As the New Year approaches I thought I would provide an update as to how things are going at the Club.
Starting with the adult teams, the most pleasing thing from my point of view has been the attitude and commitment of all involved. Training is very well attended and we regularly field two full squads each week, which is no mean feat in grassroots football nowadays.
The First team have had a stop start first half of the season due to fixtures being called off for various reasons outside our control. As a result we have played fewer games than most, the majority being away, losing only twice in the league. We are due a run of home matches when we return and if we win our games in hand we will be right in the promotion mix.
It won't be easy as there are some good sides in our division, but we have a strong squad of players who have all bought into the possession based style of play and squad system. The football has been really entertaining and a joy to watch, which is a credit to the management team.
The Reserves have had a solid first half of the season and sit in mid table. We are showing steady progress after the struggles of the previous season where it was difficult to field enough players each week. We continue to bring through players from our youth setup with several of our u18s making regular appearances, which is great for the future of the Club.
The Youth section continues to thrive and we have added a new u11s boys team during the season. The Girls section is also going from strength to strength becoming a big part of the Club both on and off the pitch, with all three teams having a great season so far.
It is fantastic to see the boys and girls teams playing at Carlton Park on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and a strong youth section is one of the main visions for the Club.
Off the pitch we have a strong and dedicated committee who are all working together to take the Club forward. In the first half of the season we have continued to make improvements inside and outside the Clubhouse, and recently purchased a new set of mobile 9 aside goals. We have plans to make further improvements in the new year, to include roping off the main pitch.
The atmosphere in the bar lounge after matches is fantastic, and we have Jan to thank for keeping us refreshed. We are also providing hot and cold food at First team home matches thanks to Caroline.
We are fortunate that each team has a kit sponsor (see the Sponsors page of this website), and many of the adult players have individual sponsors, as noted on the Teams section of this website. I would like to personally thank all our sponsors, without whom we would not be able to run the Club.
All teams are very well supported, which creates a lovely atmosphere at Carlton Park on match days. Also the First team often have more supporters at away matches than our opponents who are at home.
In summary, the Club is in a great place. The building blocks are in place for the Club to continue to progress over the coming seasons as we strive to meet our aims and objectives.
If anyone reading this would like more information about the Club, or would like to support or be involved, please see the website which also provides contact details.
Finally, best wishes to you all for a happy and healthy New Year, and I look forward to seeing you beside a football pitch in 2023.
Carl Page
Chairman
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