January 2005

John O'Sullivan will be suspended for one game after accruing five yellow cards. John will miss the crucial six pointer away to Maldon Town on February 12th.

Congratulations to Jon Higgs whose appearance at Harlow was his 50th match in the blue of Barking.

Club Manager Dennis Elliott has asked that his statement about recent events in yesterdays programme be reproduced here:

Peter

On behalf of everyone connected with the Football Club, I would like to offer our deepest sympathies to Peter’s wife Verna, and their daughters Victoria and Kathryn, whose loss is far greater than ours. The past three weeks have been, undoubtedly, the saddest and most emotional of my managerial career. I can safely say that I am lucky to have worked with two of the best Chairmen any manager could hope for, in Jimmy Chapman at Ford United and, of course Peter Webster. I first met Peter during the period after I left Ford United, when I was not planning a return to football management. However, one meeting was all it took for me to be hooked. Peter’s ambition and enthusiasm for this football club persuaded me back into management, and for that I am eternally grateful. During the eighteen of so months that I knew Peter it was obvious that he was a genuine football fan living a dream. We built a close relationship. More importantly though we developed a friendship, and it is as a friend that I miss him most.

The future

Peter has left the club in a safe and stable condition and together with his daughter, Victoria, and with the support of the Webster family, we will strive to reach the goals that Peter was working towards. No doubt there will be a number of rumours and assumptions about the future.  I ask that you treat these as such, and promise that you will be notified of any developments regarding Barking and East Ham United as soon as they happen.

We will continue to look at ways of strengthening the playing squad in our quest for promotion this season.

Thank you

As I previously mentioned, it has been a difficult few weeks and there are a number of people I would like to thank personally. The team spirit shown has epitomised the nature of Barking and East Ham United Football Club. Thank you, to you the supporters for your continued loyalty and support of the boys. Your efforts to raise money by way of donations, in order to support the playing budget for the remainder of the season have been nothing short of amazing. I would like to especially thank Mark Harris and Brad Robinson for organising this.

I would like to say thank you to the committee for their support and for ensuring that everything runs smoothly on match days and that the high standard of hospitality to our guests is maintained. My thanks and appreciation to the club staff for their understanding and continued support. I would like to offer my thanks to Victoria Webster, whose help and support during this particularly traumatic time for herself would have made her Dad proud. To all of the Chairmen of other clubs and to my personal friends whose telephone calls of condolence and support is greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten.

I would like to give a special thank you to my players and backroom staff. It is to their credit that they have managed to play to such a standard that has seen us extend our unbeaten run. They have not just lost a Chairman, the kind that pays the wages and communicates only with the Manager. They have lost a team mate, someone who loved the constant banter and Mickey taking, despite it often being at his expense, one of the lads, who joined them on their weekends away, and enjoyed their company as much as they enjoyed his. This difficult period has highlighted the togetherness of the squad and increased their determination to achieve promotion in exactly the way Peter would have wished.

And finally I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Jay Devereux my Assistant Manager who has taken responsibility for the running of the team and allowed me to get on with all other duties I have had to undertake. During this time Jay’s help in taking responsibility for the team has been immeasurable. He has been a tower of strength. Without his help it would not have been possible to continue our recent good run.

Dennis

A fund has been established to provide a memorial to Peter at the club. While Peter will never be forgotten by those who knew him it is fitting that there should be a permanent reminder of his dedication and that entire he achieved for the club. The fund is being organised by Peter’s daughter Victoria. Anybody wishing to honour Peter’s memory by contributing to the fund is requested to write a cheque made payable to Victoria Webster and send it to the club or hand it in on match days.

Peter’s funeral service will be held at the Parish Church of SS Paul and Peter, Chingford Green at 2pm on Monday January 24 and all are welcome. The players have all contributed to a floral tribute to Peter in the form of a Barking & EHUFC shirt. Club Manager Dennis Elliott and Club Shop Manager Brad Robinson have organised the signing by players and supporters of two club shirts which will accompany Peter.   

Congratulations to Captain Tony Tucker whose appearance yesterday against Berkhamsted was his 50th for the club and also to Under 18's keeper Danny Wiley, who made his senior debut on the bench yesterday.

The club is pleased to announce that Niall Ritchie has committed himself to Barking by signing a contract. Every silver lining has a cloud and the bad news is that Sam Taylor’s injury will keep him out at least until the Harlow game on January 29th and Ebow Mensah’s injured ankle is still in a plaster cast. 

Gary Waters is now available for selection following the completion of his suspension yesterday.

Next Wednesday's Essex Thameside Trophy second round tie against Eton Manor which was due to be played at Tilbury FC has now been switched to Mayesbrook Park kick off 7:45pm.

Our potential away fourth round opponents Thamesmead Town and Waltham Abbey are due to play their third round tie on Tuesday January 18th. The fourth round winners will entertain Tooting & Mitcham United in the quarter final with a home semi final to follow.

With our fourteenth clean sheet of the season and Evesham United’s 2-0 defeat we again have the most effective defence of all 66 Southern League clubs. We have conceded just twenty goals from 26 league matches while Evesham have conceded twenty from 25 games. We also have the best defensive record of all 110 clubs at our level in the country and are second best of 176 clubs at our level and Premier level, bettered only by Workington with fourteen in 25 games.

Goalkeeper Mark Parker, who made such an excellent start to the season before suffering a broken arm, is unfortunately still experiencing problems and is some way off full recovery.

The following letter, written by Romford manager Mark Reed, appeared in the Non League paper of January 7th under the headline “Peter deserved more respect”  “Barking chairman Peter Webster tragically died on December 30 - so I cannot understand how the Barking-Great Wakering fixture continued on New Year’s Day.  As a manager of another local side, in dismay I watched the game, which never lived up to its potential. I understand Barking approached the Southern League about postponing the game out of respect at such a sad time. I believe that opposing manager Tony Cross was more than content with this. How on earth did the league insist on the game being played? It could be looked upon as total lack of respect for a man who was admired and turned Barking’s fortunes for the better. I would like to offer my sincere condolences to Peter’s family at this awful time . Genuinely the man was a gentleman and a credit to football.”

The item continues - “A Southern League spokesman told the NLP: “In any professional league there is no provision to call off a match in these circumstances. A game can only be called off for weather conditions – where the referee must make the decision – or an outbreak of illness where a doctor has to certify how many players are ill. We also have a responsibility to our other clubs. If Sir Alex Ferguson died on a Thursday the Premier League would not cancel a Manchester United game. “

Our thanks go out to Mark for taking the time to write his letter.

Sam Taylor was injured during the match at Chatham but the extent of his injury is not yet known.

We tried to have Saturday’s game against Great Wakering Rovers postponed, both as a mark of respect for Peter and because we felt that it was inappropriate to ask our players to play football so soon after the loss of a man who was their friend as well as their Chairman. A former player himself, Peter was at his happiest among players and supporters and had built close relationships with both groups of people. The Southern League explained that they felt unable to sanction a postponement and we of course had to abide by that decision.

Club manager Dennis Elliott would like to express his, and the club’s, thanks to Manager Tony Cross, Secretary Roy Kettridge, the players and everybody connected with Great Wakering Rovers FC for their understanding and willingness to co-operate in any postponement. They arrived equipped with black armbands for their players to wear and the silent tribute was immaculately observed by everybody in the ground.    

There was nobody associated with Barking & EHU whose life had not been touched by Peter and he will be greatly missed.

Ebow Mensah’s ankle injury is unfortunately expected to keep him out for at least another three or four weeks.

Gary Waters received his fifth yellow card of the season against Erith and could be suspended for the game against Berkhamsted Town on January 22nd.