THE EDMONTON ROVERS FORUM
For this coming Wednesday night's training session, it appears that we may have more there than we had last Wednesday...in which case it will be too crowded.
Bearing in mind the other half of the pitch wasn't being used, I am thinking of trying to officially book it so that we have a whole pitch with the intention of having 15 minutes shooting practice/ball-work in two groups of 10 or 11, then a 10 or hopefully 11-a-side practice match for 45 minutes, but playing two-touch, then three-touch for maybe the first 10-15 minutes of it to sharpen everybody up.
I would Referee it and we will also play offsides.
However, two possible problems. Can we afford to pay for a whole pitch, and who exactly is coming training or not this Wednesday ?
Ricky told me he is not because he is working, but nobody else said to me today that they would not be coming. In fact I heard quite a few players say they are coming training this Wednesday when they did not attend last Wednesday. It was difficult to tell though, as a lot of our players disappeared very quickly after the match (because we had lost) before I had a chance to speak to them.
What are our Man United supporters doing ? Are they coming training or watching the Benfica match on TV ? (Poor excuse if they are ! 
As regards cost, we are paying £46 per week for just half a pitch ! I suspect the S.H.C. will charge us another £46 for the other half, not what they would normally charge for a whole pitch for an hour, which is probably about £75. Assuming they would want £92, we would have to charge everybody £5.00 each for training this week to cover the costs.
I will need some feedback on this asap so that I can make enquiries on Tuesday if necessary.
I spoke to Trevor today and he thinks we should stick to half a pitch and split up into 3 groups of 7 if we get 21 turn up, then get two teams playing 7-a-side while the other 'sneaks onto' the unused (dark) pitch to do some ballwork...albeit risking getting slung off like we did last Pre-Season for using the grass over there without paying for it !
Another thing Trevor (and Jacko) wants to do is get everybody to turn up at 8.45.p.m. instead of 9.00.p.m. on the dot (which most of our players do). We then get subs in/have a chat/do a warm-up & jogging on the grass partition between the two Astroturfs so that when we go on at 9.00.p.m. we are ready to start shooting practice straight away.
Last week was a nightmare to organise because everybody turned up at 9.00.p.m. then got into several different groups and started doing their own thing/talking about Arsenal. 
I then had to try and collect in players' subs at 10.00.p.m. and the lights went out straight away, so it was more or less impossible...although at least I have remembered to charge up that 'searchlight' torch for this Wednesday (ready to find 10 lost balls in the bushes after our shooting practice ! ).
I do think turning up at 8.45.p.m. is a good idea though.
Nothing is happening regarding this at the moment as nobody can/wants to post on here and I am too busy to text everybody and find out who is attending or not.
We will therefore just be using the half-pitch 'whatever', and if loads turn up and we just do an 11-a-side 'kickabout' into the 7-a-side goals for an hour, so be it. 
Ben has just texted me saying he can't come training tonight because nobody else is going who can give him a lift from where he lives in Waltham Cross.
I take it that means John, Lexton & Smithy are not coming then and that Terry Brown and Lee won't be able to get there either ? 
Terry Moore is playing golf and Ricky is working, but I have not heard from anybody else (apart from Jacko on here).
Bit of a 'mild rant' time ! 
There were only 9 of us at training last night including me. The others there were Hagan, Daley, Martin C., Barney, Tim, Loveday, Tony King & Colin.
Lee, Ben & Terry Brown all wanted to come training but were left stranded in Cheshunt/Waltham Cross because John, Lexton & Smithy were unable to attend and therefore give them a lift. Smithy texted me to say he had been working in Basildon and wouldn't be able to get there in time, but I had no idea that John and Lexton were not going to be attending, and the same goes with several others who just didn't turn up, many of whom said they would be there when I last spoke to them.
Ricky was the only player on Sunday who told me he wasn't coming training (because he had to work).
I had no idea Terry Moore was playing golf (until I texted him to see if he could give Martin C. a lift)and I had no idea that Cascoe was injured until Daley told me when I picked him up.
I know it's 'only training', but if you are a current regular or fairly regular player and you know on a Sunday that you cannot come training the following Wednesday, please tell me (or Trevor when he is there) straight after the match when you are paying your subs or just about to go home.
If you originally intended attending training but then have to drop out at any time after the match on Sunday and 9.00.p.m. on a Wednesday night, please text me (or Trevor) or put a message on here like Jacko did and let us know !
We may then have been able to make arrangements to get Lee, Ben & Terry Brown there.
Everybody was really demoralised when we turned up last night because we were expecting at least 14 there (not including me). After a bad defeat on Sunday that was the last thing we needed. Thankfully we had a good session in the end and everybody there felt it was worthwhile turning up.
Trevor now has a difficult job to pick the squad for Sunday because we have 17 players available for only 16 places, so somebody will have to be left out. That may have to be somebody who did not inform us that they would not be attending training last night. If that's the case, then they will only have themselves to blame.
We have always said that if we lose on a Sunday, then we will reward players who turn up to training (and have paid their subs) when naming a squad for the following Sunday's match. It's the fairest way, and everybody agreed with that at the start of the season.
