The Grampound Times
Summer 2007 (Edition 45 - Carnival Edition)
Our community in Cornwall
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Edition 45
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T he competitive season finished in May with both first team and reserves having reasons to feel fairly pleased with themselves but there is also a slight sense of regret at what might have been. The first team recovered from an awful start to the season to lose only 3 of the last 20 matches in a very tough division, were very pleased to gain a promotion spot, but might have been champions. The first team will therefore start the new season in a higher division and the club expects the team to more than hold its own and a third promotion in five years is well within its grasp. The team has a very solid defensive record and with young goalkeeper Harry Cooke stepping up into the first team and putting in some outstanding performances in the last few matches, everyone is very optimistic for the new season.
The reserves had a mixed season, losing far too often by the odd goal when they were the better team, but always being competitive and enthusiastic. The reserves managed to beat the top teams yet come unstuck against far lesser opposition, but the last two games showed what was possible when they performed as well as they could. In those final matches eventual division champions Stratton United were well beaten and their challengers Gunnislake Reserves, needing a win to maintain their title challenge, were held to a draw in spite of strengthening their team with a good number of first-teamers from many divisions above.
The end of season Awards Evening, held in mid-May with a dinner at the Trewhiddle Inn, was very well attended and most enjoyable, with the awards being presented by Tristan Scott, Vice-Chairman of the Cornwall County Football Association. A number of fun awards were given out before the main awards below
Clubman of the Year : Alastair Woodman
First Team Player’s Player of the Year : Matt Fletcher
First Team Man-of-the-Match Award : Ryan Maker
First Team Young Player of the Year : Dean Dunn
Reserves Player’s Player of the Year : Harry Cooke
Reserves Man-of-the-Match Award : Mike Berry
Reserves Young Player of the Year : Mike Berry
Guest of honour Tristan Scott, after congratulating the club for its warm welcome and obvious good spirit, also presented a special certificate on behalf of the County FA to Tony Ford for his 25 years service to the club and thanked and congratulated him for his loyalty to the club. The club presented Tony with an inscribed tankard to mark the occasion.
After what seemed like a very short close season, pre-season training started at the beginning of July and twice weekly sessions and friendly matches go on until league matches begin towards the end of August. The first team manager will again be Glyn Leaney, assisted by Tony Ford now he has retired from playing, and Tim Topham continues as reserve team manager, assisted by Alastair Woodman. Pre-season friendly matches against clubs we do not normally play are always good for players and this year again we included our now Saturday traditional visit to Marazion for two games and a social evening which helps new players to feel part of the club.
The club will be entering very unfamiliar territory this season as we field our first youth team for many years and, believe it or not, a veterans team. Our under-15 team takes its place in the East Cornwall Youth League while the Vets will be playing friendlies and entering the Vets Devon and Cornwall Cup this season, before entering the county Veterans League next year. We have been recruiting youngsters in school years 9 and 10 in the coming September for our youth team and we are keen to recruit more local boys who want to play club football to increase the squad yet further. They will be led by qualified coaches and anyone else interested in joining the club should contact club secretary Alastair (01726 882332) or any other club member. Parents as volunteer helpers are also very welcome. Similarly, at the other end of the age scale, if anyone would like to join our veterans squad (you will need to be aged at least 35), please make contact. These exciting initiatives stem from our development plan which, in its draft form, has been warmly welcomed by the Cornwall County FA development team. Our plan has also been presented to the Parish Council and our landlords, Grampound Community Hall and Recreation Ground committee, and we will be asking for their support as we seek to expand and increase participation in football and as we improve and extend the facilities available to the club. The full draft plan can be viewed on the club’s web pages.
Running a football club, even a small one like ours, is a very expensive business. We are therefore hugely grateful to Paul and Shelley at the Dolphin Inn for agreeing to continue their sponsorship of Grampound Football Club. As well as regularly providing our teams and visitors with post-match food and refreshments after each and every game, with their finance we have been able to purchase new kit for our first team for the new season. We are now actively seeking sponsors for our youth and veterans teams and if you feel able to help we would love to hear from you. We also do a considerable amount of fundraising ourselves and at Carnival we will be running our annual Duck Race. Do please buy a ticket or two – you might even win the £100 first prize – but even if you don’t you know that your £1 ticket money has gone to help provide well-organised and healthy physical activity for young people.
Please come along and support your local club on match days – there is a men’s home match on most Saturdays and our youth and veterans teams will generally play on Sundays. You can keep up to date with our fixtures and results in the local press or on the club’s web pages, which also contain match reports.
Allan Webb
Chairman, Grampound FC
© 2006 Grampound with Creed Parish Council