Newhaven v Hassocks

HasSocks and Sandals Newhaven FC away to Hassocks FC at The Beacon Ground

Where are we and what's going on?

It’s a lovely sunny evening in West Sussex. The Dockers ⚓ are away to the Robins 🐦 in the first away game of the season. We haven’t seen the new away kit yet. Hope it’s nice. And the first game on grass for a while. Hope it’s not too hard. The pitch does look OK if a little lumpy and the grass is green due to some recent rain in Hassocks.

The teams are out and the Dockers are in  light blue  with white shorts. We like it. Leo is in goal. In front of him are Matt and Max. Out wide are Rudy and Shay. In the middle are Blunty, Joe and Billy. Up front is Captain Lee with Ezra and Tyler. Strangely, George is on the bench. We expected him to be banned for today's game after his red card. Maybe Andy Burnham had a word and got it suspended 🤣.

The Robins are much taller than Shoreham. We recognise the keeper. He was at Steyning at the end of last season when we played them in the cup. He’s Mitch Bromage whose Dad, Russell, we met at that game.

We have left the dark clouds in Newhaven and it’s nice and sunny in Hassocks. Were sat on a park bench with a good view and we have hot chocolate. The Robins won 5-1 at the weekend so have the advantage of knowing where the goal is.

There is a change of ends before the start. The Dockers must have won the toss as the Robins are now starting facing into the low sun ☀. Oh dear, what a pity, nevermind. Anyone want to borrow a cap and some shades 🧢🕶. Come on you Dockers ⚓.

Off we go..

The sides are feeling each other out. It might take the Dockers a while to get the feel of the pitch.

We get a corner, then another but the soft header is easily caught.

On 20 minutes, the Robins unveil their secret weapon. The No. 6 Kyle Sim, has a long throw. He can easily reach the near post. It’s easily caught this time.

A great cross from Robbo find Tyler who's shot bounces down off the bar and Billy is on hand to tap it home on 21 ⚽. 0-1.

Ezra cuts in after a run down the left and puts in a good cross but it just evades Lee on 27.

There is a pause in the play as Max is down injured on 28.  The Dockers use it as an impromptu hydration break 🚰 while the Robins just stand around having a nice chat 🗣. Max goes off and it seems like he has to wait a couple of minutes to come back on. Ref must have been busy.

It looks Tyler is playing as the 10 with Billy in the 9 and Lee on the right.

A long Robins throw into the Dockers box, it’s headed a few times by both teams before one of the Robins lobs it way over the goal. Glad we parked at the other end.

A thundering shot from the edge of the Dockers box is clearly stopped by a light blue clad elbow. The ref doesn’t (can’t) see it and neither does the lino on the far side. We have a clear view and sit back quietly watching the Robins players and fans venting their frustrations at the ref 😶.

A good run by Billy down the left ends in a poor cross that is easily caught by the keeper. The Dockers falling short on quality again tonight.

Tyler makes a good break away on 45+3 but he’s hacked down in the centre circle. It would appear that the ref doesn’t want to own up that he has forgotten his cards as that is a clear yellow.

It's 45+4 when the whistle goes and it’s a 0-1 lead for the visitors.

The Dockers are back in action as Billy’s deep run sees him cut the ball back to Lee but it’s intercepted. Billy was in a good place for a shot. Just HIT IT. Too much time spent trying the perfect goal.

A long ball from Lee finds Billy who crosses to Joe. Joe goes for power and the ball flies way over and heading for the car park.

Leo is needed to make a good save on 62. The ball runs loose in the box and the Robins forward throws himself into a sliding tackle . He gets to the ball and prods it towards the goal. Leo anticipates it well and makes the stop.

Robbo runs on to a ball down the right and knocks it past the defender who then flattens him. An easy yellow . But apparently, it’s a dropped ball for the Robins. How bizarre 🤪.

Ezra goes down in the centre circle on 60. Didn’t see what happened but it’s another hydration break. Ezra hobbles off and is replaced by Jesse Lambert.

Tyler makes way for Dan Allen on 70.

Some good play by Jesse and Joe gets the ball to Lee at the edge of the box. He makes himself the space and slots it into the bottom corner on 75 ⚽. Classic Robbo. 1-2. Back in the lead.

Leo is being kept busy now as he makes a good catch after a cross is flicked on by a Robin head.

The ref is counting down every time Leo has the ball. It’s not exactly speeding things up as he knows exactly how long he can waste now. 5-4-3-2-1-kick.

The Robins are starting to push more now. Leo slices a goal(miss)kick and it slams into the home bench. Hope no-one was hurt.

There is a cheer from the crowd on 88 as they think the Robins have equalised but somehow Rudy Jones clears it off the line. There is dismay in the Robins. The ref checks with the assistant. No goal ❌. Try again boys.

It’s so close again but the Dockers head it off the line twice on 90+2. It’s getting nervy at the back. The Robins are desperate for an equaliser and might get it yet.

The shot from range on 90+6 is a desperate and easy catch for Leo.

The Dockers get one more chance as Jesse gets clear but his shot is tame. He is harassing the keeper though, which is helping to run down the clock.

It’s finally over on 90+8.  And breath. Time for a quick photo of the posh scoreboard (🦃1-2⚓) before we head home.

We think it’s all over..

That was a difficult watch at times. I’m not sure that the best team won but the most stubborn one did. Some very last ditch defending kept us in the game. Neither team played well and the result flattered us but Lee found a bit of quality to get it and us over the line. Reliable Robbo.

The subs did seem to help this time, adding energy. Jesse was a great threat chasing and harassing giving Billy a rest. It helped to run down the clock as they put us under pressure in the dying minutes.

The opponents provided very little threat in the first 45. Their goal came out of nowhere. The biggest threat they had came was the long throw. They kept using it but never got the better of the Dockers’ defenders.

It was nice of our host to provide a nice big scoreboard to take selfies in front of. Thanks for that. And it makes it easier to tell “How Much?” time the man in black has added on. It did seem to go on and on ⏱.

It’s 3 points on the board for the Dockers and that moves them up to 5th just behind the teams with 2 wins.

It’s been an enjoyable evening, sitting on our bench on a bank with a good view. Up next is Forest Row away in the FA Cup on Friday. See you there.

The Other Bits

POTM: He’s back and in some style. A goal and an almost assist to Lee (big) Robbo 🏅. Well done Lee.

Officially Opinionated: We have more than a little (oops) to say about the ref tonight. He was very pedantic (and we do like a pedantic ref) making sure all the free kicks were taken from the correct spot. He also counted down every time Leo had the ball. It did seem to slow things down because he waited as long as he could. He made the delay inevitable. Every time. He did miss the handball that the Robins claimed. But he was unsighted by a crowd of tall players. He did wind up both sets of players and staff but he was at least consistent. We have seen and will see much much worse officiating.

The assistants got their calls mostly right. It’s easy to criticise when you are level with the line and he is running to keep up. So well done. Thanks.

Programme perusal: The programme is great. It’s not shiny but here is great content. A bargain at £2.

The Scran’O’meter rated the hot chocolate at 7.5. The bench we drank it on added +1 so it’s 8.5 tonight.

See you soon.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Blue sky at Hassocks

Nice new scoreboard 😉

Newhaven v Crawley Down

Once more into the Breach Newhaven FC away to Crawley Down Gatwick FC in the SCFL Premier Division at Haven Sportsfield

Where are we and What’s going on?

And so it starts. Again. It’s the first competitive game since the disappointing end to the season in April. The loss to Peacehaven in the 2nd to last game cost us the playoffs. The Tye not only made it into, but won the playoffs against the odds and in spite of the shenanigans of Guernsey. Congrats.  Hope to see you soon. Our derby day games will now be with AFC Varndeanians who are now co-residents at the Sports Park.

There are no surprises in the line up. Leo is in goal with Elliot and Matt in front of him. The full backs are Max Vardy and Shay Tobin. In the middle are George, Charlie and Joe. Up front is Jee with Ezra and Tyler. A new face on the bench is Jesse Lambert. A relative of Dexter?

The Anvils don’t look very tall .  Hopefully we can take advantage of that.

We have watched some of the warm up and Jonny’s practice shot ends up in Court farm Road. The Seven Sisters arrives as the players are coming out. It’s warm again so we are expecting a game of 4 quarters again. Hot chocolate has been procured. Time to watch some competitive football. Come on you Dockers.

Off we go

The Anvils kick off towards the Surf‘n’Skate End. 

We don’t have to wait long for some again but it’s not what we want. The is some hesitation in the Dockers defence and George has his pocket picked on the edge of the box. The striker makes no mistake and puts it past a helpless Leo on 3.  0-1. Bugger.

We get a free kick high on the right on 8. Joe is on kicking duty. It’s quickly cleared and the Anvils break straight down the other end where it’s cleared.

Another free kick on 11 and it’s central this time. It hits the wall and goes up in the air. There is a scramble in the goalmouth and it goes out for a corner. It’s quickly cleared.

The Anvils break and Shay gets in between the runner and the ball. They collide and Shay is booked    . What a ridiculous decision 🤡. 

There is more football but it's not great. It’s broken up with lots of turnovers and heading backwards and forwards. We count 6 consecutive headers at one point. We are relieved of this by a hydration break.

The Dockers are at last starting to play with some more quality and the Anvil respond by starting to fall over a lot. They have a penalty shout waved away. Didn’t get a good look but the ref wasn’t impressed. Not that that means much with some of his calls.

Ezra puts a deep cross into the box on 30. There are several attempted shots, blocks and clearances.

Shay makes a great run down the right cuts in and is fouled. The ref waves play on as Tyler picks up the ball but his shot is just wide.

The Dockers are starting to get into their stride and it’s good to watch.

Some great work on the right wing from Shay, George and Tyler ends in a corner on 36.  It’s recycled but goes back in from the left. Lee meets the cross but hits miles over from 6 yards.

The ball is out for an Anvil throw on 38 but it’s delayed while the ref has a quiet chat with the visiting manager. Not sure what that was about but he didn’t look happy.

Ezra gets space down the left but his cross is cleared. He does it again but this time it misses everyone and curls out for a goal kick.

Charlie’s tame shot is an easy save. But he's back again and wins a foul just outside the box on the right on 43. His curling free kick is deep and met at beyond the back post by Elliot. He can’t keep it down and it's way over.

Charlie is in the action again as he runs onto a through ball. His low cross is put over at the near post by Tyler. 

Tyler combines with Shay down the right but they run out of pitch.

They are out of time in this half.  It’s going to be a difficult conversation for the Dockers at the break. They have had so many chances and are a goal down.

There are no changes at the break as we kickoff to get back underway.

Tyler plays Lee through but his right to left shot goes wide on 47. Another miss.

The Anvils keeper makes a save but it spills and Lee is on hand to pop it into the net on 49 ⚽. 1-1. A goal at last.  Fantastic.  All square but we need to keep the momentum going and get another.

Tyler makes a great run down the right. He gets to the touchline and cuts it back but it’s just behind Lee and he can’t get a shot away.

George gets booked for something     and is soon subbed and replaced by Dan Allen who goes into the 8 with Charlie moving back to the 6.

Another Change on 56 as Shay Tobin is replaced at right back by Jesse Lambert.

There is a disagreement about a tackle on Joe the far side of our own box and it turns into a bit of pushing and shoving and one of the Anvils is booked     .  

It's Lee’s turn to put a cross in. It’s chipped but too long on 64.

It’s the 66th minute before we get our first offside as the Anvils get caught out by the flag.

Tyler Capon makes a great attempt from inside the box. He volleys it with the outside of his foot but it’s straight at the keeper.  That would have been a great goal.  

It’s time for the 2nd hydration break on 68.

An Anvil gets a great opportunity for a shot from the edge of the D but he doesn’t catch it right and drags it mile wide. Awful attempt and he looks embarrassed.

Charlie goes in for a tackle on 73 but gets injured and makes way for Billy. Hooray. The change we were calling for, sort of. It looks like he’s going in as the 10 or maybe another 9.

There is a foul on a Docker on the right wing and another fracas. There is a push on one of the Reds and another Anvil is booked for misbehavior.

Ezra makes way for Dexter on 82. He goes on the left , Lee goes to the right,  Billy goes up front with Tyler behind him.

Dexter is soon in on the action. His cross is too deep but Lee heads it back in only for Billy to miss the ball at the near post. It’s not going to go in is it?

Lee makes way on 89 and Rudi Jones comes on. The left back goes on the left wing with Dexter moving to the right.

The changes of personnel and position seem to have knocked the Dockers off their stride and the slick play has become more chaotic.

There is a nasty foul on Dexter as he hangs on to the ball too long. It takes 3 of them to hack him down but the ref thinks it’s OK.   One of the Anvils sits down and it seems to be catching as another one goes down as well. The first one needs treatment and is helped off.  The Docker's free kick on 90+2 is wasted. The Anvil’s replacement sub is ready to come on but play has restarted and he has to wait 🤣.

He eventually comes on after a couple of minutes as the Anvils get a free kick. Not saying he is tall but he towers over his team mates.  

We don’t know what happens next but it ends in George getting booked again on the bench and it’s his 2nd yellow     so he gets a red     as well and starts the walk of shame back to the dressing room.

Billy is full of beans and starting to harass the Anvils keeper whenever he gets the ball. It forces a few turnovers but no more goals,

It finishes with a goal each. The visitors will be the happiest with that. We aren’t 😠.

We think it’s all over..

That was so disappointing from the Dockers after such a good pre-season. I think we may have said those words before 😶.  There were points where the build up play was good but the finishing was awful 🤦. Lots of shots that were wayward. Feeling the pressure of competitive football after 3 months off maybe?

The Anvil had the upper hand for about 15 minutes before the Dockers got any kind of a grip on the game. The changes didn’t improve things and it got worse as there were reorganisations. It didn’t seem like there was a plan. The yellow cards didn’t help and perhaps forced changes that may not have happened otherwise. An impact of the poor quality of the officiating in the middle of the pitch.

So we start with a point.  It could have been worse and it was a nice day out by the Ouse. The sun was shining and the ferry arrived. It looked like a nice afternoon for cricket too 🏏. Mon the Whites!

Tranmere started their season today as they probably mean to go on. By being knocked out of the Carabao Cup Preliminary Round on penalties. We scored 2 goals but Rochdale levelled twice and then we scored just 1 of the 5 penalties. Just Tranmere doing what Tranmere does. Two weeks until the season opens. Can’t wait!

The Dockers have 2 away games now with Hassocks in the league on Tuesday and then Forest Row in the Vase on Friday. We are back here in 2 weeks for the start of the FA Cup with Guernsey. Hopefully it will still be warm, just not another heatwave 🫠.

The Other Bits

POTM: There were lots of performances that were OK in parts but they went missing in the final 3rd. So today it goes to a midfielder who improved as the game went on and had a few goes as well. Congratulations Charlie Gibson 🏅.

Officially opinionated: He wasn’t a good day at the office for the man in the middle. He didn’t seem to get much right. There wasn’t really a huge amount for him to do but he decided that he needed to make a difference. He left both side unhappy with what he did and didn’t do. Was it a penalty for the Anvil? Who knows? We don’t know but have zero confidence that that he did either. Nice to see assistants that assist and not just run the line. Even to the point of getting George sent off which may well have been deserved. Tom's replacement , filing his boots in style.   

Programme Perusal: The programmes have continued for another season. We were worried that they weren’t going to. It’s still £1 but would be happy to pay £2. Hopefully the player pictures will return soon.

The Scran’O’meter rated the hot chocolate with 1 sugar as a solid 7. Thanks. Speaking of chocolate, we’re looking forward to some cooler weather when the half time Mars/Snickers/Twix/KitKat doesn’t melt 🫕.

Ferry Watch ⛴: The Sevens Sisters appeared bang on schedule, 2 minutes before kick off, allowing us to give the the match our full attention.

See you soon.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Come on you Dockers

Know all the names now

Newhaven v Shoreham

Pulling Musselmen (from the shell) Newhaven FC v Shoreham FC in a friendly at Fort Road

Where are we and what's going on?

The Dockers ⚓ host the Musselmen 🦪 in the last pre-season friendly. It’s last season’s only relegated team because Lancing got a reprieve for some reason. We have been advised that they have improved and won all their pre-season games so far. That looks like a challenge for the Dockers today.

Last pre-season, we played Hailsham from SCFL Division 1 and won 10-0. Not expecting that sort of scoreline today but a continuation of the good performances would be very nice.

It’s Leo in goal. In front of him are Elliot and Max. Out wide and Rudy Jones and Dan Allen. The midfield are George McCarthy, Captain Blunt and Joe Radley Martin. Up front is Billy Oliver in his first start (hooray at last) with Dexter on the right and Ash on the left. Lee is injured (Achilles) so not in the squad. He did get badly tackled on the heel of his boot by the Golds so maybe it’s a result of that. We hope he is just resting for the first game back.

It’s a warm one today but the shade has just reached the stand so we won’t melt and more importantly nor will our chocolate.

This is the last of the free football. It’s been good value so far. And good fun. Hope it carries on like that. Let’s find out. Come on you Dockers.

Here we go..

The Dockers kick off and only have to wait until the 2nd minute until the first chance. It’s a good cross but Max heads just over.

Billy's determination wins a corner. It comes out to the edge of the box but Joe puts it into the Skate Park 🛹 on 6. Joe gets another shot on 8. It’s a good run from Ash to feed him in but Joe curls it just wide.

The Dockers are still dominating and camped out in the Musselman's third. Some great passing in the box ends up with Blunty who’s shot goes just over.

The Shoreham No. 5 appears to be mortally injured in a tackle. He gets some treatment and somehow seems to have survived.

The opening goal comes just a minute later. Blunty hits it from outside the box. Goal. ⚽ The keeper barely gets a chance to move. 1-0.

They are all having a go now. Ash makes a great run but his shot goes just wide.

There is a goalmouth scramble. We can’t see who taps it in the net but the offside flag goes up. It’s still 1-0 on 22.

We get a free kick in a dangerous area and it’s headed clear. Another free kick but someone has strayed offside. And it’s time for a hydration break and a quick team talk.

We think it’s a chance as there is a scramble in the visitors goalmouth. It’s cleared down the pitch. The Shoreham keeper comes out way too far and doesn’t get to the ball. One quick pass to Billy and he hits it at the empty net from over 30 yards. He thankfully hits the target on 29 ⚽. 2-0.

Just a minute later and the visitors keeper is all over the place again. He doesn’t get to the ball but Billy does. He is practically on the goal line facing the wrong way. A quick pass back to Joe and it’s 3-0 ⚽.

The Musselmen finally get a chance on 34. It’s an easy catch for Leo.

Max is the first player to get a yellow     . He pulls a runner from behind so it seems fair.

The visitors can’t seem to keep the ball and Dan breaks down the right. A deep cross is met by Billy but he can’t get it on target. They go again and this time Billy’s shot is blocked.

Blunty gets ambushed at pace with the ball. There are 3 of them and 1 makes a horrible tackle. Somehow the physios fix him and he is back up to take the free kick. He doesn’t have to go off after treatment because there was a yellow for the culprit. The freekick is met by Billy but it skims off his head and goes just wide.

There are 2 more chances but the keeper saves from Blunty and Billy.

It’s still 3-0 to the Dockers at the halfway point.

There are a few changes. It’s a surprise to see Bussy replacing Leo in goal. Ezra is on to replace Dexter. He goes on the left wing and Ash drops to left back. Rudy is off for Tyler who goes to the right wing.

The Dockers are soon on the attack and get a corner on 47. Elliot gets a head on it. It’s goal bound when a defender gets a head to it but can’t get enough contact to change its trajectory ⚽ . 4-0.

The visitors get their best chance on 51. It’s a good strike on goal but Bussy proves he’s still got it. A great save. And he is back in the action straight away making a good block.

A great run from Dan down the right, finds Billy in the middle but it goes out for a corner. And repeat. Another cross from Dan to Billy goes out for a corner. This time Billy gets his head on it and it’s in the net on 59 ⚽. 5-0.

Bussy makes another good save from range to keep it a clean sheet so far.

There are some more changes on 63. Off go Joe, Billy and Ash. On comes Matt Gunn and 2 we don’t know yet.

Matt makes an impact straight away and heads it into the net from a corner on 65 ⚽. 6-0.

There is another hydration break and the ferry arrives on 69.

Shoreham haven’t given up and get their best chance yet. It takes a good diving save from Bussy to keep the ball out of the top corner of the net.

The Dockers are still pushing as well. Blunty makes a good run and shoots from inside the box. Keeper has no chance and Ryan gets his brace on 74⚽. 7-0.

It’s Captain Ryan’s last action as he is replaced and hands the armband to Tyler Capon.

Ezra make a good run down the left, cuts in along the touchline. There are options for a pass but he nutmegs the keeper instead on 76 ⚽. 8-0.

Ezra makes an impact again when he tries to do to much with the ball just outside the Docker box. He gives it away but Bussy is easily up to the save.

There is a scramble for the ball right on the Musselmen’s goal line. The ref judges that the player on the floor played the ball with his hand and gives a penalty. A handball denying a goal is usually a straight red so the ref is being generous here which is fair enough in the circumstances. Ezra does his usual and nearly busts the net for his brace on 86⚽. 9-0.

The visitor's last chance is a free kick which goes way over. Not their day today.

We are calling for a 10th goal but the whistle goes to end our hopes of double figures. 9-0 to the home team. A thrashing for the visitors. Better luck for the rest of the season.

And we think it’s all over…

A storming performance from the Dockers today. Lots of changes made it more chaotic but the outcome didn’t change much. Bussy was the busiest keeper in the 2nd half but he did what was needed.

A slightly different lineup again but it seemed to work. The Dockers style works and the defending was better. The first clean sheet of our season.

Does 9 goals reflect the performance? Maybe. It wasn’t clinical at times but was way too much for this opponent. They weren’t great. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t great fun.

So that’s the end of the pre-season. As ever, it’s been good. Now the Dockers need to carry that form into competitive football. It starts with Crawley Down, here, next Saturday. Will we be here? We hope so.

The Others Bits

POTM: With such a goal fest, it could easily go to an attacking player. But it’s a goalkeeper. Welcome back Bussy, Well done 🏅.

Officially Opinionated:  Another good performance from all 3 tonight. No sign of the 5th official. We hope these performances carry on into the competitive fixtures as well.

The Seven Sisters arrived at 2:54. Nice timing Captain.

Programme Perusal: Hopefully, programmes will be back next week. Are we confident, no.

The Scran’O’meter finally got the recipe right with 1 sugar in the hot chocolate. Just right. Yum ☕.

See you soon.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Sunshine on Fort Road

The Seven Sisters has arrived

Newhaven v Littlehampton

Golden Tears Newhaven FC v Littlehampton Town in a friendly at Fort Road

Where are we and what's going on?

The Dockers  ⚓are at home to the Marigolds 🌼 on an even cooler July evening. We last played them here in the season they were promoted and went to Wembley. It was a draw that night but we later lost to them in the cup. They are still in the Isthmian South Central League, finishing 11th last season.

We are familiar with most of the faces in the line up tonight. Leo is in goal. In front of him, are Elliot and a player we don’t recognise. Shay Tobin is at right back with Max Vardy on the left. In the middle are Charlie Gibson, Ryan ‘Blunty’ Blunt and Joe Radley Martin. Up front are Lee, Ezra and Tyler Capon.

The Marigolds are all new to us but their goldish kit is nice.

It would be nice to continue the form we showed on Friday. It was starting to take shape as a Dockers style team and performance. More of the same please. We have hot chocolate and are ready to go. Lets get this done Newhaven. Come on you Dockers.

Off we go..

It’s the Dockers attacking the Skate Park End as usual. We are looking good in the early minutes. We get an early goal as Charlie Gibson finds the net on 6 ⚽. 1-0.

It’s a good run from Blunty and a good pass to Lee as he bursts through the defence. A goal for Robbo. Get in. 2-0.

Ezra is looking confident on the left wing. He cuts in but his curling shot goes just high and wide on 19. Nice try Ez, keep going.

Ryan is confident too and his run from midfield sees him pass to Tyler but he’s off balance and his shot goes over on 21.

The Golds first shot on target comes on 23. It’s from long range but it’s dipping under the bar when Leo tips it over.

The Dockers get caught out needlessly taking risks at the back and give away a corner. It’s scored with little apparent challenge from the defence. 2-1.

The Golds striker has a great chance but he chooses and extra few touches and Leo makes an easy save.

It’s a narrow lead for the SCFL team at the break. A couple of good saves from Leo and some good catches from the LA keeper.

There are no changes at the break so it’s as you were. Let’s finish this off.

Five minutes in and the Dockers have a free kick at about 25 yards. Blunty takes it. It clears the wall but also the bar.

Ezra is getting space down the left. He puts in a great cross for Lee who somehow manages to head just wide from close range.

Ezra links up with Lee again and the through ball to our favourite No. 9 is perfect and Lee makes it count on 55 ⚽. 3-1.

Lee gets 5 more minutes before he makes way.  Ash Wadhams comes on to the left wing and Ezra goes up front. Joe goes off and is replaced by No. 14 who goes into the 8. Blunty moves up to the 10. The No. 14 lasts 2 minutes before he is injured and hops off the pitch after treatment. Hope that’s not as bad as it looked. Rudy Jones comes on to replace him.

Rudy soon makes an impact or nearly does as he shoots just wide from range. It seems to be take pot shot from range day. Who will be next?

The next chance is a corner that leads to a scramble that is eventually cleared.

There is a horrible foul on Blunty in the middle of the pitch. He is surrounded and hacked down by a nasty tackle. He needs treatment and the culprit gets a yellow    . He is perhaps lucky it’s a friendly as he could easily have got a red. Blunty seems to be OK which is good news. He takes the free kick but it’s way over.

The Marigolds don’t seem to be taking it well that they are behind. They have gone a bit Barcelona and are falling over at the slightest touch. The ref seems on board with them at the moment. Hope he catches on soon.

Ezra is causing the Golds problems down the left. He puts in a great cross, right across the mouth of the goal but there is no-one there. He takes it on himself next time. His central run gives him a chance to shoot but it’s wide.

The Golds get a better spell of possession as we enter the last 10 minutes. A freekick within shooting range is cleared for a corner on 82.

The visitor think they have scored on 86 but Leo makes and incredible catch from short range. How did he do that? Wow! He releases it quickly and the Dockers break down to the other end. Blunty’s shot is on target but deflected over and the resulting corner comes to nothing again.

The Golds apply some pressure. The first corner is deflected and the second is saved on 89.

It finishes 3-1 to the Dockers. Another great win. Just one more friendly to go. Roll on Saturday and Shoreham.

We think it’s all over..

That was a great game. A good Dockers style win with plenty of attacking play and bodies on the line in defence. The visitors got a bit niggly towards the end but were mostly still trying to play football. It was great to see Lee score a goal. It was well earned for the running he put in and his team mates always know where to find him. With the Golds' big defenders, we thought Ezra was a big threat with his physicality. Also really good was Leo again. How did he catch that? Some skills.

The squad is coming on nicely and it was telling that there were no mass changes at the break. Does that mean that we are getting closer to a starting 11?

We hope No. 14 is OK. It didn’t look good as he hopped off the pitch and was carried across it later.

There appeared to be only 1 Marigolds fan in the stand behind us. They did have a huge fan base back when we last played them in their Wembley season. At least that 1 was well behaved today 👀.

It’s time to head home. Hopefully to return on Saturday for the final friendly where we welcome Shoreham FC’s Musselmen. Need to make sure we get that spelling correct 🦪💪.

The Other bits

POTM: It’s a tough one today as there were a few good performances from those that are regulars here. So instead it goes to new boy,  Joe Radley-Martin for some nifty work in the 10 role. Well done Joe 🏅. Hoping it’s the first of many.

Officially opinionated: The officials had a fairly easy night. The foul on Blunty could have been a red but a yellow is probably the right decision in a friendly. He didn’t fall for much of the visitors throwing themselves to the ground when they were losing.

The Scran’O’meter put too many sugars in the hot chocolate. Maybe just 1 next time but a solid 7 anyway.

Ferry watch 🔭: The Côte d'Albâtre was 10 minutes early. Nice 👌.

See you soon.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

What happened to the summer

The Cote Ablair is here on time

Newhaven v Seaford

This Friday Night Newhaven FC v Seaford Town FC in a friendly at Fort Road

Where are we and what's going on?

Friday night football is the best

It’s Friday night and we start the weekend with some hopefully competitive football. It’s the Dockers hosting the Badgers in a ‘friendly’ cup final. We hope to retain it, having won the last edition 2 years ago. It’s free entry tonight but there is a raffle raising money for the BHF.

It’s cooler again tonight but the atmosphere may heat up. The last meeting at the Crouch was quite spicy 🌶. And we won that. Also cooler tonight, is our enthusiasm for the World Cup as England snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against Argentina on Wednesday. Lets hope the tactics are a bit more positive tonight 👊🏼.

There is a new signing tonight. It’s Tyler Capon, who has joined from tonight's visitors. Oops. Additions to the retained list are Charlie Gibson and Dan Allen. It’s starting to look like a good squad.

There is a change in goal with Jonny back on duty between the posts. In front of him are Elliot and Matt Gunn. Out wide of them are Billy Barker and Rudi Jones.There are 3 new(ish) faces in midfield. It’s George McCarthy, Charlie Gibson and Joe Radley-Martin. Up front is Tyler Capon in the middle with Ezra on his left and Dexter Lambert on his right.

There is a very familiar face in the Badgers starting line up, it’s Bailie Rogers who is in central defence. Ex-Docker Calum Connor is also in the 11. They are in a white kit with white numbers so wecan;t read them. Help the ref has better eyesight than us👀.

It’s a friendly but it’s our derby now that Peacehaven have gone and got themselves promoted. And we have signed a couple of their players. And we are holders of the Steve Charman Cup from 2 years ago. Let’s hope it’s the Dockers who are the happier at the final whistle tonight. “Come on you Dockers”.

Off we go..

The Dockers kick off attacking the Skate Park. There is some good early pressure. It forces a corner on 3. It takes a good save to keep it out and the Reds have another corner that comes to nothing.

Seaford are getting joy down the right with long balls. Don’t know the number of the player.

A visitors throw, deep in the Newhaven half, catches out the defenders and is hit home from the middle of the box on 5. 0-1.  Oops.

Docker get a chance 5 minutes later. It’s good play down the right and met by a Docker head at the far post. The keeper makes a good save.

The equaliser comes on 32 as a cross is backheeled in by Tyler ⚽. Nice. 1-1.

Elliot puts us in the lead after a corner is recycled and he is on hand to slot it home from the middle of the box ⚽. 2-1. We’re still ahead at the break.

There are a few (6) changes for the 2nd half. Lee is on for Ezra and goes up front with Tyler going on the left wing. Ash Wadhams goes to right back replacing Rudi Jones. Blunty is on for Charlie Gibson in the 8. Shay Tobin Dexter Lambert on the right wing. Max Vardy for Billy at right back. Leo Anderson replaces Jonny.

The Dockers take a while to settle again but start to get back into their stride. A long range shot goes over on 57.

Ezra is back and replaces Tyler on left wing. He soon starts to make an impact.

There is a scramble in the Seaford goalmouth. It’s saved but is it a foul on a Dockers player? We think so. The ref doesn't agree.

Ezra extends our lead as he gets his head on a cross on 76 ⚽. 3-1. It’s nearly a 4th as a blast by Blunty forces a good save. The resulting corner is hit over the bar.

There are more changes as Rudi comes back on.

It’s another foul in the box and the ref agrees with us this time. Ezra makes no mistake as buries from the penalty spot for his brace and the Dockers 4th on 89 ⚽.  4-1. That’s the last action as ref whistles for the end of the match.

There is a presentation of the Steve Charman Trophy🏆 (again). Well done Dockers.

And we think it’s all over…

That’s more like it. A proper Dockers performance in places. They did look like a bunch of strangers at the start, partly because they were to some extent. It got better and looked much more fluid.

The Badgers are getting joy down the right with long balls. It did get them a throw in that resulted in the first goal.

It takes time for a defense to settle and get confident in the keeper behind them. Jonny didn’t quite look like his confident self and was notably quieter than Leo.

We didn’t win the raffle but, it was a for a good cause. But the Dockers did win the Steve Charman Cup, again. And in some style.

Perhaps England would have been better going a goal behind forcing them to push forwards to score. It certainly worked for the Dockers today 🏆.

The Other Bits

POTM: Goes to Ezra for a stand out performance before going off and then getting 2 goals when he came back on. Awesome as ever 🏅.

Officially Opinionated: A very good performance from the officials tonight. No offsides but it wasn’t really that sort of game. The 5th Official was present but rather restrained.

The Scran’O’meter will return when the weather is cold enough for hot chocolate. See you soon then.

Ferry watch ⛴: The ferry was due in at 10:00 but docked not long after the final whistle. Hope you didn’t get caught speeding, Captain.

See you soon.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Newhaven v Crowborough

Take Me Home, Gibbon Road Newhaven FC host Crowborough FC in a friendly at Fort Road

Where are we and What’s going on?

Football is back 🎉. We’ve torn ourselves away from some frantic telly clapping 📺👏 for a preseason friendly by the Ouse. It’s cooled down from the heatwave but still warm enough. Tonight, the Dockers welcome The Crows. They are a league higher but don’t look scary like Lewes or Horsham. It will be a good test and a hard workout for the Reds.

Back at Fort Road

There has been a bit of signing news with Captain Lee and Co-Captain Blunt retained for 26-27. A new signing comes from Haywards Heath. It’s experienced midfielder Joe Radley Martin who won a league and Cup double with the Bluebells last season. Welcome Joe.

There are a few new faces in today's starting 11. We’ll get names when we can. They are the 4,5 and 6. The 5 turns out to be Max Vardy, back from the Badgers.  In the goal at the Surf’n’Skate end is a new face to us. It’s Leo Anderson. Jonny is on the bench. Billy Barker and Elliot are the full backs. Shay Tobin (8) and Ryan Blunt (10) are in the middle. Up front are Ash Wadhams (7), Lee (9) and Ezra (11).

On the bench are Rudi Jones, Dexter Lambert and youngster Harley King. The are 3 new faces on the bench as well.

In the Crowborough line up is ex-Docker defender Harry 'Reedy' Reed.

We have a new kit and a new kit sponsor. The shirt looks really nice. 👕  Thank you to Britannia Beckwith 🚛 for their support.

It’s a nice temperature for a game and nice to be sitting in the stands again. Let's see how it goes. Any cries on Come on you Dockers are drowned out by a very loud rattle and horn. Thanks Mel!

Off we go..

With our ears ringing, we kick off towards the Skate Park. The Dockers hold their own against the higher opposition. The first big chance goes to Ezra on 14. He breaks from the half way line and smashes it at the top right corner but the keeper makes a great flying save. Unlucky Ez.

Nice to see a hydration break. Did someone forget the Powerade banner?

The visitors can’t get past Leo despite going 1 v 1 a couple of times. They do however get past from close range after someone gets caught ball watching on the goal line and it’s headed in at the far post on 28. Boo. 0-1.

There is a chaotic scramble in the Dockers box and the ref awards a penalty to the Crows. We couldn’t see what it was for but there wasn’t much complaint. It’s converted from the spot on 36. 0-2. Harsh on the boys that!

It’s still a 2 goal deficit at the break.

There are 2 changes for the second half. The 4 has made way for No, 12. Max Vardy has made way for Harvey King. Maybe the other way round.

It’s a scrappy start to the half with the visitors looking most likely to score. We keep them out with some more good 1 v 1 stops from Leo.

At 70 minutes, it’s time for some more changes. Lee goes off for the new No. 17. Rudi Jones and No. 18 come on buy can’t see who has gone off. It gets a lot more chaotic.

Ezra hasn’t lost his mojo and shoots just wide on 75.

The Crows think it’s a 3rd goal on 85 but it’s thankfully offside on 87. Ha Ha.

Goal!. A storming run by Ezra down the right is crossed in for the No. 17 to head home on 90+3. ⚽. 1-2.  It there time for another?  No, it all over and it’s a loss for the Dockers but we won the 2nd half.

We think it’s all over…

It’s not all about the results. Except for those on the pitch. It was a good hard run out for the Dockers who put in a good performance. It wasn't pretty at times but there was plenty of effort and commitment. And we won the 2nd half even though it got more chaotic and scrappy as the changes started.

But football is back. There is still some telly clapping to do as Win-ger-land and still in the World Cup and face Argentina in a Falklands Derby Semi Final on Wednesday.

There were a few new faces and the No .4 looked good. Experience in the 6 position with hopefully better discipline than Tom H B.  The new No. 17 scored the goal which is  great way to start. Hope to see them both announced soon.

We don’t have to wait long to see the Dockers again as we're back here on Friday to welcome Seaford 🦡.

The Other Bits

POTM: A tough one today as there were 2 standout performances. Leo 🦁 Anderson pulled off 3 or 4 great saves when players went 1v1 with him. Great skills and bravery. Ezra brought real attacking energy and got an assist for the goal. But today it goes to Leo 🏅 as we would have taken a battering but for his outstanding performance.

Officially Opinionated: The ref did well as did the assistants. Lots of offsides to prove they were awake. Well done and thank you. FIFA take note. No technology required. And thanks to Harry Hill for taking time out of his busy schedule to run the line on the stand side. Thanks Harry.

The Scran’O’meter was disappointed with the hot chocolate scoring only a warm and wet 6/10.  

Ferry watch ⛴: Seven Sisters arrived at 8:58. Bang on time. Well done Captain.

See you soon.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

8:58..  Ferry is on time

Newhaven v Seaford

Thank Good it's Friday Newhaven FC v Seaford Town FC in SCFL Premier League at The Crouch

Where are we and what's going on?

It’s Derby Day part 1 so the Dockers visit the Badgers on Good Friday evening. It’s April but it’s cold and windy. Having lost narrowly to the league leaders on Tuesday, exiting the PB Cup. We’re hoping that they can bring some of that confidence and defensive resilience today. They will need it as this is another game on a pitch that isn’t the best.

The line ups are out and it’s Jonny in goal as usual with Dan and Elliot in front. Richmond and Rudi are out wide. It’s Tom in the 6, Charlie in the 8 and Blunty in the 10. The front 3 is Ezra, unusually on the right, Ash on the left and Lee in the middle. Tonight the Dockers are wearing the Reform Turquoise away kit.

In the middle of the Badgers defence is ex Docker Max Vardy. Another familiar name is in the line up is Callum Connor.

Playing on the Friday night ahead of all the other fixtures on Saturday gives us the chance of a brief jump up the table. And it’s a game under the lights. We have a nice view of Seaford Head before it goes dark though.

Will they be tired from Tuesday? Let’s hope that the momentum of that performance pulls them through. Time to find out. Come on you Dockers.

Off we go..

The Badgers kick off with the wind. It is breezy so we’re sheltering in the stand. It’s first chance to the Dockers but Tom’s shot is straight at the keeper. The Badgers have clearly selected Ezra as a target. He is getting plenty of space down the right and making good use of it. He can’t make any use of it though as he is getting fouled again and again. Luckily he doesn’t get injured. They get a couple of yellows for their troubles and there is lots of moaning at the ref.

The next chance goes to Seaford but the shot is straight at Jonny. The next 2 chances go to the Dockers as Robbo heads just over from Ezra and Blunty’s cross skims across the goalmouth to be met by nobody. There are more chances as Ezra’s shot is deflected over. The resulting corner is headed straight at the keeper by Elliot.

Lee gets a good shout for a penalty but he’s not going to get that from these officials. Far too obvious 🤦.

It turns into a dull game of football after the first 15-20 minutes of end to end.

The Dockers kick off for the 2nd half. Playing with the wind now and it seems to have got stronger. It’s causing issues and catching them out a bit.

The Badgers break quickly on 51. There is a trip in the box and the ref points to the spot. The man in our stand that was in line with it says it was a mile offside but the lino was 5 yards behind the play so couldn’t see. Harsh on the Dockers. The penalty taker sends Jonny the wrong way. 1-0.

We come close as Ezra and Blunty combine to come close on 53.

Teddy comes on for Ash who has had a good game.  He is soon in the action and scores on 59 but it’s offside apparently.

We score for real this time as Charlie Gibson gets clear to equalise ⚽. 1-1.

It’s still 1-1 as Blunty hit wide on 62. Ditto for Charlie Gibson on 66.

The Dockers are in control now. It's Robbo's turn to miss as he can’t control a cross and hit over on 75.

Robbo is in the action again as he and Ezra get in each others way at the far post and no-one heads home.

Elliot is booked on 80. It’s getting a bit heated. The ref is not having a good day at the office.

Youngster Harley for Charlie on 82.

We are into injury time, this could take a while. It’s getting more bad tempered and the Badger Captain for talking back after the ref was telling off one of his teammates.

The Dockers bench are getting a talking to but refusing to sit down. The ref has lost any control of the game he may of have still had.

Play eventually continues and the Dockers are getting corner after corner. Some are just going straight over, caught in the wind.

A dreadful offside from the lino again. The Badgers keeper is time wasting and it raises the temperature even more. It’s so chaotic, how much time is he going to add on for all this carnage.

At 90+5 Billy (hooray) comes on for Tom. That’s a midfielder off and a striker on. Go Dockers.

The Dockers get another corner from the left (i.e. downhill and with the wind). There is a scramble on the goalline and the ball half crosses the line. It’s not cleared and it’s tapped home by one of the Dockers ⚽. 2-1. The Badgers are furious with the lino but I think they are clean out of favours from the officials tonight.

The keeper is refusing the restart with the ball which is still in the net 😭.

Dexter comes on for Robbo on 90+11.

There are a couple more minutes and it’s all over on 90+13. 2-1. We make a sharp exit in case it all goes off.

We think it’s all over..

Well that was good fun. The first half was not great for football or entertainment. The second had some better football and some top notch entertainment. Especially at the end when it went a bit bonkers 🤪.

The performance was good, especially at the start. We were worried that it would tail off when they got tired. They had a very hard game on Tuesday and gave their absolute all in that. It didn’t show today. The mentality told at the end with the young Dockers staying focused on the match when it was going off all around them. Lee would have been giving the ref grief whatever so making him Captain saves him getting in trouble for it.

The result helped the Dockers climb the league a couple of places. We only dropped 1 place back to 7th when the other games were played on Saturday so we’re still in the playoffs.

In other news, Tranmere lost away to Shrewsbury, glad we didn’t go. Crawley won, so did Harrogate so it’s looking grim for the Rovers at the bottom of league 2.

The Other Bits

POTM: goes to Ezra for causing them nightmares down the right wing. Well done, again, Ezra 🏅.

Officially opinionated: Well, where to start? There were some early mistakes which ramped up the pressure a bit. There were more dodgy calls and the moaning increased. The missed penalty call in the 1st half was a sign of things to come. Breachy provided some feedback and would have been booked had he not been right. It got very feisty at 90 minutes and the Badger’s Captain got sin-binned. The time wasting was the trigger for what happened in injury time. The ref and the uphill assistant were shouting at the Dockers bench for ages. To little effect. They had completely lost control. The worst officiating we have seen in a long long time.

The Scran’O’meter scored the hot chocolate a mediocre 6.5/10.

There was no programme available today. 0/10.

See you soon.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

The Crouch

Under the lights

Newhaven v Steyning

Billy Punt! Newhaven FC play Steyning Town Community FC in the PB Cup Semi-Final at Middle Road

Where are we and what’s going on?

A new ground

The Dockers face the Barrowmen at the home of Shoreham FC. The clocks changed at the weekend so we are being treated to a lovely sunset before the kickoff. It’s cool and still but the clouds are looking threatening. As if facing the league leaders isn’t enough of a challenge! The Dockers have showed a little more consistency in recent games. Fingers crossed that it carries into today.

A fantastic sunset

Newhaven are the home team today so are in red with the Barrowmen in away Blue. There is a change in goal from Saturday with Jonny returning. Dan and Eliot are in the middle with Rudy on the left and Richmond on the right. Richmond is making his 50th appearance for the Dockers. He is a favourite of ours so we hope he adds another POTM to his collection tonight. Harry drops to the bench. Charlie is in the 6 with Shay moving up to the 8. Or maybe it’s a double pivot whatever that is? The rest is the same with Blunty is the 10 with Lee in front in the 9. Teddy is on the right with Ezra on the left.

The team news

There is a familiar face on the bench for the Barrowmen. It’s the young ex-Dockers striker, Alex Plummer.

The sun is setting in the West and also potentially on our Cup runs for this season. It could go horribly wrong but, we are here in hope. We have a good feeling after the Dockers performance on Saturday. The Barrowmen have won every game on the mainland this year having only lost to Guernsey away. Let’s hope this is the end of that run. Here we go. Come on you Dockers.

Off We Go..

The first chance goes to the Dockers attacking the East end in front of us. Blunty can’t capitalise though and it’s gone. Shame, an early goal would have been nice.

Steyning are now keeping the ball well and looking dangerous on the break. They have a couple of chances before scoring from a fast break on 15. 0-1. Too easy. 🤷

They double their lead on 19 from a corner. Jonny gets finger tips on it but only deflects it onto the head of the striker at the far post. 0-2. This could be a very long night indeed 🤦.

The Steyning Ultras behind Jonny are making a good noise, getting behind their team.

But the Dockers start to dig in and defend. There is just a single decent chance each way. Ezra can’t convert for the Dockers and Steyning hit over. Despite our early fears, it’s just a 2 goal deficit at the break. Phew!

The Barrowmen make a change at the break with, familiar face, Alex Plummer coming on for the goal scorer, Marcus Allen.

The Dockers are much more aggressive when they come back out. The chances come and go from Shay, Ezra and Rudi. A goal now would make it a very different game. Just need a bit more composure. And probably a bit of luck 🍀.

It turns scrappy again with the Docker hampering the Barrowmen’s usual free-scoring style. Eliot is booked for a desperate challenge. Taking one for the team but gives away a free-kick in a dangerous area. Relief from us at it goes just wide.

The Dockers start to make changes on 65. It’s Ash for Teddy with Ezra swapping to the right wing. Then Tom for Charlie in front of the defence. Charlie has done a good job but Tom’s experience will help us maintain our solidity.

Jonny is called into action and makes a great save on 71.

The rest of the changes happen on 75 as Shay, Ezra and Richmond are replaced by Harley, Billy and Harry.

To the surprise of no-one at all, Tom is booked for a bad tackle. The physio fixes the player up with a bit of magic spray. The Barrowmen get a free kick that thankfully skims just wide.

The Dockers young ultras are singing 🎵how shit must you be, it’s only 2 nil🎵. Love them. Hope it’s not tempting fate though.

We’re in to 4 added minutes.

We have our heads in our hands as Billy meets Ash’s low cross. His touch is awful and he hits the ball well over from just 2 yards out. What a miss. 🤦 That would have really shaken up the last 3 minutes.

But it wasn’t be although we stayed in it until the end. A night to move on from without worrying about it too much.

Playing under the lights in Shoreham

We think it’s all over..

We came in hope rather than expectation. It’s not the result that we hoped for but better than we expected. Especially early on 😱. It’s a performance that the young (mostly) Dockers should be proud of. The Barrowmen have had a great season and have been free scoring, often scoring 5 or more. That they were held to just 2 goals  tonight is a great credit to the Dockers. The second half was more confident than the first. No-one would have been surprised if the 2 early goals had turned into a hat full. But it didn’t. A goal back would have made it very exciting especially near the end. Billy must be absolutely gutted that he hit it so far over the bar from so close in. Silly Billy. Soz. Other than that, we never really looked like scoring.

A better pitch might have prompted a better game of football. How that would have impacted the result we don’t know but both teams play on 3G pitches at home.

The weather stayed nice despite the threatening clouds. It was still, dry and not too cold.

It was good to meet Russell Bromage in the 2nd half. He knows the Tucks well from his time working at Brighton. And knows the Legend that is Micky Mellon from when they were both at Bristol City. He also worked with ex Brighton, Worthing and Docker, Jake Robinson while at Brighton.

That’s our cup ambitions over for another season. It could have been worse. We are now back to concentrating on the league and pushing into the playoff places. The Easter weekend fixtures are up next so see you soon.

The Other Bits

POTM: It was a good team performance but it has to go to a defender. Our choice is Eliot Bresciani 🏅 for a solid game at the heart of the defence. Well done .

Officially opinionated: We had only just commented that the ref, who was unusually wearing glasses, that he had already been to Specsavers 👓. Then it suddenly became apparent that he hadn’t 🦯. It didn’t get any worse and he generally did well. A little moaning from both sides is often a good sign. There were enough offsides to prove that both the assistants were awake. There were mistakes at the end. Tiredness? The ref stopped play for an injury after the ball had gone out only to have the keeper point out that the ball had stopped a foot short of the touchline. Opps. Dropped ball it is then.

The Scran’O’meter rated the hot chocolate a warm and wet 6.5/10.

Programme Perusal: The free programme is cheap and cheerful. Contains what is needed about the match. Thanks👍 8/10.

See you so you at Easter 🥚🐤🐰.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

A fantastic sunset

A new ground

The team news

Playing under the lights in Shoreham