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The first home game under the new Gulls boss Chris Hargreaves and it couldn't really get any bigger. A chance to put a bit of distance between us and the bottom side Northampton Town is the carrot for the lads on Saturday. Cobblers will be looking not to get beaten obviously but they really need to start winning games soon and even more so should we manage to do the double over them. The second half at San Sixfields in our 2-1 win there being the highlight of all I witnessed under Alan Skrill. I really did think we were in business after that second half but as we all know, it went tits up in a mahoosive way.

When I went to watch Northampton outplay Chesterfield at the Proact just before Christmas I was very impressed with them and i felt all they needed was a striker with a bit of instinct to get on the end of some excellent approach play. They now have one in Matty Blair, signed on loan from Fleetwood. On that evening I was also impressed with their workrate and by the way, I didn't see ANY of the long ball stuff we've come to associate with the men from San Sixfields. Played some great stuff on the night yet their supporters (I was sat in the away end) thought it best to focus on the negative stuff culminating in one 'fan' shouting "F*ck off Deegan!" when the afore mentioned came on as sub second half. I'm sure that did him the world of good.

If we go up to Chesterfield next month and play like Cobblers did then I would be absolutely over the moon yet the sheer effort their players put in for the cause on that night didn't really seem to warrant anything tangible from the travelling shoemakers.

Plus they had a small group of absolute knuckleheads all stood at the front behind Tommy Lee's goal shouting abuse for most of the game. Amongst their superb contributions to proceedings were songs of 'get yer tits out' to a young lass who was receiving an award on the pitch at half time. Charmed I'm sure. It's 2014, football and society has moved on you knuckledragging morons. Grow up and show some respect or get run over or something, total waste of oxygen. Some of them got involved in positive songs and I had a nice chat to some of them so it's not all bad but they have a Neanderthal element who I presume won't be at Torquay because it will cost too much out of their benefits (i say this because there is simply no way that these imbeciles could ever be considered for employment and not to tar all benefit claimants with the same 'brain dead lazy oik' brush which i know isn't true) and they won't have the opportunity of kicking off with likeminded home fans. Give or take one or two.

I am still going to stick my neck out and say that they will climb their way out of the poo but they need some wins on the board and now.

Caretaker boss Andy King has also added defender Sean McGinty on loan from Sheff U and claims he is on the lookout for another striker. His record thus far reads 1 win, a surprise 2-1 win at Rodney Parade, a draw 0-0 at Pompey and 2 defeats, a late late 1-0 loss at Burton and latterly a disappointing 2-0 home reverse against the Minstermen. So they have been in better form and once they (if they) find someone to bag a few goals I believe they have enough to stay up. They have some decent players and Ishmael Demontagnac is one of them but isn't someone to be relied upon in a relegation battle. Sadly we can't pour scorn on both Clive Platt or Adebayo Akinfenwa as they have both moved on.

Goals win games and they have scored just 7 away from home however so have Bristol Rovers and they managed to score at Plainmoor. That was then though and this is now. Jesus is at the helm.

With all due respect to Northampton, we really should be up to winning this game especially with the new manager effect to carry us along but I'm not falling into that trap. This will be tough and if we aren't up for it then we could quite easily get beaten. Part of me thinks this will be a draw. Possibly 0-0. I think we can all expect too much too soon from Chris and it is unfair. He has a huge job to do and he has no first team managerial experience therefore there may be games like this that we are perhaps expected to win and we might even end up getting beat. That's football but I'm sure Chris will at least have us competitive and full of energy which was sorely lacking under Alan Skrill.

As many fans as possible should get down to Plainmoor for this and give Chris and the players total committed support for the duration of it. Be vocal, Danny get your drum, Annie get your gun and cheer, sing, shout, encourage, clap and gurn. Just enjoy it regardless and understand that Chris is a bit like Obi Wan Kenobi, our final hope. We now all live by the sword and die by the sword as we're all in it together regardless of if his appointment turns out to be a success or not. We must all support Chris even if he loses the next 5. There is no going back now. This is it, this time I know it's the real thing, I can't explain what a feeling.

Cobblers will fetch about 300 max although I'd be surprised if they took 200. Last season they played us just before Christmas at Plainmoor and there was about 40 of them but total respect to the ones who make the trip. True, true die hards that keep their club afloat. Hats off to them. It's just after Christmas, cold, wet, grey, and an away game in Torquay is not the most appealing but they go because they support their club and i don't doubt that present at Plainmoor on Saturday will be the true beating heart of NTFC minus the SpongeBob and Patrick element. In addition I'm sure both sets of fans will appreciate and appropriately honour any mark of respect for the sad passing of the Cobblers fan last weekend.

The ref is Michael Naylor who most recently officiated in our 3-0 loss at home to York earlier on in the season but he reffed our FA Cup win over Mansfield a few years back where Benners scored near the end to give us a 1-0 win so that'll do for me!

I'm going a 0-0 for this but I so hope we can get the win. COYY!!!

Sean McGinty? Is he related to Paddy McGinty (he with the goat)?

Seriously, anybody thinking the Northampton game is going to be a walkover for us is mistaken. I agree with you Andy that Northampton have a decent chance of avoiding the drop, more so than at least two of our fellow strugglers. But we now have an even better chance of climbing the table with the new energy and enthusiasm Hargreaves has brought to Plainmoor. It's obviously a big game for both clubs on Saturday and I feel it could be a very tight one, with the Gulls just edging it. But equally it's possible, if the Gulls carry on as they have started in this new Hargreaves era, that the Gulls will seize the opportunity for a big win, 3-0, or even 4-0, with a couple for Danny Stevens.. :~D

Referee Michael Naylor is rated as one of the best, who normally officiates at higher league games and at other important games such as cup-ties, play-off games and six-pointers. Saturday's game is obviously regarded as one such..

Looks like a lot of heavy showers for Torquay tomorrow, need to get lucky with the wind on friday for a drier day because match day could also be wet!

They had Izale McLeod on loan recently, a bloke we all know as being far too good for L2 when fit (which, presently, he is) and he scored just one goal in four games (Accrington, Wycombe, Bury and Burton, so hardly the toughest run of fixtures) and that was a consolation in a 4-1 home defeat to Wycombe.
Against us at their place, we let them run all over us with the same trick time and time again and they still only scored the one. Had Nico (insert obligatory club legend statement here) been replaced after 5 minutes, once it became obvious that he was being targeted and had absolutely no answer to their winger, they wouldn't have even got that. Second half, once we stopped shitting ourselves at the thought of playing the might Cobblers in front of a 25% full stadium of inbreds and retards, we ripped them to shreds and, really, should have won much more convincingly than we did.

If we don't win this, there is no hope for us. Any team, by bad luck or a lack of talent which has managed to score fewer points and goals than us so far this year really is there for the taking. I don't give a shit if they sign Ronaldo and Messi on loan and drag Sir Alex out of retirement for the game, they're mainly total rubbish and the new administration are under a duty to dispatch them accordingly.

3-0 please Chris, and Northampton lucky to get nil.

Matt.

I shall be attending this football fixture.

An easy win would be desirable and my heart says it will be (with a feel good factor round the ground when Jesus returns to once again lead his disciples) but then my head kicks in and says a very nervous 1-1.

Feeling the nerves already!!

Rangeroverlover wrote:They had Izale McLeod on loan recently, a bloke we all know as being far too good for L2 when fit (which, presently, he is) and he scored just one goal in four games (Accrington, Wycombe, Bury and Burton, so hardly the toughest run of fixtures) and that was a consolation in a 4-1 home defeat to Wycombe.
Against us at their place, we let them run all over us with the same trick time and time again and they still only scored the one. Had Nico (insert obligatory club legend statement here) been replaced after 5 minutes, once it became obvious that he was being targeted and had absolutely no answer to their winger, they wouldn't have even got that. Second half, once we stopped shitting ourselves at the thought of playing the might Cobblers in front of a 25% full stadium of inbreds and retards, we ripped them to shreds and, really, should have won much more convincingly than we did.

If we don't win this, there is no hope for us. Any team, by bad luck or a lack of talent which has managed to score fewer points and goals than us so far this year really is there for the taking. I don't give a sh*t if they sign Ronaldo and Messi on loan and drag Sir Alex out of retirement for the game, they're mainly total rubbish and the new administration are under a duty to dispatch them accordingly.

3-0 please Chris, and Northampton lucky to get nil.

Matt.

Can't wait for Greavsie's first home match, should be a tremendous atmosphere. Be interesting to see if Chris sticks with the same personnel that worked so admirably at Kingsmeadow (caught us all by surprise) or if he brings back some natural width in the shape of Chapel and/or Bodin.

A lot will depend on the state of our pitch, the Morecambe match was surely touch and go and at the final whistle the match had really taken its toll on the turf. We should be grateful to the marvellous work of the groundstaff if the match is on at all, but if it is in an understandably poor state then Hawley, Benyon and Stockley up front might well be the order of the day again.

We have no excuses if we fail to beat the only team currently worse than us in the league. We have a chance to psychologically destroy Northampton on Saturday and I am sure Chris and Lee will have us prepared properly for this one.

Looking at the weather forecast, it's obvious that the pitch is going to be soft and muddy, but the outlook doesn't seem to be as bad as it was before the Morecambe match, so I have a strong feeling that the Northampton game will go ahead.

Really heavy rain today (Thurs) and looks like its going to continue that way. Really cannot see this game going ahead, on Sat. Hope I'm wrong.

diamondgirl wrote:Really heavy rain today (Thurs) and looks like its going to continue that way. Really cannot see this game going ahead, on Sat. Hope I'm wrong.

Really? A couple of prolonged showers, but I've not seen any heavy rain.. Mind you, I suppose history tells us it doesn't take too much bad weather to cause a Plainmoor game to be put off..

Gullscorer wrote:

Must admit, I am in Paignton (By the College) and it has absolutely hammered down, about, 5/6 times so far today. Including one spell of hailstones. Hopefully, 4 miles, down the road, at Plainmoor its a bit better.

It was, but right now it seems to be getting worse..

wivelgull wrote:I shall be attending this football fixture.

Hahaha, I don't know why, but this really made me laugh. Can we please have a 'speak like a local Councillor day'?

Matt.