I think the same statement is true for our first team this season. They have been a little too relaxed about pre-season preparation and there are some very good sides in the Southern Amateur League. Salesians and Broomfield have made good starts and one can never rule out West Wickham, Winchmore Hill, Polytechnic or Old Owens. In fact I do not see a poor team this season and everybody could take points off eachother. 40 points will be very competitive.

I am quite hopeful about our second team repeating their title win. They have made a good start and they have pretty much the same side as last season. They will benefit from the new players that have joined the club in the pre-season. Rich Parker, Mark Shadbolt, David Shaw and Kevin Molloy can all realistically push for a first team spot along with Craig Bonser who assures me he will be available on a regular basis this season. We have brought in two new keepers in Michael Kay and Mitch Renton who will now compete with Tom White to make sure that we always have a good keeper on hand.

Our third team is almost completely new with a new skipper in Si Owen. The new man has been very active in pre-season along with our stalwart Matt Beckett. On Saturday I spotted new players in Dean Mitic at centre back, Ben Corder on the wing, Steve McMillan in midfield, Dan McEwan up front with Steve Molloy. As we also had former first team keeper Steve Bailes returning in goal and the very neat Ben Murphy back in midfield I am pleased with the new captaincy team. I am sure this team is going to produce some good football this season and hopefully the new centre forward Richard Cheeseman will start to find the target.

Our 4’s are very much similar to last season but with a new veteran skipper in Dustin Seale. Nevertheless there were some new faces there on Saturday to complement Dustin’s vet team mates. Great to see the Chairman Jonty Hill making an appearance again. Although there were 9 changes to the previous week we still managed a win and again there were some promising new faces in Ross Negus and Tom at right back.

Therefore last Saturday saw three more wins to add to the four of the first weekend. The 100% record will not last for long, but we should enjoy it while we can.

Brian

The SAL trip to Turin, representing England at amateur level, was the catalyst for the change in the first team season. On our return we went unbeaten from early November until the 21^st March which was the date for the Surrey/Kent Cup. Having secured the AFA Senior Trophy in a tight tense game against a very able Polytechnic on the 4^th April we were then faced with a punishing 9 games in 4 weeks. The first 7 games of this run provided the 19 points required to secure our second league title in 3 seasons. We have been pushed to the limit in terms of injuries and evening game availability but the players that came into the side did a great job supporting the regulars. The difference between this team and previous versions is that the goals are still there with Alex Ewin leading the league scorers, but there is now a solid defence. Dan Ashley has kept 14 clean sheets which is hugely impressive at this level. The return of Arren Sutcliffe alongside Matt Rolfe gave the defence a solid base, whilst the two Kerr’s in midfield worked very hard and provided inspirational goals. Later in the season Matt Negus and Danny Marsland really came to the fore in midfield with Nathan Violet returning to his best form. With Nick Stavri out with a long term injury Ben Hughes stepped up superbly from the 2’s and then when he was away after the AFA Cup Final Chris Apaloo really improved with every game. Crucial goals were scored by Jono Santry at Owens and Nick Green against Alleyn Old Boys. Ben Hickes and Gary Cullinan, replacing the AFA Rep player David Howson, did so well in those crucial 7 games at the end. All in all the double was achieved because every player bought into playing for the team and did the jobs asked of them.

The second team have won the SAL Intermediate League by 10 points. They gave away two penalties to lose the Surrey Kent Intermediate Final 2-1 so they were very close to a double as well. As with the first team they went on a great run after Christmas based on a solid defence and a tremendous appetite for work. The team spirit has been superb and is a testament to the inspiration of ex-AFA Rep player Mark Grove and the infectious enthusiasm of skipper Peter Morris and his assistant Andy Lea. I am delighted that Tom White, who has played in goal for Nottsborough for many years, has finally got to win the Intermediate league title. The league winning team was built on the defence as previously mentioned. Lea and Grove at centre back were resolute whilst Matt Nimmo, Gary Cullinan, and Ralf Goad at full back were regulars each week. Andy Richardson was a good addition after Christmas. The main improvement on previous seasons was the quality in midfield. Regulars like Karl Warner, Pete Morris and the improving Ted Datta and Joe Holden were there but also coming into the squad were Johnny Briggs and Owen Prosser. Up front the 2’s had the experience of ex-SAL Rep player Andreas Atkins and he received good support from Apaloo, Santry and from February onwards the impressive George Bowman. I knew the second team would go very close to the league title when they started turning up en-masse for extra training before the scheduled training start. That combined with their willingness to listen and learn in the coaching sessions formed the foundation for an outstanding team effort.

At the beginning of the season I laughingly intimated that maybe Nottsborough’s 21^st season ought to be one of “coming of age” After this superb season I think we can really say we have arrived. I have no intention of sitting on the laurels here. We will enjoy the moment and then start planning how we might bring our third and fourth teams up to the same level. They finished fourth or fifth in the Junior and Minor Divisions and the 4’s lost the Minor Cup Final. There is more to come.

Brian

A 4-2 win at East Barnet Old Grammarians confirmed the Intermediate title for Nottsborough’s second team on the 18^th April. They have won the title with 3 games left to play and they are 6 points clear of the rest. The management team of Peter Morris and Andy Lea have done a great job. They are also very lucky to have ex-AFA and First team skipper Mark Grove to lead from the back. I am very pleased for players such as Tom White, Karl Warner and Andreas Atkins who have been very good Nottsborough players over the years and now get their reward. These boys have been prepared to play at any level for Nottsborough to get a game and help out. There is a lot of new strength in the second team as well. Ralf Goad, Matt Nimmo, Gary Cullinan, Owen Prosser, George Bowman, Andy Richardson, Johnny Briggs, and Eamonn Collins are all new second team players this year with a Nottingham bias. All of them have done well. Three players have pushed their way into the first team: Ben Hughes, Nick Green, and Chris Apaloo. Finally I am pleased for Pete Morris, Andy Lea, Jo Holden, Mark Grove and Ted Datta who have been regulars for the last 2 seasons and have been key elements in the team. 42 points from 17 games is a very good return. Only 16 goals against and only one defeat so far is outstanding at second team level. Well done to everyone.

Our second team are riding high in the Intermediate Division 1 and they may never have a better chance to win the league. Also they are through to the Surrey Intermediate Cup Final so well done to the management team of Pete Morris, Andy Lea and Mark Grove. We have been introducing new players throughout the season so the signs are looking good for the future.

Our third team refuse to lie down after a rather poor period around Christmas when they exited the cups and allowed the league to slip. Some recent good results have put us back in the picture in Junior Division 1 and we still have a chance.

The 4’s have made it through to the SAL Minor Cup Final so well done to Andy Cattell and Simon Donovan. The league however has been slipping over recent weeks and we now need to win all those home games if we are to get near the title.

It has been a most enjoyable season so far and it really is a pleasure to see all our teams still in with a chance of some success.

Cannot finish this Directors Chair without wishing everyone a happy St David’s Day !

The 1’s have games in hand in the League and are still in the AFA Senior Cup and Surrey AFA Cup. They have bounced back very well from a very heavy involvement in Representative football and their form in the last two league games has been outstanding. The new-found ability to shut teams out is a real step in the right direction. Well done then to new skipper Matt Kerr for turning things around and having the sense to bring in three players from the second team. Simon Webb, Nick Green and Ben Hughes have all done well in the higher standard. No less than 8 players have played Rep football this season: Matt Rolfe, Dave Howson, Nick Stavri, Chris Kerr, Matt Kerr, Alex Ewin, Dan Ashley and Nathan Violet have all played for either the AFA or SAL sides. Perhaps the selectors will now be looking at Matt Negus, Danny Marsland, Chris Apaloo and Arren Sutcliffe as well!

The 2’s are in a great position in the League but unfortunately have slipped out of the AFA Intermediate Cup after looking very good early on. They are second in the league with a game in hand. The loss of three good players to the 1’s has been accommodated, because several good new players have joined the club. Briggsy, Gary Cullinan, Russ Kennedy, Ralf Goad, Owen Prosser, Pete Marshall and Simon Hickes are all good new additions. The only thing missing at second team level is a consistent forward pairing. Karl Warner does a good job but needs some support. Perhaps former Sal Rep player Andreas Atkins can play more often after Christmas. The main core of the team is still there with Tom White, Grovey, Andy Lea, Nimmo, and Pete Morris all doing good jobs. For me the most improved player is Ted Datta who makes every training session and covers acres of the pitch every Saturday.

Despite dropping away slightly over the last few weeks the 3’s are still in the hunt for the League title. There is nothing in it and 3 or 4 sides can put that crucial run together. The 3’s have the biggest squad in the club and perhaps the most variable availability. There are lots of players in there who have played at a higher standard. The back four is based on the old 2’s defence with Mitch, Si Owen and Sean Rigby providing the solid experience. Up front there are two good goal-scorers in Matt Taylor and Mark Johnson so they should always have a chance in any game. Looking at things from the outside I would like to see two things. A much better attendance at training – the 3’s are our worst attending side by some way. Much more consistent availability as there seem to be 4 or 5 changes every week.

The 4’s are right up near the top of the Minor Division and perhaps quite crucially they have already played more than half their away games. They also have a big squad and Andy Cattell seems to produce good players from nowhere. If everyone is available he has the choice of several good forwards including Gekoski, Weclawek, Lacey, Kevin McCormack and James White. The midfield is strong as well with Gardner, Phadnis, Marris, Grey, Holty, and Kennedy. When Pies is fit, after the broken ankle, there should be real competition for places. The main thing that may decide whether the 4’s are good enough to lift the title is whether they can keep some clean sheets and we need Beast to be available and fit.

So much to look forward. Have a good Christmas. Four games on the 3^rd January so make sure you are fit and available. Training on the 6^th January at Tolworth.

The 1’s have been a sorry version of their former selves so far this season. The 8-0 win yesterday at Old Bromleians shows that there is a plenty to come this season if more of the 1’s can get training each week. It was very evident to me that in the last training session there was a buzz about the 1’s players that had been missing so far. I am pleased to see Arren Sutcliffe back as he was a good player in our league winning season. Also I am pleased to see Ross Emery, another Loughborough old boy, make the step up, much to his surprise I may add. Provided we keep the injuries and availability under control there is no reason why the 1’s cannot build on Saturday’s big win.

If we are talking about big wins then they don’t come any bigger than the 2’s penalty decider against our old foes West Wickham in the Surrey AFA on Saturday. The 2’s have started in great fashion under Peter Morris with Andy Lea and Mark Grove playing vital roles. The 2’s are still in the AFA, Surrey AFA, and are third in the League. There is a great team spirit in the camp and the attendance at training just reinforces my view that if you get all your players training together, eventually the results start to come. The opportunity is there for the 2’s this season.

Our 3’s won the SAL Junior title 2 seasons ago and they are back on top of the League again this season. The attendance at training has improved dramatically and that reflects the fact that it is getting to be quite difficult to get in the team. When you have a player who played over a 100 games in the Conference playing for you, even if it is on one leg, then that says a lot about what is happening in Nottsborough 3’s. All I can say to the 3’s management of Mike McCoy and Steve Beckett, and to the players, is keep coming to training and turn that opportunity into a reality.

Nowhere is it more difficult to get into the team than in our 4’s. We currently have around 24 established, and very promising new, players trying to fill 14 places. Some people are going to have to be patient but I am really quite excited about the quality of player we have joining the club. There were 9 fourth team players at training on Tuesday which is very unusual and again reflects how hard it is to keep your place. The best thing in my experience is train and play each week!! Currently top of the Minor League the opportunity is there to take it all the way this season.

I cannot let this Directors Chair finish without a reference to Rep football. Our 6 players in Turin did a fantastic job for their League and our club. That is all behind us now and the performance on Saturday was for me evidence of the effect of “waiting for Turin”. We have had 4 players picked for the AFA game against the Navy on Wednesday and once again we are honoured to have so many players being considered. However this must not deflect us from the need to get our 1’s back on track in the League and Cup campaigns, and this continues at Alleyn Old Boys on Saturday.

Please don’t get me wrong, the Captains have been magnificent in organising friendlies in a capital city which seems to lack football playing areas until mid September. All our sides have played at least two “friendlies”. I want to give special praise to Alex Ewin and Matt Kerr from the 1’s because they have arranged and taken training in all these various venues. They have arranged things with everyone in mind so that there has been no bias towards the first team. The training work has been of a very high standard, but at this amateur level it is hard to get everyone training consistently and I feel most of our sides go into the new season a little under-cooked. This may not be a bad thing in the long run!

Looking at each team in turn the 1’s have a new skipper in Matt Kerr and vice-skipper in Alex Ewin. There is a new keeper in Dan Ashley of SAL fame. Dave McIntosh and Andy Richardson are new defenders, whilst Simon Webb will make the step up from the 2’s. Also up from the 2’s will be Ben Hughes. New signings in midfield include Paul Cole and Matt Negus. With absences and Rep commitments the 1’s may not field their strongest team until the return to Tolworth.

The 2’s have a very new look about them. The team will be based around the experience of Tom White, Karl Warner and Mark Grove. There is a large influx of new players, with excellent work from Peter Morris and Andy Lea on the recruitment side. New faces include Gary Cullinan, Michael Ball, Ralf Goade, Chris Apaloo, Briggsy, Jono and Arthur. Put alongside players like Jo Holden and Nick Green who both played for the 1’s last year then things look promising.

The 3’s have around 20 players at their disposal many of them with 1’s and 2’s experience. I shall be very surprised if Mike McCoy and Matt Beckett cannot produce a title challenge at Junior level. Johnson and Taylor are good forwards at this level and there is lots of competition for midfield slots. Rob Moore and Luke Kelly look sure to find regular starts and with Chambo, Rozzer, Si Butler and Crofty all looking to play, competition should be high. The defence will almost exclusively be lads that have played at 2’s level including Cootesy, Noony, Si Owen, Sean Rigby and Mitch. A goalkeeper is all they really need.

The 4’s look strong to me. Most of last seasons side is there again and they are getting players down from the 3’s. If our 4’s are not fighting for the title this season there is something wrong. They have a very good keeper at this level in Paul Nixon and skipper Andy Cattell is over his injury worries I hope. There’s experience there with Dustin and Steve Beckett and plenty of midfield drive from Giggsy and Pies. They also have a couple of goalscorers so I am expecting big things.

So when does “crisis” become “opportunity”? The answer is right about now. The move back to Tolworth looks “on” for October 4th and that will mean excellent training facilities and playing surfaces. The hospitality area has been re-vamped and Sky and food will be on offer after the matches. In addition to that, despite having to play away, all the results yesterday were good. All the matches were games we would view with caution. The 4’s won away at Norseman, the 3’s won away at EBOG, the 2’s overcame stiff opposition at HSBC, and a depleted 1’s managed a draw at Old Salesians. If all our players can pull together and keep these away performances going we will return to Tolworth on October 4th with a very healthy start under our belts.

Although it would not be sensible for him to continue playing he now has a real opportunity to carry on helping our club. I must also say at this point that we have been very fortunate to have the help of another former player Tony Bell on the fitness training and I hope that this will continue.

We could not have started this season much better. The 1st team although dropping home points on saturday to a competitive Old Actonians side bounced back in remarkable style with a 3-2 win against the SAL Select side. We have worked very hard over the years to get to a position where our first team is able to take on a representative team and give such a good account of itself. This is the strongest I have seen the club in my 16 years association. We should be challenging for titles at all levels. On top of this we have 5 brand new sets of kit, a new sponsor in Altus, and now a new website. A lot of hard work is being done and my thanks go to Dave Hallam and Steve Beckett for the website, Rob Chamberlain for the sponsorship, and Chris O'Connor for holding us together. Thanks also to Jonty for being himself and Rob Jones for the almost impossible finances. The captains of all our 5 sides have done a great job so far and all they have to do is keep it up! I especially want to praise Matt Rolfe because his work so far this season has been remarkable and far beyond normal duties.

Our 2's have started with 3 successive wins. Well done Peter Morris and Andy Lea and well done also to Grovey for providing the experience at the back. We now have a number of players in the 2's who will push for first team places, and some of these showed up really well against the SAL. The 3's have a League title to defend and started with an ordinary draw. Last Saturday was much better with a 5-1 Cup success against Old Carthusians. We have enough good players in the 3's to defend that title. Most pleasing to me was to see the 4's start their campaign by defeating last seasons champions 3-0. I have big hopes for Andy Cattell's men this season.

The Vets have started with 3 straight wins and loads of goals. I am assured by Dave Hallam that some of the boys are playing the best football of their lives and that for 20 minutes they could give the 1's a game. Whenever you can arrange it David you are on! We have floodlights and a full pitch waiting for a Tuesday night so don't let me stop you.

Brian

DIRECTOR’S CHAIR                                                                             1st Dec 07

November and the first week of December are usually riddled with Cup Matches, if you are lucky enough to get through the early rounds. I have therefore held off writing a Directors Chair until the main bulk of the pre-Christmas cup matches are out of the way. We have not fared as well as I would have hoped as a club. The 1's are leading the way with a quarter final spot in the Surrey AFA and the last 16 of the Senior AFA. The 2's are disappointingly out of both of these competitions. The 3's had a good win yesterday against HSBC in the SAL Junior Cup but are out of the AFA, whilst the 4's exited the AFA Cup last week after extra time. We really ought to be doing better than this and my feeling is that too many people are missing too many games for one reason and another. Yes we have had a lot of injuries. We have also had a large number of absentees for personal reasons and this, in my opinion, has rebounded on us.

If you had said to me at the beginning of the season that the 1's would have another good start to the season, but that between them Alex Ewin and Nick Stavri would only have scored 1 goal, I would have found that hard to believe. Both Alex and Nick have struggled with injury so far but it looks like they will both be back this week. We have done very well to keep in touch, with our main goalscorers from last season out of action. Andreas Atkins has done well with 4 goals and Jimmy Elliott has made a return. Jimmy will need another small operation before Christmas however. "Mr play anywhere" Matt Kerr has done a great job filling in up front. We have also had injuries at the back with Andy Szwajkowski missing more than half the games and Junior Urwin out earlier on. It is good to have Junior back and playing well. We have also had to bring in James Bohanna, Craig Bonser and Andy Pierce earlier than expected but they have all done well and Andy has already played for the SAL Rep side. The midfield has been the stable part of the side this season. We have a real find in Danny Marsland and he has combined well with the ever-reliable David Howson who gets better and better. On the flanks Chris Kerr and Nathan Violet have been their usual enthusiastic selves and this has also found favour with the SAL rep team. Just like last season the skipper Matt Rolfe has done a superb job. I am delighted that Steve Whitelock has agreed to be assistant coach and he has made a good start. As the counter to this I am disappointed that Tony Bell will be leaving us to go to Australia. It is a super opportunity for him, something he has wanted to do for a while, but I shall miss him for his reliability and his enthusiasm. The 1's strangely have not played that well yet this season, but they are defending better, and learning to win games where they are not at their best. The form is slowly returning and if we can get a settled side we will be in with a chance after Christmas.

One of my big ambitions at the start of the season, as I contemplated a new role, was to see the 2's win something this season. They started in superb style. Sadly the wheels have come off a bit in the last month as they have been beaten in the Surrey AFA and the Intermediate AFA and lost poorly yesterday to a resurgent Carshalton. Injuries in the 1's have not helped, with Andy Pierce and Danny Marsland stepping up, but there has also been too much unavailability, crucially at Icarus. When the results start to go against you it can be hard to turn it around when constant changes are being made. Peter Morris has done a great job in the circumstances, aided by Andy Lea and the experienced Mark Grove. We are however developing good new players in the 2's. Joel Korocz looks in training like a player with a 1's future, whilst Nimmo and Ben Hughes have been keen and lively. Leon Roberts has done well up front despite carrying an injury. Karl Warner has been his usual "big" self and Nick Green has been neat and clever and continues to impress in training. A player who has also impressed me has been Webby at left back who has been very steady after his early injury problems. Justin Robson has been out for too long to have made an impression yet this season and Ted Datta is also only just coming back from injury.. We are still in a very good position in the League and a return to winning ways this weekend will be just the thing needed.

The 3's won the League last season and just like the 1's it has taken them a while to adjust this season. Although they are just below half way there is plenty of the season left in what may once again be a tight league. As last season the skipper Mike McCoy does a good job both throughout the week and on match days. I have been very impressed with the way Matt Beckett has taken on the vice-captaincy and he is regularly at training. The side is built around Nottsborough stalwarts. Rob Cootes, Duncan Watkins, Noony, Graham Williams, Crofty, Bernie Rhodes, Rob Moore, Steve Beckett, Harry Rugg, Rob Chamberlain, Rozzer have all been around for quite a while and are all very good players. To them we have added a bright new face in Luke Kelly who regularly makes training and occasionally now makes the step up to the 2's. Also added to the squad this season are former 4's players Mark Johnson and Louis Darvill who were stars in our 4's. Sadly both have been injured. The 3's have the Junior SAL Cup to look forward to after Christmas and a march up the league.

My other big ambition at the start of the season was to see the 4's do really well. Skipper Andy Cattell has a bad injury and has yet to make an appearance this season. He does such a good job, assisted by Ian Whittear and Stu Donovan, that I really hope they can continue the good re-building exercise after Christmas. The 4's are in second place in the league and this despite a huge amount of team changes. They have a very good goalkeeper in Paul Nixon, which is always a start. The defence has been quite unsettled with numerous changes and it is here that Andy needs to re-build. A good draw away at West Wickham looks like the start. In midfield Andy has some very good players with Alex Gardner, Pies, and James Kennedy in good form. Sadly the first 2 are injured at the moment. Joe Holden has made a comback to the club although he should be climbing up the sides. Mark Weclawek and Matt Holt are good regulars in this side, whilst Dustin Seale is the only Vet regularly playing at 4's or above. Gaz Goldsmith has been with the club for a few years and is a neat tidy footballer. If they can get all their players fit, or almost fit, they will still have a very good chance in the League and the Minor Cup.

All our sides have par or better records in the league. Keep coming to training, especially after Christmas, and we can improve on that.

Brian

On the first weekend of the New Year we had three really good results. The 1’s produced a super second half at Alleyn Old Boys, whilst a very strong 2’s squad put seven past Old Wilsonians. Perhaps the best result was the 3’s win against a strong Old St Josephs 2’s in the AFA Junior Cup – unfortunately before Christmas I suggested that the 3’s were out of this Cup but they have just proved me wrong with what I think is a Quarter Final place. Only our 4’s disappointed last week with a 2-1 defeat at Alexandra Park.

I am sitting here (12^th January) reflecting on a superb result by our 1’s to knock out the SAL Senior Cup Winners West Wickham on their own patch – never an easy thing! Despite the late arrival of three players we put together a very spirited performance. We have played well at West Wickham in the past and got nothing. This time we played well and won. The results from other games show that our win at Alleyn Old Boys last week should not be under-rated as they put Old Owens out of the competition.

No team has made a convincing case at first team level to win the Sal Senior and I have to say we will never have a better chance to retain the title. We only have 2 players injured at the moment in Andrew Szwajkowski and Danny Marsland. We appear to be finding the net again and in a close League the sides that score goals always give themselves a real chance. Matt Rolfe and Nathan Violet have done a good job in organising the side and we have a squad every bit as strong as last season. Andy Pierce, James Bohanna, Craig Bonser and Danny Marsland have all come in and done well whilst Micky Lyons has returned from Enfield. The only thing that may disrupt things is this SAL League competition where we lose a Saturday by providing several rep players. We want to give players the chance to play representative football and we support the League, but it is so difficult losing so many Saturdays. The League really must look at this again. To start a season so late and then take out 3 or 4 Saturdays puts unreasonable pressure on sides pushing for League and Cup titles. With clubs adopting their own policies regarding availability for the Rep side, the clubs that are putting players forward are being placed at a disadvantage.

Our second team had a bad month before Christmas rather losing their way. However they were able to put out a really strong side last week and that side would give everyone in the Intermediate Division a hard game. If we can keep the availability high then Peter Morris’s boys still have a good chance in the League. What I have noticed is the very high attendance at training and the team spirit. This will transfer into League results. A draw yesterday was disappointing but there is half a season left and clubs that put three or four results together will reap the rewards.

The 3’s had a superb season in 2006/2007 and just had not got going this season. The first two results after Christmas indicate that a revival may be under way. Not only was there that very good win against a second team in the AFA Junior Cup, but yesterday they went to Winchmore and came away with a 2-1 win. One of my gauges of how well we are doing is the results against Winchmore. They are a strong club and like Old Owens and West Wickham they are usually there or thereabouts. If you are winning at their ground then you will not be far off. Once again it is competition for places that is the key. You know when things are getting tight when Rob Moore comes training. We had 35 at training last Tuesday on a wet windy evening so people know they have to put the preparation in. Far too many people think they can go to the gym and that will be enough to play 90 minutes. It is one of the reasons why players get injured at this level because they have not prepared correctly.

The 4’s have made great strides and if they get their best side out they are a match for anyone. Apparently last Saturday they were very unfortunate not to win at Alexandra Park and with the side they had out they should have won. This Saturday they have bounced back with a 3-2 win at Carshalton and a place in the SAL Minor Cup Semi Final. Once again those people at the Cup draws keep pulling us out of the hat second and we will be away to either Polytechnic or West Wickham. It would be great to see Andy Cattell and his boys in a Cup Final and one more very good performance will do it.

So what about that all-round strength then? The 1’s are in the AFA Senior Quarter Final for the second year in a row and stand second in the SAL Senior league. The 2’s can go second in the SAL Intermediate Division 1 if they win their game in hand. The 3’s are through to the AFA Junior Quarter Final and moving up the League. The 4’s are through to the SAL Minor Cup Semi Final and can go second in the League if they win their games in hand. I am not sure we can hope for much more than that in a season but I am always looking for improvement. Final places are available and we can still go very close in three leagues. Let’s keep working hard. The availability has suddenly improved and with it better results. We can win something again this season!

Five Star Performers                                                                                   09 Feb 08

The SAL Rep team have reached the FA Carlsberg National League Systems Cup Semi Final. Five of our players Nathan Violet, Alex Ewin, Matt Kerr, Chris Kerr and Nick Stavri were in the side that completed a 3-1 win over the Dorset League in the Quarter Final. We are immensely proud that we have provided so many players to a successful SAL Rep team. This competition has caused quite a lot of disruption to our season, in terms of postponed games and free Saturdays for the remaining players. Nevertheless we have made a clear decision this season that we wanted more players to get representative experience and we have fully supported the SAL Rep team. It is a real plus for these players to come up against good players from around the country. In addition the opportunity to play against the Army, Navy, RAF, and other rep. sides can only help the confidence of our players and enhance what they get out of amateur football. Andrew Szwajkowski and Andy Pierce are two other players who have played for the successful SAL side this season and I feel that we have one or two other players who should gain selection in the next 12 months. Our defenders Greg Swindle, Matt Rolfe, and Junior Urwin have shown for several seasons that they have the ability to make the step up whilst we have a couple of midfielders in Micky Lyons and Dave Howson who I feel are as good as some of the players currently in the side.

These two squads of 14 were not the only Nottsborough players taking part in a big cup game as we had 5 players selected for the SAL Representative team in the Semi-Final of the Carlsberg National Cup for amateur leagues. Out of the whole of England the two major London leagues had made it to the semi-final at Dulwich Hamlet, which says quite a lot about the standard of London amateur football. By implication therefore, having 5 players selected says quite a lot about the standard within our own club. Unfortunately Nick Stavri had to withdraw with a hamstring strain, but Alex Ewin, Nathan Violet, Matt Kerr and Chris Kerr all started the game. Alex Ewin was the two goal hero for the SAL in their 2-0 win, although Nathan assures me that he had a hand (or foot) in both goals. The SAL has therefore booked a final against the Isle of Man League or Midland Amateur League on the 3^rd of May. The winners of this match will represent England in a match in Spain at the start of next season. Nottsborough has fully supported the SAL Rep side this season at some cost to defending our League title. I still believe it has been the right thing to do. Representative football is very good for good players and we want to encourage as many of our players as possible. Micky Lyons also recently represented Nottsborough in the AFA Select side against the Sussex League at Corinthian Casuals, along with Nathan Violet.

I chose to spend my Saturday afternoon supporting Pete Morris’s 2’s team who were top of the SAL Intermediate. The game at West Wickham was going to be difficult but another win would put even more pressure on Carshalton who were in second place but with a game in hand. Unfortunately for Peter and his talented side we did not get the run of the ball and most definitely did not deserve to lose. With Carshalton winning, the League is now out of our hands. In the first half West Wickham made the most of the conditions and deserved to be ahead at half time. They extended their lead at the start of the second half with a most fortunate second goal as a speculative shot turned into a superb pass to their right winger and his cross was turned into the net. The last 35 minutes was one of almost unremitting Nottsborough pressure as we finally started to play well. Ted Datta spurned a great chance before Nick Greene thumped the ball home from 20 yards. Ben Hughes then hit the inside of the right hand upright and saw the ball roll along the line and just past the left hand post. The WW keeper made a great save from Hughes in the last 5 minutes whilst Karl Warner put a header just wide, and Rob Hawkins flashed a shot just wide of the far post. Enough chances therefore to win the game and as in all football matches you have to take them or suffer the consequences. Nevertheless I saw enough talent there to believe Peter’s side will be stronger next season for the experience and one or two of this side will be knocking on the first team door.

It was not therefore an ideal “big” Saturday. We only picked up one trophy and we missed out at West Wickham. I am very pleased for Andy Cattell and the 4’s players. They have fully deserved their success. The 3’s have taken quite a while to get going this season after winning the Junior League last season. Now they must concentrate on finishing the League season on a high and getting into the top 3. It is perfectly possible! The 2’s have only one game left which they must win. They all need to stay fit as there will be plenty of midweek games throughout the club. The 1’s Rep players will have their big Cup Final. Finally the 1’s have the AFA Senior Final on the 12^th April to look forward to and the chance to retain their SAL League title. All heady stuff in our 20^th year.

Brian