Fixtures : Fri Nov 11, 2022 3:03 pm  

1st round of fixtures due to be released at noon on Saturday and the rest on Sunday at 5pm

Re: Fixtures : Fri Nov 11, 2022 3:51 pm  

Lefevbre wrote:

1st round of fixtures due to be released at noon on Saturday and the rest on Sunday at 5pm

Here’s hoping it’s not Toulouse at home first match. Need to get this season off to a satisfactory start. Get the crowds in. Having said that what would be a good first home game. Not easy is it?

Re: Fixtures : Sat Nov 12, 2022 8:12 am  

If nothing else, we should find out how long we won't have access to PL for in the summer.

Hoping for Toulouse away in June or July.

Re: Fixtures : Sun Nov 13, 2022 5:25 pm  

Easter in Toulouse then.

No home games in June!! At least that shouldn't be school holidays.

Re: Fixtures : Sun Nov 13, 2022 7:04 pm  

I guess that's the best that could be expected. 6 weekends unavailable for pitch maintenance. That is the same as planned last year. The Friday match in May has moved to Saturday. Two home matches then planned for the first two Sunday's in July as per last season, but both of those got moved to Ebbsfleet. You'd hope AFC Wimbledon have given assurances this time the pitch will be available.

Last year was the first full season for the pitch and I think the biggest issue was the lack of light on the pitch in the winter months due to the high West Stand and the high flats behind the South Stand. They have portable lighting rig, although I understand they really need another one. Lessons should have been learnt and I think if either of those July fixtures get moved, it what be reasonable that there was a penalty clause against the football club.

Last season the pitch was unavailable for any use for 8 weekends. The 6 unavailable weekends this year should not be allowed to increase.

The fixtures have probably been set-up as well as possible considering the (home) season has been split into two. Only five home matches in the February through June period. Then eight in July, August, September.

After the really poor start on the pitch last year which really didn't help attendances, this does give the club the space to have the team competitive by July (although if it were a mess in the previous five months it doesn't help particularly). Needs to be tuning rather than what happened last year. Does give the opportunity to get locals attending regularly in three of the better months of the year. The target does need to be primarily locals rather than AFC Wimbledon supporters. The percentage of those supporters living close enough to make the effort appears to be surprisingly small.

Re: Fixtures : Sun Nov 13, 2022 8:07 pm  

I assume that the Broncos decision makers were aware that every year just when the weather improves and there is less competition from football we would not be able to play at home for several weeks. To put it another way there would be a black hole in our season. However if one didn’t know better one would assume they have been completed blind sided by this because it is an absolutely crackers way to go about our business. No blame apportioned to Dons here but it does seem to make the concept of renting a football ground to play out of very, very iffy. As you mention on top of this are the ‘home’ games played in Kent that the club will seek to badge as a positive. On top of this Barrow is on a Saturday and Toulouse as well.

Re: Fixtures : Sun Nov 13, 2022 8:21 pm  

I see we're not scheduled to be on TV again until The Bash......it's as if the club and the RFL don't give a toss about the game outside the heartlands

Re: Fixtures : Sun Nov 13, 2022 8:37 pm  

4 home games in first 3 months of the season. 8 in the last! Bizarre way to build momentum and gates. Going to be difficult again.

Re: Fixtures : Sun Nov 13, 2022 8:50 pm  

will anybody be going to York seeing we will have 50 put on us by Tolouse?

Also why are we playing Tolouse, that honor should go to Batley or Fev

Re: Fixtures : Sun Nov 13, 2022 9:27 pm  

Big Time. Appreciate you spotting the Toulouse home game was on a Saturday. Had already entered it in my calendar for Sunday. I guess many would suggest I'd be better off turning up a day late for that particular match!

On the topic of Toulouse and how good they will be. Is Calum Gahan really good enough to get any meaningful game time there next year? I wasn't overly impressed with him last year and wouldn't see him in the starting thirteen of who London have already signed for next year. A few more decent signings and he wouldn't have made my starting day match squad. Am I being harsh, was he better than I thought?. Is he just going to provide Toulouse (deep) depth for injuries perhaps?

Rugby League (to me) can suffer with the difference in quality between two teams (the current World Cup has shown that with a few exceptions). I was almost scared to go to the Leigh home match because of that. But actually I enjoyed that game more than the dross early season at home to Whitehaven. Because London put on a good performance against a vastly superior team. So I will if not busy, go to the Toulouse home match even if a stuffing is likely.