Ian Pethick

Reality check after the Witheridge win last Saturday . Sitting here in the office listening to the sound of a fly continually attacking the flourescent tube . Lots of endeavour and commitment , but an ultimately futile task . A bit like constantly launching high balls from the back for two small forwards . I fear that last nights Parkway performance could be the sign of what is to come for the rest of the season . On the final whistle Torpoint were delighted with the win , the football was also probably suffering from altitude sickness due to spending so much time in the air .

No problem Roger ! Remember you joining Liskeard from Exmouth many years ago as a centre back ( I think I'm correct in that ) and being converted into a striker a few months later . You've certainly out paced a few defenders in the years that followed . Saw you playing last season for Bovey Tracey at Parkway , still looked a threat .

Both of these players have left. Heveran x 2 , Richards x 2 and Wyatt x 1 Seriously Hobbs and kraccie have left parkway? No one wants to belittle or forget the performances that Shane Krac and Glyn Hobbs put in for this club in the past , but they have moved on, it's now about the players that are here . Several players ( including one or two that may not even have started but for departures ) stood up , relished the extra responsibility and had big games . Not saying for a moment that everything is perfect in the Parkway garden again , but we now have something to build on for the Torpoint game on Friday night . Was great to speak to one or two people yesterday and finally hear what really went on this past week . In the light of this it is pretty clear that most of the speculation and gossip on here was either completely wide of the mark or agenda driven stirring and malice .

On behalf of everyone at Witheridge Football Club I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone from Parkway who observed the minutes silence with us today (you could of heard a pin drop). A fantastic performance from our guests today and as I said in a previous post Doubters take note as this was a very impressive Parkway side. Bald One I was the one who went mental when Wales scored the winning Try this afternoon and also spoke with Lidds before the game today Thank you all once again. The friendship that has built between Parkway & Withy over these last few years just got a lot stronger. :clapper: I thought so , you got alot of stick , but had the last laugh , thanks for a great day. Just what we needed . Great day at Witheridge , superb hospitality from all involved at the club . Curse your ultra difficult pub quiz machine though ....... ( Gave me and The Bald One a few head scratching moments ).

Myself and The Bald One are taking our boots to Witheridge tomorrow ..... There is a rumour knocking around that Charlie Baggott might be making a comeback as well . :thumbsup:

Well said Mr Doel . Probably worth pausing to reflect on what has been achieved by Parkway in their relatively short history ; Their own ground Top 6 finishes every year in the Peninsula League One of the best playing surfaces in the league The best floodlights in the league Hard standing all the way around the pitch Plenty of covered accomodation Decent toilet facilities The best changing rooms in the league One of the best pasties around The biggest potholes in the car park All this is especially relevant when you travel to other grounds in the league that have been there for many years , but have not had any money or work put into them for a significant part of this time ( including you Bodmin Town) . Never think for a minute that the work of all behind the scenes is not appreciated . ( Although if light duties at work for Lee could be arranged to hasten his recovery from injury, that would be appreciated ).

What was the reason, water logged pitch? What is the actual definition of a waterlogged pitch ? Was it just a heavy pitch ? Are matches being cancelled to protect the playing surface , and not because they are unplayable ? Finding it a bit bewildering how many matches are cancelled at Ivybridge .

There are obviously financial reasons for this . It will be interesting to see how many players are there for the travelling expenses or there for the club. I know this seems tough to accept for the players , but no individuals are bigger than the club . If the custodians of the club have to make tough decisions to secure the future of Parkway , then so be it .Spending money on upgrading the ground and facilities for longer term gain has to be the priority .We need to develop revenue streams and move away from a reliance on benefactors . The history of football in Devon and Cornwall is littered with clubs who have hit the wall because of spending like there is no tomorrow , I do not want Parkway to be one of these . If players do not want to be here , then let them go . There are plenty more who will come in and replace them . I would rather have a struggling team based around promising and willing Plymouth players ( felt for a while that we should tap into the decent sixteen,seventeen and eighteen year olds that are curently playing in the DJM) than no team at all .

Parkway look to have taken over from Blazey as the leagues crisis club , where are you DanBlazey ?

A hearty endorsement from Mike Sampson last night for the Bolitho Park pasty . :mellow:

Pretty poor game tonight . Looked to be heading for a goalless draw ( we were racking our brains to think of the last time that had even happened in the Peninsula League ) until Shane Krac clattered into the Bovey player late on for the penalty . Improvement on last Saturday , but a lot of players are suffering from a complete lack of form and confidence and were also probably a bit unsure of what they were meant to be doing within last nights reshuffled formation . Not as much infighting and moaning last night, but it felt like it would not take much for the side to fall to pieces . Not going to single out individuals , but Shane Krac put in a big effort in trying to carry the whole team . Him giving away the penalty was partly due to him trying to be everywhere and do everything . Bovey celebrated like they had won a cup at the final whistle , we left the ground wondering how many of this Parkway side will be at Witheridge next Saturday .

This happens in rugby union , perhaps it's about time this was brought in by the FA . Bodmin Town just seem to be happy being big fish in a small pond .

I would disagree with the comment about Parkway being a pub team . Pub teams are usually a group of mates who play because they enjoy the game and each others company . Not seen much evidence of that for a while now . ( Get fit soon Lee Doel . You are really missed ).

Blimey ! From this picture you would think that they had won the league, not just a match ! ( Wistfully gazes at the sky , says to himself, " winning matches, I remember when Parkway used to do that .") :unsure:

They say you find out about people when the going is tough . Parkway have only won one game out of the last six ( and that was a narrow win over the Marines), Bovey stuffed Ivybridge yesterday,all the rumours of player unrest that keep coming thick and fast, I have not got a confident feeling for Friday night . Time for one or two others besides Shane Krac to step up .

Liskeard 3 Parkway 0 ( Parkway finish with 9 men . Marc Bonney and Sam Chitty sent off ) Good win for Liskeard . Third time i've seen them this season and have been impressed each time . They appear well organised and pacey with a good game plan . The first two goals had big questions against them for offside , but Liskeard were worthy winners . Not they hard to work too hard for a win against a Parkway side that were totally flat ,disharmonious ,tactically bereft and prone to comedy lapses of defending right from the off from players that appear to have mentally clocked out for the season. During the entire 90 minutes we produced a grand total of one effort on target . If we put as much effort into playing football as we do arguing with each other and referee then we would be fine . As it is though the season seems to disppearing down the drain . Shane Krac worked damned hard and tried to carry the side , as for the rest ( excepting Will Stringer who is still working his way back ) the least said the better .

People talk a lot about the best young talent around in the league , but who are the best veterans ? I'm talking about the guys who have been there , seen it and done it , but still put the performances in week after week . The two guys who springs to mind for me are Kevin Miller and Roger Bonaparte .

Must admit to being a bit worried about the way the season seems to be going at Parkway . Back in August I really had high hopes that , with the quality of players we brought in , we would push on from last season . Hasn't quite worked out like this ,indeed I'm not sure where we would be without Glyn Hobbs' goals . When you consider that we still have to play Buckland,Bodmin,Falmouth and Launceston both home and away , I am not overly confident of even finishing in the top half .

Postpone the second team game in this eventuality . The second team should only exist to feed the first team .

Sounds like common sense may have broken out . Congratulations to all parties involved in taking all factors into consideration, and doing what is necessary to get this match played .

Not any more Dan , In 1974 ( or thereabouts) the FA pretty much abolished the terms " professional" and "amateur" and reclassified everybody as "players". Previous to this leagues such as the Southern League were deemed to be professional and the Isthmian League as amateur . A footballer could move from amateur to professional , but if they wished to move back they would have to serve a suspension period in order to regain their amateur status . As you would imagine , this was pretty hard to enforce . It would appear now that we have a system of players for larger non-league clubs being employed on a contract basis in which they are retained for a specified basis with documented renumeration , and non-contract players at lower levels who are supposedly paid on an expenses only basis , but in reality are on ( in some cases ) a whole lot more . Everybody knows this , but try to speak in lowered voices when they think the inland revenue may be listening . In some ways , not a great step forward on what we had pre-1974 .

Not sure why this is regarded as a stupid topic . Surely this is a public forum and , providing you stick within levels of decency and general consideration to others, there is no such thing as a stupid tonic . Don't like it . Don't reply to it . I am always interested in hearing about players at other clubs who are highly rated , but that I don't know about . From my club ( Parkway) one player stands out , Glyn Hobbs . Has got ability by the truckload . Should be playing at a much higher level . Weren't people like Les Ferdinand,Cyrille Regis and Ian Wright picked up big clubs ( and went on to international careers ) after playing non-league football into their early twenties ?

Was there not a lot of initial opposition when Rugby League moved to the summer months ? I am not in favour personally of moving to the summer . I do though think that things like more midweek fixtures in the early months of the season , moving all cups involving senior leagues to midweek only and even a break of few weeks in January to allow pitches to recover are all things to consider .

Unfortunately in these times of austerity , if someone offers a player an extra ten or twenty pounds a week , then they probably have to take it . You don't know their financial circumstances ( they could have been laid off or suffered a pay freeze ) . I heard of an example of a player ( who I will not name) several years ago . He was very happy playing for this current club , but received an offer of substantially more money from a club lower down the pyramid . He did not wish to leave , but had to as he had recently laid off and had a wife and young kids to support

Think you have answered your own question "ALTHOUGH WITH THE RAIN FALLING WE ARE NOW PROBABLY INTO A WATERLOGGED PITCH SCENARIO" Point taken . What is was trying to say though is that the officials possibly could have waited an hour or two , or re-inspected later in the day based on the likelihood of improving temperatures and changing conditions . While rain was forecast , I don't think the length and severity of the rainfall was expected . I just think that sometimes ,with a bit more flexibilty from all parties , more matches could be played .