Farnborough 1 Dulwich Hamlet 4. Saturday 10th October , 2015

[editor]

Photos!

More: Farnborough flattened by formidable Dulwich Hamlet in emphatic 4-1 thumping

 

[editor]

Another set of photos by a Farnborough photographer here: Farnborough 1 Dulwich Hamlet 4

That remains the smallest 465 crowd I've ever seen.

 

[blueheaven]

Strong performance from the Hamlet, albeit with a little wobble after we went 3-0 up. At one point I genuinely thought Farnborough were going to come right back into the game as our defence was really straining - fortunately it didn't happen.

I really liked their ground (first time I've been there) and enjoyed watching the first half from near the back of the stand - it's so rare to get a chance to watch us play from that sort of vantage point.

Promising debut performance from Sweeney and, as others have mentioned, our squad looks really strong now. I know Gavin has said previously that the boost in crowds hasn't made a massive difference to his budget, but it certainly seems like there's more being invested in players than there was a couple of years ago. There's a real quality to the side at the moment and the Sweeney addition, to me, looks like a bit of a statement of intent.

Also interesting that Sweeney went straight into that advanced midfield role that Dixon has never really been given a chance in, despite that being his position at his old club. Seeing Dixon, Jarrett and Clunis warming up pre-match it really hit home how many options we'll have if everyone's fit and it's going to be hard to keep all of these guys happy. The fact that even Drage isn't getting a game at the moment says a lot (although personally I'd have him in the team ahead of Sankofa).

P.S I love the new away shirt. Are those shorts and socks really meant to go with it though?

P.P.S. What a header from Waldren for the second goal, and what a fantastic reaction from him after it went in. You could see how much it meant to him. Great player and great captain.

 

[Pink Panther]

As Pink Panther alludes to above I struggle to see how Dicko and Campbell will get back in the side. Deano Macca has played well and he was brought in to make up the numbers when we were light but again I can't see him being an integral part of the team. Albert's been very unlucky with his injury as he was doing ok but again I feel this really is a make or break season for him and if he doesn't have a strong second half of the season then I can't see him being next year (if he lasts that long).

Totally agree. I think his performances have dropped slightly recently - he was at fault for the goal v Staines last week and it was his wayward pass that led to Hampton's first goal too, so perhaps that's why he's been dropped out the XI recently. All the same I think he's as good as Ethan is. It feels very odd to say it given that he's played in the Premier League and for England Under 20s, but I think Sankofa is the one who should make way. He's very, very good, but I think Drage and Pinnock is a formidable partnership, albeit a very young one as Monkeygrinder pointed out. I'm also under the impression that Drage is under contract, so hopefully that seriously reduces the chance of him departing mid-season if this stint on the bench continues.

This is a lovely conundrum to have though isn't it? This sort of selection crisis reminds me why I was so excited during pre season and since then we've gone on to sign a rejuvenated McDonald, Dan Sweeney, RM-W and Jordan Brown as well. It's an incredibly strong squad once everyone returns (although one that could still do with a Makelele in the middle, I think - maybe that's what Sweeney is). I think Mascoll and Fernandes are the first two that should make way. Maybe a loan spell at Whyteleafe or Walton Casuals would do them good. Like you though Al, I fear for Dixon and Campbell especially now we've signed Sweeney and Brown. I hope they stay but I wonder if a departure or two will be announced soon.

My impression of Sweeney was that he's an almost identical type of player to Dixon. Jordan Brown has really impressed me in his two games so far at left back so I can't see Campbell being more than an understudy to him. The way we play it's good to have wing options on the bench. Our strong performance in the first season back in the Premier Division was based on having four wingers - Clunis, Greeen, Lodge, Walker - and rotating them, and whenever one was out injured we still had two genuine wingers so our natural game wasn't compromised. Jarrett was often effective coming off the bench last season.

Drage, Pinnock & Sankofa are all excellent centre backs with little to choose between them overall. They've all played at full back so far, but for me Pinnock is the best full back of the three, so in order to accommodate all three he would have to lay at left back, which is what we did at the start of the season. But now we have Jordan Brown that's unlikely to happen except in anemergency. I couldn't quite work out why we began chopping and changing, with Nelson also appearing at centre back a couple of times with Drage outside him at right back. I also thought Pinnock would have been a better bet at half back against Whitehawk, when Drage played that role, as he played there quite a lot before last season and is a bit quicker and lighter on his feet.

We certainly need some strength in depth if we want to win this division, and that means retaining several players as back up who would walk into most other sides in the league. In the D1S championship wining season we often had a bench consisting of Junior Kadi plus four teenagers, with another couple of homegrown youngsters (Kershaney Samuels & Xavier Vidal) starting games regularly. Frankly it was a remarkable achievement to win that division with such an adventurous style of play and such a young and physically small team. But we've really stepped up a level now in terms of the sort of players we're bringing to the club. We're physically much bigger and stronger even than last season, and so many of our lads have played at Football League and Conference level.

 

[LocalMadMan]

Strong performance from the Hamlet, albeit with a little wobble after we went 3-0 up. At one point I genuinely thought Farnborough were going to come right back into the game as our defence was really straining - fortunately it didn't happen.

I really liked their ground (first time I've been there) and enjoyed watching the first half from near the back of the stand - it's so rare to get a chance to watch us play from that sort of vantage point.

Promising debut performance from Sweeney and, as others have mentioned, our squad looks really strong now. I know Gavin has said previously that the boost in crowds hasn't made a massive difference to his budget, but it certainly seems like there's more being invested in players than there was a couple of years ago. There's a real quality to the side at the moment and the Sweeney addition, to me, looks like a bit of a statement of intent.

Also interesting that Sweeney went straight into that advanced midfield role that Dixon has never really been given a chance in, despite that being his position at his old club. Seeing Dixon, Jarrett and Clunis warming up pre-match it really hit home how many options we'll have if everyone's fit and it's going to be hard to keep all of these guys happy. The fact that even Drage isn't getting a game at the moment says a lot (although personally I'd have him in the team ahead of Sankofa).

P.S I love the new away shirt. Are those shorts and socks really meant to go with it though?

P.P.S. What a header from Waldren for the second goal, and what a fantastic reaction from him after it went in. You could see how much it meant to him. Great player and great captain.

With the exception of the kit, I agree with everything Blueheaven says. I had a great day out!

It was also my Farnborough dwelling pal's 3-yr old son's first ever game of football too, so for the rest of his life it will be known that Farnborough 1 Hamlet 4 was where it all began. Good darts!

 

[AndyDHFC]

The student prices was one of the major things for me to start following the Hamlet (and the sexy football obviously), after Fulham getting relegated and still wanting me to pay 30 odd pounds for games against Huddersfield, Blackpool and Bournemouth (no disrespect to any of the clubs mentioned!)

Although we do get branded as a "hipster" club and we aren't our cheap concessions are easily a contributing factors to some of our larger gates. Double the price for a away match on NLD just seems rather bollocks. Are the club doing anything at all for the event?

How many students in Farnborough compared to Sth London?

 

[editor]

How many students in Farnborough compared to Sth London?

Farnborough College of Technology has 8,000 students and there's a lot less things competing for their attention than in London!

 

[AndyDHFC]

Fair enough!

 

[editor]

People don't get there because the club appears to have no imagination. Charging more than any other club to stand in an empty ground isn't going to encourage students, and their preponderance of officious stewards and stupid alcohol rules make it all the less inviting too - and they way they ignored Non League Day just shows how clueless they are. Looking at the internet/social media presence isn't exactly an inviting proposition either.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Farnborough's attendances have dropped off because of the issues with the owners, finances etc. I don't think they'd have come back just because of a slightly cheaper entrance fee.

I'm not really bothered on their behalf because it seems they're a bit of a shit club. In general though it's an old debate, but from what I've seen reducing prices isn't really a very effective way of getting people in. Getting people to turn up to non-league football is very, very difficult (the numbers of clubs with 100-200 fans across the country shows that). I think there's a temptation to start pointing to our crowds and telling other clubs what to do but it's not easily replicable and is about circumstance as much as any deliberate action IMO.

 

[editor]

Farnborough's attendances have dropped off because of the issues with the owners, finances etc. I don't think they'd have come back just because of a slightly cheaper entrance fee.

I didn't just say it was about the entrance fee, although it definitely plays a significant part. It's also about how the club is 'sold' on social media, how welcoming it seems to newcomers, what values it tries to promote itself on and how it involves itself with the local community.

Non League Day was a great opportunity for them to improve on all of that. Instead they chose to ignore it completely.

As one of their own fans said:

To be fair they have a point about the complete lack of any sort of promotion regarding non-league day (but then, I think we've already established that Farnborough don't do marketing... *rolls eyes*) and also the price of tickets.

 

[Tony_LeaS]

I didn't just say it was about the entrance fee, although it definitely plays a significant part. It's also about how the club is 'sold' on social media, how welcoming it seems to newcomers, what values it tries to promote itself on and how it involves itself with the local community.

I feel that social media at times is easily one of our unique selling points, the official twitter account mostly posts articles and updates on the game which is fine, I dont think the twitters with "GOAAAAAAAL" for 140 characters at times suits our style, but I feel that the podcast Forward the Hamlet does a big part as well. Run by the fans, for the fans, and its all a great laugh about a good day out to the footie really. Community work is also key, although I'm not exactly local to the club, the articles I see about the Hamlet from either the website, urban75 or even the South London Press etc are just as big. Clubs could easily go "we can lower our prices, take the money and that is that" but Dulwich is much more then that at times really.

To conclude in a simply biased manner, we probably are a good club on all aspects of what a good club should be. Good football, good fan to club relations, good interactions, sexy fans, the lot.

And a great away shirt.

 

[editor]

Sad to see that Farnborough's plight appears to be terminal, with some fans wishing for the club to fold so they can start again:

The supporters (every one) should withdraw their support for the club and stop attending matches, so that this club folds sooner rather than later.

Then when a new club forms, everyone should get behind this new incarnation on Farnborough TOWN football club, so that it can succeed and be run in a professional and proper manner, without having repeated points deductions.

This may sound drastic but this club is going to fold, and we will be shot of an owner, and a owner / manager who has as much idea at football tactics as a three year old.

Can't disagree with you Scab, the Club is dying a slow and horrible death, and there is absolutely nothing, outside of the Owner/Manager, that any of us can do about it!

Most can't watch it happen and have walked away and, if it was a dog it would have been put down many months ago wouldn't it?

What is really annoying though is that there appears to be no effort being made to, at least, try and breath some life in to it.

Some drastic surgery is required, but it would seem that that there is a 'do not resucitate' notice on it.

Farnborough FC fans forum: Main forum » Let the club fold

 

[editor]

But I love the Christmas effort their small band of supporters made here.



Check out the festive Christmas finale on the vid too!

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

But I love the Christmas effort their small band of supporters made here.



Check out the festive Christmas finale on the vid too!

Fair play to them, they made a good noise up there when we played them too.

By the way whatever happened to that Sweeney bloke people are talking about on here?