A Forking Shame

Another postponement of a Clapton match at the Old Spotted Dog was very disappointing, particularly as the visitors were to be our old friends, and traditional rivals, Ilford FC. 

The lateness of the postponement was all the more frustrating for those supporters who have to make the journey to Forest Gate.  Fortunately, I live close to the ground but it was a shame to see that some fans had had wasted journeys.

Even though Ilford are relatively close to the Dog, a postponement at half past one was cutting it a bit fine, even for them, and it was no surprise and indicative of the frustration for all when they posted "Clapton Are A Joke" on their Twitter feed.

I didn't enjoy reading that, particularly when most of the stuff connected with the supporters and the real club has been unfailingly positive.  It would have been more accurate had the tweet read "Vince's McBean's Clapton FC, you're a joke".

The supporters who did their best yesterday morning are not members of Vince's club because, of course, there are no members.  There has been no acknowledgement or message of thanks to them on Vince's twitter or website. The 'forking squad' are Clapton supporters who's interest Vince takes for granted. Their efforts were fulled solely with the intention of getting the game played so that they, and other fans like me, could have an enjoyable afternoon.  

It would have been better had a local referee been called in to inspect the pitch at least three hours before kick off.  He would have assessed the state of the pitch and the likelihood of success of the 'forking squad' and come up with a reasoned decision.  To leave it so late was an error and showed total lack of consideration of the opponents and the supporters.

This is one of the new problems being faced by Vince in that the club has a following of fans, and in normal circumstances, a person in his position would be mindful of them. Perhaps it is his intention to cheese them off sufficiently so that they all disperse, I don't know.

However, the pitch will not get better and it is becoming harder to believe Vince's contention that a drainage system was ever installed. We will lose more games to the weather and it is not unreasonable to expect Vince, or the team manager, to make some attempt to inform the supporters of the situation in good time.

What Saturday's events did show was that Vince, or his 'Clapton Members Club', do not have any members willing to 'pitch in' when necessary.  But we know this, as do the League and the Football Association.  Perhaps it's time that the chap on the Ilford Twitter feed had a word with his chairman, and then he speak to his counterparts throughout the Essex Senior League, and say "What's going on at Clapton?". I have no doubt that Saturday's events came at a monetary cost to Ilford FC and surely its now time for the clubs to demand that the League, at the very least take an interest.  It will be interesting to see which Chairmen actually have the courage to do it.

Earlier in the week, @essexfootie posted on Twitter a reference to #postponementbingo due to the weather. Some wag later responded "On His Own... Vince McBean". 

You, Sir/Madam, are more right than you probably know.

So, I took myself off to Wadham Lodge FC in E17. Incognito as ever, I noticed a few of the Spotted Dog regulars having a good time, Tyskie in hand.  It was obviously good to see Neil Day enjoying his football once more, it was nice.  Nice ground, nice game, nice people and nice afternoon.

But it's not the Old Spotted Dog !

Bring Back the Home Internationals

This post is a small departure from my usual subject, but this week I watched a football match on the TV and, for the first time in a long while, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Although officially billed as a 'friendly', the game between Scotland and England provided a decent spectacle not only for the near capacity crowd at Celtic Park but also the millions of armchair fans such as me.  Not even the banal tripe that one has come to expect from Adrian Chiles could spoil it.

The fixture itself is the classic international football match.  No quarter given or expected by either team, honest endeavour and no little skill shown by both sets of players.  The result was about right on the night, but there was no doubting the passion shown by the teams in their attempts to win the game.  As an Englishman, I am very happy to see a renaissance in the Scottish national team. The present team may be some way off from the talents of past teams that included Law, Baxter, Dalgliesh, Bremner etc but they appear to have inherited the same drive and passion from their predecessors which. I believe, will have been instilled in them by manager Gordon Strachan.

During the course of the 90 minutes there were some decent tackles, physical contact, goalmouth incidents and, probably to the horror of many modern coaches, less 'possession football' played out between the back four.  It was cut and thrust and, get this, only one player received a yellow card and that, at least, was for a tasty coming together. Players who were fouled didn't roll around and many just got up and got on with the game.  It was an old school British football match, and a pleasant change from the sterile masterclass in cheating and gamesmanship that is peddled by so many professional players in the Premier League every week.

On the evidence of what I saw I think there is now a good case for the restoration of the home international championships.  Maybe not every year as was previously, but perhaps every four years?  The games can be played in the International windows as was this match.  For me, an England match against any of the home nations is far more interesting than a Wembley date with the likes of  Denmark, Norway or Peru and if it were to be hosted by Mr Chiles' I might be tempted to say to Mrs Listz, "OK, you can turn over for Don't Tell The Bride"

The current crop of English and Scottish players may, in many cases, be technically adrift from the raft of foreign players that play their trade in the English Premier League every week. Last Tuesday's match demonstrated that when a match is played by teams showing passion and commitment, an excellent and entertaining match can result.

Scotland v England is all about passion and commitment.  Love it !  Welcome back!

Leeks, Water and More Leaks

After I learned, via a telephone call from a friend, that Clapton’s match against Hullbridge Sports was postponed, I was condemned, by Mrs Listz, to watch the Wales v Fiji match. Although English by birth, she likes lava bread and since our holiday in Tenby in 1975, has favoured the the red shirted dragons when it comes to egg chasing.

So, with my own penchant for Fiji, which I choose not to discuss, not a lot was said as the two teams conjured up a pretty mediocre spectacle.

However, I could not help thinking about how Clapton's game at the Dog against Hullbridge Sports was called off despite the water lying on the pitch, and the fact that no further rain was forecast for the day.  A photo had been posted on Twitter by one of the Ultras and, as has always been the case at the ground, there was a larger puddle at the pub end, which is always the most likely to carry rain water.

In years gone by when faced with patches of water, the club would mobilise members and supporters to fork away the water lying on top of the ground before the referee arrived for the pitch inspection and, even when he arrives, assure him that the work party will carry on to do their best for the game to go ahead.

I am aware that, even as recently as last season when faced with similar problems, the team management arranged for a group of Ultras to work on the pitch and they succeeded getting the go-ahead for the match to played.

So there are three issues 

• Did the club want the game to go ahead?
  I have little doubt that the club (Vince) would normally have wanted the game to go ahead.  A good crowd could have been expected to attend and there would have been substantial gate monies, not to mention other sales etc.  However, there is talk on social media that Clapton did not want the game to go ahead because of injuries to players.  With respect, I don't buy this.  This game was not a top of the table clash, the League title is pretty much rapped up and if we are are unable to field a team, then there are serious questions to be asked of the team management as we have a reserve team who were not playing that afternoon.

• Why was no work party organised?
  
  I have no doubt that had the club made any kind of appeal for help in clearing the water on the pitch then the supporters would have responded.  This happened last season and the game went ahead.  The problem this season is that the club (Vince and the team manager) have adopted a siege mentality where nothing is forthcoming from the club to the supporters.  Basically, because there is no club membership Vince and the manager are on their own. There is not even a committee, save for Vince's family and 'business buddies' who, like Vince, live in South London.
  
• Is there an underlying motive?
  
  I am sure that Vince would love to see the end of the supporters as his activities, past and present, are now well under the microscope. But Clapton matches are now being attended by many knowledgeable football supporters who may not all come from the local area and they have to travel. By cancelling a game it might discourage them from coming again and joining the real Clapton FC fold, so its possible.

But what was not only disappointing, and unacceptable, was that neither the 'official' club website or twitter or that of the team manager announced the postponement to the supporters.  This shows a total disrespect for those who come along and pay their money to support the team.  It was a member of the team, merely expressing his disappointment at the postponement, that alerted the supporters that the match was off.  Fortunately, from there the information mushroomed and, hopefully, not too many people made a wasted journey.  Incidentally, the 'official' club website and twitter feed has been dead since the departure of Kevin Lucas and Stuart Purcell at the beginning of October.

I should not be surprised about Vince, but am disappointed by Mike Walther in not considering the supporters.  I keep seeing him as the guy who wants to be part of the Ultra's post match celebrations, but looks like a bloke standing in the corner of a 'disco' waiting to be asked to dance.  

With games at Barking, Waltham Forest, and Tower Hamlets all going ahead, one has to question the effectiveness of the  'apparent' installation of a new drainage system at the Old Spotted Dog that Vince referred to in his letter to the Newham Recorder in April 2013.  Can I suggest that he recalls the contractors because it obviously does not work.

It can be argued that the ground is being over played by the ground shares etc.  Well, Haringey Borough also ground share and their game went ahead, but then again, I know for a fact that they installed a drainage system

So, the rugby was poor (but at least I escaped a shopping trip).  The Welsh won, but the most interesting 'leaks/leeks' that came out today were not those at the Millennium Stadium.

 

More and more information on the situation and goings on at Clapton FC are forthcoming from the unlikeliest of sources. It's a job keeping up with it all and probably time Inspector Knacker took an interest.

A Riverside Ramble

Sad to see the team succumb to another defeat but a thoroughly enjoyable day out was enjoyed by yours truly.  A peruse around the wonderful Olympic Park in all it's glory before enjoying the sights and sounds of Roman Road Market. Not many 'surprise' Xmas presents on the stalls these days, so thank heavens for the issue of Real Clapton scarves at £7 a throw. I will certainly be making a purchase or two at that price, what a bargain. 

Also spotted some bargains on E-Bay as ex Manager Chris Wood clears the deck of surplus team wear to recuperate some of the monies owed to him during his time at the club. Find that whole scenario hard to stomach but some artifacts to be had all the same, not sure I'd still fit into one of those lycra looking warm up tops but the insulated sub suits could be very handy this time of year.

Anyway transgressing rather alarmingly but this rather rambling missive is sort of in keeping with the nonsense (or indeed lack of it coming out of the club at the moment).  It seems rather more than the siege mentality as previously referred to, it's as if all those concerned with communicating with the fans have given up the ghost.   Like it or not, the rudderless approach from the top has begun to be reflected on the pitch, not so much in the effort shown by the players but by the whole shebang around it. Preparation looks disorganised and lacking in professionalism, certainly in comparison to those efforts to turn things around over the last couple of seasons.

Good players and Staff have come and gone at regular intervals this season.  My experience has shown that football at this level seems to be quite insular and, of course, news of exactly how individuals have been treated has began to filter through one way or another, even to my mailbox!  Not going to go through it here, but I'm sure many regular 'Lew' readers can picture some of the likely scenario's without things going in print. It's indicative by the multiple departures of disillusioned players and staff, that they are apportioning the blame in one specific direction. At the moment there seems to be too many 'not so well kept secrets’ about the club and it’s actions and those leaks do not reflect well on the ‘Puppet’ or the ‘ Puppetmaster’.

Back to Saturday; it's my blog and I'll ramble if I want to (in keeping with today's theme).  I must confess to deliberately not going to the Wentworth Arms before the game. I have nothing but admiration for the band of fans to whom I have already apologised for referring to as 'Oiks' back in the day. 'Oiks' they might not be, but noisy they most certainly are! I remember their antics in the Welwyn clubhouse and another 'assault on the eardrums' before the game was most certainly not on my agenda.

I also recall Neil Day being hoisted into the air and ceremoniously dropped and I certainly didn't want that happening to me with my lumbago problems. So I took lunch in the far more cordial surroundings of what local Estate agents like to describe as 'The Village', a conservation area around Victoria Park. Not an Ultra in sight here, so a chance to sit back and sample the local hostelries amidst a gentrified area of outstanding tranquility.

A short walk across the park and I was back on track towards Mile End navigating along the Canal. A riverside walk, fine pubs and the hustle and bustle of a popular London Market, all the ingredients of a great day out with or without the impact the Ultras were bound to make in the afternoon ahead.

An hour later, and after a certain amount of 'hardcore yomping' which belied my years, I came upon a scene, not as tranquil (or gentrified) for that matter. For old times sake and in an affectionate tone, I'm going to refer to the magnificent band of Clapton supporters as 'Oiks' once again,, but what a fantastic group of Oiks they are. They seemed to be joined by a number of external groups for this game but it all made for another carnival atmosphere as there often is at Mile End. Bengal seem to a 'bogey team' of the highest order, but I do have a sneaking admiration for their 'expressive' style of football and I, for one, did not begrudge them a deserved victory on the day.

As the crowd eventually drifted away to their evening pursuits I was left to reflect on what had been a most agreeable day. Once again my spirits had been lifted by a set of fans fast becoming the talk and envy of Non League Football  They continue to give unreserved support despite the shambles surrounding 'their' club. The fans deserve a 'regime' they can give their backing to and I understand that things are nicely 'in place' once the inevitable happens.  That day can't come soon enough for me.

Big Respect to all 'Real Clapton' fans

Lew Listz
11th November 2014
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Quick Quick Slow

Last Saturday’s hammering at the hands of FC Romania was a disappointing result, for sure.  Our lads did their best, but were beaten by the better side on the day. The atmosphere in the ground was, as ever, superb and there was no reason for me to go home, sulk, kick the cat or even insist on watching a Dad's Army repeat in place of Mrs Listz's favourite, "Strictly". I remain optimistic but I am not dancing.

In a previous blog I said that results are not important to Clapton FC at this time.  That blog was written when the team were doing well and some thought it was designed to undermine the results achieved by the team management.  So, after a couple of poor results, I re-iterate what I said.  We lost a couple of games of football and, in the greater scheme of things, it means nothing at all.

That is not to say that there no signs on the field that worry me as a supporter of the team.  As well as the departure of some good players and the return of Godfrey Obobe etc, which I covered previously, I am disappointed at hearing calls to sack Mike Walther. Despite Mike aligning himself with Vince's regime rather than the fans and placing his personal ambition above his loyalty to Chris Wood, his sacking is not the immediate answer just because we might have to suffer a few bad results.  The bigger picture is the future of the club, and we must remain focused on that.

It could be that Vince will eventually sack the Mike despite the loyalty that has been shown to him as it is evident that Vince has made every attempt to unsettle the relationship between the fans and the team since the sacking of Neil Day last season.  This could be his next move and, if I was Mike, the installation of Godfrey (inevitably by Vince) would not rest easy with me if I was thinking about my security of tenure in the manager's seat.

The one constant is the loyalty of many of the players. But do you think their loyalty is to Vince or Mike?  Or is it to the fans who cheer them for 95 minutes every match?  As they say "it's a no-brainer".  Therefore, as followers of Clapton FC we must continue to support the team, despite the results, good and bad, and judging by the incessant support for the throughout last Saturday's heavy defeat, I am in no doubt that the fans will deliver.

The 'bigger picture' is certainly worth waiting for.  I have seen the documents recently released via the real Clapton FC website and whilst I am not totally surprised, I am disappointed, no, angry, that the Football Association, Essex Senior League and London FA have stood by and let this happen to our great old club and then fortify it's continuance. Read the documents, its quite a tale!

I imagine that very soon some people might have to explain themselves and, on the basis of the treachery that those documents expose, I am even more confident that one day, very soon, we will have our club back.

When that happens, I'll be dancing.

Lew Listz
4th November 2014
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