July 2009

The Reserves visited Epping FC on Monday (July 27th) to play a friendly match and lost 2-1, our goal coming from Davion Anderson. This coming Saturday (August 1st) the Reserves continue their pre-season programme with a visit to Essex Intermediate League Harold Wood.

In the London Intermediate first round the Reserves travel to Cray Valley (PM) and if successful they will have another 'Cray away day' when Cray Wanderers Reserves would be their opponents. If successful their potential opponents in a away semi-final would either Metrogas, Bridon Ropes or Cockfosters Reserves.

Yesterday the Essex Senior League released the fixtures for season 2009-10. We start with a tough trip to last seasons third placed Takeley on August 8th and finish on April 24th next years with a home fixture against Mauritius Sports. We also have a Boxing Day fixture this year and that is also against Mauritius Sports.

The Reserves manager Rob O'Brien has provided an update of how his preparations are going for the forthcoming season.

"The training sessions have been going well with 40 strong training regularly. There has been some players that have not made it to our required standard. We have released these players & wish them well in their playing career. Steve Munday & the rest of us in the Management team want to run with approx 30 player squad this season. This will allow flexibility in selection in both directions & maximise playing time for all. We are working hard to get things right this year & are determined to acheive it. We are along way from that but its only mid July 2009 with plenty of football to come. "

The following friendlies have been arranged for the Reseves with a couple of dates to be confirmed, all fixtures are away:-

Thursday 16th July - Epping FC at the Metropolitan Police ground kick off 6.45pm.
Saturday 18th July - TBC 
Saturday 25th July - TBC 
Saturday 1st August - Harold Wood 
Saturday 8th August - Erith & Belverdere kick off 12.30pm
Thursday 13th August - Woodford FC K.O 7pm

Barking FC Club Community programme with FA Skills team

Rob O'Brien is hoping to set up another couple of FA Skills day at Barking FC similar to the one held in April - the dates for the days will be Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th of August from 10am to around 3pm in the afternoon,

Anybody interested in participating should e-mail Rob at rob.obrien@thefa.com for further details.

Craig Hornby the Under 18's coach is a brave man - Craig is going to make a parachute jump to raise funds for the Barking Academy teams.

The jump will be taking place this coming Saturday July 18th and photos will be forthcoming.

If you are interested in sponsoring Craig please contact Stuart Cook

Good luck to Craig on Saturday

Barking FC are pleased to announce the identity of our new coach. Alan Dickens (pictured left) will be a familiar face, having played professionally for West Ham United making over 200 starts and scoring 30 goals, Chelsea, Colchester with loan periods at West Bromwich Albion and Brentford. After his league career ended Alan played non-league football for Chesham, Billericay Town, Purfleet and Collier Row where he played alongside Steve Munday.

Now living locally Alan has accepted Steve’s invitation to pass on the benefit of his experience to our current group of players.

We welcome Alan to the club and wish him and a long and successful association with Barking FC

In the recently made London Senior cup the Blues potentially have a home draw all the way the semi-finals.
Our full draw is:

First round to be played by October 10 - BARKING v Brimsdown Rovers

Second round to be played by November 7th - BARKING v Redbridge

Third round to be played by December 5th - BARKING v Cockfosters/Hanwell Town/Croydon or Lewisham Borough

Quarter Finals to be played by January 4th - BARKING v Hendon/Dulwich Hamlet/South Kilburn or Clapton

Semi Finals to be played by February 6th - Bromley/Corinthian-Casuals/Wingate & Finchley/Thamesmead/Met Police/ Leyton/Civil Service or Erith Town v BARKING/ Hendon/Dulwich Hamlet/South Kilburn or Clapton

Thanks to 'Warm Moon' for advising of the draw

Unfortunately we have had to make another albeit late change to our friendly programme, the match against Leyton Orient this coming Saturday (July 18th) will not now take place as the O’s have several injuries and will not be able fulfill the fixture. The Brisbane Road club hope to send a side later in the season.

In its place manager Steve Munday has arranged a game against a strong Grays Athletic XI kick-off 3pm.

There have been two amendments to our programme of friendlies announced in June:

July 18th - we will not now be playing Cheshunt - but will be hosting a Leyton Orient XI. At this point in time we cannot confirm the make-up of the O's squad - but, whoever they send it will be a stiff test for Steve Munday's team.

July 21st - unfortunately we will not now be entertaining Craig Edwards Grays Athletic - in their place Kentish Town will be paying us a visit. "The Townies" as they are known play in the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division.

To recap our friendly programme now reads as:

July 2009
Tuesday 14th - Home to Redbridge – for the Peter Webster Trophy
Saturday 18th – Home to Leyton Orient XI
Tuesday 21st – Home to Waltham Forest
Saturday 25th – Home to Phoenix Sports
Tuesday 28th – Home to Kentish Town

August 2009
Saturday 1st – Home to Leyton

On the eve of the first match to be played at Mayesbrook Park in season 2009-10, Mark Harris brings us another update on how things are looking.

"Lots of work going on at Mayesbrook again this week with the Monday club beavering away, more work to the terracing, the pitch being cut and lined and the new nets going up on the freshly painted goal posts. A strange atmosphere at the club as well as all the volunteers are very aware of the need to get the ground looking as good as possible for our first friendly on Tuesday night but also aware that the pitch needs to be ready for the first friendly which is on Saturday when Eton Manor play their first ever 'home' game at Mayesbrook against Brentwood. Thanks must go to Reg from Eton Manor not only for his work in the new dug-outs but for the other valuable contributions he has made this week. The pitch lining and nets going up has the effect of making the place look like a football ground again and can seem a bit like the icing on the cake. But the work will continue throughout the pre-season programme as there is still much to be done. There will be volunteers at the ground on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday day time so if anyone wants to come along and lend a hand just put a post on the ground works topic on the forum letting us now when you can make it."

Yet again Mark's update are illustrated by photos - click on any image to enlarge:

Caption for the first image. This caption can be styled using CSS.

Caption for the first image. This caption can be styled using CSS.

 

As the clock ticks down to our first friendly against Redbridge on July 14th - Mark Harris provides another update on the ongoing works at Mayesbrook Park.

"With the first pre-season friendly fast approaching a good number of volunteers have been very busy putting the finishing touches to what has turned into an extensive overhaul of our Mayesbrook home. There has been an added sense of urgency to the works in recent weeks as our first fixture is the Peter Webster memorial game and we would love to have the ground looking as good as possible for the visit of many old friends from Redbridge and in honour of the great man. In fact it has been remarked upon on more than one occasion that the last time the ground looked this good Peter was still with us and in charge of the ground works! The interior of the pitch perimeter has been completely repainted and a number of adverts have been added. We have now started work on the outside with repair work being done to the terracing blocks at the club house end.We've got through more yellow paint in the last three weeks than you could shake a large stick at with all the steps being painted at the clubhouse end and in the main stand. The 'Monday Club' have been very busy in the dressing rooms over the last three weeks with a number of small maintenance jobs being carried out and a fresh coat of paint applied. The seats in the main stand have all been jet-washed and the whole area has had a good wash and scrub down. We will again be at the ground on Saturday from 10am so if anyone wishes to come along and splash some paint around and catch up on the gossip, well, the more the merrier!"

Below are the latest batch of photos from Mark - click on any image to enlarge:

Caption for the first image. This caption can be styled using CSS.

It is that time of the year again when the early rounds of the FA competitions have been drawn and in the FA Carlsberg Vase we have been drawn away in the first qualifying round to Buckingham Town of the United Counties Football League Division 1 which will be played on Saturday September 5th. In the extra preliminary round of the FA Cup we have been given a home draw against Tring Athletic to be played on Saturday August 15th - Tring ply their trade Molten Spartan South Midlands League, Premier Division.

Our path to the later rounds in both competitions is mapped out below:

FA Vase
First qualifying round - Buckingham Town v BARKING
Second qualifying round - Buckingham/BARKING v Basildon
First round proper - London APSA /Royston v Buckingham/BARKING/ Basildon

FA Cup
Extra Preliminary round - BARKING v Tring Athletic
Preliminary Round – BARKING/ Tring v Slough Town
First qualifying round - Hemel Hempstead Town v BARKING/Tring/Slough