Sorry about the long message everyone (especially Junior !), but this is all quite important.

I have worked out the permutations for us getting through to the Quarter-Finals of the Risden Wood Tournament, and as I suspected, even if we beat Risden Wood's First Team 6-0 this Sunday it would be an absolute miracle if results in the other groups went our way for us to end up as one of the three best second-placed teams and get through.

Although that means I can now 'safely' start arranging Pre-Season Friendlies for August, I am not going to fix up any at all for the First Team and only one for the Reserves, which will be on Sunday 21st August against The Accies...if we can find a pitch. It is very unlikely that we will be able to book one officially though, so we may have to play it in the afternoon at Firs Farm, without changing rooms and out of sight of the groundsman...and hope that Spurs or Arsenal are not live on Sky.
For those that don't know, The Accies are Tony Speller and the Dorwards' old club and are in Division 6 of the Mercury Waltham League.

The reason I am not fixing up any Friendlies apart from that one is mainly because of what happened last Sunday.
We have far too many players at the moment for whom work, family & particularly social commitments during weekends in August take priority over playing football, so I think it is best that we just have Pre-Season Training at Enfield Playing Fields on Sundays 7th, 14th & 28th August for those that ARE about, and others (mainly the First Team) can keep themselves fit by playing 7-a-side on Thursday Nights. (The Thursday Night League doesn't finish until the 8th September).
The Monday Night League finishes on the 8th August and several players who have been playing in that are going to be needed for Thursday Night matches thereafter as our Thursday Night squad is now starting to diminish because players have other commitments.

I am expecting Training on Sunday 7th August to be very well attended and we should also have plenty of players to choose from if we play the Accies on the 21st, but we may have to cancel training on the 14th (because there are no Management Committee Members available to organise it...apart from myself) and on the 28th (because it is a Bank Holiday Weekend).

Although all of this makes it look as if we are not going to have enough players to field two teams once the season starts, there is no need to panic just yet.
Because of a lack of pitches in the first two weeks of September (due to cricket), it probably won't be until Sunday 18th September that both teams will be playing on the same day, and that will allow more time for new players to sign up and for numerous others to get their photos done so that they are elibgible to play.

Also, it is now looking a lot more promising regarding the First Team squad once the season starts.
Nick Vertigans has now confirmed that he will definitely sign up for us and play on a fairly regular basis, although he is now living and working in Geneva until the end of August and will miss the rest of Pre-Season.
Robin Pryke has now had treatment on his ankle (at last) and is confident of playing regularly this season. He will be coming training in August.
Chris Akinrele is keen to sign up, although he is apparently going to Nottingham University from mid-September onwards. At the moment, I don't know if he is coming down to play every weekend (like Russell is doing from Manchester), but he will definitely play in some matches.
We are not sure what Andy Warmerdam is doing yet, but Terry Moore has already signed up and is keen to play every week and it now looks as if John Beasley will stay. There is also a possibility that Chris 'Nugget' Beeden will return at some stage.
It also looks likely that Derek Dorward and Eric Ibekwem will NOT be working virtually every Sunday as was first feared. Del should be available every other week and Eric might only be missing one match every four weeks.
We also have several younger Reserve Team players who are improving all the time and can do a good job in the First Team, particularly Colin and 'Kizza'.

Regarding goalkeepers, as long as Simon plays once the cricket season finishes, then we should not have a problem. Colin's mate Ozel Ozerman (who has been playing 7-a-side on Monday nights) is signing up to play for the Reserves if needed, and although he is a bit too small for 11-a-side, he is reliable and it is far better than having an outfield player in goal. His calling is also very good and I think he can certainly do as well for the Reserves as Dave Bagnall did last year. If Darryl can get out of having to work every Sunday then that will be a bonus, but if not, there is quite a good chance that Mark Dyer (Everest's former keeper) will sign if and when he recovers from a broken leg. If we end up with four goalkeepers there will be strong competition for places, but it is far more important that we have that than no goalkeepers at all...as happened half the time last season.

The one thing that concerns me at the moment is Chris Morrish and the four or five players he has brought along to the club. They came along to Pre-Season Training a few weeks ago and Chris and Ant Roberts were at our first Tournament match. (Chris didn't play, but Ant looked a very good player). However, in general they always seem to be unavailable whenever we have matches on a Sunday, mainly due to weekend social commitments or it being too short notice if they are called up on a Saturday to replace somebody else in the squad.
The fact that Chris was bringing these players along to join us was the SOLE REASON we decided to keep the Reserve Team going this season.
I therefore need Chris to assure me as soon as possible that they are all going to sign up and play on a regular basis once the season starts. If they are not, or they are only going to be available 'when they are not doing anything else', then that is no good to us and we will have to look for more new players from elsewhere in order to keep the Reserve Team running.

We have far too many players in the club at the moment who can only play about once every three weeks on average. We must NOT have that situation once the season starts in September.

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Having read that message I am obliged to say that I will not be playing next year. As such I won't be available this Sunday or for any future Thursday night games.

Junior, if you are being serious...and I suspect you are, then good riddance to you.

You are a complete arsehole !

...and if anybody else doesn't like the way I run the club, they can fuck off as well.

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'ere, 'ere, well said lozza

Erm - I think we're gonna need a landing net

Can you (as Players Rep) tell me what Junior has got the hump about then, Conor...because I haven't got a clue !

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You seemed to be under the impression that I was staying (as you put in your message) and I just pointed out that I am leaving. I thought it would do you a favour so you can pick players who will be playing next year.

Junior, the reason I am annoyed is because you told me you would stay if you did not end up having to play at left back or in goal like you had to for most of the time last season...which I accept was a perfectly valid reason for you initially wanting to leave.
I have therefore done my best to sign up more defenders and goalkeepers for next season so that you (and others) are willing to stay with us, and I put a positive message on the Forum today to that extent.

You then come on here with a curt and crypic statement which has kicked us all in the teeth and made me look a right 'kant'.

We have been picking players for 7-a-side on the basis that they might play for us next season, so why not tell us earlier if you had no intention of doing so ?

I have nothing against players who want to leave the club, but it's the way you are doing it...

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Sorry to butt in BUT, i am avialable all season long as far as i can see. Work is sorted. Thanx.

If that makes any difference to Junior staying, I have no problems if he wants to...as long as he doesn't keep changing his mind at 9.00.a.m. every other Sunday morning.

After all, I have been having slanging matches with him on the Forum ever since the website was started four years ago !

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