What a year!!!

Accies

As 2013 comes to an end I just wanted to say to every player in the squad how proud I am of each and every on player who has worn the Accies kit this year. During the spring time we all hit a low when Thorney decided to walk away and I was put in temporary charge!!! I was then voted in as club captain along with Lee, Joe and Tremayne and since then we, as a club, have moved from strength to strength. I'm not too hot on stats and records that we have smashed this year, but what I do know is the vast improvement with our play and attitude towards not only our oppo but to each other. Yeah there have been a few bumps in the road but as a whole it's been an awesome year for the Accies. 

Let's make 2014 an even better year - which I'm sure we can do. I'm proud of every player and I'm proud to be your captain and I know whether it's myself or someone else as captain next year will be a magnificent year all round.

Up the Accies!

World Cup socials

The World Cup 2014 kicks off on Thursday 12th June with the game between Brazil and Croatia at 2100. The following Thursday 19th sees England take on Uruguay, kicking off at 2000. These nights will be Accies socials with no Accies game being scheduled that night. Look out for further details on where we'll be watching these games. Hope to see as many of you as possible for some World Cup action from the spiritual home of the beautiful game

From 1 min 22 secs onwards is particularly remarkable…

Why the Accies awards panel got one wrong this year…

As Simon remarked when announcing the 1-2-3 for 2013's Most Improved Player award, it is regarded by some as the poisoned chalice of awards night, a sort of wooden spoon for a player who's never likely to be in the running in any of the 'best player' categories.

Well, as the lucky recipient of the award this year, I can honestly say I don't think it's a veiled insult.  I've always believed that if it's treated properly by the panel choosing the most deserving recipients, then it can be an excellent recognition of the player(s) who have come on in leaps and bounds during the past 12 months, regardless of what level they were at in the previous year.  That last bit is the key point here: regardless of what level they were at in the previous year.  Even the best players are capable of improving year-on-year.  Take Gareth Bale (and Real Madrid did): few would surely argue that his form for Spurs in the 2012/13 season was far superior to his form the previous season.  Yet no one can say that Bale was a bad player in 2011/12.  His contribution was still excellent – just not in the same league as the following year, when he was arguably in the top 3 of players playing in Europe.  If Gareth Bale had won Most Improved Player for Spurs at the end of the 2012/13 season, no one could have denied he deserved it.  And no one but the most biased Gooner would argue that he was a rubbish player getting the award as a ‘consolation prize'.

Now, I do not want to sound ungrateful for winning the award myself on Friday night.  It's possible I have improved somewhat year-on-year.  Certainly by the end of last year I was suffering fatigue and ended up missing a lot of football in the first quarter of this year.  Then when I came back to playing, it took me a while to get up to speed.  And during November I'm happy to say that I put in a couple of my best ever performances for the club.  Still a vast amount of room for improvement but nevertheless, I was happy!  So in that respect, I'm grateful that the team selectors have seen that improvement.  The award sits proudly in my house alongside awards for my two other proudest sporting achievements: a London Marathon 2009 finisher's medal and my Club Man Of The Decade award from the Accies' belated 10th birthday awards.

However, as the headline of this post says, I believe the panel got it wrong.  There is another candidate who the stats surely prove should have been named the club's Most Improved Player of 2013.  It is INCREDIBLE to me that he wasn't even placed in the top 3 as decided by Greg, Tremayne, Joe and Lee.  The only explanation is that because of who he is, the panel couldn't see the wood for the trees.  Also, as it turned out, the player in question took home no less than THREE awards on the night as it was - so maybe a fourth would've seemed greedy!  But his impressive haul on the night can't be used as an excuse for him not getting the nod for Most Improved, because the 3 awards he did win were all voted for by the wider club.  So when he and his 3 colleagues on the selection panel debated who should win Most Improved, none of them knew that he would clean up on the night.

So, to put right the undoubted wrong as far as I'm concerned, I shall state for the record that our Most Improved Player in 2013 was GREG RAINEY.

The stats don't lie: in 2012 Greg scored 5 goals.  So far in 2013 he has scored FIFTEEN.  That's three times as many as last year.  Now THAT'S what I call improving!  What's more, his total assists QUADRUPLED in 2013, from 5 last year to TWENTY so far this year – he leads the way in the race for the Most Assists award with just two games to go.

See what I mean?!

Added to that, Greg has clearly been working on his fitness this year – to my mind his body shape has started to change for the better, the pounds seem to be coming off!  It probably won't surprise Greg to learn that some of his teammates have been critical of his fitness levels in the past, so it's really pleasing to see him IMPROVING in that area.  Like a lot of our squad, he's an inspiration to me personally in my own currently stalled 'battle of the bulge'.

And all this improvement came in the context of having taken over as team captain in May, during a very trying time for the club.  Andy Thornes was a hard act to follow – the club achieved it's best ever results under Thorny – but Greg rose to the occasion without his own playing form suffering.  Look at how England cricketers' form often wilts when the responsibility of captain is on their shoulders.  The best captains are often the ones whose form IMPROVES when they're elevated to the position.  Clearly Greg feels he needs to lead by example, and when he's been on the pitch this year he has undoubtedly done so.

I won't be handing my award back in protest – I'm really chuffed that Greg, Tremayne, Lee and Joe are pleased with my progress in 2013.  But I would urge whoever is responsible for choosing 2014's Most Improved Player to read this post while deliberating the winner.

Well done Greg, well done to all the winners on Friday and thanks to Simon for organising another great night but most importantly, well done to everyone who has contributed to 2013 being, despite some pretty hefty speed bumps along the way, one of the club's best years yet.  I'm sure most of you realise this already, but the awards themselves are largely just a fun way to look back on the past year.  Thursday nights are what truly matter!

Up the Accies, I hope every single member of the squad improves in 2014!

One for Greg...

Management Team's Roles Explained

Those of you who attended the EGM back in May may recall that a number of changes were made to the structure of the club’s management, in order to improve the running of both on- and off-field matters.  The aims were to provide whoever runs the team selection and tactics with better back-up, to avoid isolating the Captain; and to reduce the ‘workload’ of the General Manager.

In the months that followed, two things happened accordingly: the club voted for a Captain and Vice-Captains; and I delegated a number of my tasks as General Manager to a couple of other members.

With all those changes now in place, there is now a group of EIGHT club members running the club. The rest of the club’s members should be aware that all 8 of the management team stand together, united on all aspects of how the club is run. As stated in the club’s ethos: we respect those who give up their time to manage the club. Decisions made by those people can be questioned if someone disagrees with a decision. But this should be done in person and never between the hours of 7-10pm on Thursdays. And in the end the fact that they give up their time to run the club for us makes their decisions final.

To ensure that everyone knows exactly who is doing what, here is a guide to the roles and details of which members currently occupy each position (NB these will be amended as and when any changes to personnel or job descriptions occur):

TEAM CAPTAIN

Name: Greg Rainey

Role: Ultimately responsible for team selection and tactics.  Liaises with the Vice-Captains re: all aspects of on-pitch affairs.  Oversees the communication with members each week in order to determine who is attending on match night.  Ensures that all members abide by the club’s ethos and code of conduct.  Updates the squad list on the NEXT EVENT section of the club’s blog.  Keeps track of the rota of players missing matches due to excess numbers.

TEAM VICE-CAPTAINS

Names: Lee Clifford, Tremayne Macdonald

Role: Supports, assists and liaises with the Team Captain in every aspect of his role, in particular in encouraging all players to ‘play for the team’.

GENERAL MANAGER & TREASURER

Name: Stuart Dade

Role: Supports, assists and liaises with all the other members of the management team.  Plays a leading part in communicating club matters to the membership.  Looks after the club’s income and outgoings and presents an annual finance report at the AGM.  Ensures that a referee officiates each match. ‘Edits’ the club’s blog.  Liaises with all members re: any new kit requirements and place orders accordingly with the club’s kit supplier.  Maintains the club’s records of results and statistics.

CLUB SECRETARY

Name: Andrew Dade

Role: To take minutes at all club meetings and distribute those minutes to all members within two weeks of a meeting.  To organise any club votes (except for awards votes).  To maintain a comprehensive database of contact info for members and associate members, past and present.

OPPOSITION LIAISON

Name: Simon Mesner

Role: To ensure there is opposition for every match night, ideally ensuring that the club doesn’t play the same team too frequently. To arrange cup ties where necessary.  To update the FORTHCOMING EVENTS section of the club’s blog accordingly. To liaise with opposition teams to ensure they have all relevant info.

PITCH BOOKINGS

Name: Phill Arnold

Role: To liaise with our venues to ensure that we have a pitch for each match night.  To be a point of contact for the venues in the event of the venues cancelling a booking for any reason.  To liaise with the General Manager and Social Secretary re: which nights we don’t need a pitch booked.

SOCIAL SECRETARY

Name: Simon Mesner

Role: To organise at least four social events in a calendar year, usually including a Summer Social and the end-of-year awards dinner.  To oversee the voting for the annual awards and liaise with the Club Secretary and General Manager re: any trophies, awards, engraving etc that is required.

CLUB CAPTAIN

Name: Andrew Dade

Role: To be the club’s figurehead at all appropriate times.

NB: the management team are also listed in a section on the right-hand side of the blog.

Up the Accies!

Mascots observing the minutes silence

http://www.anorak.co.uk/374834/sports/football-mascots-observe-the-minutes-silences-photos.html/ Quite funny

A challenge

Gents

The past 2 weeks we have turned a corner and are definitely back on track. This past Thursday our play especially our defending was superb but I guarantee like myself you are all wondering how we didn't spank that team and how many missed chances did we have ! That being said the build up to these missed chances was brilliant , in the first half I thought Tremayne and Jon linked up well and that's where I saw our best chances coming from.

This week we have Grafton a team we are all familiar with and just for your information Joe will be taking charge this week.

My challenge to you lot is to finish the year undefeated and continue some of the great football in the past two weeks. And there's only a few weeks to stake a claim for an award !!

Up the accies

Team Selection: New Info

Following recent discussion among the club management, the procedures for any week where we have too many players for the match squad have been tweaked.  Here's what you need to know:

From now on, if numbers are high, ALL players will still be asked "does anyone fancy missing out?" BUT if anyone DOES volunteer, it will NOT count in any tally of matches missed. The previous system was open to abuse, i.e. a player could easily opt to miss out on a night when he KNOWS he can't play, which defeats the object.  If a player KNOWS he can't play, then he can't play and he shouldn't benefit from that.  Players are welcome to volunteer to miss out but are also welcome to NEVER volunteer.

If insufficient people volunteer to miss out, then the selection panel of four (captain Greg and three vice-captains Tremayne, Lee and Joe) are empowered by the club to decide whether a player should miss a match for any reason.  Any player in financial debt to the club should expect to miss out.  Above and beyond that, the selection panel of four are empowered to decide if any other player deserves to miss out for any reason.  Click here to read more about the kind of thing which might lead to a player missing a match.  Any player being asked to miss out will be encouraged to still attend the match, and indeed it would be hugely in their favour if they DID attend the match, because (a) they might be needed if there are injuries or last-minute dropouts and (b) if we're losing 1-0 with 5 mins to go they could be ball boys to help give us a chance to draw level, or they could do some filming, or help run the substitutions, etc etc etc.   The club will absolutely trust the selection panel of four to manage players being told that they are getting less playing time because for whatever reason, they deserve less playing time.  Players are entitled to a full and frank explanation of why they're being asked to miss a match, and the selection panel of four will between them ensure that this is communicated.

Commitment to the club, both on and off the field of play, will play a big part in the selection criteria.  Commitment comes in many, many forms and I'm not going to insult anyone's intelligence by going into detail here about the kind of things that constitute excellent commitment and the kind of things that represent poor commitment.  If you're interested, ask!

If we're STILL left with more than 14 players available for selection, then the selection panel of four should by all means have a "rota" for all players to miss the occasional match. Players who are asked to miss out will be under no obligation to attend and, while they will be asked to attend after all in the event of dropouts, will reserve the right not to do so.

Greg (or, in his absence, whichever of the vice-captains is running the show in a particular week) needs to know if you are available for selection by 8pm on Wednesday, the day before a match.  You will be notified by 12pm on the Thursday at the latest if you are missing out.  If for any reason you need to know earlier than that, you should let the selection panel of four know your special requirements – whether that's a permanent thing or just for a particular week.

The above guidelines will, it is hoped, foster and encourage all members to be shining examples of commitment and fair play.  These guidelines should help to keep our club healthy and happy.

If the selection panel of four ask you to miss a match for any reason, please make sure you listen carefully to their reasons, please understand that the selection panel of four is united in agreement, and is backed up 100% by the rest of the club's management team (Stuart, Simon, Andrew and Phill).  If you disagree with the selection panel of four's decision, you are welcome to raise any objections at the club's AGM.

If anyone has any questions or comments about any of the above, please speak to/email/text any of the club's management team.

Up the Accies!

Where did that come from

Accies

What can I say about Thursdays 2-0 win. That performance was just what we needed and what I'd been hoping for. Every player ran there legs off even Steve who's legs are much smaller than normal people. Every player tackled and kept there position and even the start of the second half when we recently have crumbled we kept it nice and tight and we looked like the team always more likely to win. Thanks for trying the different formation and for Joe, Lee and Tremaynes feedback in the game regarding going back to our normal formation. A special mention to Scott who set my goal up and scored the 2nd and ran his socks off as he's recently been through a tough time at home with a recent bereavement but has continued to show his undoubted commitment.

Well done again boys

Up the Accies

Positive positive positive

Accies

Just a quick post regarding the past few weeks and some of what's been going on. Up until the beginning of the 2nd half against Hope and Horns our play and attitude was spot on. Since that 2nd half collapse things have changed and we all need to put a stop to this and get back to the positive attitudes we had which also brought positive football and winning results. We all need to pull together and get through this as a team which I'm 100% sure we can do beginning this Thursday. This means when someone makes a mistake we don't all jump on his back as we have all made mistakes and are all capable of making them but the point is that when a player does make a mistake they recognise it and they don't need 10 players shouting and screaming at them. Also some selfish aspects  have crept back into out play which we need to immediately stamp out. I'm sure you all agree that before that 2nd half the football we had been playing and the goals we have been scoring has been the best form we have shown in a long long time and by far the best spell I've been involved in as an Accies player.

Starting from this week we need to start warming up better not just taking pop shots at Ronnie which I'm just as guilty of, if you want to do that arrange to get there earlier so you are better prepared for the start of the match. Also any negative comments or moans will be dealt with by being substituted as discussed at the EGM. We need to start the 2nd half of games better and as I said before the pass from the centre should never go back to the defence it should go to a midfielder to stop us being put under immediate pressure.

These aren't major problems we have run into later and Lee Joe and myself have total faith in the squad that we can turn this around.

Up the Accies

Greg

Accies action

For some recent and not so recent edited videos of you all playing football go to youtube and put 'sammesner' in the search box. The first item should have a hilighted 'sammesner' which you can click on to see the Accies vault including the latest videos starting from May 2012 up to the 6-5 win v Grafton Strollers recently. Or you can subscribe to my youtube account and be alerted to the latest postings. Happy viewing!

I would have been most disappointed had these buildings not been among the "Most Awesome Buildings" photos…

Click to reveal!

Nuff said!

20 Years Ago This Week

Myself, Simon, Andrew, Luke, Dave, Ian Holmes and Anthony Emery saw the fella in orange patrolling his technical area while in Rotterdam the weekend before last.  This photo, taken at Wembley 20 years ago this week, does not depict his proudest moment as a player... should've been a red card!

Something for the Hammers in our midst

This is incredible! http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/sep/05/harry-redknapp-played-fan-west-ham

Quite A Good Goal, Really #2

The scorer of this one said afterwards in the local press: "I remember seeing the ball and I just thought, 'Why not?'"  Why not indeed!

Quite A Good Goal, Really #1

Dutch genius

This is an extract from Dennis Bergkamp's autobiography, which has just been published. Apt as we play the Dutch this weekend and in light of the last game we played, as alluded to by our esteemed leader in his latest post: "Arsène Wenger has an interesting view about this. He says: "It is a spiritual thing. I am convinced of that. I believe you have two kinds of players who play football. Those who want to serve football like you serve God, and they put football so high that everything that is not close to what football should be is a little bit non-acceptable. And then you have those who use football to serve their ego. And sometimes the ego can get in the way of the game, because their interest comes before the interest of the game" "Sometimes the big ego is linked with what we call strong personalities, charisma. But most of the time what people call charisma is just big ego. I believe that Dennis was one of those who had such a high idea of the game and such a respect for the game that he wanted that to be above everything. I believe that the real great players are guided by how football should be played and not by how football should serve them. If it becomes spiritual, it's endless and you're always driven to going higher and getting closer to what you think football should be." Then Wenger gives the example of a player who knows he ought to pass but takes a massive gamble and scores. "If he really loves the game he'll go home and worry about it. He'll know he really should have passed to set up an easy chance for someone else. But he was selfish and got lucky. If he doesn't care about the game he'll go home and think: 'That was great – I'll do the same next time.'" Food for thought...

So close!!!

Accies again another superb display on Thursday against a really good team that are obviously a good standard Saturday league team. If I'm honest we could and should of won this game though. Some of our attacking was brilliant at times with movement the oppo couldn't handle but there where numerous times when we could of crossed or passed to players in better positions but we shot instead , squaundering these chances. Ronnie and Lee where superb at the back with Ronnie pulling off a quite spectacular save in the 2nd half . I was slightly disappointed in our set piece delivery especially some free kicks where we could of tested the defence and keeper but we didn't and I think only one corner from Scott in the 1st half with Sam heading it onto the post caused any problems for the oppo.

Overall though we generally played really well on a quite challenging surface and the way we have played in the past few months even in the few games we haven't won I'm struggling to remember a match where I thought we had been outplayed , so lets keep this going!!

Match report, courtesy of the oppo

Not sure why they're called Cherry Tree FC instead of The Queen Vic, but here's my former school mate Danny Rhodes' report of last night's eight-goal thriller.  Always interesting to get an outside view of our team, and I particularly enjoyed the phrases "the Accies, who caused problems for the Vic defence all night with some clever movement and interchanging of their front players" and "Accies have come on a lot since we first played them three or four years ago".

Accies FC 4 v 4 Cherry Tree FC

Cherry Tree travelled to the National Sports Centre, Crystal Palace for the annual pre-season friendly and due to two consecutive cancellations this remained a pre-season game. Late drop outs from several players meant that only ten of this year's squad made the journey, bolstered by ex-players Jonno and Wylie, whilst Swinny was drafted to play in goal (a 5.30pm phone call, in the dog house with the missus...).

Pre-match research of the Accies blog suggested they were a side that had been scoring and conceeding a lot in recent weeks and that proved to be the case. Accies went ahead as early as the second minute, a thunderbolt from the edge of the box after some hesitant Cherry Tree defending, but both sides looked better going forward than they did at the back and in our first meaningful attack Sibbo broke clear on the left before squaring the ball to Tom who fired home (something of a carbon copy of the goal he scored against City Firsts). We went ahead on fifteen minutes, Tom latching on to a rebound off the keeper and then proceeded to concede again, a fantastic dipping strike from outside the box that left Swinny rooted to the spot (too heavy to jump, blinded by the floodlights etc). Changes were made as we tried to instill some of the possession football we've been demonstrating in pre-season training sessions and we went ahead on thirty minutes, Sibbo glancing a header home from a free-kick. Efforts were made to immediately concede again, Damien allowing the Accies nippy Walcottesque winger inside him but on this occasion Swinny made a good save. HT 3-2.

Some harsh words from new manager Rob Taylor. Play football. Talk. Be aggressive at the back. Selective mute Kyle took all advice on board and promptly forgot about it. Back came Accies. On the hour a breakdown in play on the right allowed their player to advance a good thirty yards. His optimistic effort was flying wide but Swinny chose to make a save for the cameras and promptly diverted the ball into his own net. 3-3.

Five minutes later and the Accies, who caused problems for the Vic defence all night with some clever movement and interchanging of their front players, went ahead, Swinny's fine save to his left only serving to offer up a simple tap in for the advancing Accies player. 3-4.

Wayne broke clear one on one with the keeper but hit his shot straight into the keeper's midriff. Cherry Tree made changes. Kyle moved to Centre Forward. A slick move down the right, a square ball across the six yard box and there was the seven foot assassin to toe poke home. Cue a bellow of orgasmic release from the big man as six months of frustration in the opponent's box finally came to an end. Turns out he does have a voice after all.

End of the action? Are you kidding, this is Cherry Tree FC, formerly known as Queen Vic. No sooner had we drawn level than we made various attempts to throw it away. Accies had a shout for a penalty (it never was) and at least two more half chances as they finished the stronger. In the final seconds an innocuous shot from the edge of the box drifted towards Swinny's hands. Slippery when wet, the ball squirmed clear. It was a true 'and Smith must score' moment (google it if you're under 30) but the Accies player had obviously watched this infamous clip once too often and chose to replicate it in its entirety. Swinny somehow made the save and earned himself a lift home. The referee brought proceedings to an end.

4-4. A really competitive and fairly high quality game of football played on a slick surface in fantastic spirit (well refereed too). Accies have come on a lot since we first played them three or four years ago and after pushing us close last time out (we won 3-2) the least they deserved last night was a draw. In fact we were probably the more satisfied as the stadium was plunged into darkness and we headed back to East Kent, in my case via a shitty diversion through Lewisham that wound up with me on the M20! It was midnight when I dropped Swinny off. I'm not sure if he was locked out or not or if he had to break his own front door down...

 

Danny

Proudest moment

Accies

Thursdays match was without doubt my proudest moment since I was voted in as team captain. We where up against a very strong and quick Southside with the odd ringer dotted around and at half time we where losing. At no point did anyone's head drop and after 10 minutes of the 2nd half we where winning and they where arguing amongst themselves. I have always thought the difference between the Accies and most teams we play is the fact that we keep our positions and our cool even when we are losing and that makes a massive difference.

Every player ran themselves into the ground but some mentions for Paul who continually skinned there right back, Luis who never let Dane out of his pocket and never lost the ball and Bobby who although should of scored more in the end used his running up front that much that when the final whistle went the centre half collapsed in a heap!

We are still playing this high pressure high up the pitch game with the inswinging corners which is brilliant so let's see if we can continue this form until the end of the year.

Greg

Great last-ditch defending, brilliant speedy getaway

Keep this going !!

Accies
Just a quick post too say well done too everyone involved in the past two weeks. Against Southbank we showed that not many teams we play against can handle us during that 20 minute spell in the second half when we went 4-1 up against a team that has beat us most times and even though we let them back into the game too 4-3 we showed that we can keep calm and shut them out too earn a well deserved win.

This week we blew the oppo away I'm pretty sure there goalie will be having nightmares for weeks !! Some of our counter attacking was top top class and at times we ran them into the ground. I said last week that I would like inswinging corners and since then I think there has been 3 direct goals from them and a header from Simon.

I thought Barry was a rock on Thursday and Scott was at the heart of nearly all 9 goals.

Lets keep this high pressure high up the pitch and let's keep the goals flowing

Can anyone lip read? What are they saying when the Chelsea crest is held up?!

Hat-trick Takes Mesner To A Century Of Accies Career Goals

We lost the match on Thursday night – our 400th ever 11-a-side, incidentally – but there was a celebration on the night nonetheless.  At the start of the match, Effra had two joint leading all-time scorers: Joe Sene and Simon Mesner, tied on 97 goals each.  90 minutes later and Simon had not only leapt ahead of Joe, but had also become the first Accie to reach 100 goals for the club.

Simon's goalscoring prowess is particularly impressive when you consider that for a good while, he was employed in 11-a-sides as a centre back.  This may seem odd to anyone who's only been with the club for five years or less, but as a defender I can assure you that we would've shipped a LOT more goals without Simon's steadying influence at the back.  But it's been a great pleasure to see Simon playing in forward positions, which have clearly suited him far better and allowed him to score a literal ton of goals.

Simon shows off his Players' Player Of The Year award in 2007

Only injuries have prevented Si from getting to 100 much sooner, in particular in 2011 when he barely featured up front.  But since he made his debut for the club on 26 January 2001, it's been marvellous to see Simon consistently putting in a high level of performance for the club, both at 5-a-side level (mainly for Dinamo Bar Pitch and Inter Effra, back during the era when we were split into two 5-a-side squads) and in 11-a-sides.  I imagine that among Simon's career highlights for the club would be the whole of 2007, when Simon formed a lethal strike partnership with former Effra player Gary White.  Simon contributed to a mighty 37-goal total between the pair and really enjoyed playing alongside Gary.  More recently, in 2009 he won the Golden Boot with 14 goals.  And just last year, he proved that he's still a force to be reckoned with, scoring an Accies career best 15 goals in the calendar year.  He has 8 so far in 2013 – an impressive total considering that competition has probably never been fiercer for the striking positions.  Our current goals-per-game total is 3.32 and if we keep that up, it'll be our best ever.

You'll have to ask Simon which have been his favourite goals among the 100 - knowing him, he can describe most, if not all of them! Two of his goals on Thursday night were truly excellent – one a fine long-range finish and one from an extremely narrow angle, in off the far post.  For what it's worth, in my opinion his best was the headed goal which made it 3-3 in the closing minutes of the Anglo-Dutch Cup in September 2007, having been 3-0 down.  We went on to win the match 9-3 in extra time and as far as I'm concerned Simon's goal was the greatest in the entire history of football!  The other 99 weren't bad either.

Simon's Accies stats in full are:
All-time - played 375, scored 100
11-a-side for Effra Academicals - played 238, scored 73
11-a-side for Inter Effra - played 1, scored 0
9-a-side for Effra Academicals - played 4, scored 0
5-a-side for Effra Academicals - played 8, scored 4
5-a-side for Dinamo Bar Pitch - played 84, scored 9
5-a-side for Inter Effra - played 40, scored 14

Our next centurion will either be Joe Sene, currently on 97 goals as mentioned above, or Sam Herbert, currently on 89 goals.  88 of Sam's 89 goals are from Accies 11-a-side games, so he's odds-on favourite to become our first 11-a-side centurion.

For now, congratulations on behalf of the whole club to Simon for an historic century.  In his own words: "Here's to the next 100!"

Fashion Special! Greg Rainey: Get The Look!

Chatting to the lads after the match yesterday, it was clear that victory wouldn't have been possible had we not all been inspired by our leader.  Not much has been put on record about what Greg brings to the party as Accies coach, but it's time to tell the world that without us having been treated to the glorious sight of his magnificent Next shorts before the match last night, we'd probably have been trounced 5-0.  Yes, his pre-match team talk urged us to get off to a better start than last week, when our first 20 minutes had been way below par.  Yes, his half-time chat was spot-on as always.  Yes, his chipped ball over the top of the Ladywell defence putting Perre clean through on goal to score the winner was inspired.

But it was the shorts what won it.  Sadly I fear they are vintage, and so unless he auctions them to raise money for the club at our forthcoming summer social, none of us will ever truly get Greg's look.  If he'd worn them during the match he'd probably have scored a double hat-trick.  A quick Google found these similar-looking items:

Mmmmmm

Yummy

Congratulations

Accies
Just too say well done in your performances in the Mid Week League so far . Most of the match Thursday we displayed the type of football we are capable of.We exploited the pace we have on the wings with Perre , Paul and Jon. Bobby and Joe bossed the midfield with Bobby by far the best player on the pitch as much as it pains me too admit it!!! The entire back four should be proud of a well earned clean sheet ignoring the strange free kick incident !! Up front we buried our chances and buried some crosses ( Mesner).If as expected we are in the semi finals and we continue this form I believe it's ours to lose.

Also thanks too Tremayne Stu and Luis for helping the oppo out and that makes me question Luis as too why he plays like Messi when against us and even left a lazy leg in too get Jon in the 2nd half !!!

Well done boys lets keep this up

Greg

"Midweek League": Semi-Final Place Secured?

Here's the state of play as far as I know:

A Postcard from Down Under

It’s a few years since I headed down south and hung up my laces with the Accies. Time flies by so quickly. I thought, since the Accies blog was looking a bit sparse in recent months, and that I had some time to hand, I’d write a few comments.

First, I’ve settled into my third season of a team in Brisbane. We are currently second in the Over-35s league with a swathe of new English talent in the side. Our progress is largely down to a new central defender (Spurs fan) and a new central midfielder (West Ham fan). We've lost only once this season, two draws, and 8 wins. It would be good to give the Accies a game – perhaps in Thailand??? Steve and Luis -- see you there! See also the team photo taken by a local journalist (note the loss of weight please).

Second, I’ll be heading back to London in the next few weeks and hoping to join you at the Dulwich ground in early August. Perhaps we will have time for a beer after – though I hear the Paxton has shut up shop.

Finally, a few myth-busting facts about Australia. One, its not ‘hot’ England – there’s no decent pubs though the beaches are great (if you like that kind of thing). Two, yes there seems to be deadly snakes, spiders and insects everywhere. Three, its not cheap living – in fact, its more expensive than London. And finally, you have to travel hours to get anywhere.

Looking forward to a warm beer with friends. 

See you soon. Wolfie.

Well done

Gents
I just wanted too say how proud I am at last nights performance , not just the playing side though. Without a ref and against a team that had one or two individuals who wanted too take advantage of this we kept our cool , played them off the park and more importantly didn't get involved in any handbags with them.

Also well done and thanks too Tremayne and Joe for helping out with splitting ref duties the 2nd half.

Thanks Sam for coming down after being told it was his turn too rest and playing a blinder sort of out of position but ending up in all the positions!!!

Thanks too Bobby and Lee for admitting my goal was probably the best they had ever seen!!

Well done lads
Up the accies

Hello Accies

Sorry in the delay in writing this post but it's taken me this long too work out how too get on here !!

First of all thanks for voting for me too be your captain it means a lot that so many of you have faith in me too carry out this role and I hope that along with Lee and Joe we can carry on Andy Thornes good work.

A couple of things

I'd like to continue this high pressure football higher up the pitch we have been playing lately. I have great faith in our team and I believe this way we won't show teams too much respect by allowing them too have the ball too far into our half

Also with regards too when the squad is in excess of 14 please be prepared that sometimes you may not find out its your week too miss out until lunchtime on the Thursday.
And if you haven't confirmed by 8pm on the Wednesday i will assume you can't play that week.
Plus I'm going too have too start again with turns of missing weeks starting from last week when joe Steve Scott and bobby missed out

I'm sure this is the start of a sucessful era for us all so let's continue with the commitment ,hardwork and great football we have played in the past 3 months

Up the accies

Greg

Accies! Once More For Glory!

On Thursday 6th June, Stuart Dade will become the second ever Accie to reach the 300 11-a-side appearances milestone.

A fantastic achievement I am sure you will agree!

I will let Stuart let you have the headline stats from his Accies career to date - but in the meantime I'm sure the new team management will lead a heartfelt applause for such a fine achievement at the game on Thursday night.

When you consider the effort Stuart has put in both on and off the pitch over the last 14 years - it is easy to see why the club should count itself lucky to have a player and club member with such passion and enthusiasm for the game, the club and the football.

Congratulations bruv - sorry I won't be there to see it. If you get offered the chance to take a  penalty.....well, I'll let you decide!!! Get up there for the corners though!

Trials For Scott & Jon

At last week's EGM it was agreed that Scott Greenwell and Jon Wise would be given 12-week trials, after which time club members will vote on whether either/both will be invited to join the club.

Their trials have been backdated to start when they played their first matches for us in 2013.

Scott's trial began on 11 April, which means his will last until 4 July.

Jon's trial began on 28 March so he is halfway through his trial but I have agreed with Greg that as he is now out injured for 3 weeks with a hamstring problem, his trial is suspended until he next plays.  If he's out for 3 weeks then his trial should end around the same time as Scott's which is handy.

Let me take this opportunity to remind everyone why we sometimes give players a trial rather than immediately voting on inviting them to join.  It is essentially for two reasons:

(a) For the player on trial to see what we're all about and decide for himself whether he wants to join full-time
(b) For us to see what kind of person the triallist is – NOT just how good a player they are.  Does he understand our ethos?  Does he play for the team, not for himself?  Does he pay his way?  And so on!

Regardless of what I think about any triallist, it does please me that people are keen to join the Accies. We must be doing something right!

Captain & Two Vice-Captains To Be Elected

The below is to the best of my recollection of last week’s EGM.  Let me know if I’ve misremembered anything!

At last week’s EGM it was agreed that team selection, tactics and other footballing matters should be managed by a panel of three club members.  The new set-up will work as follows:

There will be a Captain and two Vice-Captains.  They will work together to pick the team and communicate tactics etc to the rest of the squad. The Captain will have the ultimate say but he will be supported at all times by the Vice-Captains. Each of the three will have the opportunity to deliver pre-match and half-time team talks.

The panel of three will ensure that team selection is done fairly and will communicate their plans clearly and effectively with the entire squad.

As it states in the newly expanded Club Ethos (see the post immediately below this one) all members must respect the decisions of the panel of three.  If you disagree with any of their decisions etc, wait until we’re off the pitch and changed after a match, then feel free to discuss your issues with any or all of the panel.  You have nearly an entire week to chat to them face to face, or call them, text them or email them to discuss your issues.  Time’s up one hour before the kick-off of the next match – hold your tongue until we’re off the pitch and changed after the match, and so on and so on and so on!

The club has empowered the panel to immediately substitute any player who they feel is not adhering to the club’s ethos or whose conduct is undermining the team.  The panel will decide when that player be allowed back into the team and/or back on to the pitch.

You will be contacted shortly by Club Secretary Andrew Dade re: nominations and elections for the three positions.

Newly expanded Club Ethos, as agreed at our recent EGM

At last week's EGM there was a lengthy discussion about respect and the conduct of members.  It is a sad fact that the way our former captain Andy Thornes was treated was a factor in his decision to leave the club.  So at the EGM we discussed how to prevent such nonsense from recurring.

It was agreed that a new paragraph be added to our ethos, drafted by myself, pointing out that due respect MUST be given to those members who sacrifice their valuable spare time to run the club, both on and off the pitch.  In my opinion the various coaches/captains of the squad have NEVER been afforded the proper respect, and have had to suffer levels of verbal abuse, bitching and so on that would embarrass a team of 11-year-olds, never mind a squad of fully grown, supposedly intelligent men.  Most of the squad has behaved impeccably but a minority has let us all down.  A line has been drawn in the sand.

So the CLUB ETHOS a little way down on the right-hand side of this blog has now been updated as follows:

CLUB ETHOS

1. The main reason that the Accies was formed was to allow a group of friends to meet regularly, have a game of football, a few beers and a chat in a friendly, non-hostile environment.

2. Winning is important to all of us but not at the expense of fairness and friendship.

3. While everyone is expected to give 100% every game and to be as fit as their own personal circumstances allow them to be, there will be no discrimination against players purely on the basis of talent. All members of the club are equal regardless of footballing ability and are entitled to equal playing opportunities.

4. We respect those who give up their time to manage the club. Decisions made by those people can be questioned if someone disagrees with a decision. But this should be done in person and never between the hours of 7-10pm on Thursdays. And in the end the fact that they give up their time to run the club for us makes their decisions final.

5. All new players who join do so on the understanding that the above rules are sacrosanct.

Point 4 is the new addition.  It is pretty self-explanatory but if you need any help understanding it, feel free to ask me.  Show your respect to the members who run your club for you, who enable you to play football every week on a fantastic pitch. If you disagree with any of their decisions etc, wait until we’re off the pitch and changed after a match, then feel free to discuss your issues with any or all of the panel. You have nearly an entire week to chat to them face to face, or call them, text them or email them to raise your issues. Time’s up one hour before the kick-off of the next match – hold your tongue until we’re off the pitch and changed after the match, and so on and so on and so on!

Let's work together as a team to make sure that our club's ethos, which has always been one of the main things that sets us apart from other teams, is followed to the letter.

I will type up another post soon expanding on the theme of respect and stressing the kinds of behaviour that will no longer be tolerated and, frankly, should never have been.

Any Accie with even an ounce of common sense wants to have fun, enjoy playing football and give everything for the team on the field of play.  If you do anything to prevent others' enjoyment then I'm afraid this isn't the right club for you.

Up the Accies!

Prepare For Glory!

This evening my brother Andrew Dade will become the first player to reach 300 11-a-side appearances for Effra Academicals.

Tonight is only our 385th game so to have featured in 300 of them is a truly magnificent achievement, especially when you consider that Andrew has lived in Hertfordshire and then Cambridgeshire throughout the life of the Accies - so his level of commitment to the club is utterly astounding.

Included in his 300 appearances is another incredible club record: he once played in SIXTY consecutive Effra 11-a-side matches.  That record will NEVER be beaten.

I won't be there this evening to witness this historic occasion, but if you are there, please congratulate Andy in person on reaching this milestone.

I'll get to 300 soonish myself, but there are no prizes for second place!

Well done on your TRIPLE CENTURY Dade Jr!

Who remembers what they did on 27th May 2004?

Me and Steven Whitelock do: playing for the Accies in a 4-2 defeat by Dolphin Riders.  And it was Dolphin Riders, not Woodley Wanderers, who myself and Steve both scored hat-tricks for (Woodley changed their name to Dolphin), in a 7-0 win over Dinamo Bar Pitch on 21 November 2002…

Bobby's Availability

Has intrigued me for a couple of weeks, so I followed the link, and now I can't work out if he's got a part in Cheers, or a groin injury!

The main reason that the Accies was formed was to allow a group of friends to meet regularly, have a game of football, a few beers and a chat in a friendly, non-hostile environment. Winning is important to all of us but NOT at the expense of fairness and friendship.

Absolutely understand and back 100 per cent Thorny's decision to stand down as captain of the Accies.  As you know I recently said that at the end of this calendar year I will in all likelihood be standing down from my own role, so it would be hypocritical to say the least for me to criticise or even disagree with Andy for doing the same.  Anyone with an ounce of good sense will have nothing but praise for Thorny who has been a truly fantastic team captain from start to finish.  Lest we forget, while he was unable to play for a considerable spell, he still came to footy week in, week out to try to help us improve as a team. It's a thankless task and whoever does it next has my sympathies.

My thoughts about the other, far more significant part of Thorny's announcement - him leaving the club completely - are less straightforward.  Not even sure I can put those thoughts into words.  Certainly not going to try right now.

Squad for Feb 14th 2013

Well done those 11 who have got priorities right this Thursday, but Luke, Social Commitment? On Valentine's Day?? Come on!!
A date with Madam Palm and her 5 daughters perhaps?