Hastings Supporters Forum - 100% Unofficial!

johnw wrote:

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Seeing as though you have proved yourself to be the worst score predictor in the world hastingsbuoy, looking at some of your past predictions, I will go for a 1-1 draw, in front of 510 with 3 Peacehaven fans. Gone a bit low on the Peacehaven fans as I know 2 of them pop down to Whitehawk when Peacehaven are away.

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 You are dead right there...although i am a little better with my crowd predictions! 

We'll storm back from conceding 3 early goals, to lead 4-3 after 70 minutes, only for the ref to then abandon the game as a tiny puddle appears by the corner flag

I can't wait for this one though, a win would do us wonders. Think their will be a fair few goals

rev59 wrote:

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Just remind me of the tablets you are on Winchy?

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I steal my dads when he's not looking 

We will learn a lot today

A)  Are we good enough

B) Are players committed  to the club and do they really want it. Anything less than 100% commitment today is not acceptable.

Ill let others comment on the performance but just want to say I thought the team were magnificent today and desperately unlucky to lose against an excellent Peacehaven side. What i will comment on though is the absolute disgraceful performance of the referee. He was utterly useless from beginning to end and how Jamie Crellin was allowed to stay on the pitch and score the winner (think it was him?)after blatantly kicking Timmy in the head was incredible. No bitterness but fact!!!

So the league is now as good as gone but if we continue to put in that same amount of effort i have no doubt we will clinch the runners up spot. Well done Hastings.

Agree Pat. I've Been their biggest critics this season and actually thought Gilbert and Henson had better games today but yet again both goals came from crosses wide down our left and on both occasions Henson lost his man. Its just getting boring now talking about it every game. Either Maggsy has the money but not the contacts or he has no money. It will cost us in the end.

Trevor was subbed, I assume, because Peacehaven were trying every trick in the book to get him sent off. But for those that didn't see it, Trevor was extremely lucky not to be sent off in the first anyway for an off the ball kick right in front of the lino.

As for Ronnie, I think everyone is in agreement but still think we should pursue. Much happier signing young local talent rather then these bloody loans. Let's not forget he was player of the season 2 years in a row at a fairly successful Hythe Town. You don't become a bad player over night, just think he's taking much longer to settle than expected and required. Perhaps one for next season.

Now you've got me thinking Baz. You off the top board in splash

Look out, here we go, wondered how long it would take one of the five fans who could be bothered to come and support their side, to post on this thread. Horse and cart must of broke down on the way back to Whitehawk.

johnw wrote:

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Look out, here we go, wondered how long it would take one of the five fans who could be bothered to come and support their side, to post on this thread. Horse and cart must of broke down on the way back to Whitehawk.

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 Horse and Cart, love it, are you bob Monkhouse by any chance?

We are not allowed to mention the FA Cup money.

if you see any of it anywhere could you let us know, many thanks perhaps then we could sign some of your quality players you had today until then we will keep dreaming.

Good game overall, great crowd and atmosphere and as Peacehaven brought so few must have been quite a few of the Harrogate lot back! ( probably just for one game though! )

Assume the Peacehaven fan here is the same one who decided to watch the match in our end for both halves, must have been feeling a bit lonely in the empty stand with his 2 mates so clearly fancied the banter with our lot instead! He wisely didn't celebrate the winner in front of us, wished us luck for the rest of the season and immediately scarpered! For someone who clearly was passionate about his team it must be depressing to have such regular small crowds and no fans forum either at this level. He even called it their cup final!

Was expecting to see a red card at some point and if Trevor had stayed on it probably would have happened!

The lack of squad depth with the defence is very worrying tbh and we are still being murdered at time down the wings and this is putting pressure on the CB's as they need to be confident that the flanks are secure and am pretty sure that they are not at the moment.

Peacehaven are a good side and if the money rumours are true then they will only get stronger as the season goes on while we seriously need to strengthen a couple of positions.

Still in the title race mostly as there are plenty of games left but certainly got a lot harder now!

Very impressed with the lads on Saturday - I think 2-1 was a fair result (if a tad on the frustrating side, a little bit of luck and it would have been 2-1 Hastings) as Peacehaven were the better side, but only just. Just being shaded by the runaway league leaders and title pretenders is no shame.

Peacehaven seemed faster than us, probably a little fitter, certainly a lot more expensive and much better actors. With a different (ie half-decent) ref they could have been facing a few cards for play-acting and cheating.
The real difference imo is that they were much, much better drilled as a squad. As per usual, too many of our passes went nowhere, seems that most players have no real idea where another claret shirt is so just push the ball to where they would like one to be. Peacehaven, however, nearly always passed to a black and white striped shirt and, in both of their goals (both very well worked goals, looked like they had been practicing exactly those moves for hours on the training field), it was one touch, long balls, straight to where a striker wanted it.

For my part, and at the risk of upsetting Johnw and (nearly all) others, I stil hold that the club is right NOT to spend whatever cash they have. I do not pretend to know how much money we have, or what the outgoings are, but spending for promotion is not the way. This season is very much an adjustment one. We need to see who is settling in where and what new players we need. If we got three or four new players and spent like Peacehaven, we would have only a marginally better chance of promotion, considerably less money, and a good chance of returning to this dire league the season after next.
Imo what we need is investment in the future - the U-21's and a youth team, better coaching and a move toward fulltime, or near fulltime, players, or at least a fulltime backbone to the squad, five or six, say. Of course, we need fulltime coaching and (probably) management and physio as well for that, so it may be a few seasons away, but a definite commitment would be nice.

However, I hear (from the top, on the Ramsgate coach) that the U-21's are likely to be sacrificed to help keep the pitch in good repair. Understandable, but would be a disaster and 100% the wrong message. Could we not ground-share for the U-21's and other teams? Bexhill, Hailsham, even Eastbourne Borough's youth pitch outside their main ground, must all be available for next-to-nothing. Has this been ivestigated?

I am happy with this season, cup matches apart (and Ramsgate - that's ten hours of my life that the club still owes me), but only if we build on it for next season, bring in two or three QUALITY new players, and keep, or expand upon, the U-21's, and get a proper youth programme going. Otherwise, we risk just drifting about, hoping for the best and making no progress.
Rant over.

Quote for the match: Little Sasha, as Peacehaven score their second, buried his head in his mum's coat and said 'I'm not looking anymore; I don't want to see Hastings lose.'

-- Edited by LondonPilot on Monday 13th of January 2014 12:08:32 PM

Fully agree the u 21's etc should be kept but the games are weeks apart so no good. Would it not be better to enter the Sussex County league at either reserve level or the main County league. this would provide more regular games,local interest around the county and easier games to help build confidence.