THE EDMONTON ROVERS FORUM
This coming Sunday (5th February), we are at Home to FC Rosemill in our first match back after a two-week break...weather permitting though, as the forecast at the moment is for snow and sub-zero temperatures. 
In the changing rooms after the last match two weeks ago, I'm sure I heard Terry Moore and Simon Jackson both mentioning that they were unavailable, so we are therefore going by that unless they tell me otherwise (asap) 
Manager Trevor Hughes is definitely away for this match, but he picked a squad as follows before he left:
A goalkeeper !
Alan Barnard
Lexton Harrison
Martin Cruickshank
Tony King
Danny Hagan
Daniel Cascoe
Terry Brown
Steve Cokell
Lee King
Ben Keating
Daniel Daley
John Scouller
That's 13, then he also named Vernon 'Kizza' Nxumalo to make up a squad of 14.
However, I am now changing that and putting Ricky Kyagaba in the squad instead.
The reason for that is because Kizza's work and travel situation means he continually has to keep dropping out of matches (and club social occasions) at the last minute and we just can't keep carrying on like that. As far as I am concerned, if Kizza wakes up on Sunday morning and finds out that he does not have to stand in for somebody else at work and that the trains are running from Erith (for a change !), then he can phone me straight away if he wants to find out if anybody has dropped out of the squad. If they have, then he can come in to replace them (if we have not already found somebody else).
If Trevor wants to do it the other way round for future matches and name Kizza from the start and then hope he doesn't drop out, then that's up to him.
As for the Caretaker Manager's job for this match, assuming Terry Moore is away, then I will be Manager as far as pre-match preparation in picking the squad, starting line-up & tactics is concerned, but I will need somebody else to take over on the actual day of the match so that I can film the game as normal. If Martin Loveday, Darryl Johnson, Rob Brown or Stuart Dorward are not available/prepared to come along and do that, then either Alan Barnard or Danny Hagan (as Captain) will have to be Player-Manager.
Assuming Jacko is not playing, hopefully either Loveday or Darryl will be fit enough to play in goal (on one leg !?) anyway rather than having an outfield player do it, although there is a good chance that Tim Beeden might be available to go in goal for us.
As for lifts to Hazelwood, if John Scouller and Rob Brown are not playing/coming along, then obviously we are going to have a major problem with Ben, Ricky, Terry Brown, Lexton & Lee King all being left stranded up in Cheshunt/Waltham Cross. Terry Moore drove up there to give some of them a lift back down to Hazelwood last time John didn't play in a Home match, but Terry is not playing this week.
Even if John is playing, he won't be able to fit six people in his car if Rob is not coming along to watch/be Caretaker Manager. I can't drive up to Cheshunt as I have got to open up the changing rooms/put the nets up. (That's another thing I will need a volunteer for).
Further details of the match are here on the Forthcoming Fixtures page.
The way that results in Division One have been going over the past two Sundays means that if we lose this match, we will be in real danger of finishing second from bottom...below St. Mary's, even though they lost 9-0 to Turnford Geese this morning !
This is definitely a must-win match.
I AM AVAILABLE
(Lexton is new to Forums)
Have you got a car yet, Lex ?
John, Ben & Terry Brown are all playing. I don't know about Ricky and Lee yet, but if they are, then two of you will have to get a bus if you are not driving. John can only fit 4 in his car.
...unless Rob Brown can come along to watch/be Manager and can bring Terry and one or two others ?
11 of the 14-man squad have confirmed their availability. ( Tim (GK), Barney, Lexton, Lee King, Hagan, Cascoe, Cokell, Ben, Daley, John & Ricky ).
Ricky says he has a bit of a knee injury but should be o.k.
I have no idea what Hagan's message regarding John Scouller is all about !
Terry Brown confirmed his availability in another thread on here a week or so ago, but he didn't reply to the text I sent out to everybody on Monday. I have also heard nothing from Rob Brown (as a possible Caretaker Manager), so at the moment I have no idea if either of them are coming on Sunday.
Tony King has also not replied to texts, e-mails or put anything on here. Thinking about it now, I think he may well have mentioned in the changing rooms after the last match (along with several others) that he was unavailable ? This is what happens when players tell me verbally when I do not have a pen & paper handy. I forget ! 
The other player in the squad that I can't get hold of is Martin Cruickshank. His phone has now been cut off completely. Whether he has a new number I have no idea.
As for the Caretaker Manager's job for Sunday, as already mentioned, Stuart Dorward is away, I have heard nothing from Rob Brown and Darryl Johnson has 'flu' (according to what he is posting on Facebook ? ). I haven't spoken to Martin Loveday, but I understand he has lost his phone anyway and will not be around for Rovers matches until after his Wedding/Honeymoon.
It therefore looks as if I will be Manager, with Barney & Hagan deciding on any substitutions. If we only have one sub, he will have to run the line whether he likes it or not. If we only have a bare eleven, we will just have to get fined for having no Lino.
Looking at the weather forecast at the moment though, I am not going to panic about any of the above (or worry about who is giving certain players a lift).
It is supposed to snow heavily on Saturday night, and even if it doesn't, the pitch may well be frozen. If there is no snow on Sunday morning, I will go to Hazelwood at 9.00.a.m. anyway, and if it looks like the pitch is thawing out and the game will be on, I will just have to phone everybody and find eleven players who can get over there by 10.30.a.m.
Let's just hope the weather forecast is correct and it does snow heavily on Saturday night. It can then be called off by making phone calls with the Referee and opposing Club Secretary without us having to travel, whereas with frost, it can't.
That's the situation at the moment.
