Yesterday's Game

[DI Mike Dashwood]

So me and a few mates took up the £35 hospitality offer yesterday.

Firstly, the positives. We were very well looked after throughout the day. Food was good, service was good, the vino was decent, and the company was good. Had a good chat with Thommo and a few other people before and after the game. Wayne came in after the game and spoke to a couple of our lads. He asked how everyone was and was very polite and chatty. He posed for a photo with my mate's young nephew and chatted with him. All the players who the young lad wanted a photo with obliged, even the lower league legend that is Kevin Ellison. Also had a good chat with some other supporters who had taken up the offer. All in all, a very good day for £35 quid (plus an extra tenner for a couple of pints of cider). The Club are also doing cheap spots for Wednesdays game so I would say to people to take it up if you can!!!

However, I will be honest, there was obviously something not right yesterday, I will be honest, and I found it very hard to take. I have been in the sponsors lounge about 30 times in the last 15 Years, and it has never been like this. After the game it was flat. Now I want to say I am not blaming anyone imparticular for this (certainly not the staff or people involved in the sponsors lounge who were brilliant as always). Thommo came and had a chat with us and Paul Gwynne who hosts things in the Lounge was on great form as normal. But it was flat. After the game when the players came in (all of them) there was probably only 20 other people left in there. In the past, even after defeats, the place has been packed. Some Years it has rather frustratingly taken 20 minutes to get a beer after the game, yesterday you just strolled up. The buzz of previous times in here was not there.

Now I have said for some time, this has changed overall since we got in the League. The days of Ashley Vickers and Cobby standing in there all night having a pint have gone, and as Arnu has said before (rightly) thats because we are a full time professional sports club now. But even up until 4 or 5 years ago, the players and supporters would engage with one another. Yesterday there was nobody for the players to engage with, even if they had wanted to!!! While I had a great day, and I would urge others to give the hospitality a go at some point, it broke my heart seeing it like it was after the game.

Whatever people think, and I get the frustrations, those on and off the pitch have to pull together for the next few months in my view. Those who don't agree with what is going on, do you think staying away or creating a negative atmosphere is going to help. If the Club are not going to sack Wayne (a separate debate) then depriving the Club of money and not trying to create a positive atmosphere is going to push us even quicker towards the trapdoor, and potentially beyond.

Anyway, I put on my hard hat and await the bombardment.

[Diggerthedog]

Good post.

I myself have been in the sponsors lounge and it's great value for money.

There is a lot of things wrong with the club and it has not really been right for some time and I don't see it changing anytime soon.

[ARNU]

The ability of many to not cotton on to the fact that the club is no longer a pub team is the biggest hurdle those supporters will have to overcome.Theres many on here who genuinely think the club owe them something.It dosent.Its a mutually beneficial transaction and that's it.You like football they play football the end.This is sad,even I am nostalgic for the days of robbo Benno Sam saunders etc...Those days have gone.I don't even think you could get them back whoever was in charge.Back then the buzz was to just be competing with the bigger more famous teams,now cos we aren't ever gonna win the league or possibly not stay in it everyones getting cold feet.You wished for this league,you got it.Now what do you reasonably expect.****** me,the bloke finished 9th two seasons back.You are your own worst enemies.

Solution.......Theres 2.

1.....Go and find some other pub team with a bit of spirit and community where the players all have a booze with you and do it all over again,that'll be in the lower leagues Im afraid.You wont get it at Daggers anymore.Shame but there ya go.

2.....Get behind this lot and hope we start winning/competing again.


NB...Option 2 wont ever bring back the pub team atmosphere as its gone,long gone.

[mickeyblue]

Pretty certain there is a option 3 with new management team .

[Auntie Merge]

Pretty certain there is a option 3 with new management team .

This.

A management team that does not alienate the supporters or makes digs at them in interviews.