Poppies From The Terrace...A Different CM4 Dynasty

[Fonzie]

As usual, great work Chief!

[Chief Rum]

Thanks, Fonzie.

I'm going to take my first crack at a table next.

CR

[Chief Rum]

September 15, 2002

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

CONFERENCE TABLE

Pos   Club		GP   W   D   L  GF  GA   GD  Pts

1st   Doncaster		 6   5   0   1  10   4   +6   15
2nd   Stevenage		 6   5   0   1  10   4   +6   15
3rd   Northwich		 6   4   2   0  11   5   +6   14
4th   Barnet		 6   4   1   1  10   5   +6   13
5th   Gravesend		 6   3   2   1   9   6   +3   11
6th   Telford		 6   3   1   2   9   4   +5   10
7th   Dag & Red		 6   3   1   2   9   6   +3   10
8th   Chester		 6   3   1   2  10  10    0   10
9th  Kettering		 6   3   0   3   8   5   +3    9
10th  Yeovil		 6   2   1   3   7   6   +1    9
11th  Leigh RMI		 6   3   0   3   6   9   -3    9
12th  Farnborough	 6   2   2   2   6   5   +1    8
13th  Southport		 6   2   2   2   7   8   -1    8
14th  Woking		 6   2   1   3  11  10   +1    7
15th  Margate		 6   2   1   3   8   8    0    7
16th  Hereford		 6   2   1   3   7   8   -1    7
17th  Morecambe		 6   2   0   4   9  11   -2    6
18th  Burton Albion	 6   1   3   2   6   8   -2    6
19th  Nuneaton Borough	 6   1   1   4   7  13   -6    4
20th  Scarborough	 6   1   1   4   3   9   -6    4
21st  Forest Green	 6   1   0   5   3  14  -11    3
22nd  Halifax		 6   0   1   5   2  12  -10    1

[Chief Rum]

September 18, 2002

London Times

Liverpool Survives Visit To Rotterdam

ROTTERDAM-- Liverpool escaped the Netherlands with a hard-fought victory over Dutch side Feyenoord, 1-0, in the Champions League group stage.

Both goalkeepers, Edwin Zoltebeir for Feyenoord and Jerzy Dudik for Liverpool, were both roundly excellent, as 16 of 17 shots total in the match failed to hit the mark.

The only one that got in was a penalty in the 18th minute, scored by Liverpool's Senegalese defensive midfielder Salif Allassane Diao.

Both sides will finish up the first round robin of the group stage next week.

In other United Kingdom Champions League action, Celtic put an exclamation point on a visit from Italian power Juventus. In what was generally thought to be a key early match in their group, Celtic soundly trumped Juventus 3-1 in Glasgow.

The Celtic won with an international flavor as Bulgarian forward midfielder Stillian Petrov, Northern Irish Neil Lennon, and Swedish super striker Henrik Larsson all scored for the home team.

Manchester United meets Deportivo in A Coruña in Spain tonight, while Arsenal hosts French power Lens at Highbury.

[Chief Rum]

Thursday, September 19, 2002

London Times

Arsenal, Man U Both Win In Champions League

LONDON-- Continuing what has been a good run for United Kingdom clubs in the Champions League this season, both Arsenal and Manchester United won their matches Wednesday night.

Arsenal defeated French power Lens, 1-0 at Highbury Park. Dutch star forward Dennis Bergkamp did the damage, scoring a goal in the 36th minute.

The real hero was Arsenal's smothering defense, though, which limited Lens to just three shots for the match.

In Spain, Manchester United took on strong Spanish side Deportivo, and came away with a tough 2-1 victory in A Coruña.

The match remained scoreless for most of the match, as both sides pressed but failed to crack the other's defense. Both Man U's goalkeeper Fabien Marthez and Deportivo's netminder José Francisco Molina were excellent.

Finally, in the 68th minute, Welsh superstar Ryan Giggs got one past Molina to move manchester up. That seemed to deflate Deportivo, as they allowed another goal to Uruguayan forward Diego Forlán shortly after, in the 75th minute.

An 89th minute goal by Deportivo midfielder Juan Carlos Valerón came too late to save the Spanish club from defeat.

Manchester United did get a bit of a scare when star striker Ruud van Nistlerooy had to leave the match early with an injury, but it turned out to be minor and he is not expected to miss any other matches.

In eight Champions League group stage matches by United Kingdom clubs so far, the British side has come out on top in seven of them. The lone exception was Arsenal's defeat in Germany last week at the hands of FC Bayern. The other clubs are Liverpool and Scottish side Celtic.

[Chief Rum]

Thursday, Spetember 19, 2002

London Times

Several British Clubs In Action In UEFA Cup

LONDON-- Sure, it's the "lesser" cup, but not too many clubs will be complaining about playing in it. Nine United Kingdom clubs will begin a quest to take this cup as the first round of the UEFA Cup competition starts up tonight.

The UEFA Cup features the best clubs not featured in the Champions League. It takes the 16 clubs which lost in the Champions League final qualifier, and adds them to a group which contains 36 first seeds from various leagues across Europe, the three Inter-Toto Cup winners from earlier this summer, and 41 qualifying round candidates, and then does a massive, 96-club draw to set up the field.

After that, it's one-round elimination until all that remains is the champion. Last year, the winner was Dutch side Feyenoord, which won the right through Champions League qualifying to remain in the group stage for that vaunted cup.

The highlighted club for the United Kingdom is Newcastle, which lost out in the qualifying round for the Champions League. They will be playing for some redemption and respect in this tournament. Tonight, they start with a road visit to Spanish side Alavés in Vitoria, Spain.

The other English clubs in competition are Leeds, Chelsea and Blackburn from the Premier League, and Ipswich Town from the First Division.

Ipswich seems to get the toughest matchup, as they will host vaunted Italian power Lazio at Portman Road.

Blackburn will also have a tough match against French side Auxerre in Blackburn tonight.

Chelsea is in Cyprus to plau Anorthosis, while Leeds travels to Estonia for a match with Tallinna Levadia.

Three Scottish sides are also in action, including the Rangers. They will travel to Bucharest, Romania for a macthup with Dinamo Bucharest.

Aberdeen hosts Belgian side genk tonight, and Livingston is getting a visit from Irish side Dundalk.

Welsh side Bangor City rounds out the group of British sides in the running. They will host Lithuanian side Atlantas.

The first round will be played in two legs, with the second leg set to be completed on October 3.

Some of the other notable clubs in the competion are Porto, Betis, Celta, Torino, Lorient and Club Brugge.

[Chief Rum]

Friday, September 20, 2002

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Poppy Defender Carson Out Until Spring

KETTERING-- The Poppies' defensive core took a small hit Thursday evening when reserve defender Liam Carson suffered a slipped disk while weight training.

The painful injury is expected to have Carson in traction and out of action for almost the entire rest of the season. If he does come back this season, it won't be until late February or March of 2003.

It is not known if Carson suffered the injury while pressing too hard to improve. Carson hasn't seen any action in competitive matches yet this season, although he did play a significant number of the preseason friendlies.

[Chief Rum]

Friday, September 20, 2002

London Times

Betis Signs Morientes From Real Madrid

SEVILLA, Spain-- In a surprising intra-league move, Spanish power Real Madrid sold star striker Fernando Morientes to Real Betis Balompié for £10.5 M.

Morientes, a popular star for Spain's national team, seemed to welcome the deal, as it removes him from sharing time with fellow Spanish star Raul and Brazilian superstar Ronaldo in Real Madrid's crowded forward line.

Morientes, 26, had six goals in seven appearances for Real Madrid, including four starts. He will likely receive full time and a starring role with Betis, a noted rival of Real Madrid.

Morientes will still be paired with Raul for international matches for Spain.

Real Madrid was mum on what they would do with the transfer funds, although it seems reasonable to assume that some of it will go to pay for star Portuguese forward midfielder Deco, whom they bought from Porto two weeks ago for £9 M.

[Chief Rum]

Saturday, September 21, 2002

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Match Day

KETTERING-- After a week's layoff for all of English football, thanks to international cup play, the Conference returns to actuion Saturday.

And with it, financially-troubled Hereford is visiting the Rock to play the Poppies of Kettering. Hereford United has been very hit-and-miss this season, and is currently on a downturn--they haven't won a match since August 24.

Adding to their woes, on September 1 it was announced that they had gone into receivership. As of yet, no players have been sold from the roster, but it is well-known they are shopping them. Today's match might even be a tryout, if Kettering manager Matthew Kieta is at all interested in any of the Bulls' players.

Hereford, in 13th place, is coming off of a 2-0 road loss to table-topping Stevenage last Saturday. Kettering itself played the other league-leader Doncaster, falling 1-0 in a tight match at home last weekend.

Hereford's leading scorer is surprising John Grant, who has four goals. Grant is not regarded as an extremely talented forward, but he opened the season with an eye-opening hat trick against Chester on August 17. He has only scored once in the five matches since.

No one else on the roster has more than one goal.

Kettering, the 9th place team in the Conference, has won three of its past four matches and seems to playing very well. Leading scorer Chris Thompson, who has three goals on the season, is still out with a neck stinger suffered against Woking on September 10, but the Poppies still have two-goal scorers Ryan Trudgian and Carlin itonga in the lineup.

The Poppies will also be without the services of reserve defender Liam Carson, who suffered a serious back injury thursday and is likely out until 2003.

Other Conference Matches

Match of the Day Northwich at Chester-- The Vics of Northwich have rather sneakily entered the top end of the table in the Conference so far, as few took note of their rise until their dominating 3-0 road defeat of well-regarded Yeovil. Just six matches into the season, though, and the Vics are the only remaining side with no losses, including table-topping Doncaster and Stevenage (both of whom have one loss). The Vics have four wins and two draws on the season. Today they go into Chester to play the 8th place Blues. Chester lost a high-scoring affair with Gravesend 3-2 on Tuesday, but it was their first loss in five matches.

Also today:

Farnborough at Barnet
Dag & Red at Forest Green
Hereford at Kettering
Gravesend at Leigh RMI
Halifax at Morecambe
Margate at Scarborough
Yeovil at Southport
Nuneaton Borough at Stevenage
Burton Albion at Telford
Doncaster at Woking

[Chief Rum]

September 21, 2002

Radio Announcer Tommy Ridgely: Welcome to another great Saturday afternoon of football at Rock! Today, we have your Poppies of Kettering taking om the Bulls of Hereford.

The Poppies are looking for a little retribution after losing that close one against Doncaster last Saturday. They knew they had their chance, and they didn't make it happen, so you know where that's gotta stick in them. Expect them to come out with a passion today.

Hereford themselves have not looked so hot, with no wins on the docket since late August. But they are still a solid team with some good players. This should be an exciting one from the get-go.

The big question of the day--can the Poppies produce any goals without Thompson? No, Chris Thompson is not quite ready to return to the pitch today, although he's close. The Poppies need to come up with an answer to that one if they expect to start up a new win streak here today.

The officials are calling for the match to start so let's go to the action...

9th minute

...Baker has the ball and is ready for the goal kick...he puts some weight into it and booms it down to Clarke on the wing...Clarke is alone, he turns and centres it across the midline...Dowie and Williams converging...Williams dishes it down to Parry...Parry unleashes a shot! Wide to the right! The midfielder had no chance on that one...he was too far out, he missed it badly and Bowling is ready for him...

11th minute

...Clarke with the throw in...he tosses it over to Parry down the line...Parry is under pressure, he turns and short passes inward to Pittman...a NICE tackle by Holyoak...but Clarke gets it and moves it up to Grant...to Sawyer...Sawyer has a step in the box!...a blast! But But off of Bowling--to GRANT! No! Howarth witha beautiful save and he clears it off the pitch...The Poppies dodged one there...Bowling did well to deflect Sawyer's shot, but that one went right to Grant. If Howarth didn't sneak up behind him and boot it out, we would be looking at a deficit...

14th minute

...Grant runs with it...nice tackle by Matthews...he moves it down to Murray at the circle...Murray lofts a high one down the pitch...he has Itonga open! Teesdale is racing over...Itonga into the box...Baker tenses...a shot!...Clutched and grabbed by Baker! Ow! Itonga hit it right at him despite an open look at the net...

15th minute

...Duik with the throw in...to Inman, little pressure...a cross-pitch pass--but Teesdale steps into it and sends it mid-pitch...Matthews collects it and turns back toward the net...a nice pass by Matthews! To Trudgian near the box! He dishes it to Inman who goes to the line...Under pressure...he crosses it...Trudgian's heading...IT SCORES! GOOOOOOAAAAAALLLL! The Poppies get the early lead on a beautiful cross and header by Inman and Trudgian! Simply a beautiful play, Kettering fans, from matthews' impressive pass through numerous defenders to Trudgian near the box to the dish-and-return play of Inman and Trudgian to the sharp header into the net...Baker never had a chance at it!...

28th minute

...Clark has an open wing...pushign the ball done...he moves it long up toward Pittman...Pittman turns and blasts it toward the box...he has Grant all alone! Grant into the box...he shoots! Right at Bowling! Ian with the clutch! What a play by the veteran keeper and what a horrible defense by Kettering...Grant could have waltzed into the box with a hole that size...Good for us he is no good at placing it into the net...

38th minute

...Inman throws it in...Dowie takes it on...he's dancing with it in a square near the middle right wing...he splits defenders with a nice forward pass...Murray and Teesdale on it...Teesdale clears it out nicely with the header...Rose collects it on the left wing...he moves forward...then the pass forward...but Matthews intercedes and sends the ball flying over to the other side...Duik is on it...he send it forward...ma, Itonga looks wide open...but the pass sails over his head and across the touch line...

43rd minute

...Inman sends the corner near the right side of the box...Trudgian up...back to Holyoak...to Howarth! Shoots! GOAL! He scores it, and what a nice pass play by the Poppies! Oh man, just beautiful by Holyoak...Trudgian got him the ball, and he redirected it Howarth on the right side, where the Bulls were just ignoring him...he even had time to set up his shot...and he just blasts it over Baker...that's his first goal of the season...2-0 Poppies...

Halftime

...The shot tallies don't look too fearsome, with three to each side, but this one has been all Poppies so far! They have connected when it counted, and they hold the 2-0 lead at the halfway point...Kettering dominated ball possession and spent a third of the match so far in front of the Bulls' goal...Thompson who?...

49th minute

...Clarke throws it in..but it's off, Duik intercepts and lofts it forward...Pitman and Murray, it's Pitman...down to Parry...backtrack...turns and passes to Sawyer...he has a lane! Shoots! Deflected off of Bowling and across the line for a corner...a fine save by Bowling, but Sawyer could have done more with that...here's Williams with the corner...drifting near and outward...Dowie steps up and boots it to mid-pitch...nice play by the Rangers midfielder...

55th minute

...Itonga charges under the pass...he's alone and advcancing on the wing...Teesdale rushes to join him...pass to center...Trudgian--but Tretton cuts in with a nice tackle! He clears it into the pitch...Trudgian had an open shot from inside the box if he got that one...

57th minute

...Hereford with the freekick...Rose steps up and boots it toward the net...it's sailing high...too high, it's over the bar...goalkick to Kattering...

75th minute

...the Poppies have been playing much more defensive this half...here's the freekick for Hereford...Willaims is taking this one, he's at an angle to the goal...he blasts a hard low shot! OH, wide left and out of bounds! Well struck by Williams, but that rocket wasn't aimed right...and Bowling was there...

Full Time

...and the Poppies get back on track with a nice 2-0 win over the Bulls of Hereford. They fell completely into themselves int he second half and let Hereford have their way of it, but they were in control the whole way...Hereford had its best chances int he first half...they just didn't capitalize on them...so the Poppies take their fourth win in five matches and continue their strong play of late...

[Chief Rum]

Sunday, September 22, 2002

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Bowling Hurt In Win Over Hereford

KETTERING-- The Poppies didn't come away from a 2-0 victory over Hereford Saturday completely unscathed.

After the match, it was reported that starting goalkeeper and on-pitch captain Bowling had suffered a shoulder strain in the match. The injury will keep Bowling out of action for the next couple weeks, whcih could be big with three Conference matches in a week, starting this Saturday.

Bowling reportedly suffered the injury while making a save in the second half, but he didn't realize it was as badly hurt as it was until after the match. Manager Matthew Kieta said Bowling couldn't lift his arm above his shoulder after icing down after the match.

Backup goalkeeper Simon Ward will likely be expected to handle net duties in Bowling's absence. Ward has never started in a match at this high a level of football.

In the match at Rockingham Road Saturday, the Poppies were strong when they needed to be. They onmly got three shots on goal in the first half, but their active attack kept the pressure strong on Hereford, and they made the most of their chances when they came.

The Poppies got their first score in the 14th minute when defender Martin Matthews initiated what turned out to be a textbook passing game play. Matthews moved the ball forward to striker Ryan Trudgian in the box. Trudgiuan dished it off to right winger Niall Inman on the wing, who advanced on the line and crossed a high pass back intot he box. Trudgian then finished off the play with a great header that Hereford keeper Matthew Baker didn't have a chance at.

The Poppies got another one off of a corner kick in the 43rd minute. Inman sent a short curving pass into the box, which Trdugian headed to defensive midfielder Danny Holyoak. He in turn made a spectacular side pass to fullback Lee Howarth, who was virtually unguarded at the other end of the box. Howarth proceeded to knock it high and hard past Baker for the 2-0 Kettering lead.

In the second half, the Poppies settled in for a much more defensive posture. Hereford came on strong, but they weren't able to crack Bowling, damaged shoulder and all, or the defense.

Hereford actually ended up outshooting the Poppies, 6-4, not that it did them any good.

The win is Kettering's fourth in five matches. The Bulls, who are currently in receivership, continue to suffer on the pitch as well, with their fourth straight match without a victory.

[Chief Rum]

Sunday, September 22, 2002

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Nationwide Conference Wrap Up

Barnet 3, Farnborough 0 While Barnet certainly were controlling the game ont he pitch Saturday at their own ground of Underhill in London, it took them 70 minutes to finally make any good come out of it. That's when striker Junior Agogo finally broke a scoreless match with his first goal since the opening match of the season. He would later score his second goal of the match, and third of the season, in the dwindling minutes of the match. Bees reserve striker Toby Oshitola extended his scoring streak to three straight matches with his fourth goal of the season, a match-sealer in the 78th minute. Farnborough put a pathetic two shots on net all match.

Chester 3, Northwich 0 So what if Northwich hasn't been defeated, say the Blues. Chester showed the Vics the door and rudely, blasting them out of Deva Stadium in Chester. Northwich had entered the match in third in the Conference standings and was the only remaining undefeated side in the league--until Saturday. Striker Ryan Sugden got his fourth goal of the season in just the sixth minute, and added a second goal in the 41st minute. Fellow striker Daryle Clare scored his fifth goal of the season just before halftime, and he would have had two scores as well, had he made his penalty attempt in the 19th minute. The Blues outshot the Vics 12 to two.

Forest Green 2, Dag & Red 0 It's becoming more and more apparent that this Dagenham squad isn't quite as solid as last year's runner up. The Daggers struggled to get any offense going against the woeful Rovers of Forest Green, who, despite the win, is still in a relegation spot. Truth be told, Rover keeper Ellis Glassup was just on today, as the two sides had nearly matching shot totals (seven to six, Forest Green). High profile Irish international veteran midfielder Alan McLoughlin got his first goal of the season in the 40th minute, and striker Neil Grayson, another player on the wrong side of 30, scored his second goal of the season in the 45th minute to provide the final deficit. The Daggers, considered to be the preseason favorite to win the Conference, falls to twelfth int he standings now, with just three wins in seven matches and a paltry +1 goal differential.

Kettering 2, Hereford 0 The Poppies got two int he first half at their home ground of Rockingham Road and then coasted the rest of the way. Striker Ryan Trudgian scored his third goal of the season in the 14th minute, and surprise scorer Lee Howarth added his first of the season in the 43rd minute. The Bulls outshot Kettering, but couldn't solve goalkeeper Bowling. Unfortunately for Kettering, Bowling suffered a shoulder strain and will miss some match time over the next couple weeks.

Leigh RMI 1, Gravesend 0 The Fleet has to be the strangest on-off team in recent memory, what with their habit of pouring on the scores in some matches and then going powerless in others. Fourtnately for host Leigh, this was one of Gravesend's power outages. Gravesend got some shots off in the match at Hilton Park in Bolton, but they weren't very much on the mark. Striker Scott Fitzgerald's score in the 26th minute proved to be the difference. Fleet midfielder Ben White will be kicking himself this week, when his manager isn't, that is. He missed a penalty in the 65th minute that would have tied it.

Morecambe 3, Halifax 0 Morecambe, a preseason favorite, seems to be trying to get back intot he groove after a bad start. They have won three of their last four matches after Saturday's demolition of the Shaymen at Christie Park in Morecambe. Halifax played a risky match, resulting in two penalty kicks, both of which Morecambe converted, and eventually in getting striker Simon Parke sent off in the 90th minute. Striker Robbie Talbot scored his fifth goal of the season on a penalty in the 28th minute, and forward Gary Thompson scored his first of the season the hard way in the 33rd minute. Reserve forward Ryan Zico-Black scored his first goal on the second penalty, in the 86th minute of the match.

Scarborough 1, Margate 0 Few sides play in smaller-score matches than Scarborough has early this season, so it's no surprise that when they get a win, it comes in the 1-0 fashion. Striker Neil campbell scored his first goal of the season, and an active defense which limited the Gate to two shots made the score stand up in a match held at The McCain Stadium in Scarborough. The Boro did get soem bad news when reserve midfielder Scott Jordan strained his knee in the 80th minute and had to leave the match. He will miss two weeks.

Yeovil 3, Southport 1 Perhaps still smarting from being smacked at home last weekend by Northwich, Yeovil took it out on the Port at Hoig Avenue in Southport. Striker Kirk Jackson, who played well in limited action with Stevenage last year,got his first two goals of the season for Yeovil in this one. In between them, midfielder Lee Johnson got his first of the season as well. Southport actually outshot Yeovil nine to seven, but their only score was an 83rd minute strike by reserve striker Paul Wheatcroft.

Stevenage 3, Nuneaton Borough 1 This is one of those strange matches where one team is playing so well offensively that they even scored for the other team. By the time forward Michael Blackwood accidentally pushed across an own goal in the 70th minute, table-topping Stevenage was already ahead 3-0. After a mostly defensive first half by the Boro at their home ground Broadhall Way in Stevenage, the home side got two scores from striker Anthony Elding, his first of the season. Midfielder Leon Bell then scored in the 66th minute. The match was typically dominated by Stevenage's defense, which held Nuneaton to just two shots.

Telford 0, Nuneaton Borough 0 The most exciting thing that happened at New Bucks Head ground in Telford Saturday was when Burton fullback Darren Wasall had to leave the match with a minor arm injury in the 36th minute. Wasall will be available for Burton's next match, but he should be glad he didn't have to stick around for this one. Just nine shots total were taken in the match that resided mostly int he middle of the pitch. Burton keeper Matt Duke was particularly excellent in fending off six Buck shots.

Doncaster 1, Woking 0 The Rovers seem to be making 1-0 road wins all the rage. One week after edging out Kettering on their home ground, table-topping Doncaster did the same thing to the Cardinals on their home pitch, the Kingfield Sports Ground in Woking. Striker Paul Barnes scored his third goal of the season in the 47th minute, and the Rover defense smothered Woking, allowing them to take just three total shots.

INJURIES & BANS

Scarborough midfielder Scott Jordan suffered a hyperextended knee in the Boro's win over Margate. The reserve will miss about two weeks. Kettering keeper Ian Bowling hurt his shoulder in the Poppies' win over Hereford, and will also likely miss two weeks.

Halifax striker Simon Parke broke the league's recent string of good behavior by being sent off in the 90th minute of his side's 3-0 loss to Morecambe. Prior to Parke's gaffe Saturday, the league had gone two full match days and three weeks without a red card.

[Chief Rum]

Wednesday, September 25, 2002

London Times

Liverpool Defeats Lyon In Champions League

LIVERPOOL-- English power Liverpool defeated French side Olympiqeu Lyonnais 2-0 at Anfield Tuesday night.

Both goals were scored by Senegalese forward El-Hadji Diouf, who got the tallies in near consecutive fashion in the 31st and 33rd minutes.

Lyon faced a stone wall in Polish keeper Jerzy Dudek, who has been fantastic for Liverpool in the Champions League matches so far. He faced off five shots by the French side.

Liverpool took eight shots themelves, and generally controlled the ball play during the match.

To the far east in Moscow, Russia, Scottish side Celtic fell 2-0 to Russian side Spartak Moscow in a furstrating match at the home team's Eduard Streltsov Stadium Torpedo.

The two sides engaged in nearly a match-long duel of defenses, and were locked up at zero entering the final minutes of the match. That's when Brazillian forward Robert finally got one past Celtic's Swedish goalkeeper Magnus Hedman in the 85th minute.

In pushing too hard to try and gain the goal back, Celtic then allowed striker Roman Pavlyuchenko to seal the deal with a second goal in the 88th minute.

Arsenal and Machester United both host Champions League matches tonight. Arsenal will play Austrian side Sturm Graz, while Man U will face off with powerful German side Leverkusen.

[Chief Rum]

Thursday, September 26, 2002

London Times

Arsenal, Man U Manhandle Opponents in Champions League

LONDON-- Arsenal and Manchester United once again demonstrated why they are among the best few clubs in the world Wednesday night when they defeated top notch Champions League opponents by matching scores of 4-0.

Arsenal was utterly dominating in its victory over Austrian side Sturm Graz at Anfield, practically camping out on Sturm Graz's side of the pitch.

Dutch forward Dennis Bergkamp got the only first half score in the 27th minute, but that's all Liverpool would end up needing with a top notch pressure attack which left Sturm Graz with just two opportunities on the net.

In the second half, Arsenal ran away with it with goals by forward midfielder Robert Pires, defensive midfielder Gilberto, and striker Patrick Vieira.

Manchester United's strong play was all the more surprsiing because it came against a well-respected and strong German side in Leverkusen.

Nevertheless, Man U's defense was even more smothering than Arsenal's, not allowing a single shot at all by the German club.

Midfield superstar David Beckham got the home team ont he board in the 25th minute, but Manchester United would not score again until blitzing the goal in the second half. Phenomenal Dutch striker Ruud van Nistlerooy, who had to leave Man U's Champions League match early last week with a minor injury, made up for lost time by striking twice in the 52nd and 66th minutes of the match. Forward Diego Forlán put the final nail in the coffin with a score in the 90th minute.

[Chief Rum]

Thursday, September 26, 2002

London Times

First Champions League Group Stage Hits Halfway Point

LONDON-- Three matches into the Champions League Phase One Group Stage, the representatives in the United Kingdom are already looking pretty good for advancing to the next group stage.

The top two clubs in each of the eight groupings will advance to the second group phase, which is scheduled to start in late November. After last night's matches, all eight groups have reached the halfway point of the home-and-home round robin Phase One.

Were the stage to end today, all four United Kingdom clubs in the competition--Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Scottish side Celtic--would advance to the next round.

Arsenal, in Group A, is currently second with two wins and six points. Their only loss is to group-leading German power FC Bayern, which beat them in München to open the competition three weeks ago.

Austrian side Strum Graz is the only other side in the group to have a win, and Arsenal dominated them in Anfield Wednesday. French power Lens has lost all three of its matches so far.

Manchester United leads Group B, and they have yet to lose a match. They also have allowed just one goal so far. German side Leverkusen is second, and Man U manhandled them at Old Trafford Wednesday.

Spanish side Deportivo and Latvian club Skonto both lost to both Leverkusen and Man U, and drew each other, so it is unlikely either can put a run on Leverkusen at this point.

In Group F, Liverpool has been similarly dominant. In fact, in winning their three matches, they have yet to allow a single goal.

French side Lyon is currently second with two wins, followed by AEK Athens with one, and Dutch side Feyenoord, which has not yet won a match in the group stage. Feyenoord won the UEFA Cup last year, but is not putting up a strong effort this season at the next level up.

Group H features the tightest matchup involving a United Kingdom club. Celtic is tied with Italian power Juventus and Russian side Spartak Moscow for the group lead. All three clubs have two victories and six points. Celtic has the goal differential lead at +3, followed by Spartak Moscow at +2, and Juventus at +1. The three traded off losses to each other in road matches.

Hapless Norwegian side Rosenborg has been the goat for all three, with no wins and virtually no chance to advance now.

Spanish side Valencia and Dutch power Ajax look like the odds on favorites to make it out of Group C with 7 and 6 points, respectively.

Group D features one of the more intriguing tables in the stage. Portugal's Sporting leads the way, but they have just 5 points. Locomotiv Moscow of Russia and Greece's Olympiakos Piraeus have 4 points apiece, and a powerful Italian side like Roma cannot be ignored in last with 3 points either. This one could go down to the last day.

Group E looked to feature some of the bigger heavyweights. Not surprisingly, Spanish power Real Madrid has put some distance between itself and the others at the top of this group with 7 points. The issue is far from decided otherwise, though. Italian power Inter and Dutch side PSV are at 4 and 3 points, and even Ukraine's Shaktar Donetsk cannot be counted out after two surprising draws with Real Madrid and Inter.

German side Dortmund and Spanish power Barcelona lead Group G with 6 points each, but the Czech Republic's Slovan Liberec and Turkish side Galatasaray are afr from out of it with 3 points each.

[Katon]

Originally posted by Chief Rum
In the second half, Arsenal ran away with it with goals by forward midfielder Robert Pires, defensive midfielder Gilberto, and striker Patrick Vieira.

Unless Arsene Wenger's gone completely insane, Viera's a defensive midfielder.

Nitpicks aside, great dynasty.

[Chief Rum]

Originally posted by Katon
Unless Arsene Wenger's gone completely insane, Viera's a defensive midfielder.

Nitpicks aside, great dynasty.

Touché, Katon.

I often make this mistake. I see "Vieira" and my first thought is Christian Vieri for Inter. Even though I know the striker is in Italy, my mind refuses to budge and assigns anyone with a last name approaching his the position of striker.

Thanks for pointing that out. I'll have to eb watchful, since I imagine Arsenal is going to coem up a lot in this dynasty.

Heh heh here's an idea...I'll do a "correction" like they do in the newspapers.

CR

[Chief Rum]

Saturday, September 28, 2002

London Times

Valencia Buys Enrique From Barcelona

VALENCIA, Spain-- What's going on in La Liga? Don't they know you're supposed to buy international players, and not supposed to sell good players to your rivals?

Just one week after Betis made news by signing away Fernando Morientes from Real Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona have negotiated a deal to move star forward midfielder Luis Enrique to Valencia for £6.5 M.

There is also reportedly a clause for a higher fee based on appearances, which, barring injury, you would have to think Enrique will qualify for.

Enrique, 32, is one of the more creative playmakers in the world, and is himself a star of many international matches with Spain's national side.

Enrique had five goals and four assists in eight matches with Barcelona.

[Chief Rum]

Saturday, September 28, 2002

London Times

Correction

In the Thursday morning edition on page C1, it was incorrectly published that Patrick Vieira of Arsenal is a striker. He is actually a defensive midfielder.

The Times always strives to provide the best information, so we felt it important to report this error. Please accept our apologies for any confusion.

[Chief Rum]

Saturday, September 28, 2002

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Match Day

DOVER-- The Poppies are taking their act back on the road again after two straight home matches in Kettering.

Today, the Poppies will meet Margate at its home pitch, the Crabble Athletic Ground in Dover, at 3 p.m.

Kettering has won four of its last five matches, and currently sits at sixth in the Conference, just outside of a playoff slot.

Margate is trying to break a two-match losing streak, and they have lost three of their last four matches altogether. Margate was picked to be among the better sides int he Conference in the preseason, but has struggled, with just two victories and a draw in its first seven matches. The poor play has them sitting at 16th coming into today's match.

Margate hasn't scored much this season, but when they have, it is generally striker Phil Collins doing the work. The 30-year-old has five goals on the season so far. No one else has more than one.

Defensively, they have played well so far this season, having conceded just nine goals in the seven matches. Goalkeeper Phil Smith looks very solid in the net.

Kettering is coming into the match a bit battered. Goalkeeper Ian Bowling, who has started every match for the Poppies thus far, hurt his shoulder in last week's 2-0 win over Hereford. He is definitely for today's match, and will likely miss at least one or two more. Simon Ward will get the call in his stead, although rumors say the Poppies tried and failed to lure Premier League side Blackburn to loan them young goalkeeper Ryan Robinson, who is currently transfer-listed.

The Poppies do get back the services of new star striker Chris Thompson. The loan from Grimsby Town has three goals in three matches, but suffered a neck stinger from a header gone wrong in a match against Forest Green earlier this month.

Other Conference Matches

Match of the Day Chester at Yeovil-- While there are a number of interesting matchups in the Conference today, this should be a winner. Chester has really come on after a horrible 3-0 season-opening loss to Hereford. The fifth-placed Blues have won four of their last six and have only been defeated once. They visit reknowned Huish Park in Yeovil, and a side that is looking to continue its solid play this season. Yeovil, in seventh place int eh Conference, has been beaten just once all season and are coming off of a dominating 3-1 road win over Southport.

Also today:

Leigh RMI at Burton Albion
Doncaster at Dag & Red
Stevenage at Farnborough
Morecambe at Gravesend
Barnet at Halifax
Forest Green at Hereford
Kettering at Margate
Telford at Northwich
Scarborough at Nuneaton Borough
Woking at Southport

[condors]

good luck without your keeper

[SunDancer]

How does Ward look? Is he a young, inexperience keeper with a potential to be a solid starter?

[Chief Rum]

condors: Thanks. Before I got CM4 and its 2D pitch views, I never knew how mucha goalkeeper could really screw things up by making bad decisions. Charging out of the box too soon, for instance, or misplaying a short pass that leaves him out of position. Things like that. On top of that, Ward is probably rusty, having not seen any time in almost two months. I have to think that will hurt. Cross your fingers.

Sun Dancer: You certainly are persistent in asking questions I can't answer. Remember, this is from a fan's perspective.

I'll tell you what Peter Tenford knows--he's never heard of Ward before this year. Few people have. Ward played in some of the lower, lower leagues. He is 21, and looked okay in the friendlies. Peter has no idea about his potential, but it seems clear he's a big step down from Bowling.

CR

[Chief Rum]

Sunday, September 28, 2002

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Poppies Escape Margate With Draw

DOVER-- Yes, Kettering got a point from yesterday's 0-0 draw with Margate at Crabble Athletic Ground Saturday, but it wasn't a match they will want to write home about.

Margate turned what had been a tight defensive battle in the first half into a free for all on the Poppies' goalkeeper Simon Ward, playing in his first match for the injured Ian Bowling.

Fortunately for Kettering, Ward was up to the change, facing off ten shots in total, including seven net.

Even more mind boggling was that Margate put up some of its best pressure late in the match--after the combination of having used three substitutions and an untimely injury resulted in them going it a man short during the final minutes.

In the 75th minute, reserve striker Ian Pulman, who had just come in for striker Jean-Michel Sigere in the 71st minute as the Gate's third and last sub, overextended himself on the run and collapsed ont he pitch. He had to be helped off the field, and it was later announced he had torn a groin muscle, and will miss two months or more of play.

Having used all of their subs already, the Gate were forced to go with just ten men, as if someone had been sent off. Despite this disadvantage, they continued to press on kettering and still had three or four more good opportunities on Ward before the match ended.

The Poppies seemed to have left most of their finishing power in the first half, where they took a couple good chances at Margate's keeper Phil Smith. They had a handful of runs toward the box in the second half, but the Gate's strong defense and some bad basses and miscues by the Poppies kept Smith free from having to defens any second half shots at all.

Margate got just one shot off against the Kettering defense in the first half, but nine shots in the second. Also, all seven on net shots came in the second half, forcing Ward to make a couple of brilliant saves to preserve the draw.

In the 57th minute, after defender Craig Norman headed away a Margate corner shot, the ball worked its way around the pitch to defensive midfielder Terry McFlynn, who had an open look at Ward and the net. Ward deflected his blast off to the right, but Sigere beat the defense to the ball and crossed it across the box to super-striker Phil Collins. Fortunately, Ward skated over to the other side and caught Collins full blast in time, clutching it.

In the 84th minute, in a play initiated by a free kick, midfielder Jay Saunders had the ball on the left wing. He unleashed a nice hanging pass into the box, where defensive midfielder Greg Oates had gotten behind the defense. Oates collected it and blasted it up close at Ward, who had to jump high and deflect it over the bar to knock it away.

If Ward was rusty, it wasn't all that clear. There were maybe some he should have caught instead of deflected--like McFlynn's blast in the 57th minute, but he seemed to be on top of his game otherwise. This was his first Conference match appearance ever.

[SunDancer]

I know Chief. I was just asking what the fans though of the goalkeeper May I ask, what is the rep of the club? I like to follow your format for my San Marino dynasty when I start, but club rep is obscure, so I plan on going with very small articles report. Does that play in a role in how much media coverage you write (article sizes, press conferences)?

[Chief Rum]

Sun Dancer, as you probably already know, I responded to your question in your dynasty thread. Good luck with that!

If Sun Dancer doesn't mind, also, I would like to bring over one of his ideas I hadn't thought of that I think is excellent.

I don't know how many of you all are still reading this, but I think it's fair to say that your perspective is that of a fan. As such, I encourage submissions to the local papers, such as letters to the editor describing what a bum manager Matthew Kieta is (or how great he is), or simply questions the reporter can pass along to the club (which I will endeavor to answer), or even op-ed piece about the state of the team.

Feel free and throw these out here in this thread, or if you need more information that a fan would have, but that I haven't provided in the dynasty, feel free to email me at [email protected] or PM here. I will be glad to respond and help out in anyway I can.

Thanks for reading, and go Poppies!

Chief Rum

[Chief Rum]

Sunday, September 29, 2002

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Nationwide Conference Wrap Up

Leigh RMI 1, Burton Albion 0 Leigh went into Elton Field in Burton-on-Trent and got a key road win Saturday. Striker Scott Fitzgerald scored his fourth goal of the season--and extended a three-match scoring streak--in the 80th minute of what looked to end up a tough scoreless draw to that point. Burton Albion spent much of the match with control of the ball, but it was Leigh that got the shots off, winning the shot tally 7-4. It ended up being one shot too many for the Brewers, as they finally faltered in the end.

Doncaster 1, Dag & Red 0 Prior to the season, it could be argued this would have been the premier match of the early season. The Daggers haven't held to expectations, though, and came into this one in 11th place. It was the perfect set up for Doncaster, which has turned 1-0 road wins into an art form. Winning their third such victory in three weeks, the table-topping Rovers got the key goal from an unexpected source in defensive midfielder John Doolan in the 32nd minute. The match at Victoria Road in Dagenham was as close as it seems--only nine shots were taken, with Doncaster having the 5-4 edge.

Farnborough 3, Stevenage 1 The meeting of the Boros didn't go so well for Stevenage Saturday. The match at Cherrywood Road in Farnborough was Stevenage's second straight 3-1 defeat on the road, where it hasn't been as strong as it is at home. The story of the day was reserve Farnborough forward Leroy Griffiths, getting his first start of the season. Griffiths scored a hat trick, getting two early goals in the 12th and 26th minutes, and then finishing it off with one in the 84th minute. A late Stevenage goal by striker Charlie MacDonald did little to change the final result, as the loss drops Stevenage from the top of the table.

Gravesend 3, Morecambe 1 Saturday's match at Stonebridge Road in Northfleet was as notable for injuries as it was for football. Play was stopped no less than four times to remove injured players from the pitch, although, fortunately, none proved to be very serious. Morecambe striker Robbie Talbot and defender Jim Bentley were both removed for minor injuries close to the end of the first half, although neither is expected to be out for more than a day. On the other side, the Fleet had more serious injuries near the end of the game, with Zimbabwean international forward mifielder Tostao Kwashi leaving the match in the 82nd minute with a twisted knee, and then top forward Mark Bentley in the 90th minute with a shoulder strain. Kwashi is expected to miss a wekk, and Bentley two. Oh, yeah, and there was football, too. The Fleet put it away early, with three first half goals, including one by Bentley, his fourth of the season. The other goals were contributed by part time striker Kevin Budge--his second of the season--and midfielder Robert Owen, with his first.

Halifax 4, Barnet 1 As expected in a matchup between a top five Conference side and the dead last team in the table, a club was dominated today. Unexpectedly, it was Barnet. The Bees played much more like Halifax had been playing, and the Shaymen limited them to an abysmal two shots in the match at The Shay in Halifax. Meanwhile, Halifax pressed well enough to get 11 shots off, and even put the Bees so much under pressure that they accidentally scored an own goal. Making the match all the odder was the fact the Shaymen had scored just twice all season so far--twice in seven matches! And they were playing without their top striker, Simon Parke, who had to sit this one out after being sent off last week in Morecambe. Striker Ian Fitzgerald, starting in place of Parke and owner of one of Halifax's two goals coming into the match, scored to get things going in the 16th minute. In the 40th minute, regular starting striker Neal Tolson got his first score of the season to make it 2-0. Barnet forward Lee Feeney, who has certainly made an impact since his signing via free transfer earlier this month, got the Bees within one with his fourth goal of the season in the 44th minute. But it wasn't enough. The Shaymen got a third talley from reserve striker Brain Quailey, and then a little help from the Bees when young defender Chris Cashman accidentally scored an own goal.

Hereford 2, Forest Green 0 If there are any insomniacs near Edgar Street in Hereford, they missed out on a brilliant opportunity to get some shut eye. The Bulls and Rovers combined for just four shots the entire match. Four! The home ground Bulls had three of them, and made two of them count, which shows that maybe the pitch play put Forest Green keeper Ellis Glassup to sleep, too. The goals were scored by midfielder Paul Parry, his second of the season, and reserve Portuguese striker Albano Correia, both in the second half. Another reason to sleep through this one? This was a matchup between the 18th and 20th-placed sides in the Conference.

Margate 0, Kettering 0 With starting goalkeeper Ian Bowling on the mend, the Poppies feared their reserve netminder Simon Ward might be in for a bit of unpleasantness in his first match of the season. As it turns out, the only thing unpleasant was Kettering's utter lack of offense. Margate dominated the shot tallies, with 10 shots to Kettering's two. Ward, as it turns out, was brilliant, as he was tested on a number of occasions, but preserved a hard-fought road draw at the Gate's home ground, the Crabble Athletic Field, in Dover. Making Kettering's lack of offense even more noteworthy was the odd circumstance of Margate having used their three subs when reserve striker Ian Pulman got hurt in the 75th minute. The result was that the Gate played a man down the rest of the way--and that was when they had some of their best scoring chances. Incidentally, Pulman's injury was serious--a torn groin muscle which will likely shelve him for two months or more.

Northwich 2, Telford 1 Northwich overcame an early deficit at Wincham Park in Northwich Saturday to get the home victory. Telford striker Peter Smith, who has been phenomenal thus far this season, scored his seventh goal of the season in just the 12th minute, and putting the home side on their heels. The Vics came back, though, tying it up on attacking midfielder Ben Simpson's first goal of the season in the 29th minute. Then just after halftime, striker David McNiven scored his second goal of the season to give Northwich the lead for good. The Vics ended up with the shot advantage, 11-6, but the two sies had matching six shots on net, so this match was far from an easy home win for the Vics.

Nuneaton Borough 3, Scarborough 1 Nuneaton was big on the pressure all match along, but going into the final minutes, it appeared that Scarborough midfielder Olivier Brassart's goal in the 46th minute would prove the difference in what would be a strong road victory at Manor Park in Nuneaton for one of the Conference's weaker sides. Alas, this is why they play 90 minute. The home Boro stunned the road Boro by storming back with three goals in the last five minutes of the match, including two that were virtually back-to-back in extra time. Striker Carl Alford tied it up with his third goal in the 86th minute. Then forward Gez Murphy got his first score of the season to take the lead in the 90th minute. And then, incredibly, Alford added his second of the macth shortly after. It was a shocking turnaround for Scarborough, which has struggled mightily this season to no avail.

Southport 1, Woking 1 This one was winding down to a shot-filled, but scoreless draw when things got really exciting. The Port's striker Paul Wheatcroft finally got past Woking goalkeeper Anthony Tucker in the 80th minute to give the home side the lead at Hoig Avenue in Southport. The Cardinals would not give up so easy, though, and returned things to draw-form with a goal by reserve Ivorian striker Rafaël Nade in the 84th minute against Southport keeper Steve Dickinson. Altogether, the two goalkeepers faced off 18 shots, although only eight were on target. One serious injury to note: Southport's young midfielder Gary Hornby, playing in his very first match at this level ever, suffered a broken bone in his shoulder, and will miss a month and change.

Chester 2, Yeovil 0 You would think Huish Park would be a friendlier place for home team Yeovil, but as it turns out, Chester's standout defeat of the Glovers is par for the course. Yeovil is, strangely enough, without a victory at home, with two draws and two losses--and they haven't scored a goal at Huish Park now since two matches ago (a 1-1 draw with Gravesend). Meanwhile, they have three wins and a draw on the road, includign a dominant 3-1 road win over Southport last week. Go figure. The Blues' defensive midfielder Paul Carden scored his first goal of the season in the 27th minute, and then super Irish striker Daryle Clare scored his sixth goal of the season in the 36th minute to wrap up the scoring.

INJURIES & BANS

It was a bloody day of football in the Conference. The damage from the Gravesend-Morecambe match alone beats most match days in this league. As noted, Gravesend midfielder Tostao Kwashi will miss a week with a twisted knee, and forward Mark Bentley will be out for two weeks after hurting his shoulder. The Gate's reserve striker Ian Pulman tore a groin muscle in their match with Kettering, and will likely be out until sometime in December. And Southport's midfielder Gary Hornby may well be the poster boy for today's action, since he broke a bone in his shoulder in his very first Conference football action ever. He will miss at least a month. Additionally, four other players had to be removed from matches for minor injuries, although the injuries won't affect them beyond Saturday.

No one was sent off in Saturday's action.

[Chief Rum]

Tuesday, October 1, 2002

London Times

Valencia Takes Juanfran From Celta

VALENCIA, Spain-- Valencia and Celta of the Spanish First Division have worked out a deal to transfer Spanish international fullback Juanfran to Valencia's side, just three days after the club acquired star midfielder Luis Enrique.

Valencia and Celta agreed to a reported £7.75 M transfer fee, and Juanfran, a quick defender with a flair for stepping up to the offense, has agreed to contract terms with his new team.

On Friday, Valencia bought reknowned playmaking midfielder Enrique from Barcelona for £6.5 M. Both Enrique and Juanfran have played for Spain's national team, especially Enrique.

Juanfran, 26, had three assists in three matches for Celta's B-side team, which plays in the Spanish Second Division.

The transfer continues two trends--Valencia's efforts to catch more noted Spanish powers such as Real Madrid and Barcelona, and a willingness for Spanish sides to help even rivals in transfer deals.

Valencia is currently in ninth in the Spanish First Division.

[The Afoci]

I am reading it still Chief, this is great stuff.