John's Tit's & Oddbits
As in all of John's pages, to make it easier for people who are returning, I will add new bits at the top and date them too.
15 May 2001
BOOKIES AND PUNDITS
At the start of the season I made a note of what odds and/or projected final positions various eminent persons and gambling organisations attributed to Dagenham and Redbridge.They make fascinating reading now.
William Hill had us at 25-1 at the start of the season, reduced to 14-1 by early October.Coral had us at 20-1 in August and the same odds in early October.With Firststake.com we were further out at 28-1. All 3 bookies had Rushden as favourites at very short odds (11-8,5-4 and 9-4) and they all had Forest Green (50,50 and 66-1) and Leigh (50,50 and 100-1!!) as rank outsiders. By October 8th Rushden were 1-2 with Hill's (William not Gary) and 30-100 with Ladbrokes - even though they did go on to win, after a struggle, what amazing odds with 7 months of the season left to go!
But it's the verdicts of one Mr Chapple, once of Kingsmeadow and one Mr Evans of Boston that brought a smile to my face. Both felt Rushden would be victorious and that Leigh would be relegated. Mr Chapple thought Dag and Red would finish 18th whilst his team would finish 14th -oh dear! He also had Doncaster 2nd, Scarbborrough 3rd, Hednesford 9th and Yeovil 10th. I think I may have predicted more accurately. Bostonian Mr Evans wasn't much better. He had us at 17th with his own team at 8th. Yeovil were 13th in his finishing order, Doncaster 2nd and Nuneaton 3rd. I suppose all it goes to show is that even the most experienced people in non-league football can get it wildly wrong…and how much we surprised virtually the whole world this season.
15 May 2001 again
"What worries me…is the behaviour of players in general throughout games. Constant appealing, backchat, dissent, feigning injury and a growing trend, the general rush of players to the scene of any offence or incident, all contribute to the difficulty the referee has in controlling the game and, mark my words, at some time someone will pay."
From a match day programme last Saturday?
No, it's the manager of Sheffield Wednesday, Howard Wilkinson writing in the programme notes for the match versus QPR, Saturday 28 November 1987.
So, not much progress over the last 14 years then?
4 Sheffield Wednesday/Dagenham and Redbridge links: Bolder, Cusack, Shirtliff and Vickers. Any more, anyone?
QPR that day featured one David Seaman in goal and Paul Parker and Alan McDonald (often seen more recently smoking in the stands at Victoria Road) in defence. The home team's strike force was Lee Chapman and Tony Galvin!!
Some end of season stats: Goalscoring: we scored 68 goals in the league only bettered by Boston 72, Rushden and Diamonds 77, Stevenage 70 and Yeovil 71…………so we are not bad at scoring goals!!
Disciplinary record: 60 yellows and 2 reds. Only 3 clubs better (Leigh, Yeovil and Hereford). Only 1 other team with just 2 sendings off (Hereford) and 1 with 1 (Forest Green).
11th March 2001
1 Question: How can you gain 0.5 of a point in the Conference? See Hednesford's record in the Forest Green programme. Could make all the difference in a relegation battle!
2 Surreal scenarios Number 46.5:
It was half term (we werk in edicashion) and we are visting my partner's parents in their home town of Cardiff. Mad rugby and cricket fans they are so we take a walk past Sophia Gardens (Glamorgan cricket), into the Millennium Stadium (well, shop, the tours were all booked) and then take lunch in the Cardiff Rugby Club bar. I am ordered to watch aghast as various Welsh rugby internationals from the year dot enter the bar for refreshments and are ogled at by all and sundry.
Then I notice on the TV set above our table some familiar looking gentlemen playing a real game and scoring many goals.Wait! It's the glorious Daggers on Sky TV demolishing Kettering. Try as I may I could not dissuade my partner and outlaws that this was what they needed to watch not the balding pate of Barry John as he walked through the bar. At least I got to see the lads on TV though, and in such an alien environment!
20th February 2001
KK Opara - well, he certainly got you all going on the Forum, didn't he? For what it's worth I felt he looked good at times and was definitely lapping up the encouragement and instructions coming from the bench. And he did score well,something our forwards have been having a lot of trouble doing! Be interesting to see how he does tonight if he plays. It's 7:48 and I hope we are still leading 0-0!!
6th February 2001
djjb flood and its consequences warning part 2:
Having cycled past Wanstead Flats/Aldersbrook today and seen pitches that are now actually lakes I'm upping my prediction, happy soul that I am, to 3 out 4 matches postponed...plus an end of season -April- 5 games in 8 days scenario.Goodness knows how teams who go far in the Trophy are going to catch up with their league matches!
I actually feel a little sad (and I've read all the other less than favourable comments) about Haworth leaving. He didn't seem to get much of a look in (may have done if the nomad Drewe hadn't arrived) and when he did it was a struggle.Once again this seems to lessen our options up front - another chance for Cobby? And on the subject of extensions I assume we'll be seeing more of Mr Forbes now, too?
5th February 2001
Now, I'm not much of gambling man other wise I would have won some dosh over the 2 Charlton games (and the Weymouth game come to that). However I predict, after a cycle today through a flooded Epping Forest confirmed my thoughts, that at least 2(possibly more) of our next 4 Conference games will be postponed. Whatever happens it's lucky that we can play just as well on dodgy pitches as good ones, we're gonna see plenty of mud over the next 2 months!
31st January 2001
Apparently on the BBC News before MOTD last Saturday those who didn't look away when the featured matches' scores went up saw Dagenham & Redbridge 1 Charlton Athletic 1. If they knew the rules of the FA Cup they must have sure been confused!