Roger Federer – Is this the end?

A gentleman both on and off the court and one of the greatest Tennis players of all time, if not the greatest.

Roger and Stakhovsky at the end of the match.

The defending Champion at Wimbledon lost to unknown Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-5, 7-6 (7-5). This was the first time that the 27 year old had beaten a top ten player and what a player to beat! Ranked 116 in the World rankings, Sergiy was at odds of 80/1 to beat Federer before the start of play!

Along with Rafael Nadal's first round loss to Belgian Steve Darcis on the first day of the Championship, it was one of the greatest shocks in Wimbledon history. It brings the curtain down on a remarkable run that Roger was on in the sport's four majors. The Swiss had previously made it to an impressive 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals, a record dating back to the French Open in 2004, which he lost in the third round to Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten. It was his earliest exit at the All England Club since 2002, when he lost in the first round to Mario Ancic. It's a sad time for all the RF fans out there.

It was Roger's first defeat by a player ranked outside the top 100 since losing to Richard Gasquet at Monte Carlo in 2005 (Back then, Gasquet was ranked 101st in the world!) It was also the earliest defeat for a defending Wimbledon men's singles champion since 2003 when Lleyton Hewitt lost to Ivo Karlovic in the first round.

Federer picks up another Wimbledon crown...

With only two Grand Slam titles to his name since the beginning of 2010, the end of his remarkable run and the fact that he does not really have time on his side as he has a wife and 2 young children to support, people in the World of Tennis are beginning to wonder whether this is the end. Will he win an eighth Wimbledon crown? Will he even win another Grand Slam? Only time will tell.

Boris Becker and Tim Henman both believe it could be 'the end of an era'. The problem with making bold predictions like that is that we all know Roger can turn on the style in an instant. For whatever reason, and only he knows, he wasn't able to do that against Sergiy. The quality of Sergiy's first serve was a major advantage in his success. He was only broken once in the entire match! The Ukrainian played the game of his life, nothing troubled him after he lost the first set. He continued playing in the same fashion and it reaped rewards. Roger didn't play too badly, he was just beaten by the better player on the day and he can't have any complaints.

Federer in action.

On his day, Roger can still compete with, and beat the best; Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal to name a few. A short blip in form has seen everybody question his abilities and whether he is good enough any more. It's like questioning whether Phil Taylor can still play Darts! It's something you think about for a split second and then think "No... This man has class." Roger's record at Grand Slam level speaks for itself. It's incredible. He has played in 295 Grand Slam matches, winning 256 of them - a win percentage of 86.78%.

I feel it would be incredibly ridiculous to write the bloke off. His run was always going to come to an end and shocks do occasionally happen in Grand Slam Tennis! It will take time to settle in but let's see how he bounces back from this at Flushing Meadows in August. At 31 years of age, I believe Roger has a few years left in the tank and he can certainly win another Slam. He needs to put a lot of time and effort into it, to achieve what he wants to achieve.

No matter what happens, he will always be classed as a legend to the sport.

Written by Joe Glidewell and Liam Kelly. 

@JoeGlidewell & @Liamswfc92

David Rutnam's Fleet experiences

‘Dad, dad can we go and watch a Premiership match?’ my then 5 and 7 year sons Robbie and Tom asked me approaching 10 years ago.

‘Hold on’ I reply. ‘It is difficult to get tickets, they are expensive and how do I even know you will be able to sit through a whole match without getting bored?’

I say ‘let’s go and watch Gravesend & Northfleet play and if we enjoy that, then we will see about going to watch a Premiership match’.

So we went along to Stonebridge Road one Saturday to see what we thought about football about ten years ago. I am afraid I can’t remember who the match was against, but it was a lovely sunny day and the Fleet won 5 or 6 nil. Frankly we haven’t got close to doing so well at any time I can think of since!

We came several times afterwards and we all really enjoyed it. As a parent I was completely relaxed that the boys were not going to get crushed to death by the crowd, as if! They could go off and get a drink and a bite to eat by themselves without any worries. The boys enjoyed singing along, stamping their feet in the Plough End stand and the football was always enjoyable.

We did go to a few Premiership matches sometime later. Southampton vs Newcastle was the first but we also took in Crystal Palace and then Arsenal. However we found that it was always best to watch our team, The Fleet and what started as an occasional outing became a love affair and obsession. Sorry Millwall, but I have moved on.

The boys don’t tend to come very often on Saturdays nowadays because they go off with their mates looking for female company. When they get to my age they will find that a different intention is a very good reason to come to football. Though to be fair Stonebridge Road is far from an all male environment and it is all the better for that.

There are lots of reasons why watching the Fleet is such good fun. Win, lose or draw. One is that from the final whistle to my front door is 15 minutes. Last time I went to Wembley, we hadn’t even made it to the station after an hour and it took a further hour and half from then to get home. Wherever I go, I always compare the experience with that of going to SBR. SBR always wins and I have been lucky enough to get to some pretty special places from time to time. For example I was in a box at Royal Ascot watching the Queen arrive in her carriage in summer. I told my wife quietly that this was good but I would still rather be at SBR. You don’t have to wear a top hat either to watch The Fleet!

Three Memorable Matches

Number one has to be the FA Trophy semi-final at Aldershot. It is a day and a game etched on my mind. I watch the DVD now and again and all the tension and excitement comes back to me every time. I was trying to keep Robbie and Tom informed as to how long there was to go and then about 100 people kept asking me for updates every 30 seconds or so. It was like I was the only person with a watch, but the problem was I wasn’t really sure at what time the second half started, so I was largely guessing. Still when our goal went in it was just fantastic. Everyone was cheering, crying and hugging each other. The final whistle went and the players came straight over to us. What a day!

Number two was the game away at Chelmsford City in 2010/11. This match was delayed because the pitch was very wet. The ref kept bouncing a ball to test whether it was too waterlogged and I remember Liam got very cross with him. Anyway it eventually kicked off and we were very soon two nil down and hoping it might start raining! Derek Duncan pulled one back from a free kick and then in the second half we got a penalty to equalise and one of their players was sent off. The pitch had a running track around it, but we were able to stand in little tin stands behind each of the goals that held about 100 people. Pretty rubbish really but it did mean we were very close the action. When we scored our third goal was atmosphere in our stand was just awesome. Really rocking, literally. We knew then that we should get into the play-offs and of course we did.

I loved the play off final at Farnborough and can bore about that game for hours. However for my third game, I am choosing when we went away to Hampton and Richmond in 2010/11. That game summed up that season and also what a great community The Fleet is. It was a Tuesday night and I got the train from London to Hampton. The pitch was like a park and one side had trees down it. There were so few people there and so little noise you could hear the birds singing in the trees. I think they must have thought dawn was coming with the floodlights on! Then a home fan walked in with his dog on a lead. Crazy. Who takes a dog to a football match?

Anyway we won 4-2 and for the 80 odd travelling fans it was a good occasion if not a rather underwhelming one. The only reason I could go was because I asked through the Forum if anyone could give me a lift home. I actually got several offers from people who didn’t know me and I think that was pretty special. In the end, I came back in Ian D’s car with four other Fleet fans. A somewhat cramped journey it has to be said, but we had won so no one minded.

Written by David Rutnam. 

Wembley, Farnborough, Aldershot, Bedford, Villa, etc. No matter where or when, send us your Fleet experiences! 

Under the spotlight with... Billy Bricknell!

Bricknell and Peter Varney

Last week I caught up with Craig Stone who has made his switch from Ebbsfleet United to Dover Athletic.This week I managed to speak with somebody who has gone in the opposite direction; striker Billy Bricknell! After partying in Vegas, Billy took the time out to answer some questions I had for him.

What was your first footballing memory?

Playing football in the garden with my dad.

You're the manager of a 5-a-side Football team and you have to choose one player from each of the top five (English) League's. Who do you pick?

Aaron O'connor - Newport County (Conference)

Jaques Maghoma - Burton Albion (League Two)

Wes Foderingham – Swindon (League One)

Dwight Gayle – Peterborough (Championship)

Wayne Rooney – Manchester United (Premiership)

All based on last season's League structure...

Favourite: Food, Artist/Band, Holiday destination and Sport other than Football?

Food - Nandos

Artist - Drake / Lil Wayne

Holiday - Las Vegas

Sport - Just Football!

Who are your best mates in Football?

Ricky Modeste , Daryl McMahon, Danny Webb.. speak to them most days!

You've hit double figures in the last two seasons, are you confident of reaching that again this coming season?

100% yes!

Who is the biggest influence in your life?

Dad. Always made sure I had a football at my feet.

What do you do outside of Football?

Spend time with the missus, family and friends.

You've spent the last two seasons at Dover Athletic. How do you look back on your time there, and what's your opinion on the Club?

I had a good first season there and the second one started quite well up until the change of management...

Overall I'd say the club is a good club, and I met some great people in my time there and I wish them all the best.

What is the most memorable goal you've scored?

I like all the goals I score but if one sticks out it was pre season playing for Leyton FC... I scored a 35 yard volley and it stuck in the top corner!

What attracted you to Ebbsfleet United?

Steve Brown and the ambition he and the club showed me, it was a no brainer!

What are your personal aims for the coming season, and what do you think the Club should be aiming for? What do you think would constitute as a 'good season' for the Fleet?

Personal - Top goal scorer

Team - Promotion

What is the best advice you've received in your career?

Always put it in and work hard - dad!

What are you most looking forward to next season?

Scoring goals , winning games , playing in front of a big crowd and getting promoted

Who are some of the best players you have played with and against?

With - Gary Hooper

Against - Theo Walcott

What is the best match you've played in?

Tough one.. I couldn't call it.

If you wasn't playing Football, what would you be doing?

Another tough one... I really don't know!

Do you have any regrets in your career so far?

Maybe taking opportunities I was given when I was 19/20

Under the spotlight with... Craig Stone!

Craig Stone ended his five year on and off spell with Ebbsfleet United this month as he joined Conference South rivals Dover Athletic. Craig didn't hang around to see if the new management at Stonebridge Road wanted him to stay or not. He was delighted to sign up at Crabble. The midfielder who adapted to play right back has been through it all with the Fleet; A broken leg, promotion, and relegation. Stone made over 100 appearances for the Fleet and will be fondly remembered by all fans. He joins Chris Kinnear at Dover as he looks to rebuild his side that has been torn apart this pre-season. Stone has recently been joined by former Brentford and Ebbsfleet team-mate Nathan Elder. 

I caught up with Craig this week, and he was happy to answer some questions that I had for him. 

What was your first footballing memory? My first football memory was when I was about 8 and I was playing for Cobham Colts and I scored for my team from the half way line! I still have the video of that now.

Who are your friends in football? I have a few friends in football. I have of course gained a lot of friends since I have been at Ebbsfleet. There are a few lads I have played in the same team as for the past 4 seasons that I class as friends. Andy Pugh is another good friend of mine that I grew up with in Gillinghams youth team that I still speak to regularly. There are numerous players however that I still speak to every so often.

Originally a midfielder, now playing right back, what position do you feel brings the best out of you? I am happy and comfortable in playing both Right back and Centre midfield. I feel I can do a good job in either. It is where the manager at the time wants to play me.

If you wasn't playing football, what would you be doing? If I wasn't currently playing football I would likely still be doing what I am doing now and that is PE teaching.

What is the best match you have played in? The best match I have played in I would have to say is the promotion (Farnborough 2-4 Ebbsfleet) final for various reasons.

Favourite: Holiday destination, Sport other than football, and food? My favourite holiday destination is Turkey. My favourite food is something spicy. My favourite sport other than football is Gymnastics as my little girl is very talented at this so it gets me involved a lot in it.

What is the best advice you've recieved and who was it from? The best advice I was given was don't treat football as if its the only thing in the world. Be relaxed.

What was your reaction when you'd heard the news of Liam Daish leaving the Fleet? When Liam Daish got the sack, I was surprised but not shocked as with new takeovers brings new changes and the first thing someone coming in new to the club would change is the manager. The gaffer as I was had also been there a very long time so I could sense that things were going to change.

Who do you feel has been the biggest influence in your life? Many members of my family are the biggest influence on my life for various reasons of course. Liam Daish has been one of the biggest influences on my career along with my family also.

You left Stonebridge Road after being there on and off for five years. Was it a tough decision or one that you was thinking about since the season ended? It is always a tough decision leaving a club you had been at for so long. However I did make my mind up pretty quickly as I didn't feel wanted at all by the new owners of the club which was fair enough. Dover were extremely keen and that is what made the decision a lot easier for me.

On that move; Dover Athletic. What are your opinions on them as a Club, and how do you think you'll fare in the coming season? Dover are a massive non league club. In my opinion a club that should be in the Premier and I am very happy and very much looking forward to playing there next season. It is still local to me and a local club I want to have success at. I am very confident we will be successful at Dover too. With Chris there, who is a winner and knows everything you need to know about non league I think we will do very well.

What are you most looking forward to about the new season? I am most looking forward to playing for a new club, seeing new faces, playing under a different management team, arriving and training at different places. Generally the things that come with playing for a new club.

Finally, sum up your career so far in one word. How I would sum my career up so far would be 'steady'.

A big thank you to Craig for contributing to my Blog, and we wish him all the very best with his new club... Except when he plays against the Fleet, of course! 

Fleet Fan File; Ed Miller

The Fleet Fan Files are back, and this week I caught up with long-time Fleet fan and webmaster, Ed Miller! 

 

Name: Ed Miller
From: Gravesend
Time supporting the 'Fleet: 25 years

Do you remember your first game? Who was it against, and what was the score? I went with my dad in 1980 or 81, it was 1-1 v Stafford in the Alliance Premier League but I was only seven and didn't take much notice. What I count as my first real proper game, where I sat with my uncle right behind the directors box, was a 3-0 win over then promotion rivals Bury Town in 1988.

You're a regular 'Fleet fan. What was the 'hook' for you? Success, pure and simple. I decided to go after my uncle had been badgering me for years and Fleet were second in the league. I got the promotion bug almost instantly and that season we were runners-up in the Southern Division and knocked out what were then non-league giants Barnet and Kettering in the Trophy. That's the sort of thing that hooks you in and I've never lost the bug since.

Who is your favourite 'Fleet player that you've seen play, and why? Steve Portway was astonishing. He wouldn't just score in nearly every game, he'd score twice or three times regularly. After years of being very mediocre as a club, the Portway years were really exciting and we got a lot of publicity through his goalscoring exploits as well.

What are your top three 'Fleet games? Aldershot in the Trophy semi-final. Absolute mayhem in the last minute, probably the most euphoric I have ever felt at football.

2.158 Fleet fans watch on as West's header loops over the keepers head.

The Farnborough play-off final. Fleet were immense for 87 minutes, scored some excellent goals, and then it looked like we'd mess it all up in the final three, only for a last-minute goal - the full gamut of emotions. It was all the more precious as we had a great turnout and I really never expected us to be back in the Conference Premier for years, let alone at the first attempt.

Although I should probably put the Wembley final or Aston Villa as my third, I really enjoyed the 3-0 replay win over Cinderford in 1995 that meant we got through to the Villa game. There was some great singing and fantastic celebrations that night.

And your worst three? Have you got all day?! My worst games are usually FA Cup defeats, the sort of games that make you angry. So they'd probably be:

Sammy Moore grabs a 121st minute winner...

The sickener at home to AFC Wimbledon where they equalised in the last minute of normal time, then scored the winner in the last minute of extra time - really deflating.

The Bromley defeat a few years back where they won 3-0 - we were going badly in the league, and this was even worse. A truly diabolical performance. [For those who may not remember, this was in the middle of the abysmal eight games without a goal record for the Fleet]

And take any of our other recent FA Cup defeats as the third - losing 1-0 at Chelmsford, 3-2 at Hornchurch, or going down in the last minute against Notts County. Fortunately I missed the [2-0] defeat at Redbridge.

Your favourite 'Fleet goal. Where, when and why? Michael Bostwick at Aldershot in the FA Trophy for the reasons above. Short of a goal to win the league, I don't think I'll see a strike as important as that while under the pressure we were again. 

What is the best ground you've been to supporting the 'Fleet? Aside from the obvious ones of Villa Park and Wembley, probably Reading when we played there against Farnborough in the late 90s. Though there was more atmosphere on the moon.

And the worst? I've been to some real dumps in my early years. Ruislip springs to mind, I recall Burnham as being a field with a rope and a bus shelter and Hednesford in 1995 just seemed to be built entirely of mud and rubble.

Outside of the 'Fleet, what's the best match you've been to? A bit topical, but probably the play-off final that Steve Brown [now the Fleet manager] played in for Charlton v Sunderland that ended up 4-4 in 1998. I didn't even want to go, but got dragged along, and it was a great game. Another that sticks long in my memory is Ireland's 1-0 win over Holland in 2001 in Dublin. I was over visiting my cousins and got tickets - the win meant Ireland were more or less sure of making the World Cup play-offs and the celebrations were something else.

Last season was one of the worst in recent seasons, what are you most looking forward to next season? Football. Pure and simple. No arguments about ownership, no worries about limping along to the end of the season, no buckets, no more MyFC-related bickering on the forums.

Under new ownership and with some excellent signings under our belt, what are your initial expectations for next season? I think all Fleet fans know how close we came to oblivion and we're realistic that this league is tough. Plenty of clubs have spent heavily and not got promotion, so in theory a top eight placing wouldn't be a disaster. But of course in practice, with the players we've got and still more to come, you're looking at least at play-offs. So while realistic, I'd have to admit to a twinge of disappointment if we weren't up there.

Finally, name your 'Fleet XI from players you've seen play:

GK: Preston Edwards

RB: Lee Protheroe

CB: Ross Smith

CB: Darius Charles

LB: Paul Hennessy

RM: Mark Bentley

CM: Michael Bostwick

CM: Stacy Long

LM: Jimmy Jackson

CF: Steve Portway

CF: Charlie MacDonald