APRIL/MAY 2003
I always try to write this when I'm not angry...
 
It tends to put a cynical, depressing slant on what I say. However, just as I'm writing this I'm running the easter games through my head, over and over again. Having got back from Grantham I thought I'd better put finger to keys before I try and blank out the Hednesford and Grantham games from my memory forever. April all started so well, and going into the easter weekend against Hednesford and Grantham, we knew we could probably pick up 3 or 4 points and be safe. How wrong we were, and at this point it was going down to the last game. Exactly what everyone was trying to avoid all season. As I type this now Hinckley have somehow, and completely unexpectedly, beaten 3rd placed Tiverton who were vying for runners up spot and now only a freak result would see us relegated.
How? Why? Ultra hussah!

Normally I type little snippets like the above and then at the end of the month edit and change them round into something more legible, er intelligible, um and legal (?). I thought I'd leave that paragraph like it is because it sums up our whole season in 150 odd words. We've played well against the stronger clubs and been very poor against the weaker clubs. As Grossman would say, lets look at the facts: We did the double over Crawley, we have taken 4 points off Stafford, Tiverton Havant and Chelmsford, and many will remember we should've got something out of the games against Worcester and Dover. All these clubs in the top 10. Against the supposed weaker teams, we've lost to Folkestone, Hastings, Halesowen, Grantham, Hednesford and Moor Green. We even had the run of games where this was demonstrated between halves. Remember the games where we were 2-0 down and then came back 5 matches on the bounce. This has been our season. Setback followed by achievement, followed by setback and then achievement. There has been no consistency. There has been no consistent game plan or team tactics. There has not been one team line up that was the same as the previous match. Early on in the season DT couldn't decide which strikers he was going to persevere with and then towards the end he couldn't decide which midfield line up he was using. DT has complained recently of being criticised both in the Press and on the message board, but does he expect anything else. His decisions have been negative the whole season and sometimes, as at Halesowen when he dropped Cartwright, truly bizarre. We have been chasing matches all season trying to match opponent's tactics instead of dictating our own game plan. Everyone will recognise that we've had a very bad season, regardless of finishing 13th and regardless of losing fewer games than last season. The truth is after all the ups and downs of the season, we avoided relegation by gaining a tremendous, unexpected, victory at Tiverton at exactly the time we needed it. What it needs is to go back to basics. A 4-4-2 formation, with no complicated roles for players. Simple instructions to defend or attack, tackle or play forward. Then we stick to it, even if it doesn't work every time. If all the players know what they should be doing then sooner or later the chances will come, and so will the victories. It's called consolidation. We should've spent the first two seasons in the Premier doing it, but lets hope we've learned our lesson as late is better than never.

Congratulations to Hinckley United for securing our Premier Division status.

On a more upbeat note this month was the form of Justin Jenkins. The man can't seem to stop scoring. I think they renamed the Rolleston Trophy after him already. His recent run in the side has shown a lot of people who doubted his strength and ability what he is capable of doing, he just need to do it more often. Unfortunately many people go on goals scored to rate a player and coming on from the bench every so often is not the way to get a scoring sequence going. He has, I think, proved at last that he is more than a substitute and should be given an extended run in the side.

Also a plus for me has been Neil Cartwright. Despite being played out of position over and over, and despite being constantly shouted at from the dugout, he has constantly given 100% every game. OK sometimes he hasn't had the best of games but he always puts in the effort. That's why for me Neil Cartwright and not Dave Sadler is my Player of the Season.

Now the enigma that is Scott Voice. I know some of you think he is not the player he once was, especially Corbet Bros Inc. One of the major criticisms of him has been his pace and work rate. Personally I like what he brings to the side. Why we all expect every forward who plays for this club to be a Dave Sadler clone I do not know. Whereas Sadler is quick and has a good control and turn Voice gives us a presence of power and height. He has the ability to hold up the ball and let in other players or use his strong heading ability to set up chances, and lets not forget that he can score a hatful of goals himself. His record this season speaks for itself - almost a 50% strike rate, and that's from someone who has been returning form injury. If we keep hold of him I'd like people to give him a little more benefit of the doubt and let him score his goals his own way and not expect another Sadler.

Well lets now wipe the slate clean. The season is over and we can look forward to a fresh start. A season of new beginnings awaits us with the restructuring of the Pyramid leagues and the completion of our new ground over the coming year. Next season Hinckley needs your support more than ever.
 
April Fools day and Hinckley fooled us into believing they were a good side...
Crawley came to the Lane in a re-arranged game. Hinckley were all over the place due to a 5 man back line. Crawley took the lead and were comfortable for it. As is the normal, at least once per game, it was a Tommy Whittle howler. A bad clearance fell to LeBihan who chipped it back into the empty net from about 45 yards. No, not April Fool! The game then turned on an injury to Brad Piercewright. With no defenders on the bench DT was forced to bring on a midfield player and push the wingbacks forward into midfield. Hussah. We didn't look back. It was all Hinckley from now on. Attacking through the middle and wide, it was just like watching another team. We equalised on the half hour after Cartwright again managed to get to the line and put a cross into a packed area. Scott Voice swivelled and volleyed the ball from 12 yards. Beautiful. Fortunately DT didn't change it at half time and it led to an almost immediate goal second half. Sadler made a run on the right and crossed for Scott Voice who completely missed his kick and only scuffed the ball. Amazingly this wrong footed Little in the Crawley goal and the ball trickled beneath him into the back of the net. 2 - 1 to Hinckley and there was only one winner now. Voice almost got a hatrick. After a goal mouth melee the ball came to him about 15 yards out but he just couldn't keep his shot down. Hinckley eventually got their third goal after another great run by Neil Cartwright. He went round a couple of defenders and sent in a deep far post cross. Both Leon Jackson and Leon Doughty were unmarked, but it was Doughty who 'bulleted' the header home. The game finished a deserved 3 - 1 to Hinckley and hopes were high for the coming game against the also struggling Halesowen.

Somewhat alarmingly DT had told the press before the Halesowen game that it was a game that we 'must not lose'. True to form out came the 5 man back line with Neil Cartwright, who had been the thorn in Crawley's side only 4 days earlier, on the bench. DT was obviously looking for a draw from the first minute. However after 15 minutes we were already 2 goals down. Halesowen had scored from their first 2 attempts and only just missed their third. We were truly awful. The midfield were outnumbered and coming deeper and deeper to cover the defence who didn't seem to know what their job was. It might have been different had the referee not disallowed a Dave Sadler goal for Andy Penny being offside. He might have got away with it if I hadn't actually taken a photo of it, with Andy Penny clearly not offside. Luckily Halesowen couldn't finish off any more of their attacks. DT changed it for the second half, he brought on Neil Cartwright and played him in center midfield. This meant that Simon Dakin a central defender was playing right back and Neil Cartwright a right side player was central. You do the maths yourself. Absolutely comical, if it didn't mean so much to us. Halesowen began to get scared and dropped back to protect their lead. Which meant Hinckley did get one back. A collectors item too. Lento put in a cross to the back post and Dave Sadler met it with his head from 6 yards to power it home. Hinckley then nearly equalised as Tim Clarke in the Halesowen goal missed his kick at a pass back and the ball went agonisingly inches past the post. Dave Sadler then forced Clarke into a good save and Scott Voice sent a volley just over. The game finished 2 - 1 to Halesowen and Hinckley would have to regroup to face FA Trophy semi-finalists Havant &: Waterlooville in the next league game.

Before that game though was the Rolleston Cup. Hinckley beat Friar Lane Old Boys 8 - 0. Yes eight. Two hatricks, one for Brad Piercewright and the other for Justin Jenkins, were sandwiched between goals for Dave Sadler and Leon Jackson. Completely irrelevant though.

The Havant game had been re-arranged because they were in the FA Trophy semi-final. Hopefully the extra time and disappointment of losing would give Hinckley the edge. After an even first 20 minutes Hinckley got the opening goal. Paul Browne headed a cross down into the area and Dave Sadler shot from 10 yards. When I say shot I mean miss kick, tap and bobble. Fortunately Aaron Kerr in the Havant goal got down well to save the shot only to see his timing was well off and the ball slowly bounced over him and into the goal. This deflated Havant and they seemed to be chasing the game from now on. Even when they equalised after half an hour they didn't seem lifted. It was a simple goal. A corner came over and 7'6" tall Alec Masson, unmarked, just put his head on it. Very soft. 1 - 1 at half time and for 25 minutes of the second half it looked like both teams had settled for a draw. Somebody forgot to tell Dave Sadler. He went on one of those runs were he goes past players and never passes the ball. Sometimes very frustrating, sometimes fruitful. This time fruitful. He finished his run with a shot that Kerr saved but followed up the rebound to score Hinckley's winner. Sadler still went in search of his hatrick and nearly got it twice. Kerr made two good save from Sadler to keep the score down to 2 - 1, and that's how it finished. 3 more deserved points from an unlikely game.

With Hednesford Town 1 place and 1 point below us this was another cliched 6 pointer. What followed was 89 minutes of utter frustration. A game ruined by a very hard pitch and a blowing gale in which neither side looked like scoring. Indeed it was an own goal of spectacular proportions that settled it. With just over an hour gone James Jenkins, Hednesford's substitute keeper, kicked a huge clearance into the wind, which took it into Hinckley's penalty area. With Tommy Whittle coming for the ball Paul Browne decided to head it away. Somehow his header went at a right angle, hit Simon Dakin in his armpit, took another right angle turn and was blown into the goal by the wind. Eh? It could only happen to us. Final score 0 - 1 and Hednesford leapfrogged us in the table. The truth about this game is that we never changed or adapted our tactics to take into account the wind. We still continued doing wrong what we have all season. We chased other teams tactics and not stuck to our own, if indeed we ever had any. Grantham at the Kesteven Dust Bowl would have to be a must win game or it would leave us deep in trouble right down to the last game. On another bone hard bumpy pitch with another strong wind at least we kept the ball down, mostly. Both teams looked weary and it would probably be a mistake that won this game. Hinckley took the lead after 20 minutes through Leon Jackson. Jamie Lenton got down the left and put in a low cross, which was cleared only to Jackson on the edge of the area who hit it first time into the top corner. That was it really for the first half. Plenty of dust and nothing much more. Second half started pretty much the same until Grantham threw all their eggs in one basket. With an hour gone they brought on all 3 of their substitutes and put four strikers up front. Again DT chased the tactics and changed Neil Cartwright from running forward in right midfield to stopping back at right back. Playing right into their hands, no more service for Dave Sadler from the right wing. Despite their ball boys using the 'rolling ball' method to help them out, Grantham's bad finishing kept us in it until 10 minutes from time. Simon Dakin was penalised for looking at Grantham striker Ranshaw in a 'funny way', at least that's all I could see wrong. Anyway from the free kick the ball went through the entire area without a Hinckley defender touching it and Ranshaw scored while Tommy Whittle decided to emulate his favourite clown, Barthez, and just stand there with his arm up appealing for offside. What's even more annoying is, if Whittle had moved 2 inches he would have saved it! It was all Grantham now, I'd never seen their ball boys move so fast. Balls were coming back onto the pitch so quick that at one point we had three balls on. Further and further into injury time and disaster struck. A corner came across and Adrian Speed back headed as Tommy Whittle grasped thin air. How do you make 10 ballboys disappear in one stroke? The game finished 2 - 1 and despite Grantham's ball boy tactics it was Hinckley who had really thrown this game away, ensuring that the season would go right down to the last game.

Tiverton Town could've been the club that relegated Hinckley. How they would've loved that. Our fortunes have been intertwined ever since both the clubs started in the Southern League. For the hardy few that travelled to see Hinckley take a hammering, they must have thought they'd got the wrong match, or the wrong day even. By all accounts there was only 1 team in this game and that was Hinckley. We were ahead from as early as the 15th minute. Dave Sadler 'ghosting in' at the far post, after Jason Rees had let the ball run past with no apparent danger, only to see Sadler scoring his first of the day. With a surprising 0-1 half time lead, DT must've been at a loss of what to say. Maybe more of the same, because that's what happened. It was only 8 minutes into the second half before Sadler added to his tally. Rees again let a ball run past him, this time for Dave Sadler to control it and curl it around the stranded Paul Edwards in the Tiverton goal. Edwards though made up by saving twice to deny Sadler a hatrick and the game ended with a 0-2 win for Hinckley. Now only a set of freak results could see Hinckley relegated.

Last game of the season at home to Cambridge with both teams on the same amount of points with roughly the same goal difference. Grantham would need to win and Halesowen would need to win by at least 8 goals to see either us or the Lilywhites relegated. So a 0-0 draw on the cards then? Not according to Justin Jenkins. 22 seconds after the match started Jenks was already on the score sheet. Tim Wilkes had shot through a crowded area and the ball rebounded off the post into the path of Justin Jenkins who calmly placed it into the roof of the net. Oh well, bang goes the bore draw game plan. Less than 10 minutes later Hinckley were 2-0 up. Jenkins again this time though with a perfectly weighted header that looped over Martin Davies into the corner of the Cambridge net. Having the shackles of relegation removed certainly lifted Hinckley, with the fans thinking if they'd played like this all season there would be no relegation issue. Neil Cartwright finished a personal season of hard work and bad luck and poor confidence with a beautiful goal 5 minutes before half time. Running inside from about 20 yards out, he passed the ball into the top corner of the goal as Martin Davies dived and despairingly saw the ball curl around his outstretched arms. Half time came and Hinckley were 3-0 up. We hadn't seen anything like this since the first match of the season against Tiverton. Similar to that match though we let Cambridge back in. Hinckley, having taken their foot off the pedal in the second half, saw Cambridge back in it after 55 minutes. Tommy Whittle saved well from Bloomfield but couldn't do anything about Adie Hayes following up to make it 3-1. Cambridge then had a good amount of possession as Hinckley sat off and were content to let it flow. With the game almost won Cambridge got there second, but only consolation on the day. A free kick was met at the far post by Colin Vowden who was unmarked and made no mistake. A final game win 3-2 for Hinckley and a final position of 13th in the DM Premier League.

With Premier status secured Hinckley could enjoy themselves at Holmes Park as they took on Anstey Nomads of the Senior League in the Rolleston Charity cup final. As this seems to be Justin Jenkins tournament this year it was apt that he scored four of the 6 goals that beat Anstey. Even if one of those was a clear own goal I don't think he'll complain about being credited with it. Other scorers were a Jamie Lenton penalty and a certain Dean Thomas with a 25 yard thunderbolt. I would tell you about his bare belly celebrations but there might be children reading and I wouldn't want them to have nightmares. So Hinckley retained the Rolleston Cup winning 6-0 and ended the season with silverware.

Overall the month was a good one ending with 2 league wins to secure our Premier status and the win in the Rolleston. Who would've thought that on the way home from Grantham? The disastrous easter weekend had finished us off, or so many thought including myself. Somehow, just like all season the players dug themselves out of the hole they'd dropped themselves in, in the first place. Now let's wipe the slate clean and start afresh next season both mentally and physically. Well done Hinckley United.
 
World of Football Stuff
I wasn't going to do a big tabloid bit this month as it was a very serious month for our club, but I couldn't resist this one little snippet:

Second division German side Waldhof Mannheim have despatched with the services of their manager, Thomas Pradt. Presumably because his name was bringing the club ridicule because of the pronunciation. I mean how would the players feel being described as a load of Pradts. However I wish them luck with their new season and luck with the explanation behind the choice for the incoming new boss...

Stefan Kuntz. Stupid Pradts!
 
Coming next Season: Dr Marten Premier Division Football. Enjoy.
 
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