OK, i'm signed in, it's late, am a little bit pissed from a trip round a few Conwy public houses (more stories attached, i'll divulge them shortly!), but... I had to log on and tap in about Wrexhams new boss, Brian Little.
I was fortunate enough to get into Wrexham FCs Centenary Club last night to hear the open-forum/discussion with the new manager. This is a regular, 2/3 times a season opportunity,the fans get to chat and question the manager of the club; this was Little's 1st. He spoke at great length about his background as a player and as a manager, this guy is seriously experienced in the football world - and seriously could talk all night long about it! It seems almost fate that he and Brian Carey are working together at Wrexham: Little bought and managed Carey at Leicester, the two seem to be a good match-up. He seemed to have genuine ambition with Wrexham FC, I hope he's not just putting himself in the shop window at Wrexham - but his talk persuaded me he isn't!
What I did find very interesting was his method of team selection prior to his first game, and this wasn't just any old 1st game, but notorious fierce derby, and current high-up-the-table: Chester City FC. His selection and management process was thus: "I will not look at previous team sheets (a stressed no no! and I believe he didnt!), I will watch the lads all week in training, watch the international call-ups "who clearly must have something about them" (Steve Evans, Neil Taylor and Marc Williams) on their return in training and select a team based on training efforts and abilities in the 10 days between taking charge and the 1st game".
This resulted in a fantastic team selection against Chester. As a fan of defensive systems and players myself; seeing Steve Evans, Richie Hope, Shaun Pejic, Neil Taylor and Wes Baynes run out I was delighted... except for my question of, who's he? (Wes Baynes). I'd seen a few pre-season reserve games, and hadn't noted Wes Baynes! But, he was a player who had obviously impressed Little. This was a player from the youth system and a reserve regular, he was given his debut in the 1st team under Littles 1st game in perhaps the biggest derby, he'd not even figured as a sub previous to last Sunday! Testament to Little's selection process.
A question from the floor of "What do you make of the drinking culture amongst players around the town?" - a question which definitely took Little by surprise (thankfully!), and one he said he would ask the question about and "get to the bottom of, if there is any truth in the allegation".
Can I just say too - Neil Taylor, who i do seem to go on about far too much, was fantastic last Sunday running the left-back position, and out-pacing any winger/striker and putting in his now (for me) trademark "hard sliding tackle".
Will I regret this post of bigging up Brian Little and the seemingly re-juvinated Wrexham FC, after an away defeat tomorrow afternoon to Rochdale, probably not! Little came across as, and I beleive is, a genuine bloke with a genuine ambition with Wrexham at heart. Please prove me right, and again, mid-table anonymity this season = great strives forward!
Singing off, bit pissed.
30 November, 2007
27 November, 2007
Long Weekend Part I - (A New) Hope
I woke up last Saturday, about 8am, knowing it would be around 36 hours before I get back into a bed. An action-packed weekend was planned. First, to Mold market to pickup a few 'classic' market buys, you know; cheap size D batteries, a Thermos, a torch which might last a night and a beanie hat and some cheap probably out of date crisps and snacks and what-not, all in preparation for the night ahead.
But it was still only early afternoon, so how would I wile away the hours before dark? Check the local football action in the Flintshire Chronicle in WHSmith of course. The nearest action to my location was at Hope Sports Centre, where Castell Alun Colts FC (Hope) were in a top of the table clash with Mold Alexandra. I'd not seen "The Alex" in my time in the locality, and as this league is a feeder league to the Cymru Alliance (Conwy's league), that was my game of choice. I park up at Hope Sports/Leisure Centre, also twinned with the high school in Hope, Ysgol Castell Alun, I amble over to the pitch with the activity of players and a few spectators. I presume the school and football club is in someway named after the looming ruins of Caergwrle castle overlooking the village.
Whilst making this amble over to pitchside, dodging puddles and trying not to slide on the mud, an old man with moustache, hearing aid, wearing a light brown trenchcoat and donning a trilby hat and carrying a stack of perhaps 100 paper cups, caught me up in the mud (I was wearing slippy shoes, he was in boots, ok). I asked "Is this where The Alex are playing today?" as he passed me, "Yes" he replied slightly excited, and immediately suspected 'I wasn't from around here' by asking "Where have you come from today?"... we quickly descended into a full-on football conversation.
Turns out he is the founder of Castell Alun Colts FC, "I set this club up in 1972" he exclaims as we approach the 'roped off' pitch. Imagine your old school football pitch with a lame rope around it propped up by iron pegs... "We have to be called Castell Alun, as the school demanded it - if we are to use their pitch and facilities, we were to use their name also". Fairly harsh. "We have to put this pathetic rope around the pitch too, we're not allowed to put fixed railings around the pitch, because of health and safety!".
Within 1 minute of chatting to him about the Clwyd / Flintshire / Wrexham lower league setup (of which his team was flying high in the areas Premier League), he told me how Castell Alun have won this league twice in the last 10 years, but on both occassions had to forfeit promotion because the schools refusal to line the pitch with railings (a basic requirement of Cymru Alliance clubs). If they win the league again this season, he said that he'll be moving the club away from the school. From a distance he proudly introduced me to the coaching staff and players, pointing out the manager used to be a member of the Wrexham FC coaching staff until recently, and a few of his teenage 'stars' he asked me to keep an eye on. He disappeared into the gaggle of coaches players and avid (perhaps 40) fans; he was something of a local character, that was obvious.
I was wanting Castell Alun FC to turn Mold over before the game had begun following the conversation with their founder. It took 2 minutes for Mold to get ahead. Full match report here (which confirms an attendance of "38", nice!). It was seriously windy, seriously cold pitchside, and no refreshments in miles... But half-time brought up a slightly embaressing situation, the raffle. The founder, who i'd spoke to at length was the one walking around selling the raffle tickets at half-time, i'm sure he banked on my contribution, i had 45p in my pocket, and knew it wouldn't be enough, so I slipped and slid back over to the car park and re-emerged for the second half - well, it was cold! The game finished 1-2 to Mold, good stuff, i'd be back somewhen (and will buy two raffle tickets next time).
Night was drawing in. I leave the village of Hope and head towards Wrexham...
But it was still only early afternoon, so how would I wile away the hours before dark? Check the local football action in the Flintshire Chronicle in WHSmith of course. The nearest action to my location was at Hope Sports Centre, where Castell Alun Colts FC (Hope) were in a top of the table clash with Mold Alexandra. I'd not seen "The Alex" in my time in the locality, and as this league is a feeder league to the Cymru Alliance (Conwy's league), that was my game of choice. I park up at Hope Sports/Leisure Centre, also twinned with the high school in Hope, Ysgol Castell Alun, I amble over to the pitch with the activity of players and a few spectators. I presume the school and football club is in someway named after the looming ruins of Caergwrle castle overlooking the village.Whilst making this amble over to pitchside, dodging puddles and trying not to slide on the mud, an old man with moustache, hearing aid, wearing a light brown trenchcoat and donning a trilby hat and carrying a stack of perhaps 100 paper cups, caught me up in the mud (I was wearing slippy shoes, he was in boots, ok). I asked "Is this where The Alex are playing today?" as he passed me, "Yes" he replied slightly excited, and immediately suspected 'I wasn't from around here' by asking "Where have you come from today?"... we quickly descended into a full-on football conversation.
Turns out he is the founder of Castell Alun Colts FC, "I set this club up in 1972" he exclaims as we approach the 'roped off' pitch. Imagine your old school football pitch with a lame rope around it propped up by iron pegs... "We have to be called Castell Alun, as the school demanded it - if we are to use their pitch and facilities, we were to use their name also". Fairly harsh. "We have to put this pathetic rope around the pitch too, we're not allowed to put fixed railings around the pitch, because of health and safety!".
Within 1 minute of chatting to him about the Clwyd / Flintshire / Wrexham lower league setup (of which his team was flying high in the areas Premier League), he told me how Castell Alun have won this league twice in the last 10 years, but on both occassions had to forfeit promotion because the schools refusal to line the pitch with railings (a basic requirement of Cymru Alliance clubs). If they win the league again this season, he said that he'll be moving the club away from the school. From a distance he proudly introduced me to the coaching staff and players, pointing out the manager used to be a member of the Wrexham FC coaching staff until recently, and a few of his teenage 'stars' he asked me to keep an eye on. He disappeared into the gaggle of coaches players and avid (perhaps 40) fans; he was something of a local character, that was obvious.
I was wanting Castell Alun FC to turn Mold over before the game had begun following the conversation with their founder. It took 2 minutes for Mold to get ahead. Full match report here (which confirms an attendance of "38", nice!). It was seriously windy, seriously cold pitchside, and no refreshments in miles... But half-time brought up a slightly embaressing situation, the raffle. The founder, who i'd spoke to at length was the one walking around selling the raffle tickets at half-time, i'm sure he banked on my contribution, i had 45p in my pocket, and knew it wouldn't be enough, so I slipped and slid back over to the car park and re-emerged for the second half - well, it was cold! The game finished 1-2 to Mold, good stuff, i'd be back somewhen (and will buy two raffle tickets next time).
Night was drawing in. I leave the village of Hope and head towards Wrexham...
22 November, 2007
Wales didn't qualify, but!
Positive about the future. Last night, Wales get a 0-0 draw, away, against "football superpower" Germany, in an international qualifier. Made all the more remarkable with the players fit and available to Wales: Hennessey, Ricketts, Gabbidon, Collins, Nyatanga, Gunter, Fletcher, Davies, Edwards, Ledley, Earnshaw (Easter 55). 6 eligible for the Wales U21team - who in the last week have beaten France (a country with a youth policy second to none) 4-2 in Cardiff, and Bosnia 4-0 in Wrexham and on course for qualifying for the U21 Euros - weldone Brian Flynn and the Welsh FA. This 'was' a match the Germans wanted to win, fielding a strong side to finish their group topping campaign with a win (Miroslav Klose, World Cup golden boot winner anybody?), the boo's from the stands testament to Wales' performance. So I thought i'd tune into BBC Five Lives 606 phone-in...
It seemed another game was melting the 606 phonelines... I saw the last 25 minutes of this England game, i saw Crouch's goal to bring them level, and my first thought was "Fuck! The summer brigade of quasi-England fans with St George flags wedged in their car windows will be in a North Wales town near me" - you know, the ones which look like an ambassador is visiting, except when on a mid-range family saloon. So when sub Petric wrapped his left peg round the Croatian 3rd, the relief was immense... I then began to look closer at everything, McClaren continued to be silent, supping mainly on a bottle of water wedged into the dug-out with "Big Tel", it then cuts to Bilic stomping every inch of the Wembley technical area screaming orders, hand gesturing orders to every player, he was still on the attack - in a 'doesnt matter' game for them, they could have rolled over and lit up an Havana cigar. Where was England's "we'll shed blood for a point, what ever it takes" attitude from the players? It had all but gone, and only Motson was on hand to gee up the England fans watching on TV with a 91st minute corner "PLEASE let Beckham take it, please!", sounding as pathetic as his comment less than 60 seconds later informing us "Andorra still only trail by a goal to nil against Russia"... final whistle, cut to Ian Wright, who definitely wasn't feelin' like chicken tonight. Simply brilliant TV!
The 606 phone-in consisted mainly of: McClaren out, ban all foreigners ever from the Premier League, where was the passion?, re-vamp football in school PE lessons, and of course McClaren out some more. Download the podcast and frankly, have a bloody good gut-laugh! Wales barely got a mention, but it just didn't matter, with the future of talent I saw at the U21 match at the Racecourse last Saturday night, Tuesdays U21 win over France, and last nights full international v Germany - our time will come. Cadwch y fydd!
It seemed another game was melting the 606 phonelines... I saw the last 25 minutes of this England game, i saw Crouch's goal to bring them level, and my first thought was "Fuck! The summer brigade of quasi-England fans with St George flags wedged in their car windows will be in a North Wales town near me" - you know, the ones which look like an ambassador is visiting, except when on a mid-range family saloon. So when sub Petric wrapped his left peg round the Croatian 3rd, the relief was immense... I then began to look closer at everything, McClaren continued to be silent, supping mainly on a bottle of water wedged into the dug-out with "Big Tel", it then cuts to Bilic stomping every inch of the Wembley technical area screaming orders, hand gesturing orders to every player, he was still on the attack - in a 'doesnt matter' game for them, they could have rolled over and lit up an Havana cigar. Where was England's "we'll shed blood for a point, what ever it takes" attitude from the players? It had all but gone, and only Motson was on hand to gee up the England fans watching on TV with a 91st minute corner "PLEASE let Beckham take it, please!", sounding as pathetic as his comment less than 60 seconds later informing us "Andorra still only trail by a goal to nil against Russia"... final whistle, cut to Ian Wright, who definitely wasn't feelin' like chicken tonight. Simply brilliant TV!
The 606 phone-in consisted mainly of: McClaren out, ban all foreigners ever from the Premier League, where was the passion?, re-vamp football in school PE lessons, and of course McClaren out some more. Download the podcast and frankly, have a bloody good gut-laugh! Wales barely got a mention, but it just didn't matter, with the future of talent I saw at the U21 match at the Racecourse last Saturday night, Tuesdays U21 win over France, and last nights full international v Germany - our time will come. Cadwch y fydd!
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