On the Road Again!

On Sunday Arsenal failed to make it into the top seven in the Premier League and thus failed to make it into the European places. Pipped by one point by eternal (and local) enemies Tottscum Hotspur. So I was expecting as Josh Kroenke made it to the last game that he was there not to watch the game (Arsenal won 2-0 over Brighton & HA) but to press "enter" on the keyboard that would send the ticket renewals out to those of us with Gold memberships. Either he had cramp in his fingers or there was some discussion about what they would expect us to pay but the renewal notice arrived about noon today. I have already decided that as this will be my last season starting before I retire this will be my last season attending games at Arsenal. As a retiree I don't want to be forking out £800+ of my pensions. In my dotage I can go to Folkestone Invicta for £110 a season as a senior citizen. Plus Folkestone is only 4 miles away and won't require a £35+ train and tube ticket pe...

Game Day has come around again at the Buildkent Stadium.  In midweek Invicta had drawn away at Bishops Stortford, but still needed to get back in the winning trail. Today's visitors were coming in the back of two 3-0 wins.  The game was pretty even and both teams had chances but it wasn't until the second half that Invicta went ahead when Dave Smith got free and shot home. Minutes later Invicta got a penalty after a goalmouth scramble when a defender lay on the ball, handling it. Draycott took it and it was well saved. The game was then end to end and PB came close but it ended 1-0.

A freezing cold day. Add into that a strong wind that negated any skillful execution of the ball and it was made to be a game against the elements rather than the other team. Wingate chose to play with the wind in the first half and Invicta needed to keep the ball down as it held up dramatically when pumped up in the air. Once ends changed Folkestone managed the weather better and were 3-0 up in 65 minutes.  Wingate were given a lifeline when they got a penalty. A low ball crossed into the box and an arm struck. Hardly intentional or even avoidable, but penalty. Invicta extended the lead before the final whistle and ended with a second 4-1 of the week against the same opposition. Back to winning ways.

Ticket bought for the game on Saturday afternoon.  Still under Covid-19 regulations and that means a maximum of 600 in the ground.  The three games I have been to so far have been very well managed. The last game only managed 408 through the gate.  In really nasty blustery wet weather many more wanted to be out the weather and under cover. At Folkestone there are only two covered stands. So this Saturday it will be the FA Cup preliminary round and a good chance for Invicta to move into the next round. Chatham Town are a couple of levels on the English pyramid lower than Invicta.

The government have made even more changes to what we can and what we can't do during  the Covid-19 pandemic but it seems at the moment that we can still go to football matches as long as we are socially distanced. The big clubs in the Premier League (EPL) and and English Football League (EFL) - the top 4 in the pyramid - are still closed to having fans in their grounds.  Last weekend some EFL clubs did a pilot scheme to see if it would be okay to re-admit the paying public.  The curiosity is that the cleverly  named National League (the old Conference!) have a foot in both camps and can have  supporters attending..... but only as a pilot despite being non-league! Last weekend Invicta hosted Worthing and the entry was restricted to 600.  I think the official  numbers were something like 518 in the end.  I like to sit down for games, on a seat, not on the terracing and when I got there at about half an hour before kick off there was plenty of roo...

First game of the season in the Isthmian Premier League. Good start by Invicta and a chance well saved in the first minute.  The game pretty even from then with Invicta actually having the better chances and the ball in the net, but the flag was up. Then on 43 minutes Worthing with what was arguably their first dangerous ball took the lead to go in 1-0 at half time. Second half was much the same. Worthing went 2-0 up from a corner. There seemed to be a crowd around the goalkeeper but unlike big league football the referee did nothing and the goal was awarded. Invicta continued to attack and pulled one back. Worthing players disputed every tackle and every whistle blown. And time wasting should have seen a lot of extra time added but the referee let them off. So a ref assisted 2-1 to Worthing.   Probably over the 90 minutes Worthing edged it. http://www.folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk/news/3198

With social distancing only 300 allowed in and we were well spaced out. On paper Invicta should beat Ashford simply by merit of their league levels. In the end it was pretty even although Invicta wasted several excellent chances to go ahead. They scored first and then on 24 minutes the referee showed the red card to Ashford's #5.  But rather than spoiling the game immediately Ashford scored to go in 1-1 at half time. In the second half the difference in class and numbers began to show and Invicta ran out 6-1 winners. A good afternoon for a fiver.

After the curtailment of the lower leagues' 2019/20 season that left only the Premier league and Championship to restart in July to finish their games, real football is back. My local team that I go to when there are no Arsenal or Oldham Athletic games to attend have started back.  Who are they? Folkestone Invicta . Most of the pre-season games have been played behind closed doors, i.e. no fans/supporters. Recently they have played away from home and there have been limited numbers of tickets on sale to Seasiders fans. On Saturday, it's the first home game of the season. A pre-season friendly against Ashford Town. It's all ticket with a 300 limit. Tickets went on sale yesterday from the bar at the ground. I got there about 1030 and bagged ticket 88 at a fiver a pop. Kick-off at 1pm Saturday.  I'll be there....

First game of the pre-season for me.  Folkestone Invicta at home to Gillingham aka The Gills. The Gills are in EFL League 1. This is the 3rd tier in the English football pyramid. Invicta are in the 7th. The gulf in quality was so much in evidence. Even though the Gills started with a mixture of first team and young players, plus there loans included a lad from Premier League AFC Bournemouth, Invicta had their chances that were sadly squandered.  In the end a scoreline of 4-0 to the visitors wasn't that bad considering the gulf in league positions.

Difficult to think of a hashtag for this game.  Folkestone Invicta versus Bognor Regis Town.  It was the last home game of the season and my first game! It's difficult fitting in games since having a full season ticket at Arsenal and also Oldham Athletic away games in the south of England. A pulsating game with things pretty much even with Invicta just about edging it in the first half. Even at 0-0 Invicta were in the play-off places in the league at that stage. In the second half the game was definitely more even and it was Invicta that stole it. It finished 1-0. Results elsewhere meant that even with the win a play-off place was denied them. Onto next season now.

The FA Cup. The oldest football cup competition in the world. The smaller clubs began playing early in August and today in the third round of games called the First Qualifying Round my local club, Folkestone Invicta, began their attempt to reach the First Round Proper. It's this round where the Football League clubs from the third and fourth tiers on the pyramid come into play. Invicta are in the 7th tier. The opponents today were Greenwich Borough from the division in the Isthmian League, currently named after the sponsors Bostik. Plenty of huff and puff.  A mistake ked to the visitors going ahead after only 8 minutes. Invicta pulled level just before half time but were generally the better side but 1-1 was about right. Into the second half it was more of the same but surprisingly it was Borough that scored first. Invicta pressed and pressed and a late and clumsy tackle saw the visitors reduced to ten men with a red card for a second yellow card. It wasn't long before ...

The football season seems to come a little earlier every year, or so it seems. Locally Invicta kicked off their pre-season with a game against local rivals Hythe Town. This ought to be a dilemma for me as I live in Hythe, actually less than a mile from Town's ground at Reachfields.   However, I have never been. When I moved here from Bedfordshire in 1999 my first taste of local non-league football was at Folkestone Invicta as one of the director's at Claire's work was also a director of the football club and we went as her company was sponsoring a game. And I have been going ever since. Albeit only a couple of games a yar. Yesterday was far too hot for running about in the sun, but perfect for sitting under cover in the main stand.  A tea to start with and a bottle of water when it got too hot. In the end Invicta ran out 4-1 winners with Hythe scoring their consolation in the 90th (and final) minute. There are another six of...

Today's game was the Ryman League Division One South Play-Off Final against Godalming Town. Invicta started off with a flurry of activity and then the game settled down to being fairly end to end stuff and came alive with some interplay on the left, a perfect cross and a superb diving header from Josh Vincent that wouldn't have looked out of place on Sky Sports and the Barclay's Premiership! Invicta 1-0. They says that teams that have scored are vulnerable and they are right. Godalming equalised two minutes later. The ref gave the Godalming right back the okay to take a free kick nowhere near where it should have been taken despite the howls of disbelief from the crowd. The ball was flung into the box and the centre forward nodded in from close range. For a while Godalming looked to have the initiative and Invicta clawed their way back into the game and were soon 2-1 off from a corner, the ball dropped to Simon Austin and he banged it home. The second half saw both s...

The Champions' League semi-finals were done and dusted tonight. Inter Milan sorted out Barcelona at the Camp Nou to join Bayern Munich in the Final to be played in Madrid in May. On a more local level, Saturday sees the Ryman Division One South play-off final between Folkestone Invicta and Godalming. It will be the first of two finals that will feature Invicta. After Saturday's game, Invicta will play Sittingbourne in the Kent Senior Cup Final. I hope to be at both games!!

Last night I had another trip to Folkestone to watch Invicta in the play-off for promotion to the Ryman Premier. Grass roots local football with all the passion on the terraces that would shame 99% of Premier League clubs. Invicta shouldn't have been there though. As the side that have won the most games in the division they should have been Champions after last week's draw with Croydon. Instead they were penalised with a ten point reduction for going into administration. How docking points does anything more than kick a dog when it is down is anyone's guess. Why should the loyal supporters and the players be penalised? In the current economic climate we should be supporting clubs and the communities they represent. Invicta have teams right through from small boys to the girls team to the youths and the Ryman side. They even have a side for the disabled. It's a shame that those in charge of football in this country are so out of touch with the game they make a living ou...

Folkestone Invicta played Croydon Athletic in the last but one Ryman Div 1 South fixture of the year tonight. The most important part of the evening was the tribute to local boy Peter Aldridge who was killed in action in Afghanistan, featuring some of his colleagues from the Rifles and all the teams that Folkestone have from the little kids right up to the main Ryman team. http://www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk/news_260410.htm

Have to say I've not been this season yet as home matches keep clashing with the Arsenal games that my season ticket share covers!