Newsletter - End of the 22 Season
First of all thank you to all the players, parents, sponsors and coaches on another fantastic season. Its been a season of growth and progression on and off the pitch!
Lets start with a bit of club news, at the start of this season we had 13 teams at our club, at the start of next season we potentially have 19 teams! This says a lot about what we all collectively are doing that so many players want to be part of our club.
The u7 and u9 groups in particular have seen big interest, at the start of the season we just had one team in each age group , by Christmas we entered a second teams into the league and next season we have a third teams starting! This has been driven by the coaches Scott (u7) and Stephen (u9) and the fantastic work they are doing.
Registrations
The new season registration form is now starting to be handed out and the £25 fee falls due soon. This fee helps towards pitch fees, affiliation to the league and county FA, insurance, league entry fees and helps towards the kits. No one at this club has a paid role or claims expenses and is totally ran by volunteers.
Social and fundraising committee
We set this up a couple of weeks ago and the first two people to come forward to help were Chloe Williams and Kelly Gilboy who have children in our u7 reds team. I’ve got to say their enthusiasm has been a breath of fresh air and they have already sorted the raffle prizes out for the presentation day already! They have contacted several local businesses who have donated prizes from restaurant vouchers to signed shirts to match tickets for Southport FC to name but a few!
The raffle is key to helping cover the costs of the presentation which costs roughly £2500
If you feel you could help the more the merrier so please contact Paul, Ben, Alan, Chloe or Kelly for more information. We asked them for a picture but as they hadn’t washed their hair they said no!
Presentation day 18th June
Keep the date free! Its once again at Southport Rugby Club on Waterloo Road, So far we have a DJ and karaoke, raffle, inflatable assault course to keep the kids entertained as well as the usual end of season awards. Food is available to purchase on the day from the hatch in the function room. We need an idea of numbers so the kitchen has enough stock to serve everyone wanting something to eat.
New teams for next season
Next season we are welcoming to the club three new under 7 teams, a new under 8’s, a new under 9’s and a new u12’s! A big SAJFC welcome to all our new members and we hope you enjoy being part of the Southport Athletic family.
Sadly we are saying goodbye to our current under 17 team, injuries and Saturday jobs have gotten in the way of playing football and they have taken the decision to call it a day. We wish all the lads the best and glad you chose to play for us. A huge thanks goes to Neil and Andy for looking after the team this past couple of years.
New Sponsors
Huge thank you to Hickorys Smokehouse for sponsoring two of the new under 7 teams. Please check out their latest menu here https://hickorys.co.uk/menus/main_menu/
The under 11 black’s are being sponsored by Specsavers Hearing centre Southport https://www.specsavers.co.uk/hearing a big thank you to Mr and Mrs Kimball for sorting this out.
Photondale Electrical Services are sponsoring the away kit for our u13 black team http://www.photondale.co.uk/
We welcome back returning sponsors www.ribblecycles.co.uk and T&R Interiors
Cup highs and lows
This year we had another two teams reach finals, first up was the under 10 blacks hoping to repeat last years success. They got off to a great start with Isaac Neal scoring from a Ollie Mullan corner in the first two minutes to settle some early nerves. S&AA reds grew into the game and both teams had chances to score before Harry Swarbrick launched a long clearance downfield which caught in the wind and the bounce caught the S&AA keeper out went in to the empty net which meant we went in at half 2-0 up. The second half carried on much in the same as the first but our defensive unit of Oliver Howse, Lewis Kelly and Taylor Kirkpatrick held strong but S&AA pulled one back with five minutes to go and tested Captain Eddie Thompsons resolve in the last minute but he was equal to it and we ended up 2-1 winners
Squad members. Eddie Thompson, Lewis Kelly, Oliver Howse, Taylor Kirkpatrick, Harry Swarbrick, Harry Ray, Millie Clarke, Oliver Kimball, Ollie Mullan, Isaac Neal, Joseph Asoore.
The under 16’s had their first final on the fantastic Burscough FC 4g pitch. It was a ‘David v Goliath’ match as they were playing top of the table Rainford Rangers who were on a cracking unbeaten run. SAJFC were dogged in their approach and defended from the front to weather the early storm, the game settled down a bit with our lads having to work hard and Rainford knew they were in a game. Rainford struck first but we equalised almost straight away to go into the half time break 1-1. The second half continued with more Rainford pressure which was dealt with more resolute defending and the help of the bar and post the game looked to be heading towards extra time and penalties. Rainford then capitalised on a mix up in defence and scored a second with ten mins remaining. Our lads were tired by this point after putting up a valiant effort and Rainford bagged a couple more goals to secure the win. The support the lads got during the final was excellent so thank you to the parents and coaches from other SAJFC teams for popping down to support the guys
Both finals were superbly organised by the Craven Minor League and our thanks go out to them and Burscough Dynamo and Burscough FC for hosting.
New kits
New kits are coming for all the teams with the non Nike kits and orange away tops for the teams without them. Please respond promptly to requests from your coach about your kit size as Ben who sorts all the kits out has a huge job on his hands ordering it all and getting up printed up.
Ferryside Lane update
We have received a couple of complaints from residents about the car parking situation, you are reminded whilst it is ok to use the road please park considerably by not parking over driveways or on corners. Also a gentle reminder the speed limit is 20mph and only 5mph on the access road to the small car park on the field. Crossens way just off the coastal road has plenty of space to park so please consider using this area too. Paul and Alan met with some local councillors about our plans to make the field feel more like our home ground and the parking issue was brought up. Hopefully when the new Lidl development is built we will be able to use the car park there so there will be no need to park on Ferryside Lane and Kingston Close.
A few thoughts from our coaches on how the season has gone for their teams
Jay under 7 blacks
Wow, what a 1st season we have had! We may still be looking for our 1st win, but the progress we have made as a team is astounding. Each week watching the improvement and knowledge that is developing in this group of players is a joy to behold. As the weeks progressed the players become accustomed to the roles and positions each of them hold within the team, the performances improved week on week and the team spirit and confidence has grown along with it. The levels the players have grown to is thanks in no small part to Scott and the support of all the parents. When I put myself forward to manage the team, I Didn’t know what to expect, but the support from the parents, the club and most of all Scott and Chloe, I am looking forward to helping take my forward for many seasons to come. Breaking news we won our first game!
Stephen under 9 reds
The u9 Reds have had a fantastic second half to the season, not only measured in results but in how the boys have performed and improved individually and collectively. A very strong showing at the Southport FC tournament at Haig Ave was a fitting end to the season for what has become a strong and close-knit team.
The u9s are growing in numbers all the time and we will have three teams at this age group next season. Ste and John will continue to focus on positional rotation to support player development, and above all on participation and enjoyment.
“I have enjoyed playing in different positions, learning how to play in them. I feel a lot more confident since being at Southport Athletic and feel part of the team. Thank you for all the boys supporting me” Jenson Redmond, left wing back and centre midfielder, age 9
Paul under 10 blacks
It’s been a joy to coach this team as the progress they have made since losing every game at under 7 level to winning the shield last year, to getting promoted to the North part of the league and competing against the stronger teams to winning the shield again this season has been sensational. I’m proud of every single one of them and personally for me its been great to be a part of their journey. ‘‘i thought we were going to get battered when we got into the north league but we worked hard and got some good performances and wins’’ Ollie Mullan age 9
Shaun and Matthew under 12 reds
Dominating end of the season from the u12 reds.
The final run in from the U12 reds was akin to the recovery LFC had at the end of the 21 season. We recovered from a couple of unfortunate and ill-timed injuries to two key players, along with the team settling into a rhythm of knowing their roles and positions. Communication and link-up play between the players paid dividends, with U12 beating three teams convincingly that we’ve never been able to beat in the past, including teams from the higher league.
Max, SAJFC Right footed left-winger, was quoted, “That’s two hat-tricks in two games”
The 22/23 season, now being 11v11, is going to be an exciting one and the boys seem up for it too.
That’s it for now and good luck to our teams playing in summer leagues and tournaments throughout the summer and as always if you can help or have anything for the newsletter please email southportathleticjfc@gmail.com