'We didn't get going' admits Gillingham boss Andy Hessenthaler after draw with Bradford City

davalio wrote:

Don't worry, all teams play badly occasionally. We'll win next time out in the league and we'll be fine.

29 Nov 2011 5:55 PM

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I know the future.... wrote:

My prediction for the second half of the season is that Cheltenham, Burton & Morecombe will blow out and drop back down the league.
They will be replaced by Rotherham, Oxford & Torquay with Port Vale on the coat tails.
Come the final day of the season it will be

Crawley
Southend
Gillingham
then
four others

COYG.

29 Nov 2011 4:48 PM

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Pete wrote:

one bad performance eh? how's about many many many terrible performances in the last year.

if we want gfc to succeed we need a coach who has a clue.

if you know anything about football you could see that.

29 Nov 2011 4:32 PM

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fredrico wrote:

Don't worry, all teams play badly sometimes. We'll get back to winning ways in our next league match.

28 Nov 2011 3:49 PM

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Burt The Money Making King wrote:

I've had it up to here with all of you! Just move on and look forward to the rest of the season, forget the performance against Bradford, every team plays bad when playing a lower in the table team, and when it comes to Gillingham playing a quality side who's higher in the league or leagues for instance.

28 Nov 2011 1:43 PM

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Matt from Sheppey wrote:

lol @Ron, what game were you at, to say the disallowed goal should have stood?

Watching your team lose at Boreham Wood again probably.

28 Nov 2011 1:07 PM

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Pete wrote:

Jeez. It wasn't rocket science and hasn't been all season. This useless manager has no idea that you need WIDTH. Bradford played tight and narrow, and idiot Hessenfailure does the same. A Sunday League manager could see what needed to happen. Asfor blaming the fans - unbeievable! The blame lies with Scally for appointing him (you're very quiet Mr Chairman - not like him to keep scchtum), & Hessenfailure for being the most useless, clueless, & arrogant manager. The sooner he goes we can get a manager who knows how to set a side up and give it balance. And before you say who, just look at the number of out of work managers there are - I'd even take Mark Stimson over this clown.

28 Nov 2011 12:19 PM

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davalio wrote:

Don't worry, bad games happen. We'll be fine and we'll win next time out in the league.

28 Nov 2011 11:52 AM

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Darroch .M. wrote:

To save us all from arguing over ones opinion/comment I'll stop there.

We need Barcham back.

28 Nov 2011 11:36 AM

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GFC wrote:

@Darroch .M

Fans sing and cheer when there is something to sing and cheer about! I have had more interesting times watching paint dry than I did on Saturday. You can not blame the fans this time for being quiet as the dross that was dished up to us on Saturday did not deserve an atmosphere from the fans!

There were no pluses from Saturday's game not one. Our defence was rubbish AGAIN, our mid field was swamped and our forward line hardly had a touch of the ball and after my backing of Flitney what has happened to him over the last 3 games, he can't kick or hold on to the ball at all at the moment. And can someone please tell me where the hell the sense was in putting Lawrence at right back! That was a shocking decision.

It was all in all a very depressing afternoon and to blame the fans for lack of atmosphere you are living in a dream world my man!!!!

28 Nov 2011 11:16 AM

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Darroch .M. wrote:

All I am saying is the FANS need to participate a little more to help get behind the boys. No point sitting there in silence.

28 Nov 2011 10:41 AM

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you what wrote:

I'VE heard it all now.Darroch you are a *rat,how dare you blame you fans.Gills are lucky that any of us are prepared to part with good money to watch *rap like that on saturday.You are a desperate fan of the manager searching around for an excuse.

28 Nov 2011 10:05 AM

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Darroch .M. wrote:

You can't blame the manager or the players. All is to blame is the fans because the Rainham End was quiet all game except for the last few minutes when we had more shots in 20 seconds than we did all game, how the ball didn't go in I'll never know. If you look back at all previous games when we have won you would notice that the true Gillingham fans (not them awful fans who leave before the final whistle, even if we are loosing 3 - 0 or some such. But the fans who are with them every game of the week!) were singing from before kickoff until the full time whistle. The players will play good football as long as the fans are making noise cheering them on to play well and even if they play a terrible pass, get behind them and tell them there's still time to win it back and play it up. Another problem is the long balls, I've read a few comments saying that defenders are just meant to hoof the ball up the pitch... Well they shouldn't, not with defenders the size of Bradford's. They should play it along the floor, plain and simple, up the wing for a cross that's nicely finished off. You can't want the manager out for a draw and yes I know you're all saying it's because of previous matches as well but this is football, we win, we draw and we lose... It happens to every team just look at American Samoa (yes I know it's International) they won their first match in something like 17 years and that includes a defeat to Australia 31 - 0. They didn't give up wanting their first win and they finally got what they was looking for. Seriously though, you're all acting as if we lost the match and yes I suppose we should of but we didn't so let's move on and get behind the boys for this weeks FA Cup match for a good weekend and then we can all prepare for another league game. I'm a 16 year old lad, yes call me too young to understand the game but I'm a fan... A true fan who goes to 85% of the games both home and away games. Come on You Blue Boys!

28 Nov 2011 9:42 AM

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visitor wrote:

@ Ron - agree with your comments regarding the quality of football was awful and Flitney's kicking was atrocious, BUT, the Bradford goal was offside and obviously so. The player was in an offside position for about 5 seconds before the ball was played, very easy decision to make.

28 Nov 2011 9:21 AM

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spy wrote:

well how funny is ron. he sets himself up for a get out clause last week with his article, saying we are good if we beat bradford etc got a chance etc........but after a draw against a really good side as ron said in his article (they shouldnt b where they are....)hes straight back on it ........ yawn yawn yawn.

i love how he writes, as if he thinks his articles are final. what a thing he is. oh ron would you go down the ground and speak to hess southall and the team etc and put your points across to their faces, in the tone you write your articles. i think you are a coward.

28 Nov 2011 8:17 AM

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Ron wrote:

Come on you robins

27 Nov 2011 11:32 PM

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tc wrote:

Rons back with his usual dross

27 Nov 2011 10:26 PM

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True gills fan wrote:

all I have to say is we where poor Saturday worst game all season. We lacked ideas and ambition, but fair play Bradford they had a game plan and it worked break up the play. As for calling for hessies head this is not the way to support your team if u are actually fans get behind the boys we are not the once championship team we where, we are where we have been for many years lower league. And if we would of gone bust all those years back what would we have to do on a Saturday afternoon. I will be a gills fan till the day I die and I will support every player/manager the same.

27 Nov 2011 9:17 PM

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Ron wrote:

First of all it was a great shame to hear of the death of the Wales National football manager Gary Speed this Weekend, many regards to the family at this sad time.

As for the match yesterday against Bradford City - rubbish! We saw in this match every single reason why this squad & manager won't win promotion this season. This match proved that the club isn't up to winning promotion & never was. It was the BIGGEST crowd of the season at Priestfield & also with it, the biggest let down. Many of the 2,500 who came for the reduced prices will not be returning again this season. These are the people that stopped coming to matches due to the lack of football played. These people returned & yet the poor football still remains. The people that I spoke to said to me that this is why they have stayed away, the poor football.

As soon as Flynn won the toss it was already an early sign for the home crowd to head for the exists to return back home. Flynn turned the teams round & with that went the atmosphere, any thoughts of winning, any togetherness & promotion as well. Flynn knows Gillingham F C inside out. Flynn was the true man of the match with a superb display. Bradford beat us in ALL departments ALL afternoon. We showed why we'll never win promotion with this manager & this squad.

Hessennthaler watches on from the touchline as a School boy as per the usual. A "manager" with no clue what to do. And then on comes Montrose to secure our single point at home & to let go with it any wonder of promotion. The football was awful, Ryman League sides play better. The poor excuse for a manager looked on as his team failed to put even 3 passes together.

Flitney the goalkeeper showed ALL of the reasons why he isn't good enough. The team played backwards football ALL afternoon. Flitney couldn't keep the ball within the stadium let alone the stands or the pitch. This is a goalkeeper who was poor at Dover & only had one good game last season for them which was the one against us.

Bradford City had a 100% penalty in the second half not given. For some odd reason the referee pulled the decision back for a free kick out wide when he had already played on & the Bradford player had been taken down in the penalty area. It WAS a penalty & an awful decision by a poor excuse for a referee. The officals were no where near as poor as Hessenthaler's team though. Bradford also had a goal ruled out for offside & this was another wrong decision for the goalscorer WAS onside! Hessenthaler got off lucky, it should've been defeat.

Now you can finally ALL see why this manager, this squad & this club isn't good enough for promotion. This manager will NEVER win promotion in charge of us & his squad is no where near promotion material. Hessenthaler you have failed yet again, just like you did last season! There are no excuses, you HAVE let us down!

FOR HOW MUCH LONGER CAN THE BEST MATES RULE EXIST? WE NEED CHANGE, WE NEED IT NOW! THERE IS A MANAGER AT KETTERING TOWN THAT WOULD SORT THIS RUBBISH OUT & HESSENTHALER IS NO WHERE NEAR AS GOOD AS HIM!

I SAID THIS WAS THE MATCH TO PROVE THAT YOU WERE GOOD ENOUGH FOR PROMOTION & YOU FAILED! YOU HESSENTHALER WILL NEVER WIN THAT PROMOTION! AND SCALLY "OUR BEST SQUAD EVER" THIS IS NOT!

BRING BACK MARK STIMSON NOW!

27 Nov 2011 7:56 PM

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because wrote:

because some of the clubs fans are spineless wimps who believe everything Scally and Hessenthaler say must be gospel, and any criticism of them must be wrong.Criticism of any kind is not tolerated by you know who.

27 Nov 2011 7:08 PM

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davalio wrote:

because Jack Payne signed his contract

27 Nov 2011 6:55 PM

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sthwalesgills wrote:

never met gary speed but my mums besat friend killed himself what a spineless geezar you dont do it sick of the best wishes

27 Nov 2011 6:54 PM

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von stauffenberg wrote:

@ whistle Blower- because the dictator and his lacky say so that's why.

27 Nov 2011 6:39 PM

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Whistle Blower wrote:

Looks like Scally bullyboy tactics he tried to use on Rooney have backfired why, why, why is it taken for granted that Scallys offer was fantastic as quoted by his puppet hess in tuesdays programme. I'll like to hear Rooneys side to the story!!

27 Nov 2011 4:50 PM

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IN THE KNOW 2011 wrote:

THIS IS A TOTALLY IMPARTIAL COMMENT ON HESS YESTERDAY. IT TOOK HIM 4 MONTHS TO REALISE CHARLIE LEE WAS A RIGHT BACK EVEN THOUGH HE PLAYED FOR PETERBOROUGH IN THIS POSITION WE WIN 2 GAMES WITH HIM PLAYING THERE AND THEN HE BULLIES HESS INTO PUTTING HIM BACK INTO MID FIELD WHERE HE HASN'T HAS A GOOD GAME ALL SEASON, HESS HAS TO MOVE 5 PLAYERS POSITIONS TO ACCOMODATE HIM, KEDWELL PLAYING ON THE LEFT WING IS HE SERIOUS?? TOTALLY CLUELESS!! SCALLY BULLIES HIM INTO STOPPING ROONEY PLAYING THIS IS THE JOKER WE HAVE IN CHARGE OF OUR TEAM. WHY SHOULD WE EVEN PAY A TENNOR TO WATCH THIS RUBBISH.

27 Nov 2011 4:42 PM

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paul scally has this week mostly been eating tapioca wrote:

a few recent results have kept the manager in his job but his record as manager since he returned is dire, given the resources at his disposal

it does not matter what players he has at his disposal, he has proven unable to have the nous to be able to mould them into a team

there is no point in having quality players like whelpdale, lee, weston, kuffour, nouble, rooney, payne if the manager is incapable of setting the them up properly and playing to their strengths

the fact is in the summer he ran out and overspent on central midfielders without working out his budget first - he then brought in flitney and fish who are just not up to it at this level, frampton who is too slow, and no wingers and too few strikers, as the loans have proven

he also paid far too much money for an unfit, overweight and unproven striker in kedwell - who, effort aside, will never succeed any higher than league 2

yesterday bradford looked organised, fitter then us and gave us a lesson in playing football

i said to my friend as we drove home that hess will either blame the referee, bradford's blatant time wasting early on to slow our play down or the weather - well he used two out of the three!

the clueless guy had already said ealier in the week that we cannot play football because this league is too physical - although this nor the excuses above seem to stop other teams!

sorry, but under hess nothing has improved, the football and fitness has got far, far worse, and when we win it is always despite him, not because of him

sadly now we are miles off top spot even at this stage, and why shouldn't that be our aim?

as already stated by others, he is a stubborn, stubborn man who hates being wrong, and has an ego that knows no bounds. anyone that thinks he is here becasue he loves the club is diluded - if a better offer came along he would be off like a shot, and, like stimson, will never resign.

too many people seem to have forgotten how poor we were all last season as well, but, it is never hess's fault, it seems!

27 Nov 2011 4:41 PM

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Toilet Roll Queen wrote:

Based on yesterday, I don't think the players want promotion! Everytime a Gills player got the ball he treated it like a hot potato and "got rid" quick! Not one of our players tried to run with the ball and go past a Bradford player. What is it with our team, we don't seem to have any real tactics or plan and just hoof it up the field. A terrible advert for the Gills yesterday in front a very decent sized crowd.

27 Nov 2011 4:24 PM

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Pete wrote:

what is a manager for. even my ols dundday league managers knew how to change a failing formation. we'll be fine in as much as we wont go down, but we wont go up under this clwn.

27 Nov 2011 2:30 PM

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vinney wrote:

@flyinggoat the buck stops with the clown in charge

27 Nov 2011 2:28 PM

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flyinggoat wrote:

You can't play well every time and you can't win every game. We'll be fine, we'll win in our next league game I'm sure.

27 Nov 2011 1:50 PM

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Just an opinion wrote:

Proof if ever it were needed that the players run this team.
When they feel like it (come from behind v Bournemouth; first half v Aldershot) they can play a bit.
Contrast those performances against yesterday`s debacle and there is no way Hessenthaler can be blamed/credited for whatever result is achieved.
He may select the starting eleven but that`s it. From the moment they step on the park the players do as they please.
Especially Lawrence. What a liability this clown is.
Yet in his defence, he probably wouldn`t select himself to play at right back.
(Matt Fish, your thoughts on this one - hurry back Fuller). As for cap`n Frampton (slow) and his centre-back cohort Richards (slower), surely opponents won`t be fooled much longer by their s**t, boll**k and bite routine. Martin, to be fair, did little wrong.
Simply don`t get the fuss about Jack Payne (man of the match my a***). Everytime any sort of momentum was achieved he`d pull his usual stunt and slow the play right down by passing backwards, thus enabling the opposition to regroup behind the ball. With little possession in midfield the front men were marginalised for most of the game. That said, Kedwell is growing on me. His willingness to pursue lost causes down both channels was a credit to himself and if Kuffour`s work rate is a genuine sign of things to come, rather than an attempt to get a contract then he may be an option worth exploring.
And finally Flitney.
Question is, who gives who the most jitters.
Does he suffer playing behind such a limited defence, or do they play with one eye on a mistake from their keeper. Either way yesterday`s performance left more questions than answers as to whether he is up to the task (first half point blank save apart). His main strength, his kicking, was woeful.
Anyway I`ll end on my original point, don`t blame/credit Hessenthaler with on field performances. The team will be good/bad/indifferent in spite of, not because of the manager.

27 Nov 2011 1:13 PM

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freddy wrote:

Why on earth are we kicking towards the Rainham end in the first half? Our goalkeeper towel and drinking bottle in hand is up near the halfway line before the coin's been tossed. The fans don't like it and it works against us. I believe we might have got a winner kicking towards the rainham end second half. The visiting goalkeepers don't like being at the Rainham end so it must give them a real boost if they get it over and done with in the first half.

27 Nov 2011 11:27 AM

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FLOPS wrote:

AT LEAST 7000 PEOPLE NOW KNOW HOW PATHETIC WE ARE.

27 Nov 2011 10:57 AM

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elseyrocket wrote:

Chris Whelpdale off to IPSWICH?

27 Nov 2011 10:38 AM

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Realist wrote:

What this chairman needs to do, if he wants to be taken seriously, after making a statement about this being his best squad ever, is to appoint a new manager capable of bringing the best out of them.Only a complete buffoon would even think of playing a 36 tear old at right back.

27 Nov 2011 10:28 AM

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elseyrocket wrote:

@ Pete, Hess & Scally live in a bubble they havn't got a clue what fans say about them ,they couldn't care less as long as we turn up to pay their wages.I get the feeling that a number of fans have had enough of their freindly partnership standing in the way of progress.

27 Nov 2011 10:05 AM

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Dave A Gills since 1970 wrote:

Hessy clueless clown! He stands with his hands in his pockets the whole game, Lawrence at right back, what a shambles.
This is why we will be still in this division next season.

27 Nov 2011 9:55 AM

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gary wrote:

Definately a case of 2 pts dropped how can it be seen otherwise.You do have to wonder what the Chairman really thinks ,maybe he will surprise us.

27 Nov 2011 9:55 AM

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Pete wrote:

any fool could see that we needed width, shape. instead it was aimless hoofball. and why play lawrence at right back? hess you are utterly clueless, you should have heard the stick the re gave you. time to go hess. you are a terrible terrible manager.

27 Nov 2011 9:45 AM

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Scally start thinking wrote:

The longer Paul Scally backs a so called manager who any fool can see is clueless, the more angry and dispirited the fans will become.The chairman does his part by lowering the prices and what happens just like it always does Hessy fails to get his team going.Don't expect a 7000 crowd at home next time, what was served up yesterday was a disgrace even at £10.00.

27 Nov 2011 9:34 AM

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fleetfooteddavesmith wrote:

Shocking performance, i am now more convinced than ever that Hess must go and the sooner the better.I give him a month before either he resigns or Scally realises a change is needed to save our season.
NEXT 5 GAMES
L.Orient away -loss
Macclesfield away -loss
Bristol rvs home -Draw
Crawley away- loss
Dagenham away-loss

27 Nov 2011 9:02 AM

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Nige wrote:

Hard to believe that just seven days after our best 45mins (1st half) all season v Shots, we have now gone and produced our worst performance of season.
Today was quite simply a disgrace by all involved and they should all feel completely ashamed of themselves.
Even before a ball had been kicked you had to question the formation and team choice. After two good performances in a row (Shots & Bournemouth) why on earth was Lee taken out of the right-back position where he has looked so assured, and replaced with Lawrence who we know from previous experience cannot cope there. He is far too slow as a full-back and got taken apart time and again. He should be at centre-back with Frampton, with Calamity Richards dropped. Then Lee and Martin full-backs. Montrose should have been in midfield replacing the void left through playing Lee at the back.
Once play actually started you could see after only 10 or 15mins that our pre-match fears had been realised and a change in formation and personnel was needed but it never came. Couldn't believe we started 2nd half exactly same shape and took until 78th min to make a change, and then only cos Keds was limping.
Hess spent entire 2nd half twirling round in circles with hands in pockets, only occasionally taking them out to clap at the players. His tactical nous was non-existent and frankly an inflatable doll would have been more use!
Having said that all the players today were poor (some worse than others) and nobody came out with any credit. Had I been the sponsor I genuinely would have refused to name a man of match cos nobody deserved it.
I generally disagree with all the negative drivel posted on here but have to say on this occasion Hess and the players deserve all the abuse they get. TOTAL DISGRACE!!!
But like a mug i'll still be @ Orient next week.
UTG.

27 Nov 2011 1:23 AM

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Ron wrote:

I'll keep is short. HESS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SACKED AFTER THE DOVER CUP GAME LAST SEASON.

HESS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

27 Nov 2011 12:03 AM

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Terry Cochrane's Shirt wrote:

I heard Hess on the radio earlier blame the conditions.
Yes it was windy but the wind blew exactly the same for Bradford who had more attempts on goal than we did.

Why wasn't Kedwell put up the middle against thier giant centre half to at least give the bloke a physical game?

When your starting 11 contains three centre backs you leave yourself with very little room for change.

After ten mins you cold tell that Matt Lawrence was getting stripped. So why couldn't our manager? Simple. He is a stubborn, stubborn man who hates to be proven wrong.

But they way we lined up meant he had very few options.

He then mentioned players opting for the long ball game and not keeping it on the deck.

EVERYTIME Flitney or the full backs got the ball, Southall and Hess could be seen urging everyone forward. What else are they to do with it but lump it up?

Nothing was working and it was obvious, so again the question has to be, why did our manager leave it so late to make a change?

26 Nov 2011 11:48 PM

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Eric Cartman wrote:

The wind spoilt the game and Ian Williamson (the ref) was very poor and not to league standard. Good ref's you dont notice, but he wanted to be involved by talking to players and wasting 30 seconds of playing time on numerous occasions let alome letting Bradford waste time continually and did zero about it. He had a poor game against Stevenage on NY day if you dont remember, knowing our lucky we will get him in the play offs.... UTG and up into 7th, onwards and upwards we go

26 Nov 2011 8:06 PM

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j wrote:

Its a fact how do you know this to be the case. On to today's game awful performance. Note to chairman I have been saying for years you should reduce ticket prices and gate of over 7000 proves my point slightly. You reduced ticket prices for today's game to an amount that people could afford and people came to watch. It's just a shame that the team failed to show up on this occasion

26 Nov 2011 8:03 PM

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its a fact wrote:

SIR KEITH PEACOCK IS COMING BACK AS MANAGER. YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEE

26 Nov 2011 7:45 PM

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David you've got to love a nil nil bore draw against dross Shaw wrote:

rubbish performance rubbish manager rubbish players rubbish manager Hess out yes go just go Hess you're worse than stinkson go go go do it go now. I'm not having that sort of performance blight my poor eyes! three up front we should have smashed the granny out of them. hang your heads in shame.

26 Nov 2011 7:16 PM

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Taxi for Hessenthaler wrote:

Time you got going though isn't it Hessenthaler!

HESSENTHALER OUT!!

26 Nov 2011 7:07 PM

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