Free Fanzine with the Wigan Robins v AFC Liverpool programme this Saturday

Saturday's game against AFC Liverpool will see the launch of the Wigan Robin Park FC fanzine.

Entitled Fields of Flowers it will be free with the matchday programme.

The 16-page A6 pocket size fanzine features:

yer wot by mike duff
October Vodkat observations
Alfie Conn
Nickname
Are the Robins the roughest team in the world
DJ John Leech's October playlist
The Arsenal Stadium Mystery (remake)
Some of the things we miss at football
Ten years after
An A-Z of Wigan bands
Mild & Bitter were the Days
David Bowie and some other bits and bobs

It's a small supplement that I hope to produce for most home matches.

While it's a bit of fun and talks about all sorts of stuff happening at The Robins, in Wigan and elsewhere the idea is to help raise the profile of the club in the area and within non-league circles.

Also we have all worked very hard in producing an excellent programme this season and if by including a DIY-style fanzine supplement with it we can shift a few more copies - as well as entertain our fans further - then we'll be happy.

As we all know every penny counts at this level... So £1.50 for a great programme and fanzine sounds alright by me.

A bunch of Daisies

MATCH PREVIEW ONLINE TOMORROW (MAYBE)

Derby Day Beckons for Wigan Robins

SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER 2009

GETTING GIDDY

Dominoes tumble at the hands of Wigan Robins

The lost cup-tie


















Stone Dominoes 1 Wigan Robin Park 3

As always a top day out at Stone.

This time however we won and in the process made the Dominoes look very average.

The immaculate pitch - which cynics may say remains like that as the ball never touches the floor with the way Stone play - was The Robins best friend as Neafcy, Corcy and Small bossed the game in midfield.

Bit unfair to single anybody out, mind, as it was pretty much a complete performance with all the players putting in an excellent performance.

Playing all the football The Robins dominated the game from start to finish and eased into a 2-0 lead through two superb goals from Ryan Small in the sixty third and sixty seventh minutes. One a great looping header from the edge of the box - the other a fine shot drilled into the corner of the net

However ten minutes later Stone got back into game through a scrappy Dwayne Spence and moments later were awarded a ridiculous penalty. Scott Robinson clearly got the ball, the league's top scorer Dan Brown knew this and went down like a lead balloon. A bad decision from a referee that actually had a good game but... it could have changed the game.

Brown dusted himself down, stepped up but Robins keeper Jay Foulds pulled off a great save as justice was seen to be done.

The Robins simply picked the ball up, went straight up the field and after terrific work from Steve Williams and Andy Neafcy - Chris McNally powered in a drive from the edge of the area for his seventh goal of the season and sealed the win for The Robins.

Game over. The one team that tried to play football won it and that has got to be right.

I have to say I can't quite understand Stone manager Shaun Hollinshead's mindset. They could be a decent side and a team has to be able to stand up to them to have a chance. We put in our worst display in years when we lost in the league a few weeks ago but they only have the plan A. Dan Brown and the big lad Charlton are great players but all the team seem to do is boot the ball long and hard. Personally I just wouldn't like to watch it each week, whatever the success it appears to be bringing. But each to their own.

In the next round The Robins make the short trip to Ashton Town on Saturday 31 October in what should be a cracking and feisty cup encounter.

So in a nutshell
Buzzing
Stone players in the showers singing: "We're gonna win the league!" Well you're not going to win the cup and I would hazard a guess unless you can bully a few more teams you won't win the league
Oatcakes - marvellous
Neil Swift - great first full ninety for the lad. Tremendous full debut. That said Whitey on the other side at left back had a cracker. Even if he was knackered for the last twenty. We thought oxygen might be required at one point!
Millie Small getting back to his best. However I should have known my: "I'll get you a pint if you score" would inspire him. Two pints of lager in Park Lane (at those prices). Anyhow he needed it as he was going to his gay cousin's birthday party later on.
Thanks to our driver Kev we got there with a few minutes to spare which was quite good as we had no sat nav, directions or anything...
Just one programme left when we got there. How many did they do? -Five?
Chipper at centre forward ... and you know what he did terrific
Bring on the Ashton Bads

Meanwhile....

The Reserves began a new era under Dave Knowles' managership by coming back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Ashton Town Reserves.

Sounded a stormer as they were down to ten men on sixty minutes - with the sending-off of Big Pey Vermiglio but got back in it with an Ian Gough penalty before Meathead equalised with a powerful header (his words) in the dying seconds. Congrats to all involved in what has been a tough start to the season for the ressies.

Meathead is still talking everybody through his goal!

This Saturday it is back to league action at very-much-improved Daisy Hill. That's the team Daisy Hill not the place - that we guess will be it's normal self. A train job, a few beers and hopefully three points.

"Big Fat John's Barmy Army, Big Fat John's Barmy Army"

Preview later in the week...

Wigan Robins, Bob Dylan, Stone Roses and Snoop Dogg

Crank up the Jukebox Wigan Robins are going to Stone Doms



In the first of an occasional series (God knows how we'll get twenty songs with a Daisy reference for next week but...) we put together the ideal soundtrack for the journey to an away match.

This week Stone Dominoes and without further ado we give you:

1. Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

Recently voted by somebody somewhere as the greatest song ever. Not sure about that but it's bang up there and with lyrics like:

You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all come down and did tricks for you
You never understood that it aint no good
You shouldnt let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a siamese cat
Aint it hard when you discover that
He really wasnt where its at
After he took from you everything he could steal.

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

What's not to like?

2. Roll away the Stone - Mott the Hoople

They've not played together for thirty years or so, hardly spoken but they've just gone a done a serious of concerts - you can read about it here - and it was absolutely magnificent

review

http://vaughanmedia.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/mott-the-hoople-the-tickets-for-the-fantasy-were-twelve-and-six-a-time/

"There's a rockabilly party on a Saturday night
Are you gonna be there?
Well I got my invite"

3. I'm stone in love with you - The Stylistics

A Smooth Radio favourite and a bit schmaltzy but sod it the lad can sing and it takes me back to the seventies. Russell Thompkins and The New Stylistics are at the Robin Park Arena tomorrow as part of the David Gest show - if you hurry

4. (I'm not your) Stepping Stone - The Monkees

Sex Pistols and others have done the song but this is the definitive version. Great song even better group

5. Anything by The Rolling Stones.
Yeah pretty much anything but if we must pick one She's a Rainbow

6. Anything by The Stone Roses.
Yeah pretty much anything but if we must pick one and for the sake of consistency Made of Stone

7. Turn to Stone - Electric Light Orchestra.
Bad school discos werenot brightened by this track but with hindsight, in the car speeding along it's not topo bad.

8. Tombstone Blues - sod it you're having another Bob Dylan song:
"Mama's in the fact'ry
She ain't got no shoes
Daddy's in the alley
He's lookin' for FOOD
I'm in the KITCHEN
With the tombstone blues"

9. Stone Cold Crazy - Queen
From Sheer Heart Attack - when Queen were good - Brian may's guitar on this is superb

10. I Wanna Thank You - Angie Stone
Angie Stone is wonderful - add Snoop Dogg into the mix and what more do you want

11. Super Duper Love - Joss Stone

I like Joss Stone - she's got soul whatever anybody says and this song is great next to Angie.

12. Danger Zone - Stone the Crows
And speaking of white girls with soul - well none have/had more than Maggie Bell the lead singer in Stone the Crows http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE7NtFgfYsE

13. Family Affair - Sly and the Family Stone. First number one to use a drum machine/programmed rhythm track according to urban myth. Not sure myself but when you're twelve years of age in 1971 it doesn't get much funkier than this

14. Beatles and the Stones - The House of Love

Underrated late eighties band. Great song

15. Stone Cold Sober - Paloma Faith

She's a bit Amy-lite and again it's being done to death on Smooth Radio but she's quirky as owt, used to be a Burlesque dancer and it's a bit of a tune...

16. Stoned Love - The Supremes

Without Miss Ross but with Jean Terrell on lead vocals this is a great pop song. Er about the Vietnam War. Fantastic instrumentation bu the glorious Funk Brothers

17. And it stoned me - Van Morrison

At his lyrical, gypsy, ramblin best

18. Stepping Stone - Duffy

Joyous "fuck off out of my life" song from the Welsh wondergirl.

19. Sticks N' Stones - Jamie T

Great song from one of the the best album's of the year - Kings & Queens. Not sure if it's this generation's London Calling as was reported somewhere but it's alright.

20. Broken Stones - Paul Weller

Weller gets his mojo back on the Stanley Road. Great album, great sleeve and great song

Miss Wigan Robin Park October 2009 Robyn Bewersdorf

Miss Robyn Bewersdorf (or more better known as Tiffany Teen*)

* more better known if you watch a certain sort of film

we like her anyway...

Wigan Robins back on that windy track...

Wigan Robin Park 3 Chadderton 0

After the defeat to Skem United (Sorry Atherton Colls) and Holker Old Boys in the Lancashire Shield it was good to see the Mighty Robins get back to winning ways with a great 3-0 victory over Chadderton at a windswept Robin Park Arena.

So windswept that the duggouts were threatening to take off. This led to the Arena manager declaring that they couldn't be used that led to the Chaddy management team having a right moan. Not quite sure what could be done. Play the game one tales off and blows across the pitch and injures (or worse) a player, official or spectator!?!?

Makes me laugh sometimes when officials have a go about a variety of things at the Arena. We know it's not perfect that's why everybody at the club is trying their hardest to make the place a proper home.

And I'll give you:

Great view
Great pies, coffee and everything else
Half-time and full-time hospitality second to none
A bloody good programme
Teamsheet if required
Along with Stone - the best pitch in the league
Excellent training rooms
Beer
A 1200-capacity-stand with decent seats all away from the elements
An argument with the locals...

I could go on but to moan about the duggouts in a gale-force wind seems a bit petty. Not as though they play at the Emirates themselves is it.

Anyroad... Goals from Ryan Small and Chris McNally either side of half-time put The Robins in control before Steve Williams wrapped up the points in the 85th-minute with a quality goal.

Williams' goal rounded off a great day for The Robins and for his own father Bill who saw his three sons Steve, Chris and Danny line up together for Robin Park for the first time. Bill celebrated by having a row with a Chadderton fan!!

Dead pleased for Danny as he pulled off a string of fine saves with the game at nil-nil. Giving that he'd conceded (through no fault of his own) 103 goals in the last couple of reserve games he must have been a bit nervous but played superbly.

In fact at nil-nilyou could see the game going either way but a much more spirited performance from the lads saw good goals from Millie Small and Macca - well Macca's was a tap-in but - and a stunning individual goal from Steve Williams. This - along with his overall performance also netted him the MOM.

Other highlights: Well Chris McNally's 40-yarder that came back from the underside bar was a marvellous sight. Macca claimed the ball was two yards over the line while the liner was adamant after the game that it didn't cross the line. It looked closed (not two yards over, mind) from where I was sat. As for the rest of the game it was just good to see us win after three losses on the bounce and win in some style in terrible conditions. Also good to see Paul McVeigh get almost ninety minutes in as he led the line well, giving Small, Steve Williams and McNally the freedom to roam a bit.

The beer tasted better than recently after the game and you can't say more than that.

Next up is Stone Dominoes in the Vodkat Challenge Cup. Can't wait and hopefully we can avenge the recent league defeat. get those oatcakes ready

Wigan: The Right Staffs and The Rolling Stones

The Streets of San Fran er... Stoke












Defeat in the FA Vase means that The Robins will be travelling to Staffordshire on successive weekends. This Saturday it's Stone away but just gone was Norton away. A very pleasant Norton, as well...

Not been able to say that before as last season we had to contend with the fog and the cold but this time well... It was sunny, hot and in a certain light the hilly streets of Stoke could be mistaken for the hilly Streets of San Francisco. Almost.

Add into this no traffic jams on the M6 and a simple journey you know it's going to be okay. Pitch was good, if a tad long on the grass side and the lads were soon out on the pitching warming up/or cooling down. Bill Williams - dad of the Williams 3 - and myself settled for a cold lager watching fat middle-aged men playing cricket on the adjoning pitch. Good entertaining stuff as the runs and wickets fell in equal numbers. The home team seemed to be knocking a few runs but taking tea at twenty past two suggests they didn't get that many.

As for the footy... Game of two halves. They scored first thanks to "Skip to the Paul" Macari - son of - and could (and probably should) have gone two up when Jay Foulds was fouled after what seemed an innocuous challenge resulting in the "goal" not standing.

On the stroke of half-time The Robins were awarded a penalty and a great chance to equalise. Unfortunately Steve Williams blasted (well not even blasted but more scooped) the ball high and wide and half the way to Burslem.

We adjourned for cheese and ham butties and a lovely mug of tea whilst - I assume - a bollocking was dished out in the dressing room.

It worked as we got control of the game and played some lovely football. Well-taken doubles from Ry Small and Chris McNally pretty much settled it. Corcy got a kick on the head - that made less press inches than Robin van Persie's. Maybe we should have had one of those blood capsules for more effect. Chipper hit the bar with another rasping shot whilst Adi Whittle also went close with a cracker. Steve Williams had a great game holding the ball and line but had one of those games where he wouldn't have scored if he'd played until midnight on Sunday. These things happen.

So in a nutshell...

Pie and peas - but make sure you have your raffle ticket. No ticket no pie
Piemaids - very pleasant
Lager - cold and very nice. Wasps a bit of a pain, mind
Ref and linesmen - better than of recent. But that doesn't mean that much...
MOM - Dean Callaway (as voted by them). Not quite sure that's right but as the game went on he terrorised their defence but in the second half everybody played well
Programme - just okay nothing more...

This Saturday sees The Robins travel to Motiva Parkv - the home of Stone Dominoes. Massive game and a real tough un. The lads are buzzing, the weather forecast is good, the pitch down there is fantastic and it all adds up to being a cracker

And with all this Beatles stuff about at the moment here are TEN STONES FOR THE STONES. Crank up the stereo it's only rock and roll but I like it, like it

19th Nervous Breakdown
Paint It Black
Let's Spend The Night Together
Honky Tonk Women
Sympathy For The Devil
Brown Sugar
Under My Thumb
Jumpin' Jack Flash
I Can't Get No Satisfaction
Street Fighting Man

River of tears as Wigan drop off the Wembley trail

Lomax in FC United mode. You can see the swagger. Photo nicked from the web... Well from www.fcunitedphotos.co.uk - some really excellent pics there

Ramsbottom 4 Wigan Robin Park 1 (After extra time 1-1 after 97 1/2 minutes)

Rammy in the rain - and a really odd sort of rain as well. That type that doesn't get you wet. It appeared to be hammering down but it wasn't getting you wet. Also at times it seemed to be raining on one side of the pitch and not the other.

Very bizarre but all that said what a decent set-up the Riverside Ground is. Grass lawns, park benches, idiosyncratic stands, cover behind one goal, separate tea bars with padded seats. Pie and peas, tea and coffee in mugs, a decent programme and an alright team on the pitch.

Well better than alright - in that they were quick, big, strong but most of all a set of whinging dirty buggers. But more of that in a moment...

In depth:

After a shaky start The Robins gained their composure, started playing their trademark attacking football and deservedly took the lead on 29 minutes through Steve Williams.

By this stage it was apparent that we were going to get absolutely fuck-all from the referee as the Rammy number 5 - who otherwise had an excellent game - metaphorically got away with murder as he fouled Steve Williams every time he went near to him. Add in the elbowed assault on Ryan Small by another Rammy player, the refusal to give a blatant penalty on Williams in the second half, the continual use of the elbow by Massey upfront etc etc. The referee was a complete tosser. Arrogant beyond belief, calling the Rammy players by their first name while the fat liner could spot that there was more than one person stood up in the technical area but couldn't see that a player was offisde by five yards two-foot in front of him.

Football-wise the otherwise outstanding Dean Callaway - who ruined their right back all game - had a glorious chance to seal the game for Wigan but shot wide with just the keeper to beat before Ramsbottom substitute Carl Lomax headed home deep into stoppage time. Absolutely gutting. Especially as this Lomax swaggered back from FC United and onto the pitch in that Salford way, diamond earrings glistening in the Lancashire floodlights while calling The Robins fans "scousers". Thick fuck. He was a bloody good player mind. In all honesty they had a few good uns and we can take heart that we matched them - and more - for a large part of the game.

In extra time - despite good efforts from Mike Wood and Paul McVeigh - the hosts used their higher league experience to score three goals to seal a flattering 4-1 victory and break the hearts of The Robins players, management and large contingent of travelling supporters.


Jay Foulds

Jay Foulds - in goal - probably edged the man of the match ahead of Woody at right back and Steve Williams who put a magnificent shift in leading the line. But all-in-all everybody played well.

In a nutshell:

Ground: Great little set-up
Pie chart: Excellent. Peas always a bonus and at £1.50 not bad
Piemaid: Two middle-aged blokes. We want MILFS
Referee and linesemen - Appalling - the fact that neither of the liners would give a decision and bowed down to the arrogant twat in the centre beggers belief. Then again the one on the far side did flag for a penalty for us at 3-1 in extra time but the ref simply ignored him.
Lessons learned: Showed we are a cracking young team. Rammy's experience and bit of devilment did us and maybe we need that bit of nastiness in there. But we showed we can play a bit.
Crowd: Good vociferous following from Wigan in a crowd of 123. Yeah right, we head-counted more than that on opposite side and behind one goal
Doctor Baker asking some Ramsbottom fans why the ground was called the Riverside after they'd just told him where the river was...
Question: Why extra time in first game? Surely the away team should have advantage of trying to bring the home team back to their gaff.
Holding on: Yes they put us under pressure but again away team's prerogative.
Injury time: Seven and a half minutes!
Ramsbottom United: Good side and all the best to them for remainder of season and their cup run.
We can concentrate: On the league, two Vodkat cups and Lancashire Shield. Wembley will have to wait...

ps There should have been some photos with this but by the time I remembered I'd got my camera we were into Mr Pinder's added-on time

Follow, follow The Robins are going all techno

Just a quick note to let you good people know:

We have a new official website: www.wiganrobinparkfc.co.uk

We are on twitter: http://twitter.com/wiganrobinpark

We are talking bollocks on: http://www.robinsforums.webs.com/

And are on facebook at: Group - Wigan Robin Bastards

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