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04-01-2007 |
           
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OLD LATYMERIANS FOOTBALL CLUB Founded 1899 CHAIRMAN’S 2006/7 EARLY SEASON REPORT The pre-season six-a-side played on August Bank Holiday was the most successful held so far, twenty teams taking part with Simon Hockney X1 running out the winners. The event gave the treasurer a pleasant pre-season lift adding over £600 to the Club’s finances. I also received a pleasant surprise, that,completely unknown to myself my family in conjunction with the Club arranged a FA presentation for 50 years involvement with the game. To mark this occasion many ex players attended the competition and it was certainly good to see so many members who have been involved with the Club over the past fifty years. I must have been flavour of the month with the FA since a month after this award I also received a FA County Award for contribution to the game over the past season. This particular award is sponsored by McDonalds and I do not think they would have approved my award if they knew what I thought of their food(?) This season has started with considerable changes in the two senior sides. Half of last season,s very successful seconds have moved into the ones and Simon Hockney after several seasons away has rejoined, taken over the twos and introduced a completed new team made up mainly of relatively young locally based players. The one’s started with a league win against Stationers but then experienced two narrow league defeats and a thumping by the School. However during the past three weeks the side has produced some top class performances beating EBOG’s from Div.1 in the OB Cup 6-3, The Comets in the AFA 8-1, and Southgate O. in the Middx Cup 3-2. During the next few weeks the next round of each Cup takes place including the next round of the AFA against the current SAL champions, Old Owens. The seconds have started in fine style winning two and drawing two of their first four league games. In the cups they have progressed two rounds of the AFA beating Lloyds and Lyonians and will meet Alleyns in the next round. They were narrowly knocked out of the Old Boys Cup 1-2 by Wilsonians from division 1 but still remain in the Middx Cup. Due to the strengthening of both the ones and twos, the thirds and fourths look set to have a more comfortable season than the last few years, and both sides have picked up some good points in the league, but unfortunately neither side has progressed far in the Cups. A sign of the revival at the Club is the formation of a Vets side to play on Saturdays. We now have a large number of players approaching vets stage who wish to carry on playing but not every week. We intend running a vets side that will play every other week and a good fixture list is now in place with all fixtures on the west side of London. Paul Gladstone is organising this team and would be pleased to hear from anyone interested in playing. Some of the players who have already turned out for this new team Paul Gladstone. Martin Hurle. Paul Watts, Vasco Gomes, Ian Ellery, Bob Elson, John Higgins, Pat Donnelly, Cath Owens, Pat Reilly, Andy Collins, Peter Heffernan,Peter Ball,Chris Tabron,
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT SEASON 2005/6 As most of you are aware by November last year we were seriously considering closing the Club due to our inability to field four sides regularly. Due mainly to the efforts of a few stalwarts we have managed, not only to survive, but started show signs that we can progress both on and off the pitch to regain our previous status. As seems to be their norm, the one’s once again failed to play to their potential consistently, beating the promoted sides and losing to the lower teams. Although the side was strengthened by some of last season’s young 2ndX1, too many players were not available on regular basis and this meant the side was constantly changed. The two’s started with seven losses in the league and two cup losses. We were then able to recruit six or seven new players and the side subsequently only lost one of their remaining games. Unfortunately this revival was a little to late to get in the promotion places. However this side looks for success next season. Both the 3rd & 4th X1’s suffered most from our troubles at the beginning of the season and when they finally managed to field regular sides and put a few results together, it was too late for both sides to avoid relegation. The Vets had a full season winning the majority of their matches but again failing to progress far in the OB Cup the only competition they entered. Our disciplinary record showed a vast improvement on the previous season, something that must be maintained. However I would like to see a bigger effort made in entertaining both the opposition and officials at Whitton. We have, rightly, always been proud of the meals we served after the games, thanks primarily to Trish, but we have too many players that simply ignore our opposition in the bar. Finances will be discussed in detail at the AGM, but very simply the Club is nearly bankrupt. This is not due to poor housekeeping, but solely due to the fact that too many players fail to pay their match fees. It is obviously we now have players who deliberately avoid paying their dues and are quite prepared to sponge on their team mates. Summarising although we have survived this season, next season will be critical to ensure we have overcome the problems of this season. If we cannot find enough players available on a regular basis all of whom are prepared to pay their dues, then we have no reason to continue operating the Club. The enclosed circular shows the proposals for selection next season which we hope will overcome both the availability and financial problems. Finally we have a small group of members, some of whom have not an official office, who have worked tirelessly over the past few years not only to keep the Club going but to maintain the standards set in the past. I am not naming these members, they are all aware to whom I refer, but on behalf of the Club I would thank them for their efforts and hope it is not all in vain. Don Maughan
The newly formed Old Lats Elite Club offers you the chance of paying the weekly caviar and champers bill while helping the club's finances on a regular basis. Membership of the Elite Club will be restricted to 25 at all times. A weekly draw will take place based on the Saturday National Lottery and a prize of £75 will be awarded each week based on the bonus ball. In the event of no winner, one week's prize will be rolled over to the next draw. Each member will be allocated a number before the initial lottery which he can change at any time for any number not alreadt allocated. Membership will be £5 per week, payment will be by direct debit drawn every three months in advance. Members can share membership of the Elite Club but payment must be made by one of the sharers by direct debit. Once the Elite Club is operating we hope to arrange special deals to sporting events will give members very attractive offers. Remember membership is restricted to 25 so if you are interested please print and complete the Application Form and return it to Don Maughan at the address on the form. Once we have 25 applicants, direct debate mandates will be sent to your bank and you will be informed of your membership no. and the date of the first draw. The result of the weekly draw will appear on this website every Sunday.
2004/5 CHAIRMAN’S MID SEASON REPORT Seasonal greetings to all members in particular all the Club committee and officers. A special vote of thanks to Gordon Gourlay who has set up a first class web site, oldlatsfc.co.uk, which we intend to develop so that eventually it will be the main source of communication for the Club. At present details of fixtures, results and match reports appear weekly and we also intend publishing team selection after each Tuesday meeting. Gordon would also be pleased to receive all contributions from any member in particular anyone from the 1st X1 whose weekly match reports have been conspicuous in their absence, due no doubt to the results they have achieved so far this season and their questionable education background !! NB. Gordon Gourlay e-mail gordon_gourlay@hotmail.com Hm. 0118 9792786 Mb. 07799 690719 Last season proved to be one of the most difficult in the Club’s history both with regard to results and membership. This season has shown a marked improvement in the overall situation but there is still a lot to be done, particularly on the field, if we are to get the Club back to the stable situation that exist in the past. Over the past six months we have tried to ensure that all offices of the Club have an active member actually carrying out the work required. To make this easier we have tried to break down each office to ensure all officers have a minimum amount of work. Although we have largely been successful in this, the amount of unnecessary administration inflicted on purely amateur clubs by the FA bureaucracy makes it extremely difficult. At the present time we still require two members to take over the offices of Secretary and Referee’s Secretary. Neither office is time consuming, and I would be please to hear from anyone prepared to take on these positions. After our problems last year in fielding five teams every Saturday, we decided to withdraw the fifth team from the SAL before the season started, and this has meant we have not had the same problem in meeting our league programme this season. Also we have had an influx of new players and for the first time for many years a large number of these new players are either still in their teens or early twenties. The 1st X1 have had a poor start to their league programme, but two wins in December, one against the league leaders has started to move them up the table. More encouraging they have been very successful in the Old Boys Cup, battling their way through from the preliminary round to the semi-final. The semi final will be against Old Finchleians away at 1.30 on Sat.8th January and they could do with as much support as possible. Although the team has a potentially strong squad of players, the inability of many of them to play on a regular basis, makes it difficult to establish any continuity with selection which is essential for any permanent success. The 2nd X1, having been relegated to division three this season, has been totally changed using several older players together with the large influx of younger players. Most weeks we have six or seven players in their teens of early twenties, and some of the football they have produced has been outstanding. The side has two basic problems, the first is to maintain their potential consistently throughout the whole match, and to have more control on their discipline. If we can progress on these two problems not only will the side be in the running for promotion, but will also have good prospects as a future 1st X1. The 3rd X1 had a very poor start to their league programme but several wins in December has them moved away from the bottom. Like the 1st X1 they have had some success in Cups, reaching the quarter final of the Old Boys Cup and are still in the AFA playing in last sixteen at Whitton on 8th January. The side is now made up of most of the older players from the two’s and one’s, together with several very young players, and is the ideal team for younger players to start in, not only with regard to the football played but to the way it is played. The 4th X1, which is largely last year’s 5th X1 have struggled in the league, but again we have seen an influx of younger players and fully expect an improvement in their results after Xmas. The Vets. Playing successfully every Sunday are unbeaten except in the OB Cup, the only Cup they play in. Discipline has been a problem. Like most Clubs we have seen a large increase in cautions most of which are obtained by dissent. I personally think this problem is not helped by the authoritarian way referees operate these days, no doubt due to juvenile behaviour of most professional players. However I would suggest all players must be aware of this situation, and realise the only way to avoid a caution is to shut –up. Finances. This year due to the fact that we have dropped a team, will mean we struggle to meet our budgets. In order to maintain match fees at the same level next year it is essential that ALL members attend the two money raising functions we will hold this season, RACE NIGHT & STAG SUPPER. I would like to wish all members a very successful New Year and would suggest the following resolution.
Old Lats Xmas Carol - (sung to the theme
tune of Band Aids 'Do They Know it's Christmas) A Christmas ditty by Tony Roome
On this page we will publish a history of the club. There will also be regular chairman's reports and proceedings from committee meetings.
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This site was last updated 20-11-2006