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Added Monday 30th March
Unless there is late drama (it's all relative, I know) it looks as if Cambridge will beat Gloucester 2-1 and Stourbridge will triumph over Swindon Supermarine by the same scoreline. What that means is that Cambridge take our fifth place with one point more from the same number of games, whilst Swindon are still six points behind us with a paltry four games in hand.
Added Saturday 28th March
Southern League Premier Division
Swindon Supermarine 1 Yeltz 0
I was feeling confident - I don't why but I really was. Today's defeat will, I think, prove a hammer blow to our play off hopes. We're still hanging in there in fifth but the teams above are disappearing over the horizon whilst teams below with games in hand are poised threateningly.
We can only hope that Gloucester can do us a favour on Monday night at Cambridge and that Swindon (six points behind but FIVE! games in hand) blow up under the fixture backlog.
By my earlier calculations we still need four wins and a draw from our last six games. Our opponents are Corby (H), Tiverton (a), Hemel Hempstead (H), Stourbridge (a), Clevedon (H) and Merthyr (a). I'm not sure I see 13 points there.
Added Wednesday 25th March
It's that time of year again where hours are spent poring over the forthcoming fixtures trying to work out where teams are going to drop enough points to allow us into the play-offs. It's a futile activity obviously because nobody knows but most of our rivals obliged last night and dropped points. Merthyr and Cambridge drew 1-1, Swindon drew 0-0 at Yate and Brackley, who despite a few games in hand, must be enormous outsiders now lost at Tiverton. Only Hemel Hempstead won and they've gone third, two points in front of us with a game in hand.
Added Sunday 22nd March
Yesterday's result:
Southern League Premier Division
Yate Town 1 Yeltz 2
That was a big three points on a day when the top sides had to drop points as they were mainly playing each other. The top two - Farnborough and Corby drew 3-3 in front of over 2,200 so no prizes for guessing who the home team was. Our win was dominated by another dire refereeing performance which is something you can say most weeks, but this hapless whistle-blower managed to enrage and/or mystify everybody in the ground to the extent that there was apparently a spot of bother in the boardroom after the game when one Yate player enquired as to the standard of his officiating. We won though so who cares.
If the teams around us take advantage of their games in hand then we are probably the most likely side to drop out of the play-offs but, as we know, it doesn't usually work like that. I think it's still in our hands. 70 points is normally enough but I'm not sure this year - 13 points from our last 7 games would give us 72 and, I reckon, 5th place. Four wins and a draw it is then.
Added Thursday 19th March
I should be a scout as I can clearly spot footballing talent. After Saturday's game I said that Patrick Daval looked a decent player. Well, according to Morell Maison, Alex Ferguson and Sam Allardyce agree with my assessment as he says: “I know Blackburn Rovers have been sniffing around and that Manchester United are keen to come and have a look at him". So, if you see Fergie in the club shop you'll know why.
Added Wednesday 18th March
Results didn't really go our way last night with all of the sides around us picking up points. It's vital to beat Yate on Saturday as the teams at the top are all playing each other. Drop points there and, with the tough games to come, we might have had it.
Added Monday 16th March
Southern League Premier Division
Cambridge City 3 Yeltz 0
Reality strikes. After a couple of lucky/stirring (delete as per your personal opinion) results Halesowen Town were brought crashing back to earth against genuine promotion contenders. Still, it was a good little run and we're still in the play off places which, I have to be honest, I wasn't expecting a month ago. If the play off target is, at a minimum, 70 points then we need at least 14 from our last eight games. Impossible? Not at all. Unlikely? I'm afraid it probably is.
Added Sunday 15th March
Yesterday's result:
Southern League Premier Division
Yeltz 3 Hitchin Town 2
It turned out to be a good day yesterday but it looked anything but at half-time, with the Yeltz two down and not looking likely to come back into it. They did though. Two cracking free-kicks from Aaron Cornwall and a winner from debutant Patrick Daval sealed a second fightback in five days. Daval looks a decent player to me - apparently he is only 17 as well. Funny haircut though - it looked like someone sellotaped a golf ball to the back of his head. Carry on like that though he can have a nine-iron on there as well for all I care.
The boo boys were out again yesterday although not to the same extent as Tuesday. They looked daft again at the end though. We're back up to third again which probably says more about the quality of the league than the quality of Halesowen. If we can get something from tomorrow's tricky trip to Cambridge though (who will be smarting after losing at home to bottom club Clevedon) then I'll really start believing again.
Added Thursday 12th March
Bright Golden Haze has made the finals of the Fanzine Awards in the Best Non-League Fanzine and Best Editor categories. I might have a chance in the first one but not in the second as I can safely say that nothing I do involves editing in any form. Still, if the judges are drunk you never know. It's nice to get to the final though.
Added Wednesday 11th March
After the excitement (the last five minutes anyway) of last night's game, I have to say that some of the fans last night were pathetic. The abuse they heaped on some of the players was shameful and resulted in a number visibly shrinking into their shells and not really wanting the ball. If players aren't trying then fine, do your worst, but that wasn't the case last night. Derision and scorn don't help the team win games. Save it for the pub.
There was quite a lot of stick directed towards Morell Maison as well. I've less of a problem with that. I still don't think it's helpful but you can't say he's entirely blameless. He's still in serious bother with the FA because of the "Chippenham affair" but I'll mention that another time.
On a lighter note, there was somebody watching the game last night that looked like he could be a footballer. Diamond earrings, nice clothes (not that I'm any judge), the lot. Hmm, I thought, a potential new signing having a look at the team perhaps. Turns out it was Danny Shittu who was at the Grove to see brother Richard. I don't think we could afford him.
Added Tuesday 10th March
Southern League Premier Division
Yeltz 2 Banbury United 1
A paltry crowd of 213 (although there looked more than that to me) saw the Yeltz get out jail in a game that we should be reminded of every time we are tempted to moan about bad luck ever again. 1-0 down after 88 minutes and looking as if they needed a map, compass, or indeed a guide dog, to even find the opposition penalty area, the Yeltz equalised through James Johnson as a result of their only decent move of the match. The crowd (if it can be called that) breathed a sigh of relief and reflected on a point saved. Then, out of nowhere, came a hopeful shot that looped up of a Banbury player's knee and arced gloriously over their horrified 'keeper and into the net to seal three magnificently undeserved points.
Yes, it was a poor performance and the win is only really papering over cracks but tonight was brilliant. 88 minutes of frustration and then that ending. Football is great.
Added Monday 9th March
No news on the Caskey knee. Perhaps they are waiting for the swelling to go down. "That's not swelling!" I hear you cry as the "Caskey is fat, ho ho ho!" joke book gets a new entry.
Changing the subject, they're bleeding slow at the Fanzine Awards HQ. As the world waits breathlessly for the short-lists to be announced, they're sitting around picking their noses and blowing raspberries. Probably. The short-lists were meant to be out on Friday and then were put back to today. And still nothing. They've definitely got some student/civil servant hybrids working there.
It's Cambridge v Hemel Hempstead tonight. Third against fourth. A draw would be good. Fix it, Ken Turner.
Added Sunday 8th March
Darren Caskey could apparently be out for the season after injuring his knee yesterday. By all accounts we were better after he went off but it's still nice to have him around so fingers crossed. Not for the first time Nick Bussey apparently kept us in the game. He's better than Mark Osborn I think, possibly the only position where we are better off than least season. Three red cards and probably player of the season!
Added Saturday 7th March
Southern League Premier Division
Farnborough 1 Yeltz 1
Another Richard Shittu goal (he never looks very good but he keeps scoring) gave the Yeltz an excellent point away to the league leaders. It's three draws in a row now but all have come against teams at the top end of the table, and with two very winnable home games coming up against Banbury and Hitchin maybe the play offs are still on the cards.
It wouldn't be Halesowen without loads of new players though. Three more signed yesterday and, as is becoming the custom, they'll get a mention if they do something of note.
Added Friday 6th March
Corby Town are at it again. They've signed Joe Francis, Southern League Premier Division Player of the Year last season, from King's Lynn. They now have an expensively assembled squad that ought to win this league at a canter.
Like us in recent times, they can't be living within their means though. Yes, Graham Drury is working to a budget but that budget cannot be in any way related to the income the club creates. Gambling on future promotions or income is a risky business. We know. Corby don't seem to. I don't know the intricate details of how Corby are funded, I doubt anyone outside the club does, but who would want to be reliant on the largesse of individuals at the moment? Like I say, I don't know, but I doubt any money being put into the club is a gift. One or two unforeseen difficulties and who knows what could happen.
Wishful thinking from an embittered Halesowen fan? Possibly. Time will tell but it never ceases to amaze me how football clubs don't learn from the lessons around them.
Added Wednesday 4th March
We've had snow causing postponements, now it's back to bog standard rain. Most of last night's games were called off but Hemel Hempstead beat the weather, and Chippenham, to go third. That means we're out of the play off places again. There are several teams lurking ominously below us as well, particularly Swindon and Brackley who have a number of games in hand. Swindon have an incredible 18 league games to play between now and the end of the season on April 25th. I hope they are not expecting any sympathy from old Ken Turner. He will turn puce of hue and splutter that he used to play 18 games a weekend. And then go for a brisk stroll.
Added Tuesday 3rd March
We could slip out of the play off places tonight as Chippenham, Hemel Hempstead and Gloucester could conceivably overtake us. Chippenham and Hemel Hempstead are playing each other so a draw would be good there. It would be nice if Swindon and Brackley lost as well as they are playing one of their several games in hand.
It's all quiet on the 'crisis club' front. Early impressions of the new (unpaid) Chief Executive, Guy Simpson, are positive by the way. He seems to appreciate the need to raise some money in more practical ways than Morell Maison did i.e. merchandise and getting fans through the turnstiles. It can only benefit Morell to be able to concentrate on the team as well.
Added Sunday 1st March
Yesterday's result:
Southern League Premier Division
Yeltz 2 Chippenham Town 2
After a season without home draws we've now had two in a week and each time the Yeltz squandered leads and probably on both occasions they would have finished the happier side with the point. 2-0 up at half-time and it looked like we were stealing a march on play-off rivals, but Chippenham stormed back in the second half and were worthy of at least a point.
Now a question. Why do some fans always need a fall guy? It was Justin Rowe in the early part of the season and now it's Richard Shittu. Now, I don't particularly rate him but I fail to see how booing and insulting him from the terraces is going to help anybody. Disgracefully there were people (the same ones who were giving Shittu a hard time, incidentally) laughing at Stuart Hall as well yesterday. He's made a big step up and was doing ok which is something a number of people seem unable to accept. Yes, they've paid their money and yes, they can express an opinion, but so can I. And my opinion is that they should shut up.
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