Anyone thinking of doing any of them?... I wouldn't mind checking out Ebbsfleets new gaff - can away supporters get in the away bar area (the new stand) and anyone up for this on Saturday 21st July?
brb what do you hope to see if you go to any of the pre-season friendlies ? -- certainly no indication of the fortunes of the team in the season head ! If you remember, last pre-season, we scored goals like they were going out of fashion --- wasn't it 12 against Chatham ? - and yet we struggled to find the net in the serious games. If you're going more for the social occasion, that's OK - but don't expect to learn anything about how they'll perform in August --- enjoy the beer
I will certainly be looking to go to some of the friendlies, Ebbsfleet being one of them. I think Stonebridge is a nice little ground and am looking forward to visiting it again. As for the value of these games it's all about gaining match fitness, about seeing any new signings and how good/bad they perform, always if you want to change your user id then I am open to reasonable offers for mine, it would suite you.
Grumpygit I bet you wouldn't have wanted to exchange your week for mine. It started with a 4am distress call, on Sunday, from my mother-in-law regarding major problems with my dementia suffering dad-in-law........ a great day ( not ). Then on Monday I had similar problems with my mum ( also with dementia )...... On Wednesday I was insulted by an acquaintance - to whom I have given much financial assistance - all because ( for once ), I did not put my hand in my pocket. Then there was my Tesco 'experience' - where I encountered more nutters..... and the weekend hasn't started yet!.............. ........ do you think it's hereditary ? - I bloody hope so - if I go mad perhaps people will leave me alone.
just for grumpygit http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/sport/come-back-and-stay-183826/ take a look at 1973fan's post ------ and you thought I moaned !
I actually gave him a 'thumbs up' - out of sympathy -- for somebody who obviously was in greater pain than me.
grumpygit I have no doubt that you read all of it. The post doesn't do Mr. Scally or The Gills any favours. Sadly we can understand the sentiments involved - They cannot be overlooked. For all the good work that Mr. Scally may have done - or caused to be done - he is undoubtedly at the centre of an awful lot of things that have gone wrong --- and, of course, it is very easy to remember those occasions. 1973fan is merely giving a more comprehensive personal account of bad experiences. He / she states that much of the root cause of their grief stems from the arrogance of Mr. Scally. This trait has been very prevalent - perhaps especially in the treatment of STH ( of which, 1973fan is no longer a number ). I don't doubt that Mr. Scally has a difficult job as Chairman of GFC - but he cannot afford to alienate the fans - especially the hardcore who continue to pay upfront for a ST - and then face a bit of a lottery if the 'deals' and freebies don't make that ST a poor financial choice. 1973fan also related an occasion when he & family turned up without their ST - and were subjected to a lot of bureaucracy in trying to obtain replacement tickets - despite being able to prove his identity............... too many of us have stories of incompetence by The Club - and too many of us cannot defend Mr. Scally when he leads with his chin. He and the Club have displayed an extraordinary lack of customer service and an inability with regards to personnel management ---- all of this - and more makes it easy to write several editions of war and peace.................. I actually wish that I din't have to -- and I am sure the same goes for 1973fan
I suppose hindsight is a wonderful thing and on one ocassion Scally could not be to blame for fan alienation. STs one turnstile, hence he later apologised. However, as a VERY long serving chairman, it is about time we got our pricing deals right but that also includes not underselling ourselves, which then makes me ask is the money in match day sales rather than the ticket itself!
brb Here's a theory for you -- perhaps it's the appalling standard of (particularly), the food and drinks that has driven away so many fans - and that it is a sheer coincidence that - during this period of poor catering, its' standards have been matched by the sideshow on the pitch. As you say - Mr. Scally has been around long enough. He has had the benefit of learning from examples of so many other league teams ( and from his mistakes ), - and should have been able to provide a better service to all sections of Gills fans ( not just STH ).................. but - he is in a ' NO - LOSE ' position. The Club is able to sustain his lavish lifestyle ( and the upkeep of several previous Mrs. Scallys ( or is the plural Scallies ? ). - all without really doing much - and certainly with NO need to put his hand in his own pocket. Mr. Scally has no real incentive to do so - because if all else fails - - ( and with the local Council firmly on his side ), he can turn Priestfield into a [council] housing estate and stagger away with loads of cash...................... ................. ( sorry about all of that, I banged my head on my newspaper - I think I'm concussed ).
I think Scally has done much to improve the food, but i certainly take your point from past experience. I once also banged my head, probably as a young child, the doctors in Boston have confirmed it's a reasonable explanation why i support the Gills.
Ive just seen Wycombes preseason friendlies for July, at home they have both West Ham and Brentford, about the same travel distance to us but in reverse ie Brentford further for us. How come we don't have decent league opposition?
I've asked about this on social media a couple of times. I don't mind playing some of the local sides but playing the ones at such a low level like Deal Town, Thamesmead or Meridian Sports I don't feel is beneficial at all as you don't learn anything. There has been talk about them redoing the pitch so that's why there aren't any games at Priestfield, but there's no reason why we could try and play a championship side at their place.
Just catching up, and I must admit I haven't read everything relating to this, but the bottom line is, play decent football and people will come and watch. Leaving the hard core dedicated support aside (I think someone estimated about 4,000, a figure I wouldn't argue with), you're not going to attract that many more people by reducing prices for the paying customers to see the dross that we saw at the end of 2016/17 and the beginning of last season. But if you've got a team playing attractive and mostly winning football then those people who don't even turn up under the reduced price / crap football offers will actually pay full price to come and watch. Or am I missing something?
