Welcome to Old Yarmouth Road home of V MATTISHALL Saturday 17th October 2020 K.O.: 2.00pm SPONSORED BY Programme Produced by BARNES PRINT (E.A.) LTD. Tel: 01362 691980 - Email: www.barnesprint.com Officials of the club 2020/21 OLD YARMOUTH ROAD - BLOFIELD - NORFOLK ANGLIAN COMBINATION LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION & DIVISION 5 SOUTH OFFICERS 2020/21 President - John Watson Vice-Presidents - Paddy Murphy, Paul Roofe, Alan Markwell Chairman - Paul Warman Vice-Chairman - Martin Plumstead Secretary - Steve Titchiner Treasurer - Julian Clarke MANAGEMENT TEAM 1st Team Manager - Vacant Reserve Team Manager - Jonny Clarke Assistants: Mark Annetts Club Captain - James Armes Club Physio - Martin Plumstead MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE All the Above plus: Barry Murphy, Maureen Plumstead, Jonathan Clarke, Ryan Frankland Rob Fryers, Simon Nobbs, Wayne Patterson, Ben Morgan & Matt Eastaugh Programme Producers - Barnes Print (E.A.) Ltd (01362 691980) http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/blofieldunited/ SPECIALISING IN GARAGE CONVERSIONS WE ALSO SPECIALISE IN…. New Builds ■ Extensions ■ Alterations ■ Renovations RSJ Work ■ Brickwork FOR A FREE QUOTATION CONTACT MATTHEW WEBB 07917 785003 [email protected] WWW.MCWEBBCONSTRUCTION.CO.UK We Offer A Warm Welcome Good afternoon and welcome to the Rec for the second week running (weather permitting of course) in this Anglian Combination Premier Division game where we entertain Mattishall. Well, what a week that was, the one before we played Harleston. I’m certain some of you would have been surprised at the news on Monday 5th when Damian decided to resign as first team manager. Following the UEA defeat, he texted me saying he was considering his position and confirmed his resignation 48 hours later. I want to put on record that you won’t find a harder working manager at this level. His enthusiasm and professionalism for some reason just could not be transferred onto this pitch and he felt at this point in his tenure ship, the team should be challenging at the top end, not struggling at the other. He will be sadly missed, as will his father Keith and we wish you well in the future. No doubt he will be back in the management game pretty soon. This has also led to other departures. First to go was Robbie Fryers, who has joined Dussindale and Hellesdon Rovers. Robbie had been at the club for 7 years and was one of the few players who also took an interest in how the club was run off the field. He just felt he needed a fresh start now Damo had gone. Also, set to leave us, is Asa Swatman, who is set to join CEYMS. Asa was a keeper that Damo had wanted to get over here for a couple of years and he told me he has thoroughly enjoyed his time here. In fact, both players have said they made their decision with a heavy heart but one that they felt they needed to do. Despite there being no manager, and Asa was our keeper, we have to move quickly to replace him and we have done this by signing Chris Bird from Wymondham Town. Chris was part of Sheringham’s Sterry Cup winning side in 2019 and is vastly experienced at this level. Anyway all this led to Paddy and I taking the reins for last Saturday’s game against Harleston, a job made even harder when we learnt during the week, they had made a couple of stellar signings (from Dereham and Lowestoft respectively). That said, I think those that were here last weekend, will agree the Lads played extremely well after being 2-0 down after 20 minutes and were probably the better side in the second half. Certainly Paddy & I felt very satisfied with the performance and the attitude of the players. That doesn’t detract from the awful run the first team is on…Three games 0 goals scored, 9 against. When’s the last time you can remember Blofield not scoring for three games? This needs to be addressed whether by me or Paddy or from the new man coming in. Yes, there will be a new face at the helm. We would have been interviewing this week and probably by now have a fair idea on who Damian’s replacement will be. More to follow on that in the next programme. Continued Over Page….. Welcome - Continued An awful week and weekend were complete when news come through of the Reserve’s losing their 100% winning start away at Frethorpe. Their 3-0 defeat was compounded by a red card to Aaron Barnes but by all accounts, the level of officiating left a lot to be desired. Reserve team manager has filed a report and we wait to see what happens. The Reserves have a weekend off but will be looking to get back to winning ways next week when they entertain AC Mill Lane Reserves. News from our sponsor is that they will be offering a discount to all members of Blofield United Football Club a 10% discount when they show their membership card. If you want to be a member, our annual fees are Single £10, Family £15. Please see anyone at the bar! Finally, Paddy’s future son in Law Nick Hannant recently took part in coastal walk challenge, covering 83.5 miles in just over 36 hours. The Coastal 83 as it was known started at Hunstanton and finished at Hopton, without stopping. I have seen video of Nick near the end and to be fair he was walking like Paddy does now but I’m sure you’d all agree it’s a great achievement. Nick was raising money for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (where Claire works) and just under £5,000 was raised. If you want to add to the fund, please see Paddy or type in the link below to give online when you get home. https://www.justgiving.com/ team/Coastal83 Give the lads plenty of encouragement and support today as we look to get our season going again. UTB Sizz League Matches Taking Place Today PREMIER DIVISION Acle United v Bradenham Wanderers Blofield United v Mattishall Caister v Waveney Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers v Norwich CEYMS Harleston Town v Long Stratton Mundford v Wroxham Reserves Scole United v Beccles Town UEA v Thorpe St Andrew DIVISION FIVE SOUTH East Harling Reserves v Carlton Colville Town Martham Reserves v Freethorpe Reserves Shrublands v Tacolneston Wymondham Town Reserves v Celt Rangers Yelverton Reserves v Thetford Rovers Reserves First Team Results & Fixtures ANGLIAN COMBINATION - PREMIER DIVISION Date Opponents H/A Comp K.O/Res. Sat 05th Sept MUNDFORD Home League Lost 3-4 Sat 12th Sept SCOLE UNITED Home League Won 1-0 Sat 19th Sept Beccles Town Away League Lost 0-4 Sat 03rd Oct U.E.A. Away League Lost 0-3 Sat 10th Oct HARLESTON TOWN Home League Lost 0-2 Sat 17th Oct MATTISHALL Home League 2.00pm Sat 24th Oct Norwich CEYMS Away League 2.00pm Sat 31st Oct WROXHAM RESERVES Home League 2.00pm Sat 07th Nov Mundford Away NSC R1 1.30pm Fixtures My Change - Fixtures for the rest of November will follow soon. Reserve Team Results & Fixtures ANGLIAN COMBINATION - DIVISION 5 SOUTH Date Opponents H/A Comp K.O/Res. Sat 05th Sept Wymondham Town Reserves Away League Won 1-0 Sat 12th Sept Shrublands Away League Won 6-1 Sat 19th Sept BUNGAY TOWN RESERVES Home League Won 2-0 Sat 26th Sept Thetford Rovers Reserves Away League Won 8-2 Sat 10th Oct Frethorpe Reserves Away League Lost 0-3 Sat 24th Oct AC MILL LANE RESERVES Home League 2.00pm Sat 31st Oct Celt Rangers Away League 2.00pm Fixtures My Change - Fixtures for November will follow soon. A Few Lines On Our Visitors MATTISHALL FC The First Team currently compete in the Premier Division, the Reserve Team compete in Division 3 and The ‘A’ Team compete in the Norwich and District Saturday league in Division 2. Their highest ever honour came in 2010 when they won the Norfolk Senior Cup at Carrow Road, the last Anglian Combination team to win the competition, along the way they defeated Dereham Town and Norwich United from the Eastern Counties league. They did also reach the Junior Cup Final at Carrow Road in the late 80s going onto lose to Poringland in the final. Since 1998/99 they have played all their Anglian Combination football in the Premier Division or Division One. In 2005/06 they gained promotion from Division One finishing 2nd behind Dersingham Rovers. Since then they have always been in the Premier Division Their best finish in the Premier Division was in 2010/2011 season when they finished a very creditable third in the league, the best position in the club’s history. In 2018/19 they finished in 8th place and last season before it was aborted they were sitting in 10th place but having games in hand on many teams above them a top 6 position was not out of the question. THE VILLAGE OF MATTISHALL Evidence of human activity in the villages reaches back to the period between 8000 and 1000 BC. The discovery in 1968 of a hoard of 110 silver coins provides a link with the Roman period. However no proof of Roman occupation has been found so far. The four panels of the Mattishall village sign, erected in 1984, depict different periods of history from Roman, the Domesday Survey of 1086, medieval to the mid-twentieth century. The All Saints Church in Mattishall dates from the late fourteenth century, possibly replacing an earlier church on the site. During the reign of Edward VI, cleric Matthew Parker married Margaret Harlestone of Mattishall.