The return of Monday Night football

[taylov]

Those who were not at the game on Saturday nor at the forum may not be aware that  EFC has returned to the Wyvern Combination League in 2016/17 with a team managed by Ben and Lee.

Our opponents will be AFC Porchester, Bashley, Basingstoke Town, Dorchester Town, Gosport Borough, Moneyfields, Salisbury, Wimbourne Town and Winchester City.  Initially games will be at the Silverlake, although SD indicated that some matches might be moved to another local NL ground.
 
The first 2 games will be at Moneyfields on Thursday 18 August with the first home game on the following Monday 22 August against Basingstoke Town.

When we had Monday night reserve games in past seasons we used to get some decent matches with good support at the 'lake.

[Deleted]

Excellent, although it will be a shame to play home games at someone else's ground?

[dave]

Aug 8, 2016 8:57:48 GMT sattsy said:

Excellent, although it will be a shame to play home games at someone else's ground?

Think that has to be about pitch preservation when things get soggy

[taylov]

At the forum, SD said that the club are waiting on the Safety Group's approval not to close the road for these "Reserve" games - if they OK things, the option of playing some (mid-season) Wyvern games at an alternative local ground would only be needed if it becomes necessary to protect the Silverlake pitch.

[Deleted]

I know this will come across as an ungrateful whinge & whilst I fully understand the need to protect our pitch for first team games.....I really cant help thinking that switching some of our reserve games to another clubs ground will make us look tinpot.
We are a fantastic community Football club, that are operating at a far higher level, in fact anywhere between 1-5 levels higher, than the others clubs who will be competing in the Wyvern league. All of those other clubs will play their first and reserve team games at their own grounds. Yet we can't do that because of our pitch?
I know we currently have lots going on and all of it brilliant and aimed at giving us a fantastic future for our club, but i just feel its a real shame that we cannot commit to playing a full Wyvern season at our own ground.
I know that some/most Top Level Pro clubs play their reserve/academy/development games at other clubs rounds, or have their own Reserve/Training ground that are used for these games/leagues, so maybe its not that unusual or tinpot..but for the players at this level, i can see them really getting themselves up for playing on the Silverlake pitch infront of 100 spectators, because it will make them feel they are close to first team opportunities, but if come Nov-Mar, they then have to go and play at say Totton or Stoneham Lane's ground, it will take away alot of the Kudos that comes from playing for Eastleigh at the Silverlake right now....they may aswell go and play for the likes of Totton.. ..
It's a bit like saying, do you want to come and work for Buckingham Palace, but you'll be based in Brixton high Street..

I'm looking forward to coming to watch these games, but i doubt i'll bother if they are playing "away", when they should be playing home games.

I should say - I've no solution to this situation (other than build a reserve/training ground, which we are not big enough to do), so am not expecting the club to come up with answers or solution to it, but just thought i'd voice an opinion, because i feel the players will also feel rather miffed and perhaps cheated by having to play games at another clubs ground.

[Bruce Forbes]

I think that you've got your priorities wrong. The reserve side is there to keep the squad players match fit, and to give the youngsters an opportunity to show what they can do.
You saw what happened to the pitch after the Bolton game, in my opinion, destroying the rest of the season. Are you seriously suggesting that every reserve team game should be played at home, no matter what, so that you can watch, and that Wyvern League players can tell their grandchildren that they played at the Silverlake.
Sorry, but I think that Stewart is right in saying that maybe some games MAY be played away from the Silverlake, in order to protect the pitch.

[Deleted]

My priorities are firmly in the right place, my friend.
As i clearly stated in my post, i have no solution & was not expecting Stewart to change tact or do anything much about the comments i posted.
But, i feel that if we intend to put a team that will represent Eastleigh FC into the Wyvern league, then we should be playing those games at home on our own ground, & if the pitch really isn't up to more than just 1 first team game every 2 weeks, then we clearly need to be spending and putting even more effort into our pitch.
I fully accept and understand that the first team is the priority and i wouldn't meddle with that in any way.
If the kids coming through are at best only going to be able to tell their grandchildren they once played a reserve team game at the silverlake & that was the peak of their footballing careers, then we really aren't expecting to produce much from our youth set up are we?...They should be telling their grandchildren that they started out playing for Eastleigh in the Wyvern league, but ended up in the Eastleigh first team and went on from there to have good pro careers. Not all of them of course, but we havent had 1 go on and say that in the last 5 years. The Wyvern is a start, but its sounding like it really is just lip service to the league and its only really being used because our squad is so big and we need to give the non playing first team players some kind of game involvement to keep them interested...I expect Ross Lafayette didnt fancy Wyvern games at Totton or AFC Stoneham's ground all season...can't say i blame him.

[Bruce Forbes]

I think that saying that Ross left because he didn't fancy playing Wyvern home games at Totton is a bit extreme.
Stewart has invested a small fortune on improving the pitch, close season, and I can understand why he wants to protect that investment.
We are going to have to beg to differ on this one.

[taylov]

SD wasn't saying we WOULD play Wyvern games elsewhere, I took it to be merely an option IF the Silverlake pitch deteriorates. What he did make clear was that he wouldn't play them at the 'Lake if the Safety Group insisted on road closures.

[Deleted]

I don't think we are that different in our views, Zochlo.
I'm merely saying the rationale for us joining the Wyvern, is all wrong, or at least i don't wholeheartedly agree with the reasons given.
i.e. we appear to be joining it with the intention to use it PRIMARILY to give 1st team and injured players a way of getting/keeping sharp. Whilst i do kind of understand why we would want to help a few first team players come back from injury, i feel it really should be 90% for development of our players who have now reached the age of 18-21 and need to start playing against men if they are to toughen up and be considered to get anywhere near the first team....and of course games should ALWAYS be played at our own ground.
Do it properly, or don't do it at all, is my motto.
I was just being facetious about RL leaving implying he's been asked to play Wyvern football, but of course, it looks like that scenario is about to unfold for at least 5-6 first team players who will not be getting games..so it could become a reality for some big names.


As for the statement along the lines of SD only saying that we "might" have to play some Wyvern games way from home if the Lake Safety Group (LSG) say so, firstly i'm not sure who the LSG are (is it the likes of Mick Geddis, Brian, Richard Montigue etc?) and if they are the ones making decisions with the council on whether we need to close Stoneham lane on matchdays, i really dont feel we are going to get crowds that would be anywhere near warranting road closures, and thinking about it, surely it would be the same for the Ladies team, who have already started playing their games at the Lake, and could potentially, draw bigger crowds than the Wyvern games do..
From a league administration perspective, i believe that you have to inform the league as to where your home games would be played, so we have either done that already, intend to tell them very soon (before the Wyvern season starts), or we could be kicked out if we try and change the home venue mid season?

[dave]

I don't see it as much of an issue, as you said Paul other clubs use grounds of teams lower down the pile for their ressies or development teams, Southampton used to use the Silverlake, we played Bournemouth at New Milton in the HSC a few seasons back.

In addition it gives a bit of income to the smaller club for rental & across the bar etc, 100 spitfires watching our Wyvern game could well be the largest crowd they see all season.

[back4more]

I suppose Paul the other thing about playing all the ressies games at the Silverlake would be being able to pop into the clubhouse for a beer. Just saying.

[Deleted]

Haven't a clue what you mean there, John?

[dave]

Looks like Monday nights game against Basingstoke has been switched to The Camrose, can anyone at the club confirm that please

[Deleted]

Ffs!