Rushall Fan In Peace

Hi guys just wanted to say hello and wish you guys luck for this season 2012-2013.

I am making my first trip to Redditch this weekend and I am very much looking forward to it.

I was wondering,

how do you guys think you will fair this year?

How has your pre-season gone?

Are you happy with the calibre of signings you have made?

We had a very good first season in the NPL finishing a fantastic 8th, this season will be tougher in my opinion but the gaffer has made some shrewd signings, so we shall see. I have created a Rushall Olympic fans forum,its never gonna be huge as we are a small village club but its just there for the fans to chew the fat. Please take a look if you don't mind and register if you like, to say hi.

rushallolympicfans.proboards.com

Hi Olympian..thanks for your post.

RUFC has been in turmoil over the last 2/3 seasons.
This was the result of trying to compete in the BSN without any financial infrastructure in place...you need upwards of 300k per season to be anywhere near competitive and we hung on each year by default (others demise) or by last minute deals that we could not afford.

This put the club in debt upwards of 150k and within hours of liquidation and closure.

Since then, new owners have paid all debts (with help and support of creditors) and we have stabilized the off-field activities and despite turmoil last season on the pitch...have settled into our natural level, IMO.

We have a new/old manager with experience around this league and he has brought experience around him in various roles.

Removing the pre-season emotion and optimism...mid table would be a great result for the Reds come April.
Anything else would be a massive acheivement but again, we still do not have the right financial infrastructure needed to compete at any higher level.

Good luck with your season and I hope that has given you some insight to all things RUFC.

Very interesting to hear.

I was completely naive to the costs that are involved with competing and just existing in the Blue Square Leagues. Amazing sums of money to me.

We are a small club, but ambitious too, but that has shocked me with what is required if you want to go forward.

We finished in 8th place in our first season at this level, we had some great games and great results, beating FCUM in front of 1100 at Dales Lane (granted most were walsall/brummie mancs lol). Chester fc won the league and they had a ridiculous budget which led to an unfair playing field but there you go...

This season we have to try to avoid Chasetown's fate with the old second season syndrome, if we get a top 10 finish it will be a better acheivement than last season IMO. It's going to be difficult but we have made some decent additions including someone you know, Lei Brown.

Looking forward to the game on Saturday, hope I can get a beer!!!!

Welcome fella. As BM has said we were in the until Mr Swan took over the club and it has taken a season for things to settle down. I have more of a hope that we can compete at the top end of the league this season and we have signed some decent experience for this level with Mark Danks, Asa Charlton, Craig Wilding, Liam McDonald etc but we are short of a goalscorer similar to Dave Walker to play with Danksey who you have signed.

Lei Brown is a good footballer but what lets him down is his attitude sometimes where he loses his head. If he can get that right he could be a top footballer.

Rushall have always had a bit of money with Allen putting it in and you must be in a similar situation where it is costing you a fair whack in the Gluestick Northern Prem? Is Lord Lucan Spittle still with you? Hendesford have again assembled a good side and they should be up the northern reaches of the league.

Agreed you have a battle not to do a Chasetown, they were snookered last season as soon as Charlie moved aside for Brindley.

You will also be ok for a beer or 10 tomorrow and it seems as if the club have relaxed the rules to allow plastic glasses out around the ground. Hope you enjoy your visit.

I'd be happy finishing between 9th and 13th... happy midtable, hope there aren't any major changes in the squad by the end of next season and we can build properly, but i think we'll do alright!

I think pre season has gone well, playing some nice football, beating the teams we're expected to beat, and losing to those we're not expected to beat. Hopefully the manager has a rough idea of his squad, and if niall cooper starts in goal, you'll beat us

Well a hard fought win against you guys Saturday, nice ground you guys have, proper loving the old skool terraces!

As for the game, I thought we were the better side, we moved the ball around nicely and did not resort to long ball hoof tactics that we employed too much last year. On the flip side we caused our own problems as we normally do, balls over the top (slowish defenders) and giving away silly free kicks, but alas I am relieved that many who featured in the second period will not be in our starting X1 come Whitby Town on the 18th.

I was very impressed by your centre half who was dominant and won everything in the air, plus Mcdonald impressed in the middle of the park, with a decent striker you might have got a goal to 2!

Your Burgers and Chips were top drawer, which is important to me , as some places are proper rank when it comes to grub.

All in all I had a very enjoyable first visit to the Valley, all the best to Redditch for the new season.

TheOlympian wrote:Well a hard fought win against you guys Saturday, nice ground you guys have, proper loving the old skool terraces!

As for the game, I thought we were the better side, we moved the ball around nicely and did not resort to long ball hoof tactics that we employed too much last year. On the flip side we caused our own problems as we normally do, balls over the top (slowish defenders) and giving away silly free kicks, but alas I am relieved that many who featured in the second period will not be in our starting X1 come Whitby Town on the 18th.

I was very impressed by your centre half who was dominant and won everything in the air, plus Mcdonald impressed in the middle of the park, with a decent striker you might have got a goal to 2!

Your Burgers and Chips were top drawer, which is important to me , as some places are proper rank when it comes to grub.

All in all I had a very enjoyable first visit to the Valley, all the best to Redditch for the new season.

Glad you enjoyed your trip down to The Valley fella, it has improved over the last year with a lick of paint, improvements to the pitch (albeit the weather has not helped this summer!) and the clubhouse has also had some work done to it. All in all a much better place and testament to the new owners and staff at the club.

Can't really argue with what you said about the game other than you played well for the majority of the 1st half but stopped playing and we came back into it. The left winger was a tricky player and if used more could really cause more problems. We were short of a number of players Saturday but we were better defensively than the previous 2 games.

We are short of a centre forward to play with Mark Danks.

You look like you have a bit of a problem with the number 4, seems to think he is a superstar, his language is horrendous and seems to enjoy arguing with his keeper, fellow players, officials and opposition non stop!

Good luck for the season.

Think you are referring to the white lad Mitchell Tolley, he is a good player and was the subject of some transfer talk, with Hednesford and Leamington, but decided to stay with us.

We just need defenders with a bit of pace really, that would help as I fear it wont be rocket science to find our weakness next term.

Lord Lucan Spittle and Mitchell Tolley will, i assume be our starting pair at the back.