2011 was a brilliant year for our footballers.....probably the best ever. After winning a League and Cup double, many of the Curley Park Rangers FC first team players joined Farnborough Elite FC with Kenny and I.
This was always going to be a complicated process and there were times when football seemed to completely take over. However, it was the right thing to do for our players, as CPR FC (wonderful club that it is) would not have been able to get us into SYL Prem and the boys needed a step up. If all goes well, we will be playing SYL Premier Elite next season and I believe this is one of the most competitive leagues in the country.
The transition to Franborough Elite FC also gives our players something to aim for after under 16....and they love the name and kit etc.
The CPR FC players were joined by Oliie, Josh and Karl from New Windsor and James from Wokingham & Emmbrook. They have all fitted in seamlessly and we now have a super group of parents and players.
SYL is a very organised and well run league and we probably are it the wrong division, however, they would never allow a new team to go straight into their Elite division and it's right that we should earn our place. It also allows us a season for transition and to try out various things and players in different positions.
Farnborough FC itself is a very different club to Curley Park Rangers FC and I shudder when I see some of the things they do. However, it is a semi-professional club in a state of transition itself. The new manager has reverted to part-time players in an effort to fix the side's league position and that does seem to be getting results. It also has the benefit that the first team no longer trains at Bisley, so the pitches will not take the battering they were receiving at the start of the season. They are still in a poor state though and for this reason we will find an alternative home pitch for the rest of the season. Over the course of the summer, these pitches will be re-seeded and hopefully Bisley can return to the home venue that our club deserves.
I have never had any ambitions to run a football club, but did need to step in as Chairman at the start of the season to help sort a few things out. However, now things are on track and there are people involved who can take over, we should be able to move things in the right direction and I can concentrate on what I really enjoy, which is coaching our players.
On the coaching side, Kenny has rapidly moved though Level 1 & 2 coaching qualifications as well as Youth Module 1. I'm delighted about this, as it gives the squad 2 qualified coaches which will only benefit the players' development.
I have continued with my own coach education and was really proud when I achieved the Youth Module 3 award...the first grass roots coach in the UK to do so. I am currently taking the new UEFA B Level 3 Pro License and hope to complete this in March.
This means that our players are receiving academy level coaching in an environment which is fun, whilst playing competitive football on Sundays. Along with District/County sides and school football, our players will develop every bit as much as academy players....and I hope will enjoy playing more in a set-up where they can try things out without the fear of getting dropped. The current academy system is often counter-productive in my opinion and is the reason we haven't developed really creative players, who would probably not have succeeded in this country. For example, how many Messi, Denis Berkcamp number 10 type of players have we developed? Our club uses this position to great effect, and have at least 3 players with the creativity to hold their own in that role.
That said, scouts are now a regular fixture at our matches and many of our players will be flattered by their approaches. All Kenny and I can do is to help players to be the best they can be and if they move onto professional clubs, I wish them all the luck in the world. Dan joined Southampton FC earlier in the season and I hope he does well and is offered a contract after his trial. Ollie and Josh are currently trialing with Brentford FC, which should be good experience.
Dan has now been replaced by Ed Mahoney, who is a super addition to the squad and a club like ours should always be able to recruit quite easily if we need to. I will not drop players mid-season and hope to develop the squad so that every single member of the squad improves and earns a place for u15. That's the coaching challenge.
So, as we move into 2012, we have a super group of players, have won all of our league matches, got to the semi-final of the League Cup and have a massive game against the best team in Surrey in the next round of the County Cup (Epsom Eagles). If we win our first two matches of the New Year, then we will be in pole position for the SYL Premier League title and progress into the quarter finals of the County Cup.
I'd like to thank every player and parent for the wonderful support throughout 2011. This remains a brilliant hobby and our boys deserve everything they get out of the game, which will be to realise their full potential, have a great laugh and perhaps win one or two things!
My match highlight was the NEHYL League Cup final, which was the best game of football I have ever watched; my highlight at training is the realisation each week that we have some very, very, very good footballers and the funniest moment of the season was watching James Dinsdale in training nearly combust because nobody would pass to him...Joe Monk marking him out of the practice didn't help! There are so many moments, which I hope players and parents alike will treasure forever.
Have a great Christmas and let's make 2012 even better than 2011.....a tall order!!!!
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