The Grampound Times
Christmas 2006 (Edition 43)
Our community in Cornwall
Grampound Football Club
The opening months of the new season have brought mixed fortunes to the football club. The pre-season period went superbly, with excellent results against some very strong opponents but the opening league matches did not go to plan and some disappointing results meant a worrying time for both first team and reserve team managers. Both teams were playing very well, but were also leaking goals at bad times and finding it difficult to put the ball in the opponents’ net. At the time of writing, though, I am pleased to say that both teams seem to have turned a corner and are now getting the results that their play deserves. We hope that the first team will be among the promotion contenders in its division and we look to the reserves to consolidate their position in a highly competitive group of teams.
A very positive aspect of running two teams is that it gives the club the opportunity to blood young players and bring them on in a slightly less pressured atmosphere. Greg Dunn and Shane Weeks are two young players who have developed well and are now regulars in the first team. Brothers Andy and Ritchie James have played well in the reserves and are now appearing in the first team fairly regularly and Dean Dunn (Greg’s younger brother) and Mike Berry are two excellent young prospects who have have both made their first team debuts in recent weeks.
The football club has the responsibility for cutting the grass in the Recreation Ground and over the last three years we have worked hard to improve the Rec’s general appearance as well as the quality of the football pitch. In due course we hope, through the Football Foundation, to gain funding to develop the club further and that would include putting in drainage and re-laying the pitch, but have resolved until that money becomes available to do what we can to make the pitch, and the Rec. in general, as good as it can be. To that end the club has spent considerable amounts of money and time in deep tining, re-seeding, fertilising, and general maintenance. It was therefore very disappointing, to say the least, to discover on the last Sunday in October, after a couple of wet weeks, that some mindless morons decided that it would be clever to drive their cars around the pitch. The pitch, in 5 minutes, was ruined. Our league has been very understanding and did their best to re-arrange our home matches, and I have been overwhelmed with suggestions and offers of help from our friends at neighbouring clubs. We are hugely indebted to Andrew Perry of Creed Lane for carrying out prompt repairs for us and at the time of writing it looks like the pitch will have been out of action for about a month while it recovers. This may have repercussions towards the end of the season when fixture congestion is normal most years but could well prove a very difficult time if both teams have to play three matches a week to complete fixtures. The Rec has been plagued by boy racers throughout the last summer and it seems that the club will need to discuss with its landlords, the recreation ground committee, some way of preventing unwarranted vehicle access. Whatever is done will cost money which we would have preferred to have spent in more positive ways such as developing the club to create even more opportunities for young people to participate in sport.
On a more pleasant note, the football club will be playing its traditional Boxing Day friendly challenge match (kick off 10.30am) and if in need of some fresh air why not join us for what is always an enjoyable game followed in the Dolphin Inn by the presentation of the trophy and a drink. Another interesting fixture is the first team’s last home game of 2006 on Saturday 23 rd December when local rivals Probus are the visitors. This derby match, I suspect, will not contain too much of the Christmas spirit but is always a full-blooded, hard fought and usually entertaining match. If you want to escape the Christmas shopping the kick-off is at 2.30pm.
As a club we welcome new players or anyone interested in helping out with training, coaching, running the line, or any of the many other things that go on in a busy club. Training through the winter months takes place at The Roseland School new sports hall every Wednesday at 7.45pm and anyone interested in joining the club and coming along will be most welcome. Youngsters need to be 15 in order to play in adult football (16 from next season), but if not quite this age they are still welcome to attend training sessions where they will be looked after well.
Information, news, results and match reports can be found at www.grampound.org.uk/football .
Allan Webb
Chairman
© 2006 Grampound with Creed Parish Council