[F.D.T]

OK, anotther week has passed, another defeat for the albert and yet ANOTHER hard luck story... yeah agreed they may be making slight progress but when are they going to stop kidding themselves that they are on the up??? im of the opinion that as a full team of edinburgh boys now (because quite rightly the hawick boys refused to travel to edinburgh to train) surely if they were any good at all they would be playing for a decent club in edinburgh instead of making the 50 miles trip to play "home" games at albert park.. the albert have lost the interest of the town and folk now look for the results to hope they have been beat instead of anticipation that the HAWICK boys are doing well. Friday night football was a huge success because local teams would come and watch the alleged best team in hawick play which drew in hundreds of spectators, good for club funds, now who is going to watch the main team in hawick play at home when the dont have a clue who is playing anymore. the manager has the backing from the committie there with only a few with any kinds of football background behind them... what next for hawick royal albert??????

This post has been edited by F.D.T: 29 January 2012 - 16:02

[WaffenThinMint]

Perhaps it's lucky they can find some Edinburgh boys willing to travel 50 miles to play for them when the locals have long not cared a damn about the club and thus put them in this position in the first place?

[Whitswit]

A lot of the borders teams carry the local team for local players ethos. That in my mind is fine. However, HRA have been rooted to the bottom of the EOS set up for many a year now and there is nothing wrong with getting a group of players to build some respect back into the team.

If local people start to come back like they seem to have been doing esp for the friday night games, then seeing a decent team will hopefully see them return. In turn the local players who are good enough to add something to the team may well look to play their rather than go elsewhere to play their football.

Local players is a good ethos, but if there are no local players willing or good enough then the ethos shouldn't be used to kill the club.

[BordersFan]

FDT you seem to be taking quite an interest in Hawick. Can I ask the reason for that???

One thing is for sure the current management team at Hawick will prove that there are guys in Edinburgj who are willing to travel to Hawick and to try there hardest when they pull on that blue strip. The comitee at Hawick work there butts off and believe me Hawick will not stay at the bottom for long and people as small minded as yourself will be made to eat there words!!! Absolute idiot of a guy.

Good on the club for trying something different as its the only option for the future.

This post has been edited by BordersFan: 29 January 2012 - 21:31

[Mr Tee]

Love the guys coming on here mouthing off like they could do better.

HRA have been struggling for a while, the local guys just either didnt want to play or were not good enough. So the new management team moved training to Poltonhall and are looking at many players hoping to improve the results and performances.

They cant win, someone will always be moaning. Give them a break and see how they get on in time, if its not better at least they got stuck in and gave it a good go, which is more than gobby ejits on a forum ever do.

[numba1goaly]

F.D.T, on 29 January 2012 - 15:19, said:

OK, anotther week has passed, another defeat for the albert and yet ANOTHER hard luck story... yeah agreed they may be making slight progress but when are they going to stop kidding themselves that they are on the up??? im of the opinion that as a full team of edinburgh boys now (because quite rightly the hawick boys refused to travel to edinburgh to train) surely if they were any good at all they would be playing for a decent club in edinburgh instead of making the 50 miles trip to play "home" games at albert park.. the albert have lost the interest of the town and folk now look for the results to hope they have been beat instead of anticipation that the HAWICK boys are doing well. Friday night football was a huge success because local teams would come and watch the alleged best team in hawick play which drew in hundreds of spectators, good for club funds, now who is going to watch the main team in hawick play at home when the dont have a clue who is playing anymore. the manager has the backing from the committie there with only a few with any kinds of football background behind them... what next for hawick royal albert??????

Listen the boys that are playing for the club are in it for the long haul and are fighting for the club to get some respectability back for the club after being beaten 10-0 every week for the last god knows how long? as for not having the hawick boys in the team, the committee have tried to keep training in Hawick and Gala but with only 5 Hawick based players turning up and the rest of the area not helping the club and would rather play for the amateurs against each other than battle it out and try make the club a sleeping giant. granted the hawick boys that were there when Laurie first took over where great lads and did have the clubs best interests at heart but they sadly started to disappear and so the committee had no other option than to change the training upto midlothian and bring in quality players with junior, east of scotland and pro experience as all the boys want Hawick to be succesful. Anybody who was at the game Saturday would see theres a great progress from the team and all the lads are buzzing for saturday for the game against Kelso as its a great chance to show now that we have been as a team for a couple weeks training and games and we can see if we are going somehwere. This is Hawicks pre-season for next year basically try and get some results and we aim to start fresh next year but for now we will make the Town proud and give our all in the games to try and get a result just like we did saturday with Eyemouth.

[HawickRoyalAlbertPieMan]

numba1goaly, on 29 January 2012 - 21:39, said:

Listen the boys that are playing for the club are in it for the long haul and are fighting for the club to get some respectability back for the club after being beaten 10-0 every week for the last god knows how long? as for not having the hawick boys in the team, the committee have tried to keep training in Hawick and Gala but with only 5 Hawick based players turning up and the rest of the area not helping the club and would rather play for the amateurs against each other than battle it out and try make the club a sleeping giant. granted the hawick boys that were there when Laurie first took over where great lads and did have the clubs best interests at heart but they sadly started to disappear and so the committee had no other option than to change the training upto midlothian and bring in quality players with junior, east of scotland and pro experience as all the boys want Hawick to be succesful. Anybody who was at the game Saturday would see theres a great progress from the team and all the lads are buzzing for saturday for the game against Kelso as its a great chance to show now that we have been as a team for a couple weeks training and games and we can see if we are going somehwere. This is Hawicks pre-season for next year basically try and get some results and we aim to start fresh next year but for now we will make the Town proud and give our all in the games to try and get a result just like we did saturday with Eyemouth.

Brilliant post.

[BordersFan]

I think FDT may be a bitter ex player???

[F.D.T]

Certainly not bitter as I respect laurie chaddy etc just a shame it's came to the situation where there are no local boys. The impression and the opinions of the town is that they have been sum what forced out. Surely they shouldn't be expected to train 50 miles away when its their local side??? If the boys want to train in my opinion they travel to Hawick. They have facilities to train there so why wouldn't they use it. I understand there's some decent lads at hra now and tbh it'd be good if they done well. My and prob the majority of folk interested in local football is that what if the manager etc gets offered a job elsewhere. Bigger better club. Then what?? As it stand wether Hawick win lose or draw I honestly don't think Hawick players will ever rush back to play whoever t manager is.

[numba1goaly]

F.D.T, on 29 January 2012 - 23:34, said:

Certainly not bitter as I respect laurie chaddy etc just a shame it's came to the situation where there are no local boys. The impression and the opinions of the town is that they have been sum what forced out. Surely they shouldn't be expected to train 50 miles away when its their local side??? If the boys want to train in my opinion they travel to Hawick. They have facilities to train there so why wouldn't they use it. I understand there's some decent lads at hra now and tbh it'd be good if they done well. My and prob the majority of folk interested in local football is that what if the manager etc gets offered a job elsewhere. Bigger better club. Then what?? As it stand wether Hawick win lose or draw I honestly don't think Hawick players will ever rush back to play whoever t manager is.

the training was in hawick and then gala and there was more players coming to training from midlothian and edinburgh than there was from hawick so laurie and chaddy couldnt keep going to training with about 8 players all the time. something drastic needed done. if the hawick players came to training and games then the training wouldnt be at poltonhall end of.

[F.D.T]

Like I said, it's a shame it's come to the situation it has. I hope they get some respectability back. Just be strange watching and not knowing anyone who is playing. I always be of the belief tho that if u play for Hawick u train in Hawick.This is simply an opinion tho and continue to follow the results of hra and hope for laurie etc that results do start to happen.

This post has been edited by F.D.T: 30 January 2012 - 00:03

[NE63 exile]

Yes it would be nice for clubs to train where they play but especially for clubs who have players travelling a distance to play it's simpler to take the training to where the players come from and cut down the travelling and extra expense.

It's something the likes of Berwick, QoS, Stranraer & the Angus clubs have had to for years in the seniors. I'm sure I read Coldstream were training in Dalkeith and Vale of Leithen were doing likewise in Penicuik.

[scorer]

NE63 exile, on 30 January 2012 - 11:06, said:

Yes it would be nice for clubs to train where they play but especially for clubs who have players travelling a distance to play it's simpler to take the training to where the players come from and cut down the travelling and extra expense.

It's something the likes of Berwick, QoS, Stranraer & the Angus clubs have had to for years in the seniors. I'm sure I read Coldstream were training in Dalkeith and Vale of Leithen were doing likewise in Penicuik.

I was at QoS years ago and we trained at Strathclyde park,on the ash pitches,
very rarely did we train at palmerston park or anywhere down there for that matter,

Most clubs have to accomidate players travelling, pro teams will train where they can get it,
Brechin were training at Firhill Hill school in edinburgh 2 years ago, not sure now, Arboarth and other pro teams up that way use Mcdermind park astro,

but players who are willing to train have to tavel

when at coldstream hardly any the borders based players trained at all so the " edinburgh boys" all trained at bonnrigg at few times, but we had to go down to clodstream twice a week until this happened.

but i do see the point if you have a " borders" team full of " edinburgh or Midlothian " based players then rightly so if they can get a good training facility near where the guys are from they use it, but at the same time, if they have " borders based" players willing to train then can they not do 1 night in borders and 1 night in edinburgh
surely people would be happy at that no?

[AVB]

scorer, on 30 January 2012 - 12:30, said:

I was at QoS years ago and we trained at Strathclyde park,on the ash pitches,
very rarely did we train at palmerston park or anywhere down there for that matter,

Most clubs have to accomidate players travelling, pro teams will train where they can get it,
Brechin were training at Firhill Hill school in edinburgh 2 years ago, not sure now, Arboarth and other pro teams up that way use Mcdermind park astro,

but players who are willing to train have to tavel

when at coldstream hardly any the borders based players trained at all so the " edinburgh boys" all trained at bonnrigg at few times, but we had to go down to clodstream twice a week until this happened.

but i do see the point if you have a " borders" team full of " edinburgh or Midlothian " based players then rightly so if they can get a good training facility near where the guys are from they use it, but at the same time, if they have " borders based" players willing to train then can they not do 1 night in borders and 1 night in edinburgh
surely people would be happy at that no?

[AVB]

This is my very first post on P&B. I have to say, and its only my opinon, but I think HRA are taking a very big risk taking training so far away. As scorer says wouldn't it have made a wee bit more sense to gradually introduce this move training one night in Hawick and one in Edinburgh? By training solely in Edinburgh now seems to have alienated not only the local players but also the support. Now i hate to see managers lose there jobs, but if this doesnt work out then where do Hawick go from there? From wot i have heard they relied on local lads to sign each season. They are a great wee club but i just cant help but think they are taking a huge gamble on this one.

[BordersFan]

A gamble maybe but one that will pay off. The games I have seen and anyone that goes to watch there is already more passion and fight now than there ever was. Si who cares where the guys cone from or train if it gets a bit pride back into Hawick them i am sure the town will support them 100%! The boys are representing Hawick and are proud to do that!!

[WaffenThinMint]

AVB, on 30 January 2012 - 14:15, said:

This is my very first post on P&B. I have to say, and its only my opinon, but I think HRA are taking a very big risk taking training so far away. As scorer says wouldn't it have made a wee bit more sense to gradually introduce this move training one night in Hawick and one in Edinburgh? By training solely in Edinburgh now seems to have alienated not only the local players but also the support. Now i hate to see managers lose there jobs, but if this doesnt work out then where do Hawick go from there? From wot i have heard they relied on local lads to sign each season. They are a great wee club but i just cant help but think they are taking a huge gamble on this one.

WHAT support?

That's the point, they'd no one to alienate, and therefore nothing to lose - apart from the club going belly up because no one wanted to play for them. This has been a matter of pragmatics.

Population of Hawick - 14 000 who will only be interested in Hawick Royal Albert if they look like they might win something.

Population of Edinburgh - Almost half a million, with more people in it willing to play for a club 50 miles away in return for training in Edinburgh (where there's better facilities anyway) than there are people in Hawick itself willing to go and watch the team!

[BordersFan]

WaffenThinMint, on 30 January 2012 - 14:34, said:

WHAT support?

That's the point, they'd no one to alienate, and therefore nothing to lose - apart from the club going belly up because no one wanted to play for them. This has been a matter of pragmatics.

Population of Hawick - 14 000 who will only be interested in Hawick Royal Albert if they look like they might win something.

Population of Edinburgh - Almost half a million, with more people in it willing to play for a club 50 miles away in return for training in Edinburgh (where there's better facilities anyway) than there are people in Hawick itself willing to go and watch the team!

Great post

[AVB]

What support? Thought they were getting 150 or so at friday night games? Or does that support not come into the arguement?

[WaffenThinMint]

AVB, on 30 January 2012 - 16:16, said:

What support? Thought they were getting 150 or so at friday night games? Or does that support not come into the arguement?

Aye, at Friday night games - which they can only host with the agreement of the other club, and if they say "no", Saturday afternoon it is with F-all fans other than the other club's.

There's a reason why they went for Friday night and incurring the extra expense of floodlights being on - it's called sheer and utter desperation to get anyone local to go to their matches. It worked, and good for them, whether it's a price worth paying after taking into account the lighting cost is a moot point, but so far it seems to be working out with those clubs willing to do their bit to help keep EoS football alive in Hawick. Come a Saturday they've up against the three H's again (Hearts, Hibs and Hawick RFC) and no one cares less.

Incidentally, the post that started this thread post looks suspiciously like Chicharito's back in November when the discussion of the Friday night games first came up.

[Davyboy26]

what does it matter about the locality of the training facilities? Or indeed which town or city the players are frm? As long as the team are doing well and heading in the rite direction thats surely all that counts? Do all man utd players come frm manchester? All rangers players cme frm govan? Etc etc.. A bit out of context but u surely support the club regrdless?

[NE63 exile]

Davyboy26, on 30 January 2012 - 18:09, said:

what does it matter about the locality of the training facilities? Or indeed which town or city the players are frm? As long as the team are doing well and heading in the rite direction thats surely all that counts? Do all man utd players come frm manchester? All rangers players cme frm govan? Etc etc.. A bit out of context but u surely support the club regrdless?

It's something you hear a lot in rural areas where senior football is played. There always seems to be friction when it comes to the locals are not getting a game because outsiders from the nearest big town/city are getting a game.
I have mates who are involved in Welsh football with Caernarfon Town and is used to be the same there. The locals moaned because all the players were being ferried down from Liverpool & Manchester. Yet when then had their chance to step up the locals wouldn't make the effort to put up with the extra travelling. I've heard it at some Ayrshire junior clubs where they have a team full of Glaswegians. I heard the same in a visit to Highland League club earlier in the season when they were moaning that there were no locals playing because it was a team full of Aberdonians. It's an occurance at a lot of outposts in the game.

[mickles 1981]

NE63 exile, on 30 January 2012 - 19:19, said:

It's something you hear a lot in rural areas where senior football is played. There always seems to be friction when it comes to the locals are not getting a game because outsiders from the nearest big town/city are getting a game.
I have mates who are involved in Welsh football with Caernarfon Town and is used to be the same there. The locals moaned because all the players were being ferried down from Liverpool & Manchester. Yet when then had their chance to step up the locals wouldn't make the effort to put up with the extra travelling. I've heard it at some Ayrshire junior clubs where they have a team full of Glaswegians. I heard the same in a visit to Highland League club earlier in the season when they were moaning that there were no locals playing because it was a team full of Aberdonians. It's an occurance at a lot of outposts in the game.

I think it is one of the contributory reasons attendances are falling across the footballing spectrum.

At Senior level certainly (probably add a lot of SFL Clubs), I would suggest few locals outwith the diehards, want to go and watch a team which has no "local" player representation of any significance.

[Mr Tee]

Guys whils i completely support HRA in the efforts to improve things, your missing the main point.

Calling it "senior" football is technically true, but lets be honest most of the first division EoS league is average amateur football, and most decent amateur teams would beat most 1st division teams.

I was at a recent Easthouses Lily game, and me and my pal were exactly half the total crowd. 4 paying customers.

And look at even the EoS Premier League, hardly massive crowds going to see them.

With the greatest respect in the world, its not much more than amateur football, so no one is going to spend time and money on Saturdays going to watch, especially when the teams struggling!

[F.D.T]

At the end o the day the new manager and staff are doing what they need to do which Is field a team. As I have said previously it's just a shame how's it all came about. From 18 Hawick boys training at pre season, crowds in their hundred for pre season game against Falkirk and Friday nite games the turn around is disappointing. The sad fact is, they will possibly still get folk watching on the Friday nites but it won't be to support itl be in more expectation at another defeat. I'm pleased the albert appear to be on the up, was only a matter of weeks when the albert thumped ormiston 3-0 at home with 5-6 hawick boys in the squad. I wish laurie etc the luck just feel that it's without the blessing of the interested public in Hawick.

This post has been edited by F.D.T: 30 January 2012 - 20:53