AUGUST 2002
The Close Season is over, and it so very nearly was for a lot of teams.
 
Bradford City, Lincoln City, York City, Bury, Halifax Town, Kingstonian and Salisbury City to name but a few. All theses clubs and others came close to going out of business during the summer, even before the collapse of the ITV digital TV deal. Many were only saved by last minute deals with creditors and buyout packages. Kingstonian are still trying to finalise a deal to start playing their games.
The big fiscal rewards of gaining promotion to the Football League are no longer there. Yet still Conference clubs are ploughing loads of cash into trying to get there. In Boston's case too much cash! So what's the point? Is it right to just survive and enjoy the football or must all clubs attempt to be the best and climb the Pyramid whatever the cost. One thing's for sure there could never be another Wimbledon again. That is no club can rise through the pyramid and get to the top, and in the end it told on Wimbledon itself and they've been forced to move 40 miles to find enough fans to be able to stay in business. The rights and wrongs, well just wrongs then, of that is another story though.
Our club, Hinckley United, has enjoyed a fair bit of success on the pitch the last couple of seasons and now is set to move forward off the pitch. With a move to a purpose built ground planned this year we must remember that there is not an everlasting supply of money or success, and as fans we must accept consolidation is the key to survival. The mistakes that Telford United have made must be heeded, that is you can't throw all the eggs into one basket. Survive and enjoy or strive and struggle? I think the answer is somewhere in the middle. As a football club Hinckley must look to achieve higher grade football, but patiently and methodically.
 
What a start to the season...
...when the fixtures were released and we saw we would be playing 3 of the pre-season favourites in the first month. Joy.
Same old Tiverton. We saw it last year and were expecting it this year. Why do a team of Tiverton's calibre need to resort to moaning, diving and general whinging? Within 10 minutes of the start of the game both Hinckley forwards had been booked. Both for innocuous challenges which resorted in Tivvy players hitting the deck. Bring on the sniper! Amazing how little Zeke Rowe could flatten huge man mountain Nathan Rudge, but you'd think he had been shot, until that is Rowe was booked and then he arose like a miracle. Still, Hinckley bossed the game throughout. Tiverton couldn't keep track of the Hinckley front line. Rowe should've scored but mis-kicked, Jamie March's header hit the crossbar and Rowe again just put a header wide. Hinckley did take the lead but from a free kick. Dead ball 'specialist' Martin Fox stepped up for a 25 yard curling beauty into the top right hand corner. Tivvy hit back but Farhad Afandiyev pulled off a great save to deny Mudge, almost from the restart. As the game went into the second half Hinckley's pace began to flag in the heat and Tivvy had more chances, though Afandiyev was on top form and mopped up everything. Then right on time Richard Mitchell conjured up a great curling ball which beat Collis but then came off the inside of the post. That was it, game over, or so we thought. Same as last season the referee found 6 minutes of injury time for no stoppages. Just enough time for Tiverton to score an equaliser, how convenient. Mudge got onto a very long ball over the top and Afandiyev had no chance. Final whistle, then conspiracy theories. Tiverton had escaped with a very lucky 1 - 1 draw.
Last seasons away game at Chelmsford would be remembered as the win that kept us in the Premier league. Richard Mitchell scored his first goal for Hinckley United as Hinckley again looked to have secured a win. The referee would decide otherwise again. Stuart Store who was never sent off in his entire professional career received a second yellow card and had to go off in the 83rd minute. Ansah Owusu, also ex-professional, scored a late equaliser and left Hinckley thinking what if again, as the game finished 1 - 1.
It is unbelievable how referees can decide who wins what and let's hope our experience at Hastings will not decide our future in the Premier league come the end of the season. Colin Rolfe, the referee, proceeded to dish out 8 yellow cards almost exclusively to Hinckley players. Hastings's had taken a first half lead through a penalty, but Hinckley were fighting a lost cause midway through the second half. Andy Penny received a second yellow card and was sent off. From the resulting free kick Hinckley's 3 man wall was deemed too close by the referee. His decision was to book the only player in the wall who had already been booked. That meant Martin Fox was also sent off. Thank you very much. In the end Hinckley did well to get away with a 1 -0 defeat. It could have been a lot worse thanks to Colin Rolfe, and we would still have the suspensions to come next month.
Our first local derby of the season was against Tamworth. Having had so much bad luck with referees sooner or later surely we would have some good luck. Who thought it would have been within 3 minutes of the start of this game. Tamworth's Brian McGorry went for a challenge elbows up and caught Guy Hadland in the face. The referee went for his red card almost immediately and Tamworth were down to 10 men. It took them about 30 minutes to recover and in that time Hinckley were all over them. The return of Dave Sadler to Middlefield Lane was marked with him scoring his 54th goal for Hinckley, retaking his place at the top of Hinckley's goalscoring chart. The 1 goal lead should've been added to but wasn't and Tamworth got back in the game right on half time. The very impressive but ridiculous hair styled Scott Rickards passed 2 defenders and scored to give Tamworth an equaliser. Obviously lifted by the goal Tamworth regrouped at half time and for a while were the better team. Hinckley ran out of ideas and after a while Tamworth settled for a draw, so the game petered out into a stalemate finishing at 1 - 1.
Next would be a trip to the Crabble to play Dover Athletic. Relegated from the Conference, Dover were pre-season favourites to go straight back up and early form had seen them toward the top of the table. Having held them for over an hour Hinckley eventually succumbed and Dover took the lead. Although not quite as good as Dover, Hinckley never gave in and Dover only secured the win thanks to a late penalty to give a final score of 2 - 0.

Not the best of starts to the season, 3 points and 19th in the table after the first 5 games. To look at it more positively we have played 3 of the pre-season favourites. Tiverton, Tamworth and Dover are all expected to be challenging for the title and refereeing decisions shaped both the games we would have expected to win. Whilst not winning games, we're not getting hammered and have let in less goals than many teams above us. It is very much a new team and the players will take a bit of time to get used to each other. It's not time to panic yet, but rather be patient and let the team know that we still support them even when things go wrong. Keep the Faith.
 
In out, Shake it all about
I tell you what, it's like I turned up for the opening game and I thought I'd come to the wrong ground. Where is everyone?

Well first 'Captain Marvel' Morton Titterton left us in the close season. He signed on for Solihull Borough, which is nearer to his home and work. 5 years, 213 games and 53 goals, quite frankly he earned his break and good luck to him.
Jamie Lenton made the step up to the Conference. Hinckley's record goalscorer has seen his 'netbustin' rewarded with a move to Nuneaton Borough subs bench.
Scott Eustace, after one successful season with us, is back on the professional circuit. He had a trial with Northampton Town, and then was successful in earning himself a contract with Cambridge United, who he had played with before a couple of years ago.
Last seasons strike force of Phil Stant and Scott Huckerby have also gone their ways. Phil has taken up a managerial role at Gainsborough Trinity. He was never secret about the fact he was looking to get back into management, and this position is closer to his home and work.
Scott has moved closer to home too. Scott's 11 goals last season probably kept us in the Premier Division and will now probably save Unibond League Hucknall Town, for who he has signed. He scored for them on his league debut.
Chris Taylor, who ended the search for a 'keeper early last season, has moved to Bromsgrove Rovers. He played for them in the Conference and, now they are back in the Dr Marten League, he has re-signed for his home town club.
Andy Lucas got fed up with being the substitute all the time and agreed to a loan move back to his old club Barwell. Hopefully this will give him some matches under his belt and restore a bit of his wavering confidence.
Jamie Williams, mmmm, now there's a strange one. One week before the season Jamie has been released from the club. Do the maths yourself?

After all that surely there must be some players incoming. Well, yes of course:

Right back Jamie March signed from King's Lynn. He has Conference experience and played for Stevenage against Newcastle.
Central Midfielder Dave Crowley signed from Nuneaton Borough. He played for Nuneaton for over 5 years making over 250 appearances for them. Experience is his middle name... probably.
Left Midfielder Martin Fox signed from Cambridge City. Martin was one of those players that when he played against us last year I thought "I wish he played for us". Now he does. Excellent free kick, er, specialist and will charge up the left wing all game.
Striker Richard Mitchell signed from Kidsgrove Athletic. He has Conference experience with Stafford and Nuneaton, and last season played in Kidsgrove's North West Counties Championship team. Once scored 40 goals in 1 season for Stafford.
Striker Ezekial Rowe signed from King's Lynn. Zeke was once on the books at Chelsea and has Football League experience with Brighton and Peterborough. He also played in the Conference with Doncaster and Kettering.
Central Defender Simon Dakin signed from King's Lynn. Simon joined the exodus from King's Lynn in the summer. He's the obvious replacement for Eustace. He has played League football for Derby and Hull and won a Dr Marten Midland Championship with Grantham Town.
Midfielder Leon Doughty signed from Atherstone United. This is his first outing at this level but has been very impressive for Atherstone over the last few years.
Striker Leon Mitchell signed from Sutton Coldfield Town. This is also his first time at this level and not wanting to be unfair to him, will probably be regarded as a back up player in the squad.
Lastly Dave Sadler returned from Kingstonian. If you don't know who he is, then where the hell have you been!

Well 8 out and 9 in, the backbone of the team completely ripped out and replaced. Can't accuse DT of resting on his laurels. First signs are the team is coming together so let's just wait and see.
 
World of Football Stuff
You can tell there was a World Cup on this summer. There was hardly anything in the papers but Roy Keane and the 'plucky' Irish. I don't care about France and they're closer than the Irish, so why would I give a sh*t about Eire? They're not even in the Union. It's like asking me to support Germany because they're part of Europe (yes an Inland Sea!). Still I did manage to drag up these bits.

Football mad dead person Jack Saunders was buried with a bundle of footie mags so he could 'have a good read' in the afterlife. (Some people just don't understand death do they?) 40 magazines were put in his coffin at his request. (Obviously before he died, I hope!) His brother said: "The idea came as a bit of a shock when we were told about it, but it was Jack all over." (Sorry, are we break dancing?) Jack was buried in Newport, South Wales. (Obviously 40 miles away from the nearest decent football team all you County fans!) His brother added: "He was a mad Swansea City fan." (Well, you'd have to be mad really wouldn't you?)
This gave me an idea though, so I changed my will. When I'm dead, which could be sooner now I've just slagged off Swansea City, I too will be buried with my favourite magazines and just like my will now states they'll all be left open...
...at the 'Readers Wives' page!

Notts County have been forced to change the name of their stadium. Again! Having been one of the struggling clubs mentioned at the top, they renamed their ground to the 'Aaron Scargill Stadium' in return for �100000. However most of the cash was never paid and Estate Agent boss Paul Johal vanished after declaring his Aaron Scargill Estate Agents bankrupt. The ground now reverts to being called 'Meadow Lane', which is what proper fans called it anyway.
Let's now look forward to Hinckley's new 'Enron Stadium' featuring the 'Freddie Laker Main stand', the 'Bearings Bank North Stand' and the 'Delorian Social Club'. Erm...

Premiership first timers West Bromwich Albion were beaten in a pre-season game... by a team of blind men. The Baggies were challenged to a five-a-side game at the School for the Blind in Exeter while on tour. The blind youngsters ran rings around the blindfolded Baggies' players as they chased the specially adapted ball. Ronnie Wallwork and Andy Johnson even ran into each other during the defeat. Johnson, who didn't even touch the ball, said: "It was scary. The kids were unbelievable."
There is apparently no truth in the rumour that West Brom have asked the Premier League to adopt the blindfold method for all their opposing teams this season. I said apparently...
 
Coming next Season: 7 games next month that should start to shape the league. Plus the FA Cup rears its head right at the end of the month. Here we go again?
 
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