The Tinpot Rankings

[ThisTinpotLeague]

In another thread elsewhere, the Leyton Orient fan (mouthy one, I don't remember usernames sorry) asks for our favourite memories of following our terrible teams. But he also makes the excellent point that most of us are not fools, and we know that our chosen club might not actually be més que un club. And knowing this, we still choose to follow said teams. My inference is that some people just like things being a little bit tinpot (or we're too tight to pay £50 a ticket).

So I actually want to celebrate this fantastic aspect of League Two teams. The things that make each club unique, and the random occasions when you feel your insides cringe on a weekly/fortnightly basis. Share them all, in a contest that I fully expect Northampton to win, and I will actually make an effort to learn something about the teams you love so much.

Always a good sport, I'll go first.

DID YOU KNOW that my team (Oxford United) play in a ground with three stands? Normally, away fans would look to their right and expect to see a stand full of one man and his dog. Well tough luck at Oxford, all you've got to look at is a car park and a bowling alley.

We also spent five years in non-league football this century, and in one match we conceded five times to Histon, a village. A real, no-fooling village beat the city with the oldest university in the western world. Take that, professor.

In more recent times, Oxford fans were outraged by non-affiliated sellers standing outside the ground for our big game against Premier League Swansea, selling unofficial half-and-half scarfs commemorating the historic day and (the fans presumed) not giving the club a decent share of the proceeds. The club, not wanting to be outdone, made sure that official half-and-halfs were in place for the visit of Championship Blackburn. Who beat us 3-0. Mine hangs proudly on the bedroom wall.

 

[Flaxman's Alibi]

Blimey Charlie, as much as you might not like it, turn your yellow a dark shade of amber and that's almost us.

Embarrassing 3 sided ground. Check
5 years in the Conference. Check.
Plethora of soul destroying non league defeats reaches zenith with a 4-0 spanking at Hayes & Yeading. Check.
The local college has a university centre. Check.
Half & half skankers with their Mansfield/Liverpool scarves. Check.
MTFC with their own. Check.

Tinpot, I'm not quite sure which club is pinching whose glory days but perhaps we need to add our own Milk Cup, and sharpish.

 

[Habbinalan]

Not just away fans - we Habbinites enjoy the cow pat shuffle on a bucolic Tuesday night in August.

 

[shoddycollins]

Our ground is kinda three-sided in that the Waterworks End is so small and unused that it feels like it isn't there most of the time... be full of Evertonians today though. If we're talking ground construction based tinpottery then our biggest one is that the East Stand isn't properly aligned with the pitch, as all away fans are well aware. It was built as the first-phase of a complete reconstruction of the ground under Knighton and was built alongside where the pitch was going to be, but the rest never happened.

I suppose putting a fox in the centre circle before each game could be construed as tinpot to some, best was when we played our home games elsewhere and took it with us... Putting it on the centre spot in any given stadium feels like we've claimed it as our own.

 

[Laker]

Not just away fans - we Habbinites enjoy the cow pat shuffle on a bucolic Tuesday night in August.

Part of the charm, you've got yo smell like cow shit to enter the Habbin!

 

[Nelza82]

3 sided greynd, check.
Had Aidy Boothroyd as our manager, check.
Used to play at a cricket greynd, check.
Been in administration, check.
Chairman stole 10m, check.
Can't spell ground, check.

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

Currently, the cow gauntlet is romping this.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

If you park in our North (top) car park following a bit of rain you need waders to get to the ground through what is known locally as 'The Sixfields Puddle', that compares in size with Windermere...

 

[E10rifle]

Having a good think about Tinpot-ness in E10, but in the meantime any club that plays music after they score can chalk up a TPP (tinpot point).

 

[Wombletom]

Crawley Town.

Move on, thread closed.

 

[r1ch1e]

I'm not saying they're a tinpot club, but Northampton playing applause through the speakers when there's a sub is the worst thing I've witnessed at a ground.

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

I'm not saying they're a tinpot club, but Northampton playing applause through the speakers when there's a sub is the worst thing I've witnessed at a ground.

Our substitutions are sponsored by a local hotel but that barely seems worth mentioning now.

 

[Nelza82]

Oxford for me. This whole thread snowballs into Tinpot Heaven.

http://yellowsforum.co.uk/thread/22905/danny-rose-leaving?page=5

 

[Nelza82]

I'm not saying they're a tinpot club, but Northampton playing applause through the speakers when there's a sub is the worst thing I've witnessed at a ground.

I'm not even sure we actually do that, think it was a problem with a microphone being left on. I'll double check with the club though and advise them if they are doing this then they have gained us an award.

Our substitutions used to be sponsored by Beacon Bingo.

 

[rudebwoyben]

We have sponsors for the time added on announcements at the end of each half. Beat that!

 

[Murphy]

Not necessarily tinpot...well it is....Fleetwood playing captain pugwash when they score and having the fucking mascot dance on the big screen. The most annoying and tinpot thing bar none.

 

[Flaxman's Alibi]

We regularly award the man of the match award to our only goalscorer of the game, regardless of how they've actually played.

The drunken sponsoring suit that awards it is usually too spannered to notice that they've stumbled in to Field Mill.

I wait for the day when we lose 5-0 and the award goes to our player who popped up with the own goal.

 

[dolph]

I'm not saying they're a tinpot club, but Northampton playing applause through the speakers when there's a sub is the worst thing I've witnessed at a ground.

Do you honestly still believe that ? I`ve heard it a couple of times sitting in the North Stand (announcements are made from the West Stand) and it`s obvious that the numptys have left the mike on. We`re tinpot but not that tinpot

 

[MrGloverLover]

Our fans have to drink in a tent as we have no supporters bar. That's a 'temporary' beer tent that's just celebrated it's 10th anniversary.
We've spent two years in non-league this century which isn't that bad when compared to some others on this thread.
Our main sponsor has just had to stump up the cash to pay for a one month youth loan as the club couldn't afford it.
You can't purchase alcohol anywhere in the ground during a game, other than in one of the boxes.

 

[Grecian O'Grecian]

To be fair I remember at Northampton last season that when they made substitutions, it was obvious the applause was being played over the tannoy. So yeah, not a one off it seems.

 

[E10rifle]

To be fair I remember at Northampton last season that when they made substitutions, it was obvious the applause was being played over the tannoy. So yeah, not a one off it seems.

They've done it on all four of my visits to Sixfingers. Not a 'one off' in the slightest.

 

[MrGloverLover]

I see your tinpot methods and raise you.... http://www.ytfc.net/news/article/artur-heads-to-the-seaside-to-aid-recovery-2938607.aspx

 

[Grecian O'Grecian]

Artur's such a legend.

 

[iWomble]

I've always wanted to ask Pompey fans what they think of this being paraded around. Makes me cringe anyway.

 

[MrGloverLover]

Artur's such a legend.

Top bloke indeed

 

[Barton Cobbler]

Our fans have to drink in a tent as we have no supporters bar. That's a 'temporary' beer tent that's just celebrated it's 10th anniversary..

I remember our first visit to Yeovil, we walked up to the beer tent which had a huge sign above the entrance saying "Every one welcome". Scorching hot day, really looking forward to a beer only for the bouncers to say "No away fans", we did point out the sign to him but he didn't change his mind.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Not necessarily tinpot...well it is....Fleetwood playing captain pugwash when they score and having the fucking mascot dance on the big screen. The most annoying and tinpot thing bar none.

Try going there and conceding 5!

 

[Judge Red]

Our fans have to drink in a tent as we have no supporters bar.

That's nothing. Some of our supporters (and some away supporters) have to sit in a tent to watch the game.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

That's nothing. Some of our supporters (and some away supporters) have to sit in a tent to watch the game.

That's no tent, it's a gazebo!
It's a lot better than our scaffolding at the moment...

 

[shoddycollins]

I've always wanted to ask Pompey fans what they think of this being paraded around. Makes me cringe anyway.

View attachment 2601

It's the sort of thing you can get away with when you've played in the Premiership and won FA Cups, but if one of the rest of us did it would be portrayed as some bizarre provincial custom... like our stuffed fox or Hereford's live bull.

Same goes for Bradford's City Gent.