Player Turnover  9/4/99

After recent games it now appears that we are on the verge of promotion to the football league, however if the club is to make a serious impact then changes in playing staff will have to occur.  Below is my list of what players at the club will or will not be making the step up next term:
Definite:
Neil Grayson, Mark Yates, Michael Duff, Jamie Victory, Steve Book, Neil Howarth, Jason Eaton, Russell Milton, Michael Jackson, Dennis Bailey, John Brough, Richard Walker, Steve Benbow and Dale Watkins.

Question Marks:
Chris Banks, Lee Howells, Ross Casey, Steve Murphy, Ryan Gannaway, Mark Freeman, Keith Knight.

Definitely not:
Dave Norton, Bob Bloomer, Clive Walker, Mark Crisp, Jimmy Smith.

I know some of these will come as a surprise to most of you, especially the question marks, most are fringe players.  I think it it likely the Archie, Boka, and Banks will be good enough, but I have rumours such as their job pays well, or they are getting to old.
With regards the ones who definitely won't be able to make the jump, these are all players (Smith apart) who have retired from professional football and hence will not be able to return.  I think it is widely known that Jimmy Smith will leave in the summer, he has been a great servant and it will be sad to see him join the scum, but I don't think he has the physical presence to trouble the Third Division defenders.

Where do I start, sometimes I wonder why our crowds are still fairly low and we get some trouble attracting people to Whaddon Road, then I look at the local Media.  Firstly Radio Gloucestershire, what a Joke, is being kind.  Its main presentor is some guy called Phelps, a Glaarseter city supporter!  The guy not only is incapable of doing is job, his allegiance affects his judge by astronomical proportions.  All he can do is moan about us and Forest Green, how jealous those Gloucester folk are.  As I go to most games I rarely get the pleasure of listening to it, but from what I have been told, its commentators are often clueless and don't even know the names of some players.  This Saturday, the Robins had a major game in the trophy against Emley, but they chose to commentate on the FGR game, surely all the Rovers fans would have been at the game?  Wouldn't the Town game have attracted a larger amount of listeners especially considering that there were restrictions on the amounts that could travel?  Come on CAT Fm, get your act together cover the Robins games and you will attract alot more listeners!

Moving on I am getting sick of the Pink Un, which is slightly better than radio Gloucester, err... I mean Gloucestershire, but is still considerably biased.  Why do all the Gloucester supporters (especially) Steve Lammimam focus on the Robins instead of their own team.  They still claim to be the biggest team in the county, which is utter trash considering that FGR attract double their crowds, and we average three times that of Rovers.  Why also is the Tigers page before ours and FGR's?  Surely the biggest two teams should be first?  However saying this it must be said that our reports are more extensive than the Tigers.

Today I had an interesting chat about why Cheltenham should be the centre of the region, with someone who has recently moved to the area, this conversation was started by him and it was mainly him who suggested that Cheltenham should be the centre of the shire.  Gloucester other than the Barnwood business Park (where the webmaster used to work) is dying on its knees, Cheltenham has a more commercial business base, a much better shopping centre and generally a better standard of living, what has Gloucester got what Cheltenham hasn't?  Only a rugby club comes to mind, and I am sure those Cheltonians who are interested in rugby, for which to my knowledge there are few, travel to Kingsholm.  So why do the Tigers fans feel so jealous? Well thats obvious, why do the act so childish?  Well thats beyond me......