Leamington FC v Altrincham this weekend (1 Viewer)

Nick

Administrator
Ha won't travel to Northampton as its not coventry but let's go to Leamington...
 

bringbackrattles

Well-Known Member
When you've got Sky Blue blood running through your veins it baffles me how anybody can go and watch another team.
Once a Coventry City fan for me it's for life.No to Northampton and No to any other club.
I would feel disloyal in fact I feel awkward glancing at the T.V.screen in the pub if Villa or any Premier team is on !
 

Nonleagueherewecome

Well-Known Member
I do get the point but just don't agree and I don't think my post made much sense like it did in my head :( sorry, my mistake.

My point was everybody saying coventry born and bred and then going to Leamington...


What's wrong with supporting your local non-league team? As a follower of non-league football, I've done that all my life. I follow Rugby, Leamington and Nuneaton and want all of them to do well. I'll be going to Altrincham, and it'll be my second Leamington game this season. I live in Leamington and seeing as it's a fantastic community club, I feel entirely entitled to be there supporting them. If people are "desperate for football", why not do this when City are in Northampton? You might be surprised at what a great experience it is, and how high the standard of football is: cheap (and good quality!) refreshments, great atmosphere with home and away fans mixing, standing if you want, cheap entrance cost, free parking, take your beer into the game. It's highly recommended!


Back onto the topic, how do you prove to them on the gate that you're a Trust member? I could do with saving £6.
 

Joy Division

Well-Known Member
I do get the point but just don't agree and I don't think my post made much sense like it did in my head :( sorry, my mistake.

My point was everybody saying coventry born and bred and then going to Leamington...

Yeah missing the point a bit, it's non-league day which is a national thing. As Leamington is pretty local it makes sense to promote to Coventry fans.
 

Nick

Administrator
What's wrong with supporting your local non-league team? As a follower of non-league football, I've done that all my life. I follow Rugby, Leamington and Nuneaton and want all of them to do well. I'll be going to Altrincham, and it'll be my second Leamington game this season. I live in Leamington and seeing as it's a fantastic community club, I feel entirely entitled to be there supporting them. If people are "desperate for football", why not do this when City are in Northampton? You might be surprised at what a great experience it is, and how high the standard of football is: cheap (and good quality!) refreshments, great atmosphere with home and away fans mixing, standing if you want, cheap entrance cost, free parking, take your beer into the game. It's highly recommended!

No there is nothing against Leamington or anything but it is just the "We love Coventry the city so much and the football club etc etc" but go and watch Leamington play. Why not say go down the road and watch Villa play on a Saturday instead? I could kind of understand Sphinx or another Coventry Team but if people go I hope they have a good time.

I just find it hard to support any other team, I could watch the game but wouldn't get the buzz. I wasn't having a dig at people wanting to go there, people can do what they want and hopefully they will enjoy it and have a good day!
 

ajsccfc

Well-Known Member
Went to the Sphinx FA Cup game last week and it was ACE. Terrible nicknames, a penalty save, two red cards, a 30-yard screamer, half-time raffle, old people playing bowls nearby AND a last minute Sphinx scrambled winner. What a game.
 

hill83

Well-Known Member
There's loads of clubs at home this weekend, I don't give a single fuck about any of them. My only affinity with Leamington is my mate who lives there and he's going to Sixfields on sunday.

Thanks for the information though of course, and anyone who is going, enjoy.
 

NorthernWisdom

Well-Known Member
No there is nothing against Leamington or anything but it is just the "We love Coventry the city so much and the football club etc etc" but go and watch Leamington play. Why not say go down the road and watch Villa play on a Saturday instead? I could kind of understand Sphinx or another Coventry Team but if people go I hope they have a good time.

I just find it hard to support any other team, I could watch the game but wouldn't get the buzz. I wasn't having a dig at people wanting to go there, people can do what they want and hopefully they will enjoy it and have a good day!

Well being born in Coventry, but being brought up in Rugby Coventry is 'my' team, but Rugby Town (in its various guises!) has an important place too. It still offers a link to the community, allows the likes of Jimmy knox and Danny Conway to star on fairly large stages, allows the likes of Robbie Beard a start in a career that may never have hit the heights, but allows him to do something he enjoys. it allows the league rejects to find a cushion, provides a base and foundation for league clubs.

And when they do well, it allows me to reflect on my sense of self and identity because it allows a bit of pride that where I grew up, can have some form of success.

Take away the foundations, the whole structure collapses. It's something we should now be aware of in league terms now we've fallen, it doesn't all revolve around the top flight...

But it also revolves lower than league level.

Add to that and there's something more pure and genuine about non league football, players and fans are there because they want to be there, it's done for fun and people choose to volunteer to help.

If you haven't been to a non league game, try it :) If you don't want to clash with CCFC, try it on a day when CCFC are not playing.

Because it can be... fun? Doesn't diminish from the fact that it's CCFCall the way when it comes down to it, but does help draw attention to the foundations that allow CCFC to exist.
 

Nick

Administrator
No I have nothing against Non League and have been to a fair few matches BUT I just don't support them, if I had grown up supporting them then it would have been different but it is a game of football but what I mean is the buzz isn't there. I wouldn't go home chuffed if we had won and I wouldn't go home annoyed if we lost. It is nothing against non league as it would be the same if I went to watch Villa vs Man Utd or something.
 

The Bear

New Member
I wouldn't necessarily expect Cov-based football fans to go but there's a lot of Cov fans in South Warwickshire who could drop in and look at a club that has risen from the ashes, is run well by (gasp!) by real fans of the club and play at a ground which was, and still is being, built with the help of an army of volunteer supporters. They've got their own beer, Brakes Fluid, and you can watch the game with a pint in your hand.

Cov connections? We Cov Captain Charlie Timmins played for them, CCFC used to own their old ground during WWII and the CCFC FA Cup Winners squad have played against them a few times.

BTW, The New Windmill is slightly closer to Leamington than the Ricoh is to Cov. And a lot f'in closer than Dixfields...
 

Nick

Administrator
You can support something without it being a passion though.

I can support Guide Dogs for the Blind without feeling the need to chant the Labradors' names whenever I see them.

I agree, of course I would want Leamington would win the same as Bedworth, Nuneaton etc. It is just that if I don't have the passion, I'd have 101 other things to be doing instead.
 

Monners

Well-Known Member
Watched plenty of non - league footie with Kettering over the years. Doesn't mean as much as Cov, but still matters - lived there for 10 years from 9-19 (impressionable ages). Mate of mine is Leam born, but a massive Cov fan first and foremost, but still goes to watch them when he can (lived in Southampton since he was 18). Previous poster has said about grwoing up in and being part of a community. Spot on in my view.
 

mark82

Moderator
I started watching Leamington when I worked over there and couldn't afford to go to City games every week, and my Mrs knew the former manager. Fantastic club with fantastic fans. Ok, it wasn't quite the same buzz as watching CCFC but I probably enjoyed it more.

If Leamington is not for you give one of the other local teams a try. You may just enjoy it. CCFC not playing until Sunday so not going to be dividing your loyalties.
 

Gint11

Well-Known Member
Go and watch Leamington play if your a fan of football as a sport and you like to watch any games. As an alternative to CCFC. Forget it.
 

carlh25

New Member
It's only a special offer to celebrate non league football day so I'd imagine it would apply to other teams too. Just a chance for people to appreciate where a lot of players start out and progress from. Leamington also have Stefan Moore in their ranks if you want to take out some grief on an ex-villa player.
 

fernandopartridge

Well-Known Member
It's only a special offer to celebrate non league football day so I'd imagine it would apply to other teams too. Just a chance for people to appreciate where a lot of players start out and progress from. Leamington also have Stefan Moore in their ranks if you want to take out some grief on an ex-villa player.

Jesus, he slid down the football pyramid. Him and his brother were supposed to be the next big things.

I am sure one of the two scored against us in our usual defeat at Villa Park one year.

[EDIT]It wasn't him, I am thinking of when Vassell did as a youngster.[/EDIT]
 
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Nonleagueherewecome

Well-Known Member
No there is nothing against Leamington or anything but it is just the "We love Coventry the city so much and the football club etc etc" but go and watch Leamington play. Why not say go down the road and watch Villa play on a Saturday instead? I could kind of understand Sphinx or another Coventry Team but if people go I hope they have a good time.

I just find it hard to support any other team, I could watch the game but wouldn't get the buzz. I wasn't having a dig at people wanting to go there, people can do what they want and hopefully they will enjoy it and have a good day!

Because Villa are our rivals, obviously!

If you only support Coventry and aren't interested in watching anyone else-fine. But my reply was aimed at people who say "I just can't take a Saturday without football...I'm going to have to go to Northampton". Equally, most of the City fans I know do follow their local side a bit.

On the "buzz"-for the first 30 mins or so of the Leamington-Gloucester game, yes, it did feel a bit odd and we spent most of it trying to work out who was who (not Stef Moore, mind-his former top-flight class stood out). But a couple of near missed chances and a few dubious referee decisions, and we were shouting at the ref like it was a City game. And we lost 1-0 to a 94th minute goal on the break after missing a host of late chances-what could be more like CCFC than that?!?


The other attraction for me is that non-league football feels a lot cleaner and less sullied by corporatism and money compared to league football. I love trying to spot the "diamond in the rough": if I was to go to every Leam game, I'd probably see 30+ future league players, probably a couple of future top-flight players. There's plenty of un-tapped talent down there.


All-in-all it's a fantastic afternoon's entertainment at a knock-down price. There is no hypocrisy whatsoever in going to watch Leamington but refusing to watch CCFC in Northampton, and that was kinda implied in your first post on the matter.
 

ajsccfc

Well-Known Member
The other attraction for me is that non-league football feels a lot cleaner and less sullied by corporatism and money compared to league football.

That reminds me, another highlight of the Sphinx game last week was seeing one of the subs tucking in to a burger from the snack shed thing at half-time.

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Monners

Well-Known Member
"Diamonds in the rough" - saw Stuart Pearce play for Wealdstone at Kettering in 1981 as a "promising 18 year old" as the programme said.

Non league football can be a wonderful distraction from life as some bizarre stuff will always hapen at some stage - some real characters on the terraces. and watching the often appalling officiating in itself can be very entertaining.
 

Nonleagueherewecome

Well-Known Member
A few Leamington players worth watching out for:

Tony Breedon-GK. Clearly good enough to be playing Conference Premier football as he proved last season, but came home to Leam. Great shot-stopper, he will pull off two or three stunning saves a game. Just like Westwood used to for us. Has a "too hard!" kick like Westwood, too-hit the bar last week with one howitzer!

James Mace-RB. Loads of Conference North experience after years of being Hinckley's stand-out player. Good on the overlap and at supporting winger Dodd.

Stef Morley-LB and Captain. Lovely left-foot, dangerous at free-kicks. Very vocal, very intelligent player. Was Rugby's best player for ages when there, which is where I know him from. First season at this level but doesn't look out of place.

Paul McCone-CB. Spent years in the Wolves academy and reserves and the higher-level coaching really shows. Good in the air, very composed and a great reader of the game. Young enough and good enough to play at a much higher level. Has big hair.


Matt Dodd-RW. My favourite Leam player. An old-fashioned winger with a good first-touch and great dribbling skills. Should have had a pen against Gloucester after a slaloming run past three men from the touchline was brought to an and with a blatant hack; Refs aren't very good at this level! A goal threat but perhaps over-relied on by Brakes (along with Stef Moore) as the main attacking outlet.

Lee Chilton-LW. Not seen him play yet as he's had a knock, but by all accounts an exciting, goal-scoring winger who has been a bit of a legend in the Leicestershire non-league scene for a few years-I've been reading his name highlighted in non-league match reports for years. Strikes me as a poor-man's Lee Tomlin, without the attitude.

Stef Moore-ST. Ex-Villa and QPR striker. Has been playing at stupidly low levels in the past few years for a player of his ability, banging in 40 goals a season for the likes of St. Neots Town and Halesowen. Clearly Leam's main goal-threat, although not suited to Holleran's high, long ball tactic. Great first touch, as you'd expect from an ex-top flight forward, and very good at linking play. Actually missed a sitter against Gloucester, but subbing him after that smacked of Taylor subbing Lineker for Smith against Sweden :facepalm:
 

Nonleagueherewecome

Well-Known Member
"Diamonds in the rough" - saw Stuart Pearce play for Wealdstone at Kettering in 1981 as a "promising 18 year old" as the programme said.

Non league football can be a wonderful distraction from life as some bizarre stuff will always hapen at some stage - some real characters on the terraces. and watching the often appalling officiating in itself can be very entertaining.



I really enjoyed the "Warwickshire, la la la" v Gloucestershire singing between the fans last week. Can't beat a bit of County Cricket rivalry at a football match! And ref did manage to tackle a Leam player and start a Gloucester counter-attack at one stage!
 

torchomatic

Well-Known Member

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