30.04.09

Talk about finishing the season in style – 19 goals in 3 games!

The boys were awesome once more this evening and thoroughly deserved their standing ovation at the end (had the ref been on the gin at half time?)

We’re now sitting in 3^rd position and await the results from Yaxley’s last 2 games against Bourne Blue and Wisbech before we know our final league position. 4^th place will meet my pre-season expectations while 3^rd will exceed them so all in all I’m happy with what the boys, Dougy and I have achieved this season.

Enjoy your weekend off and I’ll see you next Wednesday from 7-8.

Dave.

26.04.09

Another tremendous performance by the lads yesterday – what a shame we only have one more game left this season!

4^th spot is now guaranteed but there’s an outside chance of 3^rd if Yaxley fail to take 3 points from their final 2 games against Wisbech and Bourne Blue.

Just to remind you we’re at home on Wednesday against Whittlesey who beat Yaxley 5-0 today so it should be a great season finale between two free-scoring teams at the top of their games. The kick off is now at 1815 but I’d still like the lads to be at Outgang Rd by 1730.

See you then!

Dave.

19.04.09

What a game, and what a result!

The lads have threatened to put in a performance like that for some time now so it was great to see them get the rewards for their efforts yesterday morning against a very good Yaxley side who remain in 3^rd place and who also reached the semi-final of the Hunts Under 12 County Cup, beating 3 or 4 Under 12 teams along the way – so they are no push over by any means. With 2 games left we have 4^th spot in the league to play for so let’s not take the foot off the gas and try to replicate yesterday’s efforts next week against Sawtry and again in our final game of the season against Whittlesey on Wednesday 29^th April.

Sawtry’s game will be played here - http://www.sawtrycolts.org/index_files/greenfields.html - at 1030 next Sunday morning. For those you that were with us a few years ago, it’s where they hold their summer tournament. Please meet me there at 0945. If anyone wants to follow me and get lost, please let me know and we’ll arrange to meet at 9am.

Training will be at 7pm every Wednesday until the end of May.

Because I was late handing the voting slips out, can you all please ensure I get them back by 10^th May – hard copies were handed out yesterday and I’ve emailed copies just in case you need a spare.

And finally – here’s what the next 6 weeks look like ...

Wednesday 22nd April - Training (1900)

Sunday 26^th April - Sawtry away (1030 kick off)

Wednesday 29^th April - Whittlesey home (1800 kick off)

Wednesday 6^th May - Training (1900)

Sunday 10^th May - Chairmans Cup (1330 kick off (lads) & 1500 kick off (Dads))

Wednesday 13^th May - Training (1900)

Wednesday 20^th May - Training (1900)

Friday 22^nd May - Presentation evening (1930 kick off)

Wednesday 27th May - Training (1900)

Sunday 31^st May - Yaxley Sixes tournament (kick off tbc)

Saturday 6th June - BBQ/Party at the Morten’s (kick off tbc)

Dave.

06.04.09

Another good performance yesterday, and this time we got the result we deserved, unlike in the previous 3 or 4 weeks. We are now safe in this division and mathematically clear of the relegation zone so with 3 games left to play we can relax and strive for the 4^th spot which is still within our grasp.

Training is at 6pm at Outgang Rd this week. Please bring boots & astros.

There is no game on Easter Sunday, so our next game is away at Yaxley on Sunday 19^th April at 1030.

I will be handing voting slips out on Wednesday evening for the following awards which will be presented on 22^nd May at our presentation evening.

Players Player of the Season – every player must nominate 3 fellow players who they believe have contributed the most to our squad this season.

Supporters Player of the Season – every family will be given one voting slip and again you must also nominate the 3 players who in your opinion is worthy of this award.

All slips must be handed back to me after the Whittlesey game on Wednesday 29^th April so you’ve got a few weeks to think about it and 3 more games to watch your short list before you put pen to paper.

Dave.

29.03.09

Training resumes this Wednesday – 7pm at the astro-turf.

Next week’s game is at 2pm at home against Stamford.

There is a game on the main pitch at 3pm so we have to use the car park near the clubhouse and access our pitch via the cricket field and we won’t have the use of the changing rooms.

If I don’t see you on Wednesday, I’ll see you on Sunday afternoon.

Dave.

23.03.09

No training this week as the Baston lads are away on a school trip and the Linchfield lads are at a school meeting – leaving just 5 or 6 lads available.

This Sunday’s game is away at Stamford who play at the cricket ground on Uffington Rd [http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=stamford&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl] – please meet me there no later than 0945.

Dave.

18.03.09

A reminder that the team bonding event is at the Deepings Caravan Park on Saturday at 2pm.

Sunday’s game against Bourne Red is now a 1030 kick off – please meet me at the Bourne Rec at 0945.

Our presentation evening has been moved to Friday 22^nd May – apologies if this conflicts with anything else but we are very limited to the days we can use the club facilities.

I have now entered two teams for the Yaxley tournament on 31^st May – more details nearer the time.

Saturday 21.03.09	TEAM BONDING EVENT		1400
Sunday 22.03.09		Bourne Town Red	1030
Sunday 29.03.09		Stamford Youth	1030
Sunday 05.04.09	Stamford Youth		1400
Sunday 12.04.09	EASTER	EASTER	EASTER
Sunday 19.04.09		Yaxley	1030
Sunday 26.04.09		Sawtry	1400
Wednesday 29.04.09	Whittlesey Jnrs Blue		1800
Sunday 10.05.09 Friday 22.05.09	CHAIRMANS CUP PRESENTATION EVENING		1300 1900
Sunday 31.05.09		Yaxley Tournament	All Day

Dave.

04.03.09

Our remaining fixtures have now been approved by the league. Assuming the worst of the weather is now behind us and there are no more cancellations, the rest of the season looks like this ...

Date	HOME	AWAY	Kick Off Time
Sunday 01.03.09		PSV Juniors	1030
Sunday 08.03.09		Bourne Town Blue	1030
Sunday 15.03.09		Wisbech St Mary	1030
Saturday 21.03.09	TEAM BONDING EVENT		1400
Sunday 22.03.09		Bourne Town Red	1030
Sunday 29.03.09		Stamford Youth	1030
Sunday 05.04.09	Stamford Youth		1400
Sunday 12.04.09	EASTER	EASTER	EASTER
Sunday 19.04.09		Yaxley	1030
Sunday 26.04.09		Sawtry	1400
Wednesday 29.04.09	Whittlesey Jnrs Blue		1800
Friday 08.05.09 Sunday 10.05.09	PRESENTATION EVENING CHAIRMANS CUP		1900 1300
Sunday 31.05.09		Yaxley Tournament	All Day

Please note that the Yaxley game is now on Sunday 19th April and the Wisbech game is on 15th April. Please also note that our presentation evening has been set for Friday 8^th May. We will be sharing this evening with the U13 squad. More details nearer the time but I need everyone to start thinking about the awards. Unlike in previous seasons there will just be 3 trophies awarded to the Managers player of the season, the players player of the season and the parents player of the season. These will be voted on at the end of the season and will be a closed ballot. I will hand out voting slips in a few weeks time and explain in more detail.

Saturday 21^st March is at The Deepings Caravan Park from 2pm – 6pm. A parents meeting will start at 2pm prompt and will last for no more than 30 minutes. Following that there will be some activities organised for the boys. I would appreciate it if someone would come forward and agree to organise a buffet table with every family bringing some food to share. Siblings will be welcomed as well, but the activities will be mainly for the footy team.

Please email me to let me know if you can/cannot attend this date.

Dave.

01.03.09

After taking a bit of time to get going I thought we put in another good performance today.

And unlike last week, it was satisfying to see us play right to the final whistle and get the result we deserved.

Next week’s game is away at Bourne Blue who play at the Bourne Rec – kick off is at 1030 so please meet me there at 0945.

Again, I need everyone at training – 7-8 on Wednesday evening.

Have a good week.

Dave.

23.02.09

Next weekend’s game is away against PSV Juniors who play at the Peterborough Regional College.

Please meet me at the Eastfield Rd entrance to the College which is next to the Wheatsheaf pub at 10am.

Follow this link for a map - http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=PE1+4RA&sll=52.811283,-0.240691&sspn=0.006342,0.019312&gl=uk&ie=UTF8&ll=52.586781,-0.225327&spn=0.006375,0.019312&t=h&z=16&iwloc=addr

I need everyone at training this week - 7-8 on Wednesday.

Dave.

22.02.09

Not much to say about today’s game – I though we were superb for 45-50 minutes but switched off when we scored the 4th instead of playing right to the final whistle. Going forward, we were immense in the second half with our speed and accuracy leaving Spalding chasing shadows. But once again, our inexperience showed as we failed to deal with set pieces and the opposition advancing in numbers.

No excuses – Spalding deserved the win for the way they fought back in the dying minutes – just as we did against Wisbech in the previous round.

Praise goes to the 5 lads who volunteered for penalties – they & their parents should be proud for having the courage to put themselves in that nerve-wracking position.

So onto the rest of the season, and hopefully we can get back into winning ways next weekend against PSV – more details on that to follow.

Hopefully, we should now have games every weekend right up until the end of April as we still have 9 games to play. So yes, we should rightly be disappointed with yesterday’s result, but we must put that behind us and secure ourselves a place in the first division for next season.

Our remaining fixtures are ...

Sunday 01.03.09		PSV Juniors	1030
Sunday 08.03.09		Bourne Town Blue	1400
Sunday 15.03.09		Wisbech St Mary*	1030
Sunday 22.03.09		Bourne Town Red	1400
Sunday 29.03.09		Stamford Youth	1030
Sunday 05.04.09	Stamford Youth		1400
Sunday 12.04.09	EASTER	EASTER	EASTER
Sunday 19.04.09		Wisbech St Mary*	1030
Thursday 23.04.09		Yaxley	1800
Sunday 26.04.09		Sawtry	1400
Wednesday 29.04.09	Whittlesey Jnrs Blue		1800
Sunday 10.05.09	CHAIRMANS CUP		1330
Sunday 31.05.09		Yaxley Tournament	All Day

*Wisbech still to be arranged.

As some of you will know, the chairmans cup which is on 10^th May is a traditional game on the DRFC calendar which is played between the U11s and the U12s and is then followed by the Dad’s of the U11s v the Dad’s of the U12s. The boys game kicks off at 1330 and the Dad’s game is at 1500. I’ll speak to you all about this nearer the time, but it is usually a great family afternoon which finishes in the clubhouse with the presentation of the cups/medals and a few drinks and a bit of food.

04.02.09

This week’s game is our semi-final away at Spalding – 1030 kick off.

Follow this link for a map of where we’re going - http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=pe11+3qj&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=uk&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title

They play at St. Bartholomew's C of E Primary School, Leaveslake Drove, West Pinchbeck, Spalding, PE11 3QJ, which is north-west of Spalding.

Please meet me there between 0930 & 0945.

25.01.09

I was delighted at how the lads adapted to the awful pitch conditions today and kept on going as they searched for a way to unlock the PSV defence. We said at the start of the season that there would be no easy games in this division and that was certainly true today as PSV held us at bay for 35 minutes before got the break-through. In saying that we thoroughly deserved the win today, but we were made to work for it.

I was also very pleased to notch up our first clean sheet of the season – testament to the superb back 4 who again ran their socks off to make it an easy afternoon for Callum.

I thought everyone had a good game today even though a few were out of position at the end of the game as substitutions were being made to keep as many fresh legs on the pitch as possible. Reece yet again showed us how strong and reliable he can be with 2 well taken goals and then as steady as a rock when he moved to left back. Will also added a new dimension to our team today with his tackling and distribution from the middle of the field. I could go on – Jimmy, George & James looked comfortable in midfield for the majority of the game – each combining well with the other as they were switched throughout the game. As usual, Jack & Ryan chased everything down and covered miles in the thick mud, with Jack being rewarded for his efforts with a goal in the dying minutes. James should get a special mention here for setting the 3^rd goal up – it doesn’t matter which part of the anatomy the ball comes off as along as it’s not the hands! Josh & Toby also supported the forward play well with some strong runs and quality deliveries and they also back-tracked to take pressure of the half-backs whenever the PSV forwards broke free. Zac, Jacob, Jason & Rhys are becoming a formidable line-up and with Callum behind them have the joint best defensive record in the division with Wisbech St Mary who lost again today.

And that brings me on to the league which is becoming a very tight affair as we enter the second half of the season when we start to play the return fixtures. Today sees Wisbech off the top for the first time this season and Rippingale off the bottom for the first time this season – enough warning for us that next Sunday’s encounter with Rippingale is going to be another tough battle against our old adversaries. We’ve played Andy’s team many times over the past few seasons and I reckon honours must be about even between us so we mustn’t take anything for granted and put in the same grit and determination as we showed today and against Wisbech 2 weeks ago. Next week also gives us the opportunity to say hello to Tom Smith who by all accounts has settled in really well and is putting in some stellar performances for the Rovers.

Next week’s game is a 1030 kick off so please meet me at Rippingale at 0945 – follow this link for a map (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=rippingale&ie=UTF8&split=0&gl=uk&ll=52.837229,-0.370231&spn=0.006131,0.018969&t=h&z=16) (Turn right into Rippingale from the A15, 3 miles north of Bourne. Go into Rippingale and take a left into Middle Street and a right into Pinfold Close. The playing field is on your right so park up on the road. If you’d rather follow me there, please meet me in Market Deeping Tesco car park at 0925 – I’ll be leaving at 0930 sharp so call or text me if you’re going to be late.

Training is at 1900 on Wednesday – I’ve no idea if we’ll be on the astro or the grass so please ensure boots & trainers are brought down and assume training is on unless you receive a text from me to tell you otherwise.

Dave.

18.01.09

Another hiccup in our master plan today – not sure how we didn’t score with all that possession but its goals that count and we came up short today.

We played reasonably well as individuals but the team spirit that got us through last week’s game deserted us today.

Next week sees us at home again – this time against PSV Juniors who also find themselves in the wrong half of the table.

I’ve updated the fixture list below (scroll down to the bottom of this page) but note there are still 3 fixtures to rearrange – Yaxley & Wisbech away and Stamford at home – these should be sorted in the next week or so. Still no news on who our semi-final opponents will be – I’ll let you know as soon as I can.

And finally, I’ll finish on some good news. Will Greenwood today signed for us from the POSH academy where he has played his football for the past 2 years. Prior to his move to POSH, Will played for Northborough Juniors. Please join me in welcoming Will and his family into our squad.

See you all on Wednesday at 7pm – again, assume it’s on unless you hear otherwise from me.

Dave.

11.01.09

SUPERB! - Nothing else to say really.

How the lads fought back from 1-3 down is beyond me and I am proud of every single one of them.

We shouldn’t fear anyone now and hopefully we can use this fantastic result as a springboard to get our season back on track and string a few results together.

See you all on Wednesday at 7 and then on Sunday at 1.

Dave.

15.12.08

I thought the boys did well yesterday and there is no shame in losing to Bourne Red by the odd goal. They are a very strong unit throughout and have several ex-academy players playing for them. The main difference for me was that they had the belief & confidence to take us on and I think we were a little shell-shocked to first go behind so early on, and then to take the lead just before halftime. Bourne always gave the impression that they knew they would get their chances while we looked very nervy and sat back for long periods of the 2nd half and invited the pressure on ourselves. But, we are still only 6 games into our season – Bourne played their 6th game on 9th November so they are at least 5 weeks ahead of us in their understanding of the U11 game. We have also suffered from only playing back-to-back games once this season – on the 2nd & 9th November when we beat Rippingale & Whittlesey. This also has disrupted our development as we’re not finding any consistency through the backbone of our team.

However, enough excuses, let’s look ahead to the new year on a few positive notes. We’ve only played a 3rd of our league fixtures so our league position is a false one.  We still have Stamford, PSV and Bourne Blue to play home & away – I’m looking at 18 points from those 6 games and we also have everyone else to play in our return fixtures so a top 3 position is still very much achievable and is what I will be striving for. We are also still in the League Cup and have a very good chance of progressing into the semi-final because after yesterday’s game I think Bourne Red are the strongest in our league so if we can put in another sterling performance and tighten up at the back then we can definitely beat Wisbech on 11th January.

We now have a couple of weeks to thaw out, with our next fixture away at Yaxley White on 4th January. I’ll email/text everyone after Christmas with details but it’s a 1030 kick-off so we’ll meet at around 0945 in Yaxley.

Happy Christmas!

Dave.

07.12.08

Another disappointing weekend without football – but at least our unbeaten run continues – we haven’t lost a game since 12^th October!

I personally think that we would have been fine to play today’s game as the frost had disappeared by 1030 this morning. However, the decision was taken by the Stamford manager at 0845 and we have to accept that. There was no way we could have switched the game to Deeping for an afternoon kick-off as our U13’s were playing on our pitch at the time.

We’re now in serious danger of fixture congestion towards the end of the season as we’ve now had 6 games postponed. Assuming we get into the cup semi final after despatching Wisbech St Mary on January 11^th we don’t have a free weekend from 4^th January through to 29^th March which is the last Sunday we can play league games. This is because the league requires all games to be completed before the cup final which is played on 4^th April. And this is all before we hit the winter months of January & February which is renowned for causing havoc with the fixture list. Therefore, unless the league extends the league programme we have to assume that we’ll be playing 1 or 2 mid-week games in March. I will keep you all posted on this but hopefully those games will be on Wednesdays which is our training night anyway so it won’t cause problems for anyone.

Anyway, back to the here and now.

Hopefully we’ll get a game next weekend against Bourne Reds who are playing some great football at the moment. I watched them demolish Bourne Blues 9-1 this afternoon and I was very impressed with them. They are playing the same type of free flowing, passing football as us, so next week’s game promises to be a corker – or perhaps even a (Christmas) cracker!

As it’s a home game, please meet me at Outgang Rd by 1315 at the latest.

After the game it would be great if everyone could join me in the clubhouse for a Christmas drink or 2 – no need to confirm back to me on this but please try to stay for at least one.

See you on Wednesday at 7 – I’ll text you as early as I can if it’s too icy on the astroturf – as usual, assume it’s on unless you hear from me.

Keep warm!

DD.

PS – Many thanks to Paul Allen for organising last night’s Christmas party – a good time was had by all. But I’ve a feeling that there would have been a few more sore heads this morning if we’d have known that today’s game was going to be postponed – mine for a start!

30.11.08

Superb!

Another great performance today, and this time capped off with a great result – no last minute goal scrambles to set my blood pressure off again!

I was so pleased to see us passing the ball the length of the pitch with the move of the game coming late in the second half when the ball went from Callum to Jimmy to Jackson to Jack deep in the Sawtry half. If we can keep this standard of football going then I can have absolutely no criticism of the lads at all – regardless of where we finish in the league and the cup.

I can honestly say that we should not fear anyone in our league now – I haven’t seen anyone else play as well as we played today so I am chuffed to bits.

Next week is our first league game against our old friends & foes over at Stamford and we should not take anything for granted. Despite them playing twice as many games as us but only being 1 place and 1 point above us means absolutely nothing – they will be after revenge for us beating them in the final of the Deeping 11’s back in August so we need to be at our best again.

It’s a 1030 kick off so please meet me at their Uffington Road ground at 10am at the very latest. For those of you unsure of where they play, take the A16 from Deeping and just as you come into Stamford their ground is on the left before the petrol garage (Texaco I think). If you get to the Morrison’s roundabout you’ve gone too far so double back on yourself and look for the football pitches on your right. You may also know this as the Stamford cricket ground.

And finally, just to let you know that we’re training this Wednesday at 7 and the following week at 7 and that’s it for 2008 – there’s no training on the 17^th as many of the schools have concerts and productions planned for that week and seeing as we don’t have a game the following weekend we’ll have a well deserved week off. Training then resumes on Wednesday 7^th January, but our first game back is on Sunday 4^th away at Yaxley. Therefore, I may try to arrange for a training session before then so we can blow the cobwebs away and work off some of the Christmas pud – watch this space, I’ll be in touch later in December to let you know what I’ve got planned.

18.11.08

Directions to Wisbech St Mary

Deeping –Peakirk – Thorney – Guyhirn – Wisbech St Mary

Turn left when you reach the fork in the road onto Church Rd – take left into Station Drive & there should be a sign post to “The Home of Wisbech St Mary”

If travelling on your own, please be there by 0945, otherwise, please meet me in Tesco car park (Market Deeping) to leave in convoy at 0915 at the latest.

Please call me on my mobile if you intend to follow me but are running late, otherwise I’ll assume you are going directly to WSM.

16.11.08

Well done today to everyone for a very well deserved win over 2^nd division table toppers Yaxley Yellows.

The lads are really starting to believe in themselves now and you can see their confidence growing match by match.

We’re now into the last 8 of the cup along with Wisbech St Mary, Spalding, Stamford, Bourne Red, Parkside, PSV & Whittlesey. As I’ve said before, there will be no easy games this season, but there are obviously 1 or 2 teams we’d like to avoid if at all possible, but with confidence and team spirit on a high we shouldn’t fear anyone.

Next week sees us travel to Wisbech St Mary for a 10:30 kick off and I have absolutely no doubts that we will go into that game with a very good chance of taking all 3 points and putting ourselves right back into contention in the league.

See you all at training on Wednesday at 7pm.

Dave.

12.11.08

I’d like to take this opportunity to say a MASSIVE thank you to Trevor who gave up his Wednesday evening to take the lads through an excellent coaching session.

Every single one of us learnt a huge amount this evening and I am sure it will help us in our preparation for the tough matches ahead of us this season.

Hopefully we can repeat this later in the season – you’re always most welcome Trevor.

A big thank you to Josh’s uncle Bobby as well. His knowledge of the keeper’s position is a tremendous help to Callum, Doug & I. Again, you’re more than welcome to come down on match days and training sessions whenever you’re free.

See you all on Sunday at 1pm.

Dave.

12.11.08

Josh makes the headlines on the ET website - http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/juniorfootball/Cameron-wins-a-cracker-of.4684798.jp

09.11.08

Another good result today and another tough game against a strong physical side. Will all games be as tense as this? I hope not!

Training starts at 1845 on Wednesday as we have a guest coach from Rushden & Diamonds coming along to take the boys (& me & Doug) through our paces.

Next weeks game is a cup match at home against Yaxley Yellows who are sitting at the top of Div 2, so it promises to be another tough game.

Please meet me at Outgang Rd no later than 1315, ready for a 1400 kick off.

I will need help with the nets again please as well as 2 volunteers to run the tea bar. So far this season, Sam, Belinda, Leanne, Sarah M, Julie & Gill have helped out so I’d appreciate it if someone else would have a go next week.

05.11.08

Read about our match & the other U11 teams report on the ET website - http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/juniorfootball/Yaxley-pull-off-county-cup.4659798.jp?articlepage=2

02.11.08

A great result today against a battling Rippingale side that played much better than their league position suggests. Please see the match report in our reports section.

Training resumes again on Wednesday at 7pm and next Sunday sees our first away game of the season at Whittlesey for another tough game against a team at the wrong end of the league table.

Kick off is at 1030 so please meet me at their ground (details to follow) at 0945.

12.10.08

I have arranged for us to play Oundle Juniors who are 2^nd in division 2 next week.

We’ll have a 2pm kick off at home so please be at the ground by 1.15 at the latest.

See you on Wednesday at 7pm.

05.10.08

Yet another game called off – will our season ever get going?

Understandably, the weather this morning has meant that both the Bourne pitch & ours are unplayable due to the amount of rain we’ve had in the past 12 hours.

This game is likely to be moved to 22^nd March next year, but I will confirm this with you as soon as I’ve received notification from the league.

Fingers crossed that next week’s game at home against Yaxley Whites will go ahead as planned! It’s a 2pm kick-off so please meet me no later than 1.15pm at Outgang Rd.

Training will be on Wednesday at 7pm unless the weather forces us to cancel – please assume it is on unless I text you on Wednesday afternoon.

28.09.08

I’d give today’s performance 6 out of 10.

Don’t get me wrong, I am very pleased to get back to winning ways, but we gave away 4 very cheap goals - a more accomplished team would have really made us pay for our sloppy defensive work.

Doug & I laid into the boys a bit after the game – probably difficult for them to take when they’ve just won 11-4, but unless we start to dissect the match and pick up on the weak areas we’ll never be able to compete and challenge at the top of the first division.

Decisions will go against us throughout the season – free kicks, penalties, offsides, dubious goals etc - we see it every week on Match of the Day and unless you’re a Man Utd fan it never seems to fall for your team ;o) But the lads need to accept that mistakes will be made by the officials and it’s how they cope with them that sets the better teams out from the rest. For the record, I thought it was a definite penalty against us today, but what was disappointing was the reaction of several of our players – not only in the immediate aftermath, but for 5 or 6 minutes afterwards which allowed Glinton to score their equaliser and get right back into the game.

Doug & I can only do so much in the hour we have with the lads on a Wednesday evening, but they must be accountable for their weaknesses and must work on their own inner-strength to pull themselves and their team mates through the difficult times.

But onto the positives. We scored 11 good goals with some great passing movement down the wings. I thought Jackson looked good on the left in the first half and scored a good headed goal within 2 minutes of the start. Toby & Zac looked settled and confident on the right and linked up well with George, Josh & Jimmy - Toby also scored 2 very good goals, as did Jimmy & Josh. And captain Jack, didn’t stop running again and put away another 4.

With a bit more composure at the back I am sure we will soon start to move up the league table, and what better way to do it than to get 3 points next Sunday when we travel to the Bourne recreation ground to play the Bourne Reds who were always tough opposition throughout our mini-soccer days. The game kicks off at 2pm so please meet me there between 1 & 1.15. Click here for a map if you don’t know where it is.

And finally, I had several discussions with players about their footwear today, with 2 or 3 refusing to play in their boots. Whilst the ground was hard in places, the grass was long enough to take a stud and therefore warranted the use of boots for extra grip and protection against going over on an ankle. Can everyone please ensure that boots are worn every Sunday from now onwards please?

See you at training on Wednesday at 7.

25.09.08

I’ve amended the fixture list at the bottom of the page with all of the kick-off times.

Some of these may change but they are correct as of today.

Can I stress again, the importance of giving me as much notice as possible if any of our fixtures clash with holidays or other events?

See you on Sunday, Outgang Rd @ 1pm for our friendly against Glinton.

18.09.08

Sunday’s home game against Stamford has been cancelled. It’s likely to be rescheduled for 15^th March 2009.

We will use the time on Sunday to cram in an extra training session (1200 – 1330) – please contact Dave ASAP to confirm attendance or send in apologies.

Our next league game is against Bourne Reds on 5^th October – still awaiting confirmation from Glinton on the proposed friendly on 28^th September.

16.09.08

Here are the links to all the Div 1 teams websites ...

Bourne Blue

Bourne Red

PSV – n/a

Rippingale Rovers

Sawtry Blue

Stamford AFC

Whittlesey Blue – n/a

Wisbech St Mary Purple

Yaxley Whites

12.09.08

Our game away at Bourne Blues has been moved to March 8^th 2009

Our game away at PSV has been moved to March 1^st 2009

Possible friendly arranged against Glinton on September 28^th – details TBC

The fixture list below has been amended to show these changes.

10.09.08

The PJA in their wisdom have not allowed for a break during the autumn half term. If anyone has holidays booked on the 26^th October or 2^nd November please contact me ASAP so that I can rearrange the games if necessary.

08.09.08

Oops! Well yesterday’s game didn’t exactly go to plan did it?

Whilst I accept that WSM are a very good team, we didn’t make a good account of ourselves and hit the self destruct button in the second half – conceding 7 goals in around 20 minutes! There were decent passages of play from us towards the end of the game but it was too little, too late.

But every game gives us further insight into the team and Doug & I have now got a better idea of what we need to work on so please ensure everyone is at the Astroturf and ready to start training at 7pm on Wednesday.

We don’t have a league game arranged for next Sunday so we will travel to Ancaster to play against Grantham Town FC in a friendly. Kick off is at 11am so please be there by 10:15 at the latest. There will be changing facilities available to us so the lads can travel in casual gear and change when we get there. Grantham have also very kindly offered to put a buffet on afterwards in their clubhouse so please don’t shoot off straight after the final whistle. Even if your son travels in his kit, please bring a change of clothes just in case the weather is poor.

To get to Ancaster, go on the A15 to Sleaford, when you get to the roundabout at Quarrington take 1st exit onto the A153 to Grantham. Keep on this road going through Wilsford then you will come to a set of traffic lights. Turn right and you are in Ancaster. About 1/2 mile on the right is a public phone box turn right straight before the phone box and you are there.

Click here to open the map above up in Google Maps

According to www.theAA.com the distance from Market Deeping is around 30 miles and it should take us around 45 mins.

If anyone wants to travel together, I will be leaving Outgang Rd at 09:15 and with my green hat on, I’d like to see people double up in cars to reduce the number of cars we take – can I leave that for everyone to arrange amongst themselves please? I will have one spare seat in my car – going on a first come, first served basis.

That’s all for now folks – see you on Wednesday at training and then on Sunday morning.

Dave.

Fixtures for 2008/09 (Updated ~ 01.02.09)

Sunday 07.09.08	Wisbech St Mary Purple (1400) (L 3-10)
Sunday 14.09.08	Grantham Town FC (1100) (L 3-1)
Sunday 21.09.08	Training (1200-1330)
Sunday 28.09.08	Glinton Utd (1400) (W 11-4)
Sunday 05.10.08	Bourne Town Red (1400) (postponed)
Sunday 12.10.08	Yaxley Jnrs White (1400) (L 3-2)
Sunday 19.10.08	Training  (1400)
Sunday 26.10.08	HALF TERM HOLIDAYS
Sunday 02.11.08	Rippingale Rovers (1400) (W 3-2)
Sunday 09.11.08	Whittlesey Juniors Blue (1030) (W 3-4)
Sunday 16.11.08	Yaxley Jnrs Yellow (H - 1400) (W 3-2)
Sunday 23.11.08	Wisbech St Mary Purple (1030) (postponed)
Sunday 30.11.08	Sawtry Colts Blue (1400) (W 5-1)
Sunday 07.12.08	Stamford AFC (1030) (postponed)
Sunday 14.12.08	Bourne Town Red (1400) (L 2-3)
Sunday 21.12.08	XMAS BREAK
Sunday 28.12.08	XMAS BREAK
Sunday 04.01.09	Yaxley Jnrs White (1030) (postponed)
Sunday 11.01.09	Wisbech St Mary (H – 1400) (W pens)
Sunday 18.01.09	Bourne Town Blue (1400) (L 0-1)
Sunday 25.01.09	PSV Juniors (1400) (W 3-0)
Sunday 01.02.09	Rippingale Rovers (1030) (L 5-1)
Sunday 08.02.09	Spalding (A - 1030)
Sunday 15.02.09	Whittlesey Jnrs (1030)
Sunday 22.02.09	Sawtry Colts Blue (1400)
Sunday 01.03.09	PSV Juniors (1030)
Sunday 08.03.09	Bourne Town Blue (1400)
Sunday 15.03.09
Sunday 22.03.09	Bourne Town Red (1400)
Sunday 29.03.09	Stamford AFC (1030)
Saturday 04.04.08	LEAGUE CUP ~ FINAL (TBC)
Home Game
Away Game
Cup Game
Friendly Game