Hastings Supporters Forum - 100% Unofficial!

Matchreport from Lewes; seems they were very unlucky:
lewesfc.com/2017/04/rooks-suffer-play-off-heartbreak-in-added-time/

Today's game all depends how much local(ish) pride means to their players, don't think for a long while that we've been as big a derby to them as they have been to us but i def wouldun't rule them out even though they've got nothing to play for. They started the season very poorly but improved a lot and are defiantly a decent side now, need to restrict Jonte Smith chances in particular as he's a very decent finisher but struggles when the ball is played high to him.

But we've got everything to play for today so there can be no bigger incentive than sealing the playoffs at our ( by far ) favourite away league fixture. Hope Rowes fit though, makes a huge difference at the back.

Just hope Tooting do the business over Carshalton today and win the league today as well as will make our job much simpler!

Dorking 0-2 up against Guernsey already

Big noisy claret and blue army here COYU's

0-1 Barnwell
1-1
2-1
2-2 Barnwell
3-2 Halftime
3-3 Hughes Mason

Still 30 minutes to play

BertNEC wrote:

---

0-1 Barnwell
1-1
2-1
2-2 Barnwell
3-2 Halftime
3-3 Hughes Mason

Still 30 minutes to play

---

    4-3

Full Time 4-4 and Tooting winning 1-0; we are in the play offs!

There won't be a great deal of positivity in this post, but what little there is let's get it out of the way now.  Well done to the players, coaching staff and the directors, plus all staff from the club on reaching the playoffs and by playing such entertaining football.

Onto the negative...I have been a supporter since 1989 and never have I been more ashamed and embarrassed to be a Hastings fan. There was a disgusting element to our away support today. I witnessed them intimidating people in Lewes hours before the game. I witnessed them shouting vile, homophobic abuse during the match. I witnessed them letting off incredibly loud, dangerous flares near the pitch. I witnessed them abusing Lewes stewards. I witnessed them physically provoking Lewes stewards. If only it was one or two, but sadly it was a large group of younger 'fans' who went unchecked. As far as I could gather they were not regular supporters.

The worst part was on leaving the ground a disabled Lewes fan was visibly distressed at the flares and was very agitated and upset due to the actions of these vile scum who attached themselves to Hastings United today.

Embarrasingly the official club twitter feed praised EVERY fan for being fantastic. There can be no way whoever runs the club twitter was not aware of this behaviour, so to see the club endorsing this behaviour is incredibly embarrassing. I expect an apology and for the club to apologise to Lewes for condoning this behaviour. Totally unacceptable.

I hate that this is the first post I have ever made here, but I have been moved to say something.

That is all.

 

-- Edited by Londontownfan on Monday 17th of April 2017 04:56:24 PM

Be as suspicious as you like Johnw, doesn't bother me at all, just telling it how I've seen it. Been in Lewes all day and seen plenty of Hastings (Town and United) over the years. I am also echoing what plenty of Hastings and Lewes fans were saying today. All you have to do is ask the Lewes stewards. At one point as the players were returning after half-time one of these 'fans' told someone in Hastings colours to "f*** off" and his mate said "No, he's from Hastings" which says it all really.
I won't presume to tell you what you did and didn't see Johnw, that would be guesswork on my part. Just relaying my experience of the day.

Agree with all the above

Never seen these people before except one who seemed to be goading them on . I will be reporting him to the club as he is a reqular away traveller . There is no place for this nonsense anymore , I am registered disabled and was embarrassed by them in the town and by their carrying on .i can only feel sorry for the disabled Lewes fan .. bless him . Lewes were serving them alcohol  through the game however they were getting through the gate at half price under 16's !! ... these are not normal fans , kids who could not handle a drink . They should not of been served drink and should of been handled better by stewards
I know Pat was taking it very seriously at the end , I know the club won't be taking this lightly

On the game .. what a game !!!

Can't say anymore really .. what a finish into play offs . A mention for Ollie Black .. what a throw .. like a scud missle !!

Up the Hastings ... more stress to come

-- Edited by ChrisVanRock on Monday 17th of April 2017 05:16:48 PM

If its true what maybe has happened then that is awful.

But maybe in another thread; think the game today, result and reaching the play offs is super news

No not polluting..........................we had a similar thread once.

Dorking here we come ( if they dont beat Tooting 5-0 )

I can only say what I saw and I was right in the middle of those fans accused and didn't see anything apart from two bangers thrown  in the first half. Can't comment on what went on after as didn't see it but what I can say is I was  in the pub with these guys for 3 hours before the game and they behaved impeccably,just ask the owner of the Kings Head. Yes some bangers went off and a couple of us spoke to the guys responsible after speaking to the stewards and nothing else happened until after the game. I actually spoke to some Lewes fans after the game and they thought we were the best away support they had seen there for many years. Just sad this has deflected from a great achievement by Darren and the boys. If certain supporters have let us down I am sure club will deal with them.

Well said Dave. When it did step over the line I like to think some of us more senior members had a quiet word and the younger members did listen. Unfortunately we do have certain supporters who will revel in this. Call in the police!!! What an absolute joke. By the way , for those that don't know, we have qualified for the play offs!!! We were rubbish but showed real character against a decent Lewes side who by the way, have just commented on the exciting game and not the support which shows proper class, unlike some of us.

Just about a fair result today.
My last away game, East Grinstead, also finished 4-4 but could have been 8-8... this was a little different as there weren't that many meaningful attacks by either side that didn't result in a goal.
Certainly great entertainment for the neutral but again not a particularly easy watch for Hastings fans as we spent a lot of the match 'chasing the game', and it didn't particularly fill me with confidence for the playoffs. But as we know, anything can happen...we were underdogs 10 years ago.

As for the other discussion.......there were a large number of young Hastings 'occasional' fans who in the main just went to have a good time, make some noise and support the team. I can only report what I saw which is that they were very loud and the language was often bad.....so no different from any other football fans.....but I didn't personally witness any abuse or intimidation.
Clearly there is no place for fire crackers or pitch invasions but, other than that, I didn't witness anything that you wouldn't have seen on any other football ground today.

The regular Lewes fans I spoke to in the bar after the game had no issues with it beyond all of us recognising that it wasn't something to encourage in general. They genuinely said it was the best atmospheric game all season and that they had no issue wth the incidents that occurred. The incidents were dealt with in house pretty quickly so hopefully that will help.

What a game though!

Good job no one got injured than Chris. Any comment on the game or the great achievemen by Darren and the team?

Thank goodness we had Ollie Rowe back today. Thought Ollie Black did well and Simon Johnston had to work even harder than usual in an often vacant Hastings midfield. Where was Danny Leonard today-injured? Good performance and great goal from Jack Dixon. Whatever happens in the rest of the season there have been some amazing matches this season!

Agree that firecrackers were uncalled for,but unless I hear of something more sinister taking place I didn't see anything to cause anymore concern.It was a local derby in which we had a lot to play for and it was edge of the seat stuff.Its a shame some people are upset by our vocal support.

4-4 at Grinstead ... was that the same referee as today !??

-- Edited by ChrisVanRock on Monday 17th of April 2017 08:05:47 PM

What a game and what a crowd we had today one of the best atmosphere hope this happens at are last home game. And the bangers wasn't a smarts move at all as I almost s.it my self walking behind the goal. And this london geza who's just registered i was In the middle of it all and never heard anything what you are saying.. and why the steward got some lip it's because they kicked someone out for no reason then let him back in because they thought he was someone else. But lets get back to the football and get behind the team for the playoffs

-- Edited by hastings85 on Monday 17th of April 2017 08:37:08 PM

Agree Mick, you don't score 124 and counting goals by accident and in terms of entertainment we've certainly had our money's worth this year that's for sure!

I agree that we have had a very exciting early season of attacking football not seen for a for a number of years with the likes of. Matt and Harry excelling on the wings and Frannie scoring th e highest number of goals up front with an unexpected amount contributed from Kieran.plus important ones fromOllie and Steve Watt early on.simon and crusts. Never give less than great effort s o we deserve to be in playoffs and but for that unexpected blip when we stopped scoring prolifically we could have won the league.seen many of our away matches excelling to beat the champions at Tooting all away matches being supported by a great band of regular and enthusiastic followers.remembering unfortunately the idiots who have let us down at Faversham twice and if it proves to be the same who appear to have not performed as we would have liked should be banned as it embarrasses the name of the club and the true loyal supporters.sorry mustnot forget some ofPidgley's performances in goal also.overall it has been an exciting year but when we have very good gates at th Pf have disappointed the exception being the one against Carshalton.Sorry to have missed the Lewes game ,as I am in hospital,which sounded exciting but delighted that we stuck
at it and reached the playoffs.On our day we are capable of beating any team in this league so well done boys we can still win promotion.

-- Edited by girling on Tuesday 18th of April 2017 05:27:55 AM

Quality was average 2 sides that didn't or couldn't defend, but going forward played some nice football, thought Lewes probably just shaded it and overall the draw was the correct result. You cannot give attackers free headers in the box like both sides did, and Jack Dixons 1st goal was as good as I've seen this season. I feel that if we play like we did yesterday our season will end next Tuesday. Hopefully we will give many key tired players a rest on Saturday ie Johnson, Collin, Rowe, Cruttwell and I would leave Nicholls out as well as if he were to get injured or sent off things would be dire in the goalkeeping department.

Geoff, I believe Danny Leonard got a 'dead leg ' during the warm up. Trust he recovers soon.

Happy 70th Geoff, you don't look a day over 55 🎂Hopefully you get a new bloody cap for your birthday so that other one can be burnt.

Be very interested to see Darren's starting line up on Saturday and how he gets the right balance between resting players and continuity in the starting line up. I will be equally interested to also see whether Dorking rest players or actually go for the 5-0 victory they require over Tooting to beat them to the title. We hammered Tooting 4-0 so it can be done.

I would play

Rose

Akoto, Emptage, Butcher, Black

Hughes Mason, Leonard, Cruttwell, Stevenson, Stannard

Barnwell

with Academy players as subs.

That will mean resting Nichol, Rowe, Sobers, Johnno, Bodkin, Collin