I'm Back

After a god knows how many days long hiatus, im finally back writing. It's been a hecket August/early September on the football pitch for the Darts and i have to say, we're not doing to well but that is no huge worry of mine at the moment. We've still got about 80-90% of our games to play and i with the team playing better every game, i think we should be able to still reach a decent midtable finish. For me, i feel that this is the time when the singing should get louder and our support should stay strong. To be honest, we werent great on the vocal front at Staines (not that we were outsung by the mighty Staines Massive who looked like they were almost 5 members strong for our Saturday the 6th encounter. No worries though. Heybridge Swifts come to Princes Park tommorow, in what will be one of my last Tuesday nighters for a while as the glare of a part time job and mock exams near, so hopefully we can put in a good performance both on the pitch and in the stands tommorow.

The Journey Up To Princes Park

Here is one of the videos i made.

The Season Nears...

So, we now have only 5 days till the start of the season. Preperations at the Dartford Youth Supporters Association are in full swing. We even have our very own Dartford(England)Flag which will be taking to Hendon of course. I cant remember quite look forward to the start of a football season so much. Hopefully we'll get a big turnout down at Claremont Road (Home of Hendon) and give a good account of ourselves on and off the pitch. As for my videos, i've got about three or four ready to upload. Sorry about the long hiatus but some techincal problems have prevented me from uploading them. However they shall soon be on your computer screens in pretty soon. Till then...

VCD Athletic vs. Dartford FC

In the end, it was a comfortable evenings work from Dartford as they recorded their third win of the pre-season. Goals from Steve Butterworth and Yohance Lewis who this morning was confirmed to have unfortunetly left the club were enough to seal a win for the Darts. Whilst it's disappointing to see a member of last year's championship winning team go, we wish him the best of luck in the future and he will always be welcome back at Princes Park. NobleWatch wasn't dissapointed as Lee set up the first goal for Dartford just before half time as well as providing some great passes and knockons for the rest of the team. I intended to have another episode of the video blog up today but unfortunetly, problems with my camcorder have prevented me from doing so.

I would have liked to be at Brockenhurst but will be unavailable. I should however be in attendance for our final two games against Bromley (Home) and Thamesmead Town(Away).

Rival Rumblings

This season I shall witness my first Kent derby as a Dartford fan. Nothing beats a 94th minute winner or equaliser in what would be the most important game of the year for most fans of both clubs. I was fortunete enough to witness Leyton Orient peg back Southend in the 95th minute of a cracking game at Brisbane Road earlier this year. If there is one thing that makes a derby game a derby game, its the atmosphere. Even at Orient, you can feel the electricity just walking outside of the stadium a good 30 minutes before kickoff. The away end will completely packed (for once) and the travelling support will all be standing in good voice. The atmosphere feeds through to the players who will chase down balls they normally wouldn't or fly into tackles with real intensity. Then the goals. You struggle to keep upright as you are bearhugged by a random stranger and duck to avoid flailing hands as the person in the next seat nearly knocks you out with his flailing hands shouting "GET IN THERE!". Then your heart sinks as down at the other end you make out one of the opposition players striking a thunderbolt from 30 yards out into the top corner. Match programs and empty cups of bovril are hurled at the floor in distuges as you watch the away section going crazy while the home support sit shaking their heads or yelling obscenities at the back four for not closing down quick enough.

It's all that an so much more that makes a rivalry a rivarly and with Dover, Tonbridge, Margate, Maidstone, Ramsgate all facing us next season, its no wonder everyone is looking forward to next season.

Bishop's Stortford v Dartford

Looking back at the Bishop's Stortford game last night, I guess Dartford should not be too disappointed with losing. Stortford were a good outfit who passed the ball quickly, closed down effectively, and played some very good football. Their Conference South label began to show towards the end of the game. However I think we can take quite a few positives out of the encounter. First of all, we matched them for an entire half and had a few chances. Ryno seems to be picking up for at just the right time and he had a great first half. He also impressed me with his tracking back and made a few tackles. All of the trialists performed reasonably well, Ketchell had another solid game at the back and i would go as far as to say that I'd like to see him start at left back against Hendon over Steve Norman. Finally, the team seems to be gelling together, especially Noble, Powell, Barnes and Dafter in the midfield. I dont think we have anyone to fear in the Premier next season and on our day we should be able to beat anybody.

In the stands, not much could be commented on really. It's still pre-season and as such, the choir is still hibernating, waiting for the 16th of August which I'm sure will be a great event, regardless of the result.

Our next game is on Thursday the 31st against my first football club VCD. I think I had my first taste of non league football with the Vickers in an FA Vase away game at Arundel so it shall be a nonstalgic return to the Oakwood for me. I also hope to be filming another segment for my project and this blog on Thursday night.

Whitstable Today

Unfortunetly I wont be with Dartford in Whitstable and my absence at this fixture will mark the end of my consectutive games attended streak at eleven. The streak lasted from my first dartford game on March 15th against Enfield Town to July 22nd against East Thurrock. I'll still be checking on the score from the desk though, hopefully Dartford can get another solid win/performance under their belts. I'm looking for goals from Powell and Haworth in this one, hopefully both can put their names on a Dartford score sheet for the first time.

Dartford v East Thurrock

Well, Tuesday night was a pretty good night out in Essex. (Good and Essex in the same sentence???) The Darts beat East Thurrock United 4 - 0 and my favourite player, Lee Noble bagged his first goal for the club, albeit in a friendly. I look forward to hearing how the Darts get on at Whitstable where hopefully some of the newer guys can put their names on the score sheets. I was expecting a win for the Darts but 4 goals without reply was a bit of a suprise, especially because East Thurrock were in the Premier last season. Results like that can only be a good thing though, Bishop's Stortford will be the real tester though.

East Thurrock Tonight

Looking forward to tonight's fixture I must say. Me and a couple other Junior Darts are making our way down to Corringham for this one. A good performance on the vocal front from the choir and a goals from Lee Noble and Ray Powell would keep me happy for the rest of the week. Let's hope it happens.

East Thurrock Preview

I'll probably be going to the Dartford vs. East Thurrock game next Tuesday. It's going to be a good opportunity to see the new guys and older guys play against a team of a similar class although I do expect the Darts to get a result from it. I'll also be filming the first segment of my MYP personal project thing here and should be able to get some good footage. Hopefully the weather will stay nice and clear (which BBC weather says it will) and we should have a good evening's football.

Got A New Scarf!

Yesterday, after weeks of telling myself to get one, I finally got a Dartford FC scarf. I planned to get the black one with Dartford written on it but I was told that they had been taken to the Dartford Show to sell so instead I opted to go with the newer one, a decision I quite like now that I’ve got it. It shall be taken with me round Kent and the south-east of England and will be held aloft at as many Dartford games as possible. I think everyone should get one, then at the start of every game we could hold them up like they do at in the Kop at Liverpool and then maybe we could sign that "500 miles" song instead of "You'll never get a job---walk alone"

Dartford v Crystal Palace

Well. The Crystal Palace game was quite the experience. Despite witnessing the lowest turnout in my 10 game Dartford supporting career with the total attendance panning out at 792, the game was probably one of the best home fixtures i'd ever been to on the singing front. After a slow start and watching and desperately hoping that our normal end behind the goal would fill up (it wouldnt) me, and the 9 other lads that had come with me began leading the end in song. First "All the lads", then "We all follow the Dartford" capped off by a great "Hands up, if you love Dartford". Jack, Ben, Midget, Chris, Elliot, Tomko, Charlie, Chris, Riky, hats of to all of you guys, especially Ben who rocked the stand during the second half when he brought out his trumpet. We werent too bothered about the 2 - 0 scoreline to Palace as we were having our own little party behind their goal for the majority of the half. One downer on the night though was the fact that one of the Palace players was spat at as he went off injuried. Booing and a bit of good natured banter is all part of football but the kid down at the front took it way too far. Fortunetly, the stewards put themselves to good use and ejected the boy from the ground.

Anyway, we got to see Jay May as we walked over to applaud the players at the end and gave him one last recital of "There's only one Jay May, there's only one Jay May". It was good to see him back, and hopefully he gets a good reception at the Bromley-Dartford game. Next up for the Darts, a trip to East Thurrock on Tuesday Night.

Dartford v Charlton Athletic

So Dartford's first game back at Princes Park ended with a loss but that wasnt the important thing. We got to see quiet a handful of new players as well as the old boys from last season and it was good to be back. Charlton Athletic put out a pretty young side with no first teamers present and their relative inexperience showed, especially with their goalkeeper. Anyhow, Lee Noble, Ray Powell and Richard Petchell all impressed me greatly.

The atmosphere was pretty good in the stands with more singing than I expected from a friendly, especially in the first half. My mates and I were responsible for starting up "Tony Burman's Black and White Army", "We are the Darts" and "All The Lads and All The Lovely Ladies" on numerous occasions. Looking forward to the palace game where our secret weapon could make an apperance.

Chucks Away!

The pre-season is officially here with Tony Burman and co. minus a few faces attending their first training session last night, ahead of the first pre-season friendly against Charlton Ahtletic. I'm looking greatly forward to seeing some of our new signings in action, particularly Lee Noble. I've heard that James White and Richard Petchell are also on trial and wish both of them the best of luck as I have heard good things about White and saw Petchell contain argubly our best winger last season, Ryan Hayes when Dartford played Brentwood. Bring on the Charlton.