The point I was trying to make, is that all their seems to be left. From the board room to the volunteers, so many people have already left in the last year. It sort of feels that it is only us supporters left. Even the groundsman wheeled his barrow out the ground a few weeks back!
Hate to disappoint you, I won't be going. I may have been a bit sparse at away games so far this season, but I have only missed one home league game. They've already had my money upfront, when as I have done many times, purchased a season ticket.
99% of supporters knew it was a recipe for disaster, trying to turn us into a "London Club". But that was the Burney Gang quick fix, so they could get out. I pretty sure the incoming owners, all very local, knew it as well. It was only a matter of time before this happened. We now all expect a mass exodus of players over the coming weeks.
I'm sure the dust will settle and training in Hastings and surrounding ares will soon be resumed. I sure a few who have left may soon return?
Managerial wise, I wonder if Ben White will step into a temporary role? I personally would like to see Sam Adams take the job as a player manager. Will he be in the running? His knowledge of football, on and off the pitch, especially at this club is phenomenal, and would get a few local players back, I am sure.
We now need to hear from the club soon, before animosity and too much speculation sets in. What is their way forward? I'm sure they already know, this was not exactly out of the blue. Stevie Wonder saw this coming. An update on what are the long term plans of the Pilot Field is also needed.
We wait with anticipation...
-- Edited by Vernon on Sunday 15th of October 2023 04:39:56 PM
-- Edited by Vernon on Sunday 15th of October 2023 04:42:26 PM
not a shock at all, the new owners gave him a go and he wasn't up to it...relied on players that frankly failed him yet he kept picking them regardless too many of the local lads sitting on the bench when they should have been playing
I have been around this club for an awful lot of years and can honestly say I can’t remember a year like this for the constant change of personnel and all the uncertainty and upheaval that comes with it.
I will be very surprised if at least some of our London based players don’t follow the manager straight out the door and I wonder where that leaves us as far as putting a competitive team together.
That won’t be a surprise of course. If all our more local heroes can walk away in May, why should we expect any of these London players to hang around and help us rebuild now ? Not that I have been too impressed with many of them anyway.
Hindsight is a great thing, of course, but it now seems as if this whole campaign was built on a pretty flimsy foundation and all it took was a succession of poor results for the wheels to come flying off.
All rather depressing for everyone who cares about the club.
A settled period would be nice. This last few months has been horrendous. Billy Wood, Gary Elphick and Jon Meeney then the never ending procession out the door of a full first team squad after two excellent seasons.
Have to say I was surprised how well the season seemed to start bearing in mind how it all started from scratch. Then - here we go again - the coach is gone and a few weeks later, Akinwende is out the door etc etc. The recent sequence of results - while not as bad as 2002-2003 - is a worry but there is plenty of time to get some stability in.
Paul Barnes? Don't know really, he was here 5 minutes.His treatment of Freddie Legg seemed weird. A hugely promising player who ended up on the bench.
Whatever - stability now please. Or soon. Other players will be gone presumably.
I wonder what will happen to Craig Stone as he was the assistant manager?
Hopefully he will stay on as Caretaker Manager and player until they appoint someone permanent.
Always difficult when you aren’t the owners manager, however results have been poor and more concerning is the performances. Very much if you played badly you got picked again!
Let’s hope they change is up! Manager from local area and from what I’ve seen let’s build a side around the hastings boys we have currently and give them a go!
TC returns soon, give leggy consistent game time to develop, get JJ walker in the middle of a back 3 and get Jamal in the middle of the park with Adam to learn his trade.
This season was always about building for the future and we are in a position to do it now.
For a little light relief suggest you Google the Dorking managers response to their defeat by Horsham in the FA Cup. Not however if you do not like bad language. Note to SS….Simon you may like to comment in your next ‘Gut feeling’ Priceless stuff.
Isn't it time to go back to the basics? There is plenty of youth who are playing at a good level and searching for players who are bonded/connected/raised in or nearby Hastings? Then the town ( supporters ) have much more feeling with the team and not now what has happened;training in London?? And players who have no or almost none history with the town of Hastings. Maybe you will have stand still for a while but for the future it will be the best solution ( there are so many clubs done it with succes)!
You are so right Bert, there has been no passion from this squad, you only get that true passion from home bred players, who give their heart and soul, Sammy Adams is a prime example, maybe we should be thinking of offering him the managers job ! He would certainly have the backing from the crowd.
-- Edited by Hastings2013 on Tuesday 17th of October 2023 07:58:54 AM
Fully agree that Hastings/Bexhill/Rye area should be big enough to produce 20 players that could play at our level. However Hastings 2013 you mention passion,heart and soul from home bred players, were they not the first to leave ?
What I don't understand is that a city of almost 100.000 people still plays at this level. I think of Forest Green Rovers of the town Nailsworth there are living less then 7000! plays in division 2! And there were watching more then 2000 in their last home game. How come?
I’m afraid that clubs like FGR generally have rich benefactors who plough millions of pounds in. If you look at some teams in L2 for example, their annual wage bills are well over £5m a year and some nearly 10 times that. That filters down to NL and NLN/S where full time squads are prevalent. It doesn’t matter what your local populace is, it’s down to attracting the best players you can based on budget. The only other option is to build from within but to expect a large influx of academy players to make first team regulars is unrealistic. We have to try something different though because building a squad with out of town players with no affinity to the club doesn’t work, unless the budget is there and the players are top class. But as soon as the going gets tough, and somebody offers more money, and longer contracts, players will leave.
Fully agree that Hastings/Bexhill/Rye area should be big enough to produce 20 players that could play at our level. However Hastings 2013 you mention passion,heart and soul from home bred players, were they not the first to leave ?
You are of course right Phil, but what was the real reason for them leaving, it could have been very justified
-- Edited by Hastings2013 on Tuesday 17th of October 2023 03:11:13 PM
Fully agree that Hastings/Bexhill/Rye area should be big enough to produce 20 players that could play at our level. However Hastings 2013 you mention passion,heart and soul from home bred players, were they not the first to leave ?
You are of course right Phil, but what was the real reason for them leaving, it could have been very justified
-- Edited by Hastings2013 on Tuesday 17th of October 2023 03:11:13 PM
If I was a home bred player and was suddenly told that I had to train in London to play for Hastings I think that I'd have left too !
