They Used to Play on Grass

I believe Neath are no longer officially Athletic, even though they play that way

Smile please - 'hopper with camera nearby

Hopperational details

Sunday 31 October at Park Hall, The New Saints 3 Neath 1 in the Welsh Premier League.  I am here because a digital clock and die combo sent me to Mossley 2 Nantwich Town 3 in the FA Trophy yesterday (report sent to the nice people at theballisround and posted at http://theballisround.co.uk/2010/11/02/trophy-life/) giving me the chance of an overnight stay at the ancestral home in West Bromwich and a foray into the Borders.

This match in one sentence

Not as straightforward as the scoreline suggests; Neath battled well for much of this game and at least they got a late consolation goal.

So what?

TNS tighten their grip on second place in the league but are still well behind the leaders Bangor City.  Neath stay third, and it begins to look like the top two if not three places in this league are already settled.

Who caught the eye on the pitch?

The teams cancelled each other out for much of the game so it was individual moments that caught the eye.  Neath keeper Craig Morris made a superb but controversial save at 0-1 to keep his team in the game.  Home sources are convinced the ball had crossed the line.  His opposite number Paul Harrison had a great moment of his own later on.  Alex Darlington’s cool finish to make it 2-0 was probably the game’s defining moment, and Richie Partridge’s for 3-0 was icing on the cake.  Partridge was the featured player the last time I saw TNS (at Airbus) – he had a good game again today but was given fewer opportunities by the Neath defence.  Lee Trundle’s absence for the visitors drew an audible home-and-away ripple of disappointment as the teams were announced. Previous posts featuring one of these teams: http://modushopperrandom.blogspot.com/2010/09/airbus-in-terminal-penalty-shocker.html http://modushopperrandom.blogspot.com/2010/09/keep-your-eye-on-round-ball.html Autumn has officially arrived

This match had the same effect on my pulse rate as …

… trying to decide which is correct from falling off or falling into Offa’s Dyke in a sentence about the effect of a game of football on my pulse rate.  Work that one out, and note the use of recursion.

A snippet from the programme

I have also commented on the Welsh League Cup in my earlier Neath post.  TNS believe they will be in the final after their last game, a 9-0 semi-final first-leg win over Bangor City.  Their lead article comments, “The cup has traditionally been a chance to blood younger players and give match action to fringe squad members, but (Bangor manager) Powell’s selections in what was, after all, a semi-final, showed a complete contempt for the competition, the sponsors and, most of all, the spectators who played to watch the game.”  Powell has been quoted elsewhere as saying, "I do what's best for Bangor City and no-one else."  It's déjà-vu all over again.

What I learned today

Park Hall has an artificial surface, of the type that is not allowed above Step 4 in the English non-league tiers.  Also, I have completely failed despite several attempts to take a photo that I could caption "R Partridge and a pair of trees".

Modus Hopper Random Talking Point

I can't say that the surface had a negative effect on the game for the spectator, or gave an unfair advantage to TNS.  I suspect that players of both teams, though, stayed on their feet more, and so there must be some difference in tactics and style of play. Durham City’s relegation to step 5 last season was arguably a consequence of a sponsor’s withdrawal when it was made clear that the club would not be permitted to rise above step 4 because of their artificial surface.  They played most of the season with local youngsters, including one impersonator.  The six-point penalty for that misdemeanour cancelled out their two notable wins and they finished with “nul points”, as they say in Eurovision.  Woodley Sports also play on one of these surfaces in step 4.  Both clubs have to switch grounds for FA Cup ties, which must be played on grass. Anyone remember the novel, “They Used to Play on Grass”, co-authored by Terry Venables in the 1970s?  I vaguely remember that he predicted something approaching a European league on artificial surfaces for the nation’s big clubs, including Celtic and Rangers.  However, I have not checked this – I read it as a teenager and that was enough.

What Next?

A local step 5 hop to Oxhey Jets v Hertford Town this evening!

Keep Your Eye on the Round Ball

Hopperational details

Sunday 26 September, Neath 3  Bala Town 1 at The Gnoll in the Welsh Premier League, after a walk in gorgeous morning sunshine around the Gnoll Estate. Mosshouse Wood Reservoir on The Gnoll Estate

This match in one sentence

The result of this disappointing game was never in doubt, but Neath look better going forward than in defence.

So what?

The big spenders of Neath go third, ten points behind Bangor City but with a game in hand.  Bala Town are bottom of the table.

Who caught the eye on the pitch?

Some eyebrows were raised when former Swansea City fans’ favourite Lee Trundle joined Neath in the close season, but it is by no means his first experience outside the English Football League.  He did not enter League football until signing for Brian Flynn at Wrexham at the age of 24.  A move to Swansea under the same manager followed, and I remember when he was said to be the first footballer outside the Premiership with an “image rights” deal.  He is now 33, and his goals-to-games ratio was very impressive up to 2006-7.  Neath’s opening league game of the season had a record crowd of over 800, and his contributions today were warmly received by the home crowd.  I guess that this could be a win-win arrangement for player and club if the Neath management have done their sums correctly.  The Bentley with the personalised number plate was tucked away discreetly at the top of the car park, and he delivered a man-of-the-match performance. Lee Trundle scores from the spot to make it 2-0 to Neath The first goal (from another ex-Swan Kristian O’Leary) came as a result of a Trundle corner, and the third (a spectacular shot by Chris Jones) was served up on a plate by his clever flick, and much enjoyed by those spectators still awake.  Trundle himself was tripped for the penalty that he converted for the second.  He did most of his best work with his back to goal, receiving the ball to feet and holding it up before bringing a runner into play with a clever flick or layoff.  He occasionally showed frustration with his team-mates’ lack of vision or execution, and one display of petulance was taken as dissent by the referee who yellow-carded him.  He was indeed the star of a poor game. A swan from the Gnoll Estate An ex-Swan from The Gnoll

This match had the same effect on my pulse rate as …

… sitting in front of a tank of freshwater tropical fish with a mug of cocoa.

A snippet from the programme

I was aware that the Welsh Premier League had restructured (see my earlier post from Airbus UK v TNS) but I noticed that three of Neath’s first five competitive games have been against Haverfordwest County.  A premier league victory was followed by an aggregate defeat over two legs in the Loosemores League Cup.  English clubs and fans have very mixed feelings about their Carling Cup, which has just had a resurgent week after giant-killing by Brentford and Northampton.  The competition format has had several tweaks over recent seasons, with sides in Europe being exempt until R3.  Lower league Scottish teams will play at least one match in the CIS Insurance Cup and the Alba Challenge Cup before their league programme starts.  It seems to me as a casual observer that three games out of five against the same opposition is not a structure that will spark the interest of fans in this rugby union stronghold.  The Welsh authorities have taken a brave step with the 6:6 split in January, and perhaps their league cup now needs a remodelling too.

What I learned today

Neath is undoubtedly a rugby town.  Six hundred spectators were herded into the shade of the main stand for today’s game.  However, several thousand will no doubt be here on all sides for reigning national champions Neath RFC’s upcoming game against Pontypridd.  Neath FC’s move to The Gnoll will hopefully have spin-off benefits for both clubs, and arguably they are showing ambition through the signings of Trundle and O’Leary.  The sharing arrangements at Vicarage Road (Watford/Saracens), Adams Park (Wycombe Wanderers/Wasps) and the Madejski Stadium (Reading/London Irish) have all lasted for several seasons and seem to prove that co-existence can be beneficial.  I am sure there are others that I have missed.  As a Hertfordshire resident, I know that there are occasional mutterings about the pitch at Watford, but many realistic fans are said to be anxious that Saracens have been looking elsewhere.

Modus Hopper Random Talking Point

Don’t get me started about the colours of the football boots worn by the youngsters who took part in the half-time entertainment.  I blame the parents, and in the meantime will send the incriminating evidence once again to @BeatTheFirstMan for his Fancy Dan blog at http://fancydanboots.tumblr.com/ ... and finally, a blurred nuthatch (I hope) from The Gnoll as a tribute to my equally but differently obsessed brother Martyn who, as @BlurredBirding on Twitter and through his blog http://yapp2607.blogspot.com/ keeps us up to date with feathered friends.  He taught me everything I know about gulls.