DISTANT VICS NEWSLETTER
PART OF NORTHWICH VICTORIA SUPPORTERS TRUST
NUMBER 532 15th APRIL 2010
CLUB NEWS
Vics ‘home’ season comes to an end in the coming week with 3 games in 6 days. Gloucester visit on Saturday, Stalybridge on Tuesday and Winsford in the final of the Mid-Cheshire Senior Cup on Thursday. The prices for the latter game are £6 adults, £3 concessions and £1 juniors. The season ends in a fortnight with a trip to Harrogate.
THE GUARDIAN - Andrew Simpson
ARTICLE No 1
ANDY Preece accused his players of lacking fight after they surrendered a two-goals lead before slumping to defeat at play-offs hopefuls Alfreton Town.
The Vics boss told the Guardian that his team’s fourth successive defeat was their worst in an eight-match sequence without a win.
Reds scored three times while down to ten-men to run out 3-2 victors.
“The players let us down today,” he said.
“I don’t have a go at them very often but they have to have bigger hearts and stronger spirit than what they showed in the second half.
“They had something to defend and hang on to and they couldn’t do it.
“We won’t get in a better position than that to win here; Alfreton won six games in a row at home and we were beating them 2-0 with an extra player.
“I thought it couldn’t get any worse than it did against Workington [last week]; well it just did.”
Mark Danks’ penalty handed the visitors an interval lead before Wayne Riley curved in a stunning second to leave Vics as favourites to win.
Anthony Howell’s dismissal for a cynical foul on Jamie Vermiglio with his elbow appeared to end the hosts’ hopes.
But they rallied, Aiden Flint and Jake Moult scoring from close range to restore parity before Danny Meadowcroft diverted substitute Daniel North’s cross into his own goal in the last minute.
“We didn’t deal with any cross that came into the box today – they looked like they were going to score every time they sent a ball over for us to deal with,” said Preece.
“There simply isn’t a player back there like Simon Grand or Mat Bailey who can clear the danger; it’s as simple as that.
“We just defended really badly,” he said.
“We need a centre half who will go and attack high balls, win headers. What can I do? I’m absolutely sick about it.”
Preece took off Danks after Flint’s goal, sending Brian Dutton into the attack and switching the formation from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2.
Alfreton exploited the extra space, scoring twice following raids down their left.
“I felt we kept giving the ball away and probably Danksy was the main culprit,” explained Preece.
“Every time we got good possession we gave it away again so I felt by putting Brian Dutton up there we would look after the ball better and keep it in their half of the field.
“Our defence just kept dropping deeper and I was screaming at them to push forward and squeeze the space Alfreton had to play in.
“But the harsh fact is we haven’t got the quality of players to keep possession for long periods to take off the pressure.”
ARTICLE No 2
ANDY Preece has called on his out-of-sorts players to change their ways or risk seeing their season end in disaster.
The Northwich Victoria manager was frank in his assessment after his side surrendered a two-goals lead against 10-man Alfreton Town on Saturday.
“It’s getting really frustrating,” he said.
“Andy [Morrison] and I worked really hard this week to pick up the players after they lost back-to-back matches in the last minute. Who picks me up?
“It’s all about desire to defend and protect a lead but to be brutally honest, I don’t think we’re good enough [at the moment].”
Their 3-2 reverse is a fourth in succession, stretching their winless streak to eight games going into last night’s league encounter at Stalybridge Celtic.
Three of the past four defeats have come in the last minute.
“There aren’t any characters out there to steady the ship when we’re under pressure, but when you’ve lost as many players as we have in the past couple of months then that’s what happens,” added Preece.
“I’m really hurting at the minute.
“With everything happening off the field it feels like we’re being punished for the success we had in the FA Cup and the enjoyment we had beating Charlton.”
His mood was not helped by the Football Conference’s refusal to lift a transfer embargo before their weekend encounter.
League bosses said they had not received confirmation from all of Vics’ football creditors that they had received money owed to them.
However the Guardian can reveal that one club – League Two outfit Port Vale – had not even yet cashed a cheque made out to them to cover wages owed to Christian Smith and Kyle Perry for loan stays at the Victoria Stadium.
The Conference, rather than run their own check, told Vics on Friday that it was up to them to ring their rivals to confirm debts had been cleared.
Preece fumed: “Have you ever heard anything like it?
“The Conference couldn’t take our word for it before their deadline, then seven days later it’s up to us to do their job for them.
“It’s so unfair.”
The Guardian contacted the Conference last Tuesday for an update, only receiving a reply three days later.
A statement read: “We are awaiting confirmation from creditors that payments have cleared.”
CONFERENCE RAMBLINGS
Grays Athletic are preparing to leave their current New Rec home at the end of this season.
Grays' owner Andy Swallow said the New Rec's owners had decided not to extend the club's lease.
It means Grays will have to ground-share next season, and may opt to drop into the Ryman Premier Division.
Swallow said: "[The owners] wouldn't extend the two years we thought they would. We're no longer the tenants."
Swallow has explored the possibility of playing Blue Square South football at Thurrock next season but says it may prove too costly.
"We weren't too keen on the prices they (Thurrock) quoted us, but we've had negotiation with East Thurrock, we can ground-share there for a couple of years in the Ryman Premier."
"I'm going to go and speak with our local one Tilbury."
Swallow also says he doubted manager Julian Dicks and assistant Kenny Brown would stay at the club.
"Would they (Dicks and Brown) do the Ryman Premier? I would doubt it."
"I would never sack them, and if they don't think it's where they want to be I understand."
Former Chester City FC owner Stephen Vaughan and his son were arrested in connection with an incident which left a police officer with a fractured cheek. Businessman Vaughan, 48, and Stephen Vaughan Jnr, 25, a former Chester City FC captain, were at the Jug and Bottle hotel and restaurant on Sunday, April 4, close to Vaughan Snr's Heswall home at the time of a disturbance at about 10.10pm. The pair, along with a 29-year-old man from Neston, were subsequently arrested on suspicion of affray and assault of a police officer. The 28-year-old officer was treated in hospital for a fractured cheek bone and bruising to his head and body.
Farsley Celtic fans are calling for an end to the uncertainty over the future of the sadly now defunct former Blue Square North club's Throstle Nest ground.
The club`s administrator, accountancy firm Mazars, was expected to conclude the stadium's sale before Easter.
More than a week on from that target date, however, Mazars is still carrying out "due diligence" checks on the offers it has received.
And a consortium led by club president John Palmer – one of four parties to have bid for the ground – fears the delay could harm its plan to get Celtic back on track.
Palmer is hoping to mastermind their return to sporting competition next season, possibly in the UniBond League Premier Division.
But Palmer is now also worried that further delay on the sale decision will mean that, even if his bid succeeds, Farsley could have insufficient time to sign up with a league for the 2010/11 campaign.
QUESTIONS
At the time of posting I still haven’t had any feedback on questions currently outstanding. It does depend to a certain extent on the work commitments of JR and Pete Wilson as the questions are usually asked on a Thursday. Hopeful;ly something for next week.
Send questions to < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it > or < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >
PDATE ON THE BEER FESTIVAL
We have only just over 50 tickets up for grabs so if anyone is thinking of leaving it to the last minute to purchase then they may be disappointed and I would advise people to get their tickets now as once they are gone that is it. There are still two places left for sponsors so that way you will get two tickets, cost of the sponsorship is £75
A full range of food will be available to purchase at the ground on the 12/06/10, with the full "Steak Bar" menu being available or if people wish they will be able to purchase food off the "Bar Menu" .
Beers have yet to be chosen for the festival but we are looking to pick beers from Lancashire, Derbyshire & Staffordshire as well as Cheshire with the Ciders coming this time from the West Country. Brew 2 Bottle informed me on the 03/04/10 that the barrel of home brew beer is fermenting well and is on course to be ready for the festival.
Pez.
2nd NVFC BEER FESTIVAL - 12/06/2010 at the club.
Tickets for the event are going to be on sale from the club shop on match days, cost for the event is £5.00 and it is a ticket only event with all proceeds made going to the club.
We are also looking for sponsors for barrels of beer at the event, cost for a barrel is £75.00 and for this you receive two tickets for the event, your details on the bar as sponsor, in the beer programme and we hope like last year that you will get a mention in the Northwich Guardian and on their web page.
Also we are looking at selling advertising on the programme, it will be for a 1/4 page advert and cost will be £25.
If anyone is interested then they can contact Andy on 07989836303 or by e-mail to
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