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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LATE ‘GOAL’ ON SATURDAY ROBS UNITED OF THREE POINTS BUT LATE GOAL ON TUESDAY GRABS A POINT
TUST HONOURED TO BE NOMINATED FOR NATIONAL FSA AWARD
YOU HAVE YOUR SAY ON FA CUP REPLAYS
It might well have been Remembrance weekend, beautifully staged prior to United’s match versus Tonbridge Angels, but in truth there was little football to remember apart from controversy in the final minutes.
For those who follow social media it is well documented that on loan Keke Jeffers from Stoke City seemingly had made a dream start with a classic diving header from a Young free-kick. But the linesman on the Popside had another opinion and up his flag went.
But footage taken from the crowd on the Popside and Bristows appears to show Jeffers making his run from behind at least four defenders.
The decision was enough for manager Paul Wotton to be booked for a second successive Saturday, his emotions getting the better of him as he later admitted.
So tight is the top of the National South that a win would have propelled the Gulls to joint top but in the end slipped a place.
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United were in action again on Tuesday in what Wotton described as a very flat game against a Maidstone side who he expects will finish in the top seven. But with a third of the season gone no one team has pulled away as only six points separate top from seventh. And the leaders have been swopping all the time with Weston-Super-Mare the latest side to go to the summit. Of course what matters is who is in pole position on the final day.
United, a goal down to a wonder free kick spent the time left chasing the game until in the closing minutes a Foulston header gave the Gulls a ‘get out of jail’ card to keep the unbeaten home form going.
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Last week’s column discussed FA Cup replays and this clearly struck a chord with readers as there was the largest number of emails in the fanszone.tu@gmail.com inbox on this topic.
100% of correspondents were in agreement that replays must be reinstated despite the FA increasing the prize money to include a sum for the losing team.
Sue Turner asks, ‘did the FA really ask all the clubs that are eligible to play about the decision?’
‘It is, of course, correct that a possible chance of further revenue is closed now’, said Simon Howard.
While Adrian Chappell puts the blame on the Premier League clubs, Rod Currey argues, ’clubs in the lower levels of the football league need these replays to survive.’
I am led to believe that at some point the FA are to hold a consultation and hopefully as many as possible will make their views known.
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It certainly wasn’t the greatest spectacle but Plainmoor’s Saturday crowd of 3,250 underlined the weight of support for Wotton’s team.
And credit too to the away attendance at a murky Bonfire Night in Salisbury, 345 Yellow Army.
Another match which wasn’t a classic but gave three points with the returning Ed Palmer named in the Vanarama South Team of the Day.
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Non-League Crowd Watch: York City 7,654, Southend 6,911, Scunthorpe 3,787, Torquay 3,250, Aldershot 3,156.
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Having recently been nominated for Volunteer Team of the Year in the Torbay Community Champion Awards TUST has gone one better as last week we found out we are one of four nominees in the FSA’s Non-League Award category.
This is a national award ceremony taking place in London in December and we are up against Dunstable Town for their mental health work, Worthing owner George Dowell’s journey from a serious car crash to taking over the club and the Non-League Paper.
It is a great honour to be recognised by the FSA panel who will decide who wins the award.
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Every four months TUST is one of several south-west trusts who meet up to discuss football matters of interest. Our latest meeting involved officials from Exeter, Plymouth and Taunton.
Amongst a host of topics we talked about our concerns over aspects of the forthcoming Football Governance Bill going through Parliament.
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Our Devon rivals Plymouth Argyle were given a hefty fine last week following a pitch invasion. Despite it being the last home game last season against Hull City that guaranteed Championship safety, the FA fined the club £45,000.
Plymouth was also in the news on Saturday when manager Wayne Rooney made the returning from injury, ex-Gull loanee, Adam Randell, captain for the 1-1 draw at Derby County. He even scored the equaliser.
Rooney said afterwards, ‘He’s a future Plymouth captain. I think he’s got the right temperament, the right mindset.’
We all knew when he was with us that he was destined to be a star.
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Saturday is FA Trophy day with Wotton’s old side, Truro City, in town. They are certainly one of the form teams, although their eight game unbeaten run came to an end at Boreham Wood on Tuesday, so it’s yet another big challenge.
Wotton is hoping his side can make amends for that terrible FA Cup exit.
COYY
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