CHAMPIONS !!!!!

League mess up. We turn up for a match that was already postponed. Will have to play it later in the season. LATER IN THE SEASON (31st March'08) I FIND OUT THAT THE MATCH WAS AWARDED TO US (as 0-0 scoreline, but with 3 points to us)

Lindfield Juniors 5-1 Marle Place Wanderers
Saint Hill Blues 1-1 Haywards Heath Town
Uckfield Grasshoppers 0-4 Hassocks Juniors
Worth Park Rangers 1-2 Crawley Town Devils
Phoenix United v Horsham Sparrows (match awarded to home team (as 0-0), Horsham unable to field a side)

Hassocks Juniors

ref: D Elmer

Hassocks won our division last year - we know they are a good test, and I'm very pleased to have gone 3-1 up on them, with a great hat-trick from Carlo. We fail to put the game beyond reach (just) and Hassocks fight back strongly. Having failed to award Burgess Hill a penalty, I was a little surprised to see the one given at the other end. Jake saves, and the referee has it retaken for "encroachment" !! Bad luck boys we played very well. Their Manager sportingly concedes that Hassocks - "got out of jail". A good game I think. Lesson: it ain't over - 'til it's over. . . . . .Pic

Crawley Panthers 0-0 Crawley Town Devils
Lindfield Juniors 6-1 Phoenix United
Uckfield Grasshoppers 1-3 Horsham Sparrows
Worth Park Rangers 2-7 Haywards Heath Town

Haywards Heath Town

ref : D Fraser

Strong performance again and an excellent result against previously unbeaten opposition. HH are a fiery side, if they got in front it would be easy to see how they scored 7 last week. When they get a goal back just before half time to make it 1-3 : we knew what we had to do. As Lloyd said in the dressing room : "the next goal is massive", and, as it happened we had one disallowed and then they scored to go 2-3, comparisions with last week's match were obvious. We had to put the game beyond reach - and this time we were good enough. Very well done boys, an exciting game with many strong perfomances and great endeavour from everyone.

Picture1 2 3 4

Crawley Town Devils 2-0 Lindfield Juniors
Hassocks Juniors 4-1 Crawley Panthers
Horsham Sparrows 2-3 Worth Park Rangers
Marle Place Wanderers 5-5 Uckfield Grasshoppers
Phoenix United 0-3 Saint Hill Blues

Not our best performance, we are second in most areas today. On another day .... I'm sure we'd do better. If (a great football word) IF, one of the attempts that hit their post twice in less than 2 seconds had gone it, I think it would have been very different. Finally, an appauling decision by the referee, draws the predictable foul from the disappointed BH player and, once more a referee used a card (this time red) to compound his error. I don't like to see a referee smiling as he sends a boy away from football for a few weeks, and don't agree that this teaches a good lesson - poor ref'ing doesn't help anyone.

Other League fixture : Horsham Sparrows 6-2 Marle Place Wanderers

Eleven players only today (5 out) and I'm glad to get a good result. Once we settled down in the second half and played better football it got easier. There is no reason at all to think this run of league results can continue - we must work hard at our game, train well and learn from the coaches. What is clear is that we have the players to do it. We must now continue to gel as a side. Although there was some pretty good football - we can do much better in all areas.

Crawley Panthers 0 - 1 Haywards Heath Town
Crawley Town Devils 1 - 3 Hassocks Juniors
Lindfield Fc Juniors 3 - 0 Saint Hill Blues
Uckfield Grasshoppers 4 - 1 Phoenix United
Worth Park Rangers 3 - 0 Marle Place Wanderers

A dramatic win for us, we play very poorly in the first half and lose our way. Going 0-1 and then 1-2 behind, both goals conceded from slightly underhit back passes and slightly late keeper. We all suffer from lack of movement in the first half. Then it gets worse. Striker Carlo injures his ankle and is helped off the pitch and we have a player sent off. With one sub failing to turn up we now have 10 men, no subs and about 35 minutes to play and are 1-2 behind ! . . If this match showed one thing: it's that we can and do battle for each other when it gets tough. We level the score late in the game and go into extra time. It's only when we get ahead that we relax again and play decent football, by the end of the game we are playing well and in charge - we'll need to sort ourselves out earlier in the game in future. Goals from Jack and first goals for the club for James, Olli and Angus.

Well battled boys - everyone was rightly exhausted after the game, and bad luck Phoenix who worked so hard too and with great spirit.

Other U16's League Cup First Round ties ...
Haywards Heath Town 10-2 Crawley Panthers
Horsham Sparrows w/o Marle Place Wanderers
Uckfield Grasshoppers 3-2 Worth Park Rangers

League Match ... Saint Hill Blues 3-4 Hassocks Juniors

Well, we keep winning - but we do it the hard way. This time coming from behind at 0-1 and 2-3, and again, we dominate by the end of the game. With our main striker still injured after last week, I change our line-up far too much again. With so many good players - who I feel can play in several positions - I chop and change again, only the back 4 remains constant. We'll need different lineups as the season goes on, with suspensions, injuries etc. We are still gelling as a side and maybe we haven't played our best lineup yet!

Ritchie, who's dad played for Burgess Hill's County Championship winning team, returns from injury and scores a hatrick, other goals came from James Churcher and centrebacks Reece and Tom.

It will come, I'm sure of that. We continue to look a powerful side for long periods of the game. The Plus Points : we never give up, ALL our goals were quality moves and quality finishes and we now have 11 different scorers this season. I know there is more to come. If we all work hard (me included) and train well, this could be the most exciting season for us.

Hassocks Juniors 5-2 Lindfield Juniors
Haywards Heath Town 1-0 Crawley Town Devils
Horsham Sparrows 5-3 Crawley Panthers
Phoenix United 1-5 Worth Park Rangers
Saint Hill Blues 4-1 Uckfield Grasshoppers

win

We cannot get through the Phoenix defence in the first half which ends goalless. Their keeper makes some very good saves - as he does throughout the game. Under instructions in the second half to relax and keep the ball, we suceed in making the opposition chase the ball and start to play our good football again, and the goals start to come, as Phoenix tire. Well done boys, yesterday's other results mean YOU are the only unbeaten team in the divison!

But remember it's only "so far - so good".

Crawley Panthers 1-1 Marle Place Wanderers
Crawley Town Devils 4-2 Horsham Sparrows
Hassocks Juniors 1-2 Haywards Heath Town Youth ....WEBSITE
Lindfield FC Juniors 4-2 Uckfield Grasshoppers
Worth Park Rangers 1-0 Saint Hill Blues

11 Nov 2007

A very difficult match that turns me into the 'shouting manager' I meant not to become. We make teams feel like Brazil before we beat them - but that's unfair to St.Hill who battle well right up to the end. I struggle again to get the right blend in midfield and believe that we have yet to field our strongest lineup - today we were without the captain Tom and the increasingly important Melon. 0-1 down at half time we level through James Churcher and substitute Jack Tamkin scores the winner with 20mins to go, which I count down by the minute!

Although I end up ranting at our display, I can now look back on a most determined performance and be impressed by your resolve boys - well done. When things don't go our way - we certainly want it enough.

A break from the league next week: a 1/4 final in the League Cup to look forward to, and it's against the new table toppers! Let's look forward to that now that I think I might know our best lineup!!

Haywards Heath Town Youth 1-4 Lindfield FC Juniors
Horsham Sparrows 1-0 Hassocks Juniors
Marle Place Wanderers 1-2 Crawley Town Devils
Phoenix United 3-3 Crawley Panthers
Uckfield Grasshoppers 0-1 Worth Park Rangers

18 Nov 2007

A sort of 'off the boil' and 'not quite with it' performance. We go behind and get back to 1-1 at half time. We are 2-1 up when Lindfield equalise near the end of normal time - at which time the referee abandons the game, saying that he has hypothermia. All the parents enjoy an enthralling battle played in difficult conditions of cold driving rain.

Well done boys for working hard in terrible conditions. It's a very good sign to grind out results and not get beaten when not on top form. Goals from Carlo and James.

Match to be rescheduled..

Other League Cup ties:
Haywards Heath Town 3-2 Crawley Town Devils
Horsham Sparrows 4-2 Hassocks Juniors
Uckfield Grasshoppers 3-4 Saint Hill Blues

League Fixtures
Worth Park Rangers 4-2 Crawley Panthers
Phoenix United 3-3 Marle Place Wanderers

25 Nov 2007

Three players unavailble this week and again we are slow to start and struggle for form, but I think we have found it again in the second half.

0-1 down at half time to a wonderful 20+ yard dipping shot - a great goal. Finally we click in the second half and I don't think it's too strong a word to say that we outclassed our opponents in that half. I think we all believed we'd win in the end and that's important - and against a side that beat us twice last season. A couple more goals would have give a fairer reflection of how this game ended. 2 goals from Carlo Packham and 1 from James Churcher see us through. Let's take this form forward now. (report of last week's game sent to local paper by Lindfield)

This weekend's results take us to 2nd in the league and next week we are away to the leaders - this is the stuff boys - let's enjoy it.

Crawley Panthers 2-4 Saint Hill Blues
Hassocks Juniors 0-2 Marle Place Wanderers
Haywards Heath Town Youth 6-1 Horsham Sparrows
Worth Park Rangers 6-1 Phoenix United

2 Dec 2007

It rains for a few days non-stop, but we hopefully take a trip to Crawley to play Worth Park. No good - pitch won't last the match so managers and referee have to agree there is no point in starting - in the torrential rain.

Only match played ... (putting us back into 3rd spot)

Phoenix United 2-6 Hassocks Juniors

9 Dec 2007

It still rains and now it blows too - no games this week.

16 Dec 2007

A tough game that I'm relieved to win with goals from Melon 2 and Carlo. I though we battled hard and were worth the victory, the consensus of opinion is that revision of some roles and the formation may bring us the better performances that we still haven't achieved. Very competent and cool debut from Scott - well done!

So, we are 2nd in the table with games in hand, still unbeaten and yet we haven't played our best football.

Tuesday : straight after training - head for the restaurant (see your text msgs) for our club Christmas meal (thanks very much Greg). Parents I hope you'll come and have a Xmas glass with me too. PICS FROM MEAL!

Lindfield FC Juniors 4-0 Crawley Panthers
Saint Hill Blues 0-2 Horsham Sparrows
Uckfield Grasshoppers 2-2 Haywards Heath Town Youth
Worth Park Rangers 3-4 Hassocks Juniors

23 Dec 2007

A game that very nearly didn't go ahead, the mist really only clearing for the match. A few players missing including the top scorer, so it's great to have 7 different scorers today. Some very pleasing individual performances in quite difficult conditions, which together with bizarre refereeing, produce a disjointed match. The heavy conditions mean that we play lots of balls for front runners to chase - but it did get goals. I'd rather win 5-0 and not have the 3 yellow cards thanks - in what was really a well contested and sporting match.

I know it's easy to be good winners, but we all had to credit Panthers for their never ending spirit and effort.

Crawley Town Devils 3-0 Worth Park Rangers
Hassocks Juniors 3-0 Uckfield Grasshoppers
Horsham Sparrows 7-2 Phoenix United

A strong performance - that has put us top of the league: it's been a long wait - this team has played for 10 years as Coombe Rovers which evolved into Withdean 2000 and now at Burguess Hill. A great feeling boys - enjoy it - you deserve it! ..... as long as you realise the job is nowhere near done !!!!

We competed all over the pitch today and our football was often 'good to watch'. The referee and the Hassocks manager were complimentary, I think they had a couple of players out today and we had our captain Tom away too.

The match story : tight and tense opening until Melon puts us ahead, Hassocks hit back quickly and by half time we were 2-1 down, we hit the post with a penalty and then when Angus ghosts behind his marker to score, that's disallowed for 'offside'. After the interval Ritchie Farmer scores from the spot, and adds another rocket from outside the area. The hard working James Churcher gets a deserved goal and subsitute Sam Wells is brought on to 'keep it tight at the back' and also scores with a thumping shot from outside the box!

It's unfair to mention only the scorers today: Reece: good to have him back and captain for today, needed the run after such a long break. Jake steady again and improved distribution from the keeper. Scott: more to do in a different back 4 role - no problem. Alistair: that's better, well done. George: getting back to his best I think. Jay: really back in form. Charlie: very good vision and distribution as usual. Oli: not easy to get into the game with such a short run - we will need a big squad to get through the season - stay with it - more football coming up. Carlo: no goals for the top scorer, sometimes that's how it is, tireless running all match is appreciated by all (give him the £5er anyway dad!).

A very tired team after the game .... CLICK

Don't worry your feet will be back on the ground at training.

Crawley Town Devils 3-2 Crawley Panthers
Haywards Heath Town 4-3 Worth Park Rangers
Horsham Sparrows 6-0 Uckfield Grasshoppers
Phoenix United 2-7 Lindfield Juniors
Saint Hill Blues 1-1 Marle Place Wanderers

Scheduled match is postponed by the opponents. Instead we are invited to travel to play a friendly against Rusthall from the Kent league, that too gets rained off. No other league games played because of the weather.

Plenty of rain - all matches off this weekend.

The referee doesn't turn up and we aren't able to play the tie - rescheduled for next Sunday.

The Tea Hut Ladies where the only ones to be kept busy!!!!

U16's League Cup Semi Final
Horsham Sparrows 6-7 Saint Hill (2-2 after full time - pens) * refereed by D. Ellmer.

league matches
Crawley Town Devils 3-1 Phoenix United
Haywards Heath Town 0-2 Hassocks Juniors
Marle Place Wanderers -v- Crawley Panthers

U16's League Cup Second Round

Lindfield Juniors

ref :Mark Parsons

Too many players struggle for form - this was hard work. Behind for sometime before we level via an own goal! A very well taken goal from Carlo puts us in front and with the defence reinforced I expected to hang on, but a free header at a corner punishes us. It's still 2-2 after extra time. We miss only 1 penalty (the one taken from the pothole) and with Jake making two good saves, Tom, Charlie and Ritchie convert and leave it up to James to hit the winner! Well done all for a battling performance.

I think we are away in the semi final, but if its played at home - the club have promised us the club pitch.

Review from the Mid Sussex Times (by Lindfield) CLICK

Crawley Panthers 1-3 Horsham Sparrows
Crawley Town Devils 4-2 Haywards Heath Town
Uckfield Grasshoppers 3-0 Saint Hill Blues
Marle Place Wanderers 0-3 Hassocks Juniors

Phoenix United

ref : P King

Phoenix didn't give us the testing time that they did in our previous league and cup meetings this season. I don't think it's too disrespectful to say that we pretty much had things our own way, maybe they had some players missing. Goals : Carlo 4, Reece 2, Tom, Charlie T and James. All boys had a good game with impressive wide play from James and Jay. Could have had more goals, there were certainly plenty more chances and as usual some good saves from the Phoenix keeper. We've had enough of these types of beatings in the past to appreciate how Phoenix heads didn't really drop that much considering their plight. OR maybe we really have improved more than I realise!

Crawley Panthers 2-11 Hassocks Juniors
Haywards Heath Town 1-0 Marle Place Wanderers (abandoned @ 72 mins - no points awarded)
Horsham Sparrows 2-5 Crawley Town Devils
Saint Hill Blues 4-2 Worth Park Rangers
Uckfield Grasshoppers 0-3 Lindfield Juniors

Saint Hill Blues

ref : P King

QUOTE FROM SAINT HILL SITE ................. OUCH !!

"The Saints battled to live up to their name when faced with not so Saintly opposition!"

A tough game.

Playing on a very small pitch is no good at all to us. After hurried preparations and only 11 players, I am quite pleased to be 0-0 at half time, knowing that we can settle down and start to play ..... but it doesn't come and with about 10 minutes left we are 2-0 behind. SH compete well and defend especially well. But you don't loose that winning habit so easily and the team surprise a lot of people by getting back level. It's not right to mention just the scorers Carlo and Tom ..... EVERYONE played their part.

Funny thing is - after pressuring back 2 goals, the 3 minutes that remained saw SH so nervous that if we had calmed down and moved it about patiently - we would have won it !!

We learned a lot today, about ourselves and about other people, this will only make us stronger.

Lindfield Fc Juniors 1-1 Haywards Heath Town
Marle Place Wanderers 2-4 Horsham Sparrows
Worth Park Rangers 2-5 Uckfield Grasshoppers

U16's League Cup Semi Final

Haywards Heath Town

ref: D Elmer

WE FROZE !

What a mess - the big match, lots of people come out to see us ........ and we freeze up.

After a good and long warm-up and we are sleepy and slow to start. At 0-1 down etc etc ........ 0-2 at half time .... "if we just .... we can still" etc etc. Slightly better energy in the second half, but the whole effort is ruined by players reacting to the confrontational style at HH. We have to learn to cope with the provocation and distraction that teams will test us with. We fall for it and go down to 10 men. Dealing with provocation now includes being spat at in the face! I don't think a better referee would have altered the score, but the game probably wouldn't have deteriorated into the farcical mayhem that it did, and I would have had more players!

Every game and every season has periods when 'things don't go your way'. The league challenge remains tough but we are well placed - it's how we react after these last 2 games that will define the season now. So, I want EVERYONE at training this week - let's push on.

Phoenix United 4-8 Crawley Town Devils
Saint Hill Blues 1-4 Crawley Panthers
Worth Park Rangers 0-3 Lindfield Juniors
Uckfield Grasshoppers 5-2 Marle Place Wanderers

Very windy and a hard pitch makes the game what you'd expect. Plenty of opportunities for us. But crucially at 3-1 up, I try to do 3 things: rotate the squad, keep everyone happy and see the game out ...... I don't achieve any of them! A lesson learnt - again! Next week's game is what we need to get refocused at this tough time of the year. We signed 3 new players last week for the final push!. AA's debut shows how much he'll be able to bring to the side.

Crawley Panthers 0-5 Uckfield Grasshoppers
Crawley Town Devils 1-1 Saint Hill Blues
Hassocks Juniors 1-0 Phoenix United
Lindfield Juniors 4-0 Horsham Sparrows
Marle Place Wanderers 0-5 Haywards Heath Town

Well, we would have taken a draw here before the game - just for the maths.

On a terribly small pitch that sloped down enormously at one end, we take some time to settle. Going down the slope in the first half, where taunts of "they've only got the long ball" seem strange on a pitch like this. We score just before half time - was it a goal? It takes a linesman to convince the referee that it wasn't. Happy to be level at the break and to be able to play up the hill. We play well in easier conditions up the slope but the Lindfield central defence continues to pick off anything up the middle. Near the end of the game, and after continued pressure - a goalbound shot from James is heroically cleared off the line with a diving header from the defender. The longer the game went on, the more likely we looked to win it - that would have been nice, but we'll take the draw and maybe that was a fair result. I'm sure there'll be twists and turns to come before the end of the season.

Our sticky run of form and results is over now, we are back to playing with confidence, belief and good energy.

Crawley Panthers 2-2 Worth Park Rangers
Saint Hill Blues 3-2 Haywards Heath Town
Uckfield Grasshoppers 2-3 Crawley Town Devils

GOOD training session this week. Our last week on the all-weather pitch. Just about a full turnout of players and a friendly game against Seagulls u15 (plus a couple of our defenders) ..... looking forward to the weekend ..... team right back on track.

MATCH POSTPONED - PITCH AT CRAWLEY WATERLOGGED

Lindfield Juniors 7-0 Worth Park Rangers
Marle Place Wanderers 0-0 Saint Hill Blues

EASTER SUNDAY

First game I have to miss for a couple of seasons! Reports say that we played very well and that it was a good game on a very wet and difficult pitch. 1-0 down straight away to another slow start, then 1-1. More worried phone calls, from 200 miles away to a watching parent who lets me know we are 3-1 up. I relax (a little) then a hail storm and suddenly its 4-4, you can see the final scoreline. Scorers are Tom 2, Charlie T, James, Sam and Carlo.

'Well done', I say: 'But how did we let in 4 goals?' ........ "Don't worry about that Uckfield are a decent team, but they scored some wonderful goals today".

Horsham Sparrows -v- Haywards Heath Town (w/o to HH)

No match this weekend! But then everyone else's game gets snowed off !

Phoenix United 0-13 Haywards Heath Town
Lindfield Juniors 1-2 Hassocks Juniors ........... well done Hassocks, a helpful result for us.

A fantastic performance: thoughtful, resilient and enegertic!

With holidays we knew we only had 11 players (out of 20 signed) but with 2 going sick on the morning of the game - it was always going to be tough. Fact is we lost to an unfortunate goal: a corner spinning of the near post and flicking in off a defender and then the keeper. We really did have enough chances to win the game too!! But just couldn't commit the numbers in support up front. Nobody would have begrudged us a point for this showing which was worth at least that and a win wouldn't have been the biggest shock. Opposition management and the referee were extremely complementary boys ....... you should be very proud.

Maybe I should have taken the walkover offered earlier in the week when WPR couldn't get a pictch !!!!! I decided my responsibility is to enable boys to play football ..... maybe that's good management and maybe thats a very poor decision - I'm still not sure! Perhaps we'll know that at the end of the season.

Odd way to loose our unbeaten record, but I think you learned lots today and grew as players.

Crawley Town Devils 5-0 Uckfield Grasshoppers
Haywards Heath Town 4-2 Crawley Panthers
Horsham Sparrows 3-4 Lindfield Juniors
Saint Hill Blues 1-1 Phoenix United (abandoned - at 44mins ... weather!)

First time for a while that we'd played on a hard pitch! Consequently the first half was difficult and more like pinball. The second half was far better and three quick quality strikes early in the half put us in charge, in fact all four goals this evening were high quality. A good competitive game,our opponents display belies their position this evening - a good and tough game. Two goals for the lively James Churcher and one as a just reward for a good display from Ritchie Farmer.

Hassocks Juniors 0-0 Horsham Sparrows (w/o to Hassocks)

League Cup Final
Haywards Heath Town 2-1 Saint Hill Blues

20 Apr 2008

A few days ago we're on the hardest pitch - today its the softest - to put it mildly. A real test and a physical effort required to move the ball about at all! Considering the conditions it was a very good game - in fact it was entertaining.

0-1 down after 18 mins and level by half time, the referee offers both managers the chance to call it off, it was more than muddy, but both managers want to continue. On the small pitch we'd been constantly having to deal with balls over the top to their strong and quick front runners, but handling it better now we make more and more openings, and start to exert more and more pressure, eventually going 3-1 ahead and looking comfortable - that may not be the right word. Sparrows get a goal back on 90(+2) minutes.

Goals from Alex, Jay and Carlo, but well done everyone. After today we are now back to a full squad ....... no injuries, no suspensions and no holidays - three games to go in this exciting season.

Haywards Heath Town 7-1 Phoenix United
Lindfield Juniors 3-2 Crawley Town Devils
Uckfield Grasshoppers 3-1 Crawley Panthers
Hassocks Juniors 1-2 Saint Hill Blues
Marle Place Wanderers 2-3 Worth Park Rangers

A defender pushed into the ball gets a handball penalty given against and what looked a good goal for us is disallowed - it turned into a game where we found ourselves too often questioning decisions - not good.

Let's keep it in the dressing room now .... some clubs don't have a website, some don't post reports and some are private ... this isn't a time to give anymore information away.

Crawley Panthers 8-2 Phoenix United
Marle Place Wanderers 0-4 Lindfield Juniors

Horsham Sparrows -v- Haywards Heath Town

27 Apr 2008

Abandoned after about 45 mins - we await a league ruling.

4th August 2008: Finally, over 3 months later, the result (1-1) is allowed to stand, which gives us the league title. Game abandoned and Police called after we were attacked and 5 of us had lumps and cuts, including me being punched on the head from behind. The bottom line is NONE OF US THREW PUNCHES and the FA find no case against us. I don't know what punishment is handed to HH but somehow they come out of this with a point. We don't really have a celebration on winning our first championship in 10 years of trying - it's all a bit of an anti-climax now. But we will have a presentation evening soon.

Phoenix United 0-8 Uckfield Grasshoppers
Hassocks Juniors 3-1 Crawley Town Devils
Saint Hill Blues 0-6 Lindfield Juniors
Marle Place Wanderers 1-2 Crawley Panthers
Worth Park Rangers 1-2 Horsham Sparrows