Terras Times The newsletter of Weymouth FC Supporters Association.
February 2021
2018/2019 Southern League Champions 2019/2020 National League South play off winners. That feels better doesn’t it? Some big wins and strong new signings to push the memory of the biggest derby disappointment in a generation down the list of things to discuss this month. Without fans and with both teams at the wrong end of the table it felt like a damp squib to me. I had waited and dreamed and visualised what playing them would feel like. It wasn’t this. Not by a long way. But credit to Brian Stock and the lads, they have put this behind them and moved forward with working hard on getting up the table, backed by the board who (as seems normal for WFC) came under some considerable pressure after derby day. I love WFC and I love to see them winning and whatever happens with the season continuing or not, we have shown spirit and backbone and bite. As a fan you can’t ask for much more. It’s great to see some old programmes in the newsletter this month, please keep sending your bits and pieces in and we will make sure we include them. It’s fascinating to see them and read them and I feel privileged that people want to share them. Thank you. Finally I posted on the forum a week or so back about an upcoming piece of the best three Terras goals you have seen in the flesh… (that’s the caveat!). At this rate there were 11,000 away fans at Bishops Stortford when Mark Travers scored! All joking aside, I am reading every single one and the memories they are stirring are great, so keep an eye out for that article coming soon.
James https://www.wfcsa.weymouthfootballclub.co.uk/
Terras Times The newsletter of Weymouth FC Supporters Association.
Chairman's Update Welcome to this latest edition of The Terras Supporters Club newsletter. I hope you are all managing to stay safe and well and are keeping suitably occupied during this latest lockdown? On Saturday we garnered another very valuable three points against a Bromley side who came to the Bob Lucas Stadium undefeated on the road so far this season in six away visits. That is now three wins in our last five games at the time of writing and sees us outside of the drop zone! It is an improvement for sure, let us hope for more of the same. As confidence grows and the new recruits play more games together, we should hopefully settle into a more relaxed style of play. But hey, what do I know? What I can tell you is, that having watched the National League on BT Sport for many years now, there is some seriously turgid football served up, by big, physical, lump it forward teams and it is not very pleasing on the eye! I have probably said this before, the teams that rise to the top tend to be the teams who follow the principle of playing attacking, flowing pass and move football! Long may that continue! The future of the season is still very much up in the air. There is now plenty of information in the public domain regards how some clubs have voted on the resolutions presented to them regards taking loans, continuing the season or null and voiding it. It has been said that voting will be based on league position, but I say that is all smoke and mirrors, where you sit in the league table has no impact on the costs of staging a football match and paying the wages! This past weekend, (6th Feb), the NLN and NLS were due to resume their respective campaigns after a two-week break, however in NLN there was only one fixture and in NLS five fixtures! There were a few teams from both leagues involved in the FA Trophy which had an impact of course. Prior to the weekend, several clubs said they were not prepared to resume until such time as the funding issue had been resolved. I read that for legal reasons, 28 days must be given for teams to vote, but I personally find the whole situation a horrible mess, exacerbated by poor leadership at National League Board level. They should be helping all their member clubs. However, sadly, I read from several different chairmen, the fact that letters were issued to clubs threatening them with sanctions for not playing! Seriously? That is pathetic to hear, impose fines on clubs who are not playing because they have no income or prospect of income, totally bizarre! My personal view, for what it is worth, at the front and centre of everything the National League Board do, should be the future wellbeing and survival of all the clubs that it purports to represent. I can understand the frustration of clubs who do not know where the money is going to come from to pay the mounting bills. The time it is taking to get to a decision is only adding to the problems clubs face. I do very much hope it is all resolved in a way that ensures all clubs can survive and are still here next season. It is right that our club have stated publicly they will not take out loans to complete the season and mortgage the future of the club for the next twenty years! Until next month, continue to stay safe and look out for those around you who may need some help and support.
Best wishes to you all. Pete Nash Chairman, ‘The Terras Supporters Club’ (WFCSA)
https://www.wfcsa.weymouthfootballclub.co.uk/
Terras Times The newsletter of Weymouth FC Supporters Association.
Membership update A number of supporters are taking advantage of the 5 year membership at only £20 and we are now up to 90 in this group so thanks to you all. Winners of this months draw are Melvyn Lake David Billington Neil Gaw One of our members has sent in some old terra’s memorabilia and I attach a programme from the 1948 Dorset Senior Cup Final against Portland United. Were any of our senior members at that match and know what the score was?. Also a programme from a 1950 league match against Barry. 1948 was certainly the year for attendances with our record attendance at The Rec of 12,512 against Yeovil
Please send in any old programmes or clippings you would like to share in a future newsletter. Ken Willis Membership Secretary
https://www.wfcsa.weymouthfootballclub.co.uk/
Terras Times The newsletter of Weymouth FC Supporters Association.
2020 in review… Part 2 Part 1 in the January edition was mainly positive news on how we got to go for promotion… strap in for part two, a slightly more challenging read. August This was the most mixed month of emotion I can remember in many eventful years of watching Weymouth FC. The first day of August saw Dartford visit in the Conference South play off final. This was a match that only weeks before had seemed unlikely and took a monumental amount of effort to pull together and make happen. The match itself wasn’t that memorable until the penalty shoot out which saw the Darts miss the lot and Weymouth head back to the National League. Celebrations were cut short pretty much at the final whistle as Manager Mark Molesley was aggressively courted by Southend United. A job that ultimately proved too tempting and the man who’d gained back to back promotions with the Terras was gone. September The closed season and pre-season for 2020/2021 could be described as short at best. We opened up our friendlies a month to the day from getting promotion beating Totton. Just 3 days later Brian Stock was appointed as Manager. Pre season went well, a blip against Ebbsfleet aside but it was a much different side to that which had won promotion. October The campaign started positively with a point away at Altrincham on one of the longer trips of the season. But three successive defeats followed before a crucial win at home to Kings Lynn. There was still time in the month for an FA Cup disaster at home to Oxford City and narrow defeat on the road at Bromley. The biggest and best win of the season came on Halloween with Tom Whelan scoring a late goal in a comeback win at Stockport County. We were off and running… November Then more covid related delays hit and with infection in our camp, and a number of other clubs we should be playing. we ended up with only one match in the month. It was a home defeat to Chesterfield who left with not only three points, but our best player in Whelan. This was a real low point. December Worse was to come with no league wins in December including a 5-1 home thumping on tv to Halifax. Maidenhead were despatched in the Trophy and we managed a solid goal less draw away to Eastleigh, but 2021 dawned with us adrift in the relegation places and with a hell of a lot to do… August seemed a long way off, and not just because of the lockdown and weather.
https://www.wfcsa.weymouthfootballclub.co.uk/