Official Matchday Programme | £2 RAMS REVIEW Vs. ROCHESTER UNITED Saturday 26th March 2016 | Kick-Off 3pm Volume 4 No. 20 Official Club Sponsors Kit Supplier Match Sponsor SEAN RYAN Programme (26/03/16 Rochester United).indd 1 23/03/2016 08:49 AFC CROYDON ATHLETIC Founded 2012 www.afccroydonathletic.co.uk Mayfield Road Stadium Mayfield Road Thornton Heath CR7 6DN [email protected] Board of Directors Club Officials Graham Jarrold (2016) Chairman Paul Smith Mike McCue (2016) Vice Chairman Alan Powell Charles Nordsted (2012) President Johnny Johnson Paul Pickering (2012) Vice President Alan McSweeny Barry Plumridge (2013) Vice President and Secretary Peter Smith Alan Powell (2012) Commercial Seán Ryan Barbara Powell (2012) Paul Smith (2012) Peter Smith (2012) Graham Treharne (2012) Football Management Manager Antony Williams Honours Assistant Callum Maclean Coaches Chris Head Combined Counties Division One Gareth Graham Runner’s Up 2014/15 Goalkeeper Coach Dean Rose Physio Denis Lawton Lemon Recordings Division One Kitman Tom Cass League Cup Winners 2012/13 U18’s Manager Dean Ennor U18’s Coaches Paul Doherty Mark Wilson Academy Manager Lee Cole Photography Dave West Programme Designer Ravi Patel [email protected] CCR LTD Call us today to help solve 6 Commerce Way your IT problems. Croydon CR0 4XA Tel: 020 8688 0844 We’ve been providing computer support to [email protected] or Businesses and Home Users [email protected] for over 25 years! www.ccrltd.co.uk 2 Programme (26/03/16 Rochester United).indd 2 23/03/2016 08:49 - CONTENT - INSIDE TODAY’S PROGRAMME 16-18 match reporTs 4 view from the field - ASHFORD UNITED,GREENWICH 5 manager’s mutterings BOROUGH & DEAL TOWN 6 bench sponsorship 20 PLAYER SPONSORS 9 MATCH SPONSORS 22 MATCHES AT MAYFIELD 23 ON THE ROAD - CORINTHIAN & 10 visitor history - ROCHESTER UNITED GREENWICH BOROUGH 12 APPEARANCES 24 man iN THE middle - JACK OWEN 13 TABLE ACADEMY 14-15 FIXTURES & RESULTS 25 26-27 under 18’s 3 Programme (26/03/16 Rochester United).indd 3 23/03/2016 08:49 view from the field PETER SMITH Good afternoon and a very happy Easter to you all. We extend a very welcome to our match officials. We also extend a warm welcome to all connected with Rochester United FC. We hope your enjoy your short stay with us and have a safe journey home. Well we’ve reached our penultimate home game in our debut season in the Southern Counties East League. Where has the season gone? My Dad always told me that as you got older time went quicker, I thought he was daft but his words were true and as I grow older time does indeed go faster. Well if we look back on the season I’m sure there will be fluctuating feelings. This season was always going to be about consolidation. Everyone connected with “The Rams” had worked very hard for three seasons to gain promo- tion. I know that Ant and his team have worked tirelessly to achieve that goal. That having been achieved they worked even harder to remain where we found ourselves. I remember when the fixtures were published I felt we’d got a tough start, three teams who the previous season had finished in the top 7. Well we started by taking 4 points from those three games, I believe it gave us the impetus to believe we could compete at this level. If you look at the league table apart from Hollands & Blair and Greenwich Borough at the top and Holmesdale at the bottom anyone can beat anyone. It is all very close. We sit 9th at the moment with 41 points, 10 points below 3rd place Lordswood but also only 13 points above second bottom Croydon. A victory here a defeat there and you can move up and down the table like a youngster playing Snakes and Ladders. It makes it interesting. One of the problems with only one promotion place is that you can become safe too early and then the games almost become pointless. Some would say that play-offs may be the answer, but at our level it’s difficult to have play-offs. Promotion is not straightforward. There are ground gradings to start with and then you never know where you’ll be put. Take ourselves last season. We win promotion from the CCL Division One and should have been playing now in CCL Premier Division but because of relegation and such like the FA Leagues Committee moved us to SCEFL. Oh well, we’ll just have to grin and bear it. I’ve enjoyed this season. Meeting new people, visiting new grounds plus we’ve got the Croydon Derby. I look for- ward to next year as it’s no longer a step into the dark and we know we can compete. Enjoy the game, get behind your team and for “The Rams Army” see you on 16th April for our last home game this term. AFC CROYDON ATHLETIC v Rochester United 4 Programme (26/03/16 Rochester United).indd 4 23/03/2016 08:49 manager‘s mutterings from the gaffer ANTONY WILLIAMS Good Afternoon All, Welcome to today’s game against Rochester United. May I take this opportunity to welcome all our guest’s this afternoon. Firstly the match official’s and all those connected with Rochester. I hope you enjoy your stay with us and have safe return trips home this evening. I am writing these notes before our game at Erith on Tuesday evening, hopefully we will have stopped the rot after two successive defeats. In our last home game we were blown away by a very good Greenwich side; 6-0 was harsh on us as it seemed everything they hit went in. We had chances but failed to take any. They had done their homework on us and to be fair to them gave us a lot of respect by setting up to stop our threats. The game plan they had worked very well and that extra bit of quality they had across the park definitely showed on the day. I am sure they will go onto win this league, although we still have to go down there and hopefully give a better account of ourselves. Prior to that game we had been on a good run and we had hoped to get back to winning ways with the long trip to Deal. Failure to take our chances, especially first half meant we ended up losing the game. A very poor game of football on a difficult pitch and I have to say some questionable decision’s by the man in the middle meant a long trip was wasted and we left with nothing, losing 2-0. I have to apologise for my ill-discipline that day, I can on occasions get too involved with the game, that being said some of the decisions for both teams were very questionable, perhaps my questioning of him that day were a bit too loud and this led me to being removed from the technical area. We will go again on Tuesday against Erith Town, a side we haven’t played yet hoping to return to winning ways, we really want to finish the season as strong as possible, a top 8 finish is achievable and if that happens we will have given a very good account in our maiden season in this division. I hope you all enjoy the game, see you in bar. Cheers. 5 www.afccroydonathletic.co.uk Programme (26/03/16 Rochester United).indd 5 23/03/2016 08:49 bench sponsorship You or your business can sponsor the Management or Players, and see your name in the matchday pro- gramme and on the club website. Sponsorship for the season is £50 - For further information please speak to one of the club officials or enquire within the Clubhouse. Antony WILLIAMS Gareth GRAHAM Callum MACLEAN SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE PETER SMITH Chris HEAD Dean ROSE SPONSORSHIP Sharon & Dave AVAILABLE Rose Denis LAWTON Tom CASS SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE AFC CROYDON ATHLETIC v Rochester United 6 Programme (26/03/16 Rochester United).indd 6 23/03/2016 08:49 Programme (26/03/16 Rochester United).indd 7 23/03/2016 08:49 Programme (26/03/16 Rochester United).indd 8 23/03/2016 08:49 - matchday sponsors - APRIL 2016 Sat 16th Erith Town 3pm Available to sponsor Match and Matchball Sponsorship Available. For £50 you and three friends can enjoy boardroom hospitality and seats in the Directors Box. If you wish to use it to promote your business speak to a Club Official in the or enquire within the Clubhouse. Monthly prize draw and raise money for the Rams at the same time. It couldn’t be easier. Complete the application form and set up a standing order. Each entry costs £5 per month and you can have as many entries as you want. Each one gives you a chance to win a minimum of £100 per month. But, with half the money being put into the prize fund then the more who join the more the winning ticket will win. Application forms are available from the Bar and the Club Shop. BE PART OF IT! 9 www.afccroydonathletic.co.uk Programme (26/03/16 Rochester United).indd 9 23/03/2016 08:49 visitor history ROCHESTER UNITED ly Spartans FC at the end manship award. They were pro- which was called Kent Invicta Foot- of season 2011/12 decid- moted to Division 3 where they ball League. Bly had a very good ed to change its name to finished 4th the following season.