Non League Thread: 12th August

[A.M.P]

..or could be 2 weeks time meaning voided bets.

I'm getting a bit sick of all this messing around but I suppose it's nothing to what the Crawley fans are going through...

[A.M.P]

The first real result of the new season:

"Rushden and Diamonds Football Club have, this afternoon, received notification from the Nationwide Conference that the Administrators of Crawley Town Football Club have confirmed that the match at the Broadfield Stadium on Saturday will definitely be played."

Odds are dropping. Best 5/4 available now.

[Frodo]

Great shout as ever AMP. Must admit I had this one in big red writing on my fixture list on my computer at work today but have only just been able to nab VC's more than generous 2.1. I've had a brief flurtation with that and might top it up as further news filters through.

One thing of note though with Crawley, I know they've had ex-Barnet player Ben Strevens playing for them in friendlies. If they got him playing on saturday he'd be a more than decent player at that level though I really can't see them attracting players of a similar quality by saturday. I have heard a rumour they were going to have to field most of the youth team which suits me down to the ground against a Rushden side who look to have made some astute signings over the summer.

Got to say in the Conf South that Histon price looks quite big, have I missed something there?

[Keith]

Crawley latest.

No clear news about the full line up that will appear tomorrow and we probably won't know until 2.45 on Saturday either.

It is looking unlikely to be a full youth side judging by the Manangers remarks in this morinings Argus but it is obviously far from an ideal preparation for a competitive game either.

Here is the Argus story;

Crawley given late reprieve
by Tom Gurney


CRAWLEY manager John Hollins has begun a last minute scramble to get a team together after the club was brought back from the brink of liquidation.

Reds were only given the go ahead to start the Conference season yesterday, two days before their opening game against Rushden and Diamonds at the Broadfield Stadium.

Hollins is confident he can field a strong side but cannot make any guarantees as Crawley's future is still in doubt.

He can only sign players on non-contract terms until creditors decide whether to wind the club up in two weeks' time.

Crawley were given a reprieve yesterday after a creditors' committee failed to make a definitive decision on a last-ditch attempt by owners Chas and Azwar Majeed to regain control.

Administrator Begbies Traynor had the casting vote and decided to accept the improved offer, delaying liquidation to allow all creditors time to consider the bid.

The five players who remained from last season - Ben Judge, Dave Woozley, Danny Brown, Lee Blackburn and Tony Scully - are expected to play tomorrow.

Trialists Scott Hiley, Jake Edwards and Ben Strevens, who all impressed in pre-season, are also likely to be involved.

Hollins said: "The club has been given a reprieve but it is not out of the woods yet. What I am trying to do now is get players in to train before the game and get a team together.

"We will call all the people who have been on trial and played for us over the summer and try to get them in a squad for Saturday.

"We can sign players but they all have to be on non-contracts. That means they have to play for nothing and some of them might not want to do that.

"We can lose players at any time. We have lost two goalkeepers over pre-season and others could go but that has been the situation from day one."

Begbies Traynor announced on Wednesday morning that the Broadfield outfit was to be wound up after the committee rejected the Majeeds' original offer to buy back the club.

By the afternoon it emerged the Majeed brothers had given the club a stay of execution by making a third bid an hour before the deadline.

Hollins insists he is still expecting to beat Rushden despite the extraordinary off-field events.

Reds start the campaign with minus ten points as a punishment for going into administration.

Hollins said: "I'm won't just be happy to get a team out, I want to win the game. We have to try to eat into those ten points immediately.

"We have been working in difficult circumstances ever since I came here, so nothing has changed. This is a challenge and we don't know what the future will bring but I'm up for it and looking forward to it."

Rushden were relegated from League Two last season and appointed former Nottingham Forest boss Paul Hart as manager over the summer.

He has made some impressive signings, most notably giant striker Leo Fortune-West from Doncaster.

Former Albion full-back Paul Watson, who still lives in Burgess Hill, will make his league debut after signing from Woking, alongside new captain Chris Hope, who signed from Gillingham.

[A.M.P]

Crawley off the coupon at many places but the few that offer prices are 8/11 to 3/4.

[Napoleon Solo]

Does that mean Corals aren't accepting their coupon with odds of 13/10 AMP?

[A.M.P]

You mean you haven't placed the bet???!!!!

That could be well problematic.

If I was you (and for giving this advice I'd be banned on another forum no doubt for lack of "integrity" but we're o.k with the TDP) I'd find the busiest corals that I could and go up to the spottiest cashier at about 2.45 Saturday afternoon with it, just as as dog race is kicking off. Or 2.58. Chuck in a few other selections maybe as well.

You didn't hear that from me though....

[zzax]

I was stupid enough to miss the best online prices on Rushden and took them this morning at the local, which still has 2.25 for Rushden to win. Hate to bet with them, but this time their offer has been irresistable

[zzax]

blocked now

[vmanahov]

Crawley is off from every single coupon over the internet(or I can't see any odds offered).My local still offer 2.35 possibly they are not informed very well.I will place my bet as soon as possible.

[Napoleon Solo]

Struck not but half an hour ago:



No fuss what-so-ever, didn't even have to go to the spotty cashier and it wasn't busy. I even put it on one of their quick-slips, so if they weren't taking bets on the match, it wouldn't have accepted the coupon!

[A.M.P]

Excellent news Rocking.

Things have changed since I used to work in a Laddies back in '98...

Hope it comes in for us all now!!!

[vmanahov]

Good for you rockin.For some strange reason Coral doesn't offer any on-line odds on this game.I will bet with my local too.

[A.M.P]

The did mate - I took some at 2.3.

Not there in any shape or for now.

Nice to see the very first NL thread for the year sure to break the 1,000 views mark btw...

[Keith]

Don't want to put a dampener on the Crawley bandwagon, although I am in as heavily as anyone else, but I wouldn't want anyone to think that it will be walkover.

Rushden were reasonable value at 13/10 and 5/4 . But if you read the forums, the Crawley view point is that they can put out an experienced team who are more than capable of winning. Personally I haven't got a clue how good they are but it won't be a side full of teenagers.

The encouragement is that the nucleus of the team were comfortably beaten by Brighton reserves in a pre season friendly but on the other hand they also held a Brentford first X1 to a draw.

I am still confident because Rushden will be a strong side and Crawley are "up the wall" but this is not printing money like we did with Runcorn last season or Southport reserves in pre seson