BFC 2-1 Rochdale, Saturday 26th January 2019

‘How many Jagerbombs for t’toast?’

Welcome to ....

Christ, we made hard work of that.  Hill’s Lidl had come to Harrods, scene of previous 5 and 6 goal beatings…not to mention the 4-0 we meted out to them away this season…and at half time the talk was more of the chances of defeat than winning.  Rochdale had broken a few times, 3 on 3, but usually got so far then chose the wrong option.  Meantime, we were choosing the RIGHT options, but were failing with the pass.  It was 0-0 and the only save I remember wasa comfortable take for Davies.  Nozzer was most downbeat; ‘if they score we’ll struggle to equalise, let alone win.’

The old (new) market hall bites the dust.

Within 9 minutes his prognostication proved ill – it was one-all.  Dale went ahead when Beckenbauer (AKA Jim McNulty – remember him?) took a quick free kick for their striker to be clean through.  The pass was along the floor and went through 3 lines of Reds players, though I blame Pinnock the most.  WAKE UP!  No need to worry about Davies saving it.  I remember when we had Steele in goal and the opposition would be lucky if they scored 20% of one-on-ones.  Yeah, yeah, not his fault, I’m being harsh, I have my own agenda, etc.

Darn t'well.

Luckily, before worry truly set in, we equalised. Ben Williams made a barnstorming run to the edge of their box before being brought to an abrupt halt.  While time stood still and everyone wondered whether a free kick would be awarded, Kiefer bangs the ball into the bottom corner from 20 yards.  The ref had better not give a free kick…

This woke the (home) fans up too, as up until now Oakwell really had been my favourite Pete Namlook and Dr. Atmo album – ‘Silence’.  Anyone would think we’d rocked up expecting the team to rack up the goals against mediocre opposition.  Oh.  For a minute and a half we played with some intensity, before we slipped back into complacency and watched time slowly running out.

New friezes (well,the horizontal bits)) in the East Lower.  About time.

Then we scored.  75 mins in and Jacob Brown again shows we’ve not missed Potts by turning his defender and, instead of shooting, cleverly crosses the ball low.  Dougall’s miscontrol being his one positive contribution to the game, as he inadvertently flicks the ball up for Woodrow to volley in.  Thereafter, we waste various counter attacks as Rochdale leave space behind them.  Their keeper is even managing to hurry up a bit, now he knows they’re losing….so it was with some mirth Davies got booked for trying to timewaste (he can’t even manage that). 

'Good game Good game Good game Good game Good game'

Then, with injury time looming, an almighty scramble.  Davies has ONE thing to do, catch or punch the ball clear.  He fails magnificently and Rochdale have 3 or 4 bites at the cherry before we scramble it away.  As everyone else said, we won ugly.  It’s 3 points, you can’t win in style every game.  Make no bones, this was a big, BIG win. 

Onwards and upwards!

*** Ben Williams.  Sublime.  Didn’t put a foot wrong (apart from missing a long clearance, recovering, then slicing it).  Got forward in support, defensively sound.
** Cavare.  I had various arguments throughout the day about Dimi.  Yes, his final ball wasn’t always all that, but he had just run 50 yards with the ball (twice).  And didn’t get beaten all day by his winger.
* McGeehan.  Never flustered.

Londontykes' MOTM: 1. Ben Williams  2. Cavare  3. Brown

Some bloke who's signed and never played for Cardiff has died.

Despatches:
Davies was back to his best.  Can’t catch, can barely save and couldn’t keep a clearance on the pitch.  Lindsay was very good, including his distribution.  Pinnock passed the ball around looking classy.  Hopefully the scouts blamed him for the goal too.  Mowatt was so-so, while Brown looks better and better (by the way, I notice Potts has scored a 2^nd goal for his new club Preston).  I don’t remember Thiam doing much, though he worked hard.  Dougall came on at half time for Thiam and didn’t put a foot right.  He can’t even get out of the way of players, which was his undoing for his customary booking.  Not impressed.  The front two were very quiet – yet scored.  Imagine the damage they could do ON form.  Oh, and a lively cameo from new signing Green on the wing.  He was lightning.  Within 5 mins of coming on, he’d chased back and won the ball, put in another tackle, and skinned them down the left.  Shame he went for glory with the shot that went about 10 yards wide, but he’ll learn.

Also, big thanks to Mrs Reed taxis, there and back from Donny station.  

If you squint enough, you'll see some Dale fans.

Drink du jour: Schneiderweisse in #7, Weihenstaphaner in Kings X, vodka and orange inbetween.

Away: 334

The Damage:
£24 train
£3 prog
= £30

The Tunes:
Lunatico (Gotan Project)
Last Train to Llasa (Banco de Gaia)

East Stand pano

Pano from the Ponty (cheers Jonesy)

The Posh Seats.  Empty.

So good they named him after my cat.

The Ponty v Rochdale

How many Dale fans can you fit in a woolly hat?

Welcome to...(2)

Jordan Green.  You saw him here 1st.

BFC 6-1 Rochdale, Saturday 23rd January 2016

‘OAP loses tooth in pothole trip’

Pre-match at t'well

Talk about poor timing.  On the day I make a bet with Slacki that Winnall won’t score 20 this season, he only goes and scores a hattrick as we DESTROY a Keith Hill XI six goals to one.  SIX GOALS.  I will need Waddington to tell me the last time that happened.  We were superb, save for a dodgy 10 minute spell when they pulled one back and made it a little nervy for a few minutes before the Man U bloke came on and ran them ragged.

We went ahead early…though not early enough that Hammill hadn’t already been chopped down twice.  However, Rochdale got their just desserts as Hamill curled in a free kick for Mawson to head home.  This was only minutes after Mawson made a brilliant clearance from virtually on his line as the visitors blasted one on from the left.  How costly that proved.  Otherwise, we were on top and in one fabulous move, Bree beat a couple of players, played a one-two and, despite the chance to score himself, laid it on a plate for Winnall to toepoke it to the keeper.  My money’s safe, I thought.

The teams come out...

Second half and it’s the Adam Hammill show once again, as he attacked down the left at speed before firing in a low cross for Winnall’s shin to score.  Only kidding.  It might have come off his foot.  By now we’re cruising and we can even afford Hourihane to miss in similar fashion to Winnall’s, 1^st half.  Actually, it was Winnall who laid it on for Hourihane to scuff.  Then we concede from a corner, as the bloke guarding the post decides not to guard the post.  The ball goes in somewhere near the post.  Poor.

Then we play our trump card: Fletcher of Man U is on and within a minute he has roasted the left back before whipping it in for Winnall to bag.  Feed the Sam and he will score.  3-1, the game is safe and the fans wake up.  ‘Lee Johnson’s red and white army’, ‘Johnson Johnson give us a wave’.  Still, I preferred ‘Keith Hill what’s the score?’ and an ironic ‘Keith Hill, give us a wave’ (he didn’t).

The Ponty

Another bit of Fletcher magic as he holds the ball up, shimmies, then puts a delightful throughball for Marley Watkins to run on to and drill high into the net.  4-1.  Dreamland!  But Fletcher’s not finished yet and outjumps the keeper.  Even more surprisingly, Winnall then outjumps the defender to head the ball into an empty net.  As someone (not me) said: Winnall’s at his best when he doesn’t have to think about it.  

Then comes our nightmare scenario.  Hammill is cleaned out in the last minute (fair, but brutal) and after prolonged treatment, is helped off.  There goes our chance of Wemberlee and Winnall’s chance of 20 goals this season.  Let’s hope it isn’t serious.  And to prove anyone can set up a goal, Hourihane floats the resultant corner in and everyone stands and stares as Long rises highest to head in.  See – we don’t miss Hammill after all!

The Dale, half a thou of 'em (507)

The top 3 is a real ‘mare today.  EVERYONE had a good game.  Again I was impressed by the midfield 2, Hourihane and Brownhill, holding it together, allowing the front 4 to do their stuff.   Brownhill played like a Pearson, nipping in to win balls and laying it off simply.  Perhaps he even lays it off a bit faster than Pearson, who sometimes held it too long (lack of options?)  The centre halves were superb (and both scored) while both fullbacks impressed.  With Aidey White out injured, I had my first sighting of George Williams, who we got from Worcester (I think) and he looked at home, while Bree was outstanding on the right.  Why’s he not been there all season?  Isgrove was busy, while we mustn’t forget Adam Hammill set up the opening goals which laid the foundation for victory.  Heskey and Owen (Watkins and Winnall) again showed they’re a real partnership.  In fact, I had a bit of sympathy for Winnall, who was pulled up for precisely nothing by the referee more than once.  The ref was possibly the worst I’ve seen all season. He really didn’t have a clue, including NOT giving them a free kick when Isgrove chopped their player.  (Isgrove retreated 10 yards…the whistle didn’t come, so he turned round and ran back to take the ball off their bloke who was lying prostrate.  I think this was what led to Hourihane’s unmissable miss.)  But that Fletcher guy looks the business.  Came on for 22 minutes and set up 3 goals.  But can he do it from the start?  Oh, and Scowen came on to a rousing reception near the end.  Unfortunately he came in for Brownhill, thereby ruining our chance of having the most Joshs in a team over the age of 11.

Match action

*** Hammill.  What can I say?  Take him out of our team and we’d be any other 3^rd division side.  Don’t believe me?  Well, we might be about to find out.

** Winnall.  Twitter MOTM.  Who am I to argue with Super Sammy Winnall’s ‘perfect hattrick’ (left foot, right foot, head).  8 goals in 4 league games, the only blemish being the Fleetwood game when he was on his own up front.  Maybe Little Lee is learning…

* Fletcher of Man U.  Bree and Mawson in particular should be well peeved I’m giving 3^rd to Fletcher’s cameo, but he was unplayable.  If he set up 3 in 22 minutes, by my reckoning, if he’d been on from the start we’d have won 14-0.

Londontykes' Top 3:

1. Winnall
2. Watkins

3. Mawson

Drink du jour: Train half an hour late, reputedly due to a body on the line, so only time for one pre-match Erdinger.  Spiced rum and ginger ale for the train (and a bottle of Prosecco: we were celebrating).  And  mini JD.  We were celebrating.  We even had our token lunatic (a Scottish nutter) on the train with us.  Thank god he got off at Donny.  He was an accident waiting to happen.  Back in London, we had an Asahi for every goal Winnall scored.  I could get used to this.

Later, fell asleep on the bus on the way back, woke up panicking (‘wherethehell am I?’) and jumped off.  Had no idea where I was, walked back the way I came and discovered I’d only just missed my bus stop.  Idiot.

Away: 507.  Decent turnout, when you consider the size of their home crowds.  I bet they wish they hadn’t bothered.

The Damage:
22 travel

Barnsley 5-0 Rochdale, Sunday 3rd May 2015

‘kan vi spille du hver uke?’

Down the hill to the Theatre of Screams

Due to unpopular demand, here’s last week’s match report.  Sorry for the delay.  The thing about spending the weekend up in Barnsley and amusing a Norweigan back in London means I’m massively behind in work at the moment.  Good job it’s not exam time.  Oh.

'Keith Hill was right, Barnsley is sh*te.'

Anyway, those that were there may remember we played quite well in the first half; lots of passing and movement and George Smith tearing down the left wing.  An odd tactic I thought, given they had Tom Kennedy defending for them on the opposite side!  The way we moved the ball around at will, anyone would think Rochdale had nowt to play for – which they hadn’t, as they were already destined to finish above us for the 1^st time in 40 odd years.  But let’s give Dale and Keith Hill their dues.  Their highest ever position?

Toby busts a few shapes pre-match

The second half continued in a similar vein.  It was an entertaining, open game, though a little devoid of actual chances.  Then one of theirs got a 2^nd yellow and the floodgates opened.  Suddenly we fancied ourselves, got cocky and Davies had to pull off 2 (more) amazing saves, including a one-on-one.  Everyone forgets this at full-time.

Of course, we then swamp them, marauding this way and that with players finishing the flowing moves in superb style.  Or b) we rely on deadballs again.  Hourihane swings in a corner and Scowen, standing still, heads home.  Then Hourihane swings in a corner and Scowen, standing still, heads home.  Then Hourihane swings in a corner and Holgate stretches out a leg at the backpost.  3-0.  Fancy, a Keith Hill-led side being unable to defend.  Well, if you shop at Aldi…

The teams come out

Then a decent move down our right, the ball laid on a plate by Oates for an open-goal tap-in by Hourihane.  How Oates must regret not having a go himself, being released by BFC only a few days later.  Cos we all know Conor would’ve squared the ball in a goalscoring position, don’t we?  The icing on the cake is the 5^th in injury time, as George Smith gets his just desserts, running down the left and crossing deep for Winnall to notch at the back post.  5-0.  5 f***ing nil.  If only it mattered.

Now, I’d love to say the crowd broke out in a ‘Keith Hill, what’s the score?’ but they couldn’t be ar5ed all day, save for a tiny ‘It’s just like watching Brazil’. Far more vocal were the Dale 600 with their ‘Keith Hill was right, Barnsley is sh*te’ chant (till they started conceding). The Ponty looked fairly devoid of people all match...while I have it on good terms by a latecomer that some left at half time.  More fool them!

Fans celebrate the end of another season of non-achievement.

*** Smith.  Roared up that line time and again.  Declan WHO?

** Scowen.  Ran around, scored 2, got booked for a late tackle. Redfearn’s Twitter MOTM (as usual).

* Davies. 2 crucial saves at 0-0.  

Despatches:
Somebody asked if Hourihane’s goal and 3 assists were good enough for me?  Well, I’d like to see Hourihane pass it across the box for a tap in one day. Or set up a goal from open play.  3 corners and poor defending against 10 men.  Well done Conor.   As for his 15 goals (including pens)..well, that’s the same number as Bristol City’s centre half.  BFC fans' player of the year my ar5e.

Great to see so many ex-juniors given a chance today and none of ‘em let the side down. Maris showed good movement 1^st half and obviously Oates looked half decent and set one up.  Good luck Rhys – you’re just not George Waring (!)  Holgate, Bree and sub Digby all looked good. In Digby’s case, can he step into Pearson’s shoes next year?  Cos next season is make or break for him.  Winnall had his usual falling over game.  Can someone tell him to either get a new pair of boots or stop diving?  That and his lack of hold up play irks me, no matter how many he scores.  Berry looked promising again. Perhaps he’ll confound us all and have a future at Oakwell.

'Please get off the pitch.  The players will not...'  Yeah yeah.  

Drink du jour: vodka and orange (gents), Prosecco (ladies).  One advantage of a 12:15 KO was the chance of after-match beers in the Old Number 7 AND the Sheffield Tap.   Mind, being ‘Tour de Yorkshire’ day in Barnsley, the upstairs of the #7 was packed, including that brass band, so we had to hide in the basement.
Onwards and upwards. Shame we p***ed it away with 1 win in the last 10 but we’ve got to be optimistic about next year’s chances. For a start, Johnson has GUARANTEED at least the play-offs.  Get Declan John and George Waring back and it’s nailed on*.  (Kidding).

Crowd: 9,593  Away: c.600. Good turnout from the ickle village over the Pennines.  Good to see Noble-Lazarus back (he was rubbish) and Kennedy kick it backwards (sadly, they don’t have Chris O’Grady so he sent little down the line). Dawson was out injured, shame, I liked him.

*you know Loko actually believes this, don’t you!!??

The thin yellow line.

Nets taken down till August.

The East Stand empties.

One day soon this will all be dust.

The Metropolitan Centre, soon to R.I.P.

Rochdale 0-1 Barnsley, Saturday 4th October 2014

‘Weeing for men is so win.’

Welcome to Rochdale!  (ok, actually 'goodbye'...check out the length of shadow)

We had to win this game.  Up against Reds ‘legends’ Hill, Dawson, Done and Kennedy (the latter didn’t play; shame, I was looking forward to giving him some ‘advice’), anything less than victory against those who played such starring roles in making us the 3^rd division team that we are, would’ve been nothing short of disaster.  Or another way of looking at it was play-off placed Rochdale were home to 3^rd bottom Barnsley.

Expectant Reds fans

...and their flags

Wilson has obviously been listening to me.  M’Voto and Nyatanga were no more in the centre of defence, on-loan Ramage partnering Captain Fantastic.  (I called this before the game – ask Andy).  Dudgeon was swept aside at left back and Nyatanga switched over.  Still not perfect, but a start.  And what do we get?  A CLEAN SHEET!!!  Though it’s fair to say Rochdale had the majority of play and the vast majority of shots.  But instead of players having all day to pick a spot, an impending challenge here and there made them rush and, remember, these are 3^rd division players.  Coupled with the one time they DID break through, Turnbull pulled off a fabulous one-on-one save.  So, deserved?  Not really, but we certainly dug deep and the decent backing (1000+) were rewarded.

Blazing sunshine, floodlights on.

Obviously, being so far away, Londontyke numbers were down, but me, Reedy and the flag made it.  We joined Wadd and new lucky mascot Aimee (it was her 1^st away game!) in Manchester for the 13 minute train ride to Rochdale.  No wonder they’re so poorly supported, with City and United on their doorstep.  Anyway, after the slagging off of Port Vale / Burslem and its football fans t’other week, I can only say positives about Rochdale.  Decent fans, very humble and surroundings that don’t look like Beirut circa 1983.  In fact, you can even see the surrounding Pennines from most of the town, though admittedly it was a bizarre walk to find the pub, with ‘Rochdale’s by-pass built straight through it’ (that was one of their lads).  Great beers at The Baum, CAMRA pub of the year for Oldham, Bury and Rochdale, I think I read.  And we even picked up a Reds’ stray, ‘Ollie’, who’d come over from Sheffield on a whim.

Half time at any Barnsley away game

*** Berry.  I thought he had a decent game, picking off stray passes and making tackles in midfield.  In fact, the more I watched him, the better he looked.

** Damage.  1 or 2 dodgy moments, but I’ll settle for a clean sheet and the winner in every game.  I’d certainly settle for not having Nyatanga and M’Voto as the centre back ‘partnership’.

* Turnbull.  Faultless, though most of it was ‘bread and butter’ thanks to better defending this week.  Crucial save to keep it 0-1.

Despatches:
Cole looked dangerous and really ought to have had a penalty before the one he did get.  You can see why players go down easily when, if you try and stay on your feet, you get nowt.  For the pen, great save from their keeper, I’ll not be too harsh on Hourihane, though it would have been nice for him to move onto 7 for the season.  I believe he currently has as many as the 4 forwards put together.  Treacy was barely noticeable on the wing, before being subbed.  Bree looked good at right back.  Oh, and ‘Winnall’ ought to be named ‘Lose Everything’ cos he does.  And I think Dawson enjoyed the ‘banter’, despite losing.

Hourihane has last minute pen saved

Drinks du jour:  Lager lager lager.  Stella, Hoegaarden, Leffe, San Miguel…a couple of random Weiss biers in the Tap.  I managed to stay awake on the bus, but my hangover wasn’t any less on Sunday.

Onwards and upwards!!!!!!!!!

A