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Turnbull, Stephens, Toffolo and Swift all called up for their games next weekend

Haha! Imagine if they refused Town permission to call the game off.

If we hadn't (assume he has signed) signed Ricketts, am I right in saying we wouldn't be able to request a call off as the England U20s doesn't really count as international call-ups?

It was discussed when Bristol City were coming to the CG but Toffolo didn't get called up in the end so we were unable to find out.

Colchester United FC ‏@ColU_Official  29s29 seconds ago
#ColU's game next weekend v Swindon has been called off due to the Robins' international call-ups. More details soon.

Swindon Town FC ‏@Official_STFC  15s15 seconds ago
The re-arranged tie will take place on Tuesday 28th April with kick-off at 7.45pm.

Two weeks off. Less than ideal.

April is going to be nuts.

Mad we've had 6 called up for Internationals as a league one club, gotta be good for us in the transfer market in the summer, when young players see what might happen by coming here and doing well.

Couple of players with niggles, one game less before card amnesty.

Good shout

Bit annoying but I'd rather not play a game than be without Kasim, Luongo, Stephens, Turnbull, Toffolo AND Swift!

Rubbish, we could easily field a team...

Foderingham, Branco, N. Thompson, Barthram, Gladwin, Byrne, Obika, Hylton, Williams, M. Smith, Barker

I mean, that team is admittedly a little top heavy but still...

Sam Morshead ‏@SamMorshead_  24s25 seconds ago
Swindon got Col U game called up by skin of their teeth. Swift, Toffolo, Turnbull loans didn't count towards call-ups. Only Stephens

Phew

As I pointed out in the earlier thread about this....what is less than ideal, is that these developing footballers will have to spend time being coached my Hoofroyd and probably Beck to boot....the FA really are clueless.

They're all bright lads Reg. I'm sure even if Boothroyd does tell them to just hoof it upfield for the U20s (unlikely IMO as the FA are trying to develop a coherent style of play across the teams, but you're right his track record would suggest otherwise!) then they're quite capable of working out that that won't go down well when they return to their club sides. It's not like a week or so's exposure to Boothroyd is going to completely ruin them as footballers. Although granted it's difficult to see what it will do to improve them either.

George Barker, we hardly knew ye.

Luke Williams' only major faux pas.

Get it up!

Get it up!

PS, Reg, please tell me John Beck isn't involved with England

I'm not so sure....you'd like to think that going off to an England age range, would be a step up from Div 3 coaching, not as in this case at least 2 or 3 steps backward.

You take that back! Super George will make you eat your words

He's not, he was employed in a role in coach education at St George's Park in late 2013:
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/05/john-beck-fa-coaching

Yes you would. But my point was that even if it isn't, it's not likely to harm them in the long-term. It's Aidy Boothroyd FFS not some super-hypnotist. If he's changed and now fits in with the FA's preferred style for England teams, great, because it's actually quite similar to the way we play. If he's not, a week or so with even an unreconstructed Boothroyd isn't going to suddenly turn promising young footballers into hoofball zombies.

Pretty galling that we'd have to have played with six players on international duty if Stephens hadn't counted. Why should U20 call-ups automatically be excluded? Another case of Prem expectations re squad size and the marginality of younger players.

It would have been hysterically funny....we only had a squad of 18 on Tuesday, including a kid still at school...so could have fielded an XI + an old skool one sub.

Here's a bit of good news.

Preston could have 4 players called up for internationals on the same weekend.

Down to play Fleetwood, but . . . their game cant be postponed as it's on TV

We're usually a bit rusty after a week off, and this is a loooooong break. Not good news.

FWIW, Donny commentators said on Saturday that they thought we looked tired. A break could be just what we need.

Why did Stephens count and not the others? :-/

I imagine it's to do with the T&C's of a youth loan which Stephens isn't(?)

it's not ideal having this break, but it's slightly more ideal than playing with 6 players.

By the time we play MK we will have a game in hand on Preston and 2 on MK. Let's hope they both slip up between now and then.

We will have 2 games in hand over Preston.  They are playing on friday. :)

Oh. My. God.

No football until the 4th April. This will be me round about the 2nd...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7g0862r2qU

I've allready asked this question, but this is a more relevant thread !

Any of the London lads planing on watching the Gruffalo at Barnet tomorrow night ?

Is the game on Tele somewhere.  I miss Wiziwig as you could always find things like this on there

At least a couple are going. I think they are trying to do a handover of the flag now its been located, so keep an eye out for that, they'll be lurking nearby no doubt.