So, here we are, about to stage the most important game in
the RDFC Supporters Trust history – and possibly the entire 14 years of
the club.
This will be the game which establishes whether RDFC has a
long term future as a full-time club – as it will be the first game that
allows us to gauge the sort of attendances that can be expected at Nene Park
this season.
All the amazing efforts of the Trust Board and the army of
volunteers will start to pale into insignificance if the attendances at Nene
Park plummet, or the performances of the team at Nene Park fail to attract back
those that supported the club when it won the majority of it’s matches at
Nene Park.
It will also be the first game to assess the impact of the
AirWair closure on attendances – and indeed to establish exactly where
the Away Fans will be seated – something that even the travelling Grays
fans have not been told.
The Stadium
For those that have yet to visit Nene Park
this season, the good news is that the pitch and stadium are as magnificent as
ever, although the pre-season friendlies did not give us a chance to assess the
possible three-sided effect on the atmosphere.
Catering prices are up again, the smoking ban does not take
affect until 2007, and there are a number of different pre-match meal options.
The 50/50 draw and the “sponsor a goal” schemes are back, with the
latter available at the Trust Cabin along with a game for the youngsters.
A new set of stewards was engaged for the friendlies, but
some of the regulars were still there.
On The Pitch
Paul Hart has been busy in the summer, and it is likely that
only two or three of the starting eleven will have been regulars last season
– notably Kelly and Hatswell, plus possibly Dave Savage.
The performance against the make-shift Crawley
side on Saturday was especially disappointing, so this will be a chance for the
team to show how well they can react – and how much inspiration Paul Hart
can provide, especially after his similarly poor performance on Saturday with
his failure to adjust the tactics / line-up.
The Opposition
Grays will be visiting Nene Park
for the first time – indeed, this will be the first time the clubs have
met. Although I have seen then when they were in the Isthmian Premier, I
haven’t seen them since they moved up to the Conference.
They have suffered a major blow, with the loss of their
successful manager Mark Stimson to Stevenage
in the close season. His place has been taken, rather appropriately, by Frank
Gray, uncle of Stuart.
They were the first winners of Conference South in 2004-05,
and also won the FA Trophy that season. Last season they repeated their feat
with the FA Trophy, and finished in a creditable 3rd in the
Conference, losing out to Halifax
Town in the play-offs
Being a small club, Grays don’t have a huge travelling
following – with a mini-bus being the order of the day for this midweek
game, so confirming the sort of gates we might expect in the Conference.
Perhaps their most famous ex-player is Freddie Eastwood, and
amongst their current squad they include ex-Diamonds Andy Sambrook, Ashley
Nicholls and John Turner.
Sambrook and Nicholls both played for the Blues in their 1-1
draw with Stafford Rangers at the Recreation Ground on Saturday. The team on
Saturday was Bayes, Sambrook, Green, Stuart, Boylan, Martin, McLean, Kightly,
Smith, Nicholls and Poole
Subs: Oli, Knowles, Williamson,
Moulds, Slabber
Perhaps their best known player is Jamie Slabber,
the ex-Spurs trainee striker, but he has put in a recent transfer request, and
been demoted to the bench. Their goal on Saturday was
scored by Michael Kightly (sic), who appears to be a
Fan Favourite.
A current team picture and pen pics
for the players is Here
Official Site
Fans Forum
BBC site
