FC CRUSADERS NEWSLETTER     11 October 2003    www.fc-crusaders.co.uk
"The Friendly Football Club" (Founded 2001)

WE HAVE A HOME GROUND!

WE HAVE TWO QUALIFIED COACHES!!

WE NOW HAVE KIT FOR THE BOYS!!!

WE HAVEN'T WON YET, BUT IT WILL COME!!!!

ALBURY CRICKET CLUB is, as you know, where we play our home games and we have already had some highly competitive matches there. We are very grateful to Albury CC for agreeing to let us play on their ground, to Michael Baxter for putting in a good word for us, to all the Dads who came along to help us with the pitch marking a few Saturdays ago, to Jackie Montague and Sue Jeffreys who organised teas and bacon butties on our first match day and to everyone who has filled in rabbit holes and sorted out goal nets to get us ready for action each week. It has been a real team effort that we hope will continue, particularly as there is so much more to do each match (and at each training session) than the team managers can possibly cope with on their own. Thank you!

LUIGI GAUDELLI has been coaching the boys for a while now and we are beginning to see resulting improvements in their play that have allowed for much more evenly fought games. We have asked Luigi to concentrate for now on the basic skills, fitness, rules and tactics that are essential requirements to compete at 1 1-a-side; we hope the boys have been enjoying the structured approach that Luigi brings to our coaching each Saturday. We suspect some of the lads would prefer it if we simply had a two-hour kick-about but they can see the value of the organised sessions, even if it is hard work. There is more good news in that we have now secured regular support from RICHARD HODGSON, who helped us in the summer and is available again. We hope the boys will benefit from having these qualified coaches with us and will be able to translate what they learn into consistently improved match performances.

On Tuesday 7 October, some four months after we placed our order, WE RECEIVED OUR BLACK AND RED KIT. Text messages and emails along the lines of "the eagle has landed' went out to the Committee members that afternoon and, not without relief, disbelief and awe, some of us gathered to admire the results of our persistent chasing in all its splendour. It is really good quality kit, is large enough to last more than a season and will make us all proud each time we take the field. Again, we want to thank everyone, parents and players, for your patience, understanding and support during a difficult time for us. The white kit is promised for next week and who is to say that is not realistic . ..?

RESULTS Referee Scorers Man of the Match
Knights 3 Oxshott 4 (Friendly) Tim Jaye Andy B (2), Hugo RobertJ
Oxshott 4 Knights 1 (SPL) Andy B Tim
Hawks 0 Beecholme Colts 14 (County Cup) Jake Kehoe James
Knights 2 Battlebridge 4 (County Cup) Jake Kehoe Andy B (2) Andy B
Mayford Athletic 3 Hawks 1 (GSDL) Hugo Danny
Knights 1 Knaphll 4 (SPL) Tony Boyle Shreyas Harry N
Guildford FC 2000 2 Hawks 1 (GSDL) Andy B Steven

EVENTS QUIZ NIGHT FUNDRAISER, ST P1 US' CHURCH HALL SATURDAY 8 NOVEMBER
Our annual friendly quiz competition for parent members and friends. Your entry fee to the competition will get you a buffet supper and a prize if your team wins. We'll run a donation bar, as usual. It would be great to have as many of you at this light hearted and not exactly cerebral event as can make it that evening. Tickets will be available from Penny on and after Saturday 18 October, by when we'll have details of the precise cost and the start time

SPECIAL COACHING EVENT: READING FC PROVISIONALLY - SATURDAY 10 JANUARY

We think this is a fantastic opportunity for our players to visit Reading's fabulous Madejski Stadium, have a coaching session with their professional staff, then watch Steve Coppell's team's Nationwide League First Division match (if we are lucky enough to secure places on the day we have chosen) against lpswich Town. We can offer a place to any child wishing to attend for £15. Adult tickets for the match cost £18 each. Please register your interest with Penny as soon as possible. Important: Transport and childcare arrangements for this event will be applicable to our matches.

Finally... There is a Football Association CHARTER STANDARD for youth organisations such as ours, promoted by Surrey FA, and we considering applying for a basic award. We think having the FA Charter Standard could give us certain advantages, such as access to Football Foundation funding (not possible without it) and use of the charter mark to indicate to members and potential members that we achieve benchmark coaching, organisational and child protection standards and we follow the FA's philosophy on sportsmanship and on providing equal access regardless of ability. Being small and comparatively easy to organise (!), we believe our Club already meets many of the Charter Standard requirements. We'll let you know how we get on.

FC Crusaders, affiliated since 2001 to the Surrey County Youth Football Association;
competing in 2003/2004 in the Guildford, Shere & District League and the Surrey Primary League

Chairman: Ian Lee Secretary: Penny Bolton, 270 London Road, Guildford, GU4 7LF 01483 457998
e-mail address: penny.bolton@btopenworld.com website: www.fc-crusaders.co.uk