DON’T FORGET TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP BY 18 JUNE

Some forms have come in already but we really do need to know soon who is joining for the year ahead. We have entered two league teams again so need at least 30 boys to populate them; there is a queue of players waiting to know if we can take them in and we need to be able to tell them soon if they are successful. We really want all the boys who played last season to carry on – we just need to have your forms if you want to do so (or at the very least a quick phone call or email to Penny to confirm, if you really can't meet the deadline). Please fill in all three forms Penny gave you carefully; attach photos and a cheque or cheques. If you were a Knight in 02/03 and you can't get to a photo booth by 18 June, please send in your forms and payment without the pics, which we can sort out later if we need them. We don’t need birth certificates this year for renewing members.

IMPORTANT UPDATE on the summer training opportunity with Richard

We mentioned in the last newsletter that Richard Hodgson has offered to run some coaching sessions on selected Saturdays in July and August. We’d like to let Richard know who is interested as soon as possible so he can go ahead and book the necessary facilities. So, please get in touch with Penny by email to the above address or on 01483 457998 to confirm your interest by 18 June (yes, the date we’d also like your membership renewals in!), stating which of the sessions below you would like to attend. They will be at Bisley Football Club and will run on days when there are going to be at least 10 boys coming along. Once we know some numbers, we’ll get confirm final details of dates, time, venue and cost (which we currently estimate to be around £3.50 per session).

SESSIONS WILL BE ARRANGED ON UP TO 7 OF THESE SATURDAY MORNINGS:

JUNE 19 & 26 (BUT ONLY IF 10 OF YOU GET BACK TO US VERY QUICKLY);

JULY 10, 17, 24, 31; AUGUST 7, 14, 21, 28

Official 04-05 season training is expected to start on Saturday 4 September, we hope at an exciting new training venue, which Sandra Bateup is currently putting in a huge effort on our behalf to find. To correct the recently issued AGM minutes, we are delighted that Sandra remains a Committee member for the new season. Sorry Sandra – the minutes were typed in hurry to be ready for the presentation night and we missed you off the list.

Another successful and enjoyable presentation event

We all had great fun at St Pius’ and awarded some well-deserved trophies to the boys. The shields for players’ players and managers’ players of the season are with the engraver and should be available soon to keep at home until next year’s event. The feats of the very few who weren’t there and didn’t pick up their Achievement Award were recognised along with all the other boys on the night; Penny is holding on to the trophies and will try to contact those concerned if they haven’t called her to arrange collection. There’ll also be a free copy of the 03-04 Club video, compliments of Ian Lee. Many many thanks to Ian, who, on very little sleep in the week of the event due to work commitments, managed to put together the excellent video, copied and donated the cassettes, supplied all the staging, lighting and other audio-visual equipment AND just about managed to stay awake to host the evening. Ian’s stage-hands (enduring friends as well as family) really do appreciate his efforts even if he is a hard task-master in the hours leading up to kick-off. Valued support from, among others, Sandra, Jackie, Teresa and Richard, Penny, David, Alan, Mark and Jane made the whole thing go with the usual swing. Thanks also to Richard Hodgson and Matthew Jeffreys for presenting the trophies. From feedback, everyone had a great time. Catch the photos of the event on our website, www.fc-crusaders.co.uk.

PENALTY SHOOT OUT SPONSORSHIP

A fair amount of your hard earned cash has already come in but a worried Hon. Treas. confirms more than half the money raised on 24 April has yet to reach us. As well as being great fun for all, this is an important fund-raising exercise, so please don’t forget to collect the money and send it in. If you’re adding it to your membership cheque, please be sure to let us know how much of the amount payable is sponsorship. If you weren’t there but still want to contribute, feel free !

Crusaders’ summer tournaments

Steve, James, Tomas, Hugo, Andy S, Alex and Adam were at the mid-May Mayford tournament, which was great fun. Best result of the day was a well-earned 0-0 victory against Burpham Juniors "A" ! At Molesey on 31 May were Jake, Andy B, Shrey, Steve, Stuart, Rob Jaye, Robert L and Richard, who all put on a fine display and did the Club proud. There’s still one more tournament to come on 13 June, when Thomas, Andy B, Steve, Stuart, Rob Jaye, Robert L, Michael, Harrie and Shrey will be going to Farnham. Then it’s England’s turn to show us how it’s done at Euro 2004 in Portugal. Did we say we wanted a soccer-free summer ?

GIVE US YOUR SHIRT !

What have you done with your old Crusaders shirt? Do you have a replica shirt of your favourite pro’ team that doesn’t fit any more? You may have put it at the back of the wardrobe (where nobody goes !), stored it in the attic or left it in your kit bag.

Have you ever thought about giving it to charity?

Give us your shirt and we’ll forward it to "International Needs", a charity that helps thousands of people overseas as they struggle against poverty, persecution and disease. They aim to send 5,000 shirts to Africa this autumn and next spring where they can be enjoyed by people who'd get good use out of them. The shirts could also be used to raise funds to provide football pitches, clean water, education and medical supplies.

" International Needs" is a charity whose aim is to see people made whole, spiritually and physically, and participate socially in the world around them. It is committed to helping people whatever their belief system and give them an opportunity to live with dignity and in peace. For over thirty years, the charity has worked through an established network of trusted partners in Burkina-Faso, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya and Zambia. They will either give the shirts away to people who would really appreciate them or employ people to sell them through market stalls at a fraction of the usual cost. Money raised will be used to build football pitches for young people, dig water wells for clean water, buy much needed medical supplies, provide food if the harvest fails or educate children. You can learn more about the activities of "International Needs" by accessing www.giveusyourshirt.com or www.inter-nationalneeds.com.

Shirts of any size or from any team would be appreciated. However, as you can imagine, the most sought after ones are from Premiership teams and major European clubs.

If you wish to help, please let us have your clean shirt(s) and a donation of £2 the charity is also asking for to help transport the shirt to Africa. No funds are being raised for FC Crusaders’ benefit in this exercise. You are under no obligation to let us have your previous seasons’ Crusaders shirts – they are yours to keep if you want to. Feel free to send your shirt and donation directly to the charity at 111b South End, Croydon, CR0 1BJ; instructions of how to do this are on the website, www.giveusyourshirt.com. The information helpline is 020 8688 3939.

AND FINALLY … WHO IS DOING THE SPORT RELIEF MILE RUN ON 10 JULY?

It promises to be the biggest Mile event in history and you can be a part of it. Whether you want to "Go The Extra Mile" as fast as you can, stroll it with your family or dress up with your friends, the money you raise will help people living really tough lives here in the UK and overseas, so get ready to change the world by Miles on Sport Relief Saturday.

Get registered on www.sportrelief.com or call 08712 444411