Gloucester City...

[Wellwisher]

Went to GCFC last weekend for the first time - lost 3-1 to Warrington Town.

First impressions weren't entirely favourable - got soaked walking from the train station and through the city centre, then couldn't actually find the ground even after passing through the docks and over the river i.e. close by.

Which wasn't just me - three Bristol Rovers groundhoppers were equally lost in the nearby industrial estate, within touching distance of the stadium perimeter, but with no way through. A couple of signs would help.

Anyhow, got in 15 mins in (GCFC already 1-0 down), appreciating that the rain was passing and you could choose where to sit or stand, under cover as well.

I have to say that while WTFC looked something like a football team, GCFC were rather lacking, going in two-nil down (and lucky to have nil?). Tbf, the Tigers' manager seems to have done a good job at H-T, possibly by suggesting novel tactics to his team, like e.g. passing that round leather thing to someone in the same shirt where possible.

The second half was much more competitive, with GCFC getting back to 2-1, before a third WTFC goal by their tubby Centre Forward, Josh "Something's" Amis on 68 mins settled it. Though fair play to GCFC, they kept going to the end.

All in all, not too bad value. At first I was a little bit underwhelmed by the stadium - you expect modern stadia to be reasonably, well... modern, whereas this was mostly a collection of converted shipping containers. But on reflection, and considering the problems the club have had, it's actually a pretty good effort, and certainly adequate for the 755 spectators in attendance. Nice mix of fans, friendly too, with a few WTFC fans sprinkled amongst the home fans in addition to the 50-odd fans in the away end.

They had a good little food hut, with the food cooked to order, while the bar was also well set up (good beer and cider etc). Though it was a little disappointing that the TV screens were showing TNT's Premiership Rugby, rather than SKY's Soccer Saturday. (I'm not sure this was by public demand, since no-one was paying it any attention - SKY too expensive to justify perhaps?).

Anyhow, all told it wasn't a bad day out, which I'd have enjoyed rather more had the weather not been so c!#p (hardly GCFC's fault. Obviously). Hope the Tigers stay up, though on that evidence - and the state of the table - it's going to be a real struggle.

P.S. Liked Gloucester's Roy of the Rovers kit!

[paperboy]

Well that didn't last long.

Chairman Pat Chambers and his wife step down as custodians of the club.
The vital thing for Tigers supporters is at least they are back in the city nowadays, but with a much smaller playing budget these days are finding it tough in NLN.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Well that didn't last long.

Chairman Pat Chambers and his wife step down as custodians of the club.
The vital thing for Tigers supporters is at least they are back in the city nowadays, but with a much smaller playing budget these days are finding it tough in NLN.

Any idea what happened here?

A lot of debate on the Gloucester forum but nothing clear on reasons for the departure.

https://thecityopenforum.co.uk/showthread.php?tid=1865

[paperboy]

Yet another delay in the trial of former City boss James Rowe.
This is just crazy and unfair on everyone.
A delay of 3 years!

Trial of former Chesterfield FC manager James Rowe pushed back to 2024 despite “impassioned plea” to avoid delay to sexual assault case
The trial of ex-Chesterfield FC manager James Rowe will now take place next year after the sexual assault case was adjourned by a judge.
By Tom Hardwick
Published 7th Dec 2023, 13:09 GMT
Updated 7th Dec 2023, 13:09 GMT


The trial of James Rowe, 40, was scheduled to begin today (Thursday, December 7) at Derby Crown Court.

Mr Rowe was charged with sexually assaulting a woman on November 24 2021 - to which he has pleaded not guilty.



The trial was delayed this week due to illness, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that they were unable to find anyone suitable to prosecute the case. The CPS subsequently made an application for the trial to be adjourned.


James Rowe, pictured here arriving at Chesterfield Magistrates Court on November 7 2022.




Peter Eguae, representing Mr Rowe, asked Judge Jonathan Bennett to reject the application for an adjournment.


Mr Eguae said that Mr Rowe’s “life has been on hold” and “his reputation has been tarnished” - adding that Mr Rowe had done “everything to be ready” for the beginning of the trial.

The court heard from Mr Eguae that he believed it was an “injustice" to allow the case to be adjourned through "no fault of Mr Rowe" - due to what he described as “inactivity and inefficiency” on behalf of the CPS.


Judge Bennett rejected what he called an “impassioned plea” from Mr Eguae to dismiss the request for an adjournment.

The Judge told the court that a number of issues had delayed the start of the hearing earlier this week - including a problem with the heating in the courtroom, and a cyber attack that left the prosecution unable to access documents relating to the case.

Judge Bennett added, however, that “sickness is the prime cause why this case cannot proceed. If not, the case would have been opened on Tuesday - that's the fundamental problem.”


The CPS were asked by Judge Bennett to “urgently look at alternative counsel” to ensure the case could proceed today. He said that “numerous efforts” were made to find someone to prosecute, but that these were ultimately unsuccessful.

Judge Bennett said that the "scarcity of people available to prosecute" can lead to delays in hearing cases relating to alleged offences of a sexual nature - along with a lack of judges and courtrooms.

The case has been adjourned until October 7 2024.

[paperboy]

Interesting.

https://twitter.com/GCAFCSupporters/sta ... q3brw&s=19

[asl]

Interesting that the supporter's trust chairman is a Robin!

[paperboy]

Gloucester hosting Truro v Dartford tonight on their artificial pitch.

Good news for Dartford one imagines as it's only a 300 mile round trip as opposed to virtually double that to travel to Truro.

[Jerry St Clair]

Gloucester hosting Truro v Dartford tonight on their artificial pitch.

Good news for Dartford one imagines as it's only a 300 mile round trip as opposed to virtually double that to travel to Truro.

The big Devon/Cornwall derby at Meadow Park next week. Truro v Torquay.

[paperboy]

A new Chairman and words of wisdom from AP.

https://www.gloucestercityafc.com/post/ ... r-the-club

[paperboy]

Relegation softened a little one imagines with City placed in Southern League Premier SOUTH next season with less travelling and some nice away days.
Wish them well.

https://twitter.com/GCAFCofficial/statu ... uSbJA&s=19

[Andrew GCAFC Fan]

Gloucester City AFC have made a Great Start, to life in the Southern League Premier, South. Having played our 13 league match on Tuesday night, (a 4 - 2 win at Winchester) we are currently top of the league.
AFC Totton are 2nd, they could be the team to beat. We drew 1 - 1 with them away last weekend. They have been banging the goals in. They have ex Southampton striker Charlie Austin, in their squad. Behind the scenes they have James Beattie.
Merthyr Town are 3rd, I believe they have 2 games in hand.
We've lost one league game so far, (1 - 0 at Dorchester Town). A Good Start, a long way to go.

[Shade]

They're doing well.

On a different subject, but linked to the last post, I know Merthyr and other Welsh teams play in the English system because there wasn't a Welsh League when they were founded, and I understand why the likes of Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham still play in the English system, as they're far too big for the Welsh League, even Newport. But I don't know why the likes of Merthyr and Colwyn Bay haven't joined the Welsh League. It would surely be more beneficial for them than knocking around the 7th or 8th tiers of English football, and surely the Welsh FA wouldn't stop them joining?

[Si Robin]

Colwyn Bay joined the Welsh League in 2019.

[Wellwisher]

I don't know why the likes of Merthyr... ... haven't joined the Welsh League. It would surely be more beneficial for them than knocking around the 7th or 8th tiers of English football, and surely the Welsh FA wouldn't stop them joining?

Never quite understood that myself, but I suspect it is/was a combination of (a ) Welsh league competition/pyramid formerly having been pretty c!#p (the FAW are now working towards fixing that); (b ) the English system correspondingly offering better opportunity for a team to progress; (c ) the English system offering access to the FA Cup, while they were also able to enter the Welsh Cup in a "cake and eat it" way, and (d ) history and tradition etc

On those two last points, Merthyr have enjoyed a couple of FA Cup runs (admittedly in the distant past), while their Wiki entry notes:
"Historically, the club's biggest rivals are Gloucester City. The two clubs played over 120 times in their history, making it one of the most played Anglo-Welsh derbies in football. In the late 1990s and early 2000s Newport County were local rivals but the teams have not met in the same league for many years."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merthyr_Town_F.C.

I do know that when the FAW tried a while back to force the smaller clubs into their own system, those clubs fought very hard to be allowed to remain in the English system.

As against that, I believe (open to correction) that Colwyn Bay - see Si Robin's post - have done ok since they "moved back to Wales".

P.S. The title of their fanzine, "Dial M for Merthyr" always makes me smile, with their most recent blog post including this comment:
"... the [Southern League] grounds [in the 1980's] were full of atmosphere and you could sense the shared terrace history of clubs like Worcester City, Kidderminster Harriers, Cheltenham Town, Bromsgrove Rovers and Bath City."
http://dialmformerthyr.blogspot.com/202 ... lp-us.html

[Si Robin]

What I find interesting is that Merthyr liquidated in 2010, reformed and then re-entered in the English pyramid rather than the Welsh one.

When Newport reformed they were forced to play in England (at Gloucester and Moreton-in-Marsh) due to the FAW trying to force them to play in the Welsh system - as Wellwisher alludes to.

[Wellwisher]

What I find interesting is that Merthyr liquidated in 2010, reformed and then re-entered in the English pyramid rather than the Welsh one.

When Newport reformed they were forced to play in England (at Gloucester and Moreton-in-Marsh) due to the FAW trying to force them to play in the Welsh system - as Wellwisher alludes to.

Football clubs* have to be Members of the Football Association within whose jurisdiction they play their home games.

And so I think (emphasise) that the FAW were refusing to recognise Newport's Membership unless they also joined a Welsh League. Which was why Newport felt compelled to play their "home" games in exile (I imagine they were Members of the English FA instead.)

Anyhow, they were eventually forced to take the FAW to Court in 1995, and were successful:
"After an attempt at obtaining arbitration that failed and due to the excessive costs of playing 80 miles (130 kilometres) away in England, Newport sued the FAW on the grounds of restraint of trade in what had been stated as the first occasion where an individual football club has taken its football association to court. The club cited inconsistencies in application as Merthyr Tydfil played in the Football Conference yet were allowed to play the club's home games in Wales and had permission to continue to play in Wales if they were relegated. This was due to Merthyr Tidfil being successful in an independent FAW appeal."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_A ... _Wales_Ltd
(Ironically, the above Court case was heard in England )

* - I'm pretty sure that Cardiff, Swansea et al are actually members of the FAW, despite playing in the English league system, though it has proven necessary for the FA to retain some disciplinary powers over Welsh clubs playing in the English system.

[Shade]

Interesting stuff. Thanks both.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

They're doing well.

On a different subject, but linked to the last post, I know Merthyr and other Welsh teams play in the English system because there wasn't a Welsh League when they were founded, and I understand why the likes of Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham still play in the English system, as they're far too big for the Welsh League, even Newport. But I don't know why the likes of Merthyr and Colwyn Bay haven't joined the Welsh League. It would surely be more beneficial for them than knocking around the 7th or 8th tiers of English football, and surely the Welsh FA wouldn't stop them joining?

Re Cardiff and Swansea. Them playing in Wales, alongside Wrexham, Newport and Merthyr wouldn’t be too dissimilar to Rangers and Celtic playing in the SPL with the likes of Ross County.

Now for a rather controversial suggestion. Is it time to switch to a UK-wide pyramid? Maybe as follows:

Premier League and Championship remain a national competition (the bigger Scottish clubs will likely end up at this level like Cardiff, Swansea and soon to be Wrexham).

Then L1 is split North and South, and L2 maybe regionalised into three or four regions.
The Conference the same as L2 and then more regions added at Tier 7 and below to fit into the pyramid.

Teams like Morpeth and Blyth Spartans are further north than Annan Athletic, Stranraer and maybe Queen of the South for example. Gloucester have had to travel to Blyth, Gateshead and South Shields for example in the National League North. If we had a UK regionalised league at that level with four or more regions then teams like South Shields could be in with the southern and western Scottish teams and Gloucester wouldn’t have to travel such crazy distances.

A more regionalised L2 would mean fewer trips to Carlisle and Grimsby and the like for teams like Cheltenham and Swindon.

[Shade]

Now for a rather controversial suggestion. Is it time to switch to a UK-wide pyramid?

No.

[Jerry St Clair]

Now for a rather controversial suggestion. Is it time to switch to a UK-wide pyramid?

No.

A UK-wide pyramid would require a UK-wide national association, which would require a disbandment of the current national teams and formation of a UK (or maybe GB) international team.

I think that is..........unlikely.

[Shade]

Gloucester keeper scored a cracking own goal yesterday
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19sf1Zb3bE/

[Si Robin]

Football's a funny game. Gloucester come from 4-0 down to draw 4-4, Joe Hanks scores directly from a corner, but the only thing people mention is the comical own goal.

It is bloody funny though

[paperboy]

James Rowe finally has his day in court.
Whether someone is innocent or guilty there's no way anyone's life should be put on hold for several years.

Really good article here and worth a read.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... ield-trial