Monday, February 28

A new and snowy week is upon us!

Just to let you know, if anyone has spotted the ex-TSJer Trevor who posted in our guestbook recently, I dropped him an email to ask for some comments and old memories - not had a reply yet but hopefully will do so at some point.

We have been having a huge clear out at home, and a spin off is that I have about 200 books up for sale, including about 30 cricket ones. I'll get a list together tonight and email/post it to you all. Some quite rare ones as well as populist stuff eg Ian Healy/Shane Warne/Tuffers/Athers/Allan Donald, plus books form the 70s and 80s. Mostly hardbacks in mint condition, will be selling for 4-8 quid each.

Friday, February 25

find your old school photographs via http://www.worldschoolphotographs.com/
I found 2 with me on !!!
nice try Mike (but not very subtle!).
Guys - newsletter should be upon you sometime next week.
Travelling to and from footy over the past couple of weeks with Kieran, Nick and Matt A has also provided more than enough material for the next few newsletters at least.
Talking of which - good game yesterday - think the raggies shaded it by one?!?!?!?!?!

Thursday, February 24

Well you lot are very quiet aren't you!

The identity of our mysterious catholic club poster has been revealed as Derek's daughter. Marvellous.

Anyway, Cliff, Nick F and I attended a league meeting on Tuesday during which a number of issues relating to umpiring and discipline were raised. A key note to come from it was that the league is hoping to put into place a better reporting system for incidents on the field. At present very few of the minor incidents are reported, and it's really only the very serious stuff that's getting through - whether this is due to inconsistencies within the umpires, fear of retaliation or whatever, the situation is not necessarily perfect.

One possible way forward is to alert the league officials should minor incidents occur, get the clubs involved at that stage to look at discipline in-house, and that way possibly prevent more serious blow-ups happening with the same players/teams at a later date.

I think we're all aware of incidents over the years that haven't been reported, fortunately we have not witnessed anything THAT serious in our own games (at least nothing that's come to actual blows), the real meaty stuff seems to happen elsewhere - thankfully.

Other than that, an umpiring crisis is potentially looming - anyone who fancies getting involved in umpiring would be a welcome boost to the league. I think we have 5 active umpires affiliated in some way to our club (Neville, Steve, Gordon, Derek Jackson and Clive), so we can't really be seen not to be getting involved, but there's plenty of scope for more.

Not a lot else to report, other than a decent turnout and nice to see some familiar faces, including Derek (Catholics), Joe and Nigel from ELPM, Emmy from Robbies and Mark Parky and Chall from Glodwick.

Friday, February 18

miserable lot - no bloggs - I thought whites played their best game last night - stretched us all over! Got bad news today - been recalled into 1st team -v- Barnsley in league game tomorrow - I'M TOO OLD LEAVE ME ALONE!!!

Thursday, February 17

Indeed he will, I'm sure he'll be coining it in.

KC, you're not wrong, I can't wait to wield the old willow again - as I'm sure someone once said in Buffy ;-)
They just keep getting better & better!
there you go, Paul, trying to wind it up - when you know you'll not get any change out of Cotters! Seriously, though, watching our south african englishman - are you all not itching to pick up the willow once more - big bird: are you practising your forward defensive stroke?
When we get Pietersen, Flintoff and Tresco in the same top 5 there might be fireworks on an even bigger scale!

Looking forward to footy tonight, though if I were the Rag tags I wouldn't be banking on Osama!
aussies in 20-20 international -v- NZ - 200+ skipper got 98 from 50 odd deliveries - we (England) do not play the same game as these people!

Monday, February 14

I like the idea of the sportsman's dinner at old trafford! should be a good evening..... who's up for it? i fancy it, should get us all in the right mood for the up coming season.
laters

Friday, February 11

Yes, I think we won by 1 in the end, though it could have gone either way. The lead changed hands several times in the last 20 minutes and there were a lot of tired legs out there! Good game and a much better atmosphere all round!
Yep full internet access has been granted!

Just looking forward to nets, i've been working on my technique (oh er) over the winter months (well watching england v south africa) and I'm aiming for over 50 runs this season.

Good to be back

Thursday, February 10

Was there a long queue at the Bank?

Welcome back, Matt!
Cotters is back!
Cotters is back!


Monday, February 7

new cricketers! do you know anyone? recruitment starts now - players good, bad and ugly - all are welcome at Totty - signing up commission available for ringers!

Friday, February 4

No one wants to see a repeat of the incident last night and having spoken to those involved today I know they both regret what took place and have spoken to clear the air.

The suggestion of mixing the sides up to prevent vendettas etc.. has been mentioned but might I remind you all that we are all friends!!! I would suggest that we put Thursday behind us (I know Nick & Ashley have) and next week when the inevitable red mist decends at some point we take a deep breath and remember it is only a kick around to keep fit.

We are all adults so lets ensure the game continues to be hard fought but fair. There are only about 5 weeks left I do not intend to mix things up now. Can I also suggest that this is the last posting on this subject and we all move on.

See you all next week.

Scott.
KC, I should have said that I absolutely love the competitiveness, indeed the footy this year has been wonderful. What I can't condone is last night's OTT throat grabbing and people coming to blows. I have quite willingly put up with being kicked form pillar to post every other week, indeed it's great and I think a few of us have improved leaps and bounds because of facing players of a higher calibre - but there's just no need for active encouraging of people to hurt each other - as was the case yesterday. That's what's galled me more than the actual physicality. If I had indeed done as Nick said and tried to hurt him, what would he have done back?

Bring on competitive footy and hard tackling, but when it threatens to get nasty ... that's just not cricket!
just a game of footy = dangerous when a mixture of levels of skill and (more importantly) competitiveness are thrown together. The thing that is causing the agro is the very thing which has made the 5-a-side great - namely the fact that it is the same teams playing each other every week. This is great because we have a settled selection and the teams are, for the most part, evenly balanced. It does, through no ones intention or fault, however mean that vendettas and personal battles are honed over the weeks (cc Man U -v- Arsenal). I do not want the following to happen, but I feel that mixing up teams would difuse the situation we have arrived at. Use of bibs to designate, etc. I am happy (as Larry) to continue as we are or mix it up - I have a high threshold to this type of thing, but sympathise with those upset by last nights "competitiveness". Thoughts?
OK now I'm baffled - I thought it was a tackle on Richard that sparked it all off - Richard being Ashley's size!? Didn't realise Mike had been involved in something. No wonder you think I'm confused! Interesting that some people seem to think people can't stand up for themselves without feeling the need to assault someone - and yes I would consider grabbing someone by the throat as assault.

I hardly think it was the whites that started anything last night, some of us have been kicked around for weeks by Nick and not complained, or indeed retaliated. I guess when someone gets a leg broken a week before nets start, that's when the fun will begin. I was absolutely disgusted to hear "you had a chance to do me then, why didn't you". What the hell's that all about? It is my - clearly wrong - belief that playing a friendly game of footy with your mates doesn't require anyone to "get done" or treat it as world war 3.

I'm sure those who play Sunday or other level football regularly think last night was nothing remotely to be bothered about, but it just seems that in the last month in particular the game is being treated less as a friendly workout and more like an opportunity to put the boot into people fr a bit of a laugh. Indeed I have been told that as a result of a tackle a week or two back, someone has to go to hospital for treatment. Nice that, isn't it. I can't say I'm looking forward much to next week at this stage, I'm sure I will be as it gets closer, but for now I am more worried that someone's going to suffer a serious injury before too long - and where will we stand then?
...oh....and age too!....
respect for your elders please!
...and 9 stone wet through....
...not to mention waist size.....
always wanting to pour water - not petrol- on the fire....but "tackle"???? Paul: Mike was running back towards our goal, the ball was going in another direction and Ashley clobbered him, whilst all the other players were either celebrating our goal or trying to pick Pearcy up from the floor. Ashley 6ft 1 ? Mike 5ft 10 max.
Nope, we won by two.

I must say I particularly enjoyed the "pick on someone your own f***ing size" remark, said to Ashley after he tackled ... someone as big as him. Lovely.
with all the falling out and fisticuffs - I presume we won?

Thursday, February 3

Well that was a damn good game played in a wonderful spirit. Don't you think?

Wednesday, February 2

EVERYONE!!!!!!!
(And that means please tell everyone else aswell!)
We are doing the pre-season make-over to the ground on Sunday March 13th. Work to be done: Reassemble shed and sight screen (both storm damage); Cutting, rolling, other strangely named horticultural procedures, etc; Pavillion make-over; any other work (see Clive).
We really need to do all this on this date so please make yourself available - 2 days before AGM = there should be some good tittle/tattle. I'll bring some beers. NB If the weather is bad we will still be doing things so NO EXCUSES.
ALSO: anyone wanting to stand for any position (captains, vices, committees, etc) should make themselves known to Clive at least two weeks before the AGM to ease administration.

Tuesday, February 1

Nick,

There's actually a committee meeting tonight so we should have a firm AGM date (think it's mid-March, 15th anyone??) and maybe even some captaincy standees etc tomorrow.
just a question, when is the AGM? Is there a date yet? and who's up for captains' jobs this year?
Dickie, you're a legend.

Dunno if you have seen the classic film "The Fugitive" but if you had written the script there would have been some subtle alterations to Tommy Lee Jones' speech to the law enforcement officers looking for Harrison Ford's character ...

"What I want out of each and every one of you is a hard target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse, [shed, log cabin, B&Q structural shed, timber mainframe, scoring hut, bluebell field] and doghouse in that area".

Oh yes, and Dickie, can you email me with regards to a possible meet up on Sunday? Ta!
all committee members: Clive has provided me with a FASCINATING magazine on huts and sheds - so you really will want to be there tonight at 8pm to discuss with me construction and space (form and function)......(good grief)