Well under new FA guidelines I can't be too specific as to how we are doing. So being deliberately vague, we are doing ok ta for asking.
First game up we didn't have all our better players signed on. I have to be honest & say the footbo Gods have been kind we have some very good players. We have in excess of 30 lads if they all show up. All across the range of ability & that.
Anyhoo, Friday before the first game head of the Forest yoof set up & that calls to say he's coming to the first game. I try & be honest & say my better lads aren't playing as they are not registered yet. Eve of the first game did bring a flury of players forms in but alas twas too late for that game. I was upfront & said I did think I had lads he'd like to look at, it wasn't a wool & head job. Gave him a list of peeps on my travels I had seen that looked decent.
So at Panthers t'night before, I get a text sayting he's coming anyway. Next day t'opposing manager arrives & laughs at my posh tactics board. Game time it's all a bit helter skelter & head less chicken but we are a bit more resolute & organised at the back. We did ok. Not the passing game I want for the foundation was there at t'back. Forest chap asks for details of a couple of their players, none of mine. I did tell him lol.They only have 7 lads plus one with no card that they wanted to play & would even pay the resulting fine for. Agreed to play an extra 10 mins after the main game to let him have a run out. Does help getting our lads all on.
Got back to an e-mail from the Forest dude & he "wants a chat"sometime. Gulp. Did say I was "spot on". Hurrah! What a nice man, bet he says that to everyone.
No game the following week but an absolute star turns up to training. Best passer of a ball I have seen at that age. Want to sign him on the spot. No forms.....arggh...will have to wait two weeks as he goes away alternate weekends. Oh well, he's quality, can't wait to get him playing. Confess to Forest chap I have another star turn.
Next week's training is with 28 lads split into 3 groups. We are managing just. Quite clear we will need a second team starting up. One or two are U7s so that will sort a few out. A sponsor comes forward, hurrah!
2nd game up. Again the opposition only have 7. We have 14. Start down hill & do ok. Manage to get just about everyone on in the first half. Seems they are starting to get it as one sweeeeet passing move rips them open & leads to a goal. Hurrah! Or did it? Not sure if I am allowed to say. Ok there was a good passing move or two. Up hill was going to be harder & I rotated a few players but the half went really quickly & I failed to get 3 back on. Bugger.
Half way through the second half I noticed the Forest chap was stood behind me. Wish he'd stop doing that. anyway we agreed that one of the opposing team was quite decent.
He also liked one of my Canadians a lot. I now have three plus a half Mexican. It's a worldwide game innit?
A second sponsor comes forward, double hurrah!
On the way home, quite happy with the world, H told me one of the parents is the sort that wants to criticise owt I do with the other parents. This week the warm up was all wrong. Quite what she bases this on I am unsure. I am sure this will come to a head soon enough. When she finished with me she started on her kid for being out of position. The goalie....who touched the ball 3 maybe 4 times at most coming out to collect the ball. He was spot on. Then again what do I know? I don't thinks she's a happy soul.
Twas a happy footbo weekend in the EVM household. Saturday Tom's lot played their arch rivals/nemisis/insert expletive . It's a local derby, there's been no love lost since day one at U8 & I have to say generally they are a bunch of bumholes. There's always some reason for them to submit a complaint after. Yawn, yawn. So anyhoo to the game. They had two of the splitters last season & at the end added a third. Now I had a lot of time for the third one as at the end of nightmare of Mablethorpe, he was the only one of Tom's mates that wondered & asked why he was so upset. At the break up of the greatest mini soccer team ever. Of course him joining "them" & thus turning against Tom kind of ruins that. I saw him get out the car & asked why he was there. He revealed his kit.
"Et tu Brutus?"
Would have been fitting if he understood latin or indeed was called Brutus. He isn't. I think I managed, "oh dear, you as well?"
He left us to become " a leader of men". No I kid you not, that is what he told me.
The scene was set. the original uber splitter, just won the league by 9 points yet he takes his child away & advises other to do the same if they want their sons to turn pro....showed up as well. Oh this was 9 year old kids.... To witness our demise no doubt. His kid is now at Forest & has a chip on both shoulders. Shame, he was a nice lad. Lets hope he makes it otherwise I doubt there is a plan B.
Anyway Tom set his stall out early on & it was noticeable Brutus opted to stay well out of his way. He may have lost his self esteem/respect but his memory seems fine. Tom will hit you & he will hit you hard, when he is in the mood. None shall pass.
Da Greys started well, seemed they had expected us to roll over. Some of the passing & movement was excellent. I think it threw them a bit. They after all are superstars on the verge of glittering professional careers & we are the 4 lads they left behind plus whatever HCD could find. Not easy to get good, established players unless you win every week. Still they are an honest bunch & want to learn. All you can ask for.
I stay out of the pre match these days. One of the parents went in & reminded the lads that have played before what this fixture means. His son had been labelled "not good enough" by one of the splitters. How can you say that about a 10 year old? The new lads were told in no uncertain terms just what this fixtures means to the team.
So said kid, two years on lashes one in from 35 yards. Fair to say the crowd ( ok half) went wild. At which point I forgot my linesman duties did a little jig & may possibly have said quite loudly "and apparently he's got good enough"
Hollywood innit?
Half time came & the lads now had the slope. I was confident. In almost the words of Iron Maiden, they fought them hard, they fought them well, out on the plains (well a pitch) they gave them hell". For the first half of the second half they gave not an inch. Then the boys began to tire & they started to create chances. Our passing had gone & it was backs to the wall time. Up till then they really hadn't created a lot. Splitter one was largely kept quiet. Some neat touches but nothing really came off. Splitter 2 took a couple of corners but that was about it. Brutus had moved to try his luck with out left back having had none against the right back & Tom. Our left back has a big heart & didn't give him much. We survived a few scares at the end but held on for the 1:0 & a party in the dressing room. They seemd surprised our boys could be so happy at
a) winning
b) avoiding the thrashing they promised us
c) winning
d) winning
& e) winning 3 points.
Hey we just like to party.
Splitter 1 cried. Some of their parents tried to claim they had 85% of the game & should have won. Maybe they should. Thing is 11 lads in grey fought their hardest to make sure they didn't. this time it worked out ok. Our goalie has been chosen to go to an academy but he delayed signing for a week just so he could help his mates out. He knew he was needed. He understands what a team really is.
Something the splitters will never understand is that a good team will often beat good individuals. We won't win trophies as we are. We might not win as many games as them. They may have taller, bigger players now but one day they will stop growing & our boys will catch them up. Then we will see who has been doing things the right way.
The back 4 were immense. Tom got the Motm award not because he did well, but mostly because of the history. That one trophy now means so much more than all the others he has. He knows no player is bigger than the team.
So we await their complaint to the league. It was a league ref so that was ok.....oh their linesman made some shocking decisions & when I queried it with one of their several coaches (minus any identifying features but they all wanted a say) I was told "he hasn't a clue mate". Does beg da question why the feck let him do it then? I'll wager the complaint will be along the lines of us disagreeing with their linesman's decisions. One parent disagreed with one of mine, oddly a foul I thought his lad committed & kept bitching on & on & on like a nagging biatch, till I told him quite firmly to just drop it. Was not as if the ref had even given the decision he had waved play on.....so da issues was? Will I bitch & moan about him having a go at me or am I big enough (ok not liderally) to take it on the chin & just get on with it? Odd the only player he seemed to give instruction to was his kid......
Like I said we await the complaint & that....
In the bar after their was no sign of the splitters. Last season they came in after they won....like obviously.... Twas noted by the staff & was later pointed out to said staff that they had left us & all of what had happened. So even the bar staff cheered our win Saturday. Seems the splitters would not have received best service had they come in anyway. So we had a little drinkie & toasted a rare success. Sometimes that rarity makes the success even sweeter. Next time out they will want to beat us badly & heavily. Something they had been promising to do to da boys in school all week.
Every dog does indeed have it's day.
Pipsies
Dave
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Friday, 15 August 2008
Big day
Keep this to yourselves but even on the day of the year I am managing to get down da club for 10 minutes. Hurrah!
Important things to do:
Take waterbottles to Jamie ma assistant. Who incidently got a national as well as regional award off da FA which was presented at the Charidee Shield at Wembo. Tis tru, I seen da vid n everyfing. I never get nominated for these awards...sigh.
Sign on the Jabba. Coming on. Times a tacle like his brother, rest still needs work, but it's in there.
Sign on Yo, potentially the best player in the league. Scored 4 first time out, big strong quick skilfull. You know the type. Not seen him for a couple of months as he plays a lot of cricket. Been worried we might have lost him as I could not get hold of his dad.
Meet two new players, cousins of a very,very good player. One is in my age group the other a year older so can't have both sadly.
Team is shapng up ok. Lack of time/games together will be the problem. We will have to learn as we go along. Me missing for the 3 weekends before the season starts is not a help.
Pips
Dave
Important things to do:
Take waterbottles to Jamie ma assistant. Who incidently got a national as well as regional award off da FA which was presented at the Charidee Shield at Wembo. Tis tru, I seen da vid n everyfing. I never get nominated for these awards...sigh.
Sign on the Jabba. Coming on. Times a tacle like his brother, rest still needs work, but it's in there.
Sign on Yo, potentially the best player in the league. Scored 4 first time out, big strong quick skilfull. You know the type. Not seen him for a couple of months as he plays a lot of cricket. Been worried we might have lost him as I could not get hold of his dad.
Meet two new players, cousins of a very,very good player. One is in my age group the other a year older so can't have both sadly.
Team is shapng up ok. Lack of time/games together will be the problem. We will have to learn as we go along. Me missing for the 3 weekends before the season starts is not a help.
Pips
Dave
Monday, 14 July 2008
League meeting
Well, in summary, they handed out the list of friendlies ( no competition allowed at U8 remember ) and explained the reasons for the change. Now I can see what they are saying & I don't give a chuff really. The first season is a bit of an odd one anyway. No one knows where the best players are. One week you can win by many the next you can lose by many. So I don't pay a lot of store by it. It gives you a chance to settle the team down into how you want to play & enables you to sort the parents out. Identifying the ones that are still living their dream through their kids, instead of letting them play.
At the meeting the majority agreed with it. I was told it was an 80/20 split. Those against were asked why. My favourite was the fella that said "because we are all geared up for league football!" OK just a quick reminder we are talking about 6/7 year old kids here. Geared up??? I take it to mean he has been training them since nappies or has been doing high altitude training or something. Could just mean he's had them playing for a year or two & reckons silverware is in the offing. Ego? I don't reallly know. Looks like he's deffo in the competitive dad camp & taking it all wayyyyyy too seriously.
Anyway I am comfy with it, it takes a bit of the pressure off & will allow me to play all the players we have signed on without worring about the result.....I say that now, but come game time if a win is possible I will want to take it....Ho hum...not at all costs though. May the best team win & that. As long as the lads improve & enjoy it that's the main thing.
Parents are the problem, quite a few want their kid in at Forest's academy. To be "spotted" they feel he has to do wayyyy too much on the ball & win all the time. Not true. Out of 60 clubs, so roughly 600-700 kids they will take on 6 at the end of the season. By age 14 probably 1 of those 6 will still be there.The rest will be back at junior clubs. Yet you try telling the parents that when the fella with a tricky tree on his shirt asks about their kid........
Thing is the day after they sign a kid, the day after, they are looking for someone better.
Comedy highlight was the chap from THE most competitive club around, in his full get up just so we knew (get the intimidation in early lads!) Stating he was in total agreement with the FA & competition was not good at this age. He might not be out to win every game.....we will see. Club ethos will win out in time methinks.
Seems to be some confusion as to how many I can sign on now. It was 14, now & I quote "the FA are keen to have as many players registered as possible". Basically what happened previously was I'd have my 14 players signed on. There would be little chance of keeping them all happy in 40 minutes of football. So with the other manager's agreement & a free pitch we'd have an extra 20 minutes after the league game to give the fringe players a run out. Plus any other lads in development. Now they are saying I can sign on all 20 odd if I like. Erm ta but I wont thanks, some are just not ready. All I wanted was to give them a run out against teams/lads I knew were similar so they didn't get a hammering. The chairman's rather dismissive answer to my query was to "run two teams". Interesting. To do that you need two managers & ideally a couple more qualified coaches. I am at a club that only uses FA qualified coaches not just a dad that volunteers one morning.He seems to forget that at times. Maybe he wants me doing both?
Pipsies
At the meeting the majority agreed with it. I was told it was an 80/20 split. Those against were asked why. My favourite was the fella that said "because we are all geared up for league football!" OK just a quick reminder we are talking about 6/7 year old kids here. Geared up??? I take it to mean he has been training them since nappies or has been doing high altitude training or something. Could just mean he's had them playing for a year or two & reckons silverware is in the offing. Ego? I don't reallly know. Looks like he's deffo in the competitive dad camp & taking it all wayyyyyy too seriously.
Anyway I am comfy with it, it takes a bit of the pressure off & will allow me to play all the players we have signed on without worring about the result.....I say that now, but come game time if a win is possible I will want to take it....Ho hum...not at all costs though. May the best team win & that. As long as the lads improve & enjoy it that's the main thing.
Parents are the problem, quite a few want their kid in at Forest's academy. To be "spotted" they feel he has to do wayyyy too much on the ball & win all the time. Not true. Out of 60 clubs, so roughly 600-700 kids they will take on 6 at the end of the season. By age 14 probably 1 of those 6 will still be there.The rest will be back at junior clubs. Yet you try telling the parents that when the fella with a tricky tree on his shirt asks about their kid........
Thing is the day after they sign a kid, the day after, they are looking for someone better.
Comedy highlight was the chap from THE most competitive club around, in his full get up just so we knew (get the intimidation in early lads!) Stating he was in total agreement with the FA & competition was not good at this age. He might not be out to win every game.....we will see. Club ethos will win out in time methinks.
Seems to be some confusion as to how many I can sign on now. It was 14, now & I quote "the FA are keen to have as many players registered as possible". Basically what happened previously was I'd have my 14 players signed on. There would be little chance of keeping them all happy in 40 minutes of football. So with the other manager's agreement & a free pitch we'd have an extra 20 minutes after the league game to give the fringe players a run out. Plus any other lads in development. Now they are saying I can sign on all 20 odd if I like. Erm ta but I wont thanks, some are just not ready. All I wanted was to give them a run out against teams/lads I knew were similar so they didn't get a hammering. The chairman's rather dismissive answer to my query was to "run two teams". Interesting. To do that you need two managers & ideally a couple more qualified coaches. I am at a club that only uses FA qualified coaches not just a dad that volunteers one morning.He seems to forget that at times. Maybe he wants me doing both?
Pipsies
Thursday, 3 July 2008
Signing night
What ho!
With no training for 2 weeks & a holiday booked the week after we had to get at least 5 players signed up by 16.7 to register a team for the league. I selected my 14 out of the players I knew of. Only about 7 were there last Saturday. I handed out forms to them to fill out & a letter requesting they be brought over Thurs night with two passport style pics & a photocopy of the birth cert for sending off to the league. Tried to get hold of "Yo" our best player but off cricketing (I hope) for the past two weeks. No luck there.
So to the night. Lots of original birth certs brought over so the printer was on overtime
Signed on & in my good books are
Cade the Cannuck, top lad all as intructed, well done mum!
Jack B who is a few days too young, all ok
Uzzy, all ok
Jake, all ok& a quality player
One short..... Euan turned up with no form completed but all his stuff. Grandmum was with his so I couldn't do the forms. GRRRRR.
Left us one short. Obviously the Jabba was on standby. Went outside & found Jacob watching his bro train. Spoke to his Mum & she had forgot all about it. Sent her home to get the paperwork & she made it just in time!
Still to sign
Yo
Trevaughn
Malachai, possibly not in the country yet.
Warren
Josh, dashed off from training as his sister had had an accident. So forgiven for not showing up
Jabba
Euan
The goalie from U8s
Another from U8s, good player, son of a coach. You can almost see the problem there, can't you....."you don't want to do it like that, ay, ay?"
Sorted the U9s as well. Most seem to be resigning, plus two new lads we have been training up for 6 months. One we may have lost. He was off to New Zealand to live at some point when his house sold. Another player wanted to sign for a just a year before moving back to his team in an older age group. The NZ dad objected & so I said ok I wont sign him. Even though chances were I'd lose his lad over the summer. Anyway chap taking over disagreed & is signing the new lad. Knows his mum etc. Shame to lose the NZ lad but I take his point. New lad is a good player. Another one may not resign. 12 months ago he could hardly trap a ball. He's come on & will come on further but mum seems to think he warrants a starting place. He was left out of the tournament we won as we could only take 8 players. He'll probably turn up at Gedling & get thumped ever week, but hey at least he is playing. Oh & he'll stop improving. Next year is 11 a side & he would have got in out team with a year's development. If he leaves he's stuffed. Might also lose the Maltese lad as well as his family are thinking of moving back. Shame he's a good player. Still with the new players coming in they should still be thereabouts for the league title. I'll get down when ever I can. The parents & chaps taking over seem to be very keen that I do that. Only objector really is H.
Next week I think I'll be ringing round the U7s & trying to sort out some paperwork........
Pips
Dave
With no training for 2 weeks & a holiday booked the week after we had to get at least 5 players signed up by 16.7 to register a team for the league. I selected my 14 out of the players I knew of. Only about 7 were there last Saturday. I handed out forms to them to fill out & a letter requesting they be brought over Thurs night with two passport style pics & a photocopy of the birth cert for sending off to the league. Tried to get hold of "Yo" our best player but off cricketing (I hope) for the past two weeks. No luck there.
So to the night. Lots of original birth certs brought over so the printer was on overtime
Signed on & in my good books are
Cade the Cannuck, top lad all as intructed, well done mum!
Jack B who is a few days too young, all ok
Uzzy, all ok
Jake, all ok& a quality player
One short..... Euan turned up with no form completed but all his stuff. Grandmum was with his so I couldn't do the forms. GRRRRR.
Left us one short. Obviously the Jabba was on standby. Went outside & found Jacob watching his bro train. Spoke to his Mum & she had forgot all about it. Sent her home to get the paperwork & she made it just in time!
Still to sign
Yo
Trevaughn
Malachai, possibly not in the country yet.
Warren
Josh, dashed off from training as his sister had had an accident. So forgiven for not showing up
Jabba
Euan
The goalie from U8s
Another from U8s, good player, son of a coach. You can almost see the problem there, can't you....."you don't want to do it like that, ay, ay?"
Sorted the U9s as well. Most seem to be resigning, plus two new lads we have been training up for 6 months. One we may have lost. He was off to New Zealand to live at some point when his house sold. Another player wanted to sign for a just a year before moving back to his team in an older age group. The NZ dad objected & so I said ok I wont sign him. Even though chances were I'd lose his lad over the summer. Anyway chap taking over disagreed & is signing the new lad. Knows his mum etc. Shame to lose the NZ lad but I take his point. New lad is a good player. Another one may not resign. 12 months ago he could hardly trap a ball. He's come on & will come on further but mum seems to think he warrants a starting place. He was left out of the tournament we won as we could only take 8 players. He'll probably turn up at Gedling & get thumped ever week, but hey at least he is playing. Oh & he'll stop improving. Next year is 11 a side & he would have got in out team with a year's development. If he leaves he's stuffed. Might also lose the Maltese lad as well as his family are thinking of moving back. Shame he's a good player. Still with the new players coming in they should still be thereabouts for the league title. I'll get down when ever I can. The parents & chaps taking over seem to be very keen that I do that. Only objector really is H.
Next week I think I'll be ringing round the U7s & trying to sort out some paperwork........
Pips
Dave
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
The future of football
Well from the early days of 5 players, we now have over 20 when they all turn up. One or two stars in the making. On Saturday I had to select the initial 5 for signing on to register the team. I had decided to sign just 12, but with the FA decreeing no U8 side will play for points this season I might as well sign the full 14 & give them all a go.
I can see what the FA are saying, improving players is what should matter, not the picking up of trophies. the Dutch do not play competitive matches until they reach 13. The emphasis is on technique not playing matches. Kids will play in the park though right, so erm.....how do you stop that exactly? I think what we actually need is more than 90 mins a week training with them. In that time it's only fair to give them a game at the end so you are left with about 70 mins on drills less the time that is taken moving stuff about, warm ups & taking breaks. Every kid should have a ball & the time spent with it. Sadly a lot would prefer to be Rooney on the Xbox than themselves on a park.
It's not really the gaining of points that is at fault but the attitude of some coaches & parents. They will still want to win, either for the "glory" or for the fact that winning teams get the pro club coaches down & sniffing. So that won't change until those coaches & parents are taken out of the equation.
Other rule changes mean I am getting two decent players that were due to play for next years U9s but how can't. One, I am told, is a very decent goalie which is bad news for young Jabba who goes down to third choice keeper. I still reckon he has it in him to be a decent outfield player in a year or so. It's good news for Cade, son of someone important, who can now play out. Also picked up a strong midfield player from the U9s, which is nice.
Picked out the 14 I want to sign. Currently trying to get hold of "Yo" who looks to be a brilliant player in the making. He's off playing cricket & I have not seen him for a couple of weeks. Could also be on holiday. Sweating on this one a bit, don't want to lose him.
Added to that I read in the local paper that there was a 7 year old coming to our fair city that might be known to "son of someone important". Made discreet enquiries, indeed he was & his mum was surprised at how thorough I was.Ha, she's new.... He's a very good player by all account & will indeed be joining us. Large huzzah!
There's the possibility I will start with the best group of players I have ever had with no chance of winning 'owt! Typical, lol. Two of the best players could be taken away at any moment if their parents job situation changes. I also think the local pro clubs will be around quite shortly too. Such is the life of a junior footbo coach.
One concern is whether son of "someone in the media" will be allowed to play. He misses out on the age band by a few days. We had hoped to sign him when turned 7, a few days into the season. Now they have shifted the goalposts on us. Daft thing is he's one of our best players. If Hels had held on another 2 days Jabba would be too young as well. Yet this other Jack is deemed too young despite being quite brilliant & more ready than our Jabba.
Weird.
The lads that have not made it this time, I'd like to retain. Some will improve over the next year. We may even be able to start a second team. Some will try other clubs some will drift away. I will try & get them friendly matches.
Pips
Dave
I can see what the FA are saying, improving players is what should matter, not the picking up of trophies. the Dutch do not play competitive matches until they reach 13. The emphasis is on technique not playing matches. Kids will play in the park though right, so erm.....how do you stop that exactly? I think what we actually need is more than 90 mins a week training with them. In that time it's only fair to give them a game at the end so you are left with about 70 mins on drills less the time that is taken moving stuff about, warm ups & taking breaks. Every kid should have a ball & the time spent with it. Sadly a lot would prefer to be Rooney on the Xbox than themselves on a park.
It's not really the gaining of points that is at fault but the attitude of some coaches & parents. They will still want to win, either for the "glory" or for the fact that winning teams get the pro club coaches down & sniffing. So that won't change until those coaches & parents are taken out of the equation.
Other rule changes mean I am getting two decent players that were due to play for next years U9s but how can't. One, I am told, is a very decent goalie which is bad news for young Jabba who goes down to third choice keeper. I still reckon he has it in him to be a decent outfield player in a year or so. It's good news for Cade, son of someone important, who can now play out. Also picked up a strong midfield player from the U9s, which is nice.
Picked out the 14 I want to sign. Currently trying to get hold of "Yo" who looks to be a brilliant player in the making. He's off playing cricket & I have not seen him for a couple of weeks. Could also be on holiday. Sweating on this one a bit, don't want to lose him.
Added to that I read in the local paper that there was a 7 year old coming to our fair city that might be known to "son of someone important". Made discreet enquiries, indeed he was & his mum was surprised at how thorough I was.Ha, she's new.... He's a very good player by all account & will indeed be joining us. Large huzzah!
There's the possibility I will start with the best group of players I have ever had with no chance of winning 'owt! Typical, lol. Two of the best players could be taken away at any moment if their parents job situation changes. I also think the local pro clubs will be around quite shortly too. Such is the life of a junior footbo coach.
One concern is whether son of "someone in the media" will be allowed to play. He misses out on the age band by a few days. We had hoped to sign him when turned 7, a few days into the season. Now they have shifted the goalposts on us. Daft thing is he's one of our best players. If Hels had held on another 2 days Jabba would be too young as well. Yet this other Jack is deemed too young despite being quite brilliant & more ready than our Jabba.
Weird.
The lads that have not made it this time, I'd like to retain. Some will improve over the next year. We may even be able to start a second team. Some will try other clubs some will drift away. I will try & get them friendly matches.
Pips
Dave
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