The squad (of 16) for this Sunday's Division One match at Home to Broxbourne Rangers Old Boys at Hazelwood is as follows:
Darryl Johnson (GK), Stuart Dorward, Tony Speller, John Mc,Loughlin, Andrew Warmerdam, Terry Moore, Paul Ellerker, Derek Dorward, Nick Vertigans, Peter Murphy, Conor Mc,Govern, Steve Cokell, Colin Bester, Juneka Junior, Foysol Ahmed & Kris Spyrou.

Foysol was at training this week and has been named in the squad ahead of Ritchie Copues, Gary Cokell & James Walker to give us more attacking options, which we need now 'Kizza' has left.
Kris Spyrou is also included in the squad ahead of those three for the same reason, although James was actually at training this week and seems to have recovered from the flu.
Ritchie, Gary and/or James will be called into the squad if anybody drops out.
Robin Pryke was also at training, but he is working this Sunday and his ankle injury was still playing up anyway.
Paul Woolston (Still on holiday) and Daniel George (Social Commitments) are also unavailable for this match, while there is still no sign of Flory Zinga anywhere.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast for this weekend at the moment is virtual 'non-stop heavy rain' from Friday morning right through to Sunday morning !
The bloke who opens up the changing rooms at Hazelwood told me last Sunday that Enfield Council's groundsmen are no longer inspecting the pitches over there at weekends because of some sort of dispute with their employers. That presumably means that Broomfield (the Saturday club who use the pitch and cut, roll & fork it !) will now be making the decision as to whether the pitch is playable or not on Sunday mornings...which means we are now going to get loads of games called off 'waterlogged' if that's true ! The problem with that is that we won't find out until we get there, so that will involve me texting everybody at 9.30.a.m. this Sunday (when I arrive to put the nets up) if I get over there and find out we are 'not allowed' to use the pitch. You have been warned !

If broomfield don't own the pitch how is it their call on weather its fit to play on? Just out of interest?

There has always been this 'threat' hanging over us (and St. Mary's) of Broomfield being allowed to make the decision ever since the Council agreed to let them tend to the pitch instead of their own workforce some two or three years ago.

A few weeks ago when we were at Home, the Broomfield Manager phoned the ground as I was putting the nets up and told the bloke who opens up the changing rooms not to let us play because it had rained the night before ! (Of course the pitch was in perfect condition and he obviously didn't want it churned up for them).

Funnily enough, the Council groundsman who inspects Hazelwood (and other surrounding venues) on Sunday mornings has a son who actually plays for Broomfield's 1st XI, although he has been very fair to us whenever he HAS called games off.
I have a feeling that a conflict of interests may be what this is all about and it's probably the reason why he has apparently now left his job (according to what I was told by the changing rooms bloke last week...who seemed to saying that he would be without a job as well quite soon , which would explain things even further).

I will try and speak to the woman at Enfield Council before Sunday but she will almost certainly tell me nothing has changed (as usual).
I would not be at all surprised if we turn up at Hazelwood on Sunday to find a note pinned to the door saying 'Pitch One - Unplayable' and not signed by anybody.

Let's just hope the weathermen get it wrong for this weekend !?

Here is the reply I have just received from Gillian Pasha at Enfield Council:...

'Mr Hughes,
The Council groundsman you are referring to has been promoted and no longer does our pitch inspections.
I do not believe anyone does inspections at the present time.
My Manager Tony Corrigan may know but unfortunately he is not in today.
The only thing I can suggest is that you try John at Enfield Playing Fields on 0208 363 7398.'

I haven't replied back to that, but 'John at Enfield Playing Fields' has always told me in the past that he only inspects the pitches at Enfield Playing Fields, Bush Hill Park & Albany Park and therefore can't tell me whether the pitches down in Edmonton & Palmers Green are playable. (That's why he gave me a mobile phone number for the bloke who has now been promoted).

As for this Sunday then, all I can do is phone this John at Enfield Playing Fields at 9.00.a.m. and see if he knows anything. If he doesn't, and we all get over Hazelwood and find the changing rooms shut with a note pinned to the door (probably by Broomfield !) saying 'waterlogged', then we will just have to put up with that and go straight home again !

Let's just hope it doesn't rain any more before Sunday !

Whats he been promoted to? I'm just curious as to what the next step on the career ladder is for a council groundsman.

Also, dare I say it, but we could be double sneaky & 'un-pin' the note in question and claim it wasn't there. I'm sure if we chipped in and gave the changing room bloke geezer a tenner he'd keep mum!!

Excuse me Mr Mcgovern! Not only are you trivialising a very rewarding and fulfilling role for the council, but you are also suggesting bribing a council official.

Conor, good idea to 'do a sneaky' then post the details of it on the Forum for everyone to see. Normally it's Laurence who gives away our secrets.

The thing is, if there IS a note pinned up there (by Broomfield or whoever), the bloke who opens the changing rooms won't be there anyway...unless Pitch Two is playable and somebody has officially booked it.

As far as I am concerned, we book the pitch off the Council, not Broomfield.
If the changing rooms bloke is there and nobody from the COUNCIL is inspecting the pitches, then we have every right to play even if Broomfield stick a note up. They can't stop us.

Laurence, can you not answer the promotion question?

For anyone who cares I'm quite pi**ed, have just got in from Strawberry Moons (rubbish by the way) (it's Friday night 1:42am) it's not raining & my mate Ben walked into a lamp post on Regent St, turned a full 360 degrees a fell face down in front of a bus. Bus did an emergency stop & saved Ben's life while I was stood there laughing. It then took Ben about 1 minute to get up. One of the funiest things I've seen in ages.

Anyway - see ya Sunday chaps......

what about that promotion?