THE EDMONTON ROVERS FORUM
At the moment I have no idea what is happening regarding Pre-Season training at the Southgate Hockey Centre this coming Thursday night.
I have sent several e-mails to Liz at the SHC over the course of the past month or so trying to book something for Thursday, the following Thursday, Pre-Season Friendlies on Sundays in August and training on Wednesday nights at 8.00.p.m. during the season, but I have had no reply to any of them.
It could well be that my e-mail address goes into a spam folder and she has not received any of them...and therefore hired the facilities out to other clubs instead. 
I wasn't there last night so I told Trev to ask the bloke behind the bar whether we have been booked in to use either the Astroturf or the grass area for training this Thursday but I presume he forgot ?
I will try phoning Liz/the SHC again later today, but there is quite a strong possibility that we will not be doing anything this Thursday. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't let us train on the grass because of all the rain we had yesterday and that other teams have already booked the Astroturf, especially between 8.00 & 9.00.p.m.
As for possible numbers attending if we do train, I think if we start at 7.00.p.m. on the grass (which is what Trev wants...and probably Jacko ?), we will only have about 4 or 5 there because most people can't get off work early enough. Others will turn up nearer 8.00.p.m., so a lot of our session will be done in the dark if we hire the grass for two hours (until 9.00.p.m.).
At the moment, it looks likely that the following players will NOT be training on Thursday night:
Danny Hagan ...On Holiday
Olie Tedder ...On Holiday (with Hagan)
Tem Adil ...Injured (50/50)
Colin Bester ...Groin Injury (50/50)
Dave Bagnall (GK) ...Working Away
Tim Beeden ...Hamstring Injury
Rob Brown ...Knee Injury
Daniel Cascoe ...Training with Wormley Rovers Saturday side.
Steve Cokell ...Playing 5-a-side.
Martin Cruickshank ...Works evenings.
Daniel Daley ...'On Holiday for 4 weeks'
Yianni Kyricaou ...Works evenings.
Kizza ...Training with a Saturday team.
Danny Smith ...Training with his Saturday team.
Martin Worthington ...Ankle Injury
In addition to that, the McKenzie Rangers players who want to join us cannot make a 7.00 or 7.30 start because of work commitments as is the case with Lexton. It also looks as if John Scouller is working evenings this week, which would then also rule out Terry Brown, Lee King, Ben Keating & others who they might be bringing along (because they will have nobody to give them a lift).
So...by my reckoning, that just leaves Jacko, Loveday, Barney, Terry Moore, Tony King and Lexton (later)...unless some of those listed above can confirm asap that they can come training ?
Training this Thursday is now sorted ! 
I have booked the grass area at the SHC for 7.30.-9.00.p.m., so we now have to contact everybody we possibly can and try and persuade them to come.
We are being charged £46.00, so if we only have 10 (or less) turn up, then that's £5.00 each.
If we can get 14 or more there, then we can charge £3.50 each, which isn't bad for very good facilities.
We will be able to use both the full-size goals (which already have nets attached), although we have to train at the far end of the grass as a kids' team (I think ?) are also using it for training.
Tonight, we need to keep an eye on when it gets dark.
If it is 'pitch black' by say 8.30-8.45.p.m.'ish, then we will train on the grass between 7.15-8.45. instead, but I will have to notify the SHC first.
We also have the option of using the Astroturf instead of the grass as nobody else is using it (at the moment). The reason they are not having any 7-a-side matches this Thursday is because they were going to be having a two-hour outdoor 'Zumba' fitness session on the Astroturf, but that has now been moved elsewhere (indoors) because of the weather.
If we use the grass between 7.30-8.30 and then the Astroturf for 30 minutes thereafter (if nobody else is on it), then everybody will have to bring two sets of boots. Under no circumstances whatsoever will players be allowed to wear moulded-stud muddy boots on the Astroturf. The SHC will be looking out for that and will 'throw players off' if they are not wearing Astro boots/trainers.
Can we have players posting here asap (or texting/e-mailing me) to confirm their availability or not ?
I will text everybody tonight who never posts on here, but I need to save my phone bill a bit !
The following Thursday (28th July) has been booked for 7.00-8.00.p.m. on the grass and it has been confirmed that our 7-a-side match will kick-off at 8.00.p.m.
I have just found out that Jacko is going to Stoke v. Hadjuk Split though, so we will have no goalkeeper.
The Pre-Season Friendly pitch bookings have all been confirmed, as has training during the season on Wednesday nights, but unfortunately we have to stick with 9.00-10.00.p.m. for the time being. However, we are now first on the waiting list to change to 8.00-9.00.p.m. should teams using that timeslot fold up or muck the SHC about with payment.
After discussing with Trevor & Barney last night, I have called off training for tonight because the following players either cannot commit themselves until the 'last minute' (for reasons best known to themselves) or simply haven't bothered to reply on here or to the e-mail and text messages I sent them:
Tem Adil
Dean Assiamah
Dave Bagnall
Colin Bester
Rob Brown
Terry Brown
Steve Cokell
Daniel Daley
Lexton Harrison
Simon Jackson
Ben Keating
Tony King
Yianni Kyriacou
Martin Loveday
Terry Moore
Vernon 'Kizza' Nxumalo
John Scouller
Danny Smith
Martin Worthington
The above players only have themselves to blame if they were definitely intending coming training tonight. If they can't be bothered to let me know by just simply replying yes or no to an e-mail or a text message, then what more can I do ? 
At the moment, only two players (Barney & Lee King) have actually replied to say they want to come training, so I have got no option but to call it off !
We have been charged £37.50 for training tonight. If the SHC refuse to give us a refund/credit (which is quite likely), then in my opinion, the players listed above should have x amount added on to their subs owed.
The only possible exceptions are Rob Brown and Martin Worthington who we know have been out injured for a long time, but at least they could reply to give me an update on their progress ?!
I know that some players may have had difficulty posting on this Forum over the last couple of days while I have been experimenting with it, but that's no excuse. They have all got my phone number and e-mail address !
Players are now starting to text me saying that they did not receive the text I sent them on Tuesday saying that training was on, or the text I sent them about an hour ago saying training was OFF !
They also 'never' look at their e-mails and don't know how to find this Forum, let alone post on it !
Sounds like we'd be better off going back to the 'good old days' of the 70's & 80's when all we had was a home land-line to get in touch with players, and if they didn't answer, we had to drive round their houses and bang on their doors !
