This coming Sunday, weather permitting, we will be playing our first match at Hazelwood for almost three months ! Can you believe that ?

Fears that Asco might have dropped out of the League following their postponement against FC Alpha this morning have proved unfounded as it was actually called off because of a waterlogged pitch (at Enfield Playing Fields ). Worryingly, St. Mary's game at Hazelwood this morning was also called off for that reason.
Hopefully it won't rain before next Sunday though, and hopefully Asco can field a side following their 14-1 defeat to Rosemill in the last match they played (before Christmas). I will be speaking to their Secretary tomorrow (Monday) night to confirm the match, so I will update on here if there are any problems.

Regarding training on Wednesday night, there appears to be a possibility that we might be able to use the Southgate Hockey Centre between 8.00-9.00 (so therefore 7.30-9.00 including warm-up) for the rest of the season instead of 9.00 (8.30 warm-up)-10.00.
However, I really need to know from everybody whether 7.30/8.00.p.m. is actually better for them or not before I go and book it to start from this Wednesday. Apart from hoping that players answer on here tomorrow (Monday), all I can do is text people and hope they reply. After today's 'let-down's', I suspect at least 10 of our currently registered players are no longer interested and will not bother.
(Chairman's Blog coming soon regarding that...so be prepared ! )

I can make both times, so you should base the decision around other players preferences, but given the choice, the earlier time is marginally better for me.

Would prefer to 9-10pm slot

Here's my guess from what players have told me since they joined the club (although I ideally need them to confirm this)...

PREFER/CAN MAKE 7.30-9.00.p.m.
Jack
Barney
Tim
Garry Cover
Cascoe
Martin C.
Daley
Riaz
Myself
Trevor
Younes
Gavin
Terry
Scouller
Krishan
George
Evon

PREFER/CAN MAKE 8.30-10.00.p.m.
Hagan (because he trains with Crouch End Vampires between 7.00-8.30)
Lexton (Likes to get home from work and eat first !?)
Jacko
Raf (Sleeps afternoon/early evenings because he works nights)


CAN'T ATTEND TRAINING WHATEVER (or very rarely)
Ivan Bass (Works Shifts)
Frazer John (Works evenings)
Frankie (Works Late)
Ben (Works Late/No Car)
Tony King (Works Late)
Loveday (Works Late)
TJ (Works Late)

So...If we train between 7.30-9.00 we will probably lose Hagan, Lexton & Raf and have no keeper there half the time (depending on babysitting duties ?), but we might gain one or two who are invariably in 'Sofa Mode' for an 8.30/9.00 start and have been making false excuses so far this season for not attending.
...and out of that list of 15 players are several who may have 'left' now anyway if yesterday is anything to go by, so we could end up with only 7 or 8 there at training if we train earlier without Hagan, Lexton, Raf & Jacko ?

The problem I have is that Patrick trains on a Wednesday night too, 7-8pm at Lea Valley school, so the earliest I can get there is 8.30.

It's pretty much impossible to sort training out as I am not getting enough feedback. We will therefore have to keep it as 8.30-10.00.p.m. I'm afraid.
It wasn't guaranteed that 8.00.-9.00.p.m. was available anyway. It was only a possibility because one of the teams who used a half-pitch at that time before Xmas had not re-booked for last Wednesday. They probably have done from this Wednesday onwards.

As for this Sunday's fixture, Asco have just told me that they want to concede the match because they have got four players away ski-ing and a load more out injured. However, they have fears that a League rule is in place whereby that means automatic expulsion for a third offence so far this season, but they don't actually want to drop out...or at least not yet !
We don't know if that League 'rule' was actually passed though, and that is what they are currently trying to find out, but Dave Smith (Fixtures Secretary) is not answering his phone or replying to e-mails. When I was on the League Management Committee it was being talked about, but I think the F.A. might have put the block on it as 'unlawful'.

I would guess that if Asco are told they will get thrown out if they non-fulfil again this Sunday, then they will try and get a team out to play us but probably non-fulfil on the day...which would be a nightmare.
If they are told they can non-fulfil this Sunday without threat of being expelled, then we could play at Home to FC Alpha instead as they currently don't have a match. However, that is going to have to be sorted out tonight before FC Alpha's players go and arrange to do something else, but as I say, Dave Smith is seemingly not about.

The most likely scenario at the moment is that we will be told tomorrow (Tuesday) night that we haven't got a game at all and it will then be too late to find opponents for a Friendly.

I will post here as soon as I know.

We are now playing FC Alpha at Hazelwood this Sunday instead of Asco.
All confirmed.

I will update the Forthcoming Fixtures page (and Teamer) this afternoon.