FAN ZONE
TUST's Chair and TUFC board member, Nick Brodrick's column in this week's Herald Express - updated for the latest news.
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IT’S BEEN A GOOD WEEK FOR UNITED WITH BACK TO BACK WINS
HAS THE SQUAD COME OF AGE?
TUST AGM WITH KEY OFFICERS RE-ELECTED
When next year the dust settles on this season might the last ten days be seen as a turning point?
United secured back to back wins for the first time since August scoring eight goals into the bargain; this at a time when critics were bemoaning the lack of firepower up front.
When the squad was hastily being assembled back in the summer, fans were celebrating the fact that there were four strikers on the books. Since then two have gone out on loan - Ben Seymour to Bath City and Jadyn Crosbie to Gloucester City where he scored twice on Saturday- and with Brad Ash struggling to get a starting place.
So to score eight goals in the week is some turnaround.
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Let’s start with last Tuesday. Weston-Super-Mare came to Plainmoor as league leaders and on a fifteen game unbeaten run.
United even gave them a goal start and had a penalty saved which would have put the Gulls 3-2 ahead at half-time. But there was more drama to come as Hasani was sent off minutes into the half. Most fans at this point must have thought the worst. However, the ten men, thanks to some astute substitutions, gave a masterclass in how to defy the odds.
It was one of those special Plainmoor nights, under the lights in driving rain, with almost 3,000 inside the stadium that in years to come, those there will say ‘do you remember that match against Weston?’
Incidentally, do you have a match with a special memory? If so please let me know: fanszone.tu@gmail.com.
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Then on Saturday it was another overnight stay for the squad as the team coach made its way to London to the very friendly Dave Bryant Stadium. Enfield are the UK’s first fan owned football club relying on volunteers to keep the club going.
It was a very pleasant afternoon from parking in the expansive Council owned car park, to being entertained in an amazing art deco building full of character.
With a running track around the pitch some advantage points are away from the action but this was a ground where the age old tradition of fans changing ends at half-time is alive and well. And thanks to an estimated 500 Yellow Army the home side had their biggest gate of the season to cushion the disappointment of defeat leaving them nine points from safety.
Despite giving Enfield a penalty inside the first 60 seconds, United fought back for another comfortable four goal haul.
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It might be tempting fate but could the last seven days have seen this squad become of age? It appears that they have a new found belief in themselves. Jordan Thomas scored his first goal for the club while pocket dynamo Will Jenkins Davies crowned a personal week with a brace and a place in the Vanarama South Team of the Week.
United are now comfortably in the play-off places and can enjoy a week off league football to focus on Saturday’s FA Trophy match.
Non-League/FA Cup Crowd Watch: York City 5,442, Hartlepool 3,604, Scunthorpe 3,545, Wealdstone 3,534, Woking 2,911.
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Last Thursday TUST held its AGM at Plainmoor for the first time in several years. In recent times we had found it difficult to book a venue so we have been extremely grateful to Torquay Athletic Rugby club for hosting our meetings. But this time we were in The Cove.
During the evening, as chairman, I was able to report on all the major events of the year - and what a memorable year it has been. From the initial contact with Michael Westcott to the club going into administration and then the eventual take-over by the Bryn Consortium.
Then, of course the momentous Community Share Issue helping us to hand over, including the Forever Yellow Fund, a cool quarter of a million pounds, surely some kind of non-league record.
TUST co-opted board member Matt Gorman was rightly thanked for all his hours of work on this project being rewarded and thanked with a small gift.
For the first time, now membership is over 1,100, there was an election for five places on the TUST board with four of those being current officers seeking re-election. All four were returned while Clive Hayward was elected to join the board.For further details of the AGM see the draft minutes here: cd53b8_83294a33606a416baaa888fe41e1e1b5.pdf
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At Monday’s FSA Football Awards ceremony TUST was one of four nominees for the Non-League award which went to the Non-League Paper; congratulations to them.
Then, the much awaited third shirt with the names of our wonderful investors was released.
So, it’s the FA Trophy on Saturday, the start of three consecutive Saturday home fixtures. Visiting Plainmoor for the first time are Horsham from the Isthmian Premier fresh from a 5-0 home win but a 2-1 mid-week defeat, currently 14th in the table but with a good record in cup games.
With red and amber weather warnings for the weekend check the match is on before leaving home.
COYY
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