2 CHAIRMAN’S CHATTER Good afternoon, Ipswich Town until the end of the season everyone, and welcome and Isaac Scubich has signed from to the Watson & Hillhouse Braintree Town. The big news this week is Victory Road Stadium for young Mason Sinclair has signed a this afternoon’s Southern League Premier contract with us until the end of next Division Central fixture against Stourbridge season. Mason has just celebrated his 17th FC. We welcome the Directors, Players birthday and has committed to the club and Supporters who have made the long with the ambition of being a first-team trip and hope you enjoy your day with us. regular in the near future. Mason has gone Today’s match officials are Referee Mr out on loan to Woodbridge Town to gain Christopher Horsman and his two some first team experience, which I’m assistants Mr Neil Farrow & Mr Richard sure will benefit him in the long term. The Owen. We hope you enjoy our hospitality Reserves unfortunately bowed out of the this afternoon and officiate a fair and Suffolk Senior Cup last Saturday with a 3-0 competitive match. reverse at the hands of an in-form Cranes Sports, while the U18s enjoyed a win Today’s kind match sponsor is our very against Whitton Utd here last Thursday own Sue Tugwell. Sue is a member of our week, their first game back since the match day team and organises our match winter break. Rick Kerry’s team sit proudly day staff for all three of our adult teams. at the top of the league heading into the Today’s Ball Sponsor is one of our final part of the season. Let’s hope they Financial Board members, Mr Steve can keep the momentum going. Our A Coulter. Steve hosts our Boardroom on side, who play in SIL Division four, are still match days and is almost ever-present on flying high and are having a great tussle at Saturdays and Thursday evenings when the top of the league with Walsham, so our U18s play here at Victory Road. A some big games ahead for our youngsters massive thank you to you both from all at over the coming weeks. the club. it’s this kind of support that makes us the club we are today. Two big dates for your Diary; Thursday 26th March is our annual Sportsman’s Well, it looks like being a busy February Dinner. This year, we welcome Peter with six games in total for the first team, Shilton back to the Club. Tickets are only two of these being on home soil, available from behind the bar at just £45. which makes today an important fixture. This includes comedian Adger Brown and a We started the month with a well-earnt meal, along with the usual memorabilia point at Alvechurch. Unfortunately, I auction, etc. Please do your best to missed the game last Saturday, but it support the club on this very important sounds like a point was probably a fair fund-raising event. LFC Golf Day to follow result in tricky conditions and not the best at Hintlesham Golf Club on Thursday 21st of surfaces. We have a few new faces in May 2020 (details to follow). the squad since I last wrote: Zak Brown has joined Ryley Scott on loan from Enjoy the match. Andy. 3 Leiston FC Club Information: Club Officials: President: Robin Watson Chairman: Andy Crisp Vice Chairman: Peter Mayhew Club Secretary: Trevor Elmy Director of Football: Trevor Elmy Fixtures Secretary: Steve Cooper Welfare Officers: Peter Douglass , Alastair Browning Safety Officer: Target Zero Safety Solutions Financial Board Members: Robin Watson, Andy Crisp, Peter Mayhew, Steve Team Management: Coulter, Peter Douglass, Trevor Elmy, Alisdair First Team Manager: Glen Driver Douglas First Team Assistant Manager: Tony Kinsella Reserves Manager: Wes Solomon Matchday Committee: U18 Manager: Rick Kerry Sue Tugwell Chris Barker, Steve Coulter Gerald U18 Assistant Manager: Matt Morling Bray, Kevin Smith, James Spink, A Team Manager: Trevor Elmy Roger Cowley, Stephen Barker, A Team Assistant Manager: Roger Hitchman Lance Freeman, Craig Cooper, Steve Cooper Club Goalkeeper Coach: Nigel Ling Hospitality: Kevin Smith Coach Development: Steve Foley Press Officer: Craig Cooper Physio: Sports-Med East Match Reports: Craig Cooper Head Groundsman: James Mayhew Programme Editor: Laurence Ball Asst. Groundsman: Matt Murphy Website Administrator: Peter Douglass Kit Manager: Trevor Harrison Marketing/Advertising: Janet Cooper, Filming Tech: Peter Phillips Andy Crisp, Peter Douglass Leiston FC is an unincorporated association controlled by its members under the constitution of Leiston Football Club and the LTAA. 4 Late postponements are sometimes going Halesowen’s great run that saw them to happen in Non-League football. A knock out National League Maidenhead on sudden downpour, drop in temperature or the same evening, and who take on even a fast-setting fog. But Farsley Celtic’s National League Halifax Town in the last 16 FA Trophy replay at Barnet on Tuesday today. We must do better all round! night, 21 January was called off just --------------------------------------------------------- minutes before kick-off because of a frozen All our thoughts are with the family and pitch. It meant a 380-mile round trip for friends of Jordan Sinnott, who passed away the part-time visitors was completely aged 25 following an assault last Friday wasted. You can imagine how annoyed night. The outpouring of emotion from his they would have been. They had to make current club Matlock Town and former the same trip this Tuesday night! clubs Alfreton Town, Halifax Town and We accept that there will be times when Altrincham show just how much he meant games have to be postponed, but so soon to them. Alfreton Town released a moving before kick-off in these circumstances is a message, and former team-mates have bitter pill to swallow. Farsley say they are paid their tributes to the man they call going to push for answers to make sure it’s ‘Sinbad’, while a social media initiative not repeated, and incidents like this will @Jordanshirts has attracted over 13,000 often spark the debate on Trophy replays. followers on Twitter. But that doesn’t help the fans who made the long trek and will do so again. Part- Jordan’s father, Lee, is well-known to so time players will have to take the time off many in football after a successful playing work all over again, but it’s the fans, who and management career. He has helped to will also be left out of pocket from the first shape many careers, and no doubt the trip. At least the National League Bees football family will now wrap their arms offered free admission, and a couple of around him and his family at this awful Barnet fans were also sure to buy them a time. drink after the game had been called off. Edd Paul Football gives the impression that it forgets its fans at times. Escalating prices are forcing Premier League followers out of stadiums and into Non-League grounds. They should be embraced and welcomed. But stories like this don’t show Non-League off in its best light. Barnet have had issues with their pitch this season and we can only hope Tuesday’s game goes ahead as scheduled. We want to be talking about By Edd Paul great moments in the FA Trophy, like 5 Introducing … Stourbridge FC Stourbridge's first season back in the penalties at Tamworth after a goal-less 120 Southern League Midlands Division in 2006– minutes. However Stourbridge once again 07 saw them finish in seventh place. The suffered heartbreak in the final as team also reached the final of the Hednesford Town defeated the Glassboys 2– Worcestershire Senior Cup, but following a 0 at Burton Albion's Pirelli Stadium. goal-less draw at Amblecote in the first leg of In the 2009–10 season, Stourbridge reached the final against Evesham United, they were the FA Cup first round for the first time in beaten 2–1 after extra time away in the their 133-year history and were drawn at second leg to again suffer cup final home to Walsall. The game ended in a 1–0 disappointment. defeat for Stourbridge in front of 2,014 fans The 2007–08 season saw Stourbridge seal a (the biggest gate at Amblecote for 35 years). third-place finish in the Midlands Division to In the 2010–11 season, Hackett guided the reach the play-offs. A narrow 1–0 win at club to eighth in the league after a solid home to Sutton Coldfield Town took season, and also the final of the Stourbridge through to the final away at Worcestershire Senior Cup, where they second placed Leamington and in front of a defeated Worcester City 2–0 at Aggborough crowd of 1,634, a goal from Leon Broadhurst Stadium. In the 2011–12 season, the club four minutes from the end of extra-time won their way through four qualifying rounds sealed a 2–1 victory to earn Stourbridge a to again reach the first round of the FA Cup. second promotion in three seasons and a They were drawn away to League Two side return to the Premier Division of the Plymouth Argyle where they drew 3–3 at Southern League after a gap of 24 years. Home Park to earn themselves a replay and a After a difficult start to life in the Premier place in the second-round draw. The replay Division which saw Stourbridge lie at and at the War Memorial Ground was chosen for around the foot of the table, they eventually live coverage by ESPN, netting the club over acclimatised to life at the higher level and £33,000.