Berwick Rangers 2018/2019 Thread

[Muzza81]

6 minutes ago, PRS said:

I was at both of Cowdens home games in the play offs and yes, they came through them but they could so easily have lost both.  Against EK, it went to the lottery that is penalties; v Cove, it looked like the HL side had it won at ht as they had been so far ahead in the first half. 

You are spot on we could have so easily lost them both however you are wrong to say penalties are a lottery. 

[DutchBorderer]

It's not so much the thought of going down that does me in as much as it is the knowledge that we will STAY down.

The trapdoor is weighted in favour of club 42, yet we are way too shite to rely on it; instead, if/when we go down we will have to first win the LL (tough even if EK go up at our expense), then beat the HL champs (tough if Cove stay down), and then beat next year's club 42 who have home advantage and due time to prepare.

Yes, yes, the LL is shaping up to be a better league with each passing year, but that doesn't mean  we should prefer it over League 2. Any competitive club should aspire to play at the highest possible level, and for us that is the basement division of the SPFL right now.

[LongTimeLurker]

Just now, DutchBorderer said:

It's not so much the thought of going down that does me in as much as it is the knowledge that we will STAY down...

It's been possible over the years to get many of the best part-time Edinburgh area players to play for a Berwick team in the SPFL, but would that still apply in a LL context? Probably not given the number of well supported former east region junior teams that could soon feature in that context, which means your board should be throwing everything but the kitchen sink at avoiding that scenario.

[DutchBorderer]

2 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

It's been possible over the years to get many of the best part-time Edinburgh area players to play for a Berwick team in the SPFL, but would that still apply in a LL context? Probably not given the number of well supported former east region junior teams that could soon feature in that context, which means your board should be throwing everything but the kitchen sink at avoiding that scenario.

The board and JH have committed to scouring the Northeast part of England for players in the coming years, hoping to hit a new well of quality players. This will decrease our reliance on the Edinburgh cachment area (which has become tougher to fish from due to Edinburgh City using their budget for football's equivalent of dynamite fishing ), but as you quite rightly pointed out, the lesser draw of LL football compared to League 2 is equally relevant for English-based players.

[Redcar]

The long term future can be discussed when we are looking up the bus times to Galashiels. 

For now, we have 2 or 4 games to work a miracle. The teams Harvey has been picking wouldn't beat the Harrow over 50's reserve XI but there is some quality and effort in this squad if you look really hard. We keep getting whupped because the defence is shite, we play kids in midfield and we have no attack. 

I have no idea why Harvey has picked Rose in 3 consecutive games, but if we can get Ousy See (far and away our best player) on at the start alongside Adamson, and play Brydon as Wilson's protector in a 3 man defence with 5 packing midfield, we just might compete. 

Brennan

Wilson Cook Brydon

Forbes Okane Brown Barr Orru

See Adamson. 

Looks better than Harvey's "friends n family" selection. I can start work on Monday. 

 

[Redcar]

8 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

should be throwing everything but the kitchen sink at avoiding that scenario.

I'd have the kitchen sink on the bench. 

[Blue Oktober]

16 minutes ago, Alpha Gordini said:

It's only since JH came in that we started getting interviews at away games.

The obvious question that he needs to be asked is "What on earth did you say to the players at half time to make the team spectacularly implode in the second half yet AGAIN?"

Eric Tait sometimes got slated when he asked "difficult" questions when he did the interviews, but he was only asking what the ordinary paying fans wanted to know. Now it just seems that the interviewer is setting up JH to allow him to spout whatever this week's sales pitch BS is.

 

At times I must admit I have found JH's post match interviews amusing giving Ricky Gervais aka David Brent a run for his money all of that a little tongue in check  as I genuinely fear for the club & fans and understand the horrible time they are enduring.

However the last two interviews have had no comedic value  rather I find them disturbing , in the interview last week the sense of extreme discomfort the Interviewer  was feeling was self evident and not an easy watch. Equally to see Johnny losing it in such a manner equally unpleasant to watch  and makes you wonder what effect this whole experience is having on him.

Yesterdays interview  appeared orchestrated with JH given tramlines likely based on preceding feedback, again not an easy watch for anyone, and I'm not clear what message it was supposed to send.

As someone has said BR previously didn't do away match post interviews something our club seldom or ever do mainly due on our part due to resourcing, the one recent occasion when we had a camera man available was when we lost away to Albion Rovers. We took however the decision not to do one as Gary & the boys were hurting and let Kevin & his team enjoy their day I would have to say I was very impressed by his level headed professionalism with feet firmly on the ground.

Coming back to the last two BRTV interviews I don't know if JH is insisting  on doing these or the club are demanding he does so, either way I think they are ill advised and I suspect counter productive, in the circumstances it would probably have been a better idea to either not do at all or delay and allow for reflection, at the current moment you really need everyone you can get behind the club , sadly you cant change the result when the final whistle goes but you can change what you do after that.

Again best of luck guys 

 

[The Crafty Dafty]

It's only since JH came in that we started getting interviews at away games.

Only because he thinks he’s the messiah and that he was going to take the league by storm and then he could massage his huge ego after all HIS not the teams away wins!!

But it has backfired big time and he’s lucky to still be the manager of Berwick Rangers

[berwick-the-unbeatable]

13 hours ago, Redcar said:

Simply because, Dale, I see this Board - or at least John Bell's period in charge - is in its infancy. Just over half a season. 

Some will see it as just another manifestation of the same thing that has seen us fizzle out over a period of years, but I actually think JB represents something different to what we've had in the past. More pragmatic, but also more ideas for change. 

Obviously, the shit-fest that we've witnessed on the pitch this season makes it a very difficult argument for me to make, but I do think the most recent Boardroom changes came at least a season too late. 

Some astute folk weren't impressed with Johnny Harvey's appointment, but I was OK with it at the time, and nobody could have predicted just how bad his record would be, given the restrictions being lifted on the cheque book compared to poor old Robbie Horn. 

Harvey is indeed John Bell's man and I understand him backing him to some extent, but that extent came to an end after the feeble Edinburgh City home game. He should have gone after that and I don't know how hard JB searched for a replacement, but I do know that like every other fan, he certainly thought about it. 

Bad decision to back him. Harvey is an unmitigated disaster and the recent displays would see us lose to some pub teams. The Chairman's retention of him was wrong, and I can't defend that. 

As an aside, I think the win over Peterhead was potentially the worst result of our season. It gave people - the Chairman elect among them - the notion that there was some life in this dreadful team, and bought Harvey a few more weeks that proved to be unbelievably shite. 

(Am I blocked yet?) 

Perhaps it's because you're closer to him and have more access, but I still don't see it. I don't disagree that his spell is in its infancy, but much like the warning signs being discussed now about Johnny Harvey's ability as a manager, we're seeing them already with John.

I've already mentioned that as far as I remember, John has always been on the side of the departing manager previously. I think he's a sympathist, a guy incapable of making the tough decisions needed to protect or grow a football club and that is no better demonstrated than by his relentless backing of Harvey - who I'm glad to hear we both agree on. We are not here to develop Johnny Harvey - he's here to develop our club. We are not seeing that in the slightest and owe him nothing. So why is he not only still in charge, but the man for next season, and what would it take for John to pull the plug on him? What motivation or urgency is there for Harvey, when he knows he can do absolutely anything and have a job? 

It's not just this season, either. By making Harvey his man going forward, John is basically killing our one chance at getting back into the league. Allowing him to recruit from the Newcastle area is cute, but they've been promised league football and that's going to be stripped away. After, you're gonna be left with kids wondering why they're playing regional Scottish football when they could be playing regional NE football. Much debated, but we know from experience players from Newcastle last about 6 months before getting bored of the travel. Why are we taking such a risk on it?

Worse, he's allowing training to be moved to Berwick once a fortnight to accommodate it. We can barely attract the best of Edinburgh to come down the road once per fortnight, and now it's going to be upped to once a week. If you want to have a crack at winning the league and attract the best players, it's an absolute disaster of an idea, and that's before you even take into account that our direct competition for players once we drop into the Lowland actually increases, while our USP (at least till Edinburgh City) of league status vanishes. 

Moreover, who is actually going to want to sign for Harvey at this point? He's signed players and released them. He's released our best players because he can't manage them. He's playing kids over adults. Even loans he's made he has sent back. He clearly hasn't a clue. He's playing Football Manager while we need a football manager. 

Outside of the inexplicable continued backing of the manager, John has taken a very much one-dimensional approach to his first however many months in charge and it falls in line with the plan he's had for it for about a decade. He's continues to fail to acknowledge or even ask fans what they want (even at a time when we're at our most vocal), and indeed is treating it as though it is simply criticism from troublemakers. It's not. These are wants of fans that he continues to ignore in favour of an entrenched personal vision. My hope when the boardroom battle subsided was that John would take a sensible new inclusive approach. He's failed to do so and has shown no sign of changing that. 

He's currently presiding over our worst team, headed for the worst fate. Nevertheless, he's pressing on with his head in the sand, more arsed about a new stadium he has no money for than our league status or our future. It's a tunnel vision that is risking our future. 

We're not seeing a deliberate 'reset'.  He's getting it just as wrong as those before him, and it's dooming us to a life in the Lowland or (if we can't get our finances in order, the death of the club). Resultantly it doesn't matter if it's 6 months or 6 years into his spell - it needs to be called out. But his biggest failure is none of the above, rather his inability to hear these warnings, treat them as something other than disturbance and realise their validity.  For as long as that continues at the top of our club, we're headed for the scrapheap.

Anyway, I'm kinda hoping that's all I've got to say on it all for the rest of the week. The more I read, write and think about it all, the more fucked off I get with the complete negligence we've seen year on year and continue to see today. 

12 hours ago, mo83 said:

It's tough being shite eh.....I remember it fondly a few years ago.

Indeed. Montrose warranted the criticism they received then just as much as they deserve credit for the turnaround now. For us, it's a clear indication of what is achievable should you choose to switch to a display of ambition over the complacency a willingness to just exist induces. I've said it on here previously, but we quickly settled in to become the 'new Montrose'. All the wind-ups from back in the day aside, you deserve to be where you're at and we absolutely deserve to be where we are. 

15 minutes ago, Alpha Gordini said:

Eric Tait sometimes got slated when he asked "difficult" questions when he did the interviews, but he was only asking what the ordinary paying fans wanted to know. Now it just seems that the interviewer is setting up JH to allow him to spout whatever this week's sales pitch BS is.

Eric got criticised because he never actually asked a question, not because he asked difficult questions.

[sammyreidloyal]

Apparently I was picked out as wishing for magic beans or something as equally patronising for wanting investment in the club.

I wouldn’t mind, but I think I started saying it on here a couple of years ago after that shite season and have mentioned it directly to him in front of others twice in the last few months. I don’t think I ever gave the impression, here or face to face that it was easy to attract, but always that the club should be putting themselves in the best position possible to make them open for investment. I’d even talked about the sale of shares being an option to make it more attractive to someone. It’s not ‘magic beans’ when potential investors have been put off in the past.

I think the answer at the forum was something like only looking for investment in facilities, a signal to me that he sees the ownership and him as chairman as settled and long term. The strategy (asking the fans what they want as a start) seems to be out of the window. Investment in the team would have, or could help things to snowball. Get people interested again. It’s amazing we have any fans left, never mind as many as 400-500 through the gates. More that some far more successful clubs than us.

Anyway, ignoring all of that and I think I’ve said my piece enough about the reasons for the decline and the utter shambles of the directors who played a huge part in this with their failed coup last year. If you were to write a book on the decline of Berwick Rangers, you could probably dedicate a chapter or ten to this Harvey debacle.

I have a little sympathy in the appointment as it was a poor time to be looking for a manager, though some experience might have been better. However surely the warning signs were there. From ditching our better players to ruining our reputation as a reliable club to send loan players to. He could have gone any time post Queens Park 7-1. At crucial points the opportunity was missed, probably complacently looking to next season rather than this.

We now look done, with a manager so far out of his depth it’s unbelievable, who doesn’t seem to have any contacts in the senior game and who has burnt his bridges with Premier League clubs he should have been keeping sweet for loan players. The interviews after Annan and Queens Park were embarrassing and brought him to national attention as a bit of a clown. And we have a board who themselves have little football knowledge and contacts going on like nothing is happening, unless the new chairman has been the focus of an internet post of course and paranoia and bizarre spin ensues.

I know being involved in a football club at this level is an unenviable task, and the easiest thing in the world is to point at faults and blame people. I have some sympathy. But if what we’re getting is pointing the finger back at fans and accusing people of troublemaking, as Dale says, over a failure to learn the lessons then I don’t know where we go.

Absolutely bang on mate

[MENTALFATHER79]

Why we're there not one Berwick player booked yesterday.   That shows  the players are not fighting for the cause.  And that is the managers fault totally out of his depth.   

[mo83]

Eric got criticised because he never actually asked a question, not because he asked difficult questions.

Fair play....Your comments did stick though lol

[dougster]

10 minutes ago, MENTALFATHER79 said:

Why we're there not one Berwick player booked yesterday.   That shows  the players are not fighting for the cause.  And that is the managers fault totally out of his depth.   

I'm sure Barr was booked?  Your point is a valid one though. Yesterday, I thought we didn't look fit or strong enough to cope with Clyde who are hardly a physical side. 

 

[Gogs Grog]

It's staring everyone in the face and has been for quite some time what's needed.

When the Mo were at the lowest ebb we had been paying of debt and no money. Everything in place with plans for different aspects of the club. We were shite on the park. Hegerty saved us with the shout and bawl and scare the shit out of the players. What does Harvey do? Doesn't come across that way. God knows he can't set a team up conceding so many.

I fear it's too late now to make an impact with a new manager but if he is in place next year even if you stay up then your board has seriously let you down.

Incidentally it's not to difficult to see where the upturn with the Mo was as when it was obvious Hegerty was leading us back to the bottom. The board acted and struck gold. You can have every plan in place, youth teams, community etc but if the team aren't doing it on the park, what's the point when there isn't a club left.

 

 

[MENTALFATHER79]

7 minutes ago, dougster said:

I'm sure Barr was booked?  Your point is a valid one though. Yesterday, I thought we didn't look fit or strong enough to cope with Clyde who are hardly a physical side. 

 

Seen all the goals yesterday and some of the players look miles out there depth.   In hindsight a new manager should have been brought in few months ago to give you a chance as JH interviews are better than his management skills.

[Redcar]

10 minutes ago, dougster said:

I'm sure Barr was booked?  Your point is a valid one though. Yesterday, I thought we didn't look fit or strong enough to cope with Clyde who are hardly a physical side. 

 

If Barr was booked, according to the gaffer he will be suspended next Saturday. 

[DutchBorderer]

It was Orru, not Barr, who was booked according to my stats.

[Aloysius Snuffleupagus]

Not sure if this is the place given the serious nature of the thread, but will chance my arm anyway.

What's the script with drink at Shielfield nowadays? Is the Black and Gold club open, or the bar in the Main Stand? There's likely to be a quite a few thirsty Coatbridge folks in the area on Saturday.

[DutchBorderer]

1 minute ago, Aloysius Snuffleupagus said:

Not sure if this is the place given the serious nature of the thread, but will chance my arm anyway.

What's the script with drink at Shielfield nowadays? Is the Black and Gold club open, or the bar in the Main Stand? There's likely to be a quite a few thirsty Coatbridge folks in the area on Saturday.

Both should be open but expect long queues because the only way we are going to enjoy the day is by downing copious amounts of hard liquor.

[cowdenbeath]

2 minutes ago, Aloysius Snuffleupagus said:

Not sure if this is the place given the serious nature of the thread, but will chance my arm anyway.

What's the script with drink at Shielfield nowadays? Is the Black and Gold club open, or the bar in the Main Stand? There's likely to be a quite a few thirsty Coatbridge folks in the area on Saturday.

Black and Gold is open also a wee bar down stairs in the main stand just across from it.