Seriously now, its all been said before and it keeps getting brushed off. Training has to be done, We aint got a hope in hell of winning anything without doing training, all this nonsense about people cant make training is cobblers, more like they cant be bothered to. "champions league games are on tuesdays and wednesdays, europa league is on thursdays" so fucking what!? sky plus it!
its going to help with this selection process that near enough everybody has an issue with, and above all its going to help everyone get used to one anothers playing style.
Its pointless in finishing mid table year after year. I know that everyones going to say no its not training thats causing that. But imagine the improvement from mid table finishes. whos knows what can happen......FULHAM just made the Europa finals for fuck sake! If thats not making you think anythings possible then what does!
Training is a must, and it must be at least 2 hours, or if we can only get an hour, then I'd happily run the fitness sessions on the grass next to the pitches for an hour beforehand. This is all assuming that we train at Southbury, so I'd suggest that it gets booked now for next year on what ever night we can. If people would rather watch Football than play it, well, that sums up the attitude................
On Wednesday night, I filmed Flamstead End beating Enfield Rangers 3-2 in the League Purdy Challenge Cup Final after being 2-0 down. It was a shock result to most observers, but not to me...and they deserved to win. It was no fluke.
I had a long chat with the Flamstead End Secretary before the game and he told me that a couple of years ago they were just like us, with players who couldn't go training because of work & family commitments and they just played 'for fun' and finished mid-table every season.
They then made a decision to bring in about 10 new players in their late teens/early-20's who had all played together for years in Youth football. (I think they got them from Cheshunt F.C.'s Youth set-up).
They are all mates with each other both on and off the pitch and they all go training and all turn up and play every Sunday. They are totally committed to playing for the club, and that is why they are doing so well.
Danny Hagan (and Jacko) are spot-on.
However, where the hell are we going to find a group of players like that who we can bring in to replace players who can't go training because they work abroad or 'late' in midweek or play netball ?
It won't happen because we just don't have the contacts.
We can train next season at the Southgate Hockey Centre on Thursday nights between 8.00.p.m. & 9.00.p.m. if we want, but sharing with McKenzie Rangers. They only get 'about 8' turn up and I have discussed the possibility of joining in with them.
The problems with that are they will be in our Division next year and I think they only hire half a pitch, which means all we can do is an 8-a-side with them every week...although at least they are willing to experiment with 2-touch/3-touch or whatever.
We won't be able to do our own shooting practice/tactical stuff at one end into an 11-a-side goal while they use the 11-a-side goal down the other end.
We can use the grass area for fitness between 7.00 & 8.00 before we go on the Astroturf though.
Jacko, we won't get the Southbury Leisure Centre (or anywhere else on a Tuesday, Wednesday or a Thursday night) between 7.00-9.00.p.m.. Believe me, it's not even worth asking. We will be on a 10-year waiting list.
