SYDENHAMS FOOTBALL LEAGUE NEWS 2020/21 EDITION NUMBER 45 Hello and welcome to the latest edition of your Newsletter, if you have anything to contribute, please do get in touch by email- [email protected] You can keep up to date with all the news from around the League by following us on Twitter at - @Sydwessex You are more than welcome to use any material (excluding attributed photographs) but it would be appreciated if any material used is acknowledged. It is hoped you enjoy reading this each week. With readership quite widespread, not only within our own competition, but across the three counties and beyond- if ANY club has anything they’d like to have published in here, whether that be a request for helpers, promotion of forthcoming events, items required or available for sale please contact the Newsletter Editor. As a general reminder- Match Reports, player news and photos are always welcome- it is your Newsletter! Saturday, 08 May 2021 Page 1 of 17 SYDENHAMS FOOTBALL LEAGUE NEWS 2020/21 EDITION NUMBER 45 ALL OFFERS RUN FROM 1 MARCH TO 31 MAY 2021. AVAILABLE IN BRANCH OR TO ORDER. OFFERS SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY Saturday, 08 May 2021 Page 2 of 17 SYDENHAMS FOOTBALL LEAGUE NEWS 2020/21 EDITION NUMBER 45 ARE YOU LISTENING ? Now broadcasting on Sunday 14:00 to 16:00 The Sydenhams Wessex Football League Show is the official podcast of the Sydenhams Wessex League. We’re on air live from the 103.9 Voice FM studios in Southampton from 14:00 to 16:00 every Sunday and you can also listen live on www.voicefmradio.co.uk from anywhere in the world. You can listen again afterwards, normally just one hour after the show has finished via the same website and there is also a Voice FM App you can download to your Phone I-Pad or Computer device. Our aim is to promote all local football but specifically the 38 teams of the Sydenhams Wessex League. So far, we have had managers, chairmen, players, press officers and secretaries joining us as studio guests and phone guests; from many Sydenhams Wessex League clubs, as well as guests from local teams both higher up and lower down the pyramid. This is your show and is a platform for your club to promote its events and raise its profile. If your club produces post-match interviews, please either email us a copy of the audio or give permission for us to play them on air straight from your website or social media sites, as we will aim to play them on the show. Please come and join us one Sunday, at the moment, no guests will be allowed in the Studio, but please email [email protected] or [email protected] for more information. Saturday, 08 May 2021 Page 3 of 17 SYDENHAMS FOOTBALL LEAGUE NEWS 2020/21 EDITION NUMBER 45 MATCH REPORT James Franklyn scored a sublime opening first half goal and then laid on an FA Vase quarter-final tie clinching second for Harry Sargeant as United Services Portsmouth pulled off a nail biting backs-to-the-wall victory over fancied Flackwell Heath writes Mike Vimpany. Their win owed much to resolute defending for much of the second half as they absorbed wave after wave of Flackwell pressure, denying the visitors any real clear-cut chances. The Tier 6 Wessex League Division1 side have knocked out higher division opposition in every round and beating the Hellenic League high-fliers was arguably the best of the lot. US manager Glenn Turnbull admitted he was “mentally exhausted” after the game, almost kicking every ball as his team defended as if their lives depended on it. “It was a good game to watch, especially for the neutral and Flackwell were the best side we’ve played against, full of good players. “I thought we deserved our half-time lead, but they were obviously going to come at us after the break. “We were camped in our own half for a lot of the time, but everything was controlled and I don’t really think they got any more than one clear shot away at our goal. “We had a lot of leaders out there and Sarge (Harry Sargeant) was immense, as was Tom Jeffes whose eye was so swollen, he looked as though he’d been in a boxing bout.” A slippery surface made conditions ideal, with Flackwell Heath calling the early tune, but often wasting the final ball. They missed the first chance too, former Reading Academy winger Khalid Simmo cutting in from the left and half-hitting a shot which US goalkeeper Tom Price turned around the post for a corner. But Services gradually grew into the contest and 32 minutes in took the lead with a goal by the talismanic Franklyn worthy of any occasion. Jack Chandler hoisted the ball down field towards FRANKLYN, who allowed it to drop over his right shoulder. He controlled the ball with the outside of his right boot and, with ice cool precision, sent a perfect lob over the advancing Aaron Watkins. It was a gem. United Services were forced to defend for the remainder of the half but while Flackwell Heath huffed and puffed, the Portsmouth hosts almost doubled their lead when Jeffes smacked a flag-kick header against the visitors’ crossbar. Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory is in dry-dock a few hundred yards from the Portsmouth Royal Navy stadium and it was almost as if United Services obeyed the famous “England expects” signal after the break. With Simmo pulling the strings, Flackwell Heath poured forward, only to be repelled time and time again – with the only real moment of danger coming when Jeffes cleared the decks after the ex-Reading youngster had got the better of Price. Flackwell forced umpteen corners, but US clung on and, four minutes from the end and totally against the flow, they bagged a second clinching goal. This time Franklyn was the creator, teeing up a far post cross, which the hugely influential SARGEANT headed down – the bounce totally deceiving Watkins on its way into the net. It was curtains for Flackwell Heath, whose manager Marcus Richardson lamented: “I felt we were the dominant side, but it was just one of those days when we couldn’t find the back of the net. “I felt that if we could get an equaliser, we would go on and win the game – but it didn’t happen.” United Services Portsmouth 2 [Franklyn 32, Sargent 86] Flackwell Heath 0 United Services (4-4-2) - Price; Chandler, Birmingham, Jeffes, Hazel (Turnbull, 82); Glen, Cain, Sargent, Franklyn (Sibley, 90), Todd, Seiden (Pile, 80). Flackwell Heath (4-3-3) - Watkins; Edwards, Bayley (Bains, 73), Ceesay, Prior; Essex, Mansfield (Soares), Taylor (Romeo); Parker, Howell, Simmo. Referee: James Durkin Entertainment: **** (4) Star man: Harry Sargent (USP midfielder) Saturday, 08 May 2021 Page 4 of 17 SYDENHAMS FOOTBALL LEAGUE NEWS 2020/21 EDITION NUMBER 45 FORTHCOMING FIXTURES Tuesday May 11th Sydenhams League Cup Semi Final Hamworthy United v Bashley Wednesday May 12th Hampshire Senior Invitational Supplementary Cup Quarter Final Fawley v Bemerton Heath Harlequins Saturday May 15th Sydenhams League Cup Semi Final United Services Portsmouth v Bemerton Heath Harlequins Hampshire Senior Invitational Cup Semi Final CSF1 Hartley Wintney v Blackfield & Langley CSF2 Folland Sports v Alton Hampshire Senior Invitational Supplementary Cup Semi Final SFs1 Ringwood Town v Hamble Club SFs2 Cove v Fawley or Bemerton Heath Harlequins Thursday March 20th Portsmouth Senior Cup Final [2019/20] Baffins Milton Rovers v Moneyfields [at Fratton Park] Saturday May 22nd Sydenhams League Cup Final [at AFC Portchester 15.00] Hamworthy United or Bashley v United Services Portsmouth or Bemerton Heath Harlequins Friday May 28th Hampshire Senior Invitational Supplementary Cup Final Winner of SFs2 v Winner of SFs1 Saturday May 29th Hampshire Senior Invitational Cup Final Winner of CSF1 v Winner of CSF2 Subject to confirmation and change at short notice. ADVANCE NOTICE OF ROADWORKS - A31 RINGWOOD Those travelling to or from Bournemouth, Christchurch, Hamworthy United, Ringwood Town and Verwood Town could face a year of traffic chaos as a busy slip road onto the A31 could close for a year. Highways England plans to introduce a third lane and widen the A31 in Ringwood when works start later this year. Whilst it is appreciated that this is a long way ahead, please bookmark this in readiness as it is likely to cause a great deal of congestion locally. The works mean the westbound slip road from the Ringwood Roundabout will close in November, potentially for a whole year. This may mean drivers are forced to travel east and turning at Poulner to head West towards Bournemouth. A contraflow system will also be in place, meaning road users travelling west will move to the eastbound carriageway. The project is planned to commence in November with the reconstruction of the slip road, and then from January 2022, the A31 westbound will be closed to facilitate the reconstruction work, construction of a third lane and demolition work.” Saturday, 08 May 2021 Page 5 of 17 SYDENHAMS FOOTBALL LEAGUE NEWS 2020/21 EDITION NUMBER 45 PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES Please contact us so we can promote your games and advise of clubs from outside our area looking for similar arrangements. Please do NOT forget that the HOST team also MUST obtain sanction from their County FA before the game is played. Games are subject to change at little or no notice. With the application to participate closed over a fortnight ago, a reminder here that acceptance of an application for the FA competitions shall be notified by email and publication on www.TheFA.com (in early- mid July 2021).