Weymouth belied their off the off the field problems with a stunning performance to beat the league leaders Kettering Town by a goal to nil in Northamptonshire yesterday.

The Poppies went into the game top of the Blue Square Premier and on the back of a long unbeaten run. Home fans will point to the fact that ex Sheffield Wednesday and Peterborough United player Guy Branston was red carded before half time, but it was a match that the Terras were competing in before the sending off. 

It was left to super-sub and late goal machine James Coutts to bang in the winner with three minutes remaining and sending the travelling fans wild. 

For once on a Sunday morning, and despite the implications of what may or may not happen to the club tomorrow, Terras fans will be enjoying their coffee... Apart from this one who is just off out in the drizzle cycling training :0(

More on the press conference at the Wessex tomorrow and then the blogcast will make its appearance (new jingle and all) on Tuesday. 

Is it me or is anyone else starting to warm to the blue kit now?

Thanks to our jingle writer (Brummie Terra), he has now opened his own Weymouth FC website and here is a link to his report from yesterday.

And so the dust starts to settle and as we all anticipated, there will be changes soon in the composition of Weymouth FC.

Cutbacks have been inevitable since the transfer listing of most of our best players a while back and despite various statements made by the club and on their behalf. We know we are in trouble.

And the papers bear that out. Yesterday's Non League Paper talked of a return for Ian Ridley. Say what you like about his departure and flirtation with St Albans City, the man cared for our club and if (despite the high levels of abuse sent in his (or indeed any) Chairmans direction) he wants to return then he deserves 100% support and respect for that.

In fact, anyone daft enough to take on the club (Malcolm Curtis included!) deserves praise from me.

The cutbacks are likely to be swift and clincial and we look to streamline the operation to make it more efficient. It is harsh to have to talk in this way and I note peoples responses saying that we are talking about peoples job in the run up to Christmas, I have been made redundant twice myself I have been there. The problem is that I want a football club to support and if savings need to be made to ensure that will happen.... well you know.

Of course had we won through against Hornchurch we would have Peterborough United to play at home. A replay would have been nice. I coudl have walked to the match from my house near the city.

And so we have to wait and see what the future holds for the club.

In the meantime, tomorrow will see the launch of TerrasBlogCast3 which is being recorded tonight. I am going to steer clear of the depressing stuff and focus on the fact that TerrasBlog (despite a few changes of web address and long periods of inactivity) is 5 years old, so look out for that.

I am viewing today as Weymouth Football Club on a lilo choosing to float past the lifeguard rather than accept his rubber ring of safety.

Everyone knew that today's match was s-or-b time for the Wessex Stadium based club. Simple equation. Lose and the threat of cost cutting, administration or worse would be more than likely to come to fruition. 

On the other hand, win and then draw Leeds or Leicester away in the first round proper of the FA Cup and some of the spiralling debt could be serviced. And the lifeguard came in the form of a home draw with minnows AFC Hornchurch who had gone bust a few years ago before supplying us with a Chief Exec, Manager and Assistant Manager. Lots has happened since then, but 99 times out of 100 you would think that Weymouth would take the win and be in the hat for the draw tomorrow. 

Final score ?

Weymouth 1-2 AFC Hornchurch

Believe it or not I got to receive this news barely 20 miles from Hornchurch having spent the day in Kent and Essex. Once I got over my shock, and anger, and then upset. I started fielding texts and calls. Fans saw the last minute winner go in for the plucky minnows (and can I go on record at this stage as offering my congratulations to them and wish them all the best in the next round) before streaming out in total silence. 

No booing, no venom aimed at the Chairman, the players or the Manager. Nothing. People were heard to say that they would never be back. Others were saying that they felt this would be the end for the club. 

I think come Monday we will see the fallout. If the club had been banking on getting to the first round proper to relieve some of the pressure we could well see the fire-sale of players who have been on the transfer list for what seems like months. Whether this will take preference over the back room staff at the club remains to be seen. If cloth needs cutting it could be in a number of areas. 

Is the worst still to come from this result?

Maybe. 

How do I feel tonight?

Pissed off. Majorly pissed off. 

And so we put another stress filled week of Weymouth supporting behind us and thoughts turn to the massive FA Cup match with AFC Hornchurch at the Wessex Stadium on Saturday.

I look at AFC Hornchurch and think, 'there but for the grace of God go us'. It's amazing that we seemed to take over their position at the head of Conference South as soon as their money ran out. 

Hell, we even took their Manager, Assistant Manager and Cheif Exec in one foul swoop. And whilst the Gary and Garry (Calder and Hill) are beyond criticism in the majority of Weymouth's fans eyes I am 100% sure in my assertion that our road to rack and ruin started when Martyn Harrison had to pay top dollar to lure then to the club. 

We set off on an unsustainable quest for the football league and played up to the image of being the Chelsea of the Non-League. Remember the chant "Who need's Mourinho, when you've got Garry Hill, Who needs Abramovich, when you've got Harrison" ? Kinda sounds ridiculous looking back doesn't it?

But Hornchurch weren't even as 'lucky' as we were with our last meltdown. They lost everything and have had to start from the bottom up again. 

It's a testament to the club and their supporters that they are back at this stage of the FA Cup so soon and you would have to say that most neutrals will be wanted them to upset the odds and win through to the first round proper. 

Me? I want Weymouth to win, nothing more nothing less. 

Despite a late equaliser for Woking on Tuesday night the general consensus was that it was another point gained in Surrey for the Terras.

JHMBE calls himself the "Points Collector" (and we are likely to have a t-shirt coming soon on that theme!!) and another one away from home will do nicely. 

Stuart Beavon is starting to score goals on a more regular basis and is certainly benefiting from not being the one person with the burden of getting us on the score board. In Michael Malcolm, Chris McPhee and Pierre Joseph Dubois we have a goal threat from centre to front of the park and you have to say that despite the odd abhoration at the back we do look a better, more balanced side compared to last season. 

And that isn't more Tindall bashing on my part. That is a genuine feeling. 

I will tell you something else as well, I have a real tingle in my bones about this seasons FA Cup. I think we will knock someone big out. I really feel that. 

We are off to a night of mediumship at Yaxley FC's clubhouse in a week or two so I will ask the psychic!

Ok, on to other matters now and thanks to all of you who have emailed stuff in for the podcast! I am delighted that you think it is a great idea. Sadly most of the content you have emailed in would be illegal and unbroadcastable, but I hope to have some quality interviews and features for the show. 

Let's hope the commercial department at the club can find a sponsor for the podcast as I think I am safe in saying it is unique for a Blue Square Premiership club to have its own radio show! 

Of course, all of this positive news on the field and exciting developments for TerrasBlog are being done against a backdrop of more off the field uncertainty for the football club. 

The Chairman has denied that it is all up for the club in an interview with the new look Dorset Echo website. You can read what he has to say by clicking here. 

Whilst we are talking about the content of the local newspaper, a correspondent has emailed in asking what it means when the council are planning a compulsory purchase of the rugby club land for the relief road... 

My honest answer is that I don't have a clue! But I will certainly ask my contacts the question.

More tomorrow.

Transfer listed Weymouth substitute James Coutts came off the bench to score a stoppage time winner for the Terras in their away clash with Northwich yesterday.

After taking the lead early in the second half through and own goal, it looked business as usual for the visitors after they shipped in two quick goals. 

But Weymouth are made of sterner stuff under the leadership of JHMBE and despite my updates on the match being through the internet of my mobile ( I was at another match, but more of that later) I was still able to launch into a celebration when "Beaver" levelled. 

The game I was watching was over and I was nearly back to my mate Tim's car before another quick check of the cell phone saw Couttsie had given us three absolutely vital BSP points. And when I say vital, I mean vital. We had been in freefall down the table over the last month and there remains a back drop of uncertainty off the park. So to dig in and come from a goal down late on is thoroughly satisfying and has made the shoulder injury a little less sore!!

JHMBE called himself "The points collector" in the Dorset Echo earlier in the week and he is going to have a long hard winter of trying to keep up that record and securing our status in this division. 

It is too early to say we have turned a corner, and there are still whispers that what is going on behind closed doors in the boardroom could make what's happening on the field irrelevant, but it was nice to spend a Saturday evening feeling proud of the lads and their result. 

So where was I watching my soccer yesterday?

Yaxley? Nope! although I did have a lengthy chat with their ex-manager and club legend "Super" Jimmy Watson as he watched his lad warming up for his Stamford team.

Stamford, known as the "Daniels" (after Britains largest ever man Daniel Lambert) were visiting York Street to play Boston United in the FA Cup.

Those longer term Terras travellers will remember it as being a bloody horrible place to go and watch football with the local chav population always up to try and intimidate opposing fans. It was a bit better than my last trip with the Terras in the late 90's when there were 12 away fans watching a defeat with a chorus of "worst support we've ever seen" being sung by the home contingent. Coins and cans were hurled at us when David Laws scored for us but after the match the players, led by the great Matthew Hale were keen to seek out the Weymouth fans in the bar and buy a drink for us for putting up with the intimidation.  

Boston hasn't changed much and if ever a club had deserved the various punishments it has had on its way back down the pyramid then it is them...

One thing that did inspire me was the large amount of fund raising activities they were getting involved in, albeit to pay off some CCJ or something. 

Football boots, mobile phones and other electrical equipment were being collected to raise money and you wonder how closer the community could become to the Terras if this 'backs against the wall' and 'us and then' approach were used to galvanise Weymouth...

It's nice to have a midweek off, god knows what I will blog about, but with this club I am sure something will happen to keep us entertained!!

The headline was set up for sister site "CuckoosBlog". Dover Athletic away awaiting the winners of the replay between Yaxley and Needham Market in the FA Cup.

"There'll be CUCKOOS over the white cliffs of Dover" 

You wait a lifetime of blogging and writing for an opportunity like that to come along. But in 90 cruel Leading Drove minutes, it was taken away. 

This is how the Peterborough Evening Telegraph saw it and I think in summary, Clippo got it about right. 

 (I am a traditionalist and still using the old crest in my posts, sorry Jeff if you are reading!) 

So my FA Cup interest moves back to the Terras and I hope that they will fill the gap left where my hometown club lost out. 

On to Terras news and Anton Robinson was part of the England C squad beaten 6-2 in Sarajaevo yesterday. 

It was the first defeat for former Stevenage managers team for about 4 years so not a good time for Anton to get involved really!

There is very little else to report to be honest. Even the usually reliable for entertainment forum has lost much of its impetous in the last couple of months. 

There will be a piece on TerrasBlog in the coming days discussing the apathy currently surrounding the clubs supporters at the moment and how worried or not we should be by it. 

Until then.

Briefest of the brief TerrasBlog today.

Had loads to do after training before I could sit down and watch some sport. Even now the Tour of Britain cycling is playing in the background and I want to get back to it. 

Nothing more to add to the Terras draw with Burton yesterday. It was an important result and you have to say that after four matches without a win now, three points is a necessity to get things fully back on track in the next match. 

In fact two home matches in quick succession will be another barometer of where our true abilities will be placed come May. More on the Kidderminster and Crawley matches to come during the week of course. 

There is going to be some midweek football for your correspondent as Yaxley take on Needham Market in an FA Cup replay. CuckoosBlog is going quite well, so I have no issue in giving it a plug on here!!!

Give it a click and keep up to date with the blue and black army! 

I suppose it is a reminder of how far Weymouth Football Club has come in the last few seasons that they have no need to worry anymore about these early stages of the FA Cup. It is remarkably exciting though isn't it? No-one with a Terras persuation needs any reminders of the brilliant experience playing Nottingham Forest was and I hope that we can be that non-league club (and there is always one every season) who takes a big scalp and comes to the nations attention. 

Anyway good luck to the Cuckoos on Tuesday night, let's hope they can keep their run going and you never know. Another couple of rounds and the Terras could be visiting Huntindgonshire. 

Sometimes history can repeat itself!!!

I found myself writing earlier about how we grabbed a win at Oxford last season in a time when we really needed it. Times aren't so desperate at the moment but a win is a win!!! I will take beating Oxford any time as they are the Conferences biggest club. 

I have a new superstition which is that I don't listen to the Solent online commentary any more. It was cursed last season and in fact it was the Oxford match last term that I turned off hoping that would be a change in fortune. And it was (sort of).

So no Jonny Cantor (if he still does it!!) for me, it was Ed Chamberlain and Sky Sports News for me tonight. 

And so far so good for this method this season. My celebrations were a but mute when the goal clicked on the ticker at the bottom of the screen. Simply because I felt it was too early for a side like us to score and defend for the remainder of the game. Thankfully I am nil from nil with my predictions. 

Stuart Beavon scored against the local side of his youth and no doubt this will start another round of transfer rumours for our longest serving player. 

I was thinking about this during the last few minutes of the match and much as I love "Beaver" I would also love to see him go on and play league football. The Coca Cola league deserves a player of his agression and skill. 

Don't get me wrong. Option number one would be for him to make it with Weymouth, but I think we are all realistic enough to know that we might be a while in making that leap!!!

So it's a great start to the season for Weymouth and a tough match at the weekend against Stevenage who lost against tonight to Eastbourne. 

A draw or better there and we will have surpassed my expectations for the first week. 

Good times and a mate of mine would say!!!

Finally just a word for my local village team Yaxley who you will all know I have a soft spot for. Their FA Cup campaign starts this weekend against Lincoln Moorlands at Leading Drove. So if there are any Hunts Terras not going to Stevenage (and if not why not!!) get along for the match.