My view and thoughts on everything!

The following is my article I wrote for the home game against AFC Telford in April: Season 2012/13 has certainly been crazy as far as Ebbsfleet United are concerned.  Admittedly there have been more lows than highs which has meant that for next season the Mighty Fleet will be plying their trade, hopefully, in the Blue Square South.  The defeat at Hyde United effectively sealing our fate. Discussions about what went wrong this season will no doubt take place after the final whistle has blown.  However, for this article I thought it would be good to look at some of the highs of the season.  Believe it or not, there have been a few! A highlight was the first game of the season where the Fleet came out on top of a 9 goal thriller at Nuneaton.  Despite going 2-0 down early the lads fought back to take the lead and come out eventual winners by 5 goals to 4.  So after the first game we were equal top of the Blue Square Premier.  Oh how we miss thos...

The following is my programme article for the Ebbsfleet United v Stockport County game played on the 16th February.  The game ended in a draw. February is certainly turning out to be a month of home games for the Fleet.  In fact, the whole of this month revolves around Ebbsfleet not venturing away from the hallowed turf of Stonebridge Road.  That said, it is safe to say there are more than a few away games coming up between now and the end of the season.  This includes some very long road trips to Hyde, Barrow and Gateshead.  The players will certainly have plenty of time then to master their card skills.  Who will emerge as the Poker king? Time will tell. Fortunes can change very quickly in football.  Two games ago, and in front of the television cameras, the Fleet suffered a humiliating 0-4 defeat to Macclesfield Town.  Then a week ago, the team got back on track with a well-earned 3-1 victory over Gateshead.  This has now put the F...

The following is my programme article for the Ebbsfleet United v Macclesfield Town game that was played on 1st February. It was a televised match - the first time the Fleet had been on television for many seasons.  Despite this, it was not a good game as Macclesfield ran out 4-0 winners!  January is certainly a crazy month in footballing terms.  The inclement weather has meant that a number of teams in the lower leagues have had an “extended break”.  Whilst snow can look nice, and create picturesque photos, it can also be a nightmare for football teams.  A manager may have his team on a run of undefeated games, and then find their progress halted.  On the flipside, a team could have been experiencing some bad results, but with the postponements a re-grouping happens and, all of a sudden, the results pick up. From our point of view, we hope that the Fleet can go on an undefeated run, and hence move away from the bottom of the league.  Liam Dai...

The following is the article that was mainly used in last week's Ebbsfleet United matchday programme. Today is a very special day.  Not only for Ebbsfleet United, but for all non-league clubs across the country.   Today has been designated ‘Non-League’ Day.  An annual event which aims to celebrate the lesser footballing lights in England.  It takes place when there is a break in the Premier League due to international fixtures, and gives those fans the chance to go along and watch some true grassroots football. Here at the Fleet we have fans who travel far and wide to cheer on the lads.  Even if it is a winter mid-week game away at Barrow AFC, you can be sure that there will be a few die-hards making the long trek from North Kent to Cumbria.  Having done a Carlisle round trip in a day, I can tell you it is dedication of the highest order.  It is also a great feeling if your team wins, as the journey back home feels all that much sweete...

The following is my article from the Ebbsfleet v Barrow AFC game which took place recently.  Unfortunately, the Fleet lost 4-2!  Football and music are, in my opinion, a marriage made in heaven.  Both offer passion, a feeling of happiness, and are definitely at times thought provoking.  It struck me, whilst listening to the radio, that there are songs that indirectly have football connotations.  So without further ado, here is my list of songs that could have been recorded especially for the Beautiful Game. The first song is the obvious ‘We Are The Champions’ by Queen.  No doubt this epic will be sung the entire length and breadth of the country come April.  Next on the list is a nod to all the Managers out there.  I wonder if Liam Daish has picked up the phone and uttered the words ‘You’re the One that I want’ to a potential signing.  I’m not sure that John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John ever thought about football when they were...

The following is the article I wrote for the Ebbsfleet United v Braintree Town match.  Unfortunately, the Fleet lost :-( Now that the euphoria of the London Olympics is slowly dying down, we can all turn our attention to the Blue Square Premier League and our first home game of the season.  Before going any further, I would like to send out a huge ‘well done’ to Team GB on their massive haul of medals.  They certainly did us all proud!  The GB football team did fairly well too, until that deadly quarter final penalty phobia struck again! For Ebbsfleet United, and all teams nationwide, the football season is like an Olympic marathon.  It’s all about pacing yourself so that you can get to the finish line well ahead of your rivals, and thus ensuring a great final position.  In the case of an athlete, the goal is to get onto the winner’s podium with a gold, silver or bronze medal around your neck.   In our case, the gold medal equivalent would...

The following is a blog of mine that has been posted on the "up the fleet" blog.... The first time I heard about MYFC was on a Friday night after a drinking session with friends in Sydney. Friday night drinks had become a ritual and it is a good way to catch up with friends and get ready for the weekend. This evening I picked up a free newspaper to keep me occupied during my 30 minute train journey home. This newspaper was full of the usual dross when I came across an interesting article. Apparently an organisation called My Football Club were going to take over ownership of what is now Ebbsfleet United. My heart skipped a beat. Being from Kent I had been to see the Fleet on numerous occasions over the years and certainly had a soft spot for them. I even pestered a friend of mine to send me a video of the Aston Villa FA Cup game! I knew I wanted to be a part of this venture. Would I be too late to become a member? I had to find out! I remember getting off the train and litera...

"I would love to see new members from Cairo, Belo Horizonte, Wagga Wagga, Ulan Bator and even Bognor Regis" The following is my article that was published on the My Football Club website (MYFC). As background information, I was approached by a board member recently to do some articles on Ebbsfleet United, who have just won promotion back to the Blue Square Conference League (yay!). I have reproduced it as unless you are a member of MYFC, you will not be able to read it. If you want any further information about becoming a member then please email me through via this blog or via Twitter @main_man. Enjoy! The future is bright (I gotta wear shades – honest!) Phew, what a great season that was for Ebbsfleet United! Rewind back to last July and it did not look like the Fleet would have a team to run out onto Stonebridge Road for the first game. However, that expert magician Liam Daish put together a team of virtual strangers and made them into a powerhouse in the Blue Square S...