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Gary Strodders shank 10:04 Fri Dec 27
WHU v Non league

Anyone else switched from watching West Ham to non league ?
After becoming totally disillusioned watching overpaid players in a totally sanitised and soulless bowl (OS) I switched a couple of years ago to watching my local team Wealdstone fc and now follow home and away,

I prefer the atmosphere and being close to the action, very much a throwback and feel part of something,there are also some very good players at CS level.

Before Christmas i met up with two former colleagues I hadn’t seen for many years, both absolute Charlton stalwarts previously and was amazed to find that neither had been to the Valley in over 3 years now preferring to follow Dulwich Hamlet instead, in there words “the modern games finished.”

I still have great memories of Upton Park and the atmosphere growing up on the north bank and chicken run but can rarely bring myself to visit the OS nowadays as this is a totally alien environment from what I was bought up on hence my defection.

E3 11:15 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

Yesterday I went and watched Bath City, agree with you it was a nice surprise, good game a throwback that doesn't involve poncy lemons.

frank marker 11:20 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

Always made the occasional visit to my home town team Gravesend and Northfleet. I ditched my season ticket when Allardyce arrived as I wasn't going to pay to watch what he was about to serve up.
Some great games over those seasons but some equally poor matches in the National league. However, the proximity to the pitch, you can almost always walk up on the day home or away, the ease of getting a pint, reasonable prices etc make it a much more enjoyable experience.
Lower league football also suffers from a lot of the crap fans experience in the premiership, depending on which club you support. The Fleet have variously won the FA Trophy, lost all the money they made from their success, changed ownership model to a fan based model bringing a few computer nerds to games who had nothing to do with either football or the club, nearly ceased to exist because of the afore mentioned model and lost all their players, found a new Saudi owner who ploughed a lot of money into the club to sadly fall at the penultimate hurdle before league status, and then withdrew money to balance the books thus dismantling a team of talented players and sacking a manager, who weeks later was appointed by a league club.
The club's supporters group Facebook page is largely populated by keyboard warriors whose opinions increase exponentially when we lose relative to the insight and understanding they express.
So as you can see, there are benefits but there's just as much crap. On the whole I'd say the benefits outweigh the bollocks. I see very little in premiership football that I want to be associated with and it will only get worse.

AKA ERNIE 11:25 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

used to follow wealdstone all the time but got life ban after being accused of smashing toilets at worthing away when it wasnt me but the cunt tha6g went in after me then accused me and the owners believed the lieing cunt.

Vexed 11:52 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

BOG SMASHING CUNT

AKA ERNIE 11:53 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

vexed yep he is and hes a chelsea supporter

simon.s 11:55 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

Done a bit of non league ground hopping this season. Much more enjoyable, for the reasons you say. I also have no emotional attachment, so I don’t really care who wins.

Saying that, I’ve just got a ticket for the Everton game in a few weeks. Fuck knows why. Guess I’ll never learn.

joyo 11:59 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

I follow AFCHornchurch now and again, still enjoy watching West Ham and catching up with mates probably always will

, 12:01 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

Just called Hornchurch again joyo. Dropped the AFC bit last season.

Lee Trundle 12:08 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

AKA ERNIE

https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article4831687.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/PAY-The-Wealdstone-Raider.jpg

lowermarshhammer 12:10 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

Chelmsford City FC used to have one of the best non league grounds in the country right in the middle of town. A few hundred packed in the Wolseley Road End could make a hell of a racket what with the low roof. All that went tits up and is now housing.

Now play at a bleak athletics stadium with zero atmosphere.

Sound familiar?

AKA ERNIE 12:14 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

lee hes an absolute knob and a chelsea fan but not the one that smashed up woking

lincslink 12:21 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

I watch Torquay Utd most of the season, good match day experience without being ripped off. Go up to watch West Ham about 8 times a season since moving, it gets more of a chore each time, we look like a championship club.

Gary Strodders shank 12:31 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

Frank Marker
There are as you say plenty of examples of clubs being poorly run at n/l level too with chairmen & investors coming in and gong for boom or bust with no sustainability. They often lure football league players with wages higher than those at league 1/2 level. I recall Danny Kedwell leaving Gillingham to join Ebbsfleet and he continues to ply his trade at Havent who are one of the 3 full time pro clubs at conf Sth.

Norman 12:46 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

Watched Harlow Town for years on and off. Stopped going. Chairman got rid of the players got relegated now play in an awful league. Its crap like West Ham

Briano 12:48 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

Adam Coombes just signed for Wealdstone...you should be excited Gary:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vK-UcCNBm5w

cup of tea 12:58 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

Occasionally go over Colchester and have even been away with them a few times. Also go over Braintree now and again.

Can never fully give real support to anyone else but to me with those owners manager players and playing in that shit hole West Ham are dead to me. They can keep WH London.

frank marker 1:17 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

And I suppose there are good ones too. I enjoyed visiting Torquay, and was at Dagenham yesterday. They have a large bar which is open to everyone, football on the telly and have loads of staff on to serve. It was the same the first time I went. There are rivalries too. I have a deep dislike of Bromley though Dartford are our traditional rivals.
As for Kedwell he gave us a good couple of seasons and he still has plenty to offer at that level. I wouldn't be surprised to see him managing soon. As for Havant & Waterlooville I saw a young player at the start of his career playing on the left wing in front of Julian Dicks down there. I think his name was Rio or something.

Gary Strodders shank 2:01 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

Heard in an interview that when Alan Devonshire signed for us from non league Southall he actually took a drop in wages as his wage as a fork lift driver at the Hoover factory in Perivale combined with the few quid he was getting at Southall was greater than his starting salary at West Ham.

He now manages Maidenhead who after gaining promotion to the national league a couple of years back manage to hold there own despite not being a full time pro club as most are at that level.
They play a physical but effective style of football not really in keeping with the man himself but this is the case with the vast majority of the sides around them.

AKA ERNIE 2:32 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

devo has done superbly at maidenhead, braintree and especially at hampton and Richmond.

violator 2:39 Fri Dec 27
Re: WHU v Non league

I try and go to watch Welling Utd a couple of times a season, the play off semi at home against Chelmsford last season got a bit lively, Chelmsford bench and the crowd in the seats behind.

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