| August 28, 2010 |
| Dodgy Barnet |
| Last week's game against Northampton was quite a tough one for the Shakers and a 1-1 draw was probably a fair result considering we didn't create many good chances although we had the better of the game. On the back of a 7-0 drubbing last weekend at Crewe, the so-called Bees will undoubtedly be extra fired up for Bury's visit this Saturday. Normally I'd have gone for a Bury win but I think we'll get a 1-1 draw. Its too early in the season to start looking at other teams fixtures so i'll not bother but I reckon Southend will win 2-0 at Bradford last night. |
| August 16, 2010 |
| Bury are back. Lowe scores, cue a one man leaparound in my front room. |
| Bury picked up their first points, goals and win of the new league season with a fine victory away at Oxford United on Saturday. Let's not get too excited though, last season we lost at home, then won away yet that win at Darlington wasn't exactly the start of a great run of form was it? But this is this season and maybe the lessons have been learnt. Next Saturday we're at home to Northampton and its quite a big one as a win would set us up nicely. I've not seen us play since Torquay at home in April but I get the impression that this team looks quite exciting. Its a bit early to start looking at the league table but the early pacesetters seem to be Torquay who, on the back of a tremendous run of form at the end of last season, have maximum points from their first two games as do Shrewsbury. At the arse end of the league are Crewe and Lincoln with no points. Bury are tenth. Can't wait for Saturday. Up the Shakers. |
| August 9, 2010 |
| Seems a little familiar |
| In scenes reminiscent of last season, so much pre-season hype and expectation lasted for less than 90 minutes of the new season. I missed this game because I was on holiday, but despite losing 1-0 at home to Port Vale, the general reaction on message boards and Facebook seeme to be a very positive one. i.e. that its largely a new team and given time to gel, they'll do alright. So having not seen the game, i'm pretty happy to go along with that. No-one expected to begin the game with win after win after win because the players hardly know each other, and we won't be the only team beaten at home by Port Vale this season. So let's look to the positives, its Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday, or is it Sheffield Tuesday on Wednesday? Either way, we're not expected to win that either. The season is underway, hopefully people will stop carping on about cricket and rubgy and tennis and golf and shite like that. |
| August 2, 2010 |
| Bring on the new season |
| After the disappointment of, well, pretty much everything since February, there's been some wholesale changes at Stade de Gigg, many of which have been brought about by a load of contracts ending and Bury not being able to afford better deals for their established players. Oh and also the fact that we're still in league two. So some players have left, some have stayed and some new ones have signed up. . . Players who have left: Stephen Dawson made it quite clear last year that he wanted to play at a higher level and when we failed to win promotion his exit was inevitable as he was out of contract. Presumably Leyton Orient were the first team to offer him league one football (and higher wages, one would assume) so he signed for them. Its a bit of a surprising choice as they aren't an especially progressive club so he could find himself in a relegation battle. Either way, thanks for the memories Stevie and the best of luck to you sunshine. Brian Barry-Murphy aka 'The Crab' on account of the fact that he only ever went sideways. Very highly rated by Alan Knill, probably one of the first names on the teamsheet and hardly ever missed a game and yet I've never met a single Bury fan who liked him. Even less so now he signed for Rochdale on a free. Still, good luck to him. Andy Morrell was always a bit of a favourite but either the higher salary or the longer contract persuaded him to sign for non-league Wrexham. Richie Baker was never going to oust Dawson and BBM in midfield and yet whenever he was called upon, he never let us down. Not once. He's signed for Oxford united and I look forward to seeing him at Gigg this season. Hopefully he'll get the first team action he deserves. Once again, good luck to the lad. Ryan Cresswell is under 24 so we should get a fee for him because he's signed for Rotherham United who presumably have got a bit of money to spend on Bury players. He was always one of three defenders vying for two places at Bury but did well when given his chance. Rotherham have also signed Tom Newey, who only joined Bury this time last year. He's done well in the full back position. Danny Racchi was never very good. As far as I know he still hasn't found a new club. Paul Scott was perhaps the most surprising of the players released by Alan Knill after several seasons of being consistently good as far as I am concerned. Signed for Morecambe in the summer. David Buchannan was ofered a new contract at the end of the season and given 28 days to respond but he never did. Various club employees tried to contact him but couldn't and he wasn't returning their calls so AK went out and signed Joe Skarz. Buchs then turned up to pre-season training and indicated that he wanted to stay but was told that he'd blown it. He was then out of work until signing for Hamilton Accies in the Scots Premier League. He'll think he's made it when running out at Parkhead or Ibrox but will be wishing he was back at Bury when playing in the snow at St Mirren. In August. Wayne Brown gave the distinct impression that he saw his future away from Bury when he bought a house in somewhere like Peterborough in the spring. In doing so, he also gave the impression that he's not very good at geography as he's just signed for Supersport United in Pretoria, South Africa. Players who have stayed: Cameron Belford got his big chance when Wayne Brown was sent off at Cheltenham in April 2010. He played well enough to earn a short run in the first team and as a result of some good performances and one or two outstanding saves, he now has the number one shirt and looks like the first choice keeper. He looks to be enjoying it too. Top man. Ben Futcher should make a solid partnership with . . Efe Sodje who has a tea towel on his head. Mike Jones burnt out a bit last season and was in dire need of a rest. Sadly he didn't get one and hopefully he'll be a bit better prepared this time round. A quality player when on form, let's hope we see the best of him this season. David Worrall is another flair player in what AK refers to as the 'energy positions'. Also ran out of steam at the start of 2010 but he can deliver the goods to the strikers providing he stays fit. Andy Bishop missed more or less the whole of last season through injuries and various operations. From his pre-season form, he looks like he might be back. I really hope the crowd get behind him and that he doesn't feel under too much pressure as he could be the best striker in the division when on form. Ryan Lowe scored a good few goals for the Shakers in 2009/10. No reason why he can't do it again. Danny Carlton also missed most of last season but now he's fit, he should give some good competition for the strikers. New Players: Andrew Howarth was signed from Blackburn on a free. Played for a while on loan at Rochdale last season including the game on Sky against us. looks like he might be a pretty good player too. Midfielder. Steven Schumacher was signed from Crewe to play in midfield. Scouser. Peter Sweeney is reputedly lazy and overweight but highly skilful when he can be bothered. Tony Rigby anyone? Colin Cramb? Yep we've had plenty like him. Just promise him a plentiful supply of beer and pies and hopefully he'll deliver the goods. Joe Skarz was signed from Huddersfield to replace David Buchannan. He's already scored more goals than Buchs managed. Kyle Bennett is the younger brother of Elliot (and presumably the son of Gordon). Cut from the same cloth too (Elliot, not Gordon) - he's fast and skilful. Probably not a first team starter, at least in the early days. Ritchie Brannagan is a youth academy graduate. He's the son of former wanky wanderer Keith. Goalkeeper. Andrei Jones another youth team graduate. Midfielder. Zach Rothwell Youth team graduate. Defender. Krishnan Patel Youth team graduate. Midfielder. Well I think that's it. These are the boys who will be charged with the responsibility of leading the Shakers to league two glory this season. Good luck chaps. Can't wait. Bring on the Port Vale. Up the Shakers. |
| July 12, 2010 |
| The World Cup 2010. Its all over baby |
| So Spain passed and moved and glided their way past those dirty fouling cheating Dutch bastards last night to win the World Cup for the first time. Everyone's now saying its a victory for football, but hang on a minute, weren't we saying that it was the worst world cup ever a week or two ago? With few of the top players performing, and so many rubbish games, especially in the group stages. Ah well, all that's forgotten now we've a world champion we can eulogise and wax lyrical over. I don't think it was a victory for football, it was a victory for a load of other stuf, and a huge great loss for a load of other different stuff so let's have a look at the world cup's winners and losers eh readers? LOSERS: The in joke at the minute is 'give an African £2 a month and what do they do? Buy a bloody trumpet'. Those Vuvuzela horns have been the most unwelcome guest at a sporting tournament since the Americans learnt how to play football. Every single game has seen the crowd noise totally drowned out by a constant droning sound and i'll be glad to see the back of them. England, France and Italy all went home early due to players and managers being shite at their jobs. England's so called 'stars' insulted any bloke who has ever dreamt of playing for their country in a world cup by treating their own opportunity with complete disdain and many of them should never be allowed to play for England again. The Jabulani ball handled like a bloody balloon and only Diego Forlan knew how to kick it properly. It'll probably be the reason the French lost. Mark Lawrenson still isn't funny. WINNERS: Well its been a fantastic competition for the slow motion replays. A player heads the ball and the slow-mo shows the muscles in his neck rippling with the imnpact. You can see the bits of grass flying about along with peices of skin and bone belonging to unfortunate Spaniards. Top stuff. Its also been a win for the giant screens which pick people in the crowd out only to switch to something else as soon as they spot themselves. There must have been about a million ocassions when someone in the crowd shouted "HEY LOOK WE'RE ON THE BIG oh its gone". The South African stadia were fantastic - especially Johannesburg. If the competition ever comes to England, we'd be a bit embarrassed to show the world the stadium:MK or Pride Park after that wouldn't we? Our very own Howard Webb did the sort of job Graham Poll so comically failed to do in 2002, or was it 2006? Who cares? I think he did a pretty good job - for a Yorkshireman. Finally, its been a big big win for loads of footy on the telly - and at sensible times. Not like when it was in USA and games were kicking off at midlnight. And now the whole thing's over, we've got Radcliffe Boro on Tuesday to ease us gently back into the world of real football. |
| LATEST MESSAGE BOARD POST: |
| FammyRhyl |
| said "Evening all. Not got much to say as I've not been to gigg yet this season, a run which will be continuing on saturday! It's due to work as opposed to a one man picket untill things improve (something which I'm sure would bring the club to its knees!) So how is it then. From what I've heard it's been ok without ripping up trees (to use a jimmy Waggism.) Are the new players impressing? How's Belford looking in goal? Any new bits of totty in the main stand?" |
| on September 2, 2010 |
| view this thread |