St Albans Community Football Club
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ST ALBANS COMMUNITY FOOTBALL CLUB PRESENTATION DAY Season 2017-18 Saturday 16th June 2018 The Alban Arena, St Albans From the Chairman Geoff Watts WELCOME Welcome to our Presentation The Club continues to expand and adapt Day for 2017-18, especially to changing needs. A major development to our Honoured Guests, which will enhance our training provision is close to completion. representatives of our affiliated leagues, our sponsors, Trustees As always, I am proud to oversee all that happens within the Club but must emphasise and Vice Presidents. that the real work is done by the committee, The past year saw the untimely passing, the trustees, the team managers, their both at the age of 36, of Paul Thompson and assistants and coaches. Without their Paul Taylor, players who served the Club with efforts, none of what happens each week distinction in a team that I was privileged would be possible and they deserve our to manage. Our thoughts and condolences continuing thanks and support. go out to their families, who provided Please enjoy the day and show your support shining examples of how to support youth for each team as they come on to the stage. football with enthusiasm, dignity and fair mindedness. Geoff Watts Lesley Wray is relinquishing the post of Treasurer after many years. She has been a hugely significant figure in the history of St Albans City Youth and will be greatly missed. We are very fortunate to have Robert Baker as her successor and wish him well in the role. St Albans City Youth Community Football Club Presentation Day | Season 2017/18 | 01 From the outgoing Chair of Trustees Mervyn Morgan THANK YOU FOR SOME GREAT TIMES result of which was the ‘BASE 2000’ project. A that opened six years ago, which brings us short time later I can recall standing in a boggy right up to 2018 with the second 3G Astro field, (what is now Pitch 1 at Highfield Park), (this time at Samuel Ryder Academy) currently with David Wray, Paul Kirikal, Robert Murphy under construction with a handover scheduled and Brian Luckhurst, also with us on that cold for mid-August 2018, access to this 3G Astro February morning was John Motson and Lee will enable all of our teams to be able to train Dixon, this was the formal launch of the ‘BASE on some of the best facilities in the district. 2000’ project. Why am I going? The reasons for my To facilitate our vision for the club it standing down have been well documented in became a Registered Charity in 2001 and the local press so there is no need to explain one of the first Charter Standard Clubs. A again, suffice to say, for me this is a very year or two later Motty and Lee continued sad moment, for 32 years I have lived and their support for the ‘BASE 2000’ project and breathed St Albans City Youth FC, much of returned to hold the ‘Arsenal Back 4’ Dinner which was with my old mate Dave who is sadly at the Hilton in Watford, on the morning of no longer with us, but the time has come, the the Back 4 Dinner I drove up to Highbury, with decision has been made. A few months back I stumbled Over the years there have been many David Wray riding as guard to collect a couple I have made some lifelong friends during across an old presentation aspects of the club that I am proud to have of very nice pieces of silverware (the actual my time with City Youth and these friendships been associated with, aside from the team Premier League Trophy and the Community will continue. I would like to thank everyone (Evening) programme from what I myself and Dave Wray ran for many years Shield), all true, the Premier League trophy who has sent me messages over the past believe was the first presentation there was the steady stream of young stayed overnight at my house in Bricket Wood few weeks, every single one is very much event City Youth held at the then coaches learning their craft at the club and and Dave guarded the Community Shield at appreciated. named St Albans City Hall. then moving on to greater challenges at his home in St Albans) that event raised a However, I am sure there is one special Schools and other clubs. This highlights the staggering £45,000, the rest is, as they say, person who is relieved that she will no longer That was back in the late 80’s, St Albans City fantastic ethos of St Albans City Youth, a club history, but the end result of all that hard work have to make an appointment to see me, my Youth even then, was considered to be a very that is now in its 48th year. is the facility now being enjoyed at Highfield wife Sandra, without her support I would not large club with eleven teams, you can see how During my 32 years at City Youth and in Park with its eleven fantastic pitches. Over the have lasted 5 minutes let along 32 years. much the club has grown in the intervening particular during my 21 years as Chairman intervening years thousands of children have years by the size of today’s Presentation Day and then Chair of Trustees there have been trained and played on the Highfield pitches, Best wishes and thank you to everyone. Programme. However, reading through that old a number of projects that have provided that is a legacy that everyone involved should Mervyn Morgan programme one or two names on the official’s some sense of satisfaction, I must start with be proud. page are still active and they are here today the very first, it all started when I became Several years later we identified the need (Ian Woods and Terry Edwards), in addition after Chairman back in 1997, we had a vision that St within the club for state of the art training a quick scan of some of the players listed one Albans City Youth FC was a club that deserved facilities, after a few false starts Dave Wray or two are back with the club running teams, to have its own base, so over the next few and myself found the opportunity for a full one of which is my son Ian. months a group of us kicked ideas around, the size floodlit 3G Astro at Nicholas Breakspear, 02 | St Albans City Youth Community Football Club Presentation Day | Season 2017/18 | 03 From the Secretary Team Honours Ian Woods 2017–18 The end of this season sees two of the future. We are delighted to say that both Herts Girls Football Partnership League Stuart and Sarah will continue to be involved the club’s long serving stalwarts U15 League cup U 15 Girls Winners standing down, Chairman of with the club. It is worth noting that Shauna Smith has in fact played in every game that U15 Division 1 U 15 Girls Runners up Trustees Mervyn Morgan and Sarah’s team has played since they started at U 11 League Cup U 11 Girls North Winners Treasurer Leslie Wray. under 10. It is impossible to adequately reflect the Other managers standing down at the end of Mid Herts Rural Minors League input Mervyn and Leslie have made to the the season are Mark Sharkey, Harpal Lailey, development and success of the club over the Kevin Baynham, Keith Thomas, Ian Howells, U10 Purple Division Cup U 10 North Runners up years. They will be greatly missed. Graham Jennings, Chris Diggens, Gyles Bailey, U9 Emerald Division Cup U 9 West Winners Birgir Scheving. We are grateful to them all With financial support from the National for the time they have given to St Albans City League Trust the club has continued with Watford Friendly League Youth. its very successful community programme U18 Challenge Cup U 18 East Runners up in primary schools across the District. The The development of the new all- weather clubs coaching team has also run school pitch at Samuel Ryder School means that U14 Green Division U 14 East Blue Winners holiday camps. Louise Shepherd and Jon Davis the club will be able to fit training for all sides U12 Yellow Division U 12 South Winners organised very successful Girls and Boys small at that school and the existing facility at side tournaments. Nicholas Breakspear We have managed to recruit new young blood on the organization West Herts Youth League On the field League winners were Michael side (although the Chairman and Secretary Hilton’s under 14 side; Miles McLeod’s under U15 Challenge Cup U 15 Central Winners are keeping the average up) so we can look 13’s; Dan Bromwich’s and Carl Lavin’s under forward with confidence to season 2018/19, U15 Junior League Cup U 15 East Winners 12’s. Cup winners were Maris Batet’s under our 48th. 15 Girls; Doug McCullen’s under 11 Girls; Ian U14 Challenge Cup U 14 Boreal Winners Johnstone’s under 9’s; Tony Moss’s and Keith Ian Woods U14 Division 1 U 14 Boreal Joint Winners Collins’ under 15’s; Stuart Evans under 14’s; Andy Clark’s under 12’s. U13 Division 4 U 13 South Winners This season is the last for Stuart Fennel’s U 12 Division 6 U 12 Central Winners under 18 Boys and Sarah Kropman’s under U 12 Intermediate League Cup U 12 West Winners 18 Girls teams and we wish them well for Football Association Peoples Cup Disability Squad Finalists 04 | St Albans City Youth Community Football Club Presentation Day | Season 2017/18 | 05 Player Honours Top Twenty 2017–18 All time records The following players will receive awards to mark Boys Boys Girls 100 appearances for St Albans City Youth: appearance goals scored appearance William Austin Martin Flore Luka Kershaw Kai Takahashi Harry Deacon 285 Allister Collins 317 Shauna Smith 228 Dan Augustine Ben Freestone Joshua Killick Finlay Tetlow Jake Deacon 284 Matthew Hanson 313 Samantha May 215 Oscar Bell Daniel Gant Hannah Martin Billy Todd Harry Hawkes 283 Billy Owen 278 Isabelle Poole 206 William Bennett Laura Gifford Tom Merritt Isobel Todd Jake Attwood 279 Ricky Miller 231 Nicola Gosling 201 Matthew