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CAS Semi-final, scorer Spike.
Apparently this was as convincing a one-nil as you will ever see. Here are various quotes from linfieldfc.com and ILF, match report from Full-Timer to follow:The scoreline might only read one nil to Linfield, but it was all one way traffic on the night. Had it not been for Morris in the Glentoran goal, the Blues could easily have had seven or eight tonight.
Shooty-in practice. Could easily have been double figures.
In all my years following the Blues this was the most one sided 1-0 game I have EVER seen.
The most one sided 1-0 i have ever seen in my life. If it wasnt for Morris we could have had more than in the CIS game and boxing day put together.
That's three out of three, with at least three to go. The (whisper it) clean sweep is still on...
Thanks as always to Thompo for the pic
Crisis! Only 3 goals in two league games for the Blues! Still, another 3 points gained over 2nd place, the Glens, who are having a season horribilis, losing 1-0 at home to Limavady and leaving us SEVENTEEN points clear! We've only dropped 2 points all season in the league. Match report from the lately-absent Full-Time Supporter:
It was a pretty dreadful affair to watch, The pitch was terrible, a ploughed field doesn't do it justice, with players losing their footing constantly. A battling performance in which Michael Gault was in his element putting in a man of the match performance although Jim Ervin wasnt far behind in those stakes. A bit of a controversial penalty given by a Scottish referee, Some part of an exchange program, and the sad fact is we think our referees are bad, well he was as bad as I have seen all season. Davy O'Hare nearly kept out fergusons spot kick but I suppose we were due a bit of luck in the penalty stakes. Oran Kearney hit the bar late on while Kyle McVey missed a free header from around 6 yards which could have tied the game up. Apart from that nothing else of interest.
One other small point of note, DJ must be the only person in the country who would put Mark Picking on the right wing every week, he offers absolutely nothing and has had numerous opportunities over the years. Chris Kingsberry, is the future although to continually put him on the bench could lead to him not being around for too long, the choice must surely be Kingsberry or Mouncey if he is fit.
Next up, Glentoran on Tuesday in the County Antrim Shield semi-final. A win would leave Roy Coyle in big diffs...
Latest picture of the design of the new National Stadium
So the IFA have voted in favour of supporting the government's new planned International Stadium at the Long Kesh site (I am now ceasing to call it 'The Maze').
On the one hand, they say they are only voting 'in principle', and are keeping all options open.
On the other hand, it's going to be very hard for the IFA to back out of this now.
Before I start, let me make one thing clear. I am approaching this issue from the point of view of an Northern Irish football fan. I am not a fan of the Northern Ireland international team (except when they beat England or the Republic, and that's just for selfish personal reasons :) ) The fact that I am a Linfield fan matters not a jot, our contract with the IFA to stage international matches (years remaining: ca 90) means Linfield are in a win-win situation. However we need a competent, financially-sound governing body and a competitive, financially-sound league to survive. I want to see a strong Irish League.
I acknowledge the need for a new national sports stadium in Northern Ireland, accessible for all (although I don't buy the old argument about Windsor Park and its 'sectarian' setting).
BUT this Long Kesh stadium idea is all wrong. There are a number of reasons why it is a bad idea for Northern Irish football, but the most disastrous reason for the IFA is that THE NUMBERS DON'T ADD UP.
Under the existing deal, the IFA have to pay 500k a year, plus 20% of all ticket sales to the stadium promoters. How will the IFA raise this? They pay nowhere near this amount of money to Linfield for use of Windsor Park, and as I have said before, projected revenue is a joke (7,000 fans paying 12 quid a pop for the County Antrim Shield final? This is pie-in-the-sky). Agreeing to this is like turkeys voting for Christmas.Other reasons why this stadium is a bad joke:SIZE. Let me repeat this: FORTY-TWO THOUSAND IS AT LEAST 17000 TOO MANY.
In terms of international football, people keep harking on about the England game and the potential for 2012 Olympic matches and UEFA Cup finals, as well as major concerts.
How often are these events going to take place? Surely we should be tailoring a stadium to our everyday needs and not to once-in-a-generation events, if we are to avoid a huge white elephant?
Norn Iron will never get 42,000 crowds again. They get a good side once in a generation (1958, 1982-86, ???) and even then crowds will never be that big. Two examples:
1999 vs France (then World Champions) crowd 9,000
1998 vs Germany crowd 10,000
If we can't attract big crowds for this type of opposition, what sort of crowds are we realistically going to attract for the likes of Estonia, Finland, Romania etc?
In terms of local football, pro-LK (Long Kesh) fans say that the design of the stadium will mean fans can sit in the lower tier without the resultant loss of atmosphere. So a) we won't see the 17,000 empty seats above us and b) we're gonna get 25,000 for local Cup finals. Be real. The 2001 IC final (Linfield - Glentoran, the biggest in 16 years) attracted 14,000 fans. That is the MAXIMUM possible. Imagine how embarrassing a 7,000 crowd for a Larne - Ballymena cup final in a 42,000 capacity stadium will look, and feel.
LOCATION. Lots of pro-LK, non-Belfast fans have been turning the location of the new stadium into a Belfast vs rest of NI debate. I don't live in Belfast anymore, so I don't care. I just think putting a national stadium in the middle of nowhere is illogical. The whole argument about the Long Kesh site being more accessible to more residents of NI is a red herring. The majority of NI football fans and IL fans reside in the Greater Belfast area. The difference is a maximum 15 minutes, and this will be negated by the effect of 15000+ fans trying to exit a stadium onto the same road. No fan will spend a day in a glorified industrial estate, so any sense of belonging or atmosphere will be lost. In any case, bars in stadium complexes must remain closed on the day of international matches, so fans will have to congregate in Belfast and travel there. What major international stadium can you name me that is located outside of a city, in the open countryside?
Let's be clear about this, this decision to locate the stadium WAS made for political reasons, no matter what government spin-doctors and gullible local media try to tell us. The British government are trying to do something positive with the old Long Kesh site to try to paint a shiny happy people scenario of good coming out of evil. Under the Freedom of Information Act, various Northern Ireland supporters have tried to obtain information pertaining to the Long Kesh proposals. After a delay, they discovered that certain information (including the Business Case for the Maze/ Long Kesh) had been withheld as this was likely to lead to one or more of the 3 sporting bodies withdrawing from the project (football?).
So exactly who IS driving the agenda on the Long Kesh project? If the business case is so robust, why is it shrouded in such secrecy? What is there to hide?
The last thing that greatly angers is the gun-to-the-head approach of the government: "It's Long Kesh or nothing. There is no alternative." Yet apparently there is. But the government will not give them enough time/ consideration. The fobbing off of the Titanic Quarter site is a case in point. The Titanic Quarter refutes the claim of the government that it withdrew from the running.I am approaching this from a purely practical point of view. What are we going to do with the stadium on the 330+ days it will not be in use during the year? How will it pay for itself? As the Amalgamation of NI supporters says, let the agenda for football be set by football and not by others. This stadium would be a disaster for Northern Irish football. Both Gaelic and Rugby have fallback options. We don't.
...Scally by natureIt has been pointed out by some that this blog is a little Linfield-heavy. So I thought I'd write something about Gillingham's dodgy chairman, as recent allegations and alleged non-dealings concerning him have left me very sceptical about the man.
Let me assert this first and foremost: Scally has been a godsend for Gillingham FC. He took over the club when it was in dire straits, sorted the finances out (for a while) made (past tense) correct managerial appointments in Tony Pulis, Hess and Stan Ternent and of course presided over the most successful period in Gillingham's history, their first ever spell in the second tier of English football, 5 seasons there. He also built the ground up, making the Rainham End all-seater and modernising the Brian Moore stand. He has done wonders for the Gills.
BUT... serious questions have been asked about him now for at least 2 seasons. The collapse of ITV digital hit all non-Premiership clubs hard, but seemingly ours harder than most and Scally is still using it as an excuse for all our woes. He is beating back the Bank of Scotland from the door, and apparently we are 9 million in debt. Now it is true that Gillingham did not enjoy the increase in attendances and revenue it should have expected after 35,000+ were there to see them twice at Wembley, but it seems Scally has not maximised revenue potentials. He proposed a hike in season ticket prices last season for this one despite not knowing at that stage what division we were going to be in! After relegation, there was much discontent expressed and prices were dropped accordingly. But prices are still among the highest in the division, and yet our status doen't reflect this.
Smithy
Now, various rumours and allegations of broken promises and unprofessional behaviour are coming to the fore. Let's start with Paul Smith. Gills legend, and club Player of the Year 4 seasons in a row, last year he was offered a new contract for this one: which featured a SEVENTY percent drop in wages. For a captain who was still putting the shift in, this was too much, and he duly left. Things weren't working out for him at Wallsall, so the Gills took him back on loan (Wallsall continued to pay his wages). I'll let gillsconnect.com take the story from there:Since returning to Priestfield from the Bescott Stadium in October Walsall have been paying the wages of the midfielder. Smith says he cancelled the remaining 18 months of his Walsall contract on the understanding that Gillingham would honour the terms from January 1st, but now appears to be without a contract and a club from December 31st. In a statement issued by his agent, Andrew Mills, Smith said: "It has recently been reported in the press that I have made myself unavailable for team selection over the Christmas period. This is the unfortunate result of my current contract dispute with Gillingham Chairman Paul Scally following the club's complete U-turn on the agreement surrounding my initial return to Gillingham from Walsall."
He continued: "One of the conditions in order for Walsall to allow me to return to Gillingham on loan (whilst Walsall also continued to pay my wages!) was that I cancelled the remaining 18 months of my contract with them leaving me effectively out of work from January. "Following assurances from Gillingham Chairman Paul Scally that Gills would take over my contract from January 1st and honour it's terms I signed both the loan and Walsall contract cancellation forms. "Since returning for the Blackpool game I have been given several assurances that the permanent contract was imminent and although advised not to play until I was in receipt of the permanent contract I decided to give the Chairman the benefit of doubt, in the belief that he would not renege on such promises which had such serious ramifications for both myself and my family. "During my recent meetings with the Chairman these conversations have been called into doubt but I am 100% clear about the terms of my return. To now be told that 1/ The Chairman was not aware I had cancelled my Walsall contract and 2/ That due to the club banking requirements the club are not allowed to commit any further finances to playing staff is an extreme disappointment to say the least."
He added: "Due to the situation I now find myself with no contract or income from 31 December which not only has serious ramifications for me on a personal level but also my family. At no time throughout my career have I ever felt as let down as I now feel by the club that has remained close to my heart over the last 8 years. "I was genuinely delighted to return to Gillingham but now find myself bitterly disappointed that it looks like I've played my last game in a Gills shirt, with this in mind I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the fans that have made me feel so welcome on both my return and my previous time at the club."
Scally's response?
Despite Paul's comments Gills chairman Paul Scally claims he was unaware until three weeks ago that Smith had cancelled his contract with Walsall. Talking to the Medway Messenger he said: "I didn't know until three weeks ago that he'd cancelled his Walsall contract and as far as I was concerned, it was a loan deal with a view to extending it on January 1 and that was the situation at the time of signing.
"At no time did I know, realise or suggest that he had cancelled his contract with Walsall. With the financial situation and the change in management it was decided that we couldn't offer him a new contract. It just wasn't possible." Unless some kind of deal between Scally and Smith can be agreed the four time player of the year looks set to start 2006 looking for a new club. Should it come to that I'm sure all Gills fans will join us in wishing Paul all the best and thanking him for what he has done for Gillingham Football Club.Hmm. I see no reason why Smithy would lie. Obviously he's kicking himself now for not having something down on paper, but it seems Scally has pulled a flanker. Not the way to treat one of the club's best-ever players. Luckily Swindon Town offered him a contract.
Football Genius
Next up, Gills legend Adrian Pennock 'Football Genius', who has his own fan club: www.apfc.co.uk Typical song? 'He only scores own goals'! Another Wembley hero,he skippered the team on that famous day. He alleges Scally promised him a testimonial to make up for an early contract termination. He is still waiting:"Former Gills defender Adrian Pennock has instructed solicitors to sue Gillingham FC for up to £100,000 because he has never had a testimonial he claims he was promised. Pennock's solicitors sent a letter to the club saying they will sue for breach of contract unless he receives compensation.
Adie, who was skipper in Gillingham's 3-2 victory over Wigan Athletic in the Division Two play-off final of 2000, was forced to retire just over three years ago because of injury and is now boss of Welling in the Nationwide Conference League South.
On his retirement, he claims he reached agreement with Gills chairman Paul Scally that his remaining contract for the season would be bought out on the basis he received a smaller lump sum plus a testimonial dinner and a testimonial match.
Despite apparent attempts to arrange the match with the club there is no sign of the testimonial happening some three years after he departed. Pennock, who made 199 appearances in 7 seasons for the club, remains a fans favourite and told Meridian Tonight: "I gave everything for this football club and it is a shame it has come down this road. It's nothing to do with the fans and obviously all to do with the football club. "It's been a long time, nearly three years, I've been through operation after operation but there have been some great times, I still love this football club and I still want the club to do really well but it's all about me and the biggest thing is my family. I'm not a David Beckham of the world and the money the testimonial would have recouped is massively important for me."
Talking to the press association Adrian echoed the comments above saying: "The fans will understand it grieves me to have to take action against my old club. They will appreciate this is purely out of frustration and the unwillingness of Mr Scally to fulfil the agreement he reached with me and the club's obligation.
"I served the club willingly over the years. Unfortunately, injury meant I could no longer play for the club I loved. It upsets me it has come to this. Over the ensuing two years I have been put off again and again by Mr Scally.
"Now we are not even speaking and I have taken that to mean the club does not intend to fulfil its agreement."
Scally's response?Upon hearing the comments above chairman Paul Scally issued the following statement to Meridian Tonight: "I am absolutely astonished at Mr Pennock's comments. It's not the responsibility of the club or the chairman to organise a testimonial It's his own responsibility and he has done nothing to organise it."
Adrian described Mr Scally`s statement as unbelievable and was flabbergasted, while his solicitor David Green said the statement was "naive and ridiculous".
This is a story which looks set to continue over the coming weeks, with the early reaction on the GillsConnect message board calling for the club chairman to give Adrian the testimonial he so rightly deserves."
Again, something's not quite right here. And I believe it IS Gillingham FC's obligation to arrange this, and thus Mr Scally as chairman is responsible.
Hess
Lastly, Scally has moved forward Andy Hessenthaler's testimonial to 'the next 3 or 4 weeks'. Why Scally has brought forward Andy Hessenthalers promised testimonial match to the next three or four weeks is a mystery. It was originally scheduled for later in the season but speculation may now point to Hessy receiving his nestegg as part of a pay-off before the January transfer window closes.
Scally's comment:
"In an interview with Chris Britcher, Sports Editor for the Kent on Sunday, Scally said "I have never had a cross word with Hess in the ten years I have known him. Any suggestions we have had some falling out is nonsense. I can see a role for him at the Club and so can the manager- but perhaps not as a regular player".Although it is no secret that Gills legend Andy Hessenthaler doesn't fit into boss Ronnie Jepsons future plans, he still has around 18 months of his contract to run and after the recent shenanigans concerning close pal Paul Smith he won't leave Priestfield until he is good and ready. The acrimonious legal wrangling relating to Adrian Pennocks testimonial match will also remind Hessy the need to have everything in writing, preferably in tablets of stone!
Too true!
Hessy has been linked with a number of vacant managers jobs in the past, including Watford and Millwall from the Football League plus plenty in Nationwide Conference. There are quite a few clubs on the Non-League circuit that would relish the opportunity of having him in a player/managers role as his fitness levels are much higher than some players more than ten years his junior."
This seems to be par for the course now with Scally. Rumours abound. Lots of money seems to have gona 'astray'. How anyone would want to play for Gillingham given the broken promises and aura of mistrust is beyond me. Thing is, there is no millionaire Abramovich to save the Gills so we'll have to make do with Scally. But his financial record in the last 3 years is abominable.+++ STOP PRESS +++The end of an era as Mr Gillingham departsBy Keith PestellDate: 14/1/2006Andy Hessenthaler has agreed a settlement on his contract and left Priestfield on Saturday evening. The decision means the former player-manager, who made 360 appearances for the club scoring 28 goals, brings to an end an era at Priestfield saying farewell after nine and a half years.Hessenthaler, who will always be a legend at Gillingham, broke the news following Saturday's 3-0 victory over Swindon Town at Priestfield. He played a key role in Gillingham's rise through the Football League and leaves supporters and players with many happy memories.Signed by Tony Pulis from Watford for a then record fee of £235,000 in August 1996, Hess went onto make a huge impact at Priestfield being voted Player of the Year in 1997 and 2000. Andy (back, centre) celebrates an FA Cup giant killing over Sheffield Wednesday in January 2000
He always give 110 per-cent on the pitch with many football pundits calling him "Mr Gillingham" and "Pocket Dynamo" to name a few. He was the heart of the Gillingham side which not only got promoted to the Championship but went to Wembley twice and pulled off several FA Cup giant killings.Appointed player-manager following the departure of Peter Taylor in 1999 Hessenthaler also masterminded Gillingham's highest ever league finish, 11th in Division One (now the Championship) in the 2002/2003 season.
Poor performances and a relegation battle during the 2004/2005 season saw Andy step aside as player-manager in November 2004 allowing Stan Ternent and Ronnie Jepson to take charge. He spent the remainder of the season on loan at Hull City, but returned to Priestfield to make 21 appearances this season - his last coming in Gillingham's 3-2 FA Cup first round defeat at Burscough.Former Gills players Iffy Onuora and Paul Smith both praised Andy Hessenthaler, with Hessie telling the Gills official website:"It is a sad day but a great day, especially as we have just won 3-0. It's pretty sad as I have been here for a long time but we have come to an agreement and it is time for me to move on.
"I have had some fantastic times here and I just felt that it is time for me to move on to a new challenge. It was nice to see the boys go out there and get a great win. I have nothing lined up but am not going to retire from playing as I feel I can still do a job until the end of the season for somebody. The legs are still going. I have been out injured and am just getting back to fitness."Hopefully, I can get a club and have a run out until the end of the season. I would like to get back into coaching or managing and that is where I see my future. I wish Gillingham and the gaffer all the best for the future and am sure the club can go onto better things in the future."He added: "I leave this club on great terms and I have had some fantastic times. There is hopefully a testimonial in the next few weeks and I will be able to pull the Gillingham shirt on one more time."The highlight of my time at the club has got to be the promotion against Wigan at Wembley. After the previous year against Man City, and the way we got beat, which everyone knows, to get promotion was fantastic."Also becoming the manager of the football club was fantastic. I have had some great times and I will never forget this club, as it is close to my heart." Chairman Paul Scally was also quick to praise Hess adding: "It's a mutual agreement, but a day tinged with some sadness as Andy has been a tremendous servant for the club "Andy will always be a part of this football club and will always be welcomed back. We wish him well for the future and in whatever his career path takes him."I would like to say on behalf of all Gillingham supporters, the staff, the management, the players and myself, since Andy Hessenthaler walked into this club nearly ten years ago at the sprightly age of 30, he has given absolutely 110 per cent for this football club; and in his five years as manager, he gave everything to the cause."He will always be a legend at this football club."
Thanks yet again to linfieldfc.com and Thompo for the pic
Linfield 5 Armagh City 0 Irish Cup 5th roundPflichtsieg. Peter Thompson scored 3, to push him ahead of Glenn Ferguson in their own personal shootout for the Irish League golden boot.During the week, Linfield received a number of bids for Peter Thompson from upcoming ambitious Scottish club Gretna. The first bid, 50,000 plus incentves, was described as 'derisory' by manager David Jeffrey. The second, 100k was rejected too, and when they again apparently offered 150k +incentives, Peter Thompson said he was staying put until the end of the season.Good. I would rather he went after we have at least won the league. The way we are playing at the moment, and the lack of quality of the league in general, mean we have a real chance, given a wee bit of luck, of winning EVERYTHING. A chance to make some more history. We need Thompo. Ideally I would like to see him at Windsor for the next 10 years, becoming a club legend and emulating Martin McGaughey.BUT... he really does have the talent to go all the way. He has pace to burn, can turn players easily (witness Philip Simpson of the Glens getting smoked on numerous occasions on Boxing Day) and has great balance. His awareness is getting better all the time. If he put on a wee bit of weight without losing the pace, he'd be brilliant. If someone comes in for him who are worthy of signing him, and IF they offer a deal that is suitable to Linfield FC, then we shouldn't stand in his way. IMO, realistically, this is 150k +incentives (international appearances and goals) for us, and at least SPL or English League One for him. Actually, now I think about it, Gillingham badly need a striker. If only they weren't 9 million in debt *sobs*...
Avun Jephcott and Tim McCann 2 (cheers to linfieldfc.com)
Well, we've got our back-up left-back and one of the strikers that we so need, and it's a little bit of umm, a little bit of aah.
Tim McCann '2' (there was another more famous before him, both at Glentoran incidentally) is a decent left-back who the Glentoran fans seem to rate. He wasn't offered a contract by Coyle at the end of last season, went to Sligo Rovers and left them once their season ended. I remember him scoring one of the goals when the Glens duffed us in the Irish Cup last season. If you'd asked me six months ago, I'd gladly have taken him as our no. 1 left-back, but Pat McShane has been revitalised this year so he will be good back-up.
Avun Jephcott is more of an unknown quantity. He spent 4 years at Coventry City, and has been at Ards since the start of the season, scoring only 3 times. Ards fans seem to question his commitment and work-rate, though he is said to be very skilful. He has only been signed till the end of the season, and unless Thompson moves up in the world or Fergie gets injured, Avun has no chance of a look-in against 2 strikers who are playing out of their skins at the moment.
DJ says that's it for the transfer window signings, and I'm a bit disappointed. There are two top-drawer strikers available in Gary Hamilton and Kevin McHugh. Both would have significantly strengthened our team. I only hope DJ's got a trick up his sleeve and is going to bring one of them in at the end of the season when Peter Thompson is likely to move across the water. But I doubt it.
...On the other hand, DJ's summer signings were spot-on (admittedly, we have been lucky with (lack of) injuries). Oran Kearney, despite not being a left-winger and a propensity to waste chances and give the ball away cheaply, is a fine athletic midfielder, and Chris Kingsberry has skill and pace to burn. Maybe it is time to trust the DJ, after the Andy Crawford and Fitzroy fiascos though, I'll wait and see.
AMAZING.
No, not the extent of the result, but the fact that we scored TWO penalties!!!!
We are so good this season that this result has come to be expected.
Spike scored FOUR of them, to take his season's total to 30, one ahead of Thompo. Not bad for a 36 year-old.
Satan's Disciples from the East dropped 2 more points to trail us now by FIFTEEN points! Only a matter of time now...
Goals can be downloaded and watched via Mediaplayer here (cheers to mitchell_ali).
