Pre-season friendlies
Pre-season friendlies
Anyone got any idea who we might be facing up against in pre-season friendlies? Considering the FL, NPL and Northern League season will be kicking off in September not much time left to play sides at those levels before their seasons start.
Just really leaves us National League sides and the regions U23's teams, seeing as most teams seem to try and avoid playing teams in their own league pre-season. Can imagine Boro U23's will be on the list, maybe Halifax as a semi local NL side? After that, maybe a behind closed doors game against Pools? But there aren't many pickings. We'll need to be ready for that first game on the 3rd October, with it being in the FA Cup (and the prize money that brings) and potentially playing an opponent who might be 4 or 5 games into their season.
Just really leaves us National League sides and the regions U23's teams, seeing as most teams seem to try and avoid playing teams in their own league pre-season. Can imagine Boro U23's will be on the list, maybe Halifax as a semi local NL side? After that, maybe a behind closed doors game against Pools? But there aren't many pickings. We'll need to be ready for that first game on the 3rd October, with it being in the FA Cup (and the prize money that brings) and potentially playing an opponent who might be 4 or 5 games into their season.
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Re: Pre-season friendlies
Harrogate , would be a good home game for our lads as they are pulling up their plastic pitch
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Re: Pre-season friendlies
Harrogate , would be a good home game for our lads as they are pulling up their plastic pitch
Oops double post
Oops double post
Re: Pre-season friendlies
Their season starts much earlier, so v little time to play themDarlopartisan wrote: ↑Mon Aug 24, 2020 7:41 pmHarrogate , would be a good home game for our lads as they are pulling up their plastic pitch
Re: Pre-season friendlies
U23s start their season w/e 12 SeptemberJE93 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 24, 2020 7:29 pmAnyone got any idea who we might be facing up against in pre-season friendlies? Considering the FL, NPL and Northern League season will be kicking off in September not much time left to play sides at those levels before their seasons start.
Just really leaves us National League sides and the regions U23's teams, seeing as most teams seem to try and avoid playing teams in their own league pre-season. Can imagine Boro U23's will be on the list, maybe Halifax as a semi local NL side? After that, maybe a behind closed doors game against Pools? But there aren't many pickings. We'll need to be ready for that first game on the 3rd October, with it being in the FA Cup (and the prize money that brings) and potentially playing an opponent who might be 4 or 5 games into their season.
Re: Pre-season friendlies
AA addresses this in his latest interview on club website. Big problem is that other leagues are mostly starting before us and we have only just started pre season training so it will be difficult to find the right opposition to play. Maybe matches against local Under 23 sides is a possibility. I am sure he will have us ready come the first game as it is an FA cup tie that will likely be against a lower league team who will already have a few games under their belt.
Re: Pre-season friendlies
Odd one isn't it? You'd assume it'll be all non-league sides as league sides have already gotten underway by then. Hartlepool could even be a candidate. I'd assume it'll be a behind closed doors situation anyway.
Halifax seems an obvious choice also but they have an awful lot of other National North sides near to them. The rest of the National League is so Southern these days you're looking at Stockport being the next nearest (after Pools and Halifax). There's Alty also who are a couple of miles further but then after that.... it's probably Chesterfield.
South Shields could be a possibility. I've no idea when the leagues lower than us are starting though.
Halifax seems an obvious choice also but they have an awful lot of other National North sides near to them. The rest of the National League is so Southern these days you're looking at Stockport being the next nearest (after Pools and Halifax). There's Alty also who are a couple of miles further but then after that.... it's probably Chesterfield.
South Shields could be a possibility. I've no idea when the leagues lower than us are starting though.
Re: Pre-season friendlies
Its going to be difficult to find sides outside of National League & National League north/ south for friendlies in September as most will have started their league seasons.H1987 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 9:18 amOdd one isn't it? You'd assume it'll be all non-league sides as league sides have already gotten underway by then. Hartlepool could even be a candidate. I'd assume it'll be a behind closed doors situation anyway.
Halifax seems an obvious choice also but they have an awful lot of other National North sides near to them. The rest of the National League is so Southern these days you're looking at Stockport being the next nearest (after Pools and Halifax). There's Alty also who are a couple of miles further but then after that.... it's probably Chesterfield.
South Shields could be a possibility. I've no idea when the leagues lower than us are starting though.
Even playing against U23 sides is not ideal because such teams tend to be less physically strong than the sort of sides clubs will face in the NLN.
A nightmare for clubs with the late start to pre season training and disjointed season start dates. With the crowd restrictions at present, its not even as if playing Darlington at home would be a money spinner for smaller clubs this season that it would be in other years.
I don't envy any clubs at this level trying to arrange pre season games.
Re: Pre-season friendlies
There are differences geographically as well but these are the current proposed start dates.
PL2 - 12th September
Step 1 / 2 - 3rd October
Step 3 / 4 - 19th September
Step 5 - North West Counties is 3rd October / Northern League are going ahead with 5th September
Step 5 cannot do their fixtures until Steps 3 / 4 do, and they can't do theirs until Steps 1 & 2.
The Northern League have a job on starting in 10 days when they can't even schedule their fixtures yet.
Re: Pre-season friendlies
Think the northern league released their fixture list last week: http://www.northernfootballleague.org/w ... 0-21-1.pdflo36789 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 10:11 amThere are differences geographically as well but these are the current proposed start dates.
PL2 - 12th September
Step 1 / 2 - 3rd October
Step 3 / 4 - 19th September
Step 5 - North West Counties is 3rd October / Northern League are going ahead with 5th September
Step 5 cannot do their fixtures until Steps 3 / 4 do, and they can't do theirs until Steps 1 & 2.
The Northern League have a job on starting in 10 days when they can't even schedule their fixtures yet.
Re: Pre-season friendlies
Strange unless they don't have any clashes maybe. NWC have said they absolutely can't schedule until Northern Prem come out.
Perhaps there aren't any ground share issues between NL and NPL whereas there are in NWC (AFC Liverpool / Marine, Bootle / City of Liverpool, AFC Bury / Radcliffe, Northwich Vics / Witton Albion)
Odd that their main website sites they will release fixtures as soon as they can yet they have per team fixtures.
Perhaps there aren't any ground share issues between NL and NPL whereas there are in NWC (AFC Liverpool / Marine, Bootle / City of Liverpool, AFC Bury / Radcliffe, Northwich Vics / Witton Albion)
Odd that their main website sites they will release fixtures as soon as they can yet they have per team fixtures.
Re: Pre-season friendlies
I seem to remember once when we are at HP, possibly our first season in Div 1N, the Northern League released their fixtures before the NPL, and then of course when our fixtures came out, some Bishop matches had to be rearranged as we had priority.
Pre-season friendlies
Deleted
Re: Pre-season friendlies
West Auckland need a game on Thursday after a late cancellation.
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Re: Pre-season friendlies
The norm is that the top level puts out its fixtures first then the second and downwards through the levels over a period of weeks.(Obviously shortened this year because of Covid).
The NL have virtually always ignored this since the days they refused to be in the pyramid.
Re: Pre-season friendlies
Thanks Fleetwood for the reality check. We need more games to give us time as a unit playing against some decent sides to hone ourselves. Players need to build up on-the-field trust and understanding of each other and how they fit into AA's scheme.
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Re: Pre-season friendlies
Reality check?
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Re: Pre-season friendlies
Reality check? Eh, how..
We've trained twice and this was our 1st Pre-Season game, and against a team expected to go for promotion 3 leagues above us..
Re: Pre-season friendlies
And who are much further on in pre-season.AndyPark wrote:Reality check? Eh, how..
We've trained twice and this was our 1st Pre-Season game, and against a team expected to go for promotion 3 leagues above us..
Think ‘reality check’ is not the appropriate term if I understand the meaning correctly
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Re: Pre-season friendlies
That was also likely to have been Fleetwood’s final game of pre season. Their season starts next weekend in Carabao
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Re: Pre-season friendlies
Thought we might have a few lined up by now. Looks like Spenny are doing a seaside tour with Marske Whitby and Bridlington.
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Re: Pre-season friendlies
Harvey has bagged himself a goal 2-1 to the cod army
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- HarrytheQuaker
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Re: Pre-season friendlies
Make that 2 , 3-1 now
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Re: Pre-season friendlies
Yes I thought we might have announced some. Wondering whether they will allow fans, or whether we can stream for £ (which I’d be happy to do), or like Blyth and stream for freepoppyfield wrote:Thought we might have a few lined up by now. Looks like Spenny are doing a seaside tour with Marske Whitby and Bridlington.
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Re: Pre-season friendlies
I was going to go to Stourbridge v Hereford last night . Online tickets only but they had sold out . 300 maximum crowd allowed . Not sure if Hereford had an allocation but there’s never been segregation before.