Jan 14 v [...]]]> With 3/4 of our League season complete, we’ve earned a rest over the holiday period.    Our cup win at Shipton means we play Ludgershall at home in the qtr-finals on Feb 2, which pushes back our League game v Stockbridge (a) to 18 Feb.  So, the fixture list looks like this (weather permitting);

Jan 14 v Shooters (a)

Jan 28 v Shooters (h)

Feb 2 v Ludgershall (h) Cup Qtr final

Feb 18 v Stockbridge (a)

We’ll look to train on the Saturdays when we haven’t games.

thanks

Jim/Todd

THIS SEASON; we’re back at the Cage this Saturday, to continue the education that is the small sided game – while we have access to the pitch, and we’re having fun and learning, [...]]]> Before the Summer holidays hove into view, we need to seek closure on and celebrate this season, while preparing for the joys of next.

THIS SEASON; we’re back at the Cage this Saturday, to continue the education that is the small sided game – while we have access to the pitch, and we’re having fun and learning, we’ll keep going.   We’ve entered the Wyvern 6 a side tournament on July 9th; please let us know if you’d like to play.  And sometime, we need to gather to recognise the boys’ progress and achievements at an end of season Awards bash.  Damian will post voting options on the website shortly (Players’ Player, Trainer of Year, etc), but we are open to your suggestions for venue/format…

NEXT SEASON; as most of you know, we have entered the TESTWAY YOUTH LEAGUE (www.twyfl.co.uk), which plays 11 a side games on a Saturday morning.  We’ll train on TUESDAY evenings at Worthy Down (7.30-9), which we recognise breaks a 6 year routine/rhythm of Sat/Sun football, but frankly, it gives us old ‘uns the time/space to do things other than Leopards football on weekends (spend time with rest of family, enjoy carefree Saturday nights, have a lie-in or explore other cultural avenues on a Sunday), while giving more boys (a squad of up to 20) a stab at league football.  It offers us all a new challenge and some new road trips to new locations (Whitchurch, Shipton Bellinger, Stockbridge…adios, M3).

After wide consultation, the club has decided to deepen our relationship with the Saints Foundation by having their coaches run training sessions roughly fortnightly (in term-time).  The aim is to improve the boys’ (and coaches’) skills, develop our  teamwork  and help us all get more out of the beautiful game. While this means next season’s fees will go up (£90 full members; £60 associates), it comes after 3 years of flat fees, and the club running at a loss last season.  Feedback from parents and managers welcomed (indeed encouraged) the commitment to development, while suggesting even at new rates, Littleton football represents extraordinary value.  We hope you agree, and look forward to playing more football before we endure August’s rain, and to writing a new chapter together next season, for which we invite you to sign up via 2011/12 Club membership forms (posted on www.littletonjuniorfc.org.uk ).  (Sadly, space limitations mean we cannot accept new members).  We’d  appreciate receiving completed forms with payment by June 29th.

Finally, thank you for your support in electing Damian (webmeister), Chick (Treasurer) and me (chair) to the Club Committee at the recent AGM.  We look forward to working hard and having fun together in taking the club forward without diluting our commitment to the Leopards.    As ever, we welcome your feedback, comments and involvement.

Thanks,

Jim

The club Annual General Meeting is tomorrow evening at the Memorial Hall, Littleton.  As well as setting fees for next year and approving this  year’s accounts, the AGM elects the Club Committee.

This year, Chick, Damian and I have been nominated as Treasurer, Webmaster and Chairman respectively.  If you are able, we (and the club) would [...]]]> Dear all

The club Annual General Meeting is tomorrow evening at the Memorial Hall, Littleton.  As well as setting fees for next year and approving this  year’s accounts, the AGM elects the Club Committee.

This year, Chick, Damian and I have been nominated as Treasurer, Webmaster and Chairman respectively.  If you are able, we (and the club) would appreciate your attendance (even if you chose to vote against us…).

Many thanks

Jim

Various paperwork was handed out. Steve from LJFC U13s picked it all up, signed for it and is now hoping he doesn’t have to come to one of these for a while. Thanks very much Steve. LJFC were represented by not one but two keen [...]]]> Venue: Dell Cafe, St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton. 19:30, Monday 10th August.

Various paperwork was handed out. Steve from LJFC U13s picked it all up, signed for it and is now hoping he doesn’t have to come to one of these for a while. Thanks very much Steve. LJFC were represented by not one but two keen attendees, your note-taker being the second. I have the U12 Leopards’ documentation which includes a fixture list, score cards, a handbook, and a separate list of mistakes in the handbook which have not gone unnoticed.

The following, welcoming note was handed out at the beginning together with a long agenda.

“Please note – You are strongly advised to attend meetings or send a representative, as failure to do so will incur a fine. Also …

“Fixture Secretary’s (sic) must be phoned between the hours of 16:30-18:00 Sundays reporting results only. All other enquiries will be dealt with Monday & Tuesday 18:00-21:00. Calls received outside these hours are liable to a fine.

“Regards – Bruce Moffat, Breach of Rules Chairman.”

N.B. that the date of next meeting is 14th September, 2009 at this same venue.

The league secretary’s address was quite good and underlined light-heartedly the serious point that a lot of unpaid work goes in to organising this splendid undertaking.

Please contact your referee before a game and swap contact details. N.B. that many referees are teenagers which means they are prone to flakiness about arrangements and suchlike.

A very dim view will be taken of referees being abused by idiots. There is a marking system via which referees can be given constructive criticism intelligently.

While the potential exclusion of LJFC from the Tyro league was avoided this season it seems we may have to reapply every year for arcane reasons.

All club secretaries – club affiliation numbers must be sent to The League secretary by 15th September. Penalty fines were mentioned in relation to this.

Under 12s secretary, Mr Jim Oates. Document packs should be self explanatory. Jim gave an admirably brief presentation. Thanks Jim!

Time passed …

An appeal was made to support the beleaguered Southampton FC during the forthcoming season.

On Sundays, results must be submitted by 18:00. Some fixtures secretaries will accept results via e-mail. Please check with yours if that more convenient medium is acceptable to them.

Your humble scribe may or may not have left early.

Thanks to all for making today’s final training session and awards ceremony so enjoyable, especially to Bill for the industrial quantities of bacon butties, which were very sustaining, thank [...]]]> … to the 2008-9 season, and—for all the boys and girls—to primary school. The times, they are a-changin’, as George was always fond of saying to Ringo …

Thanks to all for making today’s final training session and awards ceremony so enjoyable, especially to Bill for the industrial quantities of bacon butties, which were very sustaining, thank you very much. A couple of things …

Some photographs of today’s awards ceremony: click here.

Registration forms for next season if you’ve not yawned your way through them already: click here. Back to some bloke called Jim asap please.

Boring admin. but with the admirable ambition to minimise bureaucracy: if you’ve not done so already, please click here to subscribe to news updates.

An omission from today’s ceremony: thanks, Jim, for your as-ever tremendous commitment—surely that should be “obsession” (Ed.)—and effort over the season – it is much appreciated!

Well done Leopards for an excellent season. Have a splendid summer everyone. Hasta luego …