Under 11s Update, 29 October 2006

Well we managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory today: 2-0 up early in the second half before finishing 4-2 losers. But ‘losers’ is the wrong word and yet again does not describe the Silfield Spirit we saw so much in evidence this morning. Even when we were 4-2 down, our heads didn’t drop and we battled on.

And whilst I may be a mouthy so-and-so on the sidelines, at least I don’t “F and blind” like the Lakeford coaches did. Shocking behaviour.

Thanks are due to Kristian Websdale for running the line for us this week.

Talking of Lakeford and losses, their loss is our gain on a different matter: those of you who remember Daniel Brindle from the Under 9s season may know he went to play for Lakeford last season and this, but has become disillusioned with them … to the extent that he’s coming back to us as soon as we can sort out the transfer papers insisted upon by the League. Hopefully, he’ll be joining us at our next training session at least as he won’t be allowed to play for us until the League says so.

On the subject of players rejoining us, I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know that Matthew Elvin, who rejoined us temporarily whilst Joseph Bush is sidelined due to his injury, has decided to stay with us after Joseph is fit to rejoin the team.

Onto administrative stuff:

  1. There is no training this Wednesday evening - we haven’t got a match this coming Sunday, 5 November, so….
  2. On Sunday morning, we’ll train instead from 10.00am until 11.30am at Ketts Park.
  3. This update can be found here on our web site.

See you on Sunday.


Lakeford (Away), 29 October 2006

Lakeford -v- Wymondham Town United

Result: 4-2 Loss

0-1 halftime.

Goalscorers: Henry Leather, Nicholas Parker

Wymondham Player of the Match: Luke Chalcraft 


Under 11s Update, 22 October 2006

Some important news this week.

But first, I’d like to repeat what I told the boys this morning: when they play as well as they played this morning, they make me proud and they make all the effort that Alex and I put into the team worthwhile.

Some excellent effort put in by all, but again as I said to the boys after the match, I was particularly pleased with the effort put into the game by Jack, Luke and Matthew. I was also very pleased to see Oliver bright and cheerful as usual: more on this later… Alex and I have noticed that a number of players from last year continue to improve and we’re encouraged with the new players who’ve joined us this year: Dan is improving visibly week on week, Louis continues to build on his capabilities with some fine clearances and Zack shows some great promise for us.

I mentioned Olly earlier: what you may not be aware of is that last Sunday evening, he was taken to hospital with suspected appendicitis and kept in for observation until Tuesday. Although there’s nothing conclusive yet, he still wasn’t 100% today (despite his assurances to the contrary!) so let’s hope it turns out to be nothing. As for injuries, Asher’s nearly back to full fitness and Joseph’s surgery went well but was more extensive than planned, so he’s out of action for six weeks and no doubt climbing the walls; good to see him turn out to support us again today, though.

So, onto administrative matters:

1. Training - no training this Wednesday evening.

2. Lakeford Match, Sunday 29th October - this is an away fixture with a kick-off at 10.30am so we need to be at Eaton Park, South Park Avenue, Norwich, no later than 10.15am for warm-up and briefing. Turning from Bluebell Road into South Park Avenue, the car park is about 200m on your left next to the mini-golf section to the west end of the park - if you go into the main gates at the Colman Road end, you’re at the opposite end from where you need to be! If you want to travel with us, we’ll be leaving Ketts Park at 9.30am, heading up the A11 into Norwich, taking the turning into Cringleford and then turning left at the traffic lights back under the A11 into Bluebell Road.

Please let me know if you are coming with us or heading straight there.

Google Map is here »

3. We will need to have a parent or other family member to act as linesman for our game and another to referee one half as Alex will not be with us next week: please step forward to help out.

4. Match Reporter - we still need someone to volunteer to do this.

And finally…

This update can be found here on our web site. The fixtures list has also been updated with details of Sunday’s game and our week off on 5 November: we have a bye through to the second round of the League Cup.

See you all on Sunday morning.


Poringland (Home), 22 October 2006

Wymondham Town United -v- Poringland

Result: 2-3 Loss

1-1 halftime.

Goalscorers: Jack Morris, Edward Tennant

Wymondham Player of the Match: Jack Morris


Under 11s Update, 16 October 2006

OK, just a quick-ish (for me, anyway) update this week.

“5-1 Loss last Sunday”. Sounds bad, but those of us who were there on Sunday know the score didn’t reflect the play: a 1-1 draw or at worst a 2-1 loss would have been a fairer result.

A worrying start to the game with Asher being injured or at least worsening a training injury whilst having a kickabout beforehand. Thankfully, Oliver “Never Say Never” Charlish was on hand to be volunteered by me to play in goal and Asher had a great game on the park (better still in the second half after Alex had suggested we change the positions around and move Asher to midfield).

No two ways about it, Rocklands were lucky with the quick first goal whilst we were still nervous, but boy, did we come back with Matthew’s goal in the second half!

Now all we need to do is repeat that sort of performance on Sunday at home to Poringland and we’ll chalk up another victory, of that I have no doubt.

Thanks also to Michael Elvin for doing the duty as linesman releasing Alex and I to coach and/or referee the game.

Let’s hope Asher’s wrist gets better sooner rather than later; although after that performance from Olly and Ash in their switched positions, I’m not as concerned for our results as I was before kick-off, it must be said - it’s good to see that both players stepped up to their challenges.

Talking of injuries, I’m sure we all wish Joseph a speedy recovery after his surgery this Tuesday to reset his broken nose. Joseph will be out of action for at least another two weeks - I’d have thought it’s more likely to be more than that, although I’m always amazed at how quickly people heal - but in the meantime it’s great to see him turning out to support his team whilst he’s under orders not to play. It’s also good to see Matthew Elvin filling in for Joseph whilst he’s out: let’s hope Matty decides to stay on afterwards, eh?

So, onto administrative matters:

1. Training - this is on Wednesday evening at Ketts Park from 6.00pm to 7.30pm as last week.

2. Poringland Match, Sunday 22nd October - this is a home fixture again and we’re up first this week, so that means a kick-off at 10.00am. Please make sure the boys arrive for warm-up and briefing between 9.30am and 9.45am at the latest. Poringland are only ahead of us in the league table on goal difference and a victory against them would move us ahead.

3. We still need to have a parent or other family member to act as linesman for our games, both home and away. You will need to be in line with the last defender for one half of the pitch and know the offside rule (Law 11).

4. Match Reporter - we still need someone to volunteer to do this.

And finally…

I have completely overhauled our team web site which can be found at http://www.wtufc.org.uk and http://www.silfield-united.org.uk. If you have a smaller monitor size, you’re better off, because at larger screen sizes Alex and I emerge into the picture at the top of the page!

You’ll find all sorts of information there in the main sections including our regularly-amended fixture list and our league table. The categories section covers fixtures, newsletters and results: this update can be found here, for instance. The archives section is a month-by-month archive of what we’re doing. There’s a links section with links to the main club web site as well as the old message board where the previous years’ results are kept. And finally there’s a sponsors section with links to our sponsors’ web sites.

Clicking through to some of the Google Ads. will help pay for the site’s hosting costs {hint, hint} and might get you football-related bargains. Or not.

See you all on Wednesday evening.


Rocklands (Home), 15 October 2006

Wymondham Town United -v- Rocklands

Result: 1-5 Loss

0-1 halftime.

Goalscorer: Matthew Plater

Wymondham Player of the Match: Oliver Charlish


Spixworth (Away), 8 October 2006

Spixworth -v- Wymondham Town United

Result: 2-1 Loss

1-1 halftime.

Goalscorer: Matthew Plater

Wymondham Player of the Match: Louis Hyett


Under 11s Update, 3 October 2006

Just a few bits and bobs:

1. Training - this is on Wednesday evening at Ketts Park from 6.00pm to 7.30pm as last week.

2. Spixworth Away Match, Sunday 8th October - this has been confirmed as a lunchtime kick-off at 12.30pm - I know, what a stupid time! - so we need to be at Spixworth Village Hall, Crostwick Lane, Spixworth, NR10 3NQ no later than 12.15pm for warm-up and briefing (note that this is a different venue from last year). If you want to travel with us, we’ll be leaving Ketts Park at 11.30am, heading up the A11 into Norwich, around the outer ring road and then out onto the North Walsham Road past the rugby club to the crossroads with Rackheath Lane going right and Crostwick Lane going left. The Village Hall is the first building (after the cottage on the crossroads) on your left. Please let me know if you are coming with us or heading straight there.

Google Map is here »

3. Saturday Training Fees - as I mentioned to those present on Saturday, if we are playing a match on a Sunday and training on a Wednesday, I don’t intend charging yet another £2 for the occasional Saturday session; this may change if we dump the Wednesday evening sessions later on when conditions deteriorate. I’ll keep you all up to date.

4. United and Lizards Possible Amalgamation - just for information, it is Club policy from Under 11s onwards for us to field what is effectively an A team and a B team at each age group. This policy was only finalised recently after we’d already decided on the squads for this year’s Under 11s, so doesn’t have to apply to us.

However, both the Lizards and the United Under 11s are struggling for numbers with a maximum of 13 in each squad available to us. Neither team are presently producing the results we managed last year despite our best efforts (although Sunday’s win against Blofield was welcome and the boys did us proud and should rightly be proud of their efforts and result). What this means is that for the present, we will not be joining the two teams to make one large squad, but we will be constantly monitoring the situation for the benefit of the Club, the teams and most importantly the boys themselves. Ignore any rumours you might hear: unless or until you hear otherwise from me or Alex, nothing will be changing and if it were to change you will be the first to know from us.

Alex and I liaise closely with Steve and John, the Lizards coaches, and will be meeting on a regular basis both informally and formally via the Coaches’ Meetings which is why we do such things as the joint training sessions for the benefit of the boys. Colin Wilson has stepped down as head coach of the Lizards squad in an unrelated move to spend more time with his other two sons.

And finally, a couple of requests to reiterate:

a) Linesman - We still need to have a parent or other family member to act as linesman for our games, both home and away. You will need to be in line with the last defender for one half of the pitch and know the offside rule (Law 11).

I’d like to thank Roy Parker - or Chris, as I called him… - for doing this last Sunday.

b) Match Reporter - We still need someone to volunteer to do this. Last season, Alex was able to make some notes about the game which he’d then turn into a short match report and e-mail to me on the Sunday or the Monday afterwards for me to get to the papers on Tuesday ready for publication the same week. It’s not that many words - see http://forums.silfield-united.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=7 for last year’s match reports - but we do need someone to come forward.

See you all on Wednesday evening.


Blofield (Home), 1 October 2006

Wymondham Town United -v- Blofield

Result: 4-3 Win

3-2 halftime.

Goalscorers: Edward Tennant, Matthew Plater (hat-trick)

Wymondham Player of the Match: Matthew Plater