[Archived] Flitcroft And Jansen

[trs]

Big game for Gary and the boys tomorrow. http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/8861253.Non_league_preview__Flitcroft_backs_his_Chorley_boys/

[cn174]

If you want to go to the CHorley game you'll have to be quick and get your ticket today. No walk ons or tickets available tomorrow.

[wilyrover]

Just been to the ground to try and get tickets for me and the girlfriend. No luck, it's sold out.

[AggyBlue]

Brassed off I didn't manage to get a ticket for this.

Game held up for 15 mins due to crowd trouble I've been txt'd.

[Paul]

Chorley 0 Chester 1

Att: 3223

Thought it was quiet in town today!!

[cn174]

Judging by some of the comments on Facebook there's been quite a bit of trouble after game and they even had to close the clubhouse after. Not cool.

[trs]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-8vNLM4B2E

Apparently got very messy after the game

[koi]

Heard there was plenty of trouble. Not the first time Chorley have had problems with the fans, crying shame for a club making massive strides this season. Got to ask questions about 3200 fans in Victory Park though, I remember it feeling very cramped with 1500 on.

[roversmum]

report here

[AggyBlue]

Heard there was plenty of trouble. Not the first time Chorley have had problems with the fans, crying shame for a club making massive strides this season. Got to ask questions about 3200 fans in Victory Park though, I remember it feeling very cramped with 1500 on.

1500

I've been on when there's been about 9000 on.

[Ozz]

Once again Chorleys big match was tainted by crowd problems. In recent years games against Wolves, PNE, Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Bury and now Chester have attracted big crowds, which also attracted a large number of people intent on trouble.

I live about 100 yards from Victory Park, and even in the 2 hours before the game there were a lot of skirmishes between mostly young kids going from pub to pub and looking for away fans. To be honest I never felt threatened at all even when it was happening in front of my house with me stood outside, but I could see how it may scare some of my elderly neighbours.

Kick off was delayed by 15 minutes due to crowd congestion/crowd issues. About 10 minutes in the segregating fence was easily pulled down and a bit of scrapping took place , but the police soon stopped that.

Chorley were six points behind league leaders Chester but with two games in hand, so a win would have been very handy for them. But in the first half they didn't get a shot on goal and played poorly. Chester were not much better, but the pitch was very poor and most promising moves broke up as a result of over and under hit passes . Start of the second half saw Chester score the only goal, gifted by some bizarre defending by Chorley. Chester then shut up shop.

Chorley played a lot more football in the second half, and had 3 or 4 decent chances in the last ten minutes or so, none going in.

At the end of the second half, which seemed to last about 60 minutes, predictably a load of kids ran onto the pitch to goad the Chester fans into another round of , well goading but again the police just swamped them back.

It was nearly dark by now and Chorley seemed to have forgotten this and the floodlights never came on, making it seem a bit weird in the half light s the crowd emptied. Then as I got in, there seemed to be some more trouble, which looked a little more heavy started around the ground , and for the next two hours all I saw outside were dozens of coppers and flashing lights.

God know what happened in town after more ale had been washed down.

Oh by the way Matt Jansen did not play!

Rest Of Pictures Here.

[Rob of the Rovers]

You must have almost been stood next to me Ozzie.

Yesterday was one of the most bizarre matches I have ever been to, which actually had little to do with football (the game was pretty awful). It felt a bit like one of those Peter Kay style spoof docu-dramas, with the subject matter being hooliganism in a small town!

A particular highlight was watching the yobs who had been pepper sprayed staggering off the pitch at the end!

That was the funny part. What I witnessed half an hour later outside the Duke of York on Bolton Road was altogether more unsavoury....I don't ever wish to see a man's head used as a football again! It was kicking off all over the place and there were police everywhere as we walked into the town centre. I've never seen anything like it in 20 odd years watching the Rovers.

I feel a bit sorry for Chorley FC as I'd be suprised if those causing the trouble had stepped foot inside Victory Park for years, it was just the town's yobs having their day in the sun. However, the policing and stewarding was pretty poor. Why weren't the Chester fans held back inside the ground? Also, there were no police outside the Duke of York when it kicked off.

[roverwhelmed]

Loved seeing that picture of Flitty and Jansen on the bench. Two of my favourite players for us, and I'd love to go down and see Jansen again.

I think it is always sad seeing people use football as an excuse for just shocking behaviour.

[G Somerset Rover]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20377333

Interview with Matt Jansen. Seems as though United made an approach for him yet again before his crash in Rome. Wasn't aware of that 'til now.

[USABlue]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20377333

Interview with Matt Jansen. Seems as though United made an approach for him yet again before his crash in Rome. Wasn't aware of that 'til now.

Well if he had been in the Red shirt of United he'd have been a shoe in for England then. Since he only played for Blackburn he wasn't good enough. That whole selection deal is ballsed up. Funny init as soon as Jones went to Utd he was good enough for England, it stinks if your not at a big club you'll likely not get a game no matter how good you are.

[The Gull]

Still upsets me thinking what might have been for Matt Jansen, imagine what it must be like for him!

He is one of my favourite players I have seen in a Rovers shirt, up there with Tugay, Colin Hendry, David Speedie and of course Alan Shearer. I also used to love watching Scotty Sellars in the 80's but I know others didn't!

[Andy]

Well if he had been in the Red shirt of United he'd have been a shoe in for England then. Since he only played for Blackburn he wasn't good enough. That whole selection deal is ballsed up. Funny init as soon as Jones went to Utd he was good enough for England, it stinks if your not at a big club you'll likely not get a game no matter how good you are.

Hmm, not too sure about that.

If you play for United, you're playing in the Champions League and challenging for silverware against the best players in Europe.

Putting in good performances in the big matches is always going to get you more recognition than putting in good performances for a mid-table to relegation-battling team.

It's just the way it is, I certainly don't think that there's anything dodgy about the selection policy.

[den]

Hmm, not too sure about that.

If you play for United, you're playing in the Champions League and challenging for silverware against the best players in Europe.

Putting in good performances in the big matches is always going to get you more recognition than putting in good performances for a mid-table to relegation-battling team.

It's just the way it is, I certainly don't think that there's anything dodgy about the selection policy.

Might not be dodgy, but it doesn't mean the best player is being picked. That's what annoys fans.

[LeChuck]

Might not be dodgy, but it doesn't mean the best player is being picked. That's what annoys fans.

In the case of Jansen though....he hadn't even had a full season in the Premier League at the time he was being talked about for England.

He had a few games for us in the league prior to relegation, then two seasons in the Championship, then that was our first season back.

So I can understand to a certain extent why he didn't get called up. What does annoy me is that it was to take Martin Keown instead - a very negative move, and he didn't even play.

[tomphil]

Still upsets me thinking what might have been for Matt Jansen, imagine what it must be like for him!

He is one of my favourite players I have seen in a Rovers shirt, up there with Tugay, Colin Hendry, David Speedie and of course Alan Shearer. I also used to love watching Scotty Sellars in the 80's but I know others didn't!

As they always used to say on the tv goals programmes "when Sellars plays Rovers PLAY" lol. Don't know how anyone could slag him off, yes he was a bit lightweight but he walked around people like they weren't there when on form, a class act. Matty was a cut above though being stronger and more athletic but was infuriating at times although he never reached his peak sadly.

[rovers11]

Well if he had been in the Red shirt of United he'd have been a shoe in for England then. Since he only played for Blackburn he wasn't good enough. That whole selection deal is ballsed up. Funny init as soon as Jones went to Utd he was good enough for England, it stinks if your not at a big club you'll likely not get a game no matter how good you are.

I completely agree. It happens to so many players at 'smaller clubs'. Chris Sutton never got a kick for England, Matt LeTissier barely featured etc etc. Even today, Ricky Lambert and Grant Holt surely deserved a chance for England but they didn't because they play for small clubs.

[Andy]

But you need to be able to prove that you're a top player over a number of seasons to be an international player, not one hot streak in a single season - as per Lambert and Holt.

[koi]

I've no doubt Matty would've got in the England squad. Great lad, comes across very intelligent when you talk to him and clearly thinks of his club.

As for Sutton, his attitude towards England was terrible.

[LeChuck]

I completely agree. It happens to so many players at 'smaller clubs'. Chris Sutton never got a kick for England, Matt LeTissier barely featured etc etc. Even today, Ricky Lambert and Grant Holt surely deserved a chance for England but they didn't because they play for small clubs.

But you need to be able to prove that you're a top player over a number of seasons to be an international player, not one hot streak in a single season - as per Lambert and Holt.

Totally agree with Andy there.

If anything, Grant Holt is a a perfect example of why you don't call up a lower league player after one half decent season in the top division. He's done very little this season. Quite a few players have come from lower leagues to be one-season wonders (Marcus Stewart, Michael Ricketts, Dave Kitson etc.).

Although it is criminal that Le Tissier didn't play more for England. He's up there with Gazza in terms of natural ability.

[speeeeeeedie]

I completely agree. It happens to so many players at 'smaller clubs'. Chris Sutton never got a kick for England, Matt LeTissier barely featured etc etc. Even today, Ricky Lambert and Grant Holt surely deserved a chance for England but they didn't because they play for small clubs.

I agree with your point that smaller club players have a harder time playing for England. However, a lot of that comes from the argument that they don't play Champions league regularly. It will be interesting to see what happens when Ashley Cole retires. Will Leighton Baines get a go? I think he has another 4 years in him though.

I think Le Tiss was hard done by as he wasn't a typical English player. Managers didn't know what to do with him.

Ricky Lambert and Grant Holt aren't good enough. International football is a step up. I have played with plenty of players who excel on a team, then make a move to another league/higher team and struggle. Those 2 look good as they have/had confidence.

Steve Bould never played for England (or if he did maybe in a friendly). I always thought he was a class defender.