Finnaldo

26 minutes ago, OntarioFox said:

This is true, Hinckley got the closest but went to the wall. I guess Coalville are the best bet right now in terms of potential - Anstey is a lot of fun but their ground and location is a bit of a nightmare if they ever wanted to expand.

 

Always baffled me that Loughborough in particular have nothing bigger than Dynamo (and nah, the Uni club doesn't really count). Quorn has been their de facto club for a while I guess.

Coalville’s owner had to pull out and voluntarily relegated them three steps. On their way back up but it’s unlikely they’ll ever compete to the same level again and even then they were beginning to hit their ceiling with what they had (middling National League North). 
 

Harborough are the closest and again have a ceiling- maybe tbey could be National League Prem but that they’ve shot up multitudes faster than Coalville and their infrastructure would need a rethink ať NLN. 
 

The reality is the county doesn’t have a second town- the likes of Mansfield or Chesterfield in Derbyshire are good examples of that, Nuneaton for Warwickshire/Cov. Hinckley, Loughborough and Coalville are small to middling (market) towns that aren’t really large enough to support upper non-league teams in this day and age. Harborough May buck that trend due to its affluence but that’s a big wait and see. 

47 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

Severly cut the budget. Unknown if that's bad 

The money to even compete at step 4 is now mental, Corby are quite far off and still clearly well overspent. I don’t think supporters appreciate the cost ať that level and assume as it’s eighth tier it’s a pittance.

Nuneaton vs Hinckley tonight, interested what size crowd will turn up for it…

10 hours ago, accessory said:

Well actually, it could and it did - as MON proved previously and Ranieri, Rodgers and others have done since.

 

No mention on here about how Mandaric also drove "St Nigel" away - to Hull, of all places.. 

 

Or how he led us to our first (and hopefully only) descent to the third tier - despite having the Championship's biggest transfer budget that season.

 

Or of how only an acting masterclass by Harry Redknapp from the dock saved him and Mandaric from doing time for dodging taxes.

 

Some may cling to the myth that he was Leicester City's "saviour".

 

Others will continue to see him as a pound shop Marinakis.

 

It got better, ultimately, because of his involvement and Pearson’s work. We aren’t a club with ambitions of being anything before him, and you’re right he took us down but that was very much a drain we were circling regardless, and with significantly less resources had he not been there. We didn’t have investors scrambling to fund us at the time. 
 

That’s not to say the 07/08 wasn’t honking, but we were somewhat deceivingly decent for a relegated team as well. We were four goals off a positive goal difference  it was handled horrendously and the managerial roundabout was a joke, but we’d see the exact same with the Thais in the first couple season before Pearson’s return, granted with an even bigger budget insulating us from the real doldrums. 
 

The fact of the matter is he stuck at it rather than lose interest after relegation, something many owners fail at; and we rebuilt into a brand new Leicester City under Pearson under his ownership-he’s the one who gave him the keys initially. He’s not a ‘saviour’ and I don’t think anyone has ever accredited him as one, but he got involved when no one else was going to, ultimately made the right appointment and got us where he wanted to be- and he sold when the time was right and he couldn’t take us much further. Something his successors could have learnt from.
 

Comparisons to Marinakis is a complete leap, Mandaric was a dodgy businessman no doubt but the Greek is an outright criminal. As from what I’m aware there was very little scandal during his time here. He was a dodgy bloke and an eccentric but he communicated with supporters it didn’t affect his stewardship here, so I’m not liable to care. 

Finally: it was reported at the time that it was that Thais who wanted a ‘name’ as manager and it was their condition that Pearson went, when you look at who they’ve appointed since who weren’t internal hires that pattern has often held true and would seem very likely. 
 

Ultimately a very very flawed bloke who did right by us in the end. RIP Milan.

6 minutes ago, Bert said:

Not so much on here but I’ve just seen a video of an American going round to people asking their thoughts on it and the general gist of the video is that pretty much everyone was happy about it, don't get me wrong he's obviously targeted the “right” people for this so to speak and I also don’t agree with the person going round asking people about it because it’s an antagonising thing to do which could cause more problems. 

I can appreciate this and know those types exist but the reigning issue is that they’re American who continue to polarise and get more and more toxic everyday, there’s also a high chance this was edited to look more extreme in answers for ragebait. 
 

The biggest disservice you can do yourself immediately in the aftermath of these situations is social media. Frankly it’s an utter cancer and you’ll get the very worst in reaction as that is what’s ‘rewarded’. Being a forum with a recognised membership you can see a realistic reaction for the majority, which disagrees on the intrinsics but agrees this is abhorrent act anf shouldn’t happen. We might argue but none on here are particularly vile or encouraging of what’s happened and that’s a much more realistic reflection of the people around you than pits like Facebook and X.

Well it’s been a horribly busy three weeks personally and at Hinckley but we seem

to be coming out of it now  fantastic appointment in Ross, Adam & Chris. Already looking better organised than we have and the general application levels have improved massively. Really looking forward to where we can go with this setup

6 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

Btw English football culture must be the only place where players should be forgiven for failing. 
 

Some of these lot would swiftly exiting abroad 

Most places on the continent the captain would be pleading his case and he forced to listen directly to the supporters in fear of being chased off the pitch. 
 

It’s a British phenomenon to hold up footballers as ‘heroes’ without any of the accountability that would naturally come with that title.

37 minutes ago, stu said:

Criticism over the past year is deserved. There is no doubt about that. 
 

However, surely for 90 minutes a fan base have a duty to provide ‘support’ to players wearing their teams shirt, not to turn on them 110 minutes into the season, which is also the second league game of our new manager in his 4 weeks at the club.

 

We all know this team, for whatever reason, is mentally fragile. Like it or not, the fans that sang abuse to their own players during the first half are adding to the pressure.

 

Some players like Faes and Winks won’t care. Others will and this is where the slightest mistake will knock individuals confidence or make players try too hard rather than playing their natural game and will play a part in performances like today.

No. In fact I’d argue that these players, paid millions and bestowed some of the best modern facilities in the country to prepare in, and have in most cases had multiple seasons to prove their value and abjectly failed, owe it to supporters, who pay hundreds if not thousands to travel and attend these games and are the lifeblood of this club, to at least pretend they can be arsed. Instead they’ve handed out utter dross, why should they give them more than two and a half games of utter turgid shite when they’ve seen it all before over the last 18 months?

If they can’t handle this due to ‘mental fragility’, they should agree to terminate their contract and move on, they won’t because they don’t care about supporters or the club, and working people paying significant sums of money to see a minimum level of effort shouldn’t just put up with it. 

4 hours ago, CosbehFox said:

Questioning if to do Lutterworth Town on Saturday - hosting Chasetown. A poor place to watch footy but I honestly think they might win UCL North and they will give Chasetown a right game. 

*South 

I agree actually, inherited a close knit LR group that’s likely too good for step 5. Will go under the radar and won’t be the scalp that AP, Cov United, Nuneaton or Atherstone are so might go under the radar. Should be a great game for the neutral on paper.
 

Hoping Hinckley give it a good go against Long Eaton on Saturday, expect a rollicking but you never know in the Cup and with home advantage we can only go out there and give it our best, hopefully carry some momentum on from Monday and see another decent crowd!

I’m completely against King Power and I won’t be spending a penny at the club until they’re gone, but there seems to be a latching hope they’d sell up and we’ll immediately go up but the truth is we’re fvcked. 
 

We need a complete clearance. On the pitch, in the board room, a total restructure of the club beneath them as in its current guise it is unrecoverable. Everything Pearson built has been pulled out or rotted away and replaced with a substandard quick fix that has in almost all cases has failed utterly. If the club was a house the foundations would be rotted and it’d need pulling down before anything worthwhile could be done with the land.
 

The uncomfortable reality is we need to accept at least a couple years of Championship mediocrity. New ownership, all the right people in behind the scenes, a financial reset and begin building up the team itself when that is done and we’re on steady ground. Even with Birmingham it took relegation to get themselves in position, and that is exactly happened to us with Pearson. Assuming we’ve got too much to drop (I’m not fully convinced), it’ll be some struggling but you like to believe if  there is evidence of some vision and a plan the proper support will get behind it. KPFC loyalists will soon get bored and with their God-Hero gone hopefully they’ll slink off and take up The Hundred as is befitting.
 

Theres no quick fix, 2010s era Leicester is dead and buried so betting on being back up in a year or two will likely just exacerbate the the panicked, strategy-vacant path we’re on. The sooner proper supporters withhold their money, and the club continues inevitably on its downwards trajectory, they will have to sell up and the real work can begin in earnest.

3 hours ago, Soar Fox said:

St Andrews 2-1 up against North Kilworth 3 minutes to go and all of a sudden the floodlights fail, not for the first time this has happened. 
 

They’ve now turned the comments off on X and no sign of whether the game restarted or not. 

Some start to the season Drews are having  jeezy peeps man

1 hour ago, Gary Eatfood said:

Hinckley should’ve had all three points tonight. Bryan Kohyrelon was immense up front. Good crowd of 340 for a Monday night.

We’ll certainly take the point though!  Thought it was a great advert for the level tonight, plenty of sting in the game, AP are always a good side and we stood up and battled against them well,  in front of a good crowd with a decent atmosphere which was a massive bonus. 
 

Very affirming of my involvement tonight, we’re heading in the right direction on and off the pitch, the final piece is a ground of our own…

A very mixed start for Hinckley in the most non-league of ways, first game being a 6-0 away loss at Daventry on 26 July. 11 players out, the ones there not really turning up and Daventry wanting to make an impact first game, a very poor result to start the season.
 

Made significant improvements on the following Wednesday at Cov United away, 1-0 up in the first 10 minutes, managed the game well until our main CB came off with a groin pull, and 87th minute a Cov free kick found a free man for the equaliser, Hinckley quickly came close to regaining a league before a (pretty pointless) 40 yard shot hit our own man, bounced back to the half way line to their main striker, who’s eventual shot deflected off the defender; past the keeper and in to make it 2-1  quality, budget disparity and a hint of misfortune proving the decider but to go to a team operating well above yourself budget-wise its a gut-punch but a brave performance after such a hammering first day. 
 

Next up was the FA Cup Extra-Preliminary game against once-contenders-now-strugglers Highgate United of the MFL Prem, competitors of Hinckley in the early MFL Div 1 days and subsequently perennial step 5 promotion contenders, the money was withdrawn and they stayed up last year on the basis on reprieves. This was a pretty straightforward first win of the season for Hinckley, perhaps making it harder for themselves than it should have been with a makeshift defence, and ran out 4-2 winners with advancement to the Preliminary Round. 
 

This weekend (my first miss dye to such inconveniences as my partner’s birthday) Hinckley kept up the momentum and secured their first win away at Newport Pagnell. The 2021/22 FA Vase Winners & 2022/23 FA Vase Runners Up seemed out of character so far this season, since giving Nuneaton a tough game at home in a 1-0 loss they’ve since failed to find a victory in any competition, with another home loss, 3-1 against Chenecks, and a 5-1 thumping from Biggleswade, they were handled pretty tamely, a first minute opening goal that was reportedly ‘strangely’ disallowed made up for by an excellent Bryan Kohyrelon goal, and on the stroke of half time a penalty decision resulted in a red card for Pagnell and Hinckley doubling their lead through Chandler Pegg’s conversion. A managed second half, including a second booking and therefore second sending off for Pagnell, saw the game settled at 2-0, getting Hinckley off the mark in the United Counties League Premier South and marking a rapid recovery from the ills of that first day drubbing. 
 

Next up is a challenging home game against Aylestone Park, inevitably favourites for the league and sitting on seven from an available nine points, it’ll no doubt be a tough game for Hinckley but over the last two seasons they’ve proved a handful at times for the more moneyed teams and will be looking to better their tight 1-0 loss in this fixture last year. Following that, Saturday sees Hinckley take on NPL Midland’s Long Eaton United in a home tie of the FA Cup Preliminary Round, no doubt a big test on Hinckley’s cup ambitions this season! 

6 hours ago, Stadt said:

Oh man what a team and culture Pearson built. Great blokes first and foremost.

First thing I thought seeing that team photo. A whole team of battlers there and you can bet they were probably prouder to put the City shirt on a nothing Masters tournament in Asia, years after most their careers finished, than a majority of our current squad are in serious competition. 
 

A few wilderness years is well worth it in my eyes if the outcome is getting this regime out and getting a manager in with even half of the ability to build a culture like Pearson did. Football is at its best when you know the players want it as much as the supporters do.

Very expensive pyjama set that

1 hour ago, CosbehFox said:

15 minutes on a bus or a quick taxi. It’s only about 4 miles between the two places 

 

Basic ground. Clubhouse outside it does the beer but no bar within the actual ground 

When I went last year with Hinckley they had started foundations for a new block for an academy I think, and I’m sure the lad there said they wanted to add a bar in there but that was late in the season so I’m unsure how far along with it they are…

AFC have got Daventry away on Saturday, 7pm kick off as part of the groundhopper weekend  interesting really as the other two fixtures are at Gresley then at Grace Dieu, so you’d think Hinckley would be easier to get to and probably a bigger crowd… but I suppose they want to spread it out to Northants! 

4 hours ago, CosbehFox said:

Not just the pitch. Leicester Road literally had no one to man the turnstiles or gates. 
 

Ku The Con making a right prat of himself as he attempted laughably to get into Step 6 still. Basically wrapped up the company behind the first team but kept the development and under 18s are trying to use them as successors 

Well… it now appears the Dev team has pulled out of LSL Div 1  at least on FA Full Time they’ve disappeared having been on it last week. 
 

There’s surely nothing left there for them now. They’ve got no way of making money out of it and the ground will devalue due to how fractured the ownership of the site is with the lack of proper maintenance catching up to it… hopefully time to sell soon.

24 minutes ago, Leicesterpool said:

Boro last night were supposed to play at Hinckley Leicester Road last night against Brackley. Match was called off 45 minutes before kick due to an unplayable pitch. Seen pictures of the pitch and dont look great... sadly no money i guess to fix it.

 

Opening fixture announced Newport Pagnell away. First game in july!! Quite early

 

Atherstone town away august 12th. 

Can’t lie I was a bit miffed for Nuneaton, seeing as AFC offered assistance to Nuneaton supporters when Borough went, to fund the bloke who’s essentially the reason we’re homeless. Given Nuneaton are very much in the same boat as well. 
 

But this was very much the expected outcome of working with them.

1 hour ago, CosbehFox said:

FA Cup Extra Prem Round - weekend of 2nd August (Leics clubs)

 

Hinckley AFC v Highgate

Stafford Rangers v Lutterworth Town 

Worcester Raiders v Ashby Ivanhoe

Aylestone Park v Northampton Sileby Rangers

Daventry Town v Leicester Nirvana

GNG Oadby Town v Newark & Sherwood United

Bottesford Town v Melton Town

Loughborough Students v Barton Town

 

The Prem Round is bit of a mess so will leave that off 

 

Literally the exact same fixture for Hinckley as last season’s extra preliminary round  not kept too much of an eye on them but assuming they aren’t much better than last season it’s a kind first draw. Long Eaton away more than makes up for that though and a good little away trip if we get through! 
 

Pershore away in the Vase, likely more of a challenge but I’d still hope to get through. A good run this year would be a nice bonus,

Staveley Miners Welfare away in the League Cup and Daventry away in the league opener top off announced fixtures so far. Looking forward to seeing where Atherstone and Nuneaton games fall when the full fixtures are released.

1 hour ago, BeaumontFox said:

Exodus of very good players the last 2 days. No doubt linked to SBL actioning a lawsuit against BBF. I heard a rumour that BBF have blocked VISAs, but I’m not sure if that’s true or how that works.

I’m not involved or clued up enough to say authoritatively but it seems like Riders is an organisation that is well-run enough to have made some in-roads in Europe by now if it hadn’t been for such shambolic handling of the sport at a national-level. Almost enquiry-level what’s been squandered. 
 

If it wasn’t for constant setbacks and uncertainty and they’d got to the point of at least being competitive in the European game, being English-language you’d have to think there’d be some NBA interest for feeder/partnership investment, but why would you go near yet alone invest resource into something that’s been so volatile and unstable? 
 

Must be frustrating for the club given the investment put into it over the last decade or more.

14 hours ago, Lako42 said:

Doesn't he part own Macclesfield? 

 

 

Bit weird

I think others have mentioned he was a director but has been struck off Companies House, so likely yes. 
 

The thing is, unless your heart is really in it and the club, I’d imagine with current investment they aren’t far off their peak at the moment. There’s of a slew of ex-league mainstays (albeit mostly supporter-owned enterprises now) who seemed to have found their level in NLN: Hereford, Chester and Darlington most notably. Even a better-placed and privately owned Scunthorpe took two bites of the cherry to get out of that league and even then it was via play-offs. 
 

Savage clearly doesn’t actually have much emotional stake in the club (other than he lives round there), that much was clear in the BBC documentary, and knowing his character he probably sees an easier route to full time professional management in league football via Forest Green who  demonstrably have the resources to challenge at that level. 

On 23/06/2025 at 12:38, Tommy G said:

Asahi is a lovely pint especially when it's hot - not sure why people are bothered what other people drink? Does it matter? As long as you enjoy what you drink...is all that matters surely.

 

Madri is piss though I agree  

I quite like a Asahi ice cold out the bottle, probably my favourite lager in that format and one I stock at home if I fancy the odd beer in the current weather- but Asahi on draft seems to go flat very quickly, and it loses its character if it’s not ice cold, so unless you’re downing it by the pint it’s a very odd choice especially as it’s usually the most expensive lager on any given selection. 

On 13/06/2025 at 18:17, Leicesterpool said:

Kyle Jardine i believe stating at an awards evening at Heather St Johns like two or three weeks ago. He was happy at Heather, didnt care for the money just enjoyed playing football with his pals at the club. So Boro solved that problem signed Jardine and his pals 😆

Jardine was almost certainly on a good wedge at Heather  that was an open secret in the league in the two seasons he was there. 
 

He’ll be on eye-watering money for step 5 assuming Nuneaton have out-paid them. This will be a decent step 5 league as well so Jardine will be fine but Nuneaton won’t have the luxury of finding out the likes of Whitehead isn’t good enough if they want to crack on, Atherstone and AP will make them pay for it.

2 hours ago, CosbehFox said:

The other point I'd make Finnaldo is my strong gut is that the club was shut down because the floodlights company claim on them was so strong. Ku as well know with his experience in these matters shut it all down before any financial orders could be held against him as the sole director of the company. I am not surprised that all football played there from no-one won't require floodlights for example

I’ve said exactly this over the weekend. The statement mentioned restarting at step 6, but given all he had currently is a team that finish mid table in step 8, and no obvious income, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a show and dance that’ll ultimately end up just taking the dev’s side place to save them cost. 
 

The grief they’re getting from ex-parents who are actively trying to warn off parents will be a blow too if the plan was to cash in on kids team. I don’t see much else he could pull off there to be honest.