The Accies Blog

End-of-year statattack!

2011-12-27T22:39:00.004Z

Now that there are no more footballs to be kicked in this calendar year, it's time to reflect on what has been a record breaking year of 11-a-sides for Effra Academicals. To preface this round-up of impressive stats, I think it's important to say that we could've done even better and if in 2012 we can get better at doing what Thorny asks us to do for 90 minutes, we will do even better. There's no reason why 12 months from now I shouldn't be typing up another summary of tumbling club records!

But for now, let's concentrate on 2011's stat-tastic achievements. Here's a rundown to tickle your fancy:

- We've played more 11-a-side matches than ever: 49 games in 2011

- 23 wins in 2011 beats our previous 'most wins in a calendar year' by a mile (14 in 2010)

- Our win percentage in 2011 was 46.94%, thrashing last year's club best of 33.33%

- We finished with a plus goal difference for the first time (+3)

- Our goals-per-game average of 2.59 was our best ever

- Similarly, our goals-conceded per game of 2.53 was a club record

- We scored 127 goals in 2011 – a club best by some margin (previous best: 103 last year)

- Sam Herbert broke the club's record for goals in a calendar year, netting 29 times, beating Gary White's 26 in 2007

- Sam Herbert and Perre Heath each played 44 times for the Accies in 2011 – the most appearances in a year by any player

- Sam and Perre's joint goals tally of 55 makes them the club's best ever strike partnership (previous best: 37 by Gary White and Simon Mesner in 2007)

- Ronnie Taylor conceded 1.93 goals per game, by far the best stats for any keeper in a calendar year

Here's a jpeg of our 11-a-side stats year-by-year which shows how well 2011 compares to any previous year (click on the image to enlarge it and make it easier to read):

A milestone worth mentioning is that two players reached the 50-goal mark for Effra in 2011: first Simon Mesner, whose long injury lay-off meant he had to wait a while, but who became the first Accies player to reach a half-century of goals; then Sam Herbert, who now has 52 all-time 11-a-side goals and as such is now our top scorer. With Perre Heath on 41 goals and Andy Thornes on 47, hopefully they'll both reach 50 in 2o12.

There should be plenty of appearance milestones in 2012, with four players set to reach 200 11-a-side games (Dave Rudd, currently on 193; Simon Mesner and Joe Sene, both on 182; and Andy Thornes, on 180). No less than nine players should make their 100th 11-a-side appearances next year: Bobby Rauchenberg is 2 games away from his century; Barry Gardener is 4 away; Sam Herbert needs 10 more games; Phill Arnold needs 11 more; Lee Clifford is on 83 appearances; Tremayne Macdonald is on 82; and Greg Rainey is on 76).

Steve Spurdens is 5 appearances away from his 250th 11-a-side game for Effra. And if Andrew Dade can play a similar number of games next year as he did in 2011, he'll become the first Accies player to reach 300 appearances. If I can avoid injury, I'll get to 300 myself next year, but that seems like a big if!

Don't try this on Thursday

2011-12-20T06:11:00.001Z

Several of us have been unlucky enough to score own goals over the years – but never as mental as this one:

MoBro - the finished article!

2011-11-30T15:50:00.002Z

Here it is, after a month of scratching and cursing at it, here's my 'tash in all it's one-month-old glory!

It's still not too late to sponsor me for my Movember effort, it's for a great cause. Go to: www.mobro.co/JoeSene

Thanks!

Accies triple bill v Grafton Strollers, Orient Young Boys and West Wickham Musicians

2011-11-06T19:09:00.002Z

See the recent games v Grafton Strollers; Orient Young Boys and West Wickham Musicians on youtube now.

Accies number 8 signs for Team MoBro!

2011-10-20T13:49:00.003+01:00

Joe Sene, Effra's midfield stroller, has signed up to charity effort Movember. Kicking off on November 1st, the only thing that'll be silky smooth about Sene will be his skills on the football pitch as he grows a moustache in an attempt to raise money for the mens health charity.

Sene, interviewed today over a pre-match pie and chips said: "This is a very worthwhile cause and all donations are gratefully received."

Asked if he felt growing facial hair would help enhance his Thursday night performances, the midfield general responded: "I doubt it, as unfortunately we only ever seem to play with footballs that are attracted to hairless surfaces."

To help aide the fundraising effort, please visit - http://mobro.co/JoeSene

Accies 5 v 2 Southside, Thursday 22nd September 2011

2011-10-14T01:06:00.002+01:00

Here is the action (minus 4 goals mainly due the refusal of 3 Accies on the side lines to pick up the camera for 10 mins each) from the game v Southside.

Accies 5 v 2 Flacas and Fatboys, Saturday 3rd September 2011

2011-10-13T10:16:00.002+01:00

And the second part of the Rotterdam film.

Accies 5 v 2 Flacas and Fatboys, Saturday 3rd September 2011

2011-10-12T18:24:00.002+01:00

Take your minds back to the lazy, hazy days of summer and the trip to Rotterdam. Here is part 1.

It's like "Southside's 'mystery' goal against Effra in Dulwich" all over again…

2011-10-12T13:47:00.004+01:00

Except this one, while also definitely a goal, wasn't given! Goal kick given! Shocker.

Accies 1 v 0 Ladywell, Thursday 8th September 2011

2011-10-12T13:43:00.002+01:00

You can now catch the action from the one nil win v Ladywell.

All Good Things......Accies 8 vs Tremayne 2

2011-10-01T20:16:00.004+01:00

As the saying goes 'come to those who wait'....The Accies are beginning to resemble a team that is united in their endeavours and to all involved this should be welcomed with open arms. After our last attempt to play against Tremayne's team which was undone by his incredible (albeit miraculous) goal, the Accies game into this game looking to set the record straight.

Although it would have been easy for us to go all gung-ho in our quest for revenge, we played as a 'team' and were rewarded with a performance of strong defence, creative midfield movement and dynamic attacking endeavour. The movement, commitment, covering and defending was a joy to behold and at times left our opposition mesmerised.

Great congratulations to 'Bazza' Gardener who broke his outfield scoring drought (for us not opposition) and captured a well deserved MOTM nod for his efforts. It seems Ayattollah Thornes is coming into his own in getting us to play as a team, but be solid and diificult to break down as well as being swift and decisive in attack.

But let's keep this up 'til Christmas as we are improving week in week out and to let this work go to waste would be a silly thing to do as we know we can do this week after week....

Orient Young Boys - A Mini Reportage...

2011-09-30T17:22:00.002+01:00

Click here, if you are a facebooker....

From The Beginning Of Recorded Time (Or Thereabouts)

2011-09-26T16:52:00.005+01:00

Accies midfielder and founder member of our glorious club, Luis Sandoval came across this photo "while perusing some old pics" recently. The picture was developed in May 2o00 so is definitely from the first 6 months or so of Effra's life. It shows Graham Dietz, Ian "Gaffer" Holmes and Chris Osborne. Not sure why the Gaffer is pointing – possibly it's a post-match post-mortem on how we came to lose again? Also, I'm considering fining the Gaffer retrospectively for not wearing his official club-issue dark blue shorts…

Longest header ever and not by Andy Thornes!! (I'm not having much youtube luck, but 3rd time around this should work now)

2011-09-26T14:30:00.006+01:00

Watch Jone Samulsen score from his own half! Unfortunately footage of Andy Thornes' headed goal from his own six-yard box 18 months ago doesn't exist on youtube.

Accies 4 v 3 Atkins FC, Thursday 11th August 2011

2011-09-24T22:02:00.003+01:00

Finally, a version that hasn't been censored (thanks to EMI and MPMG for preventing the previous sound track from being heard by about 25 people). Enjoy.

Accies 5 v 3 Wessex Rangers, Thursday 18th August 2011

2011-09-24T18:43:00.001+01:00

Watch the hi-lights of the game v Wessex Rangers here copyright permitting!

Quick reminder..............

2011-09-21T16:26:00.002+01:00

.........If you don't confirm unequivocally for Thursday night games by 6pm Wednesday then, given the numbers we have each week, its unlikely you will be considered for selection in the 14. This may seem harsh, and I fully sympathise with people's commitments outside of football, but I plan for each game on Wednesday evenings and don't really have the time to be adjusting things for the next 24 hours. The only exceptions to this will be if we don't have 14 'confirmed' Accies or you speak to me beforehand about any difficulties you might have.

8 days in my footballing life

2011-09-19T04:42:00.004+01:00

Saturday 3rd September 2011, Rotterdam, 4.30pm, Effra Academicals 5 v 2 Flacas & Fat Boys.

Thursday 8th September 2011, London, 8.30pm, Effra Academicals 1 v 0 Ladywell.

Sunday 11th September 2011, Los Angeles, 11am, LA all stars 5 v 2 Burbank FC.

P 3 W 3 F 11 A 4.

One Dietz Cup, two man of the match awards, two assists and one goal.

New Accies Record! (It took me fully 4 years to get round to doing this)

2011-09-18T10:48:00.003+01:00

This coming Thursday I'll bring along our other trophy (we're double winners) to Palace to pass on to whichever member of the squad would like it on their mantelpiece for a while. I've been meaning to update/replace the 'WINNERS' plaque on the Anglo-Dutch Challenge Cup for literally years. Finally got round to it yesterday. See below – 3 years of hurt, bookended by the two Accies triumphs.

Southside match

2011-09-18T09:53:00.002+01:00

I'm looking forward to the match on Thurs.

The 11-1 mis-match in the summer represented a high point for Southside and a new low for the Accies.

Since then, the Accies, by all accounts, have morphed into a really good team. Southside's form, in contrast, has taken a bit of a nosedive.

Will Effra turn the tables on Southside or can Southside re-discover a bit of form?

Rotterdam 2002 Style

2011-09-17T14:17:00.003+01:00

For more vintage Accies in Rotterdam pics head over to the Accies Facebook page and check out the new album!

Accies Archive Pics

2011-09-17T11:00:00.003+01:00

Here's one of a selection of Accies archive pics now on the Accies Facebook Page. More pics will be appearing in albums on there soon...!

From The Archives: "The Big Cetacean"

2011-09-14T23:10:00.004+01:00

Just a couple of months before this blog was begun, back in the days when The Hut maintained an Accies website, the following match report was posted. I'd love to know who wrote it, the author did a fine job (says "the not 100% Dade") and I think I've corrected most of the typos just now. It's a shame Perre didn't play in this match – he must have been an unused sub because his uncle Junior played in goal and mate Keith was in midfield. The reason it's a shame is that this archive post would've been quite apt with Perre due to make his 100th appearance tomorrow night – he made his debut on 4 September 2008, just over 3 years ago. 100 games in just over 3 years: good going. Sadly Perre only got to watch the match described below, not play in it – but I'm glad he stuck with us (and we stuck with him!)

Anyway, into the Accies time machine we go…

Effra Academicals 4 – 1 Dolphin Riders

16^th October 2008

Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

KO 8.30 pm

Attendance: 12

Despite losing 2-4 in to Wycliffe the week before the Accies came into this fixture full of confidence. The squad bolstered in recent weeks had led to an improvement in results, which despite playing well for the previous two months had eluded the team. A win against Dolphin would be the first time Effra had beaten them twice on the bounce.

The team was set out to maintain its defensive shape but break quickly on the counter attack. Andy Thornes was recalled to the midfield and Barry Gardener joined Gary Hutson at centre back. Stuart Dade made a return to left back after missing three out of the last four games, which had left question marks over his ability to hold off the challenges to the position that has been his own for much of the last 5 years. Mickael Lejeune was back in on the left wing with Bobby Rachenberg missing through illness. A strong bench included captain Neill Robertshaw and player/coach Simon Mesner.

J. Heath; P. Caldwell, B. Gardener, G. Hutson, S. Dade (G. Were) (N. Connolly); J. Sene; A. Thornes; K. Cumberbatch (N. Robertshaw); M. Lejuene, (S. Mesner) T. McDonald, B. Monkton.

The Accies started the game strongly with Sene dictating the play from deep. Cumberbatch’s movement caused problems for the Rider’s defence, which looked loose. French wide man Lejeune was also a threat with his pace and crossing from the left wing.

It didn’t take long for the Crystal Palace men to open the scoring when Monkton showed further evidence that he is getting fitter after his 6 month injury layoff by reacting quickest to a loose Dolphin pass and firing through the ‘keeper’s legs from inside the penalty area.

Dolphin stepped up their game and came back into the match. Gardener and Hutson, otherwise dominant had a 15 minute period where they wobbled and words were exchanged between them and Heath behind. A stock Riders lobbed ball over the top was latched onto by the visiting centre forward. With Heath deciding to stay in his area, Hutson tried to make up the ground. He executed a perfect sliding tackle in the area just as Heath went to ground. Sadly for the Accies with both home players down, the big cetacean got up and clipped the ball into an empty net.

From then on the home defence looked unbeatable with anything not mopped up by the back four dealt with expertly by Heath.

The Accies fought back and with Were on for the not 100% Dade, Robertshaw and Mesner to join the midfield and attack respectively they created more chances. Thornes missed a header that he would have normally gobbled up from an expert Lejuene corner but McDonald made the pressure pay with a cool side foot to take Effra in 2-1 at half time.

The game was a battle for the first 30 minutes of the second half with both teams aware of the importance of the next goal. Caldwell, in a brave performance and Mesner tightened up on the tricky Dolphin left winger to stem the flow down the Accies' right. The midfield went from a three to a two and back to a three as Effra sought for the right formation to make the break through. Sene kept pulling the string throughout whilst Cumberbatch was moved over to the left wing and swept past his opponent imperiously several times on dashing runs. Connolly came on for Were to maintain the defensive solidity. Heath was equal to nearly everything that got past his defence and when beaten there was Thornes to hook the ball off the line.

The Accies then started to really stretch their opponents with Monkton’s pace on the other wing complementing Cumberbatch’s and Mesner moved into his fifth position of the game as centre forward. It was no surprise when Monkton made his 2008 total 9 goals after a sweet Thorne’s through ball, pushing the Accies into a 3-1 lead. For the last ten minutes the Riders were swamped and Effra made it four when Monkton’s great cross was met by the accurate pate of Thornes who arched himself to reach the ball that was slightly behind him and place it wide of the keeper. The Accies almost made it a fifth when Mesner’s clever through ball was nearly latched onto by Thornes, now in rampant mood.

Effra Academicals were on the attack once more when the referee put Dolphin out of their misery.

A beaming player/coach Mesner said afterwards that the Riders were swept away by a towering wave of attacking play. The Accies look in good health as they approach the end of the year.

Man of the match: Gary Hutson. A rock at the back against very dangerous opponents. He came back from a shaky 15 minutes to put in a towering performance.

I do like a nice team photo

2011-09-10T17:42:00.003+01:00

My dream of course is for there to occasionally, say once a year, be a photo taken of the full squad. But of course logistically that is basically impossible as we're never all in the same place at the same time; there's always someone absent. So I'll have to settle for a pic every time we have a 'big match'. Here are the 12 good men in Rotterdam 2011.

It's official – it says so on the trophy!

2011-09-10T16:30:00.005+01:00

To be honest I found it quite tricky to photograph something that's essentially a mirror! Anyway, here's the proof that a week ago today we went and and won The Dietz Cup.

Goals, goals, goals

2011-09-09T08:14:00.004+01:00

Last night with Sam's 19th goal of the year, he and Perre's combined total of goals for 2011 reached 38. This breaks the Accies record for a goalscoring partnership of 37 set in 2007.

Most of the 2007 goals were scored by Gary White who grabbed 26, still the best total by one person in a calender year. However that target is well within reach of both Sam and Perre.

Gary White's goalscoring ratio may never be beaten, he got 31 goals in 32 games but Sam's ratio is highly impressive. He now has 42 in 78, or 1 in 1.86, and may well become the first Accie to score 50 11 a side goals at this rate.

Perre's over all goals to games ratio has improved massively this year going from about 1 in 5 to a very respectable 34 in 99 or 1 in 2.91. No doubt he'll be intent on improving this before the year is out.

Toshack and Keegan, Beardsley and Lineker, Shearer and Sheringham, Cottee and McAvennie, Rush and Dalglish, Shearer and Sutton, Cole and Yorke, Bebeto and Romario, Ronaldo and Rivaldo, Heath and Herbert.

Hold The Back Page!

2011-09-08T17:27:00.006+01:00

Once again, The Accies have hit the headlines in Rotterdam. Not content with Sam, Graeme and myself being photographed in the Rotown nightclub last year (click here for a reminder), The Accies have been caught up in a Dutch media circus again!

Hopefully we'll get a proper copy of this soon - with full translation from Mr Dietz - but in the meantime here's a photo of the local paper carrying the big sporting story of last weekend: the fantastic game and even better result against our Dutch friends.

Yes Stu, that is you! And you Sam - making it 2 media appearances in 2 years. And yes, I think that's Cuptain Thornes too!

Up The Accies and huge thanks to Flaccas legend Nils Ligthart for alerting us to this!

Zzzzzzztatattack

2011-09-07T22:43:00.002+01:00

As previously promised, and as previously encouraged to pull my finger out by Phil C, I have now updated the appearances 'league table' somewhere down the right-hand side of the blog. To say that having done so "throws up some interesting statistics" would be stretching the truth, but here are the 'highlights' of the appearance stats (sans a soundtrack of music by Daft Punk or Steppenwolf that would see this blog post taken down by The Man. This is a reference that approx only one other person will get, sorry.)

• First up, yours truly has passed 250 Accies 11-a-side appearances. Hip hip replacement hooray. My younger brother Andrew is hot on my heels just 3 games away from the same milestone.

• Luis Sandoval, in the form of his life and fitter than ever, is on 196 appearances, so on the verge of becoming only the fifth player to reach a double century.

• Dave Rudd needs 10 more appearances to make 200, so might have to wait until early 2012 to be number six in that exclusive group.

• Perre Heath has played in 98 11-a-side matches for the Accies, so will very soon be the 14th player to have pulled on the red'n'blue shirt 100 times. Perre's hefty total is particularly impressive when you consider that he only made his Effra debut in match number 178 – so those 98 appearances have been from a possible 132 matches. That's impressive commitment (and a sign of a young player who has been thankfully largely injury-free).

And finally, a quick goalscoring stat moment. Graham Dietz almost certainly set an Effra record in Rotterdam for the longest gap between 11-a-side goals for the club. Gza last netted on 17 March 2005, coming on as a sub to score both goals in a 2-1 win over The Pullman. That was our 57th ever 11-a-side game. No less than 2,362 days later – or 6 years, 3 months and 18 days if you prefer – he bagged another brace, this time our first and fourth goals in the 5-2 win that was our 309th ever 11-a-side. Thanks to this site for doing the sums on how many days had passed between those matches! Depressingly, yours truly is the only Accie with any chance of breaking this record (short of some former members making a Dietz-esque comeback in the future, which of course would be most welcome). 30 September 2011 will mark the SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY of my one and only 11-a-side goal for Effra Academicals. I'd be tempted to ask that if we get a penalty against Orient Young Boys on 29 September, could I take it – except that I'd almost certainly miss it!

I think stat's quite enough of stat (hey, that might be my new catchphrase).

Up the Accies!

Cuptain Thornes!

2011-09-05T22:14:00.004+01:00

What Andy T doesn't mention in his post below is the pivotal role he played in our win in Rotterdam. Every Thursday, he patiently asks us to play a certain way, communicate a certain way, and so on and so on. As all the club's previous captains and coaches would testify, at times it's a phenomenally thankless task. Some of the first 20 mins of Saturday's match might have been enough to make him tear his hair out (ahem), but during the remaining 70 mins, we followed Thorny's way to the very best of our abilities, and got our reward. Andy is right to say that all 12 of the squad contributed significantly in the match, but for his efforts week in, week out and his leadership on the day – including an inspirational half-time team talk – our number 23 thoroughly deserved to be the first Accie to hold The Dietz Cup aloft. Well deserved honour, mate!

Holland and Beyond...............

2011-09-05T19:30:00.000+01:00

As I'm sure most, if not all of you will know, The Accies played the Dutch on Saturday and won 5-2. It was a truly fantastic performance by everyone, in conditions that were extremely difficult. I can honestly say that everybody made a significant and positive contribution to the game. It was probably the best I have ever seen the Accies play, at least in the second half. There are three people that I'd like to single out as being exceptional, even though I could easily waffle on in praise about all eleven other players. Firstly, Lee was absolutely rock solid in defence. He broke up their play continual and passed the ball outstandingly and calmly from defence. Just as importantly he scored his first and the game's decisive fifth goal! The look on his face as he did so was worth making the trip all on it's own. Secondly Luis, particularly in the second half, played like a man possessed. He did more running, in conditions that were horrendously difficult, than players half his age, and single-handedly won the ball and created the fourth goal. Gien all that, and plenty more, my Man-of-the-Match, which I think anyone who saw the game would be hard-pressed to disagree with, was Dave. During the first half he made a series of saves that not only kept us in the game but wouldn't have been out of place in a professional game. The oppostions two goals came early in the first half, and were both the result of lucky deflections. After that it looked like he was on a mission not to get beaten again. For me his first half heroics were the key to our stirring comeback in the second. It should also be pointed out that at half time he decided, very unselfishly, to stay in goal so as not to disrupt the organisation of the team. I'm not sure it would have anyway, but that kind of self-sacrifice is, in my opinion, what the Accies should all be about. In all it was a wonderfully trip and I have to say a big thanks to everyone for making it such a pleasure. Let's hope we keep the momentum from the weekend for the rest of the year and beyond !!

Accies v Atkins FC, 11th August 2011

2011-09-04T22:22:00.001+01:00

See the hi-lights of the game v Atkins FC on youtube now!

View From The Other Side #2

2011-09-04T20:05:00.004+01:00

From Nils's Facebook photos, a shot of one of Flacas & Fat Boys' two goals yesterday. Good celebrations among the Dutch barmy army and it's less painful to look at knowing what happened next! Nils's comment on the pic is: "Op voorsprong tegen de engelsen 2-1 (eindstand 2-5!). In londen de return.. revanche" – I don't think you'll need a Dutch-English dictionary to work out what that means!

Victory in Europe

2011-09-04T16:19:00.000+01:00

A great weekend, a great game and a great win. I will leave the full match report to someone else, but my brief report is that the game plan was excellent and excellently executed by all. Everyone played their part in a very satisfying win against a very good team with more subs on a blisteringly hot day.

Maybe it was something to do with the pre-match preparation

a bike ride around a lake,

and pancakes...

Statapology

2011-08-31T16:33:00.006+01:00

Having been gently berated by Elbows for not keeping the stats column of this blog up to date lately, I've duly fixed the all-time 11-a-side goalscorers list. The biggest movers in 2011 have of course been Sam and Perre, who have leapt up to 3rd and 4th in the chart respectively. I believe anyone who scores 30 or more 11-a-side goals qualifies for a special medal - those will no doubt be included in the end-of-year awards dinner later in 2011. Simon's lengthy injury absence has meant his lead at the top has been cut to just 2 goals by Thorny. But Mes has managed one goal since returning to action (as well as one against the Accies!), so he's now just 2 goals away from becoming the first Effra player to reach a half-century of 11-a-side goals. Will he be wearing a "50 goals - just done it" T-shirt under his Accies top in Rotterdam this Saturday?

Bobby's 6 goals in 2011 have catapulted him into the top 10, while Joe's 4 goals have solidified his own place in the top 10 (level with Bob). Paul, Neill and Greg have all made good progress up the list, with Paul having made it to double figures in less than a year playing for the club (he made his debut in September 2010).

I'll work on the appearances stats over the coming weeks - can't sit at a computer for too long because it will hinder my back pain rehab!

In even more dweeby news, the first goal we let in during the recent 3-0 defeat to Crown Agents was the 1,000th goal we've conceded in 11-a-sides. We should have baked the scorer a cake. And on a more positive note, Joe's goal in the 2-4 loss to TPS recently was our 600th 11-a-side goal. Hooray.

Accies v Crown Agents 4th August 2011

2011-08-29T23:06:00.004+01:00

At last, hi-lights from the Accies 4-2 win over Crown Agents on Thursday 4th August 2011 are on youtube.

View From The Other Side

2011-08-26T22:29:00.002+01:00

Always pretty interesting to get the oppo's view on a match and, as they did when we played them this time last year, The Queen Vic's gaffer forwarded me this match report…

Accies 1 v 2 Queen Vic

It's not often we get to play on a surface like the one at Crystal Palace last night (well, once a year and hopefully an ongoing annual event...) so I hope you all enjoyed it.

This was a far more challenging game than a year ago when we ran out comfortable 4-0 winners. The home side were much more organised and proved themselves to be a stubborn and determined opposition. I thought we played pretty well in the first twenty minutes, carving out numerous opportunities to take the lead but their goalkeeper was excellent and we were guilty of snatching at any half-chances that came our way. The Accies then played themselves into the game, forcing us back as we perhaps became a little frustrated that we weren't ahead. They hit a couple of excellent long shots (one superbly tipped over by Tharpey) before taking the lead thanks to yet another individual error at the back. We've conceeded five goals this pre-season in five games (which is impressive) but they've all been due to errors of one sort or another.

We reacted well to the goal and should have been level by half-time so I was pretty confident that if we kept on doing what we were doing we'd every chance to go on and win the game and as it turned out that's exactly what transpired. What we need to take from the game is that patience is the key. If we keep playing our football, eventually even the most obstinate of opposition defences will crack. You just have to believe it will happen and not get frustrated with yourselves or each other.

A 2-1 win then and I think a deserved one on chances created and the amount of possession we enjoyed. We need to ensure that we take our use of the ball into the real season and not get excited by the fact that we are playing real games where points are at stake.

My only small criticism this week is what we discussed before the lights went out on the pitch. We must play football that demonstrates an awareness of the scoreline and how the game has panned out. You worked hard last night to get into the lead but then seemed (at times) to be determined to go on to score a third goal at the risk of losing the lead we had. Just take it easy. When there is a minute to go there is nothing wrong in working the ball to the opposition corner flag and keeping it there. Okay, it was a friendly but we almost threw the lead away by giving the ball back to them, getting caught on the break, giving away a free-kick and almost conceeding with the last kick of the game, in which case you'd have all come off the pitch deflated...

I want to instill a winning mentality boys...and win some trophies!

The least I want from this season is a cup final for us to enjoy.

Keep it up. Things are looking good.

Radfall will be another tough test on Sunday...

There you go – I should add that my old school mate Danny, the oppo's manager, told me after the game that the key difference from last year to this is that we are now are much more well organised unit, far harder to break down. Good to hear, given that this has been a key area we've concentrated on for some time now! Should also add that we've tentatively been invited to Herne Bay for an away tie, probably in May 2012. Could be good!

From The Archives: "Look At These Cripples" (Spain 2010)

2011-08-10T22:08:00.003+01:00

Messrs Fallon and Holmes are the worse for wear following our exploits in the Trofeo Amistoso Something Or Other tournament in sunny Spain - but teammate Sandoval is in fine fettle.

Accies number 12 takes time out from fending off rioting idiots to perform ska tribute to our capital city's current troubles

2011-08-08T20:34:00.002+01:00

Possibly.

Accies Blog 2.0

2011-08-07T18:54:00.004+01:00

Those of you who prefer to consume your Accies Blog on wee little mobile phones (or, in my case, if I'm in the lounge, on an iPod Touch) will be delighted to learn that I have switched on the relevant setting that makes the blog easier to read on those devices. Those of you who prefer not to consume your Accies Blog at all, are just hurtful and cruel. In other geeky news, I note with "interest" that the blog doesn't seem to look very nice on the Firefox browser, but that doesn't bother me because I normally use Safari. Now go back to sleep.

Ref x2 = victory

2011-08-05T11:40:00.003+01:00

Accies who turned up hoping for their weekly dose of tragi-comic disaster went home disappointed last night.

Against all expectations, Effra motored past Crown Agents with an upbeat, competent display.

Where did it all go right?

Whilst not quite up to Fash FC standards of exuberance, there was a distinctly, relaxed and positive feel about the team last night. The football was really quite good too. - I wouldn't go as far as to say that i'd have been happy to pay to watch, but i definitely didn't mind not paying to watch.

Great three goal haul from Perre and a nice finish from Paul. Perre got the MOTM award , but the Ref of the Match award must go to Hassan , who finally found his vocation last night - i guess we're all good at something.

See you all in three weeks.

Accies v Crown Agents 28th July 2011

2011-08-03T23:43:00.004+01:00

Here is a short clip of the 0-3 defeat to Crown Agents. Not much footage to choose from this week hence the short clip. But an easy to edit piece. Hopefully we'll stimulate the camera men to have the camera on more than it is off this week in the re-match. Hi-lights in this 3 minute 34 seconds video are Phil's inch perfect through ball to Sam and Barry's distal phalanges deflecting the ball around the post.

Accies v Ladywell, 21st July 2011

2011-08-03T20:51:00.002+01:00

See the hi-lights from the game v Ladywell including great long shots (sadly mostly by the opposition), a crashing free kick, tough tackles, midfield skill, a crimson sunset and musing on the Accies system as well as how it's all Thatcher's fault by clicking here

Last week's game and ........a few thoughts.

2011-08-01T20:51:00.000+01:00

I'm sure we are all frustrated and disappointed with our current run of loses! I thought last week, in the second half in particular, we performed pretty well, and in the game overall were unlucky to lose 3-0. There were some good performances all over the pitch. Off the top of my head a few people stood out. In no particular order they were Luis, Baz, Lee, Greg, Perre (particularly in the second half) and my personal Man of The Match, Neill. The next question is,'How do we get out of our current poor run'? Fortunately I genuinely believe the answer, or rather answers, are fairly simple.
Firstly, and probably obviously, we've all got to keep positive and encourage each other, even when things are not going our way. Fortunately, in my opinion our team spirit is still good, so this is not too much of a worry. Of more concern, and something, that if we can sort it out, will go a long way to solving the problem of our recent bad run, is the inability of some players to take one or two touches and then play the ball simply. I mention this every week in our pre-match team talk and its crucial we do this if we are going to play good football and get the kind of results we all want. I can't stress enough that all of the squad need to commit to this way of playing. People releasing the ball after five, six, seven touches is, in my opinion, just selfish football and it has to stop. It's 'park ' football and surely we should all be striving to play in a better way.
Hand in hand with football based around quick, simple passing is the need for intelligent movement from all of our players. Hence, if you are close to the man with the ball it's important you continue to stay close and look for space. This may mean, on occasions, going further behind the player with the ball. The main thing is not to stand still or call for the ball in an area when you are not really offering an valid option. With the Dutch game just around the corner it's important we all think carefully about these issues. I should stress that I'm more than aware I don't get everything right with respect to the Accies, but this way of playing is the way forward for us. When we get it right it gives us a good chance of being successful and it's also, in my opinion, an enjoyable way of playing. With the players we have I'm certain, when we are all trying to play together in the right way, we can get back to winning ways. We are all good enough so let's start showing it.
Finally I'm sure most of you are aware that we no longer have a regular goalkeeper. I'm grateful to Barry, Dave, Phil, Lee and Neill for all helping out recently but I think we need to find somebody who wants to play in this position week in week out. With this in mind I'd like to give a non-Accie a few games, starting from this week. Unfortunately there is a problem with doing this. We will be over-subscribed yet again this week, (and probably for the foreseeable future), so any trialist who gets a game will pretty much always be playing at the expense of a fully paid up Accies member. Therefore I think it's only fair that I canvas the views of all of our players before making a decision. My email is anaxagoras484@yahoo.com and my mobile number is 07828950790. If everyone could let me know their feelings on this it would be much appreciated, ideally before Thursday. It doesn't have to be anything comprehensive, a 'yes' or 'no' will suffice. After all we all pay our money to be part of the club and play football, so I think it's important everyone has some kind of say in this matter. Anyway, I look forward to hearing from everyone and, for those who have already confirmed, I'll see you Thursday.

Up the Accies.

More Accies magic on Youtube

2011-07-29T01:57:00.003+01:00

Here is the link for the latest video from the game v TPS, 2-4 on 14th July 2011.

2-4 v TPS, 14th July 2011

He May Be AWOL From The Accies...etc...

2011-07-26T12:06:00.003+01:00

Vice Vice Baby

2011-07-12T13:59:00.002+01:00

Apologies for taking so long to post this, but belatedly I should announce that Barry Gardener has stepped down from his role as our 11-a-side Vice Captain. So the position is currently vacant – should anyone wish to have a crack at the role, which essentially entails supporting Thorny in his duties, and occasionally wearing the armband on pitch, then let me (Stuart) or Thorny know. Thanks – and thank you to Barry for his six months as VC.

Last week's game: work in progress

2011-07-11T14:04:00.002+01:00

From the desk of Mr Andrew Thornes:

It's always disappointing to lose, although there were lots of plusses from last Thursday's game. I really don't think 4-0 was an accurate reflection of the game, for, with a little luck, and better finishing, we could easily have got something out of the game. Considering we were playing in a new formation for the first time I thought we all did exceptional well, particularly in the second half, when some of the football we played was very easy on the eye and pretty penetrative. I thought lots of players stood out - Luis, Barry and Phil C immediately spring to mind, but there were others - and it was great to see everybody applying themselves in an effort to get to grips with our new way of playing. I hope we can keep this level of intensity up over the next few weeks, as it's a system that I think, given the personnel we have, could work very well for us. Only time will tell I guess.

On a personal level I was very happy to see Joe finally get back on the pitch after an extended period out with a pretty serious injury. I might be wrong but I think next week will be the first time in a very long time that we will have nobody lounging around on the proverbial 'treatment table' . Long may that continue, even if it means greater selection headaches!

Another piece of team news, which some of you may not be aware of: Lee has decided to hang up his keepers gloves and no longer wishes to be thought of as the Accies main man between the sticks. This will impact the club in at least two ways, both of which I think will be positive. Firstly, until we get another regular keeper the job will be shared out between a pool of players. Several players have already volunteered to take a turn in goal, which is much appreciated. For the time being I'll therefore be picking the keeper on a week by week basis, always giving the lucky/unlucky player as much notice as possible. I think not having a regular keeper will make our squad more adaptable and give everyone a better perspective on the job other players do for the team, which is never a bad thing.

The second consequence of this change will be to intensify the competition for places, particularly in the defence, as I'm certain Lee will be as much of an asset on the field as he has been in goal. I therefore expect his presence to raise the levels of all the players around him and, with luck, have a knock-on effect throughout the whole team.

All of these changes I think are pretty exciting, and will, at the very least, shake things up a little. They will also give us all a new set of challenges at a time when maybe some of our play has become a little stale and predictable. It must be stressed that our play should continue to centre around quick, short passing; informative, concise communication and a well-organised 'default' defensive postion. Therefore, if we stay focused and remain patient, mainly so that the new formation has a chance to bed in, I think interesting times lay ahead for the Accies, not least with the fast approaching Anglo-Dutch encounter. Anyway I'm always happy to discuss any ideas which might improve the Accies - so long as it doesn't start with the phrase: "You should retire!!!!" - so please feel free to speak to me, preferably after the game.

Up The Accies!!!!!!

YouTube link for the game on 23rd June 2011

2011-07-01T00:44:00.003+01:00

Click here!

YouTube link for the game on 2nd June 2011

2011-07-01T00:34:00.004+01:00

Click here!

Accies v Atkins/West Wickham musicians at Crystal Palace 23rd June 2011

2011-06-29T22:33:00.001+01:00

And the video from 23rd June 2011 at Crystal Palace v Atkins/West Wickham musicians.

Accies v West Wickham musicians at Dulwich 2nd June 2011

2011-06-29T21:52:00.002+01:00

Here's the video from the game v West Wickham musicians on the 2nd June 2011.

Insert Joke About "Offensive Tackle" Here

2011-06-25T12:56:00.002+01:00

Old Hill Wanderers Reserves vs Swinburne Reserves in Melbourne, Australia. Wanderers player Aaron Eccleston, formerly resident of Macclesfield in the UK, is sent off for refusing to remove his genital piercing. The referee takes him off for a look at the crown jewels before brandishing a red card. I don't actually know whether any Effra players have any such adornments, but Andrew Dade will be checking you all before our next fixture…

Tips For Thorny's Next Half-Time Team Talk

2011-06-23T13:23:00.003+01:00

Many of you will have seen this before, but it bears repeated viewing! Warning: the audio is not office friendly! Then Leyton Orient manager John Sitton displays a mastery of man management - does anyone know how they got on in the second half?!

Old Name, New Team

2011-06-20T21:33:00.002+01:00

In case anyone thinks they recognise the name of this Thursday's opposition, I should clarify that Atkins FC has no connection other than the name to Atkins Rail. The Railwaymen are one of a few teams over the years who we've elected not to play any more. Atkins FC are simply named after Atkins Road, apparently. Pure coincidence. They might feature some familiar faces from West Wickham Musicians and apparently they recently played Dolphin Riders on the Bar Pitch, in a match which finished 4-3, although I don't know which team prevailed.

So a sort of new opposition this week, and I owe a debt of gratitude to West Wickham Musicians' gaffer Hugh, who made a few phone calls to help make sure the Accies had a match this week. Beyond the call of duty and I propose the next time we play WWM, either we give them a discount on the match fee or the club buys Hugh and his old mates a post-match beer each. Any objections?

In other oppo news, you may remember that last summer we played against The Queen Vic, a pub team based on the coast of Kent who include an ex-schoolmate of mine, Danny Rhodes. They beat us 4-0 – I remember it as a closer game than the scoreline suggests but they took their chances very well. I've taken the liberty of scheduling another match against them, a pre-season friendly for them, which will actually be our last match before playing the Dutch in Rotterdam. I reckon it'll be a proper workout against a well organised side, a good test ahead of the Dutch.

Up the Accies!

Goal Line Technology

2011-06-19T00:21:00.002+01:00

I've checked out the video footage of Yusuf's controversial goal 9 days ago.

Bilal watched it 4 times and was fairly sure that it wasn't a goal. - he texted me to say we should offer to chalk the goal off. I watched it and i was 95% sure it wasn't a goal either. Then i slowed it down. To my surprise you can clearly see the ball hit the back of the net and bounce out. It was a goal. 100%*.

Big thanks to Thorney for his sportsmanship on the day for trusting the Southside player's word.

(*video clip available on request)

By the way - great performance this Thursday. Thoroughly enjoyable game vs a decent Crown Agents side.

Penalty taker distraught; keeper jubilant… and yet…

2011-06-11T08:46:00.003+01:00

The slow motion replay of this penalty kick is almost, ALMOST unbelievable... If you haven't already seen this, you will love it. I'm told it's in a playoff final for the Italian Serie D or some such:

From The Archives

2011-06-10T10:07:00.003+01:00

If you score the club's first ever 5-a-side hat-trick, which also happen to be your first, second and third ever goals for the team, what better way to mark that achievement than by printing out the intheteam.com news report and sticking it inside a notebook?! Love this jpeg, courtesy of Mr Patterson:

Last week's game… and a new formation

2011-06-07T10:28:00.002+01:00

From Mr Thornes:

Firstly, to score six goals for the second week on the trot is no mean feat, so well done. Secondly its nice to get a couple of consecutive wins. Although i'm not really a fan of naming names i did think several players stood out for me. Luis was excellent, especially during the last twenty five minutes of the second half. Barry had a superb second half, looking back to somewhere near his best after a relatively quiet period. Greg had a particularly effective first half, poaching two real strikers goals. Sam capped off an excellent personal week with the goal of the game- a crisp volley into the roof of the net after a Zicoesque aerial flick from Neill. My choice for Man of the Match though, was Dave. Apart from one pass that went astray early in the second half I thought he didn't put a foot wrong. All night he either won the ball, or received it, and then quickly played a short, incisive pass to a team mate. It's exactly how I would like us all to play.

Anyway, along with all the good stuff there was also, unfortunately, lots that should give us cause for concern. The first fifteen minutes of the second half were really poor. We totally stopped passing and moving, against a team that, in reality, were beaten. Our lack of composure and a sense of panic gave such encouragement to the opposition that they could, and probably should, won .With better application, a couple of special bits of skill and a fair amount of luck, we rallied to score three quick goals. Against better teams we will not be able to get out of jail so easily!

Our problems were caused, in my opinion, by two basic failures that it seems we just can't prevent creeping into the Accies general play. The first is that players are still taking too many touches on the ball. It's pretty simple really- if you are taking more than three touches on the ball it's frankly too many. Play it simple and quickly, and then either look to get it back immediately, or make a run which will open up space for someone else. It's so infuriating simple. When we don't do it it makes the game so difficult.

The second is, in essence related, to the first. It's the seemingly pathological desire we have to hit long, low tariff, 'Hollywood' balls. They almost never come off and usually only succeed in giving the ball back to the opposition. It's really something we have to stop doing as a team. It's high risk, distupts the pattern and structure of the team -as it stops us moving the ball up the pitch in small compact units- and shows a real lack of patience and composure. As I said at half time last week, if we keep the football results will take care of themselves. It may sound strange but we shouldn't be concentrating solely on winning, but rather on keeping the football and playing as a team. I feel sure if we all give this some thought before games we can develop improve dramatically.

On a final, and more positive note, in the next couple of weeks we are going to attempt to implement a new formation for the Accies. It has to be said, I normally don't believe in making football any more complex than it needs to be, and hence am not usually keen on tinkering with formations. Such a change of thinking has come about for two reasons. Firstly, 4-4-2 almost certainly isn't an option when we play the Dutch, as they always play 3-5-2, which leaves our midfield exposed and overrun. Secondly, we really need a plan B, as its too rigid for us to always rely on 4-4-2, particulrly if things are not working out. We are going to try and learn to play 4-2-3-1, which isn't anywhere near as complex as it sounds. I'm going to be sending an email out in the next few days explaining how I foresee this system working, and we will probably give it a first run out on the 16th. If anyone wants to chat to me about this, or anything else for that matter, I'll be a round after the game this Thursday. Otherwise here's looking forward to a great game this week against a team I don't think we have had the pleasure of playing before.

Up The Accies.

Forza Ladywell - New Friends Of Accies!

2011-05-27T17:15:00.003+01:00

This isn't a match report - my ability to recall any football match I've played in is appalling. This is instead just a few words about why we should all take a moment to reflect on the utter brilliance of life in The Accies.

It was a great game last night. OK, a bonus that the Accies won - but plenty of work to do on defending corners I think.

For me the night was a bit unusual - a bit special even, as a few things happened that haven't really happened before.

Already in a great mood having seen the rain stop and the sun come out and having turned up really early and being the only Accie to do so, I bumped in to a large group of lads clearly there for a game of football. I said hi, asked if they were playing us and straight away was chatting away to a really nice, friendly bunch of lads. Ladywell FC.

They were genuinely interested in the history of the club - and if anyone ever wondered what my role as "club figurehead" ever meant I actually did - then rest assured that this team's first impression of the club was one you can be proud of.

We talked about their jaunts over to Belgium to play a team out there - about how welcoming and accommodating their Belgian hosts were. The similarities were clear to see, as I talked through the Rotterdam connection and the more recent Spain connection.

You could see us all already setting the thoughts in motion of some kind of European tournament involving all teams...

I've heard that during the game there was friendly banter. A welcome addition to the Accies oppo list has clearly been found. Even with some iffy Accies challenges and one yellow card for Barry, they did not lose their temper or complain. I only once heard "come on lads, this is meant to be a friendly". I have heard about clashes between players ending in each player asking if the other was OK.

Later on, the few Accies that went to the pub and it was great to see the entire Ladywell team in there also having a beer. More friendly banter ensued in the pub.

A great bunch of lads - a similar team to the Accies that we should look forward to playing again soon, both on the Dulwich Astro and on the grass at Palace.

Finally - having supped a couple in the pub after the game, Accies No.3 Stuart Dade and I arrived at West Dulwich train station slightly early thanks to a lift by the scorer of one of Ladywell's fine corners, Neill Robertshaw.

With 10 mins to spare until the our trains were due to leave I spotted a small bar through the glass doors of the Indian restaurant at the station. We popped in, explained we weren't eating and had about 5 mins before our trains left but asked if we could just have a pint. No problem! So, a fine night capped off with an unexpected cool pint of Cobra!

Stu is already cooking up a plan to pre-order and have a curry in there one Thursday night after the game - maybe after our final game on the Astro...? I'm in!

Anyway, there you have it.

Not a match report but a quick blog on how I am feeling right now. Proud to be an Accie and chuffed to have met another bunch of like minded lads who I suspect will soon become regular opposition.

Oh, and also pretty pleased to have seen us put a losing run behind us in style. As my facebook status says right now:

"Andrew Dade is a ten goal thriller six-four winner!"

Up The Accies!

Remind me, where is this Dulwich College pitch?

2011-05-16T12:04:00.005+01:00

So we're back at Dulwich and as the pitch is book from 7pm-9pm, it's vital that we're warmed up and ready to kick off at 7.30pm on the dot. If you need a reminder of where it is (Dulwich College Sports Club, Pond Cottages, Dulwich SE21 7LD - 020 8299 9292), have a look here and/or see this handy map (we play on "ASTRO 1 FLOODLIT):

Now all we need is a nearby pub!

He may be AWOL from the Accies*, but at least he's still practising those sitting in a dark room supping lager skills.

2011-05-12T17:57:00.000+01:00

*OK, so not actually "AWOL" any more. And he did come down to Palace the other day to watch...Still - always good to keep up to speed on his activities.

This just in: Barry G to swap squad numbers with Spuds?

2011-05-05T14:54:00.001+01:00

Accies number 21 Steve Spurdens is easily our most yellow-carded player, so according to the below Opta stat I spotted on Twitter just now, he should take Bazza's number 5 shirt for his own - especially as, to my recollection, Barry has never been booked while playing for the Accies…

OptaJoe Opta Sports

5 - The squad number that has picked up the most yellow cards in the PL this season is number 5 (73), ahead of 4 (67) & 6 (64). Trend.

O(M)G

2011-04-26T10:10:00.002+01:00

Thanks to Simon for pointing out this own goal, which is definitely worse than my one in the game before last! And also worse than the one scored by a West Wickham Musician in the last match, which goal Bobby will be disappointed to hear was taken off him by the Dubious Goals Panel… Anyway, enjoy this wonder strike:

When the Accies win a cup, we treat it more carefully than Real Madrid…

2011-04-21T14:07:00.003+01:00

Last night's Copa Del Rey win - The Guardian website went with the terrific headline "their cup runneth over"…! There's some good footage here too.

Win Vs Southside XI

2011-04-15T13:47:00.004+01:00

Thanks for the match last night. Good to see the Accies returning to form. I probably shouldn't have rested 6 first team players but I need them fresh for the big Southside vs Dynamo Kebab clash on Monday night.

I'll remind our LB of the stats, Dave - and I've told Scott about Steve's bet that Scott won't score next game against Effra - apparently Greg and Neill R have 'worked Scott out'.

I'm away for a couple of weeks but i'll be back on 5th May for the match against.... erm.. Southside.

See you then.

Optabulous

2011-04-15T10:02:00.002+01:00

Statattack: with his hat trick last night, less than a third of the way through 2011, this is now already Perre's most potent year in front of goal. He now has a quarter of a century of 11-a-side goals, having scored twice in 2008, 6 times in 2009, 7 times in 2010 and 10 times already this year. As Simon pointed out on the way to Palace last night, Gary White's record of 26 goals in one calendar year is a realistic target for both Perre and Sam, with Perre's three-goal haul obviously boosting his chances of breaking that record…

Win Vs Southside

2011-04-15T09:01:00.004+01:00

Great result last night, fellas. Someone remind their left-back of the score and overall head-to-head record.

Keep the home fires burning

2011-04-14T06:49:00.004+01:00

Having clocked up another month in exile, I'm beginning to really miss the football culture and all that goes with the Thursday evening at Crystal Palace stadium. There are three things that keep my spirits up:

1) The Accies blog -- its great to read about the team - more match reports please. Seeing poor Joe's ankle sprain made me wince, but, hey, why not play in goal...?

2) ...Spurs 'progress'... it seems that they need another pair of safe hands. I do love 'Arry's we can do it '0-4 from the first leg' attitude.

szólj hozzá: T0-1R

3) I've joined a local team so more news when the first game KO. Last week's game was called off due to rain. I told them I was a centre-forward.

Wolfie.

And you thought Sam's penalty was good!

2011-04-09T10:09:00.003+01:00

Well, actually I thought Sam's penalty was one of the best penalties I've ever seen. Let's face it - he SMASHED it into the top of the net. The confidence to hit it that hard and keep it on target was fantastic. Especially as their keeper is decent.

So, yep - a great pen for Sam (which we dedicate to crocked penalty taker Joe Sene), but I think you've been slightly outdone by this one Sam!

2011-04-06T14:03:00.003+01:00

One of the Southside lads filmed a bit of last week's game. Here's one of the Effra goals.

For the sake of editorial balance, click here for a link to the Southside Blog where you'll find one of the Southside goals. Hope to see you all in the next couple of weeks.

"Sorry Harry, but I'm unavailable for tonight's game"

2011-04-05T13:00:00.002+01:00

So this is what a sprained ankle looks like kids!

Rotterdam 2011: Date Confirmed! Spain 2011: Date Unconfirmed!

2011-04-02T14:53:00.003+01:00

We will be playing the away leg of the Anglo-Dutch Cup on Saturday 3 September, so if necessary I would advise you to book Friday 2 September off work! Meanwhile, we will hopefully be playing in Spain on Saturday 22 October - to be confirmed.

It remains to be seen when the home leg vs the Dutch will take place – summer or winter is about as much as I can narrow it down right now. Watch this space…

148 Career Accies Goals Between Them

2011-03-23T22:22:00.006Z

This week I finally got round to presenting ex-Accies strikers Graham Dietz and Oscar Patterson with commemorative Effra shirts featuring their names and former squad numbers. The shirts were purchased way back when, in preparation for one of the aborted 10th anniversary events. Both gents were proper chuffed (as you can see from the photo) to have their very own Accies replica tops, a reminder of the days when they regularly banged them in during 5-a-side and 11-a-side matches. They each managed 74 goals in the various disciplines, totals that were only recently overtaken by Joe Sene, now on 76 career Accies goals. It remains to be seen whether Gza or Osc will ever get goals number 75…

Last week's game… and a step forward

2011-03-23T12:52:00.002Z

Your Captain Speaks:

A much improved performance by everyone on Thursday. It was great to see such a positive response. A few highlights worth a mention. Firstly, Joe's excellent goal, apparently with his wrong foot. Secondly, Barry and Greg put in another solid performance at the back, which, allied to a resurgent Phil A, mocked the fact that we conceded four goals- dont even get me started on the ref ! I also thought our industry and desire all over the pitch was hugely improved from last week, and we were very unlucky not to get something out of the game against yet another team who were quite clearly, man-for-man, significantly younger and fitter. I hope we can carry this on for the next few games, as they are going to provide a very stiff series of tests.

First up is Sam's Saturday team, which we know is always a tough challenge, although I do feel we might be able to spring a surprise and get something out of the game. Next is another game against Southside. We know what to expect here, and after the last defeat we inflicted on them, I'm sure they will be very focused. We need to be equally determined and remember that there are no easy games, no games where we can afford to be complacent, especially as we have lost one-nil to the two poorest teams we have played this year. Anyway good stuff from last week and lets keep up our levels of effort and intensity.

Up the Accies.

Oh, and a quick apology for the third goal we conceded Thursday. I was totally at fault, giving Tremayne a badly underhit pass that put the back four under pressure and lead directly to the goal ! Sorry !

[Editor's postscript: collective responsibility for goals conceded, Thorny! Besides, I was culpable in letting the goalscorer give me the slip and make too much space for himself in our penalty area, so you definitely can't take total responsibility!]

Do you do extras, Luis?

2011-03-19T18:51:00.002Z

Two posts in a row referencing the Accies number 6, blimey. I recently took possession of a bundle of Accies photos and videos spanning the past two years or so and I'll bung stuff up from time to time to keep myself and whoever else is paying attention amused. This video stands out from the crowd – Luis giving Luke some late-night TLC in Rotterdam in 2010…

It happens to the best of us, eh Mr Sandoval?

2011-03-18T19:01:00.004Z

This hilarious clip of Balotelli vs bib reminds me of Luis on a 5-a-side night long ago, having a similar struggle with the garment... Hope this doesn't cause unpleasant flashbacks, Luis!

When Losing Doesn't Feel So Bad

2011-03-18T13:05:00.006Z

We lost by one goal last Thursday and we lost by two goals last night. But last night's defeat was much easier to swallow than the 1-0 vs Tremayne's mates and the mood after the game and in the pub was virtually indistinguishable from if we’d have won 3-0. Why? Because last night we played like a team, we pulled together exactly as we needed to and tried hard to play the game the way we want to play it. We all seemed to want the ball, we all tried to to do the right things on and off the ball. We all tried harder, but in a more focused, working-as-a-team way, rather than toiling in vain as 11 individuals who happened to be on the same pitch, as happened at times last week.

It wasn’t a perfect performance, of course, far from it – we gifted them a couple of their goals, which made the difference between getting a result and losing. And there were times when we didn’t get close enough to each other to make the short passing game easier, and times as per usual when our short passing was below par. But it was an improvement from the previous week and the feelgood factor was in evidence. There are few more enjoyable things than seeing a well-executed Accies attack, two or three passes, maybe a one-two, some excellent decision making leading to a chance or a half-chance. From my left-back berth I often get a terrific view of these flowing moves (and on rare occasions I’m even involved in them!) and it really is a pleasure to watch. We all love playing football together and when we get it right, it feels amazing, collectively.

No one likes losing, but if we have to lose matches, last night was the way to do it. Hopefully we can improve again next week against Sam’s team and get a result. Stick together, listen to what Thorny says and try our level best not to forget everything we ever learned about football as soon as we cross the white line! Every time we’re together on the pitch we must try to do the right things and help each other from whistle to whistle.

We’re finally playing regularly against teams at a similar level of competence to ourselves, which is giving us the chance to enjoy our football more than ever before. Long may that continue. And if you'd offered me "goals scored: 24, goals conceded: 21" after 11 games, I'd have snapped your hand off. Up the Accies!

Last week's game… and a few steps backwards

2011-03-15T15:34:00.002Z

Posting on behalf of Captain Andrew Thornes. Usually I get a chance to tidy up/edit Andy's posts but no such luck on this occasion, so this is straight from our leader's mind!

I would hope everybody invovlved with last weeks game was as disappointed as I was, both with the result and the performance. Before getting into some of the issues raised by the game i would like to single a few players out for praise. Firstly, I thought Barry's willingness to go in goal and sacrifice himself for the team shouldn't go unheralded. He made several key blocks and saves and i thought it was typically unselfish of him to offer to go in goal bearing in mind the difficulties he had during his last outing between the sticks. Great character ! Many will point to his mistake on the goal but its worth pointing out that we should have score six or seven, which would have made the goal irrelevant. Secondly, and for the fourth or fifth week in a row, I thought Greg was excellent , both defensively and with his distribution out of defence. I also thought both Steve and Joe spent the evening trying to do all the right things, often being undermined by play that didn't buy into our game plan of 'pass and move'. This brings me rather neatly onto the issue of our game plan, or rather, our seeming lack of it.

Since taking over the role of nominal coach I have tried to keep things simple and slowly introduce three basic principles that will make us a much more effective team, hopefully also giving us better results and greater enjoyment. In case anybody is in any doubt as to what these are I am going to briefly outline them again.

The first thing that I thought needed to be put right was our communication on the field. By and large, and with the exception of the last few weeks, I have felt we have made great, positive strides forward in this area. Our talking is simple, constructive and for the most part effective, giving us the right platform to play decent, attacking football. On Thursday we appeared to forget the lessons we have fought hard to learn. Our talking was poor and most of its was negative, as we either bickered or criticised our own team mates or, as the game wore on, the oppostion. This is something we have to sort out immediately. Fortunately it's very simple to do, especially as we have been so much better in this regard for most of the year.

I then tried to introduce us to simple 'pass and move' football, rather than the incoherent 'kick and rush', 'park' football that had apparently become our default style, Neill and Simon's efforts not withstanding. At times this year we have employed this method with devastating effects. The last few weeks has seen a depressingly familar selfishness creeping back into our play, which culminated in our abject performance on Thursday. We need to be very clear that if players want to take eight or nine touches, refuse an easy pass or not stick to the position you have been asked to play it will be a long, cold evening on the bench. I can promise this is not an idle threat, as I am deeply committed to being fair to everyone in the club and this type of play brings down the level of the whole team for the cause of greedy, selfish individualism. The game is really simple- find space, receive the ball, control it, look up, pass the ball and move into space again. We may not win every game playing like this, as there are always players and teams more skillful, physically fitter or better organised, but we will be A TEAM ! I am not prepared to see a majority of hardworking, talented footballers made to seem like 'mugs' against far inferior opposition again. Anyway, the positive side of all this is that I truly believe everyone in the squad is crucial and can make a valuable contribution to the team, so we all start with a blank slate this week and hopefully a clear idea in our heads of how we can all improve.

The third change in the Accies overall approach to the game i have tried to introduce is to make us more compact, and therefore harder to break down defensively. This we have tried to do by dropping into a default postion of two banks of four situated in our own half, with two strikers hovering around the half way line once we lose possession. On Thursday this was not really an issue, as the opposition really didn't have any meaningful attempts on goal except for Tremayne's speculative, miss-hit cross ! This aspect of the game becomes very easy to implement if communication and a 'pass and move' attitude are in place, so i wont dwell on this element of Thursday's game.

Anyway, there we have it. By Thursday the cartoon steam will have hopefully stopped rushing from my ears and we can get back to playing real, committed football. For myself i can't wait for Thursday to come round and get last weeks horror show out of my system. So let's be positive, as we have played some great stuff this year. We just need to get back to the mentality we had in December, January and most of February. Turn up, enjoy seeing friends old and new, play as a team, giving everything for each other on the field and then, possibly, a beer or two afterwards in good company. Maybe I am a bit simple but that seems to me like a recipe for enjoyment..............

Up the Accies.

Shame Game

2011-03-11T11:45:00.002Z

Disappointing result and disappointing performance if all aspects taken into consideration, last night's game undermined some the superb progress we had made since the turn of the year.

After several good performances, some while under pressure, we came undone at the seams last night in a game we were warned by Thorney not to take for granted. Players were guilty of over playing all over the park and the quick incisive passing that has become a feature of our play was inexplicably missing in action.

This is not to say that the result was beyond our control as we were also guilty of missing several oppurtunities to score none more so than myself early in first half when played through by Sam. We were undone by a speculative cross-shot by Tremayne which caught Barry out after it finally left orbit and fell to earth....

Hopefully this defeat will concentrate the efforts of everyone to return to playing the way we know we can as a team for each other

Up the Accies!

It Will Find You Wherever You Hide.......

2011-03-10T10:45:00.002Z

Poor old Graeme, moves to the other side of the planet and yet cannot escape the curse of the Accies left backs.......seems Stuart's power know no bounds when dictating when and where the curse will strike and lets face it Wolfie's no threat while in Oz is he?????..........Let him be Big Daddy Bear he's suffered enough!!

It only takes 1,204,200 seconds to score a goal*

2011-02-19T07:43:00.004Z

*If your name is Stuart Dade, that is. This chart shows the goals-per-outfield games ratios for anyone who's played 5 or more times for the Accies. (Top of the actual chart is John Lizou, who scored 5 goals in 1 match - actually in half a match, but I digress…) The reason these figures have never been available before is I had to discount the 282 (so far) goalkeeping appearances, which skew the scoring stats of Dave Rudd, Phil Caldwell and Neill Robertshaw to name but three. For example, Dave's games-per-goal without taking into consideration his 29 matches as keeper would be 7.782609, but factor those in and the stat changes to 6.52173913. Still awake? The chart obviously takes no consideration of minutes on the pitch or, say, time spent stuck at Centre Back rather than as Striker.

One for the Spurs fans among the squad…

2011-02-18T12:33:00.002Z

Apparently this is footage of an Italian version of Sky Sports' Gillette Soccer Special. We get the likes of Paul Merson and Phil Thompson watching our matches; Italian viewers get a man apparently on the edge of a nervous breakdown. The reaction of the Italian version of Jeff Stelling is a delight. Go straight to 4 mins 40 secs for maximum fun.

More Stats That Prove Very Little But Do Seem To Be Taking My Mind Off The Pain

2011-02-18T12:11:00.004Z

Goal difference after ten 11-a-side matches per calendar year:

2002: -16

2003: -6

2004: -22

2005: -3

2006: -26

2007: 0

2008: -3

2009: -25

2010: -10

2011: TBC

"Interestingly", after 7 games in 2008 our goal difference was +12, but we promptly lost the next fixture 11-1 and balance was restored to the universe. We're currently on +8 after 7 games in 2011. Defending from the front: gotta love it.

Particularly Violent Statattack

2011-02-18T11:41:00.007Z

In my defence, I am heinously ill and massively sleep-deprived.

Brisbane times and other football related stuff

2011-02-12T03:36:00.005Z

Report #1
Its just over six weeks since I left the green and pleasant land and set foot on red Queensland soil. Its just as long since I even kicked a ball or watched a footy game. This is the first of my international reports for the Accies blog.

Floods and cyclones
Sod's law - we arrived in time to be evacuated from our house as the suburb we stayed in bore the brunt of the floods that blighted the state. We waded through water, were temporarily cut off on an island surrounded by drain water, and scaled a railroad track to escape. On return, the local shopping mall, including two liquor outlets, had been destroyed, with no date set for their reopening. I persuaded my wife and son to leave for higher ground [and beer].

I want to set the record straight. Contrary to reports on the BBC News website, there were no sharks swimming the flooded streets, but there were snakes, spiders [large] and lizards - not to mention other insect like things that seemed to move rather too fast.

No football
Most of the inner city sports fields were flooded by the waters. Apparently football is the most played sport in Australia - though not the most watched, if you get what I mean. The local team are called Brisbane Roar - and they play in the colours of Blackpool crossed with Hull. Lets hope they are better....hmmm...me thinks not.

Don't mention cricket
I was under strict orders not to mention cricket. But the cab driver who picked us up from the airport insisted on driving us past the Gabba. I politely said that the Aussies were unlucky in their quest to regain the Ashes - I tried to explain helpfully that it was a similar tale with England's bid to win the Football World Cup - such victory was based on the mistaken assumption that the team were any good in the first place. Oh dear. And on abandoning our house with the flood waters looming, a local said:'this year is a disaster: first we lose the Ashes; then we lose our house.' After he told me he was leaving to the evacuation centre, I consoled him by saying: 'Lets hope its not as bad as Katrina!'....Doh!

Don't insult the locals
Fell out with a few locals when I stupidly said that you would have to pay me to drink Castlemaine 4X -- the local brewery is iconic and when it was surrounded with flood water -- the company announced they had taken precautions and shipping millions of bottles to higher ground. Great if you like river water with a fizz [at 2.5% alcohol it rivals CBLabel for breaking trade description laws ]

They do things differently here
We've been told this is Queensland - much like Yorkshire. But people here have a knowledge of where Crystal Palace, Peckham and Brixton are in London. Where is Yorkshire?

They do things differently in Tottenham
Of course, I miss football. Wearing my WHUFC shirt around the city - with toots of horns and admiring looks from Latin Americans [no doubt because the Boleyn Ground is where Carlos Tevez learnt to play football], I miss the rivalries and the banter of the post-match drink, though I'll review missing the Paxton Arms. So I couldn't resist including an image of Tottenham's last ditch [failed] attempt to get the Olympic Stadium.

G'day to you all! Wolfie.

Last week's game… and a little progress

2011-01-27T17:29:00.004Z

Once again posting on behalf of El Capitan:

Another win last week, with several excellent performances, particularly in the first half. We looked a lot more compact and difficult to break down when we didn't knock it long, which unfortunately we did revert to a little in the second half. For those of you who are unsure, the point about playing quick balls into feet is that not only will it make us more effective going forward, it will also make us more solid defensively. For example, when we play the ball short and it gets lost, for whatever reason, our formation is not compromised and disrupted as players are scattered all over the pitch chasing after a speculative ball. We will then be much more difficult to break down as we will be still relatively compact, with our midfield and defence in two close lines of four. This is essentially why I wish us to play this way, and, I have to say, the signs are encouraging. I'm certain the more we do this the more comfortable everybody will become in this system, and that ultimately it will make us a much better team.

Another encouraging sign is that quite a few players are adapting to several positions during the course of a game, although with the type of football we are aiming to play this really shouldn't be a problem. Therefore you may get asked to play in a position you feel unfamilar or uncomfortable with. I can guarantee I will only ever do this if I feel it is in the interests of the squad/team. Most people seem happy to play wherever they are asked, but if you do have any positional issues I am always available to discuss them. Or anything else for that matter.

Finally, after three wins it's probably worth mentioning the issue of complacency. It's vital that we look to improve in every game, both individually and as a team. Sometimes it can be helpful to set yourself particular targets during the course of a game. One that iI find quite useful is to try to focus on not giving the ball away as many times as I did the previous week - OK, I don't always manage it, before anybody says anything! Anyway, rather than basking in the glow of the previous week's success we do need to keep focused on the game in front of us. Personally I'm convinced we can improve our levels dramatically in the coming months. Looking at some of our upcoming fixtures I suspect we will need to do this! Anyway, a very positive start to the year with some pretty impressive football being played. More to come I hope, so let's maintain the positive collective spirit we seem to be tapping into, keep winning games and continue to have fun.

Up the Accies.

The Accies, a relationship saver!

2011-01-20T18:16:00.003Z

According to researchers, couples argue 312 times a year - "with a Thursday evening the most likely time for a row to develop." Furthermore, they even say it's most likely around 8pm - when we're all on a football pitch - unless your name is Perre obviously!

So next time your partner moans that you spend more time playing footy for The Accies than you do lavishing on them, point them in this direction...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1348308/Couples-argue-312-year-likely-8pm-10-minutes.html

Selhurts II...

2011-01-20T18:12:00.002Z

Another new development regarding our spiritual home...

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11688_6681161,00.html

Selhurts…

2011-01-17T21:15:00.003Z

As it says here, Crystal Palace FC are planning to leave Selhurst Park and relocate to the athletics stadium that we currently call 'home'. Clearly us Accies will be keen to learn what timetable of the redevelopment of our theatre of dreams will be – a lengthy one, hopefully, because I don't fancy us being homeless!

All we can do for now is enjoy every game we play on our beloved grass pitch as though it were our last, wring every drop of enjoyment out of the venue and make sure that when our final pitch booking does arrive, we can say we truly appreciated what we had before it was gone.

And at least Barry will be able to take his children and grandchildren to Palace matches in years to come and say: "Of course, you know I used to play here myself in my younger days…"

Message From Your Club Secretary

2011-01-13T17:05:00.002Z

All,

The minutes have been sent out by email. If you haven't received them and want a copy, please let me know.

Cheers,

Andrew.

News from Brisbane

2011-01-12T12:43:00.004Z

From Accie-in-exile Graeme Were:

"We evaculated this morning at 6am when I heard the siren in my sleep - the house was lost to the flood waters... we climbed the hill and met colleagues and staying with them on higher ground....power cuts, deluge etc.more soon, its a disaster zone,"

Last Week And The New Year!

2011-01-11T13:43:00.002Z

Posting on behalf of Captain Thornes:

Firstly, I am flattered and honoured that the club wants me to carry on picking the team in the role that I had last year. It's not something i take lightly and I can guarantee I will do my best to make this a successful year on the pitch for the Accies. I thought last week's game was a great start, as we played the kind of simple, pass-and-move football that we have been striving towards for a while. Having managed to do it once I hope this gives us the confidence to keep playing this way for the rest of the year. We might not win every game if we do, but I feel sure we will enjoy our football much more this way than any other style we might adopt.

As i said in the dressing room after the game last week, to single anybody out as Man Of The Match wouldn't be right, given everybody played a significant part in a great performance. As many of you might have noticed I am not a great fan of Man Of The Match awards generally. They encourage individualism in a game where a strong collective spirit is crucial. MOTM awards are also a very subjective decision and usually ignore some of the less eye-catching, but equally important efforts of less high-profile players. I also believe that raising the levels of someone who is having a bad game is more important than praising a player who is playing well. Anyway I'll probably proceed with this in a fairly ad hoc way. The main thing is we have a squad of players who all make a contribution.

Pretty much everything else will stay the same as last year. I am still committed to everybody getting approximately equal playing time on a Thursday. The only exceptions to this would be injury, a very obvious lack of fitness which prevents a player from doing his job on the pitch, or a player repeatedly ignoring specific instructions given before or during a game. Otherwise, I think our aims this year should be to enjoy playing as a team, win as often as possible and retain the Anglo-Dutch Cup. They are certainly my aims. If anybody needs to speak to me about anything my number is 07828 950790 - drop me a text and i'll quite happily call you back, so long as it isn't the middle of the night!

Up the Accies!

Bonus 11 a side friendly v Southside, 6th Jan

2010-12-24T09:54:00.001Z

NB 7pm kick off for this bonus curtain raiser. - AGM will start afterwards, at 9pm.

AGM 2011

2010-12-17T08:02:00.002Z

If there's anything you'd like to be added to the agenda for next month's AGM, let me know by emailing me at my usual address. Here's hoping for a quick and painless chat and a 2011 during which we're Rockin' All Over The World. Over and out.

For all the music lovers in the squad

2010-12-09T16:36:00.001Z

http://www.stevecarter.com/albumcovers.htm

BE WARNED

Some are a little risque for work

Match Cancelled Again! Wolfie Beers Instead!

2010-12-08T15:49:00.002Z

In case you haven't seen an email from me, tomorrow night's match is OFF because Palace haven't cleared the snow off the pitch (and nor has it cleared itself as if by magic just yet…)

Let me know if you're able to come along to the Paxton instead to raise a glass to Graeme Were, who is moving to Australia imminently in order to enjoy the Ashes at first hand.

There but for the grace of the football gods…

2010-12-05T08:24:00.002Z

Heard about this team on Radio Five Live, they fielded 7 against 11 which ended up as 6 against 10 and lost 55-0. So the next time we get a hammering, let's keep things in perspective.…

Match Cancelled!

2010-12-02T11:07:00.001Z

Tonight's game is off because the pitch is covered in snow. So no outing for the yellow footballs, sadly. See you all next week hopefully!

Awards Night

2010-11-27T08:59:00.004Z

Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone for their kind words last night, coming from people who know the game, it means a great deal to me! I still maintain that there are more worthy winners than I, based on form, fitness, commitment, and the other one!
Hope everyone had a great night, well done to all the organisers and thanks.
One thing I would like to have said, which I think sums up the quailty of people we have in our club perfectly, is about Neill Robertshaw. Two years ago, when I was made redundant, Neill offered me work with him, even though he was struggling himself. It was such a great gesture, and, like I say goes to show Effra Academicals is so much more than football.
Here's to everyone who's pulled on the red and blue shirts, roll on the next ten years.

The Coach goes Crazy

2010-11-25T17:10:00.002Z

Imagine, 2-0 up at half-time and cruising to victory, then the Accies let in two soft goals. What are the odds of Thorny running up the grandstand and pulling out the seats? Thats similar to what happened in the Champions League the other night with the coach of the Romanian champions, CFR Cluj.