Happy Honeymoons Heggers

Nick Hegley, probably our best player, shouldn't have been available for our games over the festive period. He was due to go on honeymoon. Thankfully, for us, he can't go, due to the weather. At least, that's the scoop in this week's Your Medway;

http://www.yourmedway.co.uk/p_143/Article/a_10076/Foley_not_concerned_by_blunt_Chatham_attack

Nice to end an article on a light hearted positive. Its the first thing I thought to mention. Of course, there's no need to mention the fact that scoring just 18 goals in 19 games this season, and that we've won just twice in the last eleven league games. Oh, there is need to mention it - its the bulk of the article.

Paul Foley says he's not worried. We've got Billy Shinners and Leroy Huggins. Have to agree, to an extent, but its been obvious that the frontline is a problem pretty much all season. Its been a while since we've had a home game, so its not fair to say too much, but I'm looking forwards to a reversal of fortunes in the second part of the season. We're as close to the play offs, on points, as we are to the foot of the table, despite being 18th. We can still turn this round. We need to settle, show some bottle and go out and start winning some games. And we need some home games to be on - money must be getting tight!

Whitehawk 4 - 1 White Road

I'd have loved to have gone yesterday. Whitehawk, also known as the roughest part of Brighton, hosted Chatham Town. I was supposed to have gone to Brighton last week, to visit a friend, and of course take in the delights of nearby Worthing. The weather did for it. And yesterday, the weather was that sort of perfect winter's day football weather - cold and sunny. Would have been perfect.



Of course, the result would have ruined it. 4-1. Not good. Whitehawk are something of a suprise package, sitting, as they do, in 3rd place. They were the first side to beat Met Police midweek. They weren't the first side to unpick us.



Another reason I'd have liked to have gone is the ground, set as it is in a natural bowl at the foot of the downs. It has a standing area built into the grass bank, adding an elevated view not generally found at this level. I'd like to say always next season, but I can see this lot going up, a la Croydon Athletic last year. Also, its rumoured they're moving out for a couple of years to ruin / redevelop the ground. Where's the money coming from? The attendance yesterday was 68. Maybe someone hopped the train from Croydon...

The result leaves Chatham 18th in the table, a comfortable 10 points off the drop, and 11 points off the play offs. We're the lowest scoring side in the league though. Goals have been a problem all season. Needs addressing really. We're at home to Chipstead next saturday, weather permitting. Its free entry for those who paid £4 in programme costs for the games in November, or £2 for everyone else. Season Ticket holders get a free pint. I don't have a season ticket, so will happily pay. Get as many along as you can next week to cheer on the Chats for a festive three points. Its been too long without football for some of us - lets just hope the game's on!

Medway Broadside

http://www.themedwaybroadside.com

See the back page for something Chatham Town related. See the rest for other stuff. Pretty good reading in places. Like a non political Schnews, its something decent to come out of Medway. Tristan Osborne likes it over on musingsfrommedway.blogspot, next up, who knows, praise from Rehman Chishti himself perhaps? His expenses make interesting reading. Wonder if he got into work this week, what with him refusing to claim for a second home. And wonder if he's really going to stick to that election promise to battle for fairer rail fares (muttered asides about the sum of his promises being a meeting with the head of SouthEastern and asking them to be nice, when really it was all down to government moving away from subsidy...)

Worthing P-P Chatham Town

Surprise of surprises, today's adventure to the south coast was called off due to the weather craze that's been sweeping the nation. I've been on an enforced absence from work this week. True it is, our firm closed on Tuesday afternoon and didn't re-open. Mustn't whinge, its bonus time off - but its all starting to get a bit The Shining, the snow only subsiding after the rainstorm last night. In fact, its true that yesterday I took Little Miss Sunshine out in the garden, and so as not to completely ruin the snow, I walked backwards in my own footprints. Kubrick would have loved it.

Its disappointing that the game was off. It was Chatham's third postponement in a week, and with another cold snap predicted, we're looking at the possibility of next weekend's game at Whitehawk also failing to beat the freeze. At best, if the game goes ahead, the side would have had an enforced three week hiatus. Will be some tired legs at the end of the ninety.

The following weekend, (18th December), sees the club's christmas present to the fans. Free entry to those with programmes from the home games in November (3 x £2 - and actually, what about the game on the 27th November that was called off??? - does the offer fall apart), or just £2 in for everyone else. We need a bit of publicity. Lordswood planned a free game this weekend, and it was on the back of the Medway News. We need to get the word out there. Sure someone's got it in hand. That'll be my next game, and I can't wait. It'll have been five weeks with no Chats, but for once, most of them weeks missing football will be due to the weather, not my malaise.

Enjoy the sludge everyone...