PNS Various

[Tommy Trophy]

Because of the havoc to the County Cup schedule caused by the bad weather our top-of-the-table clash with Irchester United will now take place next Saturday, January 16th 3pm at Chestnut Avenue.

Should be quite interesting!

[Big G]

Very good side Tommy, we played them in the cup, held our own for 60 minutes then they took control. Watched you boys last week and I think this will be a cracking game, They have a very strong and powerful front man but gave us the wings far to easy. Your boys played across the park last week so I`ll go for you to nick the game by an odd goal...

I must add we are no where near the level off either side so its just an opinion of a mid table Div 1 side...

Good luck to both teams. Irchester made us feel more than welcome and I thank them for that...

[Tommy Trophy]

Irchester have made a couple of signings since they played you Gino from higher level football so will be extra tough.

On your point re hospitality I have to say that it is really good in the UCL - everywhere has a clubhouse naturally and make an effort with food.

Just an update re pitch and weather, there is standing water on the pitch - it has not stopped raining today and the forecast is wet all the way between now and kick off, so I would have to say we are in some doubt.

[Harbs]

Its been relentless!
Looks like its going to be another postponement!
Lots of mid week games on the agenda!!

[Admin]

Not as many as for Kings Cliffe United FC, we've only played 6 matches this season and it's almost February!

[Tommy Trophy]

Unfortunately the constant rain has waterlogged the Chestnut Avenue pitch and we are off as well today

[Tommy Trophy]

Huge congrats to Seamus & Mark as our stiffs go marching on! They reached their 2nd cup final yesterday. Having already secured a place in the County Cup final they beat ON Chenecks 4-2 to reach the League Cup final in their first season in the top division. Goalscorers were Josh Moreman with a hat-tick with the other coming from his teenage strike partner Luke Watkins. This was despite playing for an hour with 10 men after Carl Harper had been sent off for a professional foul. Quite a turn around for a side that went bottom of the table on September 12th after a 10-1 away defeat at Stotfold!

[Glasgow Rangers Champions]

Fantastic for the Peterborough area Tommy and PNS well done lads!!

[Tommy Trophy]

Thanks Macca - unfortunately the boys have taken their eye off the ball since getting to the finals and lost 3 on the bounce in the league since!

Also want to give a mention to Seb Hayes and team for the job he has started to do with the youth set up. The under 18's won 1-0 at Yaxley Thursday and every starting player is eligible to play again next season - 2 guys in the middle of the park have only just turned 16. Netherton have a good youth section in the city and Al benefits from a strong youth side down at Huntingdon. For me it is imperative that we look to develop the best players in the city and bring them through into the senior sides.

Our immediate concern of course is getting into the UCL Premier - we had our ground passed yesterday and now have to do the business on the pitch - tough with Irchester & Eynesbury breathing down our necks and we have a must win game at home to Wootton on Wednesday night (7.45)

[Glasgow Rangers Champions]

whos macca Tommy????

[carefree]

we do have a great youth set up, there are many kids i would love week in week out right now, but as most are playing for their collage,hunts county fa, plus our u18's, i rarely get them, as they turn 18 and become to old for all off the above, then i expect to see some with our 1st team next season.

[Tommy Trophy]

Sorry my error!

Advanced dementure really starting to kick in now

[Tommy Trophy]

Nice to go over to Oundle for the first time in a few years last night and watch our Youth Side come away with a 2-1 win. There are still all the old faces there on the side (and a few on the pitch) and with the likes of Danny Wilder and Danny Steward in their side as well as some quick looking guys up top it will be interesting to see how they get on.

Looks like we will have a pretty competitive U18's this year and will be good to keep bringing them through the reserves and hopefully into the first team at some point.

Caught up on a load of Peterborough League gossip whilst there and it seems that there are quite a few teams with problems ahead of the season - still Pinchbeck for me!

[Admin]

That bodes well for our season with FC Inter then Tommy. You can't read too much into friendlies, but I am happy with the the draw that we got against the young (and I must say very competent and exciting) PNS side who beat Oundle; with strong players like Bannie, Plastow, Wilder, Randall, et al, playing against them.

[Tommy Trophy]

Looking forward to our first big game of the season down at Chestnut Avenue tomorrow night when we entertain Deeping Rangers (Kick Off 7.45pm - Entrance £5)

Only Spurs in some irrelavant game in Switzerland as competition on the box (and "The Deep" I suppose!)

Would be good to get a crowd nicely into 3 figures and a win of course.

[wtfamu]

£5 a game, wasn't it only £2 last season?

You been taken over by the Glazers?

[Tommy Trophy]

£5 is the norm for UCL Premier Division - Kings Lynn is £8! (Last Year we were £3.50).

Increased charges come in all the way up the football ladder - personally I would much rather it was cheaper, but running a club at this level is expensive and we spend money in generally keeping the facilities at Chestnut Avenue up to scratch from which everyone benefits when it comes to cup finals at the end of the year, so it is not a difficult one to justify.

Kings Lynn in town today and expecting a pretty decent crowd in, but a difficult game and the start of 3 successive Saturday games against the top 3 sides in the league - wouldn't swap it though!

[Admin]

Good luck Tommy. How is Bebé (Avelino) getting along?

[BEZZA1980]

Unlucky saturday Tommy, just couldnt find the back of the net. Definately had your chances, thought the referee was very poor, some very poor decisions.

[Tommy Trophy]

Agree Bezza and we can only be encouraged by how we took on 1 of the 3 title favourites and matched them - even with a bit of a makeshift back 4.

Marquez - Avelino having to bide his time a bit and only started 1 game so far, but no doubt his chance to shine will come

St.Neots away this Saturday but can't complain - we were desperate to get up and face this sort of challenge and you have to try and enjoy the good and the bad!

[Tommy Trophy]

Finally felt as if we joined in with the rest of what is a brutal Premier Division last night when winning 4-1 at Sleaford.

Our policy of playing youngsters is starting bear fruit. Al - looks like you were right - we should have been starting Dan Clements and the 19-year old had a sparkling full debut, scoring 2 and setting another up. We even got 16-year old midfielder Andy Buckle onto the pitch late on along with 18-year old Josh Moreman.

Really enjoying the challenge - Kings Lynn was a great day at Chestnut Avenue and we played well - our visitors were verty complimentary about us as a team and club. Also good to go to St Neots and come away with a point. Most of the people there were very hospitable and gracious as well - a shame that some of their fans felt the need to go on their own forum and belittle us with "pub team" comments and the like, but as you can imagine I just lap that sort of stuff up!

Deeping next Tuesday at our place again as we see how long we can defend the Hinchingbrooke Cup for before another tricky trip to St Ives - bring it on!

[BEZZA1980]

Think you will give St Ives a game Tommy, i watched them against Yaxley last night and it was a bore draw 0-0. As long as you get your shooting boots on like it looks like you have you will get a result. Thats mt prediction

[carefree]

i ve know young clememts since his psv days, a class act, have to say that chris seems to have his favs (oldies), if the kids are good enough they should play, moreman should have played the whole of the season last time round, then maybe pns wouldnt have been runners up. good to see that plumbs is learning from it.

[Tommy Trophy]

I think by definition all managers have their favourites (i.e. the 11 they pick!) and all will have 1 or 2 that the majority of other people may not pick. In the past I used to love to have Dave Pierre and Micky Bullard in my teams and more recently Eddie Patten because of what they brought to the team aside from footballing ability, when others could not see what I did. Someone like Chris Garwell is also a "marmite" player and he got double figure goals from midfield the year we won UCL Division 1, but raised a lot of eyebrows for getting selected.

Our squad on Tuesday night had 9 players aged 22 or younger and we made a conscious effort in the summer to rdeuce the age of our squad on the basis that we just wanted to settle into the Prem and go for it over the following 2 seasons, so it was a bit pointless having old players that we would have to replace in the near future anyway.

The result is a squad with loads of pace and youthful exhuberance, albeit a little naive at times and we will continue to lose games this season because of that, but gain valuable experience.

[Back of the Net]

Good posts these guys, keep them coming, it's great to get an insight into how you're doing things and how you percieve them etc...
Hope Hunts and PNS do well this season - your posts do keep you guys in mind and on the odd occassion some of us will end up down supporting your teams when possible (I know I will anyhow.)

[carefree]

my team has changed massively since last season, we have a very young side which is 65% huntingdon lads now, a young and talented team. a stable bunch who now train every week, work hard for each other, confident and in with a real chance to join you next season in the prem i hope. jamie graham has only played 1 game this season, chris brown amd brett bellamy have played none.have just signed another two 18 year olds who played in our youth set up last season. huntingdon town is on the up and up. bigger gates now, just need a local top business man with plenty to give to join our ranks, htfc is set in 34 acres, much bigger then most pro clubs, so i feel it is a real sleeping giant just waiting for a max griggs. if this happens it could spell the end for me, but i only set out to make clubs better then when i joined them.

[BEZZA1980]

Good work Al. Dont forget to post your fixtures so we can get down to watch.

[Admin]

It's all about moving onwards and upwards Al. You need people that you can rely on to be there every week and not stir any trouble in the background; players that work for each other and want the club to succeed, not just themselves.

It looks like you have that now. I will be keeping an eye on your reserve team's results too, as that's a good indicator of the strength in depth at the club, plus I know a couple of lads at Bourne too, who you'll be playing against.

Like Ross and Bezza said, it's great to get a UCL/semi-pro perspective from Al and Tommy. It's a shame that Yaxley, Blackstones & Deeping Rangers officials can't get on here too.

I live near Mr Weston from March, so may have a word with him too, to keep us updated as to his club's progress.

[carefree]

jamie isnt happy with things at the mo with march, so until they start to do well best he keeps his ranting to his players.

[Tommy Trophy]

Heady days down at Chestnut Avenue!! 8 wins and a draw in the last 9 and yesterday was our best performance to date with a 4-1 mauling of St Ives who boast the likes of Danny Matson, Lee Ellison & David Cobb in their ranks.

Might have to enjoy it while it lasts though as we have a tricky looking derby with St.Neots Reserves (sorry Deeping Rangers!) away on Tuesday night and then long trips to Long Buckby and Southern League Daventry Town in the county cup - personally I will be happy with just 1 win out of that lot.

[BEZZA1980]

3 out of 3 Tommy. Come on stay positive