I must apologise for the lack of Chairmans chat recently but I have been waiting for the season to get underway for all the teams before i made any comment. As i reported before we had taken the step as a club to install our managers well before the season started so as to give them plenty of time to bring their squads together and most importantly get the boys fit for the season start. This i am pleased to report we achieved with some great training nights, with over forty guys in attendance, so to this end i would like to thank Robbo, Danny, Dobbie, Brian, Vic and Archie for a job well done, your hard work was well rewarded with good league wins at the beginning of the season. Apologies to anyone else who helped on training nights and i have forgotten.
Both senior teams are doing very well at the time of writing and i fully expect them to finish very high in their respective divisions this season. Sad news recently was that Dobbie had to stand down from being Reserve team manager due to personal commitments, we wish him well and hope to see him back in the future as we all know he is a true Red and we will miss him greatly. Along with Dobbie we lost Mark Woodham so I must thank Brian, Archie and Simon for stepping in and keeping the side ticking along.
This year we have two youth teams, one at under twelve and one at under ten and wow what a start they have made. I am so proud of our youth setup they are a credit to our club with Steve Race and Clive Smith at their helms and their management teams in place and a terrific collection of mums and dads and most importantly two squads of brilliant youngsters, I can only say the sky is the limit. The only downpoint is that we lost Taylor Whiting from our under twelve squad this year...Taylor we miss you.
Our ladies team kick off this week and we wish them well as reigning champions. Last but not least I would like to thank George and Sam for the tremendous work they are doing for the club, we all appreciate it very much. As to the future of the club I can only see it getting stronger, I think the people involved at committee level and grassroots level are all keen to see the club succeed and hopefully with us all working together we will all achieve this aim.
Come on the reds!
Chris Austin - Chairman
With the season finished, the Presentation night done, the Carrow Road experience behind us I would just like to thank everybody connected with club, the committee, our sponsors, our team managers and most importantly our supporters for a job well done.
I think we can all feel very proud of what we have achieved this season, the spirit in the club is sky high and if we can channel that into results next season there will be no stopping the mighty reds!
I must say Congratulations to Rob and Mark and all the Reserve boys for gaining promotion from Division 6 to Division 5 in their first season, a great achievement lads, also congratulations to the ladies for winning their league, well done!
We have the managers all in place for next season and I wish everybody the best for the season ahead. Training starts in early July so watch the website for further details.
I would like to finish by saying happy holidays to everyone, lets recharge the batteries and come back ready for the new 2008/09 season ahead.
Come on the reds!
Chris Austin - Chairman
Hi everyone spring is nearly here and the club is entering the final third of the season. I can report that the club is moving along very nicely and that improvement is being made in various areas of the running of the club. Different people are starting to come on board by way of committee members and sponsors which is a very good sign that the club is moving in the right direction.My thanks go out to all our teams and their management as they enter the final phase of the season. Welcome back Vic Harwin, its good to see him back after his difficult two months off. On the subject of the first team, they are currently in the top half of the table and establishing themselves very well in senior football.
The reserves under the guidance of Rob Eastaff (Mr Pleat) and Mark Woodham (Captain Hook) are currently in top spot in division 6 and pushing hard for promotion, keep it going you boys we are all behind you!
At this point i would like to say a special thanks to our General Manager and Coach Brian Lythgoe for his running of the first team whilst Vic was absent but more so for the tremendous effort in getting 25 to 30 players at training each week even though its the winter months, well done Brian and the lads.Well done the ladies team, they are currently top of the league and progressing very well. I went to see them a couple of weeks ago and they look very fit !!!
On the junior football front the under 16's continue to perform well but could have benefited with a lot more help from the sidelines. Well done Adrian for all your hard work. The under 11's under the managership of Steve Race and Ricky Bemrose, well what can i say the whole setup is tremendous, those youngsters are a credit to the club and if they continue to make the progress they are achieving at the moment i am sure they will be unbeatable in a few years time. I would like to finish by saying how very proud i am of this club and that the hard work you all put in makes it all very worthwhile and finally thankyou to Georgina Race, every club and husband should have someone like you. (are you sure?! - Webmaster)
Come on the reds!
Chris Austin - Chairman
Merry Christmas Everyone.
Well here we are half way through the season and I can proudly say that the club is doing extremely well. The first team is in the top half of the table in Anglian Combination Division 1, the Reserves are in the Top 2 of Division 6. The Junior sides are beginning to establish themselves and the Ladies side are top of the table, so well done everyone! I would like to wish everyone connected with the club a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Lets keep the enthusiasum flowing as well as a few beers!
Come on the reds!
Chris Austin - Chairman
In 2002 I was asked to become Chairman of Long Stratton Football Club and since then I have overseen a tremendous change in the clubs fortunes. With the help of club stalwarts, Secretary Kevin Gristwood, Treasurer Paul Gibbons, 1st team Manager Vic Harwin and general manager Brian Lythgoe and a very hard working committee i have seen the club rise from Division 4 obscurity to Division 1 and senior football where it remains today. I must congratulate the club on this achievement and Vic Harwin in particular whose drive and desire in those early days paved the way for where the team is today. His passion and enthusiasm has not changed and with coach Brian Lythgoe by his side the 1st team are currently challenging for promotion to the Premier division of the Anglian Combination, a thought unheard of in Long Stratton just 5 years ago. Today the 1st team is complimented by a Reserve team managed by Robbie Eastaff, another very enthusiastic club stalwart and they too are currently challenging for promotion from Division 6.
I am pleased to say the club has renewed its belief in youth football and we currently run an Under-16 side managed by Adrian Seaman and a Under-11 side managed by our Webmaster and Committee Member Steve Race. We also now have a Ladies side which play in a 7 a-side league and are currently doing very well. I would like to thank all our sponsors without whom all this would have not been possible. Their generosity and support has been tremendous. The clubs policy of promoting local boys through its teams wherever possible has gone down very well with our sponsors and supporters. I would like to conclude by saying that my enthusiasm for football has not changed since i was in my first team at infant school i love it now as i did then. My beliefs are that football is a team game and not all about individuals. It should be played in a good, honest, sporting manner. The game is to be enjoyed by those playing and then it will be enjoyed by those watching. When all these things are put together then good results should follow.
Come on the Reds!
Chris Austin - Chairman
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