Thanks to everyone

Jimbo T Hornblower · 23-03-2007, 22:01

Right now Ive got re-organised sort of on this side of the world again and caught up with the forum, I would like to say a few thank yous to help me have an amazing time in Accy last Saturday.

Where do I start? Schultzy I think. He is a true friend and I am very lucky to know him well and the club are lucky he works there.

Apart from the LCC inspection not allowing my airhorn to make an appearance, he brought me over from Leyland to Accy, we had a chat and a breakfast with Rob Heyes in the Gazelle Lounge and then it was time to get into the clubhouse.

There I met Hazel who is also one helluva diamond. She didnt stop all day from 9.30am making corned beef hash right up until I left the club at around 7.30pm and she was still workin hard with a do in the club to work through and I thought she deserved a mention.

Then I went to the club shop at about 11am to get my new home shirt and on the way in saw Big Frank. He gets a lot of stick from some people I know but he was a great laugh last week and it was really great to see him again. Then I had a good chat with Lee in the club shop. Great to see him again too.

Then it was back to the clubhouse and then people started turning up. One of the first to arrive, I met for the first time Outback Ozzy and Mrs Ozzy and we had a good laugh too (mainly at the expense of Mrs Ozzy!!!

)
Then the coaches from Torquay arrived and we exchanged opinions and facts - very friendly people.

Then the usual crowd arrived. I met the usual bunch, Kipax and AccyRed and the kids (who didnt remember me - bless), Eibo, ukcowboy, sparkie, Kisser, maccawozzagod, spud, AccyMad etc and was introduced to a few new faces, K.S.H, accymel (and kids) and Harwood Red - ahhh yes - Harwood Red - we'll come to that later

So lots of chat between everyone and beer drinking then it was time to hit the terrace. Boy it felt good to be stood on the middle of the Clayton End again. Saw Loweiy again of course and Cammy and all the usual faces. My brother who Ive not seen in a couple of years also turned up before kick off.

So to the game and what is there to say that hasnt already been said? Godwin Antwi was excellent, nothing got past him and his booking was an absolute daft decision (as was the decision to send Coley to the stand). Fully deserved the Man of the match award. Lots of singing and flag waving etc and I gave the Ultras what they asked for when they asked for it

a song that is.

The main thing I remember about the game was we had lots of chances including a near overhead kick from Mully coming off - that would have been sweet. Im not sure I should admit to this but 5 minutes to go I could see the Torquay fans on the Coppice terrace jumping up and down celebrating an away point and the emotion got too much for me. I began to pray and cry. Then when Captain Cav got that free kick in, I was crying for all the right reasons and screamed me man boobs off.

I thought the Great Escape at the final whistle was really funny but I didnt realise until I read a thread below that it happens every game. And the moaning about the music on the tannoy - well I couldnt hear s**t on the Clayton End on Saturday tannoy wise except the blooper in the minutes silence.

So once Id got my Cyprus Reds flag off the terraces, it was time to get in the clubhouse for afters. I was hassled outside the clubhouse by 13 and 14 year old hoodies for a light for a cigarette - told em to get lost and briefly bumped into Cammy who was on his way out. Shame I missed him.

After the game I was introduced to Gibbo, Red-Osbournello and Squaddie and I also met Adam Cottier for the first time too. Spent time catching up with all the familiar faces, Kisser and her fella, stanleybabe and the new people Id met that day and then when the players started to arrive in the bar, I started going round and bugging them. Mainly spoke to Mullers (as you can see in Kipaxs pics from the game) and had a quick chat with Toddy and said well done to Cav when he walked in.

Then I spotted King Coley was free so I went over and had a really good chat to him about the game and other things. Then people started to leave and I got talking to another director, Mark Turner (southern red) about a certain possible points deduction situation we are in which turned into a very long chat and found out some very interesting facts which I cant go into too much detail about but he did ask me to reiterate to some people on here that the charge against us is by the Football League and not the FA - thats all Im going to say. I said hello to John DeMaine as well - great to see him again.

Then I managed to have a great chat with Eric about the reasons behind making the game free entry and I got a Guinness out of him too!!!

So it was onto the Oaklea as the clubhouse was being prepared for a do where I had a great time with Harwood Red (really nice to meet you btw), Squaddie, Spud, Red-Osbournello, Gibbo (who basically died after the Zambuca) and macca. A HUGE thanks to spud and Squaddie at the end of the night - I wont say why but they know why.

Sorry to go on a bit but if you are still reading, if I missed anyone Im really sorry but to all those that Ive mentioned, I would like to say a huge thank you for making my return to the Crown ground something very special from the very first thing in the morning to the last thing at night. I just wish I could have stayed longer.

Jimbo T

blower

maccawozzagod · 23-03-2007, 22:08

it was good to see you again Jimbo -just one question what were them big lumps on yer chest if you had screamed your man boobs off?

harwood red · 23-03-2007, 22:11

Oooo it was great to meet you too JT... And aren't we so glad we didn't join in the Zambuca chasing

Had a really entertaining evening and was glad you got home ok, although you seem a bit mysterious about that bit

K.S.H · 23-03-2007, 22:12

Glad to have met you, I'm back in again tomorrow about 12ish for the £2 a pint Guinness again

Doug · 23-03-2007, 22:13

I regrettably miss you on the day Jimbo although I think we briefly made eye contact when you walked on to the terrace, it just didn’t click who you where. Glad you had a fantastic day.

baldy · 23-03-2007, 22:55

One quick question Jimbo...When you back??

Outback Ozzy · 23-03-2007, 23:53

Jimbo, it was a pleasure to meet you sir. Hope it won't be too long before you are back again, singing whats left of the man boobs off on the terrace. Oh and Mrs Ozzy says Hi as well

MikeA · 24-03-2007, 08:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo T Hornblower

Then I managed to have a great chat with Eric about the reasons behind making the game free entry and I got a Guinness out of him too!!!

Here's us turning up to matches regularly. You come along, get in free and then Eric buys you a pint. There's no justice in this world!

Tin Monkey · 24-03-2007, 08:33

I spied Jimbo making his way across the Clayton End. Unfortunately I wasn't going to get wet and emerge from my cover to say hello.

spud · 24-03-2007, 09:35

Great write up, great day, great night and great mate. Cheers, hope to see ya again soon.

Jimbo T Hornblower · 24-03-2007, 10:59

Thanks Spud - Harwood Red, Im not being secretive about how I got home but Id rather Spud or Sqaddie said how - thats if they want to - it might embarrass them thats why Im not saying anything. TM, sorry to have missed you but the weather was pants wasnt it. I forgot to mention too, I had a guy come over to me in the clubhouse before the game from a group of four and asked me why I had Cyprus on the back of my shirt so I explained and he said that he had come over from Holland with 3 mates to watch the game too. So it was truly an international affair pre match

And I also got word from one of the people mentioned in my write up (very reliable source) that Godwin is here for definate until the end of the season...

Jimbo T

blower

Jimbo T Hornblower · 24-03-2007, 11:13

One other valuable lesson I learnt from Saturday. Theres a lot of moaners on here slagging all and sundry off at the club and the club have certainly noticed. One comment was Im glad that messageboard is no longer on the official site and I can understand why. My advice to these prats is why dont you do what I did and actually go and find out whats ACTUALLY happening instead of scaremongering on here, by ACTUALLY speaking to the people at the club?? They are only too willing to talk to you (although I was given a warning not to approach Eric if we had lost

) about anything and you can find out whats going on for real! For example, the kerfuffle last season with Alty and Robinson - someone DID get the sack for that from the club despite claims on here nobody did - again cant say who on here but all you moaners need to do is ASK things and you will be told as much as they can legally tell you!!!! Simple!

In a nutshell - STOP complaining and ASK!

Jimbo T

blower

Bagpuss · 24-03-2007, 11:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo T Hornblower

In a nutshell - STOP complaining and ASK!

Come on there's no fun in that gossip is far more interesting like this morning I went for a haircut and because I had my Stanley shirt on he said Rob had been in for a cut and............................................

Sorry I missed you but they wouldn't let me in the bar said it was too full.

spud · 25-03-2007, 01:54

No embaresment at all on this side bud...

Until the next time...

Tin Monkey · 25-03-2007, 08:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo T Hornblower

One comment was Im glad that messageboard is no longer on the official site and I can understand why.

I'm glad that the messageboard/forum is no longer on the official site. It should never have been on there in the first place and I've always said that. This forum is for the fans to discuss all things Accrington Stanley - both good and bad. The official website is for the club to communicate with its fans/customers. Sadly this doesn't always happen, but that's another matter.

Quote:

For example, the kerfuffle last season with Alty and Robinson - someone DID get the sack for that from the club despite claims on here nobody did - again cant say who on here but all you moaners need to do is ASK things and you will be told as much as they can legally tell you!!!! Simple!

To be fair Jimbo, there was a lot more to that story than you make out, or perhaps were told. It is far from as simple as you make out.

I think that one of the main reasons why people don't approach the club more regularly is that they are not encouraged to do so. The club seems to be more distanced from the everyday fan more today, than it has ever been. To a large extent I can understand this, as it was inevitable when you consider how far we have come and where we now are.
However, the club today presents itself as a largely closed shop in my opinion and I believe that many people don't always believe what they are told anyway. That is something that the club has brought upon itself with the way it has alienated large sections of its support. Half-cocked stories, people at the club talking out of turn, the failure to tell fans a straight story, etc. All these things have made fans sceptical about almost everything they are told. Is it any wonder?

I'm not having a go at you Jimbo, but just making general observations. No doubt some will see this as me having another go, but I still feel that something had to be said.