Thetownend.com

The Opponent:  Crawley Town

This is going to be short and sweet. Its great when 2 hours before the start of 2014 you realise you have a game of football to attend the following day, as well as the honoured privilege of starting another thread. Well, I'm not going to say much about the baggage handlers, we only played them 6 league games ago so fuck ‘em.  They have never beat us in the league anyway and if you look up the word ‘tinpot’ in more reputable dictionaries it will simply read the words “Crawley Town” next to it. Even without the lardy lizard Evans I have no particular fondness of them as a team and would be amazed if more than 200 of their massive away following manage to get a day off from Upper Crust at Gatwick Airport to make the long trek.  A big thank you to Nicky Ajose, I would love to see him back here in a Town short which he served well all the time he was with us. On the other side of the coin, cheerio Nile.

Happy New Year to one and all from The TEF, every cunt, from every corner of the globe, may it be peaceful and prosperous for you all.

Where the opposition gather –  I am not wasting my time. You have to complete a Krypton Factor style registration to read the thoughts of their coach load of supporters, I for one, can’t be arsed.

Last 6 – DLDLLW (13th on 29 points)

They have served us both –  Nicky Ajose, Gary Alexander, Phil Smith, Leon Clarke, Nathan Byrne, Luke Rooney, Kevin James, Jimmy Glass, Elliot Benyon

The Odds -  Swindon 11/10  Draw 5/2 Crawley 11/4 There has been a drift out with our price over the last 24 hours. Most places had us as short as evens but this has drifted throughout the day with most of them.

The Son Says –  I was expecting 3-0 to be his guess but he kept it simple for me with a confident 2-0 prediction in our favour.

The Prediction –  We will win this before we go on the start of a 16 game unbeaten run. 2-0 will be the score with goals from Luongo and Foderingham in front of 8’343 (179 arriving in 25 people carriers from Gatwick).

And Finally –  The Cure were formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith, Michael Dempsey and soapy tit wank Tolhurst, all of whom attended St Wilfrid's RC School.

COYR COYR COYR

You're late by 6 milliseconds.

Might have been better to type Laurence Tolhurst  :)

Saw the cure in 87 brum NEC.

1-1

2-1

Bring your brolly, it's going to be rather wet!

A Cure fan would probably know him as L...O... L rather than Laurence, uninformed one.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/live-music-reviews/8894959/The-Cure-Albert-Hall-review.html

I know that  :doh:  it doesn't work well on this forum  :)

A bit like the time pink lady (I think  ???) said..

"My son is the best L.O.L"  you can guess how that posted on here  ::)

Was looking forward to a scoreline similair to last new year but with Ajose gone and Ranger being canned might have to settle for a 2/3 nil win.
Cant see them bring more than 200 and 8700 overall

Is the game in any doubt.?

Was featured on a Cure EP live at the Manchester Apollo in 1982, clapping on my own before the end of A Forest. Autographs on request. HNY TEF dudes. xx

1-1

Big, blistering, bouncy 3-1 !

I've got a good feeling about this! 2-1 Swindon COYR

Was that really you?

Game will be off

Looking out of my West Swindon conservatory I have a tendency to agree. It needs calling off early if that's the case.

Rovers is off

We've been asked to go in from 11 to fork the pitch!

Think it could be off then?

Weather forecast is for heavy rain all day. Surely somebody should call Ace Taxis in Crawley and tell them to hold off on the MPV?

Playable ATM. But the rain is getting worse through the day.

No let up in the forecast.  Just can't see this being on.

It can't be off, I need football. Need it.

Get off the internet and get forking Grubby. Fork like the wind.

PS, looking at the rain radar its going to become more showery, but not for a couple of hours. They have to make the call before that :(

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

Is it really that bad? It's a bit rainy up the A420 but surely not enough to stop the game?

Any ideas what time pitch inspection might be ( if there is one)?

Everywhere is wet already.  Think that's the problem.  Any rain falling now doesn't really have anywhere to go.

Its pretty swamp-like in my garden, although the County Ground playing surface and my grassed bmx track are likely to vary :)

Ref is due in at 12ish according to Marcus

It's steady, light rain at the moment.

Certainly not heavy downpours

That's way too late for the travelling team and for their fans.  Most of those taxis will have left by now.

Supermarine game is off.

The amount of rain we've had for a few days now and the heavy rain here now must surely mean it'll be called off. I can't see this being on at all.

 :moped: :car: :car: :horse:  Too late.

12pm pitch inspection.

Andy Warren has just said its on

@AndyWarren_: It's very wet outside but Town's clash with Crawley is ON. Pitch is playable.

where did the 12pm pitch inspection come from then?

That's been said before the pitch inspection, it's not for him to decide though.

edit: Assuming there is a pitch inspection though, what does Bob Holt say?

Is there a pitch inspection then?

Young chap at the ticket office (Jason?), wife and extra child have decided they want to attend so she rang for ticket availability near me and the lad.

Thats official enough for me  :)

Swindon Town FC‏@Official_STFC25s
UPDATE: The County Ground pitch is currently playable and there is no pitch inspection planned. #STFC

Cant see it going ahead, playable atm but getting worse! Ref here at 12ish. Text from the groundsman

Nothing on the official site about a pitch inspection

Game On 11/10  Game Off 6/4

Someone making up a pitch inspection at 12pm. Odds on favourite! :-)

Someone shooting the messenger? Book closed.

Tough one. It's fucking horrible outside and the thought of driving through flooded roads to get to Swindon doesn't exactly fill me with joy, particularly when it could be a wasted trip. I'm actually beginning to hope it's called off.

Agree, as I have to walk there :pint:

Sorry mate. Couldn't resist.

Ohhh, OS tweet says it's on and no inspection planned.

Swindon Town FC ‏@Official_STFC  16m 
UPDATE: The County Ground pitch is currently playable and there is no pitch inspection planned. #STFC

Looks like shaw rosso was telling porky pies

I would have done the same.

Yes of course, my track record for Chang like statements is well known.

I would have thought that a pitch inspection would at least be sensible anyway

It's not nice weather, but it's not been tipping it down all day.

Just set off from Worcester but it was fucking horrible on the motorway a couple of cars span off in front if me, so I knocked it on the head and came home , being a selfish bastard I hope it's off now.

Well I'm not chancing it.  Games have been called off in less extreme conditions than these.  Sorry, but I'm out.

On the plus side, this matchday thread is already almost as long as those for some recent games...and it's still nearly 3 hrs from (possible) kick off.

Glad you got home in one piece. Rain seems to have slowed down a fair bit in SN5, occasional light shower and rather windy.

Thought I was the only one that noticed  :)

Not going to bother. It's warm and dry indoors, fucked if I'm going to travel in the shitstorm outside.

better safe than soggy

It's windy, but not overly rainy. I'll be disappointed if it's off because of this

A spot of rain and everyone panics.  :gay:

Man up.

Ref is coming out again in 5 mins. Doesn't look good!

On my way so hope its on...is it me or is the time wrong on here,,,come on mods get it sorted. :D
Throwing me all over the shop ::)

Driving from achill island to Dublin today so relying on text updates. Reckon a tough 1-0 win today.

Is that for the pitch inspection that isn't happening?

Is the game on today just about to set off - haven`t been outside today but it is chucking it down here - miserable..... :pint:

Nobody has mentioned anything. It's sunny in Swindon.



(this post may not be factual)

it's a fluid situation.

Thanks I will bring a coat - see you in Leg ends about 2.00 -  :pint:

It's off!

Hang on - pitch inspection in 10 minutes so that`s 1.10pm.... what`s on tv....?

There is no pitch inspection

ffs

I blame ShawRosso for not doing a 'proper' matchday thread.  :crash:

I prefer evening games anyway.

Yep, hearing that it's off.

 :(

From Sam

Official tweet just arrived confirming off

Good.

It can't be. Nochee said there was no pitch inspection?  ???

In your own time.

Reports of a short convoy of taxis turning around at Reading.  Crawley fans not going to happy with the timing of that.

Could have been called off this morning, I'd have thought.  Most could see where this was heading.

Thread title changed accordingly.

pathetic

The cynic in me wonders whether Cooper/Power won't be too disappointed with this considering our passing style of play.

According to the official STFC site it is on!!  Adver site saying it is off!!

Bum. Luckily I checked Twitter before I left home.

No front line, shit conditions and injuries. They're probably quite happy.

Sherwood can now solely concentrate on the Spurs game

I think its more a case of our website not being very good.

The vast majority of fans use Twitter or the Adver for updates anyway.

...and/or our lack of strikers.

Odd how they can play at Plymouth and Swansea but not here, despite both locations having more rain than us this morning. Plus we supposedly have one of the best drainage systems in the league.

Is now on official site game off due to waterlogged pitch, stating 4/5 hours of more rain, player safety etc etc

Bit of a late call off for those travelling from outside Swindon.

I'm quite pleased tbh.  I'm not feeling great and also gives injuries/illness a chance to recover and possibly bring a striker in.

Put on bt sport and look at lutons pitch, no fucking chance our game should be off looking at that

What's Luton's pitch got to do with our game being called off??

that game shouldn't be on, the ball isn't even rolling or bouncing properly

Its the McRory link  ;)

If they can play on their pitch and it is 'safe' to do so, then looking at ours I see no reason why ours is cancelled.

Rather we just cracked on with the game and get on with it

We don't want our Barcelona footy dragged down to Creepiest level by conditions like that!

 :poofs: :no:

As ours would have been if we played today. Forks were going in easily and the water was not going away. The worst area was where the stage and audience for the concerts were.

The game would have been a farce and the pitch would have been fucked for the rest of the season so no thanks.

To be fair to the ref, it does look like a heavier band of rain may push in later too.

I know you boys will have done your best grubby but should it not have been looked at a bit earlier than 1pm?

Right decision it seems, but surely could have been made earlier? Maybe the ref was out on a bender last night and turned up late?  :hmmm:

Ref didn't get to the ground until just before 12. He inspected then and later at 1 when he called it off.

Did it get severely worse between 12 and 1 then? Could have saved me (and a few others I should think) some travelling. Given the weather (which had been forecast) I'd have thought the pitch should have been looked at a lot earlier. Ce la vie though, been here plenty of times, just not for a home game for a few years.

Bad management  in my opinion by the club with a distiinct lack of info likely due to lack of staff. Could have got a local ref in earlier and called this off like other clubs did. Would have saved myself and a good few more a wasted trip ( 60 miles in my case)

It was the ref's call. These things happen so nobody is to blame for it.
If it had been called off this morning the fans would be moaning the club didn't do enough to get it played.

Surely only the ref (or I guess the police) can call it off? How is it the clubs fault.

Club could have got a Ref in earlier to inspect the pitch , done all the time

The club said that the game was on with no pitch inspection, sp didnt do themselves any favours imo

I thought we had assurances that the pitch would not be harmed in any way as a result of the concerts.

Thank fuck......I dragged my raggedy arse out of bed at 1:30 ish......bullet dodged....

We also had assurances playing budget would be the same, the board had money,

Keep up ;)

Are you telling me we won't be getting £150k from the 2 concerts?

Cheque got lost in the post didn't it?

Fuck, that's unlucky. 

I thought we had to pay to get the concerts on 8)

Didn't we lose £50k in the end over these 'concerts'?

Apparently so, despite being told that the directors had dipped into their own pockets to ensure those two went on!!

That's an investment, we needed to send it to Nigeria to release funds from the bank so we could get the guaranteed  profit the concerts will generate. Thankfully there is no risk to the club.

What a shame

http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/sport/10908202.Rain_is_a_pain_for_Town_mascot/?ref=var_0

Assuming that photograph was taken today, someone needs to give that bloke a slap.

Sunglasses, indoors, on a rainy January day. Well done mate.

:D

I will save my empathy and sympathy for a child that cannot afford a trip to Australia. Perhaps that article for example would have made me sad if it was regarding a terminally ill child or some other fucked up circumstances which met more harrowing circumstances. As for his Dad, looks quite punchable.

He's the bloke that always appears in the Adver when we have a biggish game, because he knows someone who works for Fox TV in Oz and gets them to put the game on and then invites loads of English friends round to watch.

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/9567904.Fans_Down_Under_cheer_club_on/

Does look a bit of a geezer in the photo, still feel a bit sorry for his lad though.

True, but it is summer right now where he lives in Australia.  Didn't think of that, did you?

Watched the Luton game earlier - farcical conditions, and the game should never have gone ahead. Glad it did though, it was great entertainment. Paul Benson and Jake Hyde both got on the scoresheet, but the fun was to be had in watching the players try to kick and run through the puddles!

I was stood next to that guy against Brentford.

He spent the entire warmup shouting "Wes, Wes, we've come from Australia to see you" for fucking ages, whilst telling every fucker he could he'd come from Australia. His lad was right at the front of the terrace, showed absolutely no interest in the football and complained it was too noisy on multiple occasions.

Fuck em.

I withdraw my pity.

He looks like the kind of person a football agent would look like

Mate of mine is the grandad of the Ozzie kid

What is it with people who've moved elsewhere who want to try and let every single person know that they have done so even if they don't give a fuck? We've got one who appears in the pub once a year with a fake Ozzie accent and goes 'Got to get used to the money again!' EVERY FUCKING TIME HE PAYS. Always steers the conversation to Australia and how he lives over there.

Get over yourselves, cunts.

Probably because Australia is a time warp shithole full of cunts and they are still trying to convince themselves that moving to a desert full of dangerous animals and insects was a good idea.

Probably.

The worst are the ones that go over on holiday, come back and dont stop going on about how great it is and how they would live there. Fucking move there then!

And judging by Johnathan Pilgers documentary 'Utopia' includes having no scruples in fucking up the indigenous population.

I was at Blades and shouted "Cooper, Cooper, I have paid £70 to get here from Calne....change it!"

Fell on deaf ears..

As part of the commonwealth you would have to say that was done with Britain pulling the strings.
Australia isn't a country really...more like a continent so you will have places of incredible beauty and like all places of high population a dark seedier side that tends to be hidden from view.
My wife was born in Australia,we had chances to move there as she was and still is an Australian citizen....sometimes we both wonder what if?

Being so vast it is still a country full of opportunity especially for the young,can you still say that about Britain....not sure really on account of not being young :D

As for the mascot and his family i know them well,really nice family and if you read the adver report they didn't moan about the club...in fact entirely the opposite.
If you are moaning about him mouthing off at Brentford then i suggest you frequent the Town End on matchdays....you will hear a lot worse :)

Well said Leefer.

I know the kid's dad (Daz) and go to watch the Town with him. You know him?

I'm sure you'd love it. They have really big trucks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb5d6ISHoMU

they were very friendly, just also very annoying.

I was next to some other Aussies at the Coventry game and they were a good laugh.

I spoke to some aussies after the cov game and they said they were sat next to a right pommy cunt