Football Programmes Centre

Soft spot for a bad team
AlbumAlbum   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   My Wants ListMy Wants List   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 
Soft spot for a bad team

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The Football Programme Forum Index -> Anything Goes Chit Chat
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Pete’s Picture Palace
Forum Moderator


Joined: 19 Feb 2013
Posts: 4215
Location: Wallington Surrey

PostPosted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 6:18 pm 
Post subject: Soft spot for a bad team
Reply with quote

As a kid, growing up, I always checked the scores for the perennial losers, and back then it was Hartlepools in England and Stenhousemuir in Scotland. Even now I look for their scores ahead of most others. It's what we would call a "soft spot".

Nowadays I can't help but look out for Fort William in the Highland League, to be honest their performances since I've been looking have made me wonder how they are in that league at all.

But today, they have really taken the biscuit and exceeded all past misdemeanours.

Brora Rangers 16 Fort William 0.

Homer
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Wants List
slightfold



Joined: 13 Oct 2009
Posts: 593

PostPosted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 7:44 pm 
Post subject:
Reply with quote

Apparently they were very lucky to get 0 Smile
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Wants List
SeasideMark



Joined: 24 Oct 2014
Posts: 612

PostPosted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 11:05 pm 
Post subject:
Reply with quote

Back in the mid 70s we had a team in the Welsh League (North) called Llandudno Swifts. They were bloody awful and regularly shipped double figures, sometimes as high as 18 or 20. Everybody caned them week in, week out, but their keeper for the first couple of seasons moved on to better things...some geezer called Neville Southall. Very Happy
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Dorking



Joined: 05 Feb 2010
Posts: 2414

PostPosted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 11:14 pm 
Post subject:
Reply with quote

Always listen out for Raith Rovers, they were 'my Scottish club', who never did anything.

Then after years of almost nothing, they won the League cup, and got into Europe, and after a couple of early rounds even got to play Bayern Munich home and away (well not even at home as the pitch at Starks Park didn't comply with UEFA regulations!)

Even went all the way to Kirkaldy once to see the place and see a game, was kind of weird going to a place I'd only ever known of from afar, and also saw them away once at Inverness. It was soooooo freezing some Raith fans went out the ground at half time to sit on their coach just outside to warm up!

Not sure they'll ever top their aforementioned high points
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
derby1884
Forum Moderator


Joined: 05 Aug 2012
Posts: 3527
Location: the very western edge of Aberdeen

PostPosted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 11:43 pm 
Post subject:
Reply with quote

Hard for Fort to attract players given their location - and Brora Rangers? Well, their wage bill to revenue ratio would make Chelsea blush. Just check out who owns some of these Highland League clubs.

In other words, not a level playing field. The Highland League used to be - but is anything but nowadays, sadly.

Back to the thread subject, I try not to miss a San Marino game (online).

On the rare occasions, "we" get something out of a game**, it's like what following football when I was young was like.
I genuinely enjoy following them.

**The 0-0 draw against Estonia....the goal in Oslo against Norway.....that opening goal at Wembley!!
_________________
http://www.flickr.com/photos/derby1884/sets/
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
derby1884
Forum Moderator


Joined: 05 Aug 2012
Posts: 3527
Location: the very western edge of Aberdeen

PostPosted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 11:52 pm 
Post subject:
Reply with quote

Re Fort William - Claggan Park is certainly one of the more imposing stadia in the UK with those mountains in the background!


_________________
http://www.flickr.com/photos/derby1884/sets/
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Dorking



Joined: 05 Feb 2010
Posts: 2414

PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 12:26 am 
Post subject:
Reply with quote

I wonder how many times during a season it is that sunny and the sky is that blue!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
derby1884
Forum Moderator


Joined: 05 Aug 2012
Posts: 3527
Location: the very western edge of Aberdeen

PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 12:34 am 
Post subject:
Reply with quote

I've been twice - factors common to each visit:

-it rained
-Fort William didn't score
-I spent as much time looking at the scenery as the match
-it's a bugger of a drive back to Aberdeen Smile
_________________
http://www.flickr.com/photos/derby1884/sets/
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Five and In



Joined: 15 Sep 2015
Posts: 1409
Location: Dawlish, Devon

PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 8:49 am 
Post subject: Soft spot for a bad team
Reply with quote

I have a bizarre reason for looking out for the results of Livingston, previously Meadowbank Thistle.

Back in the 1970's at the start of a season and Shoot's League Ladders arrived with the magazine.
I put the teams into their slots and willed the season to start so that I could begin to move them around.

The following week Shoot issued one sole team tab - Meadowbank.
Apparently, they had printed the name of an incorrect team on the original tabs and omitted Meadowbank in their first season in the league.

I felt sorry for them as this was their big moment and Shoot had overlooked them and have kept an eye out for them ever since.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DonQuixote2



Joined: 05 Jun 2017
Posts: 62

PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 11:33 am 
Post subject:
Reply with quote

@derby

Sorry to play the pedant card, but......


“Welcome to Bologna on Capital Gold for England versus San Marino with Tennent’s Pilsner, brewed with Czechoslovakian yeast for that extra Pilsner taste... and England are one down.”
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
martino



Joined: 21 Jun 2011
Posts: 2163
Location: Beautiful downtown Goostrey, Cheshire

PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 4:02 pm 
Post subject:
Reply with quote

Back in the late 50's our then neighbours moved all the way from Portsmouth to Motherwell. So for that reason they have always been the team north of the border that I look out for.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
overlap



Joined: 10 Sep 2010
Posts: 426

PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 9:00 pm 
Post subject:
Reply with quote

Hi Derby, hate to be a pedant too, but mr Galtieri scored after seven seconds in bologna.

seven years later i was standing on a cloudy hillside in lovely Serraville as Scotland huffed and puffed to no avail until Matt Elliott managed to score in the 71st minute.

And one for Pete - also Scotland national team related - away in Norway in 2009 i met the Norwegian branch of the Stenhousemuir supporters club.

They explained that STEN - HOUSE - MUIR are actually three Norwegian words meaning STONE HOUSE WALL and that is why they follow the team.

(because of the linguistic connection, not because they are brickies).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
pastpirate
Forum Moderator


Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 2519
Location: The blue half of Bristol

PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 9:56 pm 
Post subject: Re: Soft spot for a bad team
Reply with quote

Now I thought I was the only one who looked for Meadowbank/Livingstone's scores. And for the exact same reason. Seem to remember they lost a lot of games at the start of their 1st season. I was willing them to get at least a draw as I felt so sorry for them.


Five and In wrote:
I have a bizarre reason for looking out for the results of Livingston, previously Meadowbank Thistle.

Back in the 1970's at the start of a season and Shoot's League Ladders arrived with the magazine.
I put the teams into their slots and willed the season to start so that I could begin to move them around.

The following week Shoot issued one sole team tab - Meadowbank.
Apparently, they had printed the name of an incorrect team on the original tabs and omitted Meadowbank in their first season in the league.

I felt sorry for them as this was their big moment and Shoot had overlooked them and have kept an eye out for them ever since.

_________________
I am not gas, I am a Pirate.

www.bristolroversmemorabilia.weebly.com The definitive list of Bristol Rovers programmes
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website MSN Messenger My Wants List
Five and In



Joined: 15 Sep 2015
Posts: 1409
Location: Dawlish, Devon

PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 10:58 pm 
Post subject: Re: Soft spot for a bad team
Reply with quote

pastpirate wrote:
Now I thought I was the only one who looked for Meadowbank/Livingstone's scores. And for the exact same reason. Seem to remember they lost a lot of games at the start of their 1st season. I was willing them to get at least a draw as I felt so sorry for them.


Five and In wrote:
I have a bizarre reason for looking out for the results of Livingston, previously Meadowbank Thistle.

Back in the 1970's at the start of a season and Shoot's League Ladders arrived with the magazine.
I put the teams into their slots and willed the season to start so that I could begin to move them around.

The following week Shoot issued one sole team tab - Meadowbank.
Apparently, they had printed the name of an incorrect team on the original tabs and omitted Meadowbank in their first season in the league.

I felt sorry for them as this was their big moment and Shoot had overlooked them and have kept an eye out for them ever since.




and then there were two Wave
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
sharrowblade
Forum Moderator


Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 3596
Location: Beautiful Downtown Bramall Lane

PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 10:44 am 
Post subject:
Reply with quote

One of my early lorry driving jobs was to Scotland.

In those days to save money I used to park up at the destination rather than shell out for the Truck stop. But on arrival at Magnet and Southern's at Coatbridge, the car park looked liked some bombed out village in the Ukraine.

There was some tower blocks overlooking it, glass, discarded sofas, bricks all over the place, there were dogs prowling about in three's with bovver boots on.

Next door to Magnet, was Albion Rovers Ground, I considered stopping the night for about 3 seconds, before deciding I was scared so went back down the A74 to Lesmahagow and returned the following morning.

Since then the 'wee Rovers' have been my Scottish team.

Big soft spots for the likes of Grimsby Town and Grimsby Borough.
_________________
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharrowblade/sets
A Sheffield United Programme guide
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Wants List
DonQuixote2



Joined: 05 Jun 2017
Posts: 62

PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 12:17 pm 
Post subject:
Reply with quote

I believe that the Shoot 'Meadowbank' thingy arose because
said club were still known as Ferranti Thistle until June of 1974 -
when they were elected to the Scottish League.

However, commercially named teams were not de rigueur
throughout the UK at the time and presumably the change
of name to Meadowbank came after Shoot had produce said ladders.[/i]
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
| More
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The Football Programme Forum Index -> Anything Goes Chit Chat All times are GMT + 1 Hour
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum