THE EDMONTON ROVERS FORUM
This coming Sunday we are playing Away to London Maccabi Lions 'B' with a London FA Sunday Junior Cup Quarter-Final place at stake.
Obviously the weather forecast isn't great at the moment, but there may be an option of us playing on their 3G Astroturf pitch (like Edmonton Blades from our League did against them in the previous round).
Most of our players told me this morning that they would actually prefer that to playing on what could be a churned-up and bare Spartan South Midlands League pitch which could well be called off frozen or waterlogged anyway, so I have e-mailed LML this evening to find out if their players prefer the 3G as well. I will update on here as soon as I find out.
I have not been to LML's ground before, so I don't know if their SSML pitch is kept in good condition. Most SSML pitches are a lot worse than ours at Hazelwood because (being floodlit) they get played on too much, and that is our players' main concern.
The forecast at the moment is for snow tomorrow (Monday) which will then freeze up and stay that way until Friday when it should warm up slightly. If that happens, then training will almost certainly get called off by the Southgate Hockey Centre on Wednesday night, which will be a bit of a blow, even though Trevor is going to Arsenal. Again, I will keep everybody updated on here as soon as I know anything.
Obviously if the snow hasn't melted by Sunday, then we probably won't even be able to play on the 3G. 
As for player availability, Daniel Daley has now served his lengthy suspension, so he will be available for selection at last...if he pays his fines of course. We are also hoping that Younes Jouied, Rafiel Johnson & Jack Bangs will have recovered from their niggling injuries by Sunday, therefore giving Trevor a full-strength squad to choose from in what will be our most important match of the season so far. 
As usual, the squad will be named on here on Thursday morning, whethyer we have training on Wednesday night or not.
I will set the match up on Teamer as soon as I know, as the Kick-Off time may have to be changed slightly (possibly to a 10.00.a.m. ?).
They run a big Youth setup over there, so I would imagine they will want to use the 3G pitch as well. Hopefully our game will be treated as the more important match.
ALL PLAYERS WILL NEED TO BRING BOTH MOULDED-STUD AND NORMAL BOOTS WITH THEM ON THE DAY
The weather forecast at the moment says there might be heavy snow on Friday and Saturday though, so I would guess the game might get called off anyway if that happens...unless the roads are all clear, the trains are running (for George & Younes), and LML have a snow plough to clear the 3G pitch
As for training tonight, does anybody know if it snowed in Barnet/Oakwood on Monday (or last night) and whether it is still lying on the ground ? If it is, then I would guess the Southgate Hockey Centre will call training off. (They normally phone at about 5.00.p.m. when that is the case). It is going to be -4C even at 8.30.p.m. tonight, so ice on the pitch from half-melted snow will be dangerous.
We have had nothing here in Edmonton of course.
We have had nothing here in Edmonton of course.
John Scouller has indicated on Teamer that he is not available this Sunday, but apart from that, Trevor is assuming that everybody else who was there against FC Alpha last Sunday will be available, including Younes Jouied, so that is therefore the squad for this match, plus Daniel Daley. That makes a total of 17, but obviously we still don't know at the moment if certain players will have recovered from injury by Sunday, while being stuck on a train because of frozen points or turning up with the wrong boots might also be a factor ! . (Trev actually said that, not me !) 
The squad in full is therefore as follows:
Simon Jackson (GK)
Alan Barnard
Terry Moore
George Stahlmann
Lexton Harrison
Ali 'TJ' Sowe
Gavin Mardell
Garry Cover
Danny Hagan
Daniel Cascoe
Krishan Singh
Younes Jouied
Ben Keating
Riaz Daniels
Rafiel Johnson
Jack Bangs
Daniel Daley
As always, if anybody else is available, they will be put on standby.
As John isn't playing, I suggest Terry picks up Lexton & Ben and then goes down Bullsmoor Lane to the M25 to get to Arkley (via the A1(M) junction).
I can pick up anyone who wants to meet at Edmonton Green, then I'll probably go to Enfield Chase and up the Ridgeway to get to the M25.
I have just seen a weather forecast (on BBC London News) which says the snow is going to turn to rain on Saturday evening...in which case our game may well be on. However, other sources are still saying it is going to be -7C on Saturday night, so any snow lying around is not going to melt in those temperatures. We will just have to wait and see.
