Non-league games!?

[ferrarilover]

Paul Hinshelwood, wasn't he the bloke who scored from inside our half against Kiddiminster away when we won 5-0 (having won 5-4 the week before)?

Matt.

[ferrarilover]

That's a real shame, he was (and I can only reasonably presume, remains) a nice guy.

Matt.

[royalgull]

Was at Didcot v Bridgwater last night where Danny Wring was playing for the visitors, he's still crap. Paul Robinson ex Newcastle and former Torquay loanee was up front for Didcot, ditto Wring, rubbish.

Hockers was playing for Bideford the other week at Diddy and was class at that level.

[Southampton Gull]

Smiffy you bloody traitor, Havant & Waterlooville? WTF? My most hated club of all Get down to Eastleigh, much nicer surroundings

[gasrex]

I'm going to Totton on Sunday, but I can't say I'm looking forward to it

[Southampton Gull]

They'll give you a run for your money mate. They have some really talented youngsters there. It wouldn't surprise me if you need a replay to get past them.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Hoping to get to Alfreton Town before Christmas, seen Matlock a few times, the gladiators aren't doing so well now Ross Hannah isn't there though. Also been meaning to get to see Sheffield FC the worlds oldest club apparently, they play in a small town called Dronfield NOT Sheffield, Dronfield is a small town a few miles up the road from Chesterfield.

[Stoke_Gull]

Hoping to get to Alfreton Town before Christmas, seen Matlock a few times, the gladiators aren't doing so well now Ross Hannah isn't there though. Also been meaning to get to see Sheffield FC the worlds oldest club apparently, they play in a small town called Dronfield NOT Sheffield, Dronfield is a small town a few miles up the road from Chesterfield.

Hey Andy if you go to Sheffield chances are you will see the legendary David Graham, oh how the mighty have fallen. He's on his third spell there now.

Visited Matlock twice, what a lovely little ground it is. You've got the rolling hills and at one end you can see a castle on top of a hill. Second time we saw the Gladiators, they played Eastwood Town. I remember because we sat behind an old Eastwood supporter who was constantly urging his team on. "Come on you Badgers!" "You can do it, just got to believe!". The game was also made that bit more interesting when someone's Border Collie ran onto the pitch and went straight for the ball, play was stopped for 5 minutes as the owner managed to get the dog back on it's lead. Priceless

Been to Leek Town about 3 or so years ago, one side of their ground would probably be acceptable in League 1 but the rest isn't up to much. No dogs at that game though

[AustrianAndyGull]

That castle is Riber Castle and used to be a zoo until it shut down about 6 or 7 years ago. I've worked for a large well known animal charity for many years and they used to take some wild animals from us when idiots had decided to have them as pets until they realised they had the potential to rip your face off when they get older, a bit like chavs i suppose. Its now a private residence i believe but they do wedding functions and the like. Matlock Bath round the corner is a nice little place for anyone visiting derbyshire. Its weird as it is one long promenade of a road with amusement arcades, quaint shops and an aquarium, who also used to take terrapins and other reptiles and amphibians from us. Its kind of a mish mash between a seaside resort and a quaint derbyshire peak village. Its a nice little ground though and i'd like to see them push on and get into the BSP.

[Southampton Gull]

Haha :~D how on earth could such a 'nothing club' provoke such a hatred!!!? Eastleigh is unfortunately a bit too far for my student budget, as is Basingstoke unfortunately. I'd dearly love to get down that way and give Sillsy some support each week !!! Got Weston Super Mare on Saturday. Massive. Good old Matt Villis wasting his career at yet another tin pot club!

Do you watch Eastleigh often mate? They got any players I would recognise from the glory days?

I had a real fierce rivalry with a couple of Havant players over the years, 657 lads from my era that liked to dish it out and could take it as well, it even extended to sunday football when we were allowed to play

The name still makes me snarl to this day, old habits die hard I guess. Eastleigh have lost ther money man that helped get them up to where they are now but are on the verge of attracting some new investment so there could be exciting times ahead. I don;t watch them that often to be honest, I'm either working or watching Torquay these days but I do watch an evening match occasionally, the place has changed a lot since I was there, looks like a proper little stadium now so fair play to them.

Paul (Awayday) has seen Sillsy play for Basingstoke, he reckons he was a shadow of his former self and the Stoke fans don't rate him, not sure I'd want to watch him struggle at that level to be honest.

[BritishGAS]

Anyone taken in any non-league games recently!? A few uni mates and myself have decided to start supporting Havant and Waterlooville recently as student admission is next to nothing! Just wondering if any teams/players have caught the eye of fellow Gulls fans!??

Watched Havant play Weymouth in the FA Trophy tonight and saw a few old Torquay rejects. Paul Hinshelwood played the first half in central midfield and looked pretty poor, didn't seem to look comfortable there at all. He was moved to left back second half and looked half decent. Steven Reed came on for Weymouth towards the end and played central midfield also (not sure why these ex-fullbacks of ours change clubs and decide to change positions too!?). He played the ball around nicely and still has a good left foot on him. I think he played for Cambridge in CM against us and got MOTM maybe!!?? Also a Weymouth winger looked decent and I looked him up when we got back. His name was Sam Malsom, and I realised it was the same one that came through our youth system and then got offloaded to Argyle when our youth academy was cut. Nice feet and quite pacy/tricky. Not an ex-player of ours, but Sammy Igoe was absolutely quality. So pacy and fantastic technique despite being 35!

Does anyone remember a player called Chris Holland, who played for Bristol City and also Exeter at earlier points in his career!? He reminded me of Guy Branston. Abolsolutely quality performance. Basically Guy, but with a set of hair.

Definitely going to take in some more games over next few months!

No surprise that Sammy Igoe impressed you, he has tremendous quality and could still play at a higher level than that quite easily. Technically he is very good indeed.

He became a legend in Gas folklore scoring our equaliser in the painpot trophy final at The Millenium and also scored against Lincoln in the Play Off Semi and our crucial 3rd goal against Shrewsbury in the Play Off Final.

We released him when we went up to League One, his legs had gone to play at that level but he could still play at our level now or Blue Square IMO.

Like Rex I am also off to Totten on Sunday too, and to say I am not confident would be an understatement, I was at Hitchin back in 95 which was very depressing, hopefully this wont be a repeat.

There are quite a few decent non league clubs in and around Bristol, and I pop down to have a look at some now and again, Mangotsfield is just over the road from me and I have been a couple of times this season, Bristol Manor Farm, Yate Town, Weston and Clevedon are others I have been to over the last year or so.

A player who was recommended to our former scout Paul Molesworth a few times was Dayle Grubb at Weston, a box to box midfielder who definatly has league quality.