute to go!"

For those of you who are wondering, the IFA Yahoo Group is how you post fixtures and results. If you don't post the details of the game beforehand you cannot gain any points, and cannot post it retrospectively. Most teams include a little report, like this one, when posting the result; and the away team often reply to it.

Thanks to Chris Tabrett, who has kindly done a report of the match. Here is what he had to say:

"This game is always a familiar battle between the opposition as we have played them numerous times beofre in the past. The first half was a tight half with few chances with a few balls over the top for the two strikers to run onto, but the Kingstonian keeper came out and collected each time. This was until an awkward back pass was booted into the pathway of Gary Tabrett, but the referee quickly blew up for 'handball', when it clearly wasn't, but we didn't complain. There were a couple more chances for 'The Rabblers', with the ball getting played over the top to Matthew Virgo, which had a bit too much pace on it, but he never stopped running for the ball. The only chance I remember that Kingstonian had in the first half was a well hit shot to the right side of the goal but stand-in keeper Andy tucker pulled off a great save that any keeper would be proud of. Kingstonian did not have any chances in the eighteen yard box as the 'Rabblers' back line was too strong. At half time it finished 0-0. The second half there were no changes to the team and we were expecting more of the same. As the game went on it opened up a bit more. 'The Rabblers' goal came around the hour mark with a piece of brilliance from Matthew Virgo who hit a low, hard cross-shot across the face of goal to set up strike partner Gary Tabrett with an easy finish. Advantage to the 'Rabblers'. Then Kingstonian started to pile the pressure but the back line was coping well with some great challenges by Lawrence Marsh, Phil Baker and Ferenc Morath which kept the game at one nil. This was until Kingstonian equalised with a header from a well taken corner. With the score now level Kingstonian piled on more pressure and got the second goal through a couple of scrappy clearances where they took full advantage with a shot that couldn't be saved right in the corner of the goal. In the last five minutes Dulwich Hamlet pushed everyone forward and had a couple of half chances before Kingstonian broke away on the counter attack with a cross swung in from the side of the pitch with a great finish from a volley. So the game finished 3-1, but I think the result flattered Kingstonian. I think everyone today played very well and showed a lot of heart and never stopped.
Team: Andy Tucker; Lawrence Marsh; Phil Baker; Ferenc Morath; Chris Garrett; James O'Shaughnessy (Phil Doyle); Chris Tabrett (Dawn Taylor); Jack McInroy; Kublai Hoare; Matthew Virgo; Gary Tabrett (Mark Hutton).
Goalscorer: Gary Tabrett.

And finally here's what they thought(from the Kingstonian messageboard!):

Lesmundo(Le fox in le box): "Well done to all the lads who played on Saturday! We were easily the better side and if we had not have won it would have been a huge injustice. "
Simon M: "Thought everyone played well on Saturday...I enjoyed playing centre back, but happy to move back out wide when Gary & Damo are back...definitely echo the words on Ben, Alex and Sam, without them we'd only have had 8, and they all did really well"
Simon B: "It has been a difficult start to the season for the K's supporters team but on saturday it all came together and an excellant TEAM performance resulted in a 3-1 win against our old friends Dulwich Hamlet. The game was very even in the first half and went in 0-0 at half time. Dulwich took the lead before Lesmundo equalised with a sweet finish. We took control of the game from here and it was no surprise that we scored a second, the only surprise being Foley scored and it wasn't a pen. We saved the best till last as Lemundo beat a man on the half way line and sprinted down the right wing and put a beautiful cross over for Ben Duddy to volley home with ease. A big thank you and well done to the 11 that made it and as Les and Si mentioned, Alex, Sam and Ben who were recruited at 9 o'clock Friday night and were brilliant. To finish, Dulwich gave our MOM to Lesmundo."

Thanks to Chris & Andy for their contributions, & I hope the Ks fans don't mind me plundering their messageboard!
For future games feel free to email me your match reports, I am more than happy to publish more than one if a few
of you are keen! Just email them to either myself, or Andy Tucker, & he will forward them on to me.

Friday 14 September 2007

Next game: Saturday 22nd September

10.30am kick off
at Belair Park
versus Kingstonian Supporters'
At the moment we do NOT have a full team for this match!
If you are available to play, & just as importantly if you are not available, then email Andy at andrew.tucker@justice.gsi.gov.uk to let him know!
If you haven't played for us before, and are just a Hamlet fan, no matter how long standing, or if you are a new fan, and want to play then please feel free to drop him a line to let him know.
We welcome, and positively need, more squad players.
We are one of the, if not the, supporters' team with the lowest fan base in the Internet Football Association, so need more people on board!
By showing an interest does not mean you are making a commitment to every game. You can play in as many or as few as you wish.
So get in touch today!
Thank you.

A last gasp defeat!

Dover Athletic Supporters' 6 Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' 5
Saturday 8th September 2007 at Archers Court playing fields, Dover, Kent.
Dover were a step into the unknown for us, never having crossed swords with them before, though we did once enter a five-a-side competition run by their Trust a few years ago, which was played on their training area, just behind the goal, at the end of the ground where their bar is. What sort of 'monsters' were they going to be? For if you were to believe all you read on the unofficial Ryman forums then Dover is not the most hospitable place to come to. But I only judge on what I find, and from start to finish, they seemed a decent bunch. First they met us at the station and gave us lifts, right up to the final whistle when they handed out a tray of sandwiches, oh and some doughnuts mostly consumed in his epitimous gannet style by old man Hutty! Though they claimed to have had five goals disallowed, most were for pot shots at goal well after their own referee had blown for offisde, and one was after the whistle had gone after our keeper had been fouled! Though they said it was 'banter' I personally thought they gave their referee a bit too much abuse, and thought he did a reasonable job. We've certainly had a lot worse!
The only downer was the showers not working, as we were told by some of the locals that there was a problem with the pump, so it was plenty of deodorant and a somewhat sweaty bunch of Rabblers who headed to the Crabble for the big game in the afternoon. A game of two halves, Dover should have been 4 or 5 up at half time, but we turned in a superb second half performance, and matched them in the second half. not as one sided as some of their posters on their forum suggested! After we adjourned to 'The Cricketers' by the ground to watch the England game, and despite us coming back to deny them all three points the natives there were also friendly, and you have to wonder where Dover get such a reputation from? Jealousy perhaps?
But back to our game in the morning...I'll hand over to Andy Tucker to give you his version of events:
" The Supporters' Team were beaten in a frustrating manner in their first iFA match of the season away to Dover. A slow start saw Dover take the lead but Dulwich roared back at them to go 2-1 up at half-time, the second from Chris Garrett reminiscent of his one man march against PSG (Belgium) in Paris in January. Dulwich continued where they left off for the first thrity minutes of the second half with some marvellous play on the break, and with fifteen minutes left found themselves 4-1 up. As we started to tire against the fresher and younger legs of Dover (they had a squad of over twenty lads to choose from!) 'The Rabblers' were pegged back to 4-3, only for some comedy keeping to gift Lawrence Marsh our fifth with eight minutes to go. But tired legs told and it looked to be finishing 5-5 (probably fair on reflection) before 'time added on for the opposition to score' saw the cruel ending with Dvoer scoring the winner with literally the last kick of the match, despite nano-seconds earlier the referee indicating that there was still two minutes left to play. Well done to everyone who played-a stirling effort. Special mention for Shaun Dooley who returned to 'active service' after a break of almost a decade!
Named & shamed for not turning up and not letting anyone know in advance: Phil Doyle."
"The Rabblers": Andy Tucker; Nicolas Lucas; Paul Griffin; Chris Wheeler; Danny King; Mick O'Shaughnessy; Andy Murphy; Shaun Dooley; Lawrence Marsh; Ference Morath; Chris Garrett. Subs used: Dawn Taylor; Mishi Morath.
Goalscorers: Lawrence Marsh (2); Chris Garrett (2) Andy Murphy.


Back row: (left to right) Ferenc Morath; Lawrence Marsh; Mick O'Shaughnessy; Andrew Tucker; Mark Hutton; Nicolas Lucas; Chris Wheeler; Paul Griffin.

Front row: (left to right) Chris Garrett; Dawn Taylor; Shaun Dooley; Danny King; Andy Murphy; Mishi Morath.

More Estonian thoughts...

this time from team organiser Andrew Tucker, who was instrumental in setting up the tour:

"The tour to Tallinn was one of my favourites. Having been involved with running the team, and subsequently doing a lot of the organisation for the tour, for about three years, this was undoubtedly one of the best! I was quietly pleased with just how smoothly most of it went. Eight (I think) of us picked up a taxi from Champion Hill at some ungodly hour in the morning on the Thursday and got to Stansted within about fifty minutes. We then had the traditional fry-up at the airport before strolling through passport control, wandered round the shops then on to the gate.
The flight left apporximately on time, and before we knew it we were in Estonia. We then all got cabs to the hotel. And were greeted by Hutty and Big Nose wondering why their name wasn't at the hotel. Read your e-mails you buffoons! Anyway, we all checked in with little fuss and were up and running. Madis kindly came and joined us for some lunch/dinner before taking us to a UEFA Cup game that FC Flora Tallinn were playing where we saw some more of our friends from JK Jalgpallihaigla. The next day saw a few more join us and then that evening, the first major problem. Lucas Green was stranded by the floods in England and had missed his flight. Whilst everyone else enjoyed the food and company at the pub we were at, I spent most of the time on the phone or texting to work out what could be done. Could we change kick-off time, as he may be able to get here for 1 0'clock if he goes via Prague? Hang on, what about a flight to Helsinki, then a ferry? A quick stop at Kiev before boarding? As the price and air miles racked up, it became increasingly apparent it wasn't going to happen. When all of a sudden, he says 'Hang on' and hangs up! The next thing I know I get a text saying he will be on the Easyjet flight from Stansted the following morning as someone has dropped out. One of those 'happenings' which are a pain at the time, but will live long in the memory as 'making the tour'. And I settled back to the strange concoction of food in front of me, relaxing in the knowledge we now had thirteen players again!
So onto the game itself the next morning. I was very proud of our boys (& girl) who worked incredibly hard throughout. Six goals for Gaffer Marsh-surely a Club record that will never be beaten-,the greatest own goal of all time by Mr Griffin, and a water bottle in the balls for our very own Belgian Admiral! Despite the result, we all enjoyed the game and enhanced our friendship with the Estonians which was the real point of the tour! A good night out was had by all, including Lucas providing more entertainment by getting into a fight with the Russian taxi-driver. Bloody drunken tight wad!
I don't remember much about the Sunday except for the evening where the squad went out for a meal together. Both Lawrence & I were very grateful for everyone paying for our food that night-it really was appreciated. The evening got better as we reitred to the hotel back yard and entertained the rest of the hotel with Daddy O'Shaughnessy's collection of punk rock, heavy metal & assorted jurassic tunes from the seventies, the pick of the bunch being 'Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me' by those shy, retiring lads from 'Rage Against The Machine'. Due to the amount of noise we were making we were forced to adjourn indoors to the hotel bar, where the chap behind the jump kept us entertained with a Shakin' Stevens album(I kid you not!) and we entertained ourselves with a rather childish but very funny peanut fight. Then it was time to say goodnight. Apparently Mick spent a good thirty minutes throwing up in the toilet later, much to Shailer's disgust as Mick had their room key. Hutty provided the cabaret in the corridor for Vern, the Gaffer & me by announcing to the world 'Farewell comrades!', turning to his bedroom door and squealing 'Oooooh, I've locked myself out!'
Monday saw the majority of the squad leave, thus the tour 'proper' ended. I was very pleased with how it went-very little in the way of hiccups (at least ones we could have avoided) and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. We look forward to hopefully returning next year, at the same time conquering Latvia, as we also hope to play a match in Riga."

Friday 7 September 2007

A jolly day out this weekend

when we open our Internet Football Association season with a match away to the Jollyboys from Dover Athletic, who Andy Tucker has managed to pursuade to join the IFA, with 'The Rabblers' being their virginal opponents!
Last weeks short sided warm-up away to Erith & Belvedere supporters' was cancelled when they couldn't raise a side, but Andy tells me there are tentative plans to accept an invite from them for a full eleven a side match at the end of the season on their Park View Road stadium pitch, which they co-own with Welling United!
It should be fun, no matter the score, & they are being kind enough to meet us at Dover Priory station, to give us lifts to the pitch they have booked.
We have a large squad due to travel down to the Kent coast, in our usual 'rag bag' public transport style. With a mix of us on the London Bridge & Victoria services, both due in Dover at around quarter to ten.
The squad named earlier in the week is as follows:
Andy Tucker; Steve Rickerby; Mick O'Shaughnessy; James O' Shaughnessy; Nicolas Lucas; Robbie McLintock; Mishi Morath; Ferenc Morath; Mark Hutton; Paul Griffin; Chris Garrett; Danny King; Phil Doyle; Chris Wheeler; Andy Murphy & Lawrence Marsh.
Though I understand that Robbie McLintock has already sent his apologies & Steve Rickerby may not be fully fit to have a run out, as he is recovering from a back injury.
Possible late additions, in case of drop-outs are Phil Baker & Dawn Taylor, who are bringing their boots in the hope of a run-out.
Not playing but popping down to cheer us all on are injured Matt Hammond & long retired, but hopefully he can be enticed to get his boots out of the loft, our former player-manager Shaun Dooley.