A Club is forever, not just one Christmas.
Ok, hands up, everytime we talk about renewals , we all think "not again !", yawn, and think that people are after our money again. CASH COW !
BUT ( Sorry ), its a vital thing for the future of the club, and your continuing enjoyment of being an owner of a football club.
My worry is the timetable of events and how they effect the club and its future.
We are now in the run up to Christmas, and so peoples minds are natutally focused on festive events.
Before we know it, we are in the January Transfer window.
My worry is how can we make decisions, how can the club, how can current players make sensible decisions about their futures for the coming year when we have the shadow of retentions hanging over us all ?
Its a cruel twist of fate that February is our key month.
I hope the monthly payment option can be in place by then, but its a very tight timetable.
If you were a player who had to choose between a certain job at another club, or a maybe, could be, might be ok situation with us, how do you react if offers came in ?. Its a worry.
I dont have a crystal ball about retentions, I hope for 15,000, optimistic I know, but to get 5 figures could give us something to work with.
What I do know is that many people are definately going to renew, so I ask you, Please, Please renew now instead of in February, so we can see the scale of the problem we face in the Spring.
At current rates of renewal, we could enter 2009 with about 2,700 people signed up, Please help us go into 2009 with atleast 3,000 or more.
With the economic climate, Christmas, and leave it to the last minute, I feel to try and do everything in February is a very high risk strategy for both club, members and the society.
If you are going to newew anyway, do it now ? :-)
Then we can enjoy Chrismas a little more.
RENEW at
http://members.myfootballclub.co.uk/renew
HAPPY XMAS.
Sunday, 7 December 2008
Saturday, 5 July 2008
Players report back for pre season.
If you log onto the MYFC website this weekend, you will find that it is down until probably Monday as the web team launch the phase 4 website. So it should be an exciting time on the website next week. However, please have a glance at http://www.myfootballclub.co.uk where you can see a new promo video.
Over the last month or so, the Bakert challenge has been running. The idea was to try and get 1,000 to give a minimum of £20 to try and boost Liams playing budget fund. At the time of writing, approx £17,240 has been raised.
You can still make a contribution at
http://ebbsfleetutd.bigcartel.com/product/player-donation-fund
Thank you so much if you have donated.
Last Wednesday, the players reported back for pre season training.
On Saturday July 12th, we play a home pre season friendly against Championship team Charlton Athletic. Hopefully, there will be a Barbie after the game. If you are going to the game, you can park for free at the Eurostar station. Just a small 5 min walk to the ground.
During the coming season, you can park there for £2 a game. Please support this if you can as a certain number of a cars are needed to make this very useful parking site pay.
The season fixture list has been published and our first game is at home to Mansfield Town who were relegated from the Football League last season with Wrexham.
For a full list of fixtures, please see
http://tinyurl.com/6lvxcs
A good new non league website.
http://www.nonleaguefootballlive.com/
With Singram1961, I started a thread to get questions directly to the new EUFC CEO who starts work on Monday ( Gadgetman to you and me ). The idea is that questions are posted on a thread, then we pass them onto Mr CEO to answer when he has time. We will run this for a month, and if it works well, we will continue. Thank you to Gadgetman for supporting this initiative.
If you have any questions for the CEO, you can also email them to yo24net@hotmail.com
Over the last month or so, the Bakert challenge has been running. The idea was to try and get 1,000 to give a minimum of £20 to try and boost Liams playing budget fund. At the time of writing, approx £17,240 has been raised.
You can still make a contribution at
http://ebbsfleetutd.bigcartel.com/product/player-donation-fund
Thank you so much if you have donated.
Last Wednesday, the players reported back for pre season training.
On Saturday July 12th, we play a home pre season friendly against Championship team Charlton Athletic. Hopefully, there will be a Barbie after the game. If you are going to the game, you can park for free at the Eurostar station. Just a small 5 min walk to the ground.
During the coming season, you can park there for £2 a game. Please support this if you can as a certain number of a cars are needed to make this very useful parking site pay.
The season fixture list has been published and our first game is at home to Mansfield Town who were relegated from the Football League last season with Wrexham.
For a full list of fixtures, please see
http://tinyurl.com/6lvxcs
A good new non league website.
http://www.nonleaguefootballlive.com/
With Singram1961, I started a thread to get questions directly to the new EUFC CEO who starts work on Monday ( Gadgetman to you and me ). The idea is that questions are posted on a thread, then we pass them onto Mr CEO to answer when he has time. We will run this for a month, and if it works well, we will continue. Thank you to Gadgetman for supporting this initiative.
If you have any questions for the CEO, you can also email them to yo24net@hotmail.com
Sunday, 22 June 2008
My hopes for this week
Well, just a normal week for MYFC. Good work done and we end with a big dust up on here. I believe that half of the time these exchanges are caused by frustration and other times by communication between us all .
I am sure that many people are unhappy by the events of the weekend and some will wish it never happened, or that they reacted differently to the circumstances. What we have to remember is that we are all wanting to head in the same direction, its just that sometimes the paths taken cause us hassle.
I get concerned that people involved of this project get so involved with it that takes over their lives, or we expect people to be available 24/7. We are all human, we need rest. I often think myself I would benefit from a couple of days away from the forum, but it drags me back as I just have to see if there is something new. Arrangements have to be in place to allow key personel to rest. The same applies to our chairman Paul. If anybody sees him here at 3am in the morning, just tell him to go away and get some sleep please ! The web team appears to be having a weekend off, and why shouldn’t they ?. I doubt they are on 80 hour a week contracts. Maybe an arrangement could be made, possibly with the help of overseas members, that somebody is always on call on the site. Not to give an instant policy statement at 4am on a Tuesday morning, but just to know that somebody is minding the shop.
How can we get the best out of people on all sides if we are all tired and snapping at each other. We are not the enemy, the other 23 teams in the conference are, in a playing sense.
I might do a taking stock email like this now and again , just to clarify in our minds where we are and what we could realistically achieve in the coming week.
So, what has been achieved this week ?
Well, as somebody involves in getting books ready to send to the accountant, I am sure Will and the team gave a big sigh of relief when they were loaded in the car to go to the accountants.
We know that on July 12th 2008, the membership will be involved in a pick the team situation for the game against Charlton. In the week up to the game, the web team will show how it is to be done, and then after the game , things will be looked at again.
We know that an AGM has been called for the day after. I hope the beer tasting on the 12th will not affect that too much.
We have a CEO who likes to do updates to us, and we have a chairman of EUFC who appears to know everybody in the non league game.
Leyton is doing the business with his weekly web team updates.
The Voting Proposal squad is now in position.
Website 4.0 is coming on nicely we are told.
We have Darius Charles back in the Fleet family for another year. Does he remind anybody else of Des Walker ? With the addition of another player on the same day, the squad is taking shape. I am told in non league the norm is for teams to be changed a lot at the end of a year. The body of our has been kept in place and now we can make it better.
The membership of MYFC, the fans of EUFC, the web team, and enthusiastic members have reached the target of 1,000 people making the pledge to boost the playing squad.
Liam is still the gaffer.
So what of next week ? .
The Bakert 1000 pledge has to be completed in an efficient manner that will maximise the amount of money that we can give to the gaffer to boost the squad. I am sure the web team will be emailing everybody who made the pledge in the early part of the week, and then we have to get the money in. We might not like it, but money talks in football. At the time of writing, over 150 have paid approximately £3,000 into the fund.
By next Sunday, I would hope that we have a figure in excess of £10,000 and then we can work on that. I hope that people will donate in a generous manner, and even if they didn’t pledge, they still can donate by clicking the blue banner at the top of the page.
Webteam to put in place a method of payment for non MYFC people to donate their pledges.
Get another of Leyton’s newsletter style updates on Friday. Also postings in the blogs of board members when they get the chance. Mr Davis I am sure will also be in touch again.
Get the mechanics of the AGM and the associated matters around it sorted out asap.
Make Arithon get 6 hours of sleep a night.
Let the web team do their job, get website 4.0 sorted out and let us have the best site that we can.
I hope people rest hard, and then work hard.
Hopefully get the Voting Proposal seconding system up and running asap, so we can get on and argue about proposals, instead of arguing with each other.
Attack Stonebridge Road with paint pots, attack the weeds and enjoy the beer etc so kindly donated by a number of members who could not attend next week.
Personally, Lorraine and I are looking forward to a dirty weekend together away from the forum. Yes that’s right, we are heading for Stonebridge Road to help tidy it up and remove all the dirt and weeds. Please join us if you can.
Finally my hope for next week is, Don’t kill each other , Respect each other !
Take care All
Keith.
PS,
Remember if you made a pledge, or if you have decided now that you wish to support it, you can make a payment of between £20 and £100 at
http://members.myfootballclub.co.uk/products.php?p rod=playingdonation
I am sure that many people are unhappy by the events of the weekend and some will wish it never happened, or that they reacted differently to the circumstances. What we have to remember is that we are all wanting to head in the same direction, its just that sometimes the paths taken cause us hassle.
I get concerned that people involved of this project get so involved with it that takes over their lives, or we expect people to be available 24/7. We are all human, we need rest. I often think myself I would benefit from a couple of days away from the forum, but it drags me back as I just have to see if there is something new. Arrangements have to be in place to allow key personel to rest. The same applies to our chairman Paul. If anybody sees him here at 3am in the morning, just tell him to go away and get some sleep please ! The web team appears to be having a weekend off, and why shouldn’t they ?. I doubt they are on 80 hour a week contracts. Maybe an arrangement could be made, possibly with the help of overseas members, that somebody is always on call on the site. Not to give an instant policy statement at 4am on a Tuesday morning, but just to know that somebody is minding the shop.
How can we get the best out of people on all sides if we are all tired and snapping at each other. We are not the enemy, the other 23 teams in the conference are, in a playing sense.
I might do a taking stock email like this now and again , just to clarify in our minds where we are and what we could realistically achieve in the coming week.
So, what has been achieved this week ?
Well, as somebody involves in getting books ready to send to the accountant, I am sure Will and the team gave a big sigh of relief when they were loaded in the car to go to the accountants.
We know that on July 12th 2008, the membership will be involved in a pick the team situation for the game against Charlton. In the week up to the game, the web team will show how it is to be done, and then after the game , things will be looked at again.
We know that an AGM has been called for the day after. I hope the beer tasting on the 12th will not affect that too much.
We have a CEO who likes to do updates to us, and we have a chairman of EUFC who appears to know everybody in the non league game.
Leyton is doing the business with his weekly web team updates.
The Voting Proposal squad is now in position.
Website 4.0 is coming on nicely we are told.
We have Darius Charles back in the Fleet family for another year. Does he remind anybody else of Des Walker ? With the addition of another player on the same day, the squad is taking shape. I am told in non league the norm is for teams to be changed a lot at the end of a year. The body of our has been kept in place and now we can make it better.
The membership of MYFC, the fans of EUFC, the web team, and enthusiastic members have reached the target of 1,000 people making the pledge to boost the playing squad.
Liam is still the gaffer.
So what of next week ? .
The Bakert 1000 pledge has to be completed in an efficient manner that will maximise the amount of money that we can give to the gaffer to boost the squad. I am sure the web team will be emailing everybody who made the pledge in the early part of the week, and then we have to get the money in. We might not like it, but money talks in football. At the time of writing, over 150 have paid approximately £3,000 into the fund.
By next Sunday, I would hope that we have a figure in excess of £10,000 and then we can work on that. I hope that people will donate in a generous manner, and even if they didn’t pledge, they still can donate by clicking the blue banner at the top of the page.
Webteam to put in place a method of payment for non MYFC people to donate their pledges.
Get another of Leyton’s newsletter style updates on Friday. Also postings in the blogs of board members when they get the chance. Mr Davis I am sure will also be in touch again.
Get the mechanics of the AGM and the associated matters around it sorted out asap.
Make Arithon get 6 hours of sleep a night.
Let the web team do their job, get website 4.0 sorted out and let us have the best site that we can.
I hope people rest hard, and then work hard.
Hopefully get the Voting Proposal seconding system up and running asap, so we can get on and argue about proposals, instead of arguing with each other.
Attack Stonebridge Road with paint pots, attack the weeds and enjoy the beer etc so kindly donated by a number of members who could not attend next week.
Personally, Lorraine and I are looking forward to a dirty weekend together away from the forum. Yes that’s right, we are heading for Stonebridge Road to help tidy it up and remove all the dirt and weeds. Please join us if you can.
Finally my hope for next week is, Don’t kill each other , Respect each other !
Take care All
Keith.
PS,
Remember if you made a pledge, or if you have decided now that you wish to support it, you can make a payment of between £20 and £100 at
http://members.myfootballclub.co.uk/products.php?p rod=playingdonation
Friday, 13 June 2008
Another eventful week comes to an end.
Well, I thought the close season was a time when we all had a rest ! , its busier now than it was during the season. I sometimes think I should have a couple of days off the forum, then I have a little look.
So where are we now.
We had the disapointment of the Annan Tournement not going ahead. I am sure behind the scenes lessons will have been learnt.
We now have a CEO and a new chairman. I am sure Mr Gadgetman will do a good job and we will not be slow in giving him advice and ideas.
We are now voting on the members of the new voting proposal committee. In under a weeks time, that should be in place. Then the fun will start as the proposals come flooding in.
We were given a second update by the web team. Thank you Leyton for that. Look forward to next weeks.
We have a new section on the forum for the board members. We can now follow the 7 board members blogs.
In the web update, it has been stated that Pick The Team will operate for the friendly against Charlton Athletic on July 12th.
One sad note was the loss of Chris McPhee when he left the club to be with his family in the west country. Thank you Chris for what you have done for us and you and the fellow players who appeared at Wembley will always be in the record books.
The Bakert pledge to try and get 1,000 people to pledge £20 or more to the players fund has now reached 450 pledgers. We need new ideas to try and boost the numbers. However, a number of people are willing to pledge as much as £50, so that is positive.
Doesn't it seem a long time since we had football to watch ? Seems wrong to wish the summer away, but roll on August.
I am sure that next week will be as eventful as this one, if not more. Thats one of the joys and pains of this project, you just never know what tomorrow will bring, good or bad.
So where are we now.
We had the disapointment of the Annan Tournement not going ahead. I am sure behind the scenes lessons will have been learnt.
We now have a CEO and a new chairman. I am sure Mr Gadgetman will do a good job and we will not be slow in giving him advice and ideas.
We are now voting on the members of the new voting proposal committee. In under a weeks time, that should be in place. Then the fun will start as the proposals come flooding in.
We were given a second update by the web team. Thank you Leyton for that. Look forward to next weeks.
We have a new section on the forum for the board members. We can now follow the 7 board members blogs.
In the web update, it has been stated that Pick The Team will operate for the friendly against Charlton Athletic on July 12th.
One sad note was the loss of Chris McPhee when he left the club to be with his family in the west country. Thank you Chris for what you have done for us and you and the fellow players who appeared at Wembley will always be in the record books.
The Bakert pledge to try and get 1,000 people to pledge £20 or more to the players fund has now reached 450 pledgers. We need new ideas to try and boost the numbers. However, a number of people are willing to pledge as much as £50, so that is positive.
Doesn't it seem a long time since we had football to watch ? Seems wrong to wish the summer away, but roll on August.
I am sure that next week will be as eventful as this one, if not more. Thats one of the joys and pains of this project, you just never know what tomorrow will bring, good or bad.
Saturday, 7 June 2008
F.A. Trophy 2008.
Tis the Night Before The Invasion of Burton.
All the Fleet are quietly getting themselves ready in all corners of the Kingdom,
The men of Kent are thinking of the coach trip ahead of them,
The team hopefully will be nicely settled down in their hotel,
Tomorrow my friends, it will be different,
The early boats of the Fleet will moor up at The Beech,
Then it will happen.
The March to the Arch will start as the men and women of the Fleet will march on the Pirelli.
Win lose or draw my shipmates , we will be victorious.
as the Fleet will have shown that they can get together and sail towards a common goal.
Tomorrow is a day for strong hearts and strong bladders,
Many loud voices will be needed, and they will be heard,
Will Burton expect the 30 that they saw penned in a corner at the away end earlier in the season ?
No. they will be the first team to experience what many others will have to face in years to come.
The Fleet are in town, and we haven't come this far to lose.
We should not fear any opponent. Respect them yes, but not fear them.
A hard team to play against is a challenge that we should look forward to, and have a real go at.
Enjoy the day out friends, and remember one thing as you go to bed this evening,
We are the Fleet !
=====
We are fast approaching the F.A. Trophy Semi Final First Leg against Aldershot at Stonebridge Road. This is a game which if you excuse the pun, we have to pull out all the shots. I hope each of us who has the best interests of Ebbsfleet United at heart can do what we can to get us through. If this happens, then we really are in dreamland with a final at Wembley Stadium in May.
The game has to be put into context. We are in a semi final of the FA Trophy for the first time in the competitions history. All the other 3 teams in the semi final are ex Football league teams and would be at the moment be classed as bigger teams than us in terms of gates. Aldershot are currently flying in the Conference with a 10 point lead at the top of the table having gone to the then second placed team Torquay United on Monday and won. They have been top of the table since October and will be a very confident outfit, a very young team but a good one. I saw them on TV a few weeks ago at home to Stevenage who were then 4th in the league. In a first half performance, they tore into them and were 3-0 at the break. One of their best players is John Grant the centre forward who has scored many important goals this season. Another important player is Joel Grant who was described in a newspaper this week as Non League’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
So, do we have a chance here ?. You bet we do. We ourselves are on a great run since before Christmas. Do you realise that in beating Salisbury on Tuesday, we inflicted on them their first defeat of 2008. We ended Burtons fine unbeaten away record , then put them out of the Trophy by a replay. We too have a young very hard working team, We have to get at them early on. The newspaper headline was “Young Shots have no fear” , we have to test that and make them earn it if they want the final place.
Aldershot are a well supported team and will bring a lot of fans with them on Saturday as its not so far away. This is where we have to be as vocal as they are. We cant afford to lose the home supposed vocal advantage. I feel we need to win to have a really good fighting chance in the return leg on Saturday week. To take a 2 goal lead there would be a magnificent result. One thing that I think we have to be very careful about is the Noon kick off time. I have been to games at this time in the past and it can be a weird experience. Teams can be slow as they are not playing at their normal time, fans can be a bit subdued at that time of day. I don’t think we can afford the luxury of being quiet on Saturday lunchtime.
We can all support the team on Saturday in our own ways. If you live within 4 hours of Stonebridge Road, can I please ask you to consider very carefully if you can get to the game to support the Fleet. It can be done, make a day of it. It means an early start, but you have all day to get home, or make a weekend of it by staying overnight.
So come on Fleet Fans, make some real noise if you are going to the game, We are the 12th man here, we might not get this close to Wembley again for many years to come. The 200 plus at Burton Albion did the team proud with their vocal support, this has to be built on against The Shots. We have the chance to make real history for the Fleet on Saturday, we can not allow this chance to pass us by.
The Red Toothbrush will be attending the game, it will be leaving York at 5.30am . It will be on good form as it is getting charged up with a big Bacon Sandwich just before the M11 at Cambridge.
WE ARE THE FLEET AND WE WANT TO GO TO WEMBLEY.
SHOUT FOR THE BOYS LIKE YOU NEVER HAVE DONE BEFORE.
CHEER, CHEER, HERE COMES THE FLEET !
=====
Written on March 10th, a few days before the 2nd leg of the FA. Trophy Semi Final match at Aldershot Town.
On Saturday we are involved in the sort of game we could only have dreamt of just a few months ago. We are so lucky to be involved with a team of such fighters with a man of character at the head. We could have been facing a relegation fight out of the Football league and then awaiting the backlash that we had ruined a league team, instead things are so much different. Our team, are just one tantalising step from that stadium which I wont mention incase it jinxes us.
We have to do our bit to try and get that glorious day out in the capital in early May. Do we do our very best to get the team there, or do we just let things happen ?. I for one want to do whatever I can to make sure I am not shopping in York, or decorating or whatever in May, when Aldershot are having their party in London.
The great man Bill Shankley said in his famous quote, that football is more important than life or death. You can argue that one either way, but I think our involvement with the Fleet is evolving at quite a speed in an unexpected direction. I sometimes have referred in the past to the MYFC family, well I feel the Fleet family is evolving week by week.
Strangers from each end of the country are meeting, friendships are being made, you could say in management speak, we are even bonding a little, with a little healthy scepticism thrown in to keep us real. I was told at the weekend that even Fleet fans are talking to each other now, its becoming a more social experience watching the Fleet. This is something that I feel we will build on in the future.
We have something this weekend that we can work on together. To try and get the Fleet through to the final . It would be an amazing for all concerned if we could do it. We could have been involved with a club for years and never reach a Semi Final. This is why the people of MYFC have been so fortunate to fall into this position. But, I feel in the few months we have been together, the new fans did the club proud at Burton Albion, a tie where it would have been so easy to go out in. But now, we have to do it all again, and this time at an even higher level of commitment.
If you live in the UK and it is possible for you to get to Aldershot on Saturday, please try your very best to get there for your new club. Fans are often referred to as the 12th man, this is a game where the 12th man will be needed more than you can believe. I am told that Aldershot can be an unwelcoming place and that The Fleet often come off badly in results there. This is where the crowd will be vital. We have to pledge to make more noise that we have ever done, hope that Scott’s arm survives a full 90 or 120 minutes beating the life out of his drum, ladies and gents, we need to be passionate on Saturday.
Our place in the final will not be given to us, we have to earn it through our presence and voices. Show the players and the people of Aldershot that this game means everything to us, and we are here to get a result. I for one am not doing a 400 mile round trip to be quiet on Saturday.
I have seen passion for the club in the eyes of fans old and new. This game could be another step in the long process of making Ebbsfleet Fans United. I have always thought the new fans can only earn the respect of others through their actions, I hope, I know that we will show them our commitment this Saturday afternoon.
As the 12th man, we have to approach the game in a professional manner, get our heads in the right frame of mind for the day. The next few days are ones where negiative thoughts and comments should be abandoned as we concentrate the whole MYFC family on the upcoming events. To lose the tie is not an option we will accept meekly. If we go a goal down, that has to be the sign to go again with the singing, louder than before. We do not accept defeat until the referees final whistle.
I make no apologies for these words as they are written from the heart. We can do this, IF we give it our very best shot. We have to be louder than anybody could ever expect on Saturday. If the result goes against us, we have to be proud of our team and the boss. They have given us memories to treasure, but this game is about giving us the chance to make new wonderful memories.
People overseas I know would love to be there, so we have to be their voices too. Give them the chance to join with us in May. Only then can our family be complete. So, do try to be there if you can. If not, we know that you are there in spirit.
Gravesend & Northfleet FC has a rich history, lets give Ebbsfleet United the chance to grow and go to places that we can only dream of. If we can start with a sunny May day in West London, then that would be a wonderful place to be for new fans and old.
Be POSITIVE and BELIEVE,
WE ARE THE FLEET
===
Tis nearly the night before Wembley.
Well, we are nearly there. I hope members travelling from overseas will get to read this before their departure. The weather is due to be good and everything is set up for a great day. The pre and post match party looks like it will be well attended , so its all systems go. What a bonus this day will be for everybody.
Lorraine and I plan to take plenty of pictures of the days events and I hope everybody else will do the same. Please take a national flag with you if you have one. Miss YF will be in attendance with her red toothbrush. I see it this way, whatever the result on Saturday, we have won. This project has brought so many people together and I know it will continue to do so in the future. People fall out on the forums from time to time, but Saturday is a day for celebration and friendship.
I apologise in advance if I just nod and look a bit blank if I meet you on Saturday. People have the advantage that they know me, but I have to catch their names. My memory for names isn’t so good, so Lorraine plans to take plenty of pictures of people to remind us of who we meet on the day. It will be fun.
I went to the old Wembley back in 1998 for a music concert, but this will be the first trip there for a football match. One thing I did wrong last time which I will not repeat this time. I plan to get in my seat early and just soak up the atmosphere. I am told food and drink is very expensive in the stadium, so a good plan to take care of that pre match of possible I think.
I think a special moment is will be when they play “Cheer, Cheer, here comes the Fleet “ pre match in the ground.
I hope that we can really make some noise on Saturday, please don’t hold back, just let rip with the singing even if it’s the first time you have seen the Fleet. You know “Oh when the Saints, go marching in “, you try it as “ Oh when the Fleet, go sailing in “ . Also, “ We will follow the Ebbsfleet, over land and see AND ESSEX ! “ .
Lorraine, Lauren and I are definitely going to the after match do, and will probably going to the prematch also. Just depends how much is going on around the stadium when we arrive.
Can I end with a few words of thanks.
To Liam, his back room team and players. We are so proud of you, just go out and enjoy yourselves, express yourselves and have the game of your lives.
To the long term fans of Gravesend & Northfleet. I am so happy that you are getting the big day out for your years of following the Fleet. it’s a privilage to be gong to the game with you all.
To Mr Will Brooks and Team. Without your idea, we would not be where we are today. I know you have to put up with a lot of crap, but hopefully this day will make up for it. Thank you all for your hard work in getting us to this stage.
The future is what we want to make of it. Saturday is a day to celebrate in the sun and win the cup. Then we can start the hard work on Monday, the attempt to get into the league.
I think it could be quite a day.
All the Fleet are quietly getting themselves ready in all corners of the Kingdom,
The men of Kent are thinking of the coach trip ahead of them,
The team hopefully will be nicely settled down in their hotel,
Tomorrow my friends, it will be different,
The early boats of the Fleet will moor up at The Beech,
Then it will happen.
The March to the Arch will start as the men and women of the Fleet will march on the Pirelli.
Win lose or draw my shipmates , we will be victorious.
as the Fleet will have shown that they can get together and sail towards a common goal.
Tomorrow is a day for strong hearts and strong bladders,
Many loud voices will be needed, and they will be heard,
Will Burton expect the 30 that they saw penned in a corner at the away end earlier in the season ?
No. they will be the first team to experience what many others will have to face in years to come.
The Fleet are in town, and we haven't come this far to lose.
We should not fear any opponent. Respect them yes, but not fear them.
A hard team to play against is a challenge that we should look forward to, and have a real go at.
Enjoy the day out friends, and remember one thing as you go to bed this evening,
We are the Fleet !
=====
We are fast approaching the F.A. Trophy Semi Final First Leg against Aldershot at Stonebridge Road. This is a game which if you excuse the pun, we have to pull out all the shots. I hope each of us who has the best interests of Ebbsfleet United at heart can do what we can to get us through. If this happens, then we really are in dreamland with a final at Wembley Stadium in May.
The game has to be put into context. We are in a semi final of the FA Trophy for the first time in the competitions history. All the other 3 teams in the semi final are ex Football league teams and would be at the moment be classed as bigger teams than us in terms of gates. Aldershot are currently flying in the Conference with a 10 point lead at the top of the table having gone to the then second placed team Torquay United on Monday and won. They have been top of the table since October and will be a very confident outfit, a very young team but a good one. I saw them on TV a few weeks ago at home to Stevenage who were then 4th in the league. In a first half performance, they tore into them and were 3-0 at the break. One of their best players is John Grant the centre forward who has scored many important goals this season. Another important player is Joel Grant who was described in a newspaper this week as Non League’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
So, do we have a chance here ?. You bet we do. We ourselves are on a great run since before Christmas. Do you realise that in beating Salisbury on Tuesday, we inflicted on them their first defeat of 2008. We ended Burtons fine unbeaten away record , then put them out of the Trophy by a replay. We too have a young very hard working team, We have to get at them early on. The newspaper headline was “Young Shots have no fear” , we have to test that and make them earn it if they want the final place.
Aldershot are a well supported team and will bring a lot of fans with them on Saturday as its not so far away. This is where we have to be as vocal as they are. We cant afford to lose the home supposed vocal advantage. I feel we need to win to have a really good fighting chance in the return leg on Saturday week. To take a 2 goal lead there would be a magnificent result. One thing that I think we have to be very careful about is the Noon kick off time. I have been to games at this time in the past and it can be a weird experience. Teams can be slow as they are not playing at their normal time, fans can be a bit subdued at that time of day. I don’t think we can afford the luxury of being quiet on Saturday lunchtime.
We can all support the team on Saturday in our own ways. If you live within 4 hours of Stonebridge Road, can I please ask you to consider very carefully if you can get to the game to support the Fleet. It can be done, make a day of it. It means an early start, but you have all day to get home, or make a weekend of it by staying overnight.
So come on Fleet Fans, make some real noise if you are going to the game, We are the 12th man here, we might not get this close to Wembley again for many years to come. The 200 plus at Burton Albion did the team proud with their vocal support, this has to be built on against The Shots. We have the chance to make real history for the Fleet on Saturday, we can not allow this chance to pass us by.
The Red Toothbrush will be attending the game, it will be leaving York at 5.30am . It will be on good form as it is getting charged up with a big Bacon Sandwich just before the M11 at Cambridge.
WE ARE THE FLEET AND WE WANT TO GO TO WEMBLEY.
SHOUT FOR THE BOYS LIKE YOU NEVER HAVE DONE BEFORE.
CHEER, CHEER, HERE COMES THE FLEET !
=====
Written on March 10th, a few days before the 2nd leg of the FA. Trophy Semi Final match at Aldershot Town.
On Saturday we are involved in the sort of game we could only have dreamt of just a few months ago. We are so lucky to be involved with a team of such fighters with a man of character at the head. We could have been facing a relegation fight out of the Football league and then awaiting the backlash that we had ruined a league team, instead things are so much different. Our team, are just one tantalising step from that stadium which I wont mention incase it jinxes us.
We have to do our bit to try and get that glorious day out in the capital in early May. Do we do our very best to get the team there, or do we just let things happen ?. I for one want to do whatever I can to make sure I am not shopping in York, or decorating or whatever in May, when Aldershot are having their party in London.
The great man Bill Shankley said in his famous quote, that football is more important than life or death. You can argue that one either way, but I think our involvement with the Fleet is evolving at quite a speed in an unexpected direction. I sometimes have referred in the past to the MYFC family, well I feel the Fleet family is evolving week by week.
Strangers from each end of the country are meeting, friendships are being made, you could say in management speak, we are even bonding a little, with a little healthy scepticism thrown in to keep us real. I was told at the weekend that even Fleet fans are talking to each other now, its becoming a more social experience watching the Fleet. This is something that I feel we will build on in the future.
We have something this weekend that we can work on together. To try and get the Fleet through to the final . It would be an amazing for all concerned if we could do it. We could have been involved with a club for years and never reach a Semi Final. This is why the people of MYFC have been so fortunate to fall into this position. But, I feel in the few months we have been together, the new fans did the club proud at Burton Albion, a tie where it would have been so easy to go out in. But now, we have to do it all again, and this time at an even higher level of commitment.
If you live in the UK and it is possible for you to get to Aldershot on Saturday, please try your very best to get there for your new club. Fans are often referred to as the 12th man, this is a game where the 12th man will be needed more than you can believe. I am told that Aldershot can be an unwelcoming place and that The Fleet often come off badly in results there. This is where the crowd will be vital. We have to pledge to make more noise that we have ever done, hope that Scott’s arm survives a full 90 or 120 minutes beating the life out of his drum, ladies and gents, we need to be passionate on Saturday.
Our place in the final will not be given to us, we have to earn it through our presence and voices. Show the players and the people of Aldershot that this game means everything to us, and we are here to get a result. I for one am not doing a 400 mile round trip to be quiet on Saturday.
I have seen passion for the club in the eyes of fans old and new. This game could be another step in the long process of making Ebbsfleet Fans United. I have always thought the new fans can only earn the respect of others through their actions, I hope, I know that we will show them our commitment this Saturday afternoon.
As the 12th man, we have to approach the game in a professional manner, get our heads in the right frame of mind for the day. The next few days are ones where negiative thoughts and comments should be abandoned as we concentrate the whole MYFC family on the upcoming events. To lose the tie is not an option we will accept meekly. If we go a goal down, that has to be the sign to go again with the singing, louder than before. We do not accept defeat until the referees final whistle.
I make no apologies for these words as they are written from the heart. We can do this, IF we give it our very best shot. We have to be louder than anybody could ever expect on Saturday. If the result goes against us, we have to be proud of our team and the boss. They have given us memories to treasure, but this game is about giving us the chance to make new wonderful memories.
People overseas I know would love to be there, so we have to be their voices too. Give them the chance to join with us in May. Only then can our family be complete. So, do try to be there if you can. If not, we know that you are there in spirit.
Gravesend & Northfleet FC has a rich history, lets give Ebbsfleet United the chance to grow and go to places that we can only dream of. If we can start with a sunny May day in West London, then that would be a wonderful place to be for new fans and old.
Be POSITIVE and BELIEVE,
WE ARE THE FLEET
===
Tis nearly the night before Wembley.
Well, we are nearly there. I hope members travelling from overseas will get to read this before their departure. The weather is due to be good and everything is set up for a great day. The pre and post match party looks like it will be well attended , so its all systems go. What a bonus this day will be for everybody.
Lorraine and I plan to take plenty of pictures of the days events and I hope everybody else will do the same. Please take a national flag with you if you have one. Miss YF will be in attendance with her red toothbrush. I see it this way, whatever the result on Saturday, we have won. This project has brought so many people together and I know it will continue to do so in the future. People fall out on the forums from time to time, but Saturday is a day for celebration and friendship.
I apologise in advance if I just nod and look a bit blank if I meet you on Saturday. People have the advantage that they know me, but I have to catch their names. My memory for names isn’t so good, so Lorraine plans to take plenty of pictures of people to remind us of who we meet on the day. It will be fun.
I went to the old Wembley back in 1998 for a music concert, but this will be the first trip there for a football match. One thing I did wrong last time which I will not repeat this time. I plan to get in my seat early and just soak up the atmosphere. I am told food and drink is very expensive in the stadium, so a good plan to take care of that pre match of possible I think.
I think a special moment is will be when they play “Cheer, Cheer, here comes the Fleet “ pre match in the ground.
I hope that we can really make some noise on Saturday, please don’t hold back, just let rip with the singing even if it’s the first time you have seen the Fleet. You know “Oh when the Saints, go marching in “, you try it as “ Oh when the Fleet, go sailing in “ . Also, “ We will follow the Ebbsfleet, over land and see AND ESSEX ! “ .
Lorraine, Lauren and I are definitely going to the after match do, and will probably going to the prematch also. Just depends how much is going on around the stadium when we arrive.
Can I end with a few words of thanks.
To Liam, his back room team and players. We are so proud of you, just go out and enjoy yourselves, express yourselves and have the game of your lives.
To the long term fans of Gravesend & Northfleet. I am so happy that you are getting the big day out for your years of following the Fleet. it’s a privilage to be gong to the game with you all.
To Mr Will Brooks and Team. Without your idea, we would not be where we are today. I know you have to put up with a lot of crap, but hopefully this day will make up for it. Thank you all for your hard work in getting us to this stage.
The future is what we want to make of it. Saturday is a day to celebrate in the sun and win the cup. Then we can start the hard work on Monday, the attempt to get into the league.
I think it could be quite a day.
Stafford Rangers ( a ) 2007
It was five to five on a cold winters night in Stafford and The Fleet are drawing 0-0 away at Stafford Rangers. The linesmen holds up his board, two minutes to go to try and get a winner against a team that we really should beat if we are to have a small outside hope of making the play-offs. “Come on Sacha, get em going!“ goes a strong voice from the Ebbsfleet faithful. Two minutes later, a scrambled goal and we have our win. For what for me was my first Fleet game, this has turned a great day out into something very significant. The team in their yellow shirts clap at the away following from the centre circle. Sacha decides that’s not enough for him as he runs over to shake hands with a few of the away following. The drum is going well at this point as we all float gently out of the ground. You cant beat an away win but one with virtually the last kick of the match is truly sweet.
In the big scheme of things, an away win at Stafford Rangers is not on a par with a win in the Champions League final in Barcelona but this was a very special win. The crowd gave good support at the end of the game as we searched for the winner and I like to think that the support going right to the end might just have given the team something. Good teams have a very good habit of scoring very late goals. Its not all luck, it's playing to the whistle and believing that the goal will come. This winner was very late but so was the one at Exeter City. For me this should just be the beginning.
The away following was maybe in the area of 110 but that should and can be much higher. I said months ago that we should now not have any more 'away games'. Every game, whatever part of the country we play in should get a good following from the new fans to join in with the excellent regulars. I believe that we should be getting more to watch. Imagine if we can get 500 a match as an away following. At a small ground like Stafford, that might almost put the away fans in the majority. We need to get onganised, target games, make it easy for fans to get to matches , encourage people to take friends and family with them.
For me at my first Fleet game, it made me feel like I was 19 again. Standing on the terraces for the first time in almost 25 years, being able to move about, talk to different people, and generally try and make a bit of a racket. The whole day is an experience to savour. I walked about at half time thinking to myself, this is great. The events of five o’clock were to be the icing in the cake.
I can not stress strongly enough what you will be missing if you do not go to some games. For people overseas I realise it is very hard to get to more than the occasional match, but if you are in the UK, your efforts will be rewarded more that you can believe.
In the big scheme of things, an away win at Stafford Rangers is not on a par with a win in the Champions League final in Barcelona but this was a very special win. The crowd gave good support at the end of the game as we searched for the winner and I like to think that the support going right to the end might just have given the team something. Good teams have a very good habit of scoring very late goals. Its not all luck, it's playing to the whistle and believing that the goal will come. This winner was very late but so was the one at Exeter City. For me this should just be the beginning.
The away following was maybe in the area of 110 but that should and can be much higher. I said months ago that we should now not have any more 'away games'. Every game, whatever part of the country we play in should get a good following from the new fans to join in with the excellent regulars. I believe that we should be getting more to watch. Imagine if we can get 500 a match as an away following. At a small ground like Stafford, that might almost put the away fans in the majority. We need to get onganised, target games, make it easy for fans to get to matches , encourage people to take friends and family with them.
For me at my first Fleet game, it made me feel like I was 19 again. Standing on the terraces for the first time in almost 25 years, being able to move about, talk to different people, and generally try and make a bit of a racket. The whole day is an experience to savour. I walked about at half time thinking to myself, this is great. The events of five o’clock were to be the icing in the cake.
I can not stress strongly enough what you will be missing if you do not go to some games. For people overseas I realise it is very hard to get to more than the occasional match, but if you are in the UK, your efforts will be rewarded more that you can believe.
Do the Fleet Matter to you ? (Feb 08 )
When this project started, I saw it as something of interest , now I fear that Ebbsfleet United is starting to take over my life and that of Lorraine. It's terrible, I mean we have to travel around the country, meet new and interesting people and have a great time. Life can be hell at times. Twenty-five years ago, watching football was my life before moving away from my home city. I tried a few times to go back, but nobody talked to me in the concrete new stadium at Leicester. How different it is now where people come up to me and greet me as an old friend. Apologies if I don’t mention it when I go back online, but I have a terrible memory for names and they tend to drift away. The Fleet, though, is the cure to growing old as when I watch them, I am 16 again. Standing there, shouting my head off, and thinking it must be good for the blood pressure.
The Fleet fans I have met have been great. Many more that I talk to in passing on the net I know I will meet one day. I hate the them and us bit, we are all Fleet, that’s the way I want it to be. Throw yourself into this team, go to the drum, sing and chant, and feel young again.
I wonder how many people are starting to face up to the dilema I have faced recently. My historic club Leicester City, my team of over 30 years are on TV, but half of me wants to watch Torquay on Setanta at the same time ! I would never wish LCFC any harm, but the Fleet have got hold of me hook line and sinker ! When I was in my years away from Leicester, I knew that if I got back into the football, it would get me again for life. The Fleet have done that to me. I have seen it in others too. Somebody in the bar at Northwich , 20 minutes before the kick off just dying to get at the opposition ! This small team in Kent has me now I believe for life. If for any reason, and I don’t think it will happen, the Fleet parted ways with MyFC, I know I would have to stay with the Fleet. As a member of the Fleet Trust, I know that would be my place.
After going to just five games, I meet people as old friends, even get a hug now and again. The bonds that we are making now can only grow and get stronger. I realise that people know me from the forums but its weird when people come up to you and say hello, I just wanted to meet you. Its great though really, I mean in a few hours at Burton Albion, this must have happens maybe 20 times ! You say such nice things and that makes me want to work even harder to push the Fleet forward. I spoke to more people in Burton that day than I have talked to in York in 20 years.
What the heck is it doing to me though ?. People that know me realise that I am a quiet, almost shy person. On Saturday, I am in the club bar at an away ground doing a video interview with Sasha ! It is totally surreal, and you just don’t know what is going to happen next. I make a one line comment about my daughters red toothbrush as we score and win the replay against Burton, then suddenly I have a magic good luck charm on my hands, now with its own website, people saying that it belongs in Liams Jacket at Wembley IF etc etc.
I must mention our manager Mr Liam Daish. I think we have somebody very special there and we should nurture and support him all the way. I am at Northwich, he is going home, and suddenly he stops for no reason, walks back in and shakes my hand , top bloke, quality.
Where can we get to in a few years time, heck I don’t even know what will happen tomorrow when I log on, and that’s what makes following The Fleet via MyFC so fascinating.
You might just wake up one morning and realise that your historic team has done the impossible. Slipped to the back of your mind, still there, but your waking hours now belong to the men of Kent called The Fleet.
I want to go to Wembley, but if I don’t, so be it. The boys are in their first ever FA Trophy Semi Final and they are there on merit. I and so many others are so proud of them and their fighting spirit. If its not our fate not to go to the Arch, I have to accept it. WE will have our special days. The problem I have, and its kind of a nice one, is that every away game is getting more fun than the last.
We are the Fleet, please remember that, and support them however you can in your own way. I feel that whatever we put into this club, they will give us pleasure and maybe heartbreak at times, far greater than what we have invested in both time and cash.
The people in this club and MyFC are special, allow yourself to get involved, but I warn you, your life will not be the same after you have seen the fleet and your new family of friends, it will be so so much better.
The Fleet fans I have met have been great. Many more that I talk to in passing on the net I know I will meet one day. I hate the them and us bit, we are all Fleet, that’s the way I want it to be. Throw yourself into this team, go to the drum, sing and chant, and feel young again.
I wonder how many people are starting to face up to the dilema I have faced recently. My historic club Leicester City, my team of over 30 years are on TV, but half of me wants to watch Torquay on Setanta at the same time ! I would never wish LCFC any harm, but the Fleet have got hold of me hook line and sinker ! When I was in my years away from Leicester, I knew that if I got back into the football, it would get me again for life. The Fleet have done that to me. I have seen it in others too. Somebody in the bar at Northwich , 20 minutes before the kick off just dying to get at the opposition ! This small team in Kent has me now I believe for life. If for any reason, and I don’t think it will happen, the Fleet parted ways with MyFC, I know I would have to stay with the Fleet. As a member of the Fleet Trust, I know that would be my place.
After going to just five games, I meet people as old friends, even get a hug now and again. The bonds that we are making now can only grow and get stronger. I realise that people know me from the forums but its weird when people come up to you and say hello, I just wanted to meet you. Its great though really, I mean in a few hours at Burton Albion, this must have happens maybe 20 times ! You say such nice things and that makes me want to work even harder to push the Fleet forward. I spoke to more people in Burton that day than I have talked to in York in 20 years.
What the heck is it doing to me though ?. People that know me realise that I am a quiet, almost shy person. On Saturday, I am in the club bar at an away ground doing a video interview with Sasha ! It is totally surreal, and you just don’t know what is going to happen next. I make a one line comment about my daughters red toothbrush as we score and win the replay against Burton, then suddenly I have a magic good luck charm on my hands, now with its own website, people saying that it belongs in Liams Jacket at Wembley IF etc etc.
I must mention our manager Mr Liam Daish. I think we have somebody very special there and we should nurture and support him all the way. I am at Northwich, he is going home, and suddenly he stops for no reason, walks back in and shakes my hand , top bloke, quality.
Where can we get to in a few years time, heck I don’t even know what will happen tomorrow when I log on, and that’s what makes following The Fleet via MyFC so fascinating.
You might just wake up one morning and realise that your historic team has done the impossible. Slipped to the back of your mind, still there, but your waking hours now belong to the men of Kent called The Fleet.
I want to go to Wembley, but if I don’t, so be it. The boys are in their first ever FA Trophy Semi Final and they are there on merit. I and so many others are so proud of them and their fighting spirit. If its not our fate not to go to the Arch, I have to accept it. WE will have our special days. The problem I have, and its kind of a nice one, is that every away game is getting more fun than the last.
We are the Fleet, please remember that, and support them however you can in your own way. I feel that whatever we put into this club, they will give us pleasure and maybe heartbreak at times, far greater than what we have invested in both time and cash.
The people in this club and MyFC are special, allow yourself to get involved, but I warn you, your life will not be the same after you have seen the fleet and your new family of friends, it will be so so much better.
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