Hastings Supporters Forum - 100% Unofficial!

It just goes from bad to worse, what could possibly happen next? I dread to think......

I liked Simon and his style of play but if he is not happy after being replaced as captain then the club is right to let him go.

Absolutely right Chris, add to that Pelling, Pidgely, Butler, Watt, Roseje, May, Collin, Temba, Wilson, Stannard, Welch, Nicholls, Bodkin, Davies, Harris, Emptage, Foster, Akrofi, Hughes Mason, Butcher, Cogan, Evans, Kalambayi, Thorbourne, Jarvis, Ellis, Dickenson, Sobers, Medlock, Barnwell, Aziaya, Gayle, Carey, Brown, Leonard, Stevenson......oh I forgot, two managers, three assistant managers, a director, a kit man, two programme editors, website manager, club shop worker...have I forgot anyone? All left this year but of course nothing at all to do with the club or those that run it and I am sure everyone of them pathetic with oversized egos. This is a fantastic club to be employed by, why would anyone want to leave? Good riddance to our player of the season and club captain.

Medlock for all his alleged issues walks out, no news on Sam Beale, Johnno is on his way and the team is constantly tinkered with, players shuffled around week to week and we seem to be already in an extended pre season for 2018-19. 3 promotion places this season and all we can cling to now is the old 'while mathematically possible' adage for maybe squeezing into the play offs.

If a player of Johnno's standing says he wants out then something is clearly amiss off the pitch. He worked his socks off for United and comes across as a top bloke and I am truly sorry to see him leave. As he was on contract we can expect others to go too.

They all worked hard yesterday and put in a shift immeasurably better than that Thamesmead effort - but once again we found ourselves over reliant on too many young uns. Surely we should be striking a balance with those youngsters being brought on by the experienced hands - like Johnno. That balance isn't there and we are listing even more with the departure of Johnno.

Long time supporters will recall managers like Peter Sillett and George Wakeling took two or three years to get it right but it's now all we can do to keep a manager more than one season. That hardly helps.

Players that excel at Academy level deserve a crack at the 1st team and they need time to adjust to the demands of Bostik South. Rodari - took a while, got a lucky break against Herne Bay and that got his confidence levels up and he got a couple of exceptional goals - and ends up on the bench - often after having played the previous evening. Yesterday he got a deserved start - out on the left flank and did very little.

Massively frustrating and infuriating watching opposing players celebrate get out of jail wins at our expense.

what do you expect the manager puts he is going to go with youth all over the newspaper which he should not have done so the older players our looking for new clubs . we are told that we only want to sign local players then we sign two youth players from bromley very local.and that not good for are youth players . ihave been going to watch hastings for over 65 years and read some of you saying to carry on like this for rest of theseason you are forgeting people pay to watch this and 10 men behind the ball in the against teams down the bottom of the league is not entertaining

Absolutely right again Chris b ....unless of course the players story is different to that of the club statement. 

And well said Ollie. Sadly mate, whether you have supported the club for 65 years or one year, I don’t think the club care any more and sadly, looking at the dropping attendances, we are losing supporters by the bucket load. I spoke to a well respected supporter on Saturday who said this is the worst team he has seen at the Pilot Field for 40 years (think I probably have seen worse) and that was before we lost Johnno. This same supporter said he had now stopped going to away games due to the quality of both the squad and what is happening on and off the pitch. How sad.

Simon mentions the academy players deserving a crack at the first team if they are good enough which is quite right but the problem we have is the first team have adopted a negative and defensive style of play whilst the development squad and academy sides all play a completely different style. Should they not all be playing the same way to make the introduction into the first team as easy and as smooth as possible for these young lads? Rodari looks a million dollars for the development side and cannot top scoring in a very attacking and exciting team. He then moves into the firsts and is thrown out wide or into a five man midfield playing a completely different style of football. No wonder he looks completely lost in the front side.

We are just 14 games into a 46 game season. That is 96 points to play for. We have the bottom two coming up and winnable games against Horsham and at home to Cray. We are only 12 points off the play offs. For the club to already be saying they are building for next season is not only a sad, negative and defeatist comment but also makes you think they have no faith in the squad that has been assembled. Nine games in to a new managerial tenure and we have signed Whybourne and two Bromley youngsters on loan, that is if they are still with us, whilst a number continue to leave. I keep hearing of players arriving but it’s not happening. Have we now got a reputation where players just don’t want to come to Hastings anymore or do we just not have the contacts. Just so sad Johnno is leaving us and possibly another to follow soon if all rumours are to believed. Such a top bloke and wonderful servant to the club. When will this all end? 

Johns comment made me realise I didn’t actually know quite how bad attendances had dropped on average of recent, overall over all 8 games its 371 which isn’t too bad ( 3rd best ) but by far the biggest crowds came in the first two home games ( first game of the season and the exceptional 700 at the lewes game ) remove those and average out and it drops hugely to 293! ( which actually would still keep us in 3rd average place anyway! )

I don't think for one minute this is the worst side United/Town have fielded - not by a long way. That THAT is what frustrates me - knowing we have the players to be right up there in the promotion mix but haven't made the best use of them. The team is now not what it was - Medlock walked out, Johnno wants out and the experienced senior men we still have are chopped and changed week in and week out with the youngsters doing much the same. I can't fathom why Rodari was out on the left flank yesterday - I also do think he is worth his place in the 1st team, once he started scoring he looked well worth his place - and he ends up on the bench!

Worst team? I don't like to describe any group that has represented the club as being "the worst" - but for me, the grimmest days were 2003-2004 when we floundered in the early days of the post Lottery winner owners period - that was horrendous - all the more so after watching such a good side break up in the summer of 2003 after relegation. This team is far better than that.

We gave Ashford a good run for their money yesterday. When they went 2-0 up after 20 minutes they must've thought it would be a breeze - yet we could've ended up winning that game. We will play less well than that and win games this season - but the frustration of seeing all the chopping and changing is toooo much!

5 wins in 38 league games conceding 115 goals DH.  

In 78/79 we won 5 of 42 league games but the worst has to be 51/52. Won just 3 of 42 games conceding 131 goals. I wonder if any player from that side is still alive today?

😂😂😂😂😂😂

I do hope you are right Jamie. Nobody wants him to fail, that is why all the proper supporters are so dismayed with what has happened this season. I also think that now the expectations have been lowered by the club we can now all finally just about accept a period of rebuilding. Also have absolutely no problem with the youngsters coming in if they are good enough. Ansu’s performance on Saturday was a prime example of what can happen in the future If they are brought through at the right time and in the right numbers, mixed with top quality experienced players. Just have a real problem with this constant prosession of top players leaving the club under a massive cloud. Can understand possibly With characters like Medlock or Collin but Simon Johnson? I have spoken to him so many times and there was no player more dedicated and passionate about playing for Hastings. I just don’t get it and not good seeing the reaction of the club to his loyalty on twitter tonight. Really disappointing and just raises more suspicion. I really hope Aggy turns this round because all I want is my local club, that I have supported for over 35 years, to be successful. 

The Social Saint wrote:

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A few new faces could upturn all disappointment at moment and few wins under his belt might lift the whole club and supporters alike.

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         Sorry but what are you saying?? Didn'y you read JohnW message who left this club the last months?? 

        The disappointment is not only that almost all our star players have left , that true and honest supporters/volunteers have left 

        but maybe even more that supporters think what happened these last months and who is responsible for that!!

A few good results won't change the feeling a lot of supporters have.

Granted Bert but Club politics/decisions are between the club and agree shame people have gone .
Players come and go now so we have to live with that me and you and every supporter won’t find the ins and outs why.
I’m a supporter just like u and just hope we can see Hastings creep up the leagues like every supporter does.


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Social Saint and ChrisB.....the best comments on the whole of this thread.

Dan once the ground is built money can be invested in the team,  presently its being invested in team and ground. Hence why we need a manager who can turn and average squad into a good or very good team

-- Edited by ChrisB on Monday 30th of October 2017 10:12:52 AM

Well I don't think he will make a group that is average a good or very good team. But what I will say is if we lose on Saturday I don't know how we can keep him on

www.hastingsunited.com/news/simon-johnson-departs
www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/sport/football/local/hastings-release-wantaway-midfielder-1-8270867
It's a shame things could not have been sorted.

'The club hadn’t received what it considered a suitable offer' ?

Really glad the long running saga with Johnno has finally come to a sensible end but equally sad to see another quality player leave the club. Only he and Chris truly know the reasons why he wanted to leave, but whatever happened, no sense in keeping an unhappy player at the club. I really do wish Simon all the best on his next move and thank him for his superb efforts over the last few years. To become player of the season, amongst all that quality from last season, was an amazing effort and he will be sorely missed by some of us supporters but the club moves on.

 

-- Edited by johnw on Friday 1st of December 2017 02:11:51 PM

I heard in the summer from a very reliable source that Simon was going to sign for Eastbourne Boro. The club then released its retained players list and it became obvious that he was another who did not realize the contract he signed had a second year option and he had to stay, surprised he did not do a "Frannie" and stayed as long as he did. This is a historic problem and has nothing to do with the Chris and the present management.
What I would say going forward that players need to read their contracts in full before signing them !

hammerfan wrote:

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I heard in the summer from a very reliable source that Simon was going to sign for Eastbourne Boro. The club then released its retained players list and it became obvious that he was another who did not realize the contract he signed had a second year option and he had to stay, surprised he did not do a "Frannie" and stayed as long as he did. This is a historic problem and has nothing to do with the Chris and the present management.
What I would say going forward that players need to read their contracts in full before signing them !

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 So you would sign a contract for say Sky TV for a year and the guy on the phone doesn't tell you that somewhere in the wording is a clause that says they can add on another year if they want to. You might end up with that second year but every time you turn on the telly you would be reminded of how you were caught out and whatever goodwill there existed would be gone forever.

 

Simon Johnson leaves Eastbourne Borough and signs for Eastbourne Town. Has to be the strangest move of all time. Have huge respect for Simon as a person and for what he did for our football club but why would any player, with his ability, want to drop three divisions and into county league. Bonkers!!

Ashford flashed the cash I expect.....