Dorchester v Basingstoke: Match Preview

Basingstoke were 4-0 winners when the sides last met in October.

Dorchester Town will be looking to claim their first win of the month as they travel to mid-table Basingstoke on Saturday. However, to do so, Simkin's men will need to find their feet in what has so far been a torrid month for the Magpies - induced by their inability to transform draws into victories.

With no wins in 8 travels to the Camrose Stadium, this game comes at a tricky - yet inevitable - time for Dorchester, but could prove vital for the regaining of momentum of their relegation struggle.

Following a  6-0 defeat to high flying Eastleigh, the Magpies will be desperate to reclaim the form of February which saw victories over Eastbourne, Bromley and Tonbridge Angels. With Basingstoke sitting safely in mid-table and The Magpies with a lot more to play for, relishing the challenge could be a key asset  for Simkin's men, in a game of substantial importance.

Having already shipped seven goals in March, however,  Dorchester will need to put away their recent poor defensive performances as they face in form striker Manny Williams - looking for his 16th goal of the season. This will also be pivotal if they are to avoid the result of the reverse fixture, which ended 4-0 at the Avenue - also coming on the back of a 6-0 defeat.

Nevertheless, Dorchester have a cause to remain confident, as their opposition are too without a win in seven - in a run that has seen them fall far adrift from the title race. Whilst the Hampshire side will be hoping to capitalize on the fresh arrival of forward Liam Enver Marum, the Magpies will be looking to advance on their recent succession of draws to find a cutting edge;  in a match that could see the start of a late revival for Dorchester.

(Tired of Hearing It) Through the Grape-Vine

Twitter. Oh, wasn't it great.

It offered a platform for artists to get recognised, a medium for musicians to spread their work, and promised opportunity for the creative. Just look at the tag line: 'Yours to Discover'.

This was, of course, before the age of the Vine. Like the pestilent proliferation of its name-sake plant, within the space of two months of 2013 Twitter had gone from being the home of new music and interesting thoughts, to being overrun by the spread of green logo-ed vermin. Out with the three minute video - in with the Six Second.

In case there is anybody who is not aware of what Vines are - and do any of us really know? -  these are six second video clips, usually intended to be funny. Don't be fooled by their appearance, however; they are not.

But the issue caused by Vines runs far deeper than this problem - although the fact that their success has relied on the use of racial stereotypes is doing nothing for progression or to aid an already ignorant world - as they are a final blow to the dying era of creativity and, well, meaning.

Vines are meaningless, lack any form of originality, and are drowning out the real showcase of talent that Twitter was made for. They exploit the repetition that is a drug for today's youth, playing themselves in loop over and over. It's clearly not bad enough that most Vines are unidentifiable from any other in the first place!
But that's just the internet world that we live in: Everything is the same, there is no creativity, and everything must be short. First there were albums; they were too long, so along came the single. Then the death of the book; instead we are given Facebook. The other day, I even heard Joey Essex use the word 'Long' as a condemnation. Now it's reached Joey, who knows where it will stop.

Whether it's just that attention spans are truly running out, or we have finally been hardwired by the instant world of social media, Vines are just the epitome of what is happening today.

I may be being a tad harsh on them, but along with their 9 Million + followers (That's 27 times the amount that David Bowie has), to me this is a clear cause for concern. I'm just warning you now - before you become just another number; glued to the screen watching repeats of Jerome's Tea Party... 14,400 times a day.

Not-So Borset

Rarely will a day go by without one of my peers saying that there is nothing to do in Dorset. Having lived in Greater London for 14 years, however, I believe this is certainly not a case of warranted boredom. We are lucky to grow up in Dorset - whether you believe it now or not.

When I moved to Dorchester from Romford in 2011, the freedom that I was met with was almost a culture shock for me. I had come from a town where I simply couldn't go to the park on my own, yet now I was in a place where it seemed children could roam free at any time; without any fear at all. I could go to the skate park in Dorchester well into the evening - all parks were locked at 6 in Romford - and this freedom to do anything without the threat of being mugged (or worse), was something I could never have dreamed of before.

I guess I've now grown out of the skate park, but the scope for venture in the Dorchester area is still massive. Just last year saw the development of the new sports centre; along with gym and swimming pool. Alongside the 3G AstroTurf, it's clear that we have some of the best modern sporting facilities in Britain. Before I moved here, both my home and training pitches were nearly half an hour away - in separate locations. That's why I refuse to take for granted the incredible sporting facilities that we have here. In the local area there's a rugby club, a dance troupe, a hockey team, a gymnastic group, water polo, the nearby Clay Pigeon Raceway, basketball courts and t-w-e-l-v-e football pitches. And if none of this tickles your fancy, there's always the Fun Run (30th March, Dorchester Middle School!).

We are lucky enough to live in immediate proximity to Weymouth, and the opportunities provided by it's trademark coast line are countless. We live by a coastline ideal for the sailing, windsurfing and kayaking courses accessible in Portland Harbour, all of which are sporadic opportunities - accessible to us. That's not to mention the cinemas, bowling alley, shopping facilities, and sports clubs in Weymouth. Not forgetting fishing off the stone pier on a drizzly day in March!

I don't know about you, but I'd take the beach over the Thames any day.

Although it must be said that a Saturday afternoon trip down to The Avenue will always provide an eventful game of football, if there is a chance that sports aren't providing a solution to your boredom, then the arts and music in Dorchester certainly will. The Dorchester Arts Centre is forever a venue for performance- ranging from comedic warm up gigs to theatre - but also hosts live artists. And if you're not put off by the potentially terrifying idea of 3 hours unattached to a mobile phone, then Pop Club is another great boredom- killer. With young musicians ranging from virtually every age, this is a one-off opportunity to play live music in a group, no matter what instrument you happen to play. Also, with Brewers Quay back open in Weymouth, new doors have been flung open for the creative minded, with record stores and the Art Asylum leading the way in the music/art revolution. When the word 'art' extends further than graffiti riddled suburbia, then you know you're in the right place.

It seems then that claims of 'having nothing to do' are plain nonsense. Even if the spectrum of opportunity provided in Dorchester isn't enough for you, then with swift train links to Weymouth, Yeovil and Poole within half an hour, there really is no case for complaint. This 'boredom' is not the result of living in a small country town but is instead the result of having no intention of looking for things to do. People are far too obsessed with the world of iPhones and Vines, and as a result are forgetting to look up and see what's actually going on around them.  Interest is a certain antidote for ennui; in a world of 6 second attention spans. That's why spending my teenage years in Dorset isn't - at least I don't believe - a burden at all.