What in the name of Christ?! I go to London for a week and half the team has turned to poetry to express their feelings on matters!! Something different I guess, although I cant see any of your works ending up in a collection of 'Worlds best Poetry 2003'. Maybe 'The Worst Poetry in the World....Ever!! Part 4.'. Or even 'Fraud: How to spot fake poetry'. Really dont know what the hell I'm going on about now.

You see, you have all been trying to be too conventional, didnt you learn anything at School?! Poetry doesnt have to rhyme...

Choose Blackpool, Choose Sinless, Choose an Essex Boy T-shirt, Choose the Tower, Choose Heavy Drinking, Choose wondering who the f**k you are on a sunday morning, Choose travelling 400 miles, Hungover, to play Vodafone, Choose £10 all-inclusive, Choose the Beach, Choose being run over by a tram (Neil...), Choose watching Smurf start a fight, Choose watching Dave Lewis finish a fight, Choose testing how sick you feel by going on the country's largest rollercoaster, Choose talking to Steve about how he can improve his game,...You get the idea...

(I should point out that, although it appears I have simple copied Irvine Welsh, he actually copied me...)

Oh, Julie, Unlucky the other night. No, seriously. No really. Honestly, you played well. You put up a good fight for a small Nationwide team attempting to survive with the big boys. Keep plugging away in there, there are still 35 games to go before its confirmed...

Yep, I'm playing.

Quite looking forward to it. (Although I'm sober so I dunno how well I'll play!)

Footy = Blackpool = Beer = Naked Women = Beer = Smurf getting fingered = Smelly finger for Steve!!

Liked the Genghis one, it rhymes but it's true...

There was an old timer called Curtis,
And talking of c*cks he had hurt his,
We all had a look
And checked in a book
And it turned out that he had caught herpes

Obviously you need to pronounce the last word a little twisted, but no worse than rhyming blackpool with bagfull.

Ive been in Sinless for the last week mate. Are you playing tonight?

Cheers Paul, logged on last week but haven't had a chance to put anything... Now i'm in Blackpool mode, I can't be arsed to work...

Cheers Neil, maybe your right, it wasn't that bad!! Or maybe your just in Sinless mode already!!

Just read mine again and realised it's absolutely shi*e...!

Sorry!! (Poetry obviously isn't my strong point, I'll take up apple bobbing or summit!!)

Paul I like Matt's, I think it might of had something to do with the girls and no clothes though.

There's 17 lads from Shefford,
There off to Blackpool purely to get leathered,

There'll see pub, clubs and boats,
Which will cost a few notes,

But it's only a fiver a go,
To see girls with no clothes!

Just about rhymes.

Paul, your 3rd poem sounds like my typical day. Just finished playing Gangsters 2.

There was a midfielder called Browny
Who moved to Reading, the towny
He rose in the air, and headed with flair
But it turned out he was gay

Good point, but Wolves held Man U (a better team than Arsenal though it pains me to say it) to only a 1-0 defeat away, so at the moment they seem to spend a better chance of staying up...

Anyway, turns out it's the bloody Illuminations this weekend in Blackpool, meaning the place is going to be absolutely jam packed apparently. Friday night and Saturday night shouldn't be a problem, but the Pleasure Beach may be a little busy. I figure, what the hell, nothing else to do, may as well get stuck in there and start queuing. We could try and pass Genghis as a disabled person and skip to the front of the queues - only got to throw a ball up in the air and get him to kick it and they'll see he's obviously not right...

Don't forget your signing on fees tonight. Paul that didn't rhyme.

To all those Gooners ....
Do not think that me not making any support appearance at this evening's game is any sort of admittance of defeat, I just can't make it.
It's not that I'm bitter about the decision to play Angel (our most prolific goal waster since Savo Milosevic) as a lone striker until we conceded.
At this rate, we can look forward to playing Wolves again next season

Nope. Wish I was. I tried to get the game moved, but the league (Jim Wild) said no. Allegedly he's a tw*t, though I don't agree with that theory at all. So we have to play it. If we were playing away then it would not be a problem because Henwick is off due to hard ground, but Northcroft is a bit softer so the council have made it playable. I've spoken to Vodafone and they're happy, bless them, to play the game in the afternoon, which does us a massive favour, but we still do have to play it, otherwise we could be in big trouble with the league... The league could have moved the game for us to another week, but decided not to for petty reasons - I think Mr Wild had quite a say in the decision and he really doesn't like us ever since we signed Dave Lewis and Beeny and won the argument. Still, no point being hacked off about it, we have plenty of time to get back on the Sunday and give it a good go in the game. Vodafone are a strong team anyway so we'll just have to give it our best shot. Look on the bright side, Sunday morning in Blackpool is pretty much get up and leave anyway! We still get to go clubbing, to the pleasure beach and to sinless, so nothing changes.

Shane are you joking?

Right, here's the deal.

On Sunday morning we'll be leaving Blackpool at approximately 9.30am. We will be driving back to Newbury, where at 3pm we will be kicking off against Vodafone at Northcroft. The agony is that all games at Henwick are OFF this weekend because the ground is too dry!!! Gutted. Our pitch is okay to play. I tried to get it postponed cos the changing rooms aren't ready but the council have said we can use the leisure centre. Yeah, thanks. So there we go. Long day ahead. So, EVERYONE needs to bring their signing on fees on Thursday night to Brimpton otherwise you will not be allowed to play. Anyone who hasn't given me their signing on form will need to fill one out and pay on Thursday so I can take them in on Friday before we go to Blackpool. I will bring some spares with me on Thursday. Hopefully, this should just mean a slightly earlier start than normal on Sunday and a bit of a tough game. Shouldn't affect Blackpool or the enjoyment of Blackpool at all. Candy-floss and donkey rides...

Um, potentially bad news. We may have to play on Sunday. This won't affect Blackpool, but may mean we have to leave at about 9.30am, drive down, and play. Oh dear. Will let you know more as soon as I do...

3 days to heaven!!!!!!!

Hello!! Got back from my plush hotel in London an hour ago, and Im off for a romantic weekend with John Lamb to Sheffield in about an hour. Had a great sauna in the Hotel, this woman with frankly a frankly massive chest came in and chatted to me for a bit. Then she started talkingto me, but I wasnt listening, I was staring, and looking forward to saturday night in Blackpool...

Cold Ash away for the first game you say? Well, Ive never played them before, and I know how wimpy you Berkshire boys can be so I have no fear...! And besdies, since the last game against them we have had a few fights in Liquid to toughen us up, and failing that, Dave Lewis is a big lad...!

Do we have a game Thursday by the way? Im still in London, but if we finish early I think I could make it back ok.


Right Im off to continue my jet-set lifestyle...

Yabba dabba do!!!!!!!!

Yeah, thank fuck for that. Genghis would of had us doing murder runs all training and before games!!!

Dublin is looking the least likely its ever looked. Julie's now told them not to bother chasing the opportunity too hard. Now I've got a job that I'm looking forward to doing, it'd be a bit silly to have to give it up and start all over again. Plus someone's got to shout at you from the sidelines, can't leave Genghis to do everything...

Oh, ah perhaps they didn't have there full squad? But that does sound like a good result.

To bring everybody back down to earth a little after our performance against Brimpton, Vodafone beat Kennet (Prem Div) 4-1 at the weekend, so we know what we're up against...

Are first game is away to Cold Ash, that should be interesting. I don't think we will get pissed on like last time we played them. I think yesterday was proberly the best game I have seen us play, whats more encouraging is that we got off to a good start whereas normally we only start playing after 30mins, although I think we tired towards the last 10mins. As for next season I think we proved yesterday that we are not going to be a walk over and I am confident we will finish in the top half of the table atleast. We seemed to lose abit of shape in the midfield when Dave was off the pitch, hes superb at breaking up the play.

I agree that yesterday was proberly the best me and Dave have linked up, lets just hope we can keep it up over the season.

Shane I take it your not going to Dublin any more?

Oh yeah, I need signing on forms and fees from everyone as soon as possible please! Now that the fixture lists are out it's time to get you all eligible to play.

We've got Newbury RBL in the first round of the Lakeside Cup (div 1 version of the Vic French) and a bye in the Bowness Cup.

Some new names on the fixture list too - the appearance of Travellers Friend in Div 2??? And MDM Newbury and WKD in Div 1??? Think they must be old teams renamed cos no one got voted in this season. First league game is meant to be Vodafone, but if we can move that, it will be away to Cold Ash. Bring it on.

Neil's right, we did only lose 3-1 to them a couple of seasons ago in the cup, but to be fair to them they had a few players out that day, but the scoreline definitely flattered them. As it did yesterday, I thought we were absolutely awesome. I only had a penalty to save in the first 60 minutes of football which shows how tight we're going to be at the back again this season. Of course, I let it in, but that's not the point. And all this talk of me being back this season was put firmly into place by the best linking up of Neil and Dave I think we've ever seen. Loads of chances created. Really I can't complain at all, I think if Smurf had been in goal we'd have won it and on another day we'd have put 6 or 7 past them. Think how many times I changed the team around and everyone who came on/off settled into the game straight away. We worked the channels brilliantly and gave them only 4 chances to score in the whole game. I know...

But yes, major dilemma, all the new signings did great, all the old players did great, how the f*ck do you pick a starting 11 out of that? Wish I was going to Dublin. I think everyone's just going to have to bear with it. The first team I pick will NOT be the team I think will play week in week out, everyone will have to do their best to take their chances and keep their position, but sometimes may have to sit out purely cos it's somebody else's go. We've lost Harry this season, he's signing for Brimpton, but was too chicken to play yesterday (and had tickets for Liverpool v Chelsea).

For my part, I want to be fitter and more able to do a decent job when I get my chance, but I'm quite happy with Neil and Dave up front. Seems a shame to put Neil in midfield when we've got so many other midfielders all fighting for a spot, but some games maybe it'll work out better that way. We will just have to wait and see. I have no more claim to a starting spot than anyone else, probably less.

We're confirmed in Div 1 next season, which is lucky cos due to team numbers, Hermitage Reserves will face another season in Div 2!!! Thank f*ck we won it. How gutted would you be to have gone through all that and have to go through it all again?

Bad news is the league starts on 31st August, we're meant to be playing Vodafone, so I'll have to see what I can do about that. There's a spare week a couple of weeks into the season so I'll ask if I can move the game to then. Otherwise we'll just have to send those players not coming to blackpool to play against them, so good luck Hilly, Colin and Jamie. Not a bad defense at least.

Great game yesterday everyone, I was really chuffed, losing was a minor irritation, I never expected to play so well and I'm looking forward to the season more than ever. Hard work, some good games, some bad games, but no reason to be scared of anyone.

good match this morning I thought, they were a good team and realy wantd the won so I think it was a really good result for us considering they are in the league above. And I thought that everyone who played played really well, so have fun picking the team Shane!

Right, I'm off for a couple of weeks of travelling around the country, culminating in Blackpool 2003, the Tour of the Champions, the journey of...erm, the pissheads...?!

I've got a massive fu***ng hangover and my fu***ng computer is playing up and really pi**ing me off so im not in a good fu**ing mood with the stupid fu**ing thing, in fact I may well throw the fu**ing piece of s**t out of the fu**ing window, after walking upstairs to make sure its travels a good fu**ing distance before smashing.

Looking forward to sunday, should be good.

Hello!!!
I've been sat hear for the last 30mins scratching my head trying to work out how to get onto this thing. I then decided to read John's e-mail and here I am.

As for Paul's comments about he's glad to see Shane back, im not..... if im playing left wing that means more running for me!!!

Didn't we play Brimton in the cup a couple of years ago and only lost 3-1. I seem to remember I had loads of chances and should of scored a hatfull not just to fluke that went in proberly a good thing that Shanes back up front (but enough of that) If I remember they didn't really have anything upfront.

See you guys Sunday

Paul, if you go to www.blogger.com and sign in, then you can select this blog and start participating in it...

Rolling subs yes, too many players and too many combinations to stick with a first half/second half team strategy. Trouble is, you need to give people more than 20 minutes to see how they're going to fit - for example we have grafting midfielders and creative midfielders, so any combination of 4 out of about 7 players, I can't do the maths but you can't fit that in in 90 minutes without rolling subs every 4 minutes...

Plus every game's different. It's the one thing Dave Jones said that ever made any sense, that the same squad can be ideal against one team, but ineffective against another. He then said "Mine's a pint." but I don't see the relevance in that bit.

We'll see how it goes, specific things I want to try are:- 1. Neil in left-mid with Dave and I up front. 2. Combos of centre midfielders between John Sills, Crabbeman, Rob and Adam. 3. Me in the pub.

Dunno about Jamie, I think he's still mulling it over. Great defender, watches the ball not the man and can stop Dave Lewis so what more proof do you need? Don't want to pressure anyone to sign though so it's completely up to him.

Does anyone know if Nigel is playing on Sunday? Be useful if he could. If he's signing on this season (if he's not then strictly Blackpool should be out of bounds for him) then he only needs to pay a fiver signing on fee. That's what goes to the league and I won't make him pay the rest due to the limited number of games he'll get as reserve keeper. Need him on Sunday though.

18 people at Shefford training (and a European!!!) not bad. Will probably do a little more fitness work next week, depending on how people look on Sunday...

Good training tonight I thought, and I think it was the biggest attendence I've ever seen! Is Tatlor signing on for is this year? There is a rumour that he isnt, so I thought I should find out, dont like not knowing stuff...not used to it ;-)

Looking forward to the friendly on Sunday, will it be rolling subs again?

Cool, we have a friendly on Sunday morning against Brimpton up at their pitch. 10.30 kick off, so get there for 10.00.

Brimpton are in the Premier Division, but struggled at the bottom of it last season and narrowly missed coming down, so we were close to playing them in Div 1 anyway. That said, a rest is as good as a change and they've got some very composed players, who all look to make the ball work, so it could be a good exercise in Shefford defending and fitness. We once went 2-0 up against them in a friendly, but they eventually managed to claw their way back into the game to win it 3-12. Yes, that's twelve.

A good test for us after playing Westwood in that heat. We'll need to have much better control, much better movement and much better use of the ball. Other than that we'll be fine...

Ive invited Rob, Craig, John, Neil, Mike, and Paul into the world of Shefford blogging...

John - I've set you up as an admin level member, so you can whack in other people's email addresses and invite them in as I did to you (probably lose the whole dancing around naked with a fish thing, it's not really mandatory like I told you).

Only 17 days to Blackpool...

Well, seems to be working ok...

Shefford FC online! Easier than setting up a website (which I still intend to do cos it got us the Billy Connolly gig) I can use this to let people know about anything you need to know about. Um... that's all for now.