The Monday Report

05.10.09 Gentlemen- Congratulations on a successful start to the 2009-2010 campaign! After a brilliant pre-season which saw even more players join the club - and an average attendance rate of 25 people per training session - the Walcountian Blues were able to send a record 37 players to participate in the league's opening games this weekend! We represented ourselves quite well on the day, and while not every result turned out Blue, it illustrated some key points we need to work on in order to achieve the level of success we want for ourselves this year... and what we must do to reach those lofty goals! Saturday started off with the First Team battling rivals Spencer to a heartbreaking 12-11 loss, giving up 4 goals in the last 6 minutes of play. Unfortunately, multiple opportunities were squandered to put the game away, and a more talented team lost to a team who just had more heart on the day. The Tooz had a bit more success however, grounding out a 9-7 victory over an inspired Reading 2's at the Clockhouse to open their season with a win. It was a sloppy match, but the 3 points were earned and the job was well done! The newly formed Third Team, however, had a rough introduction into the East 2 Division. Even with the injection of two Blues who played in the Premiership last season, they still fell 12-2 to a younger (and much quicker!) Northampton squad. Looking ahead to next weekend, the First Team continues their tough opening schedule on the road against Welwyn, the Tooz take on cross- town rival East Grinstead A's, and it's the war of the Third Teams as the Threez head up to Spencer yet again. ....................................................................................... 30.08.09 Dunmore cup winners 2009 This season, the annual game played in memory of Steve Dunmore was kindly hosted by East Grinstead. Both teams fielded players from a mix of first and second team, but the Blues dominated from the start. Ewan got the Blues off to a great start, taking full advantage of a man up situation from an EG offside. James and CC quickly popped in some goals, and with 1 conceded the first quarter ended 3-1. With some new recruits on the team, the Blues machine quickly got into their strides with the first half ending 7-1 thanks to strong defensive play and quick efficient attacking (goals from Chris Willson, Birkett and two from CC). The second half saw the score sheet quickly filling up with goals from Birkett, James Kidd, Pete Ross and three more from Ewan. Eg managed to claw back one goal too, making use of a Blues technical penalty. The 3rd quarter finished 13-2. The final quarter was a draw with both teams scoring 3 goals (CC, Pete R, Pete R), but saw the Blues reclaim the Dunmore Cup with ease. This was a perfect start to the season and shows that the Blues are going to be a strong title contender this year. The Blues are proud to be able to remember Steve Dunmore in this way annually. .......................................................................... 25.08.09 Training gets off to a flyer .......................................................................... 23.08.09 New season, new website .......................................................................... Bouncing Back! 2nd February 2009 Gentlemen- What an amazing weekend! Under a partially cloudy sky on Saturday afternoon, both the First Team and Tooz got to the Clockhouse early and prepared for two hefty match-ups against top ranked Hitchin and Brighton. But who would have thought it could turn out so well for the Mighty Blues Machine!? The Tooz triumphed over the Panthers 10-7, while the First Team rebounded from last week's loss to top #2 Hitchin 15-6 in a dominating performance! Then, once the MVP awards were given out and drinks were shared with the opposition, about 100 people then gathered at the clubhouse for Amit Biswas's annual Curry Night, which - as always - proved to be a delicious success! Needless to say, everyone went home full, content and happy with the days' results. Looking ahead however, it looks like we might be fighting against Mother Nature again this week. As I sit in my flat typing this, the snow continues to accumulate in Virginia Water, and it sounds as if even more has been dumped in Woodmansterne. The internet says that this type of weather will continue deep into the week as well, so please stay tuned for training information and/or game cancellations/ movements. Coming off such a tremendous Saturday, it's unfortunate we can't continue our momentum at practice, but we can't do anything about the weather! I hope you enjoyed the remainder of the weekend (or the extended weekend for those of you with snow days!!), and when you come out of your sapid "Curry Coma", have a brilliant week! Forever in Blue, -Baggers