Robins' amazing improvement

[vickeryc]

I think our more direct style is working partially because all teams are now used to teams always building from the back and defending against that. Therefore defences struggle against being constantly under stress

Definitely. Playing out from the back has, all too often, been suicidal for us and I'm relieved that approach has largely been binned. It's fine if you have a team full of players skilled at passing the ball. However, week in week out, our passing accuracy is nearly always worse than the opposition - usually around 55%-60%. It's clearly not one of our strengths and DC didn't take long to spot it. The long ball may not be to everyone's taste but, for us, it reduces the risk of conceding needless goals. Put simply, if you're going to lose possession from goal kicks, etc, it's better it happens in the opposition's half than near your own penalty box.

[Leckyfan]

And can we all really drive tractors?!

Can we drive tractors? Yes, if you have a car licence
Do we drive tractors? No

Most people on here seem to have a basic level of literacy, so the first line of the song is tosh as well.

Come to think of it (which I didn’t, until you all started analysing the words)…

“matter” and “tractor” is a pretty rubbish (lazy) rhyme. Even when sung in a “cheltenham-shire” accent - if there is such a thing.

Does anyone know who first penned (or sang) this literary non-masterpiece?

[1985CTFC]

I think our more direct style is working partially because all teams are now used to teams always building from the back and defending against that. Therefore defences struggle against being constantly under stress

Definitely. Playing out from the back has, all too often, been suicidal for us and I'm relieved that approach has largely been binned. It's fine if you have a team full of players skilled at passing the ball. However, week in week out, our passing accuracy is nearly always worse than the opposition - usually around 55%-60%. It's clearly not one of our strengths and DC didn't take long to spot it. The long ball may not be to everyone's taste but, for us, it reduces the risk of conceding needless goals. Put simply, if you're going to lose possession from goal kicks, etc, it's better it happens in the opposition's half than near your own penalty box.

Reading the Exeter forum and Blackpool forum the fans on them are sick of the tippy tappy across the back then back then forward then back. They hate it. I couldn't believe how slow Blackpool played obviously under instructions. Played in to our hands as we were able to get back and organize.
I presume the reasoning as I read sometime ago was to draw the opposition forward to then enable an attack. But teams adapt. We rarely chased the ball between the defenders, just stood off them and marked up. They were not to sure as to what to do.
The entertainment aspect seemed to be the main issue to the fans on the forum.

[Leckyfan]

Okay, ‘cos I’m sad, and nothing better to do on a Sunday morning…

Version 2:

Got no money, got no crowds,
No wealthy benefactor;
We all come from Cheltenhamshire,
And we can drive a tractor**

**at least those of us with a valid UK driving licence that includes Category ‘F’ (which we acquire automatically when passing a car driving test)

No need to sing the footnote. Just there as a defence if challenged by opposing fans

[Ihearye]

I think our more direct style is working partially because all teams are now used to teams always building from the back and defending against that. Therefore defences struggle against being constantly under stress

Definitely. Playing out from the back has, all too often, been suicidal for us and I'm relieved that approach has largely been binned. It's fine if you have a team full of players skilled at passing the ball. However, week in week out, our passing accuracy is nearly always worse than the opposition - usually around 55%-60%. It's clearly not one of our strengths and DC didn't take long to spot it. The long ball may not be to everyone's taste but, for us, it reduces the risk of conceding needless goals. Put simply, if you're going to lose possession from goal kicks, etc, it's better it happens in the opposition's half than near your own penalty box.

Reading the Exeter forum and Blackpool forum the fans on them are sick of the tippy tappy across the back then back then forward then back. They hate it. I couldn't believe how slow Blackpool played obviously under instructions. Played in to our hands as we were able to get back and organize.
I presume the reasoning as I read sometime ago was to draw the opposition forward to then enable an attack. But teams adapt. We rarely chased the ball between the defenders, just stood off them and marked up. They were not to sure as to what to do.
The entertainment aspect seemed to be the main issue to the fans on the forum.

And long may it last on the tippy tappy front as it would appear that their defence is set up to expect the opposition to be tippy tappy and for the vast majority of games the opposition play they will be defending against a slow build up. Then they play us and they don't know how to adapt to our more direct approach.

[asl]

Does anyone know who first penned (or sang) this literary non-masterpiece?

Dunno, but he was an Ipswich Town fan.

[1985CTFC]

Definitely. Playing out from the back has, all too often, been suicidal for us and I'm relieved that approach has largely been binned. It's fine if you have a team full of players skilled at passing the ball. However, week in week out, our passing accuracy is nearly always worse than the opposition - usually around 55%-60%. It's clearly not one of our strengths and DC didn't take long to spot it. The long ball may not be to everyone's taste but, for us, it reduces the risk of conceding needless goals. Put simply, if you're going to lose possession from goal kicks, etc, it's better it happens in the opposition's half than near your own penalty box.

Reading the Exeter forum and Blackpool forum the fans on them are sick of the tippy tappy across the back then back then forward then back. They hate it. I couldn't believe how slow Blackpool played obviously under instructions. Played in to our hands as we were able to get back and organize.
I presume the reasoning as I read sometime ago was to draw the opposition forward to then enable an attack. But teams adapt. We rarely chased the ball between the defenders, just stood off them and marked up. They were not to sure as to what to do.
The entertainment aspect seemed to be the main issue to the fans on the forum.

And long may it last on the tippy tappy front as it would appear that their defence is set up to expect the opposition to be tippy tappy and for the vast majority of games the opposition play they will be defending against a slow build up. Then they play us and they don't know how to adapt to our more direct approach.

You are right. Good example was against Oxford. They didn't know what hit them.
I don't think we are quite as direct as when we had both Goodwin Street and Lloyd. Guess we have had to adapt a little with the loss of 2 of them. But we are still getting the ball forward and they don't like it up um.

Only issue is opposing teams will be watching and may adapt. Although some teams are ingrained in how they play. Blackpool and Exeter as an example.
Thought Leyton Orient with Richie Wellens knew what was going to happen and held firm and remained in the game then made the subs which eventually did us.

[Leckyfan]

On ‘playing out from the back’…

Wigan on Friday night seemed to spend large amounts of time passing the ball from side to side, and never getting out of their own half. Was reflected in the possession stats (at least in first half, which I happened to notice at half-time). And it began to annoy their own fans, who started booing occasionally (and usefully amplified by Cheltenham fans joining in with the booing!).

Felt great from our perspective, and especially while were a goal up. DC tactics spot-on, I reckon.

[Shade]

Can we drive tractors? Yes, if you have a car licence
Do we drive tractors? No

Most people on here seem to have a basic level of literacy, so the first line of the song is tosh as well.

Come to think of it (which I didn’t, until you all started analysing the words)…

“matter” and “tractor” is a pretty rubbish (lazy) rhyme. Even when sung in a “cheltenham-shire” accent - if there is such a thing.

Does anyone know who first penned (or sang) this literary non-masterpiece?

It's tra'er and ma'er, though. Or it should be, before it got bastardised and sped up to lightning speed by the current singers. And as asl said, it is an Ipswich song , them being the tractor boys n all. Not sure when we started using it, though.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Most people on here seem to have a basic level of literacy, so the first line of the song is tosh as well.

Come to think of it (which I didn’t, until you all started analysing the words)…

“matter” and “tractor” is a pretty rubbish (lazy) rhyme. Even when sung in a “cheltenham-shire” accent - if there is such a thing.

Does anyone know who first penned (or sang) this literary non-masterpiece?

It's tra'er and ma'er, though. Or it should be, before it got bastardised and sped up to lightning speed by the current singers. And as asl said, it is an Ipswich song , them being the tractor boys n all. Not sure when we started using it, though.

I think Gloucestershire cricket fans started using it and it crossed over to CTFC quite a few years after that.

[asl]

I was once told it was first adopted by GCCC fans at the Gillette Trophy final at Lords in 77 (?) - then migrated to CTFC some time after that.