Friday, 10 November 2017
Monday, 5 June 2017
Statattack: The Curse Of The Tonbridge Oppo
Our win last Thursday brought an end to a 12-match winless streak, which included 6 successive defeats. But I wasn't surprised, because I've seen this before...
We have played Tonbridge-based opposition 4 times, and have won all 4 matches, mostly by a handsome margin. But we've never won our next match. And three times out of four, we have gone on a winless streak - on one occasion, an unwanted record bad run.
On 24 February 2008, the Accies travelled to Tunbridge Wells to play Dads Army, an 11-a-side team cobbled together from a group of Tonbridge dads who played 5-a-side once a month. My 37th birthday two days earlier and the opportunity to watch the Spurs vs Chelsea League Cup Final after the match were the nominal reasons for the away day. Effra duly thrashed the Dads 9-0, but it wasn't until 11 September 2008 that we next tasted victory. We suffered 8 defeats, then 2 draws, then a club record TEN defeats in a row after that 9-0 win. A club record 20 games without a win in total.
Dads Army effectively became Longmead Tuesday, with the Tonbridge side now an amalgamation of a group of weekly 5-a-side players. Longmead Tuesday have actually won an 11-a-side match at CPNSC - they beat Southside 1-0 in either 2009 or 2010. But their first game against Effra in London resulted in our biggest ever victory margin: 13-1. Naturally, the Accies lost our next game. Albeit on this occasion the curse only lasted one match: we won our next 4 games. So the Tonbridge curse had an off-year by its usual standards.
Last year we beat Longmead Tuesday 3-2 in a thrilling encounter and the curse re-established itself: we lost our next 4 games in a row. And this year, as stated above, the curse once again took a depressing stranglehold. Fortunately we played a blinder against Grafton Strollers last week to banish the curse... Until the next time?
We have played Tonbridge-based opposition 4 times, and have won all 4 matches, mostly by a handsome margin. But we've never won our next match. And three times out of four, we have gone on a winless streak - on one occasion, an unwanted record bad run.
On 24 February 2008, the Accies travelled to Tunbridge Wells to play Dads Army, an 11-a-side team cobbled together from a group of Tonbridge dads who played 5-a-side once a month. My 37th birthday two days earlier and the opportunity to watch the Spurs vs Chelsea League Cup Final after the match were the nominal reasons for the away day. Effra duly thrashed the Dads 9-0, but it wasn't until 11 September 2008 that we next tasted victory. We suffered 8 defeats, then 2 draws, then a club record TEN defeats in a row after that 9-0 win. A club record 20 games without a win in total.
Dads Army effectively became Longmead Tuesday, with the Tonbridge side now an amalgamation of a group of weekly 5-a-side players. Longmead Tuesday have actually won an 11-a-side match at CPNSC - they beat Southside 1-0 in either 2009 or 2010. But their first game against Effra in London resulted in our biggest ever victory margin: 13-1. Naturally, the Accies lost our next game. Albeit on this occasion the curse only lasted one match: we won our next 4 games. So the Tonbridge curse had an off-year by its usual standards.
Last year we beat Longmead Tuesday 3-2 in a thrilling encounter and the curse re-established itself: we lost our next 4 games in a row. And this year, as stated above, the curse once again took a depressing stranglehold. Fortunately we played a blinder against Grafton Strollers last week to banish the curse... Until the next time?
Saturday, 6 May 2017
Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Videos galore!!
Here are the latest set of videos stretching back to September 2016 and taking in Dan's four goals v Grafton Strollers, our game in Rotterdam, the 3-15 shlacking against Southbank, Sam's goal of 2016 v Sporting Falcons, the 11-0 win against Grafton Strollers, which included two hatricks courtsey of Steve Rudd and Dan Ogoun, games against new oppo and the crazy game in the snow right up to February this year.
Enjoy at the Accies youtube site or click on the following links:
v Grafton Strollers, 29th September 2016 https://youtu.be/LJn6WRIksGc
v Flaccas and Fatboys, 8th October 2016 https://youtu.be/3MqtsusfVDM
v Sporting Falcons, 13th October 2016 https://youtu.be/KlysojqMTiM
v Southbank Cuaco (if you dare), 20th October 2016 https://youtu.be/XfFSIoOoiQI
v Mott McDonald, 27th October 2016 https://youtu.be/n8tjirZBSzc
v Atkins FC, 3rd November 2016 https://youtu.be/iBoNnASrVn4
v CP&DSV, 24th November 2016 https://youtu.be/dfjbmqMMKsg
v Grafton Strollers, 15th December 2016 https://youtu.be/ImBedvjsW1c
v Oldsmiths FC, 22nd December 2016 https://youtu.be/79BXsx7vzzo
v Wanderers, 12th January 2016 https://youtu.be/el3YiYg-_LI
v Friends XI, 19th January 2016 https://youtu.be/GLVveJnbjfQ
v Groundhoppers, 2nd February 2016 https://youtu.be/rr3C3TCPkn8
v Mott McDonald, 9th February 2016 https://youtu.be/9fXcIhBy7vc
Plus a bonus video of Bregje's set at Man Down on 27th November 2016:
https://youtu.be/qAVSHIfwCWk
Enjoy at the Accies youtube site or click on the following links:
v Grafton Strollers, 29th September 2016 https://youtu.be/LJn6WRIksGc
v Flaccas and Fatboys, 8th October 2016 https://youtu.be/3MqtsusfVDM
v Sporting Falcons, 13th October 2016 https://youtu.be/KlysojqMTiM
v Southbank Cuaco (if you dare), 20th October 2016 https://youtu.be/XfFSIoOoiQI
v Mott McDonald, 27th October 2016 https://youtu.be/n8tjirZBSzc
v Atkins FC, 3rd November 2016 https://youtu.be/iBoNnASrVn4
v CP&DSV, 24th November 2016 https://youtu.be/dfjbmqMMKsg
v Grafton Strollers, 15th December 2016 https://youtu.be/ImBedvjsW1c
v Oldsmiths FC, 22nd December 2016 https://youtu.be/79BXsx7vzzo
v Wanderers, 12th January 2016 https://youtu.be/el3YiYg-_LI
v Friends XI, 19th January 2016 https://youtu.be/GLVveJnbjfQ
v Groundhoppers, 2nd February 2016 https://youtu.be/rr3C3TCPkn8
v Mott McDonald, 9th February 2016 https://youtu.be/9fXcIhBy7vc
Plus a bonus video of Bregje's set at Man Down on 27th November 2016:
https://youtu.be/qAVSHIfwCWk
Friday, 3 March 2017
Return Of Statattack!
At long last the 2017 Results; Golden Boot 2017; and all-time Accies 11-a-side stats have been updated (you'll find them on the right-hand side of the blog, although if you're reading this post on a mobile device you'll need to scroll down and click on 'View web version'). Here are some statistical highlights:
The race for this year's Golden Boot is in the early stages, of course, and last year's record breaking winner Dan Ogoun, sadly out injured, has watched patiently from the sidelines over the past few weeks as Scott Greenwell and Simon Mesner give him a target to aim for when he's back playing. Simon already has more goals in 2017 than he scored in the whole of 2016 - the result of tireless practice behind the scenes, as well as an extended run of games up front, rather than at centre back. Scott celebrated his return to the Accies match squad with a sublime hat-trick, instantly catapulting himself into the box seat in the Golden Boot ranks for this year.
In the all-time stats, last night's win vs Longmead Tuesday means we have successfully delayed an unwanted stat: our 300th 11-a-side defeat. Hopefully we can keep that one at bay for a few more weeks!
Looking at the all-time 11-a-side scorers list, Simon Mesner's decent form in front of goal (seven goals in his last nine appearances) has returned him to the top 3, ahead of Perre Heath, during which time Simon also netted his 100th 11-a-side goal for the club, becoming only the fourth player to reach that milestone. At the other end of that list, Nicky Holtham's debut goal last night - he's the 82nd person to score an 11-a-side goal for the club - sees him becoming the latest player in joint 60th place. Fellow triallist Paddy McKeown is just above Nicky on 2 goals, drawing level with 'quality not quantity' scorers such as Luke Fallon and Stuart Dade :-)
In the all-time appearances list, Stuart Dade is edging closer to his 400th 11-a-side game for the club, while Luke Fallon has moved above Luis Sandoval into fifth spot, and has Steve Spurdens in fourth firmly in his sights. And Anthony Emery has broken back into the top 10, sitting level with Andy Thornes for the time being. And at the bottom of the list, Paddy McKeown is the newest addition, having notched his fifth appearance for us last night. Welcome, Paddy!
The race for this year's Golden Boot is in the early stages, of course, and last year's record breaking winner Dan Ogoun, sadly out injured, has watched patiently from the sidelines over the past few weeks as Scott Greenwell and Simon Mesner give him a target to aim for when he's back playing. Simon already has more goals in 2017 than he scored in the whole of 2016 - the result of tireless practice behind the scenes, as well as an extended run of games up front, rather than at centre back. Scott celebrated his return to the Accies match squad with a sublime hat-trick, instantly catapulting himself into the box seat in the Golden Boot ranks for this year.
In the all-time stats, last night's win vs Longmead Tuesday means we have successfully delayed an unwanted stat: our 300th 11-a-side defeat. Hopefully we can keep that one at bay for a few more weeks!
Looking at the all-time 11-a-side scorers list, Simon Mesner's decent form in front of goal (seven goals in his last nine appearances) has returned him to the top 3, ahead of Perre Heath, during which time Simon also netted his 100th 11-a-side goal for the club, becoming only the fourth player to reach that milestone. At the other end of that list, Nicky Holtham's debut goal last night - he's the 82nd person to score an 11-a-side goal for the club - sees him becoming the latest player in joint 60th place. Fellow triallist Paddy McKeown is just above Nicky on 2 goals, drawing level with 'quality not quantity' scorers such as Luke Fallon and Stuart Dade :-)
In the all-time appearances list, Stuart Dade is edging closer to his 400th 11-a-side game for the club, while Luke Fallon has moved above Luis Sandoval into fifth spot, and has Steve Spurdens in fourth firmly in his sights. And Anthony Emery has broken back into the top 10, sitting level with Andy Thornes for the time being. And at the bottom of the list, Paddy McKeown is the newest addition, having notched his fifth appearance for us last night. Welcome, Paddy!
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