The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

davealbon wrote:

diamondsteve wrote:I don't agree with this mate! I don't mind it at all because it shows that ALL our players support and protect each other! If we didn't have them characters in our squad then I don't think we would be as strong. Ask any footballer and they would say the same and want their fellow teams to protect them.

Mess with one of them and you mess with the whole squad! Keep it up guys!

So we'll ignore the fact that that type of behaviour costs the club hundreds of pounds in fines and results in players being unavailable due to suspension.

Not to mention the poor example it sets to our young supporters.

Haha yeah right you make out that our players get fined every time the stick up for their team mates. Stop being a winging old git . Let them get on with it. like I said we need the team to stick up for one another

Great result, shame that Chalfont seem to have a habit of late comebacks. Seeing that pitch on the highlights makes me even more in favour of artificial pitches, how can teams play to the best of their abilities on quagmires like that?!

As for the debate about fights, I agree with those who are arguing for calm on the pitch. Let the opposition get in trouble, don't react, walk away and their actions look bad in comparison. They get booked/sent off and we profit in the game and, as Dave says, also set a good example.

It's not about 'passion' or sticking up for teammates or that kind of nonsense. We should always let our football do the talking, because as the league table suggests, we're pretty bloody good at it! If the opposition want to dig themselves a hole with their behavior, let them get on with it alone.

I think our players need reminding of the FA's charge regarding the Kings Langley match:-

Severely warned as to future conduct and fined £400

Any further confrontations will have serious consequences.

I'm in the 'Don't get involved' corner. It's not about sticking up for each other - no need for it - ridiculous v NGU when we were winning by how many?

davealbon wrote:

diamondsteve wrote:I don't agree with this mate! I don't mind it at all because it shows that ALL our players support and protect each other! If we didn't have them characters in our squad then I don't think we would be as strong. Ask any footballer and they would say the same and want their fellow teams to protect them.

Mess with one of them and you mess with the whole squad! Keep it up guys!

So we'll ignore the fact that that type of behaviour costs the club hundreds of pounds in fines and results in players being unavailable due to suspension.

Not to mention the poor example it sets to our young supporters.

I think it's half and half, you have to know when to fight your battles. If it's a bad challenge on a player that is obviously intent on hurting him then yes. you stick up for your mates.

Wonder how many people would feel the same if the next punishment is, say, points deducted?

Saturday was a pointless little scuffle which could have flared up - it was a cowards tackle on Findlay which he wasn't really hurt by, then lots of pushing, shoving and shirt pulling.

We've got a great chance of winning this league with the position we're in. It'd be a shame if it was lost because of a referee's report citing us for a lack of discipline and as we've got previous, a point or two being deducted.

our disciplinary record is one of worst in the division( 18th I think, Aylesbury 19th).We really do need to cut out the over the top dissent.

Fouls are part and parcel of the game but there is no excuse for prolonging arguments and picking up yellow/red cards.

Look at last years Treasurers report and see how much we paid out in fines. We certainly cannot afford in any way another KL fiasco.

Whilst I agree that we shouldn't be getting involved in these kind of incidents, we do seem to suffer more than our fair share of robust challenges and stupidity, probably borne out of frustration when the opposition are losing or can't beat us, but also I imagine because we have got a bit of a reputation for rising to bait.

In our past 3 games Northwood, North Greenford and Aylesbury have all had a man sent off.

Whilst I agree our players should keep out of it, it hasn't been us who have initiated it.
The KL example was started by the opposition, as they decided to use time wasting antics, and the last three games have seen the opposition receive red cards.

I stand to be corrected if someone knows of a game where we started it off, but I can't think of one off the top of my head.

diamondgeezer1 wrote:Whilst I agree our players should keep out of it, it hasn't been us who have initiated it.
The KL example was started by the opposition, as they decided to use time wasting antics, and the last three games have seen the opposition receive red cards.

I stand to be corrected if someone knows of a game where we started it off, but I can't think of one off the top of my head.

I don't think you can say we were blameless against Kings Langley. We scored a goal in an unsporting manner regardless of whether KL were displaying some world class time-wasting tactics. Also i'd argue that things started to deteriorate at the abandoned pre-season friendly against Biggleswade because of an awful tackle by Dan Quigley.