jamie
TFF member
Posts: 354
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Post by jamie on Jun 1, 2008 11:20:01 GMT
As a kid I remember looking foward to friendlies. It is "methadone" football (we all know that) but we at least had a few decent teams come our way.
I even remember seeing Red Star Belgrade not that long ago.
Each season we could expect a half decent team to do a tour of the area, but in recent years it just seems to have got so poor.
Ok so this year we have Chelsea, but to be honest the fact that it is pay on the gate makes me think it is unlikely to have many "star" names.
For a few seasons we had pompey all the time, I also remember leicester city (when they were still all right).
Not any of the prem teams have chosen to play tufc this year (not even the rubbish ones!)
This really is not criticism of the club, the fact is big clubs now take the money and go on "jaunts" to far flung parts of the world to sell their shiney static nylon crap. But we still seem to be doing our bit for our smaller clubs by playing tivvy, bideford etc.
So is it me? Were things better in the 80's? Could we guarantee a division one side every year or is my memory playing rose tinted games with me?
If (as looks to be the case) the big clubs now don't bother with the rest of us, is there any other options?, could we be more creative? Could we (and the greeks and pilgrims) encourage some of the smaller clubs from europe to take part in a mini tournamont? Belguim, france, who knows?
Maybe it is not "do-able" but when you consider that in real terms the biggest team we play this year is Bristol City something has to change one day.
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jamie
TFF member
Posts: 354
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Post by jamie on Jun 1, 2008 11:25:02 GMT
Bu**er! Just looked and it is Rovers not city  Even worse! |
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Jun 1, 2008 11:31:17 GMT
you can understand to a degree, why big clubs may prefer to take the players away for their preseason. A holiday on the club and maybe a reward for the seasons work.
I think all big clubs should try and play lower teams, if only to allow fans from those clubs to see the stars. The problem is what do they get out of it, playing clubs like ours, for teams such as Man U, is hardly going to prepare the team, to play Liverpool.
In the same way is TUAFC playing Bidiford good perpetration? for the fans it is nothing to get excited about. These teams we should beat anyway and can make the players and team, look far better than they may be.
You are right pre season games were often a treat, but I don't think we will see those days again.
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Post by the92ndfish on Jun 1, 2008 17:36:12 GMT
I don't know about the Chelsea team being bad per say, if they send their reserves, theres some very very talented youngsters in there, the type that would rip apart Torquay even with the age disparity, you never know one of those kids could go onto big things.
I'll definitely be going to the Rovers and Chelsea matches, but the commercialisation of the game makes it inevitable that the really big teams will all be abroad trying to spread their brands and rake in the cash, rather than playing the likes of little old us.
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Post by buster on Jun 1, 2008 18:18:46 GMT
As a fan I`m not too bothered about pre season friendlies.
Though I confess to going to see Div 1 teams as a kid,when they came to town.
As a manager/coach though, I try to select opposition that will allow you to work on fitness, organisation, team spirit & confidence. So the last thing I want is to get stuffed 0-5 by a team several leagues above. Much better to go unbeaten like last season.
buster
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Post by tufcwewillbeback on Jun 1, 2008 18:37:14 GMT
Arent we playing Chelsea? I know it wont be Drogba..etc.. but i would just about call them a big prem team
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Dave
TFF member
Posts: 13,081
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Post by Dave on Jul 24, 2008 22:22:30 GMT
I got Jamie's thread back up, because apart from anything else, I really feel, the games lined up for this preseason, are very poor. Not one really good test for the players, only Bristol Rovers as any real opposition, you have to ask, playing the likes of Newton, Bidiford etc, is it any real preparation for the team, to face its first league match.
Apart from a good draw with Bristol, we lost to Tiverton and Eastleigh, beat Bidiford, but the match report did not sound too good and beat Newton Abbot.
Now I know many will say these results don't matter and they don't really, but it would have been so much better for the teams preparation, to play against some decent opposition.
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Post by andygulls on Jul 25, 2008 21:27:41 GMT
I got Jamie's thread back up, because apart from anything else, I really feel, the games lined up for this preseason, are very poor. Not one really good test for the players, only Bristol Rovers as any real opposition, you have to ask, playing the likes of Newton, Bidiford etc, is it any real preparation for the team, to face its first league match. Apart from a good draw with Bristol, we lost to Tiverton and Eastleigh, beat Bidiford, but the match report did not sound too good and beat Newton Abbot. Now I know many will say these results don't matter and they don't really, but it would have been so much better for the teams preparation, to play against some decent opposition. Dave we are now only a conference team and we will suffer problems with attracting teams. I am less concerned about the opposition than I am about a lack of goals! |
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jamie
TFF member
Posts: 354
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Post by jamie on Jul 28, 2008 13:42:45 GMT
Fair point about us being non league but just a quick look at other teams pre seasons would suggest that they have been more sucsessful in attracting "bigger" teams.
Fgr got bristol c, reading and Birmingham
Stevenage got Gillingham qpr and Wycombe
Weymouth got southampton, Bristol c and Yeovil
Salisbury got Southampton, port vale and swindon
These are just the few I looked at, I am sure there are teams that have had better or worse line ups.
P.S. On your second point, I am not too concerned about lack of goals, Nothing can really be taken from friendlies. When the real football starts players are always hungrier.
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Post by capitalgull on Jul 28, 2008 14:23:49 GMT
Fair point about us being non league but just a quick look at other teams pre seasons would suggest that they have been more sucsessful in attracting "bigger" teams. Fgr got bristol c, reading and Birmingham Stevenage got Gillingham qpr and Wycombe Weymouth got southampton, Bristol c and Yeovil Salisbury got Southampton, port vale and swindon These are just the few I looked at, I am sure there are teams that have had better or worse line ups. P.S. On your second point, I am not too concerned about lack of goals, Nothing can really be taken from friendlies. When the real football starts players are always hungrier. Just add up the respective travelling distances to those games for the opposition, apart from maybe Port Vale going to Salisbury, and that's all the clue you really need. Plus there are some teams, not sure if any on these lists apply, who have to arrange PSFs against this opposition as part of certain transfer deals. IE: FGR will be playing Charlton next season as part of the Stuart Fleetwood deal. |
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