September 2004

We have a new Under 18's team this season managed by Dave Ross, assisted by Coach Bert Hoyte, a former Barking player who worked with our Reserves last season. Dave was with Elmbridge Eagles of Hainault for seven years and was Under 16s manager at Redbridge last season. The nucleus of his team is in their second season together and Bradley Ross, who scored on Sunday, has known Dave all his life. Team captain is Chris Clayton, known as Bigsy, who also scored against Potters Bar. The side also includes Joe b, who is Carl Bruce’s brother. The team started well by beating Potters Bar U18 2-1 in their first Eastern Junior Alliance game after trailing 1-0 at half time. 

The Under 18s are away in both cup competitions for which the draws have been made. In the F A Youth Cup first qualifying round we visit Yeading Under 18s on Monday September 27th and in the Essex F A Pelly Cup we travel to Springfield on November 14th. 

Tony Myers’s excellent Reserve side continued their progress with two victories last week Last Tuesday’s 4-0 league win at Waltham Abbey took us up to second place while Saturday’s 2-0 defeat of Romford took us into the second round of the Combination Cup This was our third successive victory and clean sheet with eight goals scored in the three games. Overall this season we have five wins and a draw from eight games. 

Two new signings for the Reserves have made recent debuts – forward Leon Green, who scored in his second game, and central midfielder Stewart Brown.

Reserves regular James Reed, who impressed in his debut in the Essex Thameside Trophy final at the end of last season, is unavailable for the next three weeks.

Our potential fourth round opponents if we beat Ilford and Bromley have been reduced as Romford beat Cockfosters 2-1 and Sporting Bengal United beat Erith Town 3-1.

Ironically despite our seventeenth position we have the second best defensive record in the division, with only leaders Uxbridge conceding fewer (six of which two were scored by us) and the fourth best in the whole of the 66 club Southern League. However on the other side of the coin we also have the second lowest goals for total in the whole league with only Division 1 West bottom club Egham having scored fewer.

The following is the text of an e mail from Mike Appleby of the Football Association setting out the relegation and promotion arrangements between our level and the Premier Divisions. In summary a top two place means promotion (subject to ground grading and any other requirements) while clubs finishing in places three to six gain entry to the play- offs.  “Further to your recent email, I set out below the promotion/relegation procedures between the new steps 3 & 4. Step 3 and Step 4 The clubs in the bottom four places in each of the three divisions at Step 3 will be relegated to a feeder pool and placed in the most geographical appropriate division at Step 4. They will be replaced by the clubs finishing in 1st and 2nd position in each of the divisions at Step 4 together with a further four clubs to be determined by a series of play off matches involving those clubs finishing in positions 3 to 6 in each of the divisions at Step 4. The promoted clubs will also be placed in a feeder pool and placed in the most geographically appropriate division at Step 3.”

The FA Trophy game on October 9th at Mayesbrook Park against Fisher Athletic will have an earlier than usual kick off time of 12:30. The early start is due to the England v Wales game on the same day which will be shown in the Clubhouse on the big screen.

Dean Allen has joined neighbours Romford on loan. Typically Deano scored yesterday to give Boro the lead but they succumbed to a 1-4 defeat to Burnham Ramblers.

Mark Fay has decided to seek another berth to pursue his goalkeeping career and he leaves with the club’s best wishes for a successful career (except if he plays against us) and with our gratitude for his superb efforts in our colours over the past two seasons.