The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

I said at the forum meeting last week that although we had won 9 on the bounce we had not yet played to our full potential. Yesterday proved that right...and I think we can play even better still.

Winning the league is still in Spaldings hands but how will they react? After being kicked out of Vase and losing to us they must be feeling pretty low!! Our win has given the following pack renewed hope and belief that Spalding are not such top dogs as some would like to think they are.

Love the new shirts available for Christmas.(see AFC Twitter link) Perhaps we should send one via Santa to Fat Payment!! Do they come in XXXL size.

Nice tweet also from Andy Burgess.

Great picture and write up in the NLP!!! And what heading too. If you buy the paper make sure you read the letter re. the Poppies, says it all!!! SS

supersub wrote:Great picture and write up in the NLP!!! And what heading too. If you buy the paper make sure you read the letter re. the Poppies, says it all!!! SS

Not wanting to go off topic, but just this second read that ploppy letter - says it all really !!

As to yesterday, Fantastic !! I travelled feeling really confident, I thought 11 v 11 we more than matched them.

They're a good side, but up until yesterday I don't think they've real been tested, Wellingborough came closest - spalding are good, but not that good. They haven't really played anyone before yesterday have they?

The goal they scored flattered them and I think we struggled second half with the wind in our faces, the change around at half time caused us problems and with the wind at their backs they could launch it forward and get on the front foot - but in all honesty I thought we coped well.

Fat Payment tried some mind games before the game - he was found wanting, as were his lads - maybe he should have focused a little more on his team talk, rather than doing Starms' for him? I'm sure he'll bleat on about the ref's decisions costing them and what they would have done to us with 11 men blah blah blah - but the truth is we're a better side and when we beat them again in January (as we will) we may well be more than breathing down their necks - maybe cruising past them??

They'll drop points now - they start to play some contenders and away from home as well, I'm confident they'll be found wanting and be dropping more points.

Time for brave hearts and more importantly - belief !! We can do this, we CAN still win this league - but it will take a monumental effort, but I think we have the group of lads to do it !!

You'd think people would learn wouldn't you? last year oadby mouthed off in jan about winning promotion, fat payment this year decided it'd be good to throw some insults around - the season ends in May guys !!! ;)

Will we win the league? Who knows, but we'll show some class (unlike others) no matter what happens, but I truly believe come may we'll be VERY close !! I'm just loving this season

Pigman wrote:

supersub wrote:Great picture and write up in the NLP!!! And what heading too. If you buy the paper make sure you read the letter re. the Poppies, says it all!!! SS

Not wanting to go off topic, but just this second read that ploppy letter - says it all really !!

As to yesterday, Fantastic !! I travelled feeling really confident, I thought 11 v 11 we more than matched them.

They're a good side, but up until yesterday I don't think they've real been tested, Wellingborough came closest - spalding are good, but not that good. They haven't really played anyone before yesterday have they?

The goal they scored flattered them and I think we struggled second half with the wind in our faces, the change around at half time caused us problems and with the wind at their backs they could launch it forward and get on the front foot - but in all honesty I thought we coped well.

Fat Payment tried some mind games before the game - he was found wanting, as were his lads - maybe he should have focused a little more on his team talk, rather than doing Starms' for him? I'm sure he'll bleat on about the ref's decisions costing them and what they would have done to us with 11 men blah blah blah - but the truth is we're a better side and when we beat them again in January (as we will) we may well be more than breathing down their necks - maybe cruising past them??

They'll drop points now - they start to play some contenders and away from home as well, I'm confident they'll be found wanting and be dropping more points.

Time for brave hearts and more importantly - belief !! We can do this, we CAN still win this league - but it will take a monumental effort, but I think we have the group of lads to do it !!

You'd think people would learn wouldn't you? last year oadby mouthed off in jan about winning promotion, fat payment this year decided it'd be good to throw some insults around - the season ends in May guys !!! ;)

Will we win the league? Who knows, but we'll show some class (unlike others) no matter what happens, but I truly believe come may we'll be VERY close !! I'm just loving this season

They had played Yaxley home and away and Wishbech at home, that's it. They have their derby against Holbeach on Tuesday who are on a decent unbeaten run in the league, so should put up a better fight than they did in October. Deeping at home on Boxing Day which of course won't be easy at all. Then January is really tough for them, Huntingdon at home (who are yet to lose away from home), Cogenhoe home and away which they may struggle to get 6 points from and then us away, which of course we'll fancy to do well against them again. I also fancy Wellingborough at the D&D against them which is also yet to be played to be very tough for them as well.

So yes, if we can keep our act together, then I feel we could find ourselves well and truly in a title race come the end of January. Payment will no doubt in media downplay the defeat and mention the fact they're still 10 points (if they win their game in hand) ahead of us, but the next 5 weeks (provided the weather doesn't wreak havoc) will be a serious test of whether they're as good as they say they are.

First of all I actually have a MOAN about yesterday (I bet you are all going to skim read now to get to it) ;)

Brilliant game, everyone put in a shift...sloppy goal to concede but 3 points is all that matters. Ground was poor imo, small clubhouse and the pitch was dog awful. Obviously the wind didn't help but we got the goals at the most important time. I was so proud to wear the shirt when the minutes applause happened, and the 3 points for dale was the main part... Well done to dunks, king and brad harris for me who all 3 stood out. Roll on Saturday well done lads...

Now...I was standing not far from Starms and I could hear what the lino was saying. Now first the penalty was a definite, and the red card was just giving he was last man. I don't know about other people but in my opinion if a challenge goes beyond the line of a talking to then a yellow card should be produced. It would be in the premier league, conference and definitely Spain :lol:
There was a few challenges yesterday where they kicked lumps out of Merill, yet only a talking to, but jamal got booked for nothing more?

But my main concern is where do the ucl get these clowns from. The linos remark yesterday when starms challenged him was "we try not to produce yellow cards"??? Do these linos believe they are running a sunday league team? This was one of the matches of the season, obviously after a tangle of legs I don't want a yellow card shown every time, but for a team taking the league seriously then I think the linos should have a better attitude. I may get slated for that moan, and I know they probably don't get paid that much. But if that's what we have to compete against the sooner we escape this bottle neck the better!!!

Moan over, I was smiling yesterday, smiling now and to see the table of Played 18, won 17 lost 1 makes it even sweeter

corby diamond wrote:First of all I actually have a MOAN about yesterday (I bet you are all going to skim read now to get to it) ;)

Brilliant game, everyone put in a shift...sloppy goal to concede but 3 points is all that matters. Ground was poor imo, small clubhouse and the pitch was dog awful. Obviously the wind didn't help but we got the goals at the most important time. I was so proud to wear the shirt when the minutes applause happened, and the 3 points for dale was the main part... Well done to dunks, king and brad harris for me who all 3 stood out. Roll on Saturday well done lads...

Now...I was standing not far from Starms and I could hear what the lino was saying. Now first the penalty was a definite, and the red card was just giving he was last man. I don't know about other people but in my opinion if a challenge goes beyond the line of a talking to then a yellow card should be produced. It would be in the premier league, conference and definitely Spain :lol:
There was a few challenges yesterday where they kicked lumps out of Merill, yet only a talking to, but jamal got booked for nothing more?

But my main concern is where do the ucl get these clowns from. The linos remark yesterday when starms challenged him was "we try not to produce yellow cards"??? Do these linos believe they are running a sunday league team? This was one of the matches of the season, obviously after a tangle of legs I don't want a yellow card shown every time, but for a team taking the league seriously then I think the linos should have a better attitude. I may get slated for that moan, and I know they probably don't get paid that much. But if that's what we have to compete against the sooner we escape this bottle neck the better!!!

Moan over, I was smiling yesterday, smiling now and to see the table of Played 18, won 17 lost 1 makes it even sweeter

Having watched a season and a half of UCL football now and seen countless challenges that I felt should have been given cards, I'm convinced the referees at this level are far more lenient when it comes to cards as they are in higher levels because of how physical it is down here and how many bad or clumsy tackles there are or just rough players. Perhaps they feel if they were to dish out cards when they should, teams would regularly end up with 10 or even 9 men and they don't want to have that ruin games too often, hence why they're so often reluctant to dish out cards as you'd see at higher levels. Not saying its right they do that, just a theory.

Extract from the report of their match against the Doughboys:-

"No team in the United Counties League had ever won their first 17 matches of the season, but few will now bet against the Tulips extending their new record even further.

Delighted boss Pat Rayment paid tribute to his players – and backed them to remain unbeaten all season.

He said: “All of the accolades must go to the players. We may set up the team, but when they cross that white line it’s all about them.

“They deserve all of the credit that is coming their way and breaking records is obviously great.

“I’ve mentioned it before, but I do think winning every league game is too tall an order. But I wouldn’t bet against us going all season unbeaten, that’s certainly possible.

“We’ve still got a few people knocking us, though. To them I say this: you’re all boring. Concentrate on your club and leave us to ours.

“We’ve beaten every team that has been put in front of us, so bring on Deeping Rangers, bring on Rushden and Diamonds. We’ll relish those games against the ‘bigger’ sides."

supersub wrote:Great picture and write up in the NLP!!! And what heading too. If you buy the paper make sure you read the letter re. the Poppies, says it all!!! SS

Can someone reproduce the write up on here, and what is the Poppy letter you're refering to?

The KTFC letter in the NLP is absolute gold. I don't honestly believe a K*ttering fan has written it - more someone with an axe to grind pretending. Surely?

You can read it here, top of Page 8 in this thread: http://poppynet.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2 ... 7&start=70 . Where it says 'overlooked' read 'overcooked' instead. Comedy.

Re: Spalding, as has already been said, they're yet to play Deeping H & A, Huntingdon H & A, Cogenhoe H & A, and Diamonds A. They've had it unbelievably easy up to now, with perhaps their most impressive result being a 4-1 away win at Yaxley.