Danny invites whole football team to Heather's 21st birthday shocker!

The whole team (with or without WAGS) has been cordially invited to celebrate Heather's 21st birthday in Covent Garden this Saturday. There will be a joyous amount of booze flowing, so if you're up for it, take your mobile phone with you and contact Danny (unless you already have Heather's number) in order to find out his exact location. He said that he'd be about from around six in the evening - it's gonna be a heavy one!

Milesy has appealed to everyone who hasn't brought their photo's (two, passport size) along for their signing-on forms to bring them THIS Sunday, or face the subs bench at the beginning of the season...
Also, I believe he is seeking an able-bodied referee for this weeks game too... Any volunteers?

Oaks Athletic 0 Vs Jurgens Sports 2

The third friendly match before the start of the new season was against Jurgens Sports, whom we have played against a few times in the past. This time however, it seemed that they had gathered a large squad of players for the fixture. If they have indeed signed all of those players, then I believe that they have a good chance of achieving something this year.
Opportunities were created by the Oaks team but we failed to capitalise on them. The best chance fell to Jonny Gay who decided that it was best to shoot straight at the goalie, when his compadre Nathan O'Kerin was standing on the six yard line screaming for a square pass for an easy tap in. One day our team will suddenly realise that its a team game and goals will fly in from directions !!!
It has to be said that this was the biggest physical game that Oaks have contended in during this pre-season build up. A percentage of the Oaks team got very frustrated by the aggressive nature of the opposition, and one individual was sent from the pitch. This aside, the game gave our defenders something to think about going into the next weeks game against 'Tacho' (spelling could be wrong - sorry). Another defensive test awaits the Oaks team at the Thames RFC ground next sunday @11am (10.15 meet).

PLAYER CAMS
JACKO WATCH: Saw him leave the pitch.
IAN WATCH: Gave some verbal to to opposition when Jacko had an early shower.
CAIRNS WATCH: Made the keeper work but still hasn't broke his duck.
GOLLUM WATCH: Pulled his hamstring before the match, carried on regardless. Going to be a painful week for him. ouch.
ROBO-KEN WATCH: What a hero, always seemed to be there to clear it. Apart from the two goals that is.
(New Player) EYE-BALL-PAUL WATCH: Showed to be a neat player, will definitely making sure he signs up this season! (He has a black eye from last weeks game, just to explain the new nick-name).

Images and Space Issues bla bla

I have cleared a shitload of space so we should be fine for a good while with posting on here without errors. This means a lot of the old pictures have been removed but I have them stored safely if anyone gets senti-mental.

In future if you add pics to the posts link them from external websites! Let's use the space of others! (like Keef did below).

Friendly: Oaks Ath 4- Corrington 2

A Hat-Trick by Super Streetboy restored Acorn pride after a sloppy opening period which saw Oaks 2-0 down.

Corrington started the brighter of the two teams on this waterlogged Sunday morning. With all this rain the ground was soft but still brown! That bloke who is also seen in the Oaks pub on a regular basis scored a cracker after some indecisive defending. A poor mistake at the back by Chris Andrews let in some small fast bloke who slotted home past parker. It wasn't looking good for the Oaks.

A few substitutions by Oaks tactically aware manager improved matters. Streetboy arrived on the scene with a Hat-Trick, then got substituted as the bar was open!

Gollum settled matters with a neat shin-roll after some decent route-one football, which seems to be Oaks strongpoint!

Poor new boy Paul got welcomed to the team by hard-head Ian PITTS....

IAN WATCH - Ian remained calm during the game and did well after coming on! Make sure you get out of his way if you here him call for the ball.



JACKO WATCH - Almost pissed the other team off as he didn't give the ball back to them, instead pretending to run at the goalie before kicking the ball off! Jacko also went in goal, were he showed his grobbelar skills by taking on a few forwards.

KEIRNS WATCH - Danny got one chance in front of goal but scuffed it wide with his left foot. When will he score?

Next Week there shall be another friendly, im sure someone will tell me where and when? There needs to be better passing and movement from everybody.

Team Photographs...

All players will be required to attend the last of the friendly matches before the start of this season, in order to have their photo taken. At present, the last friendly match will be either 10th or 17th September. Ideally, all players should turn up for every match. But as long as beer is still served in the pub on saturday evenings (and Alton Towers is still open weekends), this is highly impossible.

Oaks Athletic 1 Vs William Ball 0

The seventeen Oaks Athletic players pulled on the Red 'n' Black for the first pre-season friendly to lock horns with William Ball. It was clear to see in the first five minutes that the game would be close, with William Ball showing that they had some players who could show a bit of skill. These skills were largely shown individually and produced little gain for their team. In the first half, William Ball came close with a one on one with Parker, but luckily enough Parker has the ability to make the goal look very small indeed when he comes running towards you! Miles made plenty of changes throughout the game due to the high pitch temperature and because he could. The gaffer seemed pleased with the result apart from the half-hearted strike by Gollum. It was a text-book move with Cairns and O'Kerin executing a perfect one-two then providing a golden opportunity for Gollum, which he took too long to control before getting his shot away. In the bar after the game he said: "The best is yet to come!".
The only goal of the game came from Danny Allen after a massive airshot which had the defenders shielding their faces. Before they had realised that he hadn't actually kicked the ball, he had coolly finished at the second attempt.

Is there a friendly on sunday?

ahh yes there is:

thames rfc 11 o clock