B is for Bideford!!

Hello everyone 

 I don’t know about you boys but I thought it was a really good training session this evening. 

 Thanks to John for talking through the importance of maintaining good positioning during match play. I just want to mention a couple of things and then move on if I may.

 Respect and team spirit: 

 We have a brilliant bunch of players and all 15 of you are at the core of the team. It was a real shame to have one of our players upset this evening. 

 John and I need to be clear that we do not want to hear of anyone being critical of any of the team at any time. It has no place in our team.

 I also think that the strength of friendship and team spirit is one of the things that gives us an advantage and why in part we have done so well in the last couple of years. 

 Support, encouragement and friendship......that is what Central City is all about! 

 This extends to being respectful and listening to John or I when we are talking. It would be easy to spend the whole hour just having fun and playing a game, but I don’t think we would learn or develop very much, so sometimes it is important to talk through some tactics rather than just playing and doing drills.

 I hope that is fair, I don’t want to sound mean, but I would ask you to always respect and value the friendship of our team. 

Okay moving on!! 

 So we have Bideford on Saturday, a tough match but I honestly feel so positive about our squad and feel that we can give them a run for their money!!

 The weather ‘up North’ is looking a bit wet and windy, Ross (Bideford Manager) is aware that we are hiring a minibus and have a long journey so will be inspecting the pitch on Friday lunchtime, I will keep you posted as always. 

John and I have had a difficult decision to make in choosing the 11 boys to travel to Bideford, ensuring we have a balanced and competitive squad. 

 Goal Keeper - Sam R 

 Defence – Josh (c), Cameron and Charlie 

 Midfield – Sam P, Will P, Dan and Tom

 Striker – Alfie W 

 Starting Subs – Ewan and Joe Rested, injured or unavailable – Alfie R, Ryan, Oscar and Will A.

 For those of you coming on the mini bus we will be LEAVING the main car park at King George V at 8:30am sharp to enable us to get there in plenty of time, any problems please keep me posted. 

For those collecting players after the game I would anticipate that we would be returning to KGV at around 1:30pm, but please do not worry as I will wait until you are able to get there. 

 Exeter City Match evening 

 Last call please for those wanting to come to the Exeter City v Cambridge United game which is one of the Central FC organised events. 

 Just a quick recap tickets are £15 (players or parents welcome) for seat, pizza, drink, match programme and the players get to have a penalty shoot out at half time! 

 So far I have Ewan, Rupert, Tom, Steve D, Cameron, Charlie, Steve T, Will P, Andrew P, Russ and Will A on the list.

 If you are not on this list and would like to come please can you let me know by Saturday. 

The easiest way to pay would be through a BACS transfer into the Central FC account (69382285 09-01-53) or a cheque payable to Central FC to me, thank you. 

 Dads night in! 

A big thank you to Russ, Lynn and Will for hosting a great evening at the weekend, it was a resounding success and great fun so thank you. 

 More plans are afoot so watch this space for details! 

 The Spanish Tour 

Just a quick mention of the Spanish trip which had been talked of just before Christmas. Many thanks to Emer, Rupert and Andrew P for doing some background work on it.

 What we found was that it would have been roughly £350 per person and with relatively short notice I think the general sense was that this was going to be too much. 

 So I think the only thing to do would be to put a halt to this opportunity but we are going to work on a mini tour this summer (probably in this country) and then aim for an international trip next season!! 

Blimey sorry I do go on, but hope that’s all of interest and help. 

 See you on Saturday and/or Wednesday 

Regards 

Mark

Draw of attrition

Back to league action with the return home tie against Alphington Panthers at KGV.Earlier in the season,City had dug deep and secured a hard fought three points away from home.

This was a draw under exactly the same conditions,but not before the brightest of bright starts saw City take the lead after only a minute of play.Tom laid the ball off to Alfie W,who after a short run past a couple of defenders,put a distance shot into the top left hand corner.

The Panthers quickly composed themselves and started to give City some problems,in football as well as physical challenges.They were particularly adept at keeping a  pseudo billiard move of ball,Panther player then City player,in a line,with the ball motionless and the City player frustrated at being held from it.By mid first half the tactics had paid off and the visitors clawed their way back and ahead,having scored two goals.The first from a well taken corner that was difficult to clear,the second more from a defensive mix up.

Before the half ended there were some promising moves with Joe seeing plenty of the ball in the forward position.Unfortunately Josh was on the receiving end of an ankle knock and had to be substituted at halftime.

City came out with intent for the 2nd 30 minutes and were rewarded when Cameron levelled,again with power and from distance,at what would be the final score,2-2.Between that and the final whistle however,two yellow cards were branded,one to each side, by the young referee who also had to endure some harsh criticism from the opposition supporters and disappointingly,Manager. 

In fairness,the decisions were falling evenly between the sides,but the Panthers physical game was evident with Sam P narrowly avoiding needing the Terry Butcher bandage.

Division 1 football is proving to be like this,at least some of the time.The Managers’ summing up,in that City had more than competed on their own,fair,gentlemanly terms, and got a result,was accurate.

The FA Van Gaal board though could probably have been placed in a more strategic place,but the Guvnor was far too polite to offer a suggestion.Man of the Match went to Ewan for tireless running,positional play and endless competing.The Oxford University Department of Physics is looking to redefine the laws of gravity and timespace after Will A cleared the ball for a throw in,above Dad headheight,despite being horizontal on the turf.

A is for Alphington!!

It was a perfect evening for training last night, hope you all got something out of the session. 

 It was really good to spend some time looking at the formations for attacking corners and I am grateful, as ever, to John for sharing his knowledge and expertise with us. 

 This was really important to do, so thanks for your concentration and patience. 

So here we go then……Alphington Panthers are coming to KGV on Saturday for our home fixture against them. We took the unusual step of naming the team last night to give you all opportunity to think about the change in personnel and how we will need to adapt to not having Charlie, Will P and Dan from our normal starting line up! 

 So as revealed last night the starting 9 will be: 

Goal Keeper – Sam R 

Defence – Will A, Cameron and Josh

Midfield - Sam P, Alfie W, Tom and Ewan

Striker – Joe 

Starting Subs – Ryan and Oscar 

 Not available, rested or injured – Dan, Alfie R, Will P and Charlie (good luck and have a great weekend) 

 This will be a TOUGH match on Saturday boys make no mistake! Having nipped them 1 – 0 at the start of the season they will be keen to seek their revenge I am sure! 

 So see you at KGV at the latest at 10am please. Also any help with putting goals up and the new respect barriers would be really welcome. 

 The weather is looking wonderful! 

 Exeter City Match 

 Just a reminder if you would like to come along on Tuesday 10th February for the home game against Cambridge. Tickets are £15 each and the price includes seat in the Flybe stand, match programme, food, drinks etc and also a chance to go onto the pitch at half time for a penalty shootout.

 If you are a ECFC season ticket holder the price drops to £12. If you are interested please let me know by Saturday and I will add you to the list. 

Hoodies (Hoody's??) 

 A couple of people have asked where I got Cameron’s Hoodie printed up, the answer is the Arena Screen print.

 Andy at Arena is a top bloke and does a lot of kit for the club, he is based up near the airport and would be happy to do kit for you if required.  Just Googke him for details. 

 Look forward to seeing you on Saturday 

Kind regards 

 Mark

Soooooooo chuffed for you all!!!

Put simply I could not have been prouder of all the 11 boys who were part of the amazing win on Saturday! 

Like Andrew in his match report said it was a true cup tie and was quite tense at the end but we kept our cool (well you boys did!!) and we for that you should be really proud of the way you applied yourselves. 

The reward is a semi final match on the 14th March 2015 against Twyford Spartans which is exciting and a real sign of our progress as a team and for all the effort and hard work that each and every one of you puts in to being part of our great squad. 

Football can really deliver such a buzz cant it and Saturday was simply perfect so well done and thanks to all the spectators for coming and supporting our boys. 

So we have Alphington at home this Saturday and then Bideford away the following week so lots of challenging games ahead. 

However it is great to be able to head into these games with confidence about our abilities. 

The focus for training this week will be defending and attacking corners. The weather is looking quite chilly so this might be a session to wear tracksuit trousers and a hoody so that we don’t get cold when walking through these set pieces.

Wednesday 6pm to 7pm as per normal. 

Some other bits and bobs....... Cameron has asked me to say thank you to everyone who came along to his football party on Sunday and for the kind cards and gifts. He had a great weekend with the Cup win as well so a happy chap!

Exeter City Evening: Each year the club organises for the Central players to watch a match at Exeter City FC. This season the Under 12’s are invited to watch the Exeter City FC v Cambridge United on the evening of Tuesday 10th February 7:45pm kick off. 

The tickets are £15 which includes a match ticket in the Flybe Stand, match day programme, pizza and drink. In addition (weather depending!) there will be a penalty shoot out on the pitch at half time which the players will be part of.

If any parents want to come as well I am sure that is fine, equally I would be able to give three boys a lift home after the game if that is helpful. If you would like to come can you please let me know ASAP and I will liaise with Nigel about the tickets.

The Bideford Trip: 

Just want to keep everyone posted about the Bideford arrangements. The mini bus is now full so presume others will make their own arrangements.

If you want to travel in convoy the mini bus will be leaving KGV main car park at 8:30am. 

Many thanks for your time, 

Mark

Cup run continues in the New Year

The Central City year started in the best possible way as Copplestone United were defeated 3-2 in normal time,a result that sees City reach the semi finals of the cup and a tie against Twyford Spartans.

It was just as well it was normal time,at least for the supporters and probably for the boys as well,as extra time and the threat of the dreaded penalty shootout would have needed more specialist equipment than the first aid kit carries.A sunny winters day and an 11am kickoff at KGV,saw a welcome return to action following frustrating postponements and rearrangements.This was a proper cup tie that developed as time went on,to end to end football.All the memories of Ronnie Radford (youtube Hereford vs Newcastle in the FA Cup) come flooding back-now that’s what you call a heavy pitch.Perhaps the KGV groundsman is on top of his game!.

After a couple of close City efforts,Will P unleashed a long range screamer to give City the lead in under 5 minutes of play but Copplestone levelled on 12 minutes with a well taken effort.Cameron stepped up for a freekick on 20 minutes,floated the ball into the box,and Tom ghosted in to restore the lead.The second half saw Sam P deliver his own Ronnie Radford screamer but even a 2 goal lead in a cup match never seemed enough.With Copplestone getting it back to 3-2 with 6 minutes left,it was a tense final period in which City played with defensive spirit,keeping the ball and even enjoyed opportunity to net again.

The semi final beckons,more uncharted territory is to be explored and the vibe continues.Typified by the Man of the Match,scorer of the first brilliant goal,marshalling the troops and vocally encouraging throughout the match,take a bow,Captain Will P.

Fingers Crossed!!

Hello everyone, 

 What a great session we had last night, thanks to all those who came out and trained with great focus despite the wind and the rain. 

 Also big thanks to John and Gillian for their input and offering their skills and knowledge to the players. 

 After a few weeks of matches being called off I have everything crossed hoping that our cup game against Copplestone will be on this Saturday.

 We have had lots of rain this week so I have offered to host the match at King George V playing fields in the hope that our pitches will be playable. 

 Nigel has kindly agreed to start his U 11 team game early and so as things stand we are due to kick off at KGV at 11am. 

Please be assured that I will do everything and anything that I can to get this game on! We have had to make some changes due some players being away so here is the starting team for Saturday: 

 Goal Keeper – Sam R 

 Defence – Josh, Cameron and Charlie

 Midfield – Sam P, Tom, Will P © and Ryan 

 Striker – Alfie W 

 Starting Subs: Joe and Alfie R 

 Rested, inured or unavailable – Ewan, Will A, Oscar and Dan!

 I know most of you follow the league website and will see that if we can progress through this round we will be drawn against Twyford Spartans in the semi finals so lets give it everything we have got. 

 Please remember that for cup games we could face extra time and even penalties so could be an exciting day! The following week we are at home against Alphington. 

 The squad for this match will be: 

 Will A, Josh, Cameron, Sam R, Ewan, Alfie R, Sam P, Tom, Joe, Alfie W, Ryan and Oscar. 

 We will be without the services of Will P, Dan and Charlie! 

 Cameron’s Birthday Bash!! 

 Just a quick reminder that Cameron would love it if you can come to play some more football this time in the shelter of Wonford Sports Centre from 2pm to 3:30pm on Sunday 18th January.

 I know there will be a pitch inspection on Friday afternoon but with no more rain forecast I am hopeful that we will be okay. 

Thanks for your patience everyone. 

 Mark

What a frustration!!

Hello everyone, 

Well what a frustration having yesterday's match pulled an hour before we would set off!! I was gutted as I am sure you were. 

Anyhow the plan is for next Saturdays match to be the cup game and then we will have to rearrange the league fixture for later in the season. 

We will keep the same team for next Saturday please. 

Birthday Invitation

It's Cameron's birthday on Saturday 17th and when we asked what he would like for his birthday he said "a win for Central in the cup!!!" 

He would also like the opportunity to get his friends together for some indoor football on the Sunday 18th in the afternoon. Venue and time to be confirmed but hope it will be mid afternoon in Exeter. All City players invited   RSVP to Fran if possible on 07799776634. 

More details to follow mid week if that's ok. 

See you in Wednesday at 6pm for midweek training.  

Mark 

City for the Cup??

Hi everyone, 

Hope you all survived the wet and windy conditions at training last night! 

Thanks for being so focused and putting the effort that you do into training. Just to remind all players that you do need to bring a drink with you to midweek training and that staying hydrated is a really important part of any sport.

Okay so we have two tough games coming up boys, both away at Copplestone which is near Credition. 

The address for the pitch is Dave Pullen Memorial Field, Bewsley Hill, Copplestone, Crediton EX17 5NX. 

This is the furthest we have progressed in the Cup in my memory so it will be great to see if we can go one step further. 

The starting team will be: 

Goal Keeper – Sam R 

Defence – Josh, Cameron and Charlie

Midfield - Sam P, Dan, Will P and Tom

Striker – Alfie 

Starting subs: - Ewan, Joe and Will A

Rested:- Alfie R, Oscar and Ryan Please remember that Cup games can go to extra time and even penalties so please come well prepared with fluid and food!!

Will Pye is our captain for the next couple of games, he has been playing really well this season and is a great ambassador for the team so it will be great to have a top captains performance. 

Advance Warning!! 

The Copplestone manager has asked if we could have a slightly later kick off on Saturday 17th January to 12noon to enable an earlier game to be played on the same pitch. I have said that this will be okay and hope that will be okay with players and parents. 

We still have a few seats left on the Bideford Bus, a snip at £3 per seat. Will be leaving KGV at 8.30am sharp to enable enough travel time. 

Promise to be back in time for the Exeter City match in the afternoon for those going! 

See you on Saturday, 

Regards Mark

Calling all Dads!!

Just wanted to confirm that the Dad's Night In will be on Saturday 24th January.

Russ has kindly agreed to host a night at his home which is very generous and should be a good night.

Plans are still in the making but essentially a great chance to get together, meeting at roughly 7.30pm enjoy a curry and maybe some cards or even a quiz!  It should be a good night.

If you are able to make it and to aid planning could you let Russ or I know if you can make it this week if possible.

Best wishes

Mark

Training tomorrow

Hello everyone,

I am sure, like me, you were disappointed that the match on Saturday was postponed.  I tried all I could to drain the surface water but alas it was to no avail and it was the right thing to call it off.

However it was a good opportunity to have a run out and do some training which was really good. Good to see you all looking sharp and ready to go after the festive break!

Training on Wednesday as per normal, 6pm to 7pm at Isca College.  Sam and Will will be working with Gillian, the trainign focus for the rest of us will be using varying pace in offensive play! (Don't worry I will explain all at training!!)

John and I have been planning ahead for the matches starting with the Cup match on Saturday 10th Jan away at Copplestone.  More details to follow on Thursday.

See you tomorrow at Isca for training

Mark

2015 here we go.....!!

Happy new year everyone and hope that you have all had a good festive break.  I wonder what 2015 has in store for our team? 

Well one thing that we can say for sure is that 2015 brings us a strong of challenging matches over the next few months and into the spring.

Starting with our home fixture against Cullumpton Rangers this Saturday at KGV.

You will remember that this was our first game of this season and we had a battling 4-3 win over them.

As you will know last year Cameron explored other footballing challenges with both Arsenal and also with the Exeter City Academy, after much thought and soul searching, he has decided to return to hi has not been an easy decision for Cameron but playing with friends and really enjoying the spirit of being part of the team was really important for him.

We also welcome back to our team Ryan who has been out with illness and injury since November so we look forward to seeing you Ryan.

Will P will be the team captain for this match and also the Cup game next week, such a strong player in our midfield and Will always shows 100% commitment to training and playing so I am sure will be a fine leader.

So here we go, back to back games over the next couple of months so plenty of football.  John and I have chatted lots about the importance of balancing the team, ensuring that we are competitive at all time and also being fair. 

The starting team for Saturday will be:

Goal Keeper – Will A

Defence – Josh, Cameron and Charlie

Midfield – Sam P, Dan, Will P (C) and Tom

Striker – Alfie W

Starting Subs – Ewan, Oscar and Ryan

Rested – Sam R, Joe and Alfie R

I think it will be a busy morning at KGV so if we could aim to start the warm up at 10am on the dot that would be great.  Any problems please let me know.

For those boys rested this week training will restart on Wednesday 7^th January at 6pm at Isca College. 

Kind regards and happy new once again to you and your families

Mark