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cityrebel

Has anyone been anywhere yet

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12 hours ago, cityrebel said:

At the games I've been to, crowds have varied from as low as 50 at Banstead to 600 at Horsham and Leatherhead.

I have noticed that in the 13 games I have been to since matches were allowed with imposed crowd restrictions, attendances have been noticeably up on comparable games last year. Although they have had a crowd limit of 300 imposed Walthamstow in the Essex League, for example, have had sell outs at all but one home game this season. Their average home gate last year was, I believe, 79. 

Edited by Mr Ore
wrong figure
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10 minutes ago, Mr Ore said:

I have noticed that in the 13 games I have been to since matches were allowed with imposed crowd restrictions, attendances have been noticeably up on comparable games last year. Although they have had a crowd limit of 300 imposed Walthamstow in the Essex League, for example, have had sell outs at all but one home game this season. Their average home gate last year was, I believe, 59. 

I did read an article the other day, that showed all of the crowd increases at non league clubs this season. It's a shame this increase in support doesn't encourage some clubs to return to printing their own programmes. I do download and print my own using Microsoft publisher, but i prefer the real thing.

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1 hour ago, cityrebel said:

I did read an article the other day, that showed all of the crowd increases at non league clubs this season. It's a shame this increase in support doesn't encourage some clubs to return to printing their own programmes. I do download and print my own using Microsoft publisher, but i prefer the real thing.

Pontefract Collieries (Northern Premier League, North/West Division) have pushed the boat out this season, getting Footie Print to design and produce their match programme. Picked one up (28pp, £2.50) at last night's game with Marske United. A major improvement on the club's previous efforts.

Colls don't seem to be enjoying any increase in crowds while bigger neighbouring clubs are playing BCD. Just 167 watching (including about 35 following the visitors). Mind you, Pontefract is right in the heart of rugby league territory. Featherstone Rovers Rugby League Club draw a lot of support from Pontefract.

Brighouse Town, in the same division as Colls, pulled in 346 the previous evening. Doubtless, the crowd (more than double last season's usual) was swelled by live football starved supporters of FC Halifax Town and Huddersfield Town.

 

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On 9/22/2020 at 4:43 PM, topaz325 said:

Booked two nights in Edinburgh in October ....... even that is looking dodgy now? 

Looks like that’s off now....

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On 10/4/2020 at 4:25 PM, geoff100 said:

Remember the comets getting well beat in 1975 first leg knockout cup final with some dodgy ref decisions by am sure ex rider reg trott with charlie dugard sat next to him in the box. 

Was that the year they had dodgy silencers in the return leg  at Derwent park ??

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17 hours ago, Neila said:

Was that the year they had dodgy silencers in the return leg  at Derwent park ??

I think that was the following year when mike sampson threw his over the stadium wall .

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7 minutes ago, geoff100 said:

I think that was the following year when mike sampson threw his over the stadium wall .

Was that before or after he attemped to run Ian Thomas over?

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21 minutes ago, geoff100 said:

I think that was the following year when mike sampson threw his over the stadium wall .

Hmm Mike Sampson, Les Rumsey, Tom Owen, Steve Finch, Kelvin Mullarkey, Dave Trownson....

Young boys on the terraces, shale in your hair, Oxo and Pie, watching over the fence Hmm proper Speedway;)

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20 hours ago, Mr Ore said:

I have noticed that in the 13 games I have been to since matches were allowed with imposed crowd restrictions, attendances have been noticeably up on comparable games last year. Although they have had a crowd limit of 300 imposed Walthamstow in the Essex League, for example, have had sell outs at all but one home game this season. Their average home gate last year was, I believe, 79. 

Is this the team once known as Walthamstow Avenue a one time force in Amateur  football

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2 hours ago, wealdstone said:

Is this the team once known as Walthamstow Avenue a one time force in Amateur  football

Side-tracking a bit the long gone Walthamstow Avenue ground was definitely my favourite of all time. A very sad loss.  All very complicated so I apologise for any minor errors (hopefully none). The straight answer to your query is, "NO".  Avenue are actually now part of Dagenham and Redbridge FC.  Two other historic sides, Ilford and Leytonstone (I am sadly too young to have done their grounds) ultimately merged to form Leytonstone and Ilford FC after the former sold their ground, which I believe was literally next door to the tube station. When Ilford also sold their ground, the merged team moved in at WA in a ground share. My own opinion, based on watching a L/I game there was that they actually  became the dominant  force in the stadium and ultimately the 3 sides merged under the Redbridge Forest FC  banner. Finally RF were integrated with Dagenham to become Dagenham and Redbridge FC who actually got as high as the third tier in the professional game,  although now back in National League. 

The current Walthamstow team have links with another historic London team, Leyton, whose original ground is still standing, albeit in a desolate condition, a stone's throw from the Lea Bridge speedway track.  They were originally called Pennant but added the Walthamstow tag (becoming Walthamstow Pennant) when Avenue went through their merger, effectively stopping the loss of the Walthamstow name from senior football. Leyton have gone through  numerous incarnations/reformations, including a period as Leyton Wingate, when the latter lost their ground, but are now integrated within Wingate and Finchley FC at step 3 in the pyramid. Another offshoot of Wingate played under their generic name for a while in Barnet at a stadium currently owned by Hadley FC. 

Ultimately Leyton and WP merged becoming Leyton Pennant FC. However during a period of instability, much of it not football related,  the then owner changed the club name to Waltham Forest and initially started playing at Wadham Lodge stadium, but to continue the above links. later entered a ground share with the reformed Ilford FC at their current Cricklefields stadium. 

From memory it was around 4 years ago they however returned to Wadham Lodge stadium and reclaimed the Walthamstow name to reflect their "homecoming" . Currently they share the ground with Clapton Community FC, a phenomenally successful group who have had 4 figure crowds playing on "park pitches" and who, to the chagrin of some, have bought the fun side back to the game and actually encourage putting donations into the local food bank in lieu of admission to their games. They have recently acquired the freehold of the old Clapton FC Old Spotted Dog ground and are already improving the pitch and ground for their return to another traditional old London venue.  The original Clapton currently play behind closed doors at Terrence MacMillan stadium, which was considered as a possible venue for West Ham speedway when Custom House closed.   

Finally (Thank God) during the Waltham Forest "exile" from Wadham Lodge a breakaway team formed by some of the former management , called Wadham Lodge FC moved in ensuring continued use of the ground. When Walthamstow FC "returned" they changed their name to Leyton Athletic to reflect the original history of Waltham Forest FC.  Following a year's sabbatical they were to return this season with a high profile manager and  quality players but clearly "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" and a sweary departure days after he signed saw the manager resign and nothing further being heard of a return. .

 

   

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If anybody remembers during the 1950's for while BBC showed the second half of amateur football matches on what became Grandstand. The only one I remember as we did not have a TV at the time and I saw it at a friends house was a match featuring and coming from Walthamstow Avenue.

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I was lucky enough to do Ilford, Romford, Leytonstone and Walthamstow Avenue. One of my School mates old man was something to do with the Surrey FA. He was also a fan of Wimbledon and Tooting and Mitcham. I cut my football teeth visiting those famous old non league London grounds. A very similar path to my speedway roots.

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On 10/8/2020 at 11:30 AM, wealdstone said:

Is this the team once known as Walthamstow Avenue a one time force in Amateur  football

Remember seeing them win the Amateur Cup at Wembley in 1961 against West Auckland Town in front of 100,000 spectators. Great side back then.

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