TIMES UP!!!

I did say we need a reserve side in a previous post Si,to bridge the gap between the youth and first team to toughen up the youngsters,i know a few fans have said the same thing,i think it has been brought up with Andy P at some point,not by me but can't remember what the answer was.

glassboypaul wrote:We should all boycott the express and star, load of crap.

And the guardian whilst we're at it.

Can't remember the last time I purchased a daily newspaper, and I don't really understand anyone who does. I can read all the news I want without an editors input via internet sites such as SkyNews.

Newspapers are made to make money, and they are prepared to write 'any old tosh' to make sure they sell.

baz wrote:I did say we need a reserve side in a previous post Si,to bridge the gap between the youth and first team to toughen up the youngsters,i know a few fans have said the same thing,i think it has been brought up with Andy P at some point,not by me but can't remember what the answer was.

I can take a wild guess!

I would love a reserve side and think it would have great benefits, but can I ask you all - do you think it could be cost effective?

Yes if players were progressing thro the ranks and i am sure teams further down the pyramid than Stour have reserve sides?

glassboypaul wrote:I would love a reserve side and think it would have great benefits, but can I ask you all - do you think it could be cost effective?

Cost effective?

Jeeze, the club have spent enough money on fencing to run alongside the whole of the M6 if required. We also have a bus stop and a phone kiosk.

And you ask the question 'Would a reserve side be cost effective' ?

Hi tricky, thanks for the comments, I take them all on board and you speak with a lot of common sense.
I would never throw a fan out for swearing .the reason he was ejected is because when I asked him Politely to move to the other side of the fence he pushed me and then carried on using the c word and goading the home fans to start a fight,at any ground in the country the same thing would have happened.i did ask jack to do the same and when I told him why he duly obliged which was appreciated.
I honestly believe if we had left it as it was we could have ended with crowd trouble and with only two of us between the two sets of supporters I wasn't willing to take that chance, for my safety or anyone else's .after that the language and banter carried on but there was no fear of any trouble.
JACK,I spent many years following the Albion and admittedly played up, fighting etc and not proud of it and I have spent 10 years stewarding and I know when someone has over stepped the mark.the lad knew he had done wrong because he couldn't apologise enough before he was ejected
I hope this clears any confusion up.

I take your point Brockmoor, absolutely I do, but the only argument against a reserve side is that revenues from admission would not exceed costs of running the side. If we ran it at a loss it would affect the playing budget and ground improvements budget.

I would absolutely love a reserve side I just struggle to see how it would be profitable.

glassboypaul wrote:I take your point Brockmoor, absolutely I do, but the only argument against a reserve side is that revenues from admission would not exceed costs of running the side. If we ran it at a loss it would affect the playing budget and ground improvements budget.

I would absolutely love a reserve side I just struggle to see how it would be profitable.

This is always the hierarchy's default position Paul,"the money","better spent on the first team","better invested with Lawnswood Fencing" blah,blah,blah!

Most clubs progressing through the pyramid have a reserve side,i've always thought it to be important and i've said this on numerous occasions to the chairman.

What bloody point is there having teams at virtually every junior level from foetus upwards to youth then a gulf that the coaching staff believe to be so big that decent youth players can't break into the first team?

A reserve side would give both a link across this bridge but ALSO a match at a decent level for players presently out of favour or coming back from injury and it allows players to still feel part of a family rather than being farmed out to a multitude of lower league rivals.

I've also heard to argument that a Stourbridge FC Reserve side could not play above around Combination ( as was ) Division two or three but there's no reason at all that a side under a different name than Stourbridge FC ( but in effect still our side ) couldn't play at say West Midlands League level.

If we can still average 400+ playing the rubbish we have this season then we all know that a successful first team would average 500-600 and a decent reserve side of local lads who the crowd feel an affinity to would probably bring in Lye Town type crowds of 80-130 if they were doing okay and more if challenging.

I'd like to see a leadership at Stour that gave something like this a chance for three seasons at least to see if it bares fruit.

The best thing about this season is that it's nearly over.

Would agree that the highwater mark was the 2011/12 season, finally we are seeing progress off the pitch as a result of that just as we are going backwards on it. We have lost some key players in the last year and a tougher league? I think it is, but regardless of that we have regressed massively this season.

I've been concerned for quite a while at the display's on the pitch, and it came to a head on Monday. Hackett has done an amazing job and it is with reluctance that I think the time for him to stand down is close at hand, that may be a good thing, may be a bad thing, it would be a hard act to follow without a doubt. Having said that I will still be surprised if he does go.
But while he is manager, being on the board is not something i've ever been comfortable with, i'm all for managers having control (not a fan of the head coach nonsense that prevails at the top level), but it becomes very awkward when thing's start to go wrong.

Reserve side, in principle yes a good idea, but have doubt's if the costs could be covered and I think that's been said at AGMs, I think the other thing that would be a factor in increased use of the pitch is the relationship with the cricket club, in light of some of the things they agreed to in the new ground lease.

Devil's Advocate wrote:

glassboypaul wrote:I take your point Brockmoor, absolutely I do, but the only argument against a reserve side is that revenues from admission would not exceed costs of running the side. If we ran it at a loss it would affect the playing budget and ground improvements budget.

I would absolutely love a reserve side I just struggle to see how it would be profitable.

This is always the hierarchy's default position Paul,"the money","better spent on the first team","better invested with Lawnswood Fencing" blah,blah,blah!

Most clubs progressing through the pyramid have a reserve side,i've always thought it to be important and i've said this on numerous occasions to the chairman.

What bloody point is there having teams at virtually every junior level from foetus upwards to youth then a gulf that the coaching staff believe to be so big that decent youth players can't break into the first team?

A reserve side would give both a link across this bridge but ALSO a match at a decent level for players presently out of favour or coming back from injury and it allows players to still feel part of a family rather than being farmed out to a multitude of lower league rivals.

I've also heard to argument that a Stourbridge FC Reserve side could not play above around Combination ( as was ) Division two or three but there's no reason at all that a side under a different name than Stourbridge FC ( but in effect still our side ) couldn't play at say West Midlands League level.

If we can still average 400+ playing the rubbish we have this season then we all know that a successful first team would average 500-600 and a decent reserve side of local lads who the crowd feel an affinity to would probably bring in Lye Town type crowds of 80-130 if they were doing okay and more if challenging.

I'd like to see a leadership at Stour that gave something like this a chance for three seasons at least to see if it bares fruit.

The MFL runs a separate two-division reserves league. If it's good enough for Solihull Moors...