 |
05-26-2003, 01:06 AM
|
#1 | ||
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
CM4: From Hereford to Eternity 03-04
Previous Seasons:
2002-2003 Hereford United 2nd Place Conference (promotion to 3rd Division through playoffs) Pre-Season: A hectic off-season follows our promotion into the English Football league as we scramble to fill holes. We get 12 players promoted to the U-19 squad, which would normally be great news except that they are all complete crap. It also pushes our wage bill to well over £6k/week over our budget. We end up releasing 8 of them, while keeping 4 that look somewhat promising. Released during the off-season were Michael Rose, Danny Williams, and Mark Gayle on free transfers. Ben Smith leaves to join lower league Altrincham for £2k and a transfer player (worked out by the stupid receivers), and Steve Guinan also departs for lower league Donchester Town on a free transfer to clear some wage room. Coach Richard O'Kelly's contract was also not renewed and he is replaced by Dean Emerson. Simon Carden wins the Hereford fans player of the year award, and I finish 2nd in the Conference manager of the year voting. I also won the last month's Conference manager of the month award, bringing my total up to 2 awards won. The board and fans are completely behind my management of the club, and both expect us to battle bravely against relegation in the Third Division. We get £234k in TV rights for the season which knocks our losses for the year down to only £595k. Only  Still, with a better fan base in the 3rd division and some more prize money from cup runs we might be able to make a profit this year and start working on that £1.8M debt were carrying. We've seen an increase of over 25% in season ticket sales (I don't know if that is because of a higher price or more sales) so I expect some record turnouts for our matches.We get listed at 25-1 odds to be promoted, which is better than last season. Swansea and Rushden have been made 6-4 favorites to gain promotion. The rest of the main contenders are priced at: 7-4 Kidderminster, 2-1 Peterborough, 3-1 Lincoln and 5-1 Colchester. Last edited by klayman : 05-26-2003 at 11:16 PM. |
||
|
|
|
05-26-2003, 01:50 AM
|
#2 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Squad Overview:
Goalkeepers Code:
Defenders Code:
|
|
|
|
|
05-26-2003, 10:39 PM
|
#3 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Defensive Midfield
Code:
Attacking Midfield Code:
Right Midfield Code:
Left Midfield Code:
|
|
|
|
|
05-26-2003, 11:15 PM
|
#4 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Forwards
Code:
We're quickly looking like a Liverpool reserve team with Foley-Sheridan, Mellor, McNulty, and Partridge playing on the squad, but then I think that is a good thing Last edited by klayman : 05-26-2003 at 11:15 PM. |
|
|
|
|
05-27-2003, 08:53 PM
|
#5 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Cockerill runs the team during the offseason again this year. He does very well, grabbing 6 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw in the friendlies. We sign a new Sponsorship deal getting a 5 year deal at £70k/season. The money is nice, but I’m not thrilled about the length.
Hereford vs Leyton Orient A disappointing crowd of 2761 show up for our first match in the English football league since Brighton knocked us out in ’97. They were probably right to stay away though, as this one was a yawner. Orient’s captian, Paul Dickov doesn’t feel like playing today and gets a red card just 4 mins into the game. Orient then drop into a defensive shell and completely stuff any attack we have. Richie Partridge comes off with an injury in the 40th min, further stifling any attack we can muster. Only in the 92nd min do we get our first real chance on goal, when Carden’s pace wins him the ball to the left of the box, and he feeds a perfect cross to Neil Mellor for the diving header and the 1-0 win. Both Partridge and Mellor come up lame from the game, but will only be out for a couple of days. Both will miss the next match against Mansfield, however. Carden breaks his wrist in training and is gone for 4 weeks adding to our injury woes. Mansfield vs Hereford Mansfield completely dominates the 1st half, holding us to zero chances. A penalty in the 65th min off of Todd’s challenge, seals our fate and puts Mansfield up by 2. Baker then gifts them a goal late in the game when he throws the ball into a crowd of Mansfield players while he is helplessly stranded at the edge of his area, and we lose 0-3. Byrne is gone for 2 weeks with a damaged shoulder from the match. The early injuries might be an indication of not enough training during the off season and everybody is fighting match fitness. Something to remember for next year. Last edited by klayman : 05-27-2003 at 10:35 PM. |
|
|
|
|
05-27-2003, 10:35 PM
|
#6 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Hereford vs Stevenage
We face our fellow conference promoters at Edgar Street early in the season. Stevenage apply all the pressure early and we generate no chances once again. 28 mins in, just when I think it’s time to come up with a new tactic, Paul Parry races down the left flank and finds Neil Mellor in the area for the 1-0 lead. Mellor adds another off a Partridge freekick just before the end of the half, and Stevenage never threaten in the 2nd for the 2-0 win. My dissatisfaction remains after the match and I end up changing things anyway. The new tactic is attached. Let’s see how well it goes. Bury vs Hereford Bury just avoided the drop last year finishing 22nd in the third division. Regardless, we’re 9-4 underdogs for the away win. Just when I was beginning to wonder when George Barrett would start to contribute, 5 mins in he wins a long ball and chips the goalie from 25 yards out for the 1-0 lead. Cheeky bugger. Our defense comes together to hold Bury to only one chance which Baker handles without a problem. In the 66th, Sawyers is caught holding a jersey in the area, and Bury get the chance from the penalty spot, but Baker saves and deflects the rebound clear. Bury come forward after that and control the possession. A slight tweak in our tactics however swings the momentum back in our favor, and just seconds after substitute Correia misses a great chance, Barrett rounds the GK and finds the net for his second in the 86th min, and the 2-0 win. Chairman Graham Turner declares himself extremely pleased with the 2-0 win, the first public display of affection he has had for my management. I would have thought the playoff win last year against Doncaster might have warranted such lavish attention, but what do I know, I’m just a manager. Last edited by klayman : 05-27-2003 at 10:36 PM. |
|
|
|
|
05-28-2003, 11:52 PM
|
#7 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Scottish Premiership club Motherwell come in for a cheap ass £3k bid for Billy MacDonald, which the dumb ass receivers accept, and MacDonald wastes no time signing a contract with them, leaving me a big huge hole in the middle of my midfield. In 4 games this season, Billy posted a 7.50 rating with 0 goals and 0 assists.
Hereford vs Carlisle Pitman fills the vacate spot left by MacDonald, and has a visit on field from the physios just 5 mins into the game. He holds out until the 58th, but then has to be replaced. This could become a problem for us, as we’re unable to generate any kind of attack or possession from the midfield. MacDonald was a big part of that. Thankfully, Carlisle are no better, and Baker is only tested once in the game, and he handles it without concern. Foley-Sheridan finds Mellor late in the 81st min, and Carlisle GK Peter Keen makes an incredible save to keep things even. But Partridge finds Barrett on the corner kick, and the captain buries the ball to take the 1-0 win. We get shut out of the August awards but sit in 2nd place, 2 points back of Colchester who have started out with 5 straight wins. We accumulate losses of £67k for the month and sit at a debt load of £1.88M, but we should be able to pull a profit with cup runs coming up. Macclesfield vs Hereford Macclesfield sit 22nd in the division, and are early candidates for the drop. Young Frank Barron gets the start at MC today, and impresses early 4 mins in when he powers a header off a Partridge corner into the net for his first ever goal. The youngster is not finished yet, and just 3 mins later puts another header into the Macclesfield net for a quick 2-0 lead. In the 13th min, Barron misplays a ball which leads to Macclesfields only chance of the game, which they convert for the 2-1 score. But Mellor gets that one back before the half when he takes a perfect Barrett cross and flicks it on into the net, and then adds another only 2 mins later when Partridge finds him alone in the area for the 4-1 score. The only action during the second half is both teams getting red cards, Hereford’s in the 71st min when Andy Tretton makes a dangerous two footed tackle, and Macclesfield’s in the 81st for a professional foul in the area on Mellor. Regardless the score stays and we win 4-1. I choose not to appeal Tretton’s red card, as it was the right call and he will miss the next game in the League Cup. Hereford United chairman Graham Turner could not hide his delight following his team’s 4-1 win over Macclesfield Town. Although the season has only really just begun, The Bulls are already involved in a title race. However, ther relegation favorite’s good form can surely not continue, and critics say it is merely a matter of time before they find themselves slipping down the table again. Thanks. The press have so much faith  |
|
|
|
|
05-29-2003, 11:11 PM
|
#8 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Mansfield vs Hereford LEAGUE CUP 1st Round
Mansfield crushed us here 0-3 a month ago. Simon Carden is back in training with the club, and find himself on the bench for this game. Pitman once again gets an early visit from the physios, and this time last’s until the 77th min. Mansfield dominate the game and outshoot us 12-3 overall, but the solid play of Matthew Baker saves the day, and in the 38th min, Partridge finds Mellor and Mellor finds the net for the 1-0 lead. In the 68th Mellor ices the win when he receives a Barrett cross, sidesteps the GK tackle, and walks the ball into the net for the 2-0 away win. We get £20k for the League Cup win, and early into September that gives us a £25k profit. The win is costly for the team, however, as Barrett, Partridge, and Sawyers all go down with injuries. Sawyers will be back quickly, but both Barrett and Partridge will miss our next match vs #1 Colchester who have won 6 straight Division 3 games. Colchester vs Hereford Colchester easily make it 7 games won in a row, as they hold us to 1 shot in the first 5 mins, and none after that. We play very good defensively in the 1st half, but fall apart in the 2nd, giving Colchester 12 shots on goal in the half. They only manage to score 1, from a freekick in the 49th, but it’s more than enough on this day, and we lose 0-1. Mellor goes down after the match with a twisted knee, but is only gone for 4 days and should be fit along with Partridge and Barrett for our next match against Exeter. Before that match though, Simon Carden departs for 3rd Division York for £2k and a player. Can’t say I’m happy about that, but it’s out of my hands. At least the receivers got some money for him. The player we receive is Christian Fox, a 22 year old AMR/C. He’s actually pretty decent attribute wise, and he’s only making a little bit more money than Carden was, so it’s not a complete loss. Fox is out for a week with an injury so he won’t make his debut against Exeter. Hereford vs Exeter We come out strong after our disappointing showing against Colchester, and Foley-Sheridan gets his first goal 14 mins in when he buries a Partridge rebound into the wide open net. 10 mins later, Partridge finds Mellor in the area unmarked, and Mellor is going to score from there every time, and it’s quickly 2-0. We relax after that, but Exeter never pressure and man of the match Neil Mellor feeds Barrett just outside the area, and Barrett finds the far corner in stoppage time to take a 3-0 lead into the break. Not much happens in the 2nd half. Both Partridge and Foley-Sheridan get chances to score, but don’t succeed and we win anyway 3-0. We lose John McGrath to a pulled hamstring from the match and he will be out a week. Chairman Turner once again declares himself extremely pleased with the result as we move into sole possession of 2nd place. Colchester beat hapless Macclesfield town to stay in first with 8 straight league wins. We draw 1st Division Plymouth for the 2nd Round of the League Cup, away. We're listed as 9-1 odds for winning  |
|
|
|
|
05-31-2003, 12:34 AM
|
#9 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Sawyers, Teesdale, and Todd all reject contract extensions, or at least a contract extension that I thought was acceptable. All three will probably be departing in the off season. A couple days after demanding a huge wage increase, Tessdale goes to the newspapers complaining of the club’s finances. Well, at least I’m doing something about it like not offering part time backup players ridiculous amounts of money. Stephan McManus heads back to Celtic to free up a loan spot, as I’m confident with our defense, but I need some help in the midfield.
Kidderminster vs Hereford Kidderminster are our closest rivals in the 3rd Division, and the two teams battled for awhile in the conference during the late 90’s. It’s not much of a game. Kidderminster score on their first shot, 8 mins in, and then score on their second shot in the 40th min to take a 2-0 lead into the break. Some changes at half time don’t really change the flow of the game for us, until Partridge gets our first shot of the game in the 66th min on a penalty shot. Partridge cuts the lead to 1, and then 11 mins later, substitute Correia gets our 2nd shot of the game when Foley-Sheridan draws out the GK and chips it to a wide open Correia who finds the empty net to equalize, and we squeak out a 2-2 draw. Hartlepool vs Hereford We continue our poor attacking form when we are on the road, and let Hartlepool dominate the game. Despite that, however, we our defense continues its solid play, and holds them to no good scoring chances. In the 81st min, Partridge gets our only scoring chance of the game but rifles a shot over the bar. 2 mins later, Hartlepool end the game when a freekick finds its way to an unmarked player in the area and we lose 0-1. We sign Steven Baker from Conference side Scarborough for a fee of £10k. I figured I’d better use some of our transfer funds before the receivers take it away. Baker is an excellent DMC and can fill in on defense as well. The receivers (who are handling all negotiations) sign him to a £1.3k/week contract however. I forget…they’re here to help the club save money, right? We close out September tied for 2nd place, but in 5th on goal differential and have a 1 point lead over 6th place Kidderminster. We post a loss of £38k, but included in that is the £10k purchase of Steven Baker, so it’s not all that horrible. Eventually we’ll start making money. |
|
|
|
|
05-31-2003, 01:09 AM
|
#10 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Plymouth vs Hereford LEAGUE CUP 2nd Round
It’s a different club that heads out to Plymouth to face the Division 1 club. I’m not sure why, but we certainly possess more jump on the offence then we have the last couple of away games. Foley-Sheridan gets absolutely robbed only 6 mins in to set the tone for the match. It’s great back and forth action, as a couple of mins later, Baker is forced to come up big from 25 yards out to keep the game level. Barrett grabs the first goal, 31 mins in, when Mellor feeds him with a nice flick on header, and Barrett sidesteps the Plymouth GK for the easy goal. Plymouth quickly get that one back and only 2 mins later its 1-1 when Byrne loses his man in the area setting up the easy finish. Into the 2nd half, and it’s Plymouth with most of the pressure, but a Partridge corner finds Mellor on the short post and we regain the lead in the 61st. Plymouth continue to apply pressure, but Mellor catches them on the counter attack in the 81st, as he finds Barrett past the last defender, and Barrett makes no mistake for his 2nd of the game. We have the makings of a huge upset, but Plymouth are not finished yet, and they find the net again in the 85th as they flood the area with players. However, time simply runs out for them and we take the huge 3-2 upset into the League Cup 3rd round. Our 3rd round match is against Arsenal at Highbury, which effectively ends any hope we have of advancing to the next round. Hopefully we’ll get a huge payday off the crowd though. Oh, yeah…we’re listed at 50-1 odds for winning while Arsenal are 1-33 favorites. It is the first time Hereford has appeared in the third round of the League Cup since 1974, however. |
|
|
|
|
05-31-2003, 03:47 PM
|
#11 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Hereford vs Cambridge
Cambridge pressure early but a Mellor header off a Partridge cross gives us our first shot of the game, and a goal 18 mins in. That changes the complexion of the game and we assume control. In the 30th min, Steven Baker intercepts a clearance and finds Barrett at the top of the area for the 2-0 lead going into the break. In the 2nd half, it’s all Cambridge again, as they come out flying from the start, and finally beat Baker on a nice volley just outside the 6 yard box to cut the lead to 1 in the 52nd min. They continue with the pressure, and in the 63rd find the net again to equalize. I make some changes to try to shift the momentum back in our favor. I bring on the kids sitting on the bench, and that pays off as a powerful Frank Barron header sets up a corner, which eventually leads to a Barrett goal and a 3-2 lead. The kids aren’t done yet, and Steve McNulty making his debut, makes a goal saving tackle in the area in the 80th min to preserve the 3-2 win. Hereford vs Rochdale McNulty gets a start for his performance, and is victimized in the 24th min, when he gets beaten in the air for the 0-1 lead. Rochdale continue to pressure and in the 38th, they get behind the defense and beat Baker to go up 2 goals. Strong case for offside on the play, but I guess we’ve gotten away with a couple before. In the 2nd half, it’s all Graham Barrett, as Partridge finds him on the counter attack in the 48th and he cuts Rochdale’s lead to 1. We continue to pressure, but can’t find the net until Barrett strikes in the 88th min for the late equalizer. A defensive breakdown by Rochdale in stoppage time, leads to Correia freeing Barrett for the break and the goal for a great come from behind 3-2 win. We lose Foley-Sheridan for a week with a strained thigh. He’ll miss our next two matches, but was starting to feel jaded so the rest will do him good. The win pushes up us into 3rd place, 2 points ahead of 4th place Torquay. Colchester continues to run away with the 3rd Division title, with 11 wins and only 1 loss so far this year. We lose Christian Fox for 2 weeks with a damaged neck in training. Mark Rossiter is also gone with a calf strain, but should only be out a week at the most. Southend vs Hereford LDV VANS TROPHY South 1st Round One day before Southend announce they are in receivership which has to hurt the moral a little bit. Barrett continues his great play and scores his 7th goal in 4 games with a powerful blast from just inside the area for a quick 1-0 lead in the 3rd min. Barrett sets up Mellor only 2 mins later, but Mellor’s blast goes harmlessly off the crossbar. Mellor gets that one back in the 10th min, after Partridge finds him in the area. The Southend GK makes the initial save, but can’t handle the ball and a great second effort by Mellor makes it 2-0. We continue to put lots of pressure on Southend, and in the 33rd Barrett grabs another one off the top of the area for the 3-0 lead. With the rout on, Barrett feeds Correia in the 38th min, and Correia finds the net from 20 yards out to go into the half up 4-0. We relax for the 2nd half, and Southend are unable to penetrate our defense to get any good chances. They do get a penalty in the 68th min, but put the ball well over the bar and we advance to the 2nd round with a 4-0 win. McGrath leaves the game with a twisted knee, and will be out for 2 weeks, and the sudden rash of injuries allow Perry and Pitman back into the squad, since they haven’t been playing much with the arrival of Fox and Baker. |
|
|
|
|
06-01-2003, 08:20 PM
|
#12 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Correia extends his contract by one year at the same basic wage, but with some added bonus clauses, which is nice to see. With Barrett and Mellor, Correia has been forced to the bench, but the departure of Carden has increased his importance to the club.
We draw 3rd Division club Swindon for the LDV Vans trophy 2nd round match. The game will be played at Edgar Street next month. Peterborough vs Hereford Barrett continues his torrid pace and converts a Partridge corner for the 1-0 lead just 8 mins into the game. It turns out to be all we need, as we hold Peterborough to very poor chances while creating several great ones ourselves. The only other goal, however, is a 60 yard free kick that gets headed into Peterborough’s goal by one of their defenders and we take the 2-0 win. Chairman Turner is once again extremely pleased with the result. I don’t think it is a coincidence that our great run is timed with the addition of Steven Baker to the club, and so I praise his efforts publicly in the media. Hereford vs Bristol Rovers A crazy back in forth first half, as Mellor opens the scoring 3 mins in with a nice 12 yard strike, but the Rovers quickly get that one back off a corner kick only 1 min later. Paul Parry regains the lead in the 17th, when Mellor’s rebound falls at his feet and he has no problem hitting the empty net from 6 yards out. Disaster for Bristol in the 21st, when one of their players tackles Foley-Sheridan off a corner kick, only to send the ball into his own net, and we lead 3-1 into the break. Bristol once again close the gap, with a goal off another corner kick in the 49th min, only to see Foley-Sheridan pick up a Barrett rebound off a corner and paste it into the net 3 mins later. Paul Parry adds insult in the 72nd, when he strips a defender of the ball and dribbles to the top of the area before finding the far post for his 2nd of the game and the 5-2 win. Following Hereford United’s 5-2 win over Bristol Rovers, Hereford’s Chairman Graham Tuner declared himself extremely pleased with the result. Although the season has only really just begun, the Bulls are already involved in a title race. However, the relegation favorite’s good form can surely not continue, and critics say it is merely a matter of time before they find themselves slipping down the table again. Bah! Critics, what do they know. |
|
|
|
|
06-01-2003, 09:11 PM
|
#13 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
We come out of October on top of the world. We hold 2nd place in the 3rd Division, 5 points behind 1st Colchester (12 wins and 1 loss, for anybody keeping track) and a 3 point lead over 3rd place Leyton Orient. With the addition of Steven Baker, we’ve gone on a 6 game winning streak and scored 23 goals in those 6 games, compared to 12 goals in the previous 11 games before he arrived. Of course, Barrett, Mellor and Partridge are huge contributors to that as well. We also come out of the month with a profit, gaining a total of over £26k for the month. Not bad, and with a cup match at Highbury coming up, we should be able to come out of November with a profit as well.
Team captain Graham Barrett takes home the 3rd Division player of the month award, our first such accomplishment, while his offensive outburst also nets me the 3rd Division Manager of the month award, my first in the 3rd Division, and 4 award overall. Hereford vs Torquay Barrett replaces Foley-Sheridan at AMC, since Foley-Sheridan has been feeling jaded lately and needs some games off, and Correia fills Barrett spot up front. Correia wastes no time making an impression as his pace wins him a long ball and he feed Mellor in the area for the quick 1-0 lead just 1:42 into the game. In the 7th, Barrett gets a Correia rebound and puts it in the empty net for his 15th of the year, but it’s called back on a brutal offside call. Torquay strike back after that and equalize in the 15th off a corner kick. They retain possession for the rest of the way, stifling our attack. We start to come forward a bit late in the 2nd half, but nothing comes of it, and the game ends in a 1-1 draw. We fall 7 points back of the leaders Colchester with the draw, as they improve their record to 13-0-1, while Leyton Orient close the gap to just one point with a 2-0 win over Shrewsbury, and they have a game in hand as well. A full table is attached. Back to renegotiating contracts, and Robert Purdie signs a new deal keeping him at the club until 2007. Robert Sawyers however, once again rejected a reasonable offer, and I’m beginning to resign myself to losing him over the summer. I’ll also have to work a deal with Christopher Todd who has been a standout on defense this year, or find a viable replacement soon. Next up a thrashing at Highbury… |
|
|
|
|
06-01-2003, 11:38 PM
|
#14 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Andy Tretton moves back to the Conference, joining Barnet after they accepted my £5k offer for him. I had no intention of resigning Tretton after the year, and Barnet was showing interest, so I thought I get some cash for him. Tretton’s departure bumps Steve McNulty up to the senior squad. McNulty was very impressive in 2 games earlier in the year, and should be a solid backup for Byrne, Rossiter, and Todd. Sawyers and Todd both continue to reject contract offers and might find themselves on the transfer list soon. I can’t really afford to let 2 of my best players leave for a free in the summer.
Arsenal vs Hereford LEAGUE CUP 3rd Round Our odds have actually improved to 30-1 for the match. Arsenal don’t think all that much of our squad, as they dress mostly backups and reserve players, however. A nice crowd of 23,612 goes in shock as former Arsenal player Graham Barrett cuts through the defense and is fouled in the area only 14 mins in. Richie Partridge sends David Seaman (who’s backing up Rami Shaaban now) the wrong way, and its 1-0 Hereford. If we can hold on for another 75 mins…yeah right. The only time we touch the ball in the next 75 mins is pulling it out of our own net, as Arsenal score 5; 2 by Jeremie Aliadiere, 2 by David Bentley, and a single by Giovanni van Bronckhorst for the 1-5 win. I felt we played surprisingly well despite the outcome.The £300k we get in shared gate receipts goes a long way in easing the pain of a 1-5 defeat. Hell, if Arsenal want to beat us in the FA Cup 1-5 later next month, I’m all for it. Swindon vs Hereford We only get 3 days off after the Arsenal match, and a couple of players can’t go for this one. Shwan Jalal makes his debut in place of Matthew Baker and Barrett and Foley-Sheridan are out for fitness, and that limits our attack. Nevertheless, Richie Partridge makes in 1-0 only 9 mins in when he picks up a Correia pass in the area and finds the top corner from 12 yards out. After that it is all Swindon, though and they pressure Jalal and the defense. The young Iraqi is up to challenge, and makes a couple of brilliant saves, but Swindon finally beat him in the 82nd min, on a shot he probably should have had, and we draw 1-1. As to rub in a current 3 game winless streak, Neil Mellor goes down with an injury in the match and is out for 2 weeks with a gashed leg. Both our backups, Kimmins and Thornley are also out with long term injuries, leaving us very short up front. Hereford vs Swindon LDV VANS TROPHY South 2nd Round We push forward a bit more at home then we did on the road against Swindon, and having Barrett and Foley-Sheridan in the lineup helps a great deal in that respect. Partridge feeds Barrett in the 10th min, which is clearly offside, and Barrett flicks the ball on to Correia, who sidesteps the GK for the easy goal. No call on the offside, so it stands. 2 mins later, Partridge again feeds Barrett at the top of the 6 yard box, and Barrett buries the ball for his 15th goal of the season, and a quick 2-0 lead. Correia adds another in stoppage time in the 1st half, when he heads home a Partridge header to take a commanding 3-0 lead. Swindon never threatens in the 2nd half, and we easily advance to the quarter finals with a 3-0 win. Last edited by klayman : 06-01-2003 at 11:39 PM. |
|
|
|
|
06-02-2003, 09:09 PM
|
#15 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Mansfield vs Hereford FA CUP 1st Round
This is the third game that we’ve played here already this season, and hopefully we won’t play anymore. Correia continues his solid play by converting a Paul Parry cross in the 14th min to put us up by one. A blast from 30 yards out equalizes, however, only 5 mins later. Baker should have had that one. Mansfield control the possession but are unable to generate any chances and in the 35th min, Barrett puts them back in the hole with a nice 12 yard strike. A defensive break down just before the half, leads to a great Mansfield opportunity, but Baker gets across to make the save and preserve the 2-1 half time score. Mansfield continue to press, and in the 68th a nice cross into the area results in the tying goal but in the 83rd min, Richie Partridge ends any hope of a Mansfield victory, when he intercepts a defensive throw in and buries the ball from 25 yards out for the 3-2 away win. We get £20k for the win and advance to the 2nd round where we’ll face 3rd Division team York and former Hereford Bull striker Simon Carden at Edgar Street. Lincoln vs Hereford Lincoln pressure early but the defense and Baker keep the clean sheet for the 1st half and a scoreless draw at the break, helped out by a poor offside call in stoppage time in which Lincoln scored. In the 2nd half we manage to find our feet, and Partridge feeds Correia from deep in the corner for the header and goal to make it 1-0 Hereford. In the 74th, Lincoln equalize when Foley-Sheridan leaves his man unmarked in the 6 yard box and he finds the empty net no problem to miss from that range. It looks like the best we’ll get is a draw, as Lincoln control the possession, but in the 80th, Paul Parry finds Barrett with an amazing 50 yard pass, and Barrett moves in on goal, sidestepping the GK, and scoring into the open net for the 2-0 win. Mellor comes back from training, only to sprain his ankle and be out for another week. Fox and McGrath are back in full fitness however, so we only have a small injury crisis at the forward position right now with Mellor, Kimmins, and Thornley out. Hereford vs Southend It’s the Albano Correia show today as the unsettled striker completely dominates on the field against Southend. Correia nets his first goal in the 8th min, when he heads in a perfectly placed Barrett cross for the quick 1-0 lead. He proceeds to blast 5 more shots at the net but gets robed 5 times as Southend fight to hold on. In the 65th min, a Correia cross causes problems for the Southend defense and they are forced to foul in the area for the penalty. Partridge calmly takes the penalty (hasn’t missed all year), but the Southend GK Darryl Flahavan continues his solid play by coming up with the big save and grabbing the rebound before Partridge could get to it. Southend, now down to 10 men, are now getting swamped, and in the 68th, Correia feeds Barrett in the area for the wicked volley. Flahavan makes a great save, but Correia grabs the rebound from 10 yards out and finds the empty net for his 2nd of the game, and a 2-0 win. Following Hereford United’s 2-0 win over Southend United, Hereford’s chairman Graham Turner declared himself extremely pleased with the result. Many expected the Bulls to be battling relegation this season, but that has not proved to be the case, indeed the club now find themselves involved in a title race. However, it would be a major surprise if they were still to be there come the end of the season. While their recent form has been fantastic, a team with their limited resources will surely not be able to keep it up until the end of the campaign. |
|
|
|
|
06-02-2003, 09:40 PM
|
#16 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Shrewsbury vs Hereford
Shrewsbury sit 21st in the division but come out strong against us, and 2 mins in score off a corner kick to make it 0-1. Something is wrong with our corner instructions, as Shrewsbury almost add another one but Baker comes with a huge save only 2 mins later. We manage absolutely no attack in the 1st half, and Baker does his best to keep things close, but in the 33rd Shrewsbury go up by 2 off a freekick, and add another one off a corner in the 41st min for a 0-3 lead into the break. A few choice words for the boys in the dressing room changes the complexion of the game, and we start to generate chances in the 2nd half. Partridge draws a penalty in the 63rd and converts for his 5th goal of the year to claw one back for the Bulls. But it’s way too little too late, and we can’t find the net again despite several opportunities to lose 1-3. That closes out November for us, as we sit in 3rd place in the 3rd Division. We made a profit of over £252k for the month, thanks in part to a FA Cup win and a game against Arsenal at Highbury. We’re still £1.6M in debt however. I have been completely unable to sign another loan player to replace McManus, who I sent back to Celtic, for over 2 months now. It’s really becoming frustrating. While I continue looking for another midfielder on loan, however, I make an enquiry to Liverpool about the status of Richie Partridge, who has been stellar for us this year. Partridge is not transfer listed and his value is set at over £600k, so I don’t expect them to come back with a number I’d be able to afford anytime soon. But surprisingly, they do, with a £40k price tag. That is an incredible deal for us, so I’ll have to find some way to raise the extra £15k we need and hope that Partridge wants to sign with us. |
|
|
|
|
06-04-2003, 10:52 PM
|
#17 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Hereford vs Rushden
The difference between home and away is never more apparent as we blister Rushden with 17 shots in the game. Sawyers feeds the ball into the area, and a dummy run by Foley-Sheridan leaves a wide open net for Mellor in the 19th min for the 1-0 lead. Mellor ices the game in the 71st with his 2nd of the game, after taking a Steven Baker pass and sidestepping the goalie for the 2-0 win. Hereford vs York FA CUP 2nd Round A much tighter game then the one against Rushden, Barrett opens the scoring in the 18th min with a 20 yard blast from the top of the area. Rossiter makes things interesting in the 83rd, when he lobs his own goalie in attempting to clear the area for an own goal, and a late equalizer for York. But 2 mins later, off a broken play, Barrett feeds Mellor in the 6 yard box, and Mellor never misses from there, for the 2-1 win. We advance to the 3rd round where we’ll face Sheffield United away. The win earns us £30k, and most importantly we kept ex-Hereford Bull Simon Carden off the scoresheet. Hereford vs Cardiff LDV VANS TROPHY South Quarter Final 2nd Division Cardiff outclass us on our own pitch, throwing 17 shots at Baker, compared to our measly 3. Two of those 17 beat Baker, through no fault of his, and we’re knocked out the tournament with a 0-2 loss. York vs Hereford December always means a crappy month for me, and this looks like the start of our predicted downfall. Carden burns our defenders in the 2nd min with his pace and puts up the only goal York would need on the night. Rossiter deflects another ball into his own net, and before you know Carden has settled the game in the 48th min with his 2nd of the game, handing us a 0-3 loss. We managed one shot the entire game, coming in the 85th min when the outcome had already been long determined. Hereford vs Swansea Looking to bounce back at home, we come out completely flat. It doesn’t help when Swansea convert a penalty only 3 mins in to put us in the hole early. Correia gets that one back before the half on a nice solo effort in the 38th, but Swansea strike back early in the 2nd to regain the lead. Correia, who seems to have a knack for that late goal, thankfully converges on a deflected ball and puts into the net for the 81st min equalizer, and we steal 2 points from Swansea to settle for the draw. |
|
|
|
|
06-04-2003, 11:01 PM
|
#18 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Leyton Orient vs Hereford
A crappy drizzly cold day greats us at Brisbane Road as we look to stop our freefall from the top tier of the 3rd Division. Of course, that’s not going to happen today, as we can’t manage any offence in the wet weather at all, but thankfully it hampers Orient enough as well to limit their chances and we play to the scoreless draw. Scunthorpe vs Hereford We actually control possession for most of the game, the first time in about 5 games. However, we still can't find a handle on that explosive offense we had coming into the month, and Scunthorpe capitalize on a Mathew Baker mistake in the 38th min to win the game 1-0. That closes out December for the squad, with an awful 2-2-3 performance. We’ve fallen to 5th place, one point ahead of Hartlepool in 6th, but 5 points back of York in 3rd and 2 points back of Mansfield in 4th. We squeak out of December with a £14k profit thanks to big draws at our 4 home games during the month. Last edited by klayman : 06-05-2003 at 12:25 AM. |
|
|
|
|
06-06-2003, 09:16 AM
|
#19 |
|
Pro Starter
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Rennes, France
|
Nice game against Arsenal ! and the £300K are always nice to get !
|
|
|
|
|
06-07-2003, 04:28 AM
|
#20 | |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Quote:
Sure are...a couple of more and I can get these damn receivers out of here. |
|
|
|
|
|
06-07-2003, 04:29 AM
|
#21 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Sheffield United vs Hereford FA CUP 3rd Round
The start of January doesn’t see us escape our horrible form just yet, as 1st Division side Sheffield United embarrass us at Bramall Lane. They pound 17 shots at Baker, 12 which are on target, and 5 of which beat him. Foley-Sheridan breaks the goose egg in the 88th min with a consolation goal, and we leave the FA Cup tournament with a 1-5 defeat. Hereford vs Mansfield Key matchup for us, if we want to secure our playoff position and any hope of promotion this year, and we quickly need to erase the 1-5 pasting we got a couple of days ago. It’s our 4th meeting against Mansfield already this year, and we stolen 2 of 3 on the road. Our offence explodes in meeting the challenge of putting a stop to a 6 game winless streak, and McGrath and Mellor both collect the brace, with Partridge added a single for the outstanding 5-1 win to push us into 4th place. We lose Steven Baker during the match, and he is gone for 1 week with a twisted knee. He is our only injury concern at this time, however. Shwan Jalal is released from the club after his contract expires in early January. He played 1 game with a 8.00 rating, but there was just no way he was ever going to edge out Baker for the starting position. Ken Griffiths assumes the backup spot on the bench. We make our first Bosman signing of the season, grabbing Aston Villia Reserve GK Boaz Myhill. The 21 year old American is a very skilled GK who even got a game in the Premiership this year. He’ll likely be our #1 forcing Baker to the bench in the offseason. |
|
|
|
|
06-07-2003, 04:52 AM
|
#22 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
With January comes the flux of activity as contracts reach their 6 month expiry around the league. We are still unable to work out deals with Teesdale, Todd, and Robert Sawyers, and all three are transfer listed. Joining them on the transfer list is long time Bull Paul Parry, who wants to be more than a fringe player at the club, but hasn’t been exactly overwhelming in his appearances this year. Marine come in with a contract offer for Teesdale, and he will be joining the non-league club in the off-season, while Welsh club TNS Solutions offer a contract to Christopher Todd, but he rejects it.
We’re no strangers to making Bosman signings either, and grab a couple of solid players for a run in hopefully division 2 next year. Joining the club early, however, will be 20 year old MRLC Danny Lowe from 2nd Division Northampton. Lowe’s contract expires in January, so he will join the club shortly. We sign another solid GK in Arsenal’s 19 year old Craig Holloway. His addition basically rules out any chance Baker has of playing for Hereford next year. We also sign two young midfielders, D/DML Paul Robson from Premiership Charlton, and DMC Paul Scott from 2nd Division Huddersfield. Both are good young midfielders and should play an important role in our success next year. In a whirl of activity, 3 more deals take place for our squad in a hectic January. Aston Villa accepts a £24k deal for 19 year old DC Liam Ridgewell. Liam will easily replace the departure of Christopher Todd in the offseason. He won’t join the club until early June, however, since he is on loan at 1st Division Gillingham. Leeds accepts a loan offer for the talented 19 year old DC Matthew Kilgallon. Kilgallon’s contract is about to expire soon as well, so we’re hoping we can pull off a loan and sign deal with him. We also finally manage to resign Robert Sawyers to a contract extension, at £1k/week until 2007, securing our midfield for a couple of seasons at the least. Phew… |
|
|
|
|
06-07-2003, 05:18 AM
|
#23 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Carlisle vs Hereford
We’re fighting heavy jadedness by several players as we try to end a 5 game winless streak on the road. Mellor draws a cheap foul in the area just 5 mins in, but Partridge blows the early chance when he puts the penalty shot off the post and wide. After that Carlisle simply dominate, and make it 1-0 before the half off a corner. They add another with a 30 yard blast just 4 mins into the 2nd half and easily take the 0-2 win. Hereford vs Bury We come back home to face 16th place Bury. 20 mins in, some hesitation by Baker leaves him stranded off a free kick, and Bury go up 0-1. Bury then drop into a defensive shell and Bury GK Dave Smith robs us several times to keep Bury ahead in the 1st half. Although we hold the possession, it is not until the 69th min when a poor clearance by Smith leads to a chance for Barrett and the equalizer. That opens up the game for us, and in the 82nd, Mellor converts a Danny Lowe corner for the 2-1 lead. Paul Parry catches Bury to far forward in the 86th, and Barrett ices the victory when he volleys the cross into the goal for the 3-1 win. Hereford vs Macclesfield We welcome hapless Macclesfield to Edgar Street as they sit last in the 3rd Division with a whopping -88 goal differential. They haven’t scored in 3 games, and don’t get any chances against our tough defense on this night either. With Mellor and Barrett not dressed due to jadedness, Rod Thornely makes the most of his first start, converting a penalty 31 mins in, and adding another in 1st half stoppage time for the 2-0 lead at the break. We continue to swamp Macclesfield, and Correia seals the game with a strike in the 50th, while Christian Fox adds insult only 5 mins later for the easy 4-0 win. We lose Steven Baker for 2 weeks with a groin strain, allowing some more playing time for our youngsters in the up coming games. Stevenage vs Hereford Another battle against our fellow promoters from the conference, we switch to a 4-5-1 defensive style to try to change our awful form on the road. With most of our offensive players out with jadedness, however, the few chances that such a tactic brings go unconverted, and Stevenage catch us with a cheap goal on their only shot of the game in the 30th min to win 0-1. |
|
|
|
|
06-07-2003, 07:42 AM
|
#24 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Providence, RI
|
Collecting keepers?
|
|
|
|
|
06-08-2003, 02:14 AM
|
#25 | |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Quote:
Not really...Jalal is gone, so I'm down to 2, and I don't think Griffiths will ever develop into a starter for us, so he won't be here next year. Matthew Baker has been outstanding, but he is definitely playing over his head...if we make it the 2nd Division, I don't think he'll be the keeper to keep us there. Besides, Myhill and Holloway were just way too good to pass up. |
|
|
|
|
|
06-08-2003, 02:39 AM
|
#26 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Hereford vs Colchester
Colchester are running away with the division, sitting comfortably in 1st place with a 13 point lead over 2nd place Leyton Orient. Barrett puts some fear into them, when he heads a beautiful Partridge cross into the net just 11 mins in for the 1-0 lead. We hold the advantage into the 2nd half, but an injury to Danny Lowe leaves us weak in the midfield, and Colchester take advantage adding late strikes in the 64th and 83rd mins to take a 1-2 win from us. Danny Lowe’s injury is severe, and he is lost for 5 months with a broken leg. Jadedness is becoming a huge problem for the club, with Christopher Todd, Michael Foley-Sheridan, Graham Barrett, Neil Mellor, Richie Partridge, and Mark Rossiter all feeling the effects of too many games. We are out of all the cups this year, though, and our schedule is falling back to a one game/week format as we close out the season, so hopefully that alleviates some of the problem. Exeter vs Hereford We continue to look for a way to break out of our horrible away form, and go with a standard 4-4-2 at St. James Park. The game is being played in a force gale, and it’s having serious effects on the play. The wind actually leads to our first goal, 15 mins in, when a high pass gets caught by the gale and is intercepted by Foley-Sheridan who feeds Barrett in behind the defense. Exeter GK Kevin Miller comes out to challenge Barrett, who lobs the GK, and watches as the gale wind catches the ball and guides into the empty net for the 1-0 lead. Exeter quickly get that one back in the 27th, before Partridge finds Barrett in the area with a long ball. Miller hesitates in challenging Barrett this time, and that hesitation leaves him stranded as Barrett crosses to Mellor for the wide open goal in the 32nd min. We spend the rest of the game holding Exeter to zero chances and break our away winless form with a 2-1 win. Cambridge vs Hereford Forced to rest almost our entire squad again, we muster no offence against a solid Cambridge squad. Our modified 4-4-2 holds them to no chances as well, until in the 69th min, they score off a 12 yard header that Baker should have been able to get. Despite coming forward after that, we generate no shots on goal at all, and fall to a 0-1 defeat. That closes out January for us. The loss against Cambridge actually moves us up from 5th to 4th, since York lost 0-4 at Southend, pushing their goal difference to one less than us. We both trail 3rd place Mansfield by 2 points, and have a 1 point lead over 6th place Cambridge. The full table is attached. We post profits of £32k for the month, marking the 3rd straight profitable month for the club. We sit at £220k profit for the year, and although that figure will likely fall in the coming months, we should come out of the year with a profit, unlike the near £600k loss we posted last year. |
|
|
|
|
06-08-2003, 07:23 AM
|
#27 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Real Madrid signed Ajax center back, Cristian Chivu, for a fee of £39M shattering the game’s previous high of £13.5M Liverpool paid to Arsenal for Gilberto earlier in the year. And everybody says that the days of astronomical transfer fees are gone.
Hereford vs Hartlepool Hartlepool come out strong against our backups and reserve players (jadedness), and a Christopher Todd blunder allows them to take the early lead just 8 mins into the game. We quickly get that one back on a counter attack off a free kick in the 13th, as McGrath feeds Correia, who sidesteps the GK for the easy tap in. That goal gives us some confidence, and we flood the Hartlepool area with chances. In the 30th, Thornley heads home a Jamie Pitman corner kick to give us the 2-1 lead, and 6 mins later McGrath connects on another Pitman corner that is saved, but a Hartlepool defender clears the ball into his net for an own goal, and a Hereford 3-1 lead. McGrath gets another chance in 1st half stoppage time, as Correia knocks down another Pitman corner, and the rebound falls to McGrath who buries it from 10 yards out for the commanding 4-1 lead. Things remain fairly quiet for the 2nd half, until substitute Paul Parry grabs a Pitman rebound in the 6 yard box and finds the net for the 5-1 win. Hereford vs Kidderminster We continue our solid home form by dominating Kidderminster early. A poor clearance by GK Stuart Brock lands at Steven Baker’s feet and his pass to Barrett finds Brock stranded well out of his area for the 1-0 lead in the 29th min. Mellor settles the game just before the half, with a vicious blast in stoppage time. Kidderminster never threaten the entire game, and we cruise through the 2nd half for the 2-0 win. Following Hereford United’s 2-0 win over Kidderminster Harriers, Hereford’s chairman Graham Turner expressed his pleasure at beating their rivals. Yay! Rochdale vs Hereford Rochdale sit 23rd in the Division, but that doesn’t stop our complete lack of ability to play on the road. We manage 1 glorified shot on net, lose McGrath to injury in the 5th min, and allow a 35 yard shot into our net for the extremely disappointing 0-1 loss. We gotta find some way to fix this away form of ours. McGrath is gone for 3 weeks with torn ligaments in his knee. |
|
|
|
|
06-08-2003, 07:25 AM
|
#28 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Hereford vs Peterborough
Home is where the heart is, or at least the offense, as we pound Peterborough into submission at Edgar Street. Foley-Sheridan gets the first goal, when Barrett leaves him with an easy tap in off a rebound in the 13th min. Barrett then feeds Correia who finds the far post from 16 yards out for the quick 2-0 lead in the 15th. Peterborough strike back in the 26th cutting the lead to just one, but just two mins later, Foley-Sheridan finds Barrett with a flick on, and Barrett finds the net to regain the 2 goal lead. Into the 2nd half, and Steven Baker feeds a 50 yard pass ahead to Barrett, who somehow gets behind a crowd of Peterborough defenders and finds the net from 20 yards out for his 25th goal of the year in the 58th min, to settle the game 4-1. We make more tactical changes to our away tactic, incorporating a sweeper and counter attacking defensive tactic for the road. We continue to fight through jadedness, although it’s not as horrible as it was previously when we were playing a game every 4 days. Torquay vs Hereford The new tactic works well, and we catch Torquay on the counter attack several times. Our 6 shots generated in the game are more than the amount of shot we got in our previous 4 away games. Mellor caps off a brilliant Richie Partridge move in the 7th min to quickly make it 1-0. Foley-Sheridan nabs his 5th goal of the year, on quite a strange one in the 32nd min. Rossiter had the attacking throw in that he placed well in the 6 yard box, nowhere near any Hereford player, but the ball was misplayed and found it’s way out to the edge of the area to Foley-Sheridan. He was left with a simple finish after Torquay’s GK came out to try to corral the ball, only to find himself stranding and out of position. Partridge seals the game in the 80th, when Foley-Sheridan collects a loose ball off a Sawyers free kick, and feeds an unmarked Partridge in the area for the 3-0 win. Newcastle win their first League Cup with a 2-1 win over Charlton at the Millennium Stadium. In division 3 news, Colchester, who have advanced to the finals of the LDV Vans trophy, have clinched at least a playoff spot with over 10 games to go in the season. A 22 point lead over 2nd place Mansfield almost guarantees them the Division 3 championship however, so I doubt their terrible excited about a playoff spot. We lose Paul Parry for 3 weeks with a training injury to round out the month of February. Joining him on the injury list is Mark Rossiter with a 2 week injury from a gashed leg. We’re without Parry, Rossiter, Lowe, Barron, Smith, Kimmins, and McGrath now for extended periods. We lose £73k in the month and see our yearly profit total drop to £166k, which isn’t all the bad. Even with 2 more months of losses like this, we should still come out of the year on a profit. We currently sit 5th in the division, 1 point back of 4th placed York, and 2 back of 3rd placed Leyton Orient. We hold a comfortable 4 point cushion on 6th place Swansea and 7th place Hartlepool as well. We’re not out of reach of a automatic promotion spot and a playoff spot for this squad would be considered successful, so we’re sitting pretty. |
|
|
|
|
06-09-2003, 09:16 PM
|
#29 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Hereford vs Lincoln
3923 fans show up at Edgar Street for a completely uneventful affair. Lincoln are playing for the away draw, and control most of the possession throughout the game, stifling our offence, and we play to the scoreless draw. A Colchester win gains them promotion from the 3rd Division as they continue to run away with the lead. Bristol Rovers vs Hereford We manage to hold the Rovers to only 2 shots in the game. Unfortunately, one of them beats Baker in the 25th min, and we manage an incredible 0 attempts at goal the entire game for the horrible 0-1 loss. We make one more bosman signing for the year, this time grabbing 19 year old DC David Raven on a free transfer. Raven is a former Liverpool reserve, so he should fit nicely in with our club. He had no interest in signing with us while he was at Liverpool, but after they released him, his contract demands came down considerably and he happily signed with us to get regular football. Another Colchester win gives them the 3rd Division title this year, in what as been a forgone conclusion since about November. |
|
|
|
|
06-09-2003, 09:19 PM
|
#30 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Hereford vs Swindon
Like night and day this club is regarding home and away. Raven plays a big part in his first game, knocking a ball off the goal line and then setting up Robert Sawyers for a 35 yard blast just 8 min into the game. We never look back after that, and goals by Rod Thornley and Michael Foley-Sheridan give us a comfortable advantage. In the 85th min, a handball in the area seals Swindon’s fate as Partridge slots home the penalty shot for a 4-0 win. We finally manage to work out a 4 year deal with top center back Christopher Todd. Todd has been an important part of our success, and I’m glad to have him locked in for a couple of years. He celebrates his new contract by straining his neck in training the next day, and is lost for 2 weeks. Rushden vs Hereford We make some more refinements to our away tactic, going with a modified 5-3-2 in hopes of finding some kind of consistency on the road. Kilgallon gets caught flat footed just 1:20 into the game, and a 20 yard strike puts us in the hole early. Correia draws a penalty in the 4th min, and Partridge quickly equalizes for us with his 9th goal of the year on the penalty shot. We survive an onslaught of shots by Rushden, and Matthew Baker continues to come up with the huge saves to keep us in the game. In the 58th though, a cheap goal squeaks by him on the short side, one he should have had, to give Rushden the 2-1 lead. We come forward, and generate chances, something we’ve been unable to do on the road for awhile, and Mellor has the best chance when his header beats Rushden GK Billy Turley, but gets cleared off the line by a Rushden defender, and we lose 1-2. We lose both Foley-Sheridan and Albano Correia to injuries for a week from the match. We have 2 weeks off before our next match, however, so they should both be fit and well rested by then. We gain another £2k from the Simon Carden deal with York, as the former Hereford Bull plays his 30th league game for York activating a sell on clause. That closes out the month of March for us. We escape the English transfer deadline without losing any of our stars. In particular, several teams are interested in Foley-Sheridan, but my £100k price-tag and a firm “The club do NOT wish to sell this player” scared all of them away. We end up losing £58k for the month, knocking our seasonal profits down to £107k for the year. With two more months to go, and hopefully some big playoff games in the works, we should manage just fine. We currently sit in 6th place, 4 points back of 2nd place Leyton Orient in a very tight race. We have a 4 point lead over 7th place Hartlepool who own the last playoff spot. Automatic promotion is still not out of the question for us. Of course, neither is a non-playoff position. With 5 games left in the season, we play Southend (20th) away, Shrewsbury (22nd) home, York (3rd) home, Swansea (4th) away, and Scunthorpe (16th) at home. The games against York and Swansea will most likely determine our fate for the season. |
|
|
|
|
06-09-2003, 10:30 PM
|
#31 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Southend vs Hereford
In an important away match for us, we produce all the chances early and hold off Southend’s attack. Southend GK Darryl Flahavan robs Mellor from in close in the 28th to keep the score even. In the 50th min, Mellor scores an absolute beauty of a goal, when he jukes 3 defenders and his 16 yard screamer finds the top corner. Easily goal of the year. We have the game wrapped up, but in the 87th nobody picks up a late player in the area, and his weak header crosses the goal line for the 1-1 draw. The draw keeps us even with Mansfield, Swansea, and Leyton Orient who all draw in their matches, but are now 5 points behind York who sit in 2nd. A 3-1 lost by 24th place Macclesfield to 23rd place Rochdale, ends their run in the English League as they are relegated from the 3rd division. Only 4 points separates 19th place Stevenage from 23rd place Rochdale as 5 teams fight against the final relegation spot. Although they are having a spectacular season in the 3rd Division, Colchester are unable to overcome 2nd Division Chesterfield, losing 0-1 in the LDV Vans trophy final. Hereford vs Shrewsbury Just 55 seconds in, Partridge centers the ball into the area, and a Shrewsbury defender heads in into his own net for the quick 1-0 lead. Less than 2 mins later, McGrath intercepts a poor clearance and feeds Barrett, who rounds the keeper for the 2-0 lead. That opens the game up and Barrett takes control. In the 14th he takes a beautiful Mellor through ball and his 25 yard strike beats the keeper on the far post to make it 3-0. In the 39th, after several other chances at the hat-trick, Barrett takes another Mellor pass and buries it from 18 yards for the comfortable 4-0 lead. Shrewsbury take away Baker’s clean sheet bonus in the 69th, but Barrett answers back 10 mins later when he heads home a Sawyers corner kick for his 4th goal of the game, and a nice 5-1 win. The win pushes us up to 4th place, 1 point ahead of 5th place Swansea, and 3 back of 3rd place York, setting up a very important match between us at Edgar Street. Hereford vs York Oh man, this is huge. It’s the return of last years Hereford player of the year, Simon Carden, to Edgar Street. It’s a battle for the 3rd and last automatic promotion spot from the 3rd Division. Unfortunately (or fortunately for us), Carden is out of the lineup with a torn groin suffered just 3 days before the match. Partridge finds Mellor on the penalty spot with a cross, and Mellor makes it 1-0 in the 15th min with a powerful header. We control all the possession and keep applying pressure on York. In the 26th that pays off, as Steven Baker finds some space and his low 30 yard drive freezes York GK David Stockdale for Baker’s 1st goal of the year. York close the gap 48 seconds into the 2nd half with a nice 18 yard blast from the top of the area that Matthew Baker had no chance on. But the outcome is never in doubt with the way we are playing, and Partridge makes a beautiful run just 3 mins later, which sets up Graham Barrett’s 30th goal of the year. Substitute Correia adds insult in injury time when he heads a Rossiter long throw just inside the post for the 4-1 win. The win moves us into 3rd place, tied with York but ahead on Goal Difference. We find ourselves back of 2nd place Leyton Orient by just 1 point, and have guaranteed at least a playoff spot in the Division. Stevenage do themselves a huge favor by winning guaranteeing them another year in Division 3. Rochdale improve their chances of staying up as well with a 2-1 win over Lincoln. The battle for the last relegation spot comes down to Southend with 46 points and Shrewsbury with 44 and two games left to play. It’s an all English UEFA Cup as both Liverpool and Newcastle advance from the semi-finals. The quarter finals of the Champions League sees Ajax, Juventus, Manchester United, and Valencia all advance to the semis. |
|
|
|
|
06-09-2003, 11:29 PM
|
#32 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Swansea vs Hereford
All eyes are on us, as Colchester take on York. A win by either team probably means automatic promotion. Our defensive 5-3-2 shuts Swansea down, and in the 10th, Christian Fox gets shoved down going for a loose ball in the area. Penalty shot…Partridge…GOOD for his 10th of the year. And it’s a huge goal. News out of Colchester, York are down to 10 men and Colchester have gone up 1-0 in the 22nd min. I’m surprised at how well we are playing on the road today as we go into the break up by 1. Off the kickoff, Parry searches out Partridge behind the defenders, and Partridge dekes the Swansea GK to go up by 2. Unbelievable!!! News from York, they are now down to 9 men and losing on the road 0-1. Things look good for us. Swansea are able to break our defensive coverage in the 85th to close the gap, but Neil Mellor answers right back with his 25th of the year in the 89th to seal the 3-1 win. Sweet! York drop the game 0-2 to Colchester giving us a 3 point lead for 3rd place. Even if we lose and York win, we have a +41 Goal Difference compared to their +23, so they would have to win by 20 goals to bump us from 3rd place. Hereford are going up!!! Shrewsbury drop their game 0-2 at home to Hartlepool to be eliminated from the English League. The only spots left up for grab are the playoff spots now. Into the last game of the season, a win for us against Scunthorpe and a loss or draw by Leyton Orient on the road to Carlisle will give us 2nd place, or a draw for us and a loss by Orient would yield the same result. York and Hartlepool have gained at least a playoff spot, leaving Swansea, Mansfield, Lincoln and Cambridge to fight it out. Swansea goes to Colchester, which is probably a loss. They’ll need a loss from Lincoln and Mansfield to get a playoff spot. Mansfield take on Bury on the road. All they need is a draw and a Lincoln or Cambridge loss to take the playoff spot. Lincoln take Torquay on the road, and they need a win and a Swansea or a Mansfield loss to gain a playoff spot, while Cambridge play Shrewsbury at home, needing a win and a Mansfield and Lincoln loss to get in. |
|
|
|
|
06-10-2003, 12:12 AM
|
#33 |
|
High School JV
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Boston, MA
|
Congrats on the promotion! How do you think the squad will be able to handle back to back promotions?
__________________
----------------------------------------- Lookin' forward to great seasons from my 'Skins, Cubbies, and Red Sox (please humor me) Proud Manager of the BOSTON WYCKYD SCEPTRE Also attempting to Right The Ship with the Clippers |
|
|
|
|
06-10-2003, 02:17 AM
|
#34 | |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Quote:
Thanks! Good question. I think the key will be the acquisitions of the new keepers. If I can get Partridge and Mellor on the team again we should be ok offensively, but defensively we're a bit untested for next year. In CM3, differences between the divisions were minimal until you got up into Division 1, but I doubt it's the same in CM4. I'm pretty sure however, that given the chance next year, I don't want to be promoted to Division 1 with this club. |
|
|
|
|
|
06-10-2003, 02:21 AM
|
#35 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Neil Mellor captures the 3rd Division Player of the Month award, as I receive the Manager of the Month award for our excellent push to promotion in April. We lose £64k on the month, but we should make the up with 3rd division prize money without any problem.
Hereford vs Scunthorpe A season high crowd of 5097 show up to watch our final game in Division 3. We’re an uninterested bunch and it shows as Scunthorpe dominates on the pitch. The away scoreboard shows Leyton Orient up by 1 early on Carlisle, so a win doesn’t get us anywhere anyway. Lucky enough as we play like crap and concede 2 goals before the hour is through on the game. Partridge makes things interesting with a late strike in the 83 min, and Carlisle equalize against Leyton Orient in the 71st. We still need a win to take 2nd though, and we are unable to equalize for the 1-2 loss. Regardless, we capture 3rd spot in the 3rd Division and receive an automatic promotion to the 2nd division. Joining us, of course are Colchester and Leyton Orient who placed 1st and 2nd respectively. A hattrick by Junior Mendes secures Mansfield’s spot in the playoffs with a 3-2 win over Bury, while a Lincoln 1-1 draw to Torquay, gifts Swansea with the 7th and final playoff spot although they lost to Colchester 1-0. Final league table is attached. |
|
|
|
|
06-10-2003, 02:24 AM
|
#36 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
In the Champions league, Juventus take a 2-0 home win over Man U into the 2nd leg, while Ajax scores 2 important away goals in a 4-2 loss to Valencia. In the 2nd leg, a brace by David Trezeguet give Juventus the 4-2 aggregate win over Man U, and two late goals by Valencia seal Ajax’s fate in a 2-2 draw for the 6-4 Valencia aggregate win.
Liverpool and Newcastle, finalists for the UEFA Cup, are also set to met in the FA Cup final as well. Both have achieved European qualification already with Liverpool finishing 2nd to Manchester United and Newcastle finishing 3rd. In the 3rd Division playoffs, York rallies back from a 2-0 1st leg loss, to score 3 times against Swansea, including the game winner in extra time to advance to the final. Hartlepool easily handle Mansfield 3-1 on aggregate to advance as well. John Arne Riise’s 32nd min goal is the difference as Liverpool beat Newcastle 2-1 to capture their 7th FA Cup. 4 days later, Michael Owen and Milan Baros end Newcastle’s hope for honors giving Liverpool a 2-0 win in the UEFA Cup, their 4th such title. Hartlepool will join us in the 2nd Division next year, as a 74th min strike by Stephen Schumacher gives them a 2-1 win over York in the 3rd Division playoff final. I praise Paul Parry in a bid to mend some fences. I had Parry transfer listed for the last part of the season, and at one point he was expecting to leave the club soon. But his attitude changed and he was determined to prove his worth to the club, so I took him off the transfer list and gave him some games late in the season, and he was instrumental in our rise to 3rd place. He’s still unsettled by the incident, but he reacts positively to the praise and comments that he is striving to improve still further. We’re shut out of the end of the year awards, not even getting a single player named to the Players Team of the Year. Whatever, we’ll be in Division 2 next year, losers. I place 3rd in the voting for Manager of the Year, while Colchester Manager Iain Dowie claims first place, rightfully so. We get £220k for our 3rd place finish, which means we should finish the year just under £200k profit. Add in 2nd Division TV rights and increased season ticket sales, and we should start seeing the light at the end of the receivership tunnel. In the European Champions Cup final, Valencia control all the possession until the 50th min when Fabio Aurelio picks up his 2nd yellow card and is dismissed. Down to 10 men, Valencia defend feverishly, and the only breakdown is when Del Piero blasts a Nedved cross into the top corner in the 78th min...but Trezeguet is offside...no goal. Valencia try to hold out for extra time and penalties, but Trezeguet makes up for his previous mistake by finding the net in the 86th min for the 1-0 win. It's Juventus' 3rd Champions Cup, and the 2nd straight Cup won by an Italian side. Next up final season stats… Edit: added champions cup summary Last edited by klayman : 06-10-2003 at 02:39 AM. |
|
|
|
|
06-10-2003, 03:29 AM
|
#37 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
2003-2004 Season Stats
Goalkeepers Code:
Defenders Code:
# - Transfered to Barnet for £5k $ - Loaned from Leeds for 3 months % - Loaned from Celtic on season long, but returned by Hereford Defensive Midfield Code:
& - Transfered from Scarborough for £10k * - Signed on a Bosman from Northampton Attacking Midfield Code:
Right Midfield Code:
Code:
Code:
Last edited by klayman : 06-10-2003 at 03:31 AM. |
|
|
|
|
06-10-2003, 03:56 AM
|
#38 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Season Roundup:
Premiership: Champions - Manchester United (by 20 points) Runner up - Liverpool 3rd Place - Arsenal Relegated - Bolton, Coventry, Bradford City 1st Division: Champions - Fullham Runner up - Birmingham Playoff Winner - Preston Relegated - Wycombe, Gillingham, Walsall 2nd Division: Champions - Stoke Runner up - Hull Playoff Winner - Luton Relegated - Stockport, Brentford, Wrexham, Oxford 3rd Division: Champions - Colchester (by 33 points)  Runner up - Leyton Orient 3rd Place - Hereford Playoff Winner - Hartlepool Relegated - Shrewsbury, Macclesfield English Conference: Champions - Dag & Red Runner Up - Farnborough (not promoted) Playoff Winner - Yeovil Relegated - Halesowen Town, Canvey Island, Burton Albion Scottish Premier League Champions - Rangers (by 16 points) Runner Up - Celtic Relegated - St. Johnstone FA Cup - Liverpool over Newcastle League Cup - Newcastle over Charlton Community Shield - Manchester United over Middlesbrough LDV Vans Trophy - Chesterfield over Colchester FA Trophy - Southport over Farnborough Scottish Cup - Celtic over Hibs Scottish League Cup - Rangers over Motherwell European Champions Cup - Juventus over Valencia UEFA Cup - Liverpool over Newcastle European Super Cup - Inter over Dinamo Kiev |
|
|
|
|
06-10-2003, 05:12 AM
|
#39 |
|
College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
|
nice job klayman!
|
|
|
|
|
06-10-2003, 05:19 AM
|
#40 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Euro 2004 - Portugal
Group A : Belgium, Croatia, Holland, Portugal The hosts are in tough against a very good Dutch team and the often surprising Croatia. Portugal hope to erase the bad taste of losing to Korea in Korea/Japan 2002, and were semi finalists in Euro 2000 before being knocked out in extra time by France. Holland had a strong showing in Euro 2000 before a difficulty with penalty shots lead to their defeat against Italy. Their failure to qualify for Korea/Japan 2002 however, was much more disappointing and they look to rebound in Euro 2004. Croatia were the darlings of the France 98 with a third place finish defeating Holland in the 3rd place game. They were edged out of the Korea/Japan 2002 by Mexico and Italy, failing to advance in the tournament. Belgium dumped out of France 98 and humiliated in Euro 2000, Belgium advance to the round of 16 in Korea/Japan 2002, only to get knocked out by eventual World Cup winners Brazil. klayman's picks : Portugal, Holland to advance Group B: England, Georgia, Greece, Romania A nice draw by England as they are easily the favorites to come out of group B. England advanced to the quarter finals in Korea/Japan 2002 before falling to Brazil. The fell flat on their faces in Euro 2000 though, failing to qualify for the quarter finals after losing 2-3 to Romania. Georgia didn't qualify for Euro 2000 or Korea/Japan 2002, but won their qualify group in Euro 2004, defeating solid Irish and Russian squads along the way. Could be a dark horse in the tournament. Greece look to rebound from a difficult Korea/Japan 2002 tournament where they lost 5 games in qualifying and failed to make the tournament. They outright won their qualifying group for Euro 2004, beating Spain and Ukraine in the process. Romania knocked England out of Euro 2000 with a 3-2 upset in their final group game, advancing to the quarter finals before losing to Italy. They made it to the 2nd place playoffs in qualifying for Korea/Japan 2002, but lost 1-2 to Slovenia ending their hopes for a world cup appearance. klayman's picks: England and Greece to advance Group C: France, Czech Republic, Ireland, Italy A group of death if ever there was one. France are the title winners of Euro 2000 and won France 98 World Cup, but suffered a humbling Korea/Japan 2002 failing to advance to the round of 16. Czech, runner up in Euro 96, failed to advance past the first round in Euro 2000 and qualify for Korea/Japan 2002. Ireland advanced to the round of 16 in Korea/Japan 2002 before losing a heartbreaker to Spain in penalties, but are unfortunately drawn in a tough group. Italy are Italy, and despite complaining about FIFA's bias against them winning, always put on a solid effort. klayman's picks: France and Italy to advance Group D: Germany, Finland, Norway, Sweden An interesting Baltic draw, with Germany the clear favorites. They advanced to the Finals of Korea/Japan 2002 before losing to Brazil, after having a disappointing Euro 2000 where they failed to win a game. Sweden advanced to the round of 16 in Korea/Japan 2002, winning their group which consisted of England and Argentina, but lost to Senegal and were eliminated from the tournament. They also failed to win a game in Euro 2000, and look to bounce back against their neighbors. Neither Finland or Norway made it out of qualifying for Korea/Japan 2002, although Norway did qualify for Euro 2000 but did not advance past the group stage. klayman's picks: Germany and Sweden to advance |
|
|
|
|
06-10-2003, 06:40 AM
|
#41 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Euro 2004 Group Fixtures
Group A Croatia 1 : 0 Holland Portugal 2 : 0 Belgium Holland 0 : 1 Portugal Belgium 0 : 0 Croatia Croatia 0 : 3 Portugal Holland 4 : 0 Belgium Portugal easily handled the opposition at home, but the big story was Holland's inability to score. Their 4 goals against Belgium came after they had already been eliminated from advancing. Portugal and Croatia advance. Group B Greece 2 : 1 Georgia England 2 : 0 Romania Romania 3 : 3 Greece Georgia 1 : 2 England England 4 : 0 Greece Romania 2 : 1 Georgia England's offensive power guided them to 1st overall, leading all group stages with goals scored. Romania's stunning 88th min equalizer against Greece and holding off Georgia despite being down to 9 men for over 30 mins got them past Greece, who imploded in their final game against England to lose on goal difference. England and Romania advance. Group C France 2 : 0 Italy Ireland 0 : 0 Czech Republic Italy 2 : 0 Ireland Czech Republic 1 : 3 France France 1 : 2 Ireland Italy 2 : 0 Czech Republic Ireland's stunning come from behind victory over France wasn't enough to send them into the next round as Italy and France easily handled the Czech, while Ireland could only manage a draw against them. France and Italy advance. Group D Norway 0 : 0 Germany Finland 0 : 2 Sweden Sweden 0 : 2 Norway Germany 3 : 0 Finland Finland 0 : 2 Norway Sweden 0 : 2 Germany Norway the surprise team of the tournament, playing Germany to a scoreless draw and then beating Sweden 2-0 storm into the quarter finals. Germany was equally as strong, despite the upset draw against Norway. Finland join Belguim as the only teams to leave the tournament without a goal scored. Germany and Norway advance. |
|
|
|
|
06-10-2003, 07:58 AM
|
#42 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Quarter Finals
Romania 1 : 4 Portugal England 3 : 2 Croatia Norway 1 : 2 France Italy 0 : 4 Germany Romania is no match against the might of Portugal, especially with the crowd against them. Strikes by Beckham (85th min) and Vassell (87th min) save England some embarrassment against the upstart Croatians and France does the same against tournament darlings Norway with an 87th min strike to steal the win. Germany destroys Italy, but I’m sure it was the referee’s fault. Semi Finals Portugal 4 : 1 Germany Germany jump to a quick 1-0 lead off a Benjamin Lauth 10th min strike, but a red card by Miroslav Klose in the 20th min seals the Germans fate, and Portugal score 4 in the 2nd half for the easy win. England 3 : 1 France Darius Vassell opened the scoring in the 37th only to see Sylvain Wiltord equalize in stoppage time before the break. However, the 2nd half belonged to the English, as Paul Scholes gets a blast from 30 yards out to beat Barthez, and Wayne Bridge settles things off a corner to advance to the final. Final Portugal 3 : 2 England Simao opens the scoring for the host country 20 mins as his rocket blast from 6 yards out beats England GK Paul Robinson to the top corner. England are unable to muster any kind of response, and in the 2nd half, 19 year old Cristiano Ronaldo rounds Robinson and finds the empty net from a sharp angle for the 2-0 lead in the 64th min. But England are resilient, and fight back drawing to within 1 off a 25 yard David Beckham freekick in the 74th for a glimmer of hope. That hope is just about shattered when Luis Figo gets behind the England defense 4 mins later, but nails the post dead on to remain 2-1. Scholes equalizes in the 82nd, when his header off a Michael Owen cross deflects of Rui Costa and into the Portugal goal. But substitute Helder Pastiga finds some room inside the area after Rio Ferdinand fails to track him down, and his low 12 yard shot finds the far corner in the 84th min to seal the 3-2 victory and Portugal’s first European Championship. |
|
|
|
|
06-10-2003, 11:51 PM
|
#43 | |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edmonton
|
Quote:
Thanks! The next season is continued in this thread. |
|
|
|
|
 |
| Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
| Thread Tools | |
|
|
