2007/8 SEASON

League Postion: 10/13
Behaviour League Position: 1/13
Game Stats
Played: 24
Won: 6 (1 Walk Over)
Drawn: 1
Lost: 17
Goals For: 39 (3 awarded on Walk Over)
Goals Against: 81
Goal Difference: -42

_____________________________________________
Committee

Manager: Ian Howard
Coach: Nick Speroni
Captain: John Helm
Team Rep: Andrew Owen
____________________________________________
Player Awards

Player awards made at the splendid presentation evening, venue Tollington Park Baptist Church, on 17 May. Many thanks to all those who put so much effort into making it a great evening.

*Players Player: Daniel Spinola
*Managers Player: David Hambridge
*Committee's Player: Steve Speroni
*Ambassador of Season: Nathanael Field
*Top Scorer: Ferris Lindsay
________________________________________________
Player Stats

On Target: Calvin 5; Dwayne 2; Moses 1; Arsan 1; David 2; Nathanael 3; Ferris 14; Chris 1; Tim 1; Samuel 3; Daniel 3; Eddie 1; OG: 1

Most Yardage Covered: Daniel "Smokey" Spinola
Most Tackles: Ian "Graham Roberts" Howard
Most Blood Given: Steve "Terry Butcher" Speroni
Most Different Positions Played: David "Utility Man" Hambridge (or could it now be John "Paul Madeley" Helm?)
Best Enforcer: Eddie "The Enforcer" Campbell
Best Choir Boy: Chris "Choir Boy" Hawthorne (not sure where that one came from - Ed)
Most Comfortable Duvet: Samuel "It's a game of one half - ie the second half" Balogun
Most Micky Droy Like Player: Ben "Micky Droy" Cordle
Best Statistician: Tim "The Abacus" Collier
Most Requests To Borrow Someone Else's Shin Pads: Femi "Late (and that's not a milky coffee)" Onyreian
Worst Statistician: Tim "Statto" Collier
Best half time team talk: Trevor "Sicknote" Lindsay
Most things headed: John "Kenny Burns" Helm
Goal of the Season: Daniel "35 Yards" Spinola
Most Points For Wigan: Andrew "Two Codes" Owen
Most Years Since Last Played: Ferris "Stanley Matthews" Lindsay
Greatest Howler In Front of Goal: Andrew "Three points for Wigan" Owen
Best Support: Natalie "Flanders" Howard
Best Photographer: Linda
Best Launderer: Mrs Jackie "Dot" Howard
Most Clean Sheets: Steve Maverick Speroni (or should that be Mrs Jackie "Dot" Howard?)
________________________________________________
Game Reports

8 Sept: 2-1 Ecclesia : Oranges Open Account With Win But.....
22 Sept: 1-7 Camberwell : Oranges Squeezed
29 Sept: 0-4 ELT : Oranges Run Dry
06 Oct: 1-2 Walthamstow Parish : Oranges Pipped
20 Oct: 0-3 Blackhorse Road : Oranges Don't Get The Blues
27 Oct: 0-4 ICC Sons : Oranges Don't Get Rub Of the Green
03 Nov: 1-5 London All Stars : Oranges See Red
10 Nov: 0-6 Pembroke: Orange Is The Colour Of Heroes
24 Nov: 1-5 Springfield: Oranges & Lemons....
01 Dec: 7-1 All Nations: Terry's Oranges
08 Dec: 2-3 ELT: Oranges Make Friends
15 Dec: 5-0 Harmony: Harmonious Oranges?
05 Jan: 9-1 Cranbrook: Oranges on the Rampage
12 Jan: 1-5 Ecclesia: Oranges Peeled Apart
26 Jan: 0-2 Camberwell: Oranges and Blacks to the Wall
02 Feb: 0-4 ELT: Oranges in Pictures
09 Feb: 1-1 Walthamstow: TP Win by TKO
23 Feb: 0-9 Blackhorse Road: Oranges Off Colour
01 Mar: 0-4 ICC Sons
08 Mar: 1-7 London All Stars: Oranges At Sixes And Sevens
15 Mar: 3-4 Harmony FC: To Be or Not To Be
29 Mar: 2-4 Springfield FC: Orange not the Favourite Colour Of The Man In Black
19 Apr: 1-2 All Nations Centre: Rouge Bruise Oranges
26 Apr: 3-0 Pembroke House (Walk Over)

__________________________________________________ Who said?

1. "I'll be quite happy with mid table respectability"
2. "I can see everything from here"
3. "My dream has come true"

Answers

1. The Gaffer's upbeat (although privately stated) comments prior to the start of the season. Little did he know what was about to unfold....

2. The ref in our early season constest with Blackhorse Road. The man in black could not be persuaded to wear anything but black so in effect became the Blackhorse Road 12th man. As a self imposed compromise he took himself off to the halfway line on the sideline at half time and then confessed himself happy with his decision with the now infamous remark. Needless to say, although he could see us, we did not see him again for the rest of the season.

3. Two Codes. At the tender age of 28, and his dream of a church based football team fulfilled already, has this man got anything else to live for?
________________________________________________
Christmas Specials

Christmas Meal: Remember The Stuffing?

Oranges and Lemons

Springfield 5 v 1 TPBCFC

24 November. Wanstead Flats

Unfortunately no such nursery rhyme or fairy tale this week.

Tollington Park started strongly, looking to exploit Springfield's 10 man squad but struggled to find the back of the net. Ferris Lindsey doing a sterling job up front, but even he could not find the break-through goal.

Even with ten men Springfield continued to worry the visitors with the kind of direct passing that eludes the Oranges. Tollington Park did frustrate the home team and created more chances than in all the other games, but again failed to convert these into goals. Springfield finally found the back of the Oranges net with some clinical striking from their number 12, the smallest man on the pitch.

Steve 'Maverick' Speroni showed why he is the first choice keeper for Tollington with some magnificent saves (one shot notably caught between his legs!) but even he was unable to stop the torrent of clinical shooting from the home teams attack. Springfield's second goal was no exception with the tricky number 12 chipping the ball over Steve's head as he was isolated by the Oranges flagging defence.

At half time it was clear that TPFC were frustrated with their first half performance, with Nick Speroni and Ian Howard trying hard to rally the team. It was also clear who was putting their all into the game, despite the score-line with David Hambridge and Nat Field covered in mud.
The second half brought further disappointment with a lack of communication in defence, allowing Springfield to slot home a decent half-volley off an undefended corner.

3-0 down and it seemed that Tollington were in for another tough time, however, after a blooper from the Springfield keeper that left him close to his right-backs touch-line, Ferris Lindsey was able to slot one home into an open goal. Tollington were buoyed by this comic but nonetheless important goal and could see a chance to get back into contention. This was quashed however by another clinical finish from the Springfield's hungry attack.

Maverick was obviously fired up and decided to attack an Orange corner. Maybe Steve would like a stint at striker in the next game?! The Tollington goalie running the full length of the pitch and screaming for the ball, only having to run back at full tilt to defend Springfield's immediate counter.

Springfield again stretched their legs and slotted home a further two great goals, and showed Tollington Park that they have a lot more work to put in if they are to contend. The Oranges can however look forward to the next few games as they are set to play the lower end of the table. These must-win games will show if Tollington Park have what it takes to lift themselves out of second from bottom, and prove that we have the quality that they do possess.
Man of the match: David Hambridge for his sheer determination and grit - no clean kits this week!!

Team: Steve Speroni, Andrew Owen, Ian Howard, Samuel Balogun, Eddie Campbell, Nick Speroni, John Helm, David Hambridge, Dwayne Mitchell, Ferris Lindsay, Nathanael Field

Support: Mr Speroni senior, Natalie, Sonia, Linda, young lady who accompanied Samuel Balogun

Conditions: Distinctly Siberian

Writer: Andrew Owen

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)