http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36914620

AKA Bottled it

Basically losing at half time to a lower ranked team n didnt fancy it.

It's hard to comment without being at the game. I was actually reading about this the other night on the Northern League forum looking for any posts about our game at Guisborough. Apparently the manager of Aycliffe is an absolute thug and sends out his teams to be exactly the same. Pretty much unanimously the people at that level were backing Spennymoor albeit questioning why they played them in the first place.

If I was manager of a team of lads who are part time and have to go to work the next morning and they were being kicked from pillar to post while the baying bench shout "take his legs" and "snap him" in a meaningless pre season friendly I reckon I and most people would do the same. I think you have a duty of care for your players, also as a club with ambition of climbing the ladder they don't want needless injuries in pre season.

Sometimes this rosey picture is painted of Non League football full of people playing purely for 'the love of the game' plenty of it though at that sort of level is fucking horrible. I work with a bloke who refs in the Northern League and he's told me plenty of stories.

It doesnt sound like a dirty game, i've seen some tweets from fans there and they said it was just a normal game, no hard tackles, physio hadnt even been called on for either team.

I get what your saying but this just seems bizarre.

Maybe something went off at half time?

I read comments on the forum at the same time saying some absolutely awful tackles were flying in, the referee had no control and the bench were shouting all sorts.

As I say hard to say without being there.

Was just about to respond with just that bit in bold there. Ainsley is very experienced and respected at that level and his Spenny side are no pushovers either, so it definitely wasn't a case of bottling it as they certainly wouldn't have refused to play for no good reason.

As someone with a bit of insight into the local non league scene, here's my view (I wasn't at the match) and The Poors being Bishops rival, I think Spennymoor made the correct decision. Aycliffe were a good club, but then brought in a manager who alledgedly brings a bit of money with him, and brings in his own players. Earlier his teams have done well in the league and cups but the style of play on the pitch and the comments from the bench etc do no favours (Aycliffe will be favourites to be bottom of the fair play table, for those who like a wager). Therefore I can believe the "rumours" about the abandonment.

Jason Ainsley (the Poors manager) is well respected and I'm sure the decision was not taken lightly, and definately (even though it pains me) not cos they were getting beat.

As said earlier on the thread, its a game of football, lads have to go to work the next day to earn a living.

When a manager has a reputation you fo have to question why they arranged the game but from what I read, the Aycliffe manager was reported as shouting 'f**king smash him' and the ref apparently did nothing. It is an odd situation but if the reports are correct then I thinks its the right decision rather than waiting for a serious injury.

Theres always been bad rivalry in that part of county durham.
Anyone remember the Chilton trojans gang from the 80,s.
Maybe the Bishop can remember them if hes from that era!

that is one rough hole Chilton it's a proper last white man's stand there ! There was a documentary made about the trogans I'm sure I watched it on youtube

Mr Kevin and Mr Verbal are correct. Except the Trojans weren't football related, just a bunch of racist, skinhead, Neo Nazi thugs looking for bother wherever they went. Chilton was(possibly still is) Dodge City!

As for rivalry there always was, which manifested itself through local football. There was always Village vs Village, Town vs Town etc, then they all had to have a name like the BASH or Spenny Newbreeds etc. Being sort of Rural Friday Night/ Saturday night was the big nights out, and at times never the twain shall meet. Bish Vegas was the epicenter!

I could tell a few stories!