Chairman's Report
Robert Gyles
As I
complete my 10th year as Chairman (I originally thought I would do
the usual 3 years!) I can reflect on the progress we have made as a
club in that time. A long held ambition to have a full youth section
has happened and, thanks to the partnership with Andy Russell, we
have gone way beyond that with a development group of 30 x 7 and 8
year olds, youth teams at every level from under 9’s to under 17s, a
weekly community football scheme involving 100 or so youngsters each
week out of a possible 200+ and soccer camps in the school holidays.
Not only does all this help generate important revenue for the club
but it also enables us to employ FA qualified coaches to help
develop the youngsters football skills and now we are beginning to
reap the benefits as young players with top 3 team ability are
coming into the club every season.
This season we had a formal link-up with Redbridge College (where
Andy Russell teaches) which enabled them to enter the Conference
Youth League and in return a number of their students played
regularly for the 1st team and reserves. This link has previously
brought us excellent first team regulars, Matty Knights and Rod Beya,
and this year, amongst others, Godfrey Poku and Abe Seymour who have
developed into outstanding prospects.
An experiment to introduce new young players into the 6s, 7s and 8s
under the mentoring of Gary Harrowell had some real success but also
some real difficulties. It did nevertheless result in some talented
young players coming into the club and we have plans to build on
that for next season when we expect many of those players to
progress into the top 3 or 4 sides.
On a wider scale I have seen the club grow into 10 Saturday league
sides all competing strongly in their respective divisions plus two
competitive vets sides and a trophy haul from all sides over the
last 5 years or so which has led senior members of the SAL
management committee to label us as the leagues most successful all
round club – a huge endorsement for our club and you should all be
very proud of the contribution you have made to that success.
This season has again been successful on the pitch with 3 cup finals
and 3 wins – the 6’s winning the SAL Intermediate Novets Cup, the
8’s the SAL Junior Novets Cup and the Vets the AFA Closed Cup. The
vets also reached the semi final of their other two cup competitions
and will come second or third in their league. Commiserations to
Peter Goldring and the 5s who were unluckily removed from the final
of the SAL Senior Novets Cup on a technicality on sectional strength
issues. Although the league, privately, understood the good
intentions behind the selection of the team they were not able to
ignore some clear facts which gave them no choice than to exclude
us.
I can also congratulate the 4s for an outstanding league win and,
providing Norsemen and Old Finchleians don’t cheat with their team
selection, the 8s should add the league title to their cup win to
make it an excellent double. The 6s deserve another mention for a
near miss in the league and also the 5s and 9s who both competed
against other Hill sides (4s and 8s) and finished well in their
division, in each case playing against opposition teams higher up in
their own clubs. It is not just about winning trophies and all teams
had good seasons and finished comfortably in their respective
divisions.
League
P 20 W 6 D 8 L 6
F 24 A 19 Pts 26 Finished 5th
AFA Senior Cup
Eliminated last 32
AFA Middlesex & Essex Senior Cup
Eliminated last 16
This was a strange season for the first team. In a division where
all teams were regularly dropping points we were never far off the
pace but, ultimately, got dragged into a relegation battle involving
6 other sides until two wins and a draw in our last three games
secured our position and actually moved us to 5th and how sad it was
to watch Broomfield snatch the second relegation slot right at the
end!
We were mean in defence with only champions West Wickham conceding
fewer goals but our problem was at the other end and only bottom
club Civil Service scored less. In 6 league and 2 cup defeats, all
but one were by the odd goal and no team scored more than 2 goals
against us. I cannot pretend we were of championship material but
the fact remains, if we could have converted just a few more of the
chances we created we could have challenged for the title. Probably
the 3 most frustrating games were against teams who were all reduced
to 10 men in the first half but went on to beat us. Also for the
first time in a few years we went out of the two cup competitions
with a whimper in games we really should have won. Yet for the
second season running we finished off the season with a quite
outstanding performance, fielding a very young side against Old
Owens and winning 2-0.
With youngsters Godfrey Poku and Abe Seymour from Redbridge College
settling in so well there is now the basis for a young and very
talented team next year despite the loss of Ben Penfold (traveling)
and Barry Chaters (working in Dubai) who will be missed (they WILL
return). If we can score goals we will be well in the hunt for
honours I believe.
Second Team
League
P 20 W 9 D 3 L 8 F
36 A 31 Pts 30 Finished 5th
AFA
Intermediate Cup
Eliminated Round 1
AFA Middlesex & Essex Intermediate Cup Eliminated last 32
It has been said captain George Wainwrights 2s don’t do cups (last
years quote and the year before!). They didn’t disappoint again.
Once again the league start was good and when they beat league
leaders and eventual champions Carshalton 5-0 to move to the top of
the division the prospects looked very good. However, once again
poor availability, the loss of goalscorer Ry Hardy and too many
injuries in the 1s and 2s undermined performances from early
December and put paid to any chances of league success. However
youngsters Charles Matthews and Alan Donohue made their mark on the
team and towards the end of the season a number of students from
Redbridge College put in very creditable performances to help George
out. There is every reason to be optimistic for next season with so
many talented youngsters beginning to stake their claim but better
and consistent availability is needed from the senior players.
Third
Team
League
P 20 W 8 D 5 L 7 F
54 A 51 Pts 29 Finished 6th
AFA Junior Cup Quarter finalists
SAL Junior Cup Eliminated last 16
(Both cup defeats to Old Finchleians
by a combined score
of 16 – 5!!)
The 3s have been the model of consistency for about 3 or 4 years and
for the first time in those years there have been no trophies this
time for Stuart Collins boys. I don’t have a report for the season
but they had a settled squad and achieved some good results. The
goals for column looks impressive but the goals against column
suggests all was not well defensively and might explain the lack of
consistency
Fourth Team
League
P 18 W 12 D 4 L 2 F
56 A 26 Pts 40 Champions!!
AFA Minor Cup
Quarter Finalists
SAL Minor Cup
Quarter Finalists
With no report from the 4s I can only comment on the statistics. All
season the team were in command in the league and never looked
likely to fail. A really impressive performance all season from
Stewart Honour’s boys, most of whom have been together for a few
seasons now. Two good cup runs as well and probably a tinge of
disappointment that one at least did not lead to another trophy
Fifth
Team
League
P 19 W 9 D 3 L 7 F40
A 42 Pts 30 Finished 6th
AFA Senior Novets Cup Eliminated last 16
SAL Senior Novets Cup Semi Finalists
Again no report but the 5s with the impressive Pete Goldring in
charge had a good season competing alongside the 4s. They finished
in a creditable position bearing in mind they play mostly against
4th teams at the top 4th team level in the SAL. Gradually we are
getting to the point where our two teams in the same division will
be of equal standing and we could be heading for 1, 2, finishes
which would be good. As mentioned earlier the team were unfortunate
to be eliminated from the SAL cup after winning their semi final
comfortably against Old Actonians
Sixth
Team
League
P 20 W 13 D 3 L 4 F
70 A 36 Pts 42
Two games to go will finish 2nd or 3rd
AFA Intermediate Novets Cup Eliminated Round 1
SAL Intermediate Novets Cup Winners!!
Again no report but the 6s, led by new captain Gary Harrowell, were
a largely new side involving many talented young players new to the
club plus a couple of old stalwarts.. Always playing good football
they did really well despite suffering the vagaries of a lot of
dodgy refereeing at away games. A good run in the SAL cup led to
another trophy for Gary following on to many he won with the 5s and
a strong league performance against mostly 4th and 5th teams almost
brought success but a runners up finish is likely
Seventh Team
League
P 20 W 8 D 2 L 10 F 52
A 60 Pts 26 8th
AFA Junior Novets Cup Quarter Finalists
SAL Junior Novets Cup Quarter Finalists
A much better season this time for the 7s but I can do no more than
print captain Mick Orme’s report!.
“A new look 7s managed by Mick Orme and Martin Sidoli enjoyed mixed
fortunes with some big wins and some heavy losses during the season,
this mainly down to player availability. Using 11 goalkeepers and 54
outfield players in one season we were always going to struggle for
consistency, the regular players battled on and wore the purple
shirt with pride. There were good performances from young players
Andrew Sidoli, Rob Dunnet and Danny Osborne - these players are good
enough to play as high up the sides as they want and are an asset to
the club. We got to the quarterfinals of both cups and after a lull
midway through the season we put on a good run and finished strongly
in the league to end the season 12 points clear of relegation.”
Eighth Team
League
P18 W 14 D 2 L 1 F
68 A 27 Pts 44 Should be champions!
AFA Junior Novets Cup Semi Finalists
SAL Junior Novets Cup Winners!
An almost perfect season for the team run by Paul Cooper and with
some promising youngsters putting in consistent performances. A
disappointing AFA semi final battering by a suspiciously strong Kew
Association (sectional strength rules?) 7th team did not deter the
boys and they went on to win the SAL cup, this time turning the
tables on Kew and stopping their quest for a cup double. The league
title is still there to be won but after a defeat to a Norsemen team
containing players from higher sides including the 1s and 2s and
another Norsemen game to come I think the league may need to
intervene (appeal outstanding).
Paul Cooper reports:
“An excellent season so far. With league games still to play and
promotion already achieved we need a further three points to go up
as champions. Our leading goal scorers Dharmesh Garala (26), Jim
Leach (13), Jason Linton (13), Edmund Curtis (11).
After
some exciting close games in the AFA cup we suffered an embarrassing
8 - 0 defeat in the semi final to Kew Association 7's, a team
reportedly unbeaten since 2006, who went on to win the cup final at
the Paulin ground. Just a few weeks later we met them again in the
final of the SAL cup. With 9 of the previous starting line up but
new formation and tactics we came away deserved 4 - 2 winners with
goals from Dharmesh Garala, Troy Phillips, Ken Ochiabuto and captain
Paul Cooper. A superb team performance.”
Ninth
Team
League
P 20 W 9 D 4 L 7 F
41 A 37 Pts 31 Finished 3rd
AFA Junior Novets Cup Eliminated last 16
SAL Junior Novets Cup Eliminated last 16
A very good performance by the team in the same division as the 8s
and certainly of very similar quality. I can do no more than include
captain Chris Bond’s report:-
“Last season, under our former identity of the 8’s, we’d shown good
potential in a higher league following promotion the year before.
This year we therefore had hopes of pushing towards the top of the
league. A few players departed over the summer, and one moved up the
sides, and so some recruiting was necessary to fill the gaps and
maintain strength.
The new players gelled well into the team and the rest of the squad
returned in good shape. Despite some great performances, especially
in defence, we were not scoring as highly as previous years and as a
result we found ourselves mid-table following a mix of results. We
hit a peak after Christmas with a purple-patch of form as we went 8
games unbeaten, and we shot up to second place as a result. We
failed to recover, however, from a defeat to Broomfield and thoughts
of promotion were dashed following three more defeats in the run-in.
We still finished a credible third place behind strong Hill 8th and
Old Finchleians 7th teams.”
Tenth
Team
League
P 20 W 10 D 3 L 7 F
67 A 57 Pts 33 Finished 5th
AFA Junior Novets Cup Eliminated last 16
SAL Junior Novets Cup Eliminated last 32
No report from the 10s but it was difficult to follow the first
season of the 10s the year before when being unbeaten in the league
and being champions. However a very creditable all round season with
a much changed side more in keeping with the standard of the league.
Old stalwarts Nick Dean and Vinny Fraulo were reunited on the
football pitch and their combined age of 136 brought a depth of
experience! Long may it continue.
Vets
Our
vets continue to excel with the ‘A’ side winning the AFA closed cup
and being semi finalists in the other two plus a strong performance
in the league. Phil Dykins report sums it up nicely….
“Another successful season for the vets, who again brought
silverware back to the club. Both sides expanded their squads, with
large numbers attending training every week. The B team, led by Jim
Webb, had a mixed season on the pitch, doing well in some games but
losing others they should have won. The A team, led by David Flint,
reached 3 semi-finals, unluckily losing one on penalties, but
progressing to the final of the AFA Closed Cup, which they won with
a superb 6-0 win over Polytechnic.
Final positions in the increasingly strong Garston Vets League have
yet to be settled, but Hill look likely to finish just outside the
top two. On their day they were capable of beating anyone, but
absences for some key games meant they were not quite consistent
enough to challenge for the title. For next season the vets are
looking to lower their average age by signing up a couple of
promising over-35s from the Saturday sides who may be capable of
playing at a higher level!”
And
now the thanks…….
Much
of what follows is culled from last time but it remains just as
important! The largest ever playing membership and long cup runs
mean a healthy financial outcome once again, hopefully with an
excess over our target contribution to the parent club although we
do need to buy some new goalposts which were not in our budget! Our
costs remain under pressure so we cannot rest or become complacent.
We have to continue to generate more and more income to fund our
football development and help the parent club meet its obligations.
Simon Jones has done another good job as Treasurer for which I thank
him.
I always thank the committee but especially those who make it
possible for all to play on Saturdays – Damian Bush for his
secretarial work and almost daily contact with the league and the
AFA; Rob Burwood for fixtures – never a cock-up; Andy Dundon for
referees – the bad ones are not his fault; and Chris Grey and
Stewart Honour for their daunting job as Joint Chairmen of Selection
and trying to get the captains to do things the right way! They all
play a big part in our club.
And then there are the captains – their job made easier by email but
made harder because we all lead our lives differently these days and
reliability and continuity of availability are not necessarily the
qualities of the modern club footballer
Thanks also to Keith Rentell for all his help in organizing the duty
officers who do all the unseen things on match days – also to his
many helpers. Hope you will do it again next season Keith!
Thanks to Russell for the catering and to our groundsman, Martin
Charters, for his excellent groundwork which give us some of the
best pitches in the league.
Thanks to our many supporters who nearly always brave the elements.
And finally….. thank you Chris (Lockjaw) for the best website in the
SAL
Another good season – well done everybody, whatever your
contribution.
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