Year: 2017

I will keep this short and sweet as not to prompt further complaints from the Carshalton hierarchy as per usual when we mention the fact they shouldn’t be in our league etc…. so here goes!
Merton 6’s went into this top of the table clash a bit undercooked due to postponements and lack of game time. So when everybody arrived on time, the management was full of hope of a positive result. The squad was pretty much the same that has got us into the good league position we currently occupy, so there was no need to change this on a weekly basis and pick players from other Merton squads to strengthen.
The game started and Merton were very good off the mark, with challenges being won and some good passing in midfield. Unfortunately, Carshalton’s direct game with balls over the top were catching us out and was no surprise when they cut in from our right and a shot squirmed through Swanny’s hands to make it 1-0.
From this point on, Merton really upped their game and gave a really great display and caused Carshalton no end of problems and bar some great saves from their keeper we should have been at least level. Again though we were caught on the break, and a powerful long range effort lobbed Swanny (the ball was about 3 feet off the floor, sorry Swanny!) and Carshalton went 2-0 ahead.
Merton immediately hit back with a great move that George B finished off. Then after it was attack after attack from Merton and we really should have been level. Unfortunately, we didn’t take our chances where as Carshalton did and again they scored just before half time making it 3-1.
We were very unlucky and should not have 3-1 down with the chances we created and the half time team talk was one of a positive note. A few changes were made to freshen things up and we started again! The second half started with Merton on the back foot and maybe our heads were still in the first half when we felt hard done by. Chances still came our way with George missing a really good chance to get us back in the game, but to be fair Carshalton were the team in charge.
Then came the sour note of the game whereby Spence who was having a great game, was knocked off balance whilst shielding the ball out of play, and took a nasty fall on his wrist. It did not look good and was now pointing in the wrong direction and with him is great deal of pain, was forced off and straight to hospital. A while later we got the results of a double fracture and dislocation!! Very nasty, but thanks to Rat for taking him to the local A and E.
After this our heads didn’t really seem to be in the game and it was no surprise to see Swanny being lobbed again from a really well placed free kick to make it 4-1! Sorry mate!!
Being 4-1 down didn’t stop Carshalton trying to kick us off the park, and some of their players were lucky not to see red. But as the game was edging towards the end they got a 5th after a dubious penalty was given and the skipper booked for his protest. The penalty was awful and Swanny made a good save, but unfortunately was beaten by the re-bound. 5-1 final score.
On a positive not, we have had our two spankings from them and both our nearest rivals are still to play them so let’s focus on promotion!!

Now for Man of the Match, and as no votes were cast, I will give it to the following:
MoM: Special mentions to the skipper (thought he had one of his better games!), Pete who worked hard up top, Chris and Ty for non stop running and Spense! BUT I am going to give it Chappell, battled hard and never gave up even when backs were up against the wall!
DoD: The skipper is not getting it this week!! Could give it to Spence for a broken hand (your supposed to break legs in football), could give it to the whole squad for not backing the skipper up when there was some argy bargy! But I’m afraid it has to go to Swanny this week, two lobs ;o) , a very slight error for the first and should have saved the penalty!!! (Please don’t leave us though!!!!!!)

The job of this weeks match report goes out to the new newsletter editor – Samuel Singer-Ripley. “cut out the middle man” was mentioned but I just think nobody wanted the job of being rude enough to write terrible things about my shocking performance.
It was a cold day, snowing in fact and many expected the game to be called off – which would’ve saved me a lot of grief. South Bank started strong with a number of attacks in the early stages of the game. Putting balls into the box but were easily enough dealt with.
But about 20 minutes into the first half the ball was lost in Mertons own half and the break down the right hand side of the pitch, with a threw ball left a one on one which was easily enough put away from inside the box as it bulged into the far side of the net. Merton heads dropped as South Bank could be heard yelling “Nil-Nil Boys”.
Another goal soon followed. We won the ball back on the edge of our own box, in an attempt to break quickly, the center half accidently booted the ball into the behind of the other center half which fell nicely for the South Bank striker, I was off my line and wasn’t anticipating the quick change of position and was lobbed.
Heads fell further and confidence plumpted. Dan, the manager, knew he had do something to change things around. Malcolm came on in an attempt to hold the ball higher up the pitch. But as the first half was coming to a close. The Merton goalkeeper, Me, attempted to spring a 40-yard pass across field which barely made it 10 feet, which again fell kindly for the lucky South Bank striker. The scruffed ball meant that South Bank were 3-0 up. Merton looked blindly at their goalkeeper in disbelief.
Dan came on in the final few minutes, as we tried to rescue the game we started to move the ball quicker. A break down the right flank and a ball brilliantly held up by Malcolm. Unsure if he meant to do it he turned a defender on the edge of the box and squared the ball to Noor who expertly put away the one on one with the keeper. 3-1 and went into half time hopeful.
The second half was supposed to be the brilliant merton rescue but within the first 5 minutes of play, a simple ball over the top of the defence which wasn’t dealt with by the keeper meant that South Bank were 4-1 up and the half-time talk went out the window.
If anything the goal turned on the wild boars. and with a wild hit and hope the ball was smacked as the Southbank Goalkeeper. Tom R and Merton FC went wild only 2 more goal to go and the South Bank goalkeeper looked to mimic the Merton Goalkeeper who was useless. Another Hit and hope moment by Scott that had some movement on the ball tricked the keeper who flapped at the ball 4-3 GAME ON.
The mighty boars, were rewarded as the biggest of them all, made a rush for the ball as it was played through. Malcolm who thought he wouldn’t make it in a million years managed to toe-poke the ball into the back of the net.
4-4!!! However the amazing could not be. and at the end of the day the Mighty Yellows, deserved the win. But were held to a disappointed draw.
Line up -Sam, Martin, Josh, Tom R, Andrew, Billy, Dave, Adam, Noor, Jon, Scott. Subs: Malcolm, Dan, Tom J
MOTM : MALCOLM DOTD: SAM

Merton arrived on a freezing cold Sunday morning at Bedfont FC.
Not joking you could touch planes as they flew over being so close to ground.
We got changed in new white kit…looked really cool.
1st half was hard work as we battled to break Bedfont down.
The away team goalkeeper pulled off some great saves and 0.0 at half time.
2nd half we stepped up pressed high up pitch and gave them no room.
Rohan came on to midfield and put solid tackles in which shook up the opposition.
Steve Gumble then unleashed a bullet shot rifle into back of net…..this opened flood gates…..another goal from William and Cormac.
In fairness Bedfont did well to hold and we really did not play well…..was a cold morning.
We now march onto Semi Final for 2nd year in a row….big game Sunday against Roehampton to decide if we can make another final.
Whatever result we have a great team based on solid work ethic and amazing support.
Darren manager called me during week to wish us well and reiterated what a grwat bunch of discipline boys we have who are credit to club and thenselves….very humbling.
Wish us luck we will need it.

NAME: Dan Ally. 

TEAM: 7s/Manager.

POSITION: Defender/Manager.

BIRTH DATE: 04/03/94.

BIRTH PLACE: Kingston. 

PREVIOUS CLUBS: Reigate priory, Kingswood FC. 

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1. Tell us who you are outside of the club. What do you do, how would you describe yourself?

 I’m an all round builder but my speciality is bricklaying, patios and driveways. I always make sure iv got time for playing football, going fishing, playing guitar, going to gigs/festivals and going out. I’m very laid back and just goes with the flow. 

 

2. How did you end up at Merton FC?

I Searched for local football teams In my area on the Internet and found Merton FC and now I’m here.

 

3. What was your best moment in your MFC career till now?

 Probably becoming the 7s manager. 

 

4. If you could play for a professional team, which would be it and why?

 LA Galaxy. Why? Because it’s in los Angeles lets face it who wouldn’t wanna live there? 

 

5. Do you have any pre-match rituals or superstitions?

Listening to Taylor Swift in the car driving to home and away games always gets me in the mood before a match, but I do have a habit of always forgetting the kit. 

 

6. Lastly, share us your goals/expectations for the season.

To Continue playing strong and focused in every game, the aim is to finish at least in the top four this season. 

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RAPID FIRE:

Player of the season (at Merton, or in professional football): premier league Zlatan Ibrahimovic. 

Childhood Team: Liverpool fc. 

Favourite team in the UK: Liverpool fc.

Favourite team outside the UK: Real Madrid 

Childhood Hero: Ronaldo(Brazilian Ronaldo) 

Favourite Food: Fried Chicken and Chips

Favourite Drink: Southern Comfort & lemonade.

Favourite Band: Red Hot Chili Peppers. 

NAME: Dan Kelly

TEAM: Merton 2s

POSITION: Centre Forward

BIRTH DATE: 16/10/81

BIRTH PLACE: Great Yarmouth

PREVIOUS CLUBS: Couple of clubs back in York: Heslington XI, CPP, but Merton since 2005.

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1. Tell us who you are outside of the club. What do you do, how would you describe yourself?

I work in market research which wrongly gets equated with me doing surveys. It’s not that exciting. I like to travel, be active (football, climbing, hiking) am basically super competitive about everything and anything. 

2. How did you end up at Merton FC?

 Moved to Wimbledon in 2005, googled and found Merton. Came down for training and Max got me into the 4s squad with Scicluna. Got myself a few goals early on and that was it really.

3. What was your best moment in your MFC career till now?

 Winning the title with the 3s a few years back. And back to back club top scorer awards.

4. If you could play for a professional team, which would be it and why?

Super Tottenham from the Lane (although not for much longer) 

5. Do you have any pre-match rituals or superstitions?

Never wear 7 or 10 (I don’t have the ball playing skills to back it up). Make sure you score in the warm up.  

6. Lastly, share us your goals/expectations for the season.

 Promotion with the 2s (although tough now) and finishing top scorer for them. Would love for the 3s to stay up as well – best of luck to them at the weekend

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RAPID FIRE:

Player of the season (at Merton, or in professional football): Connor Murphy. Relentlessly solid.

Childhood Team: Spurs

Favourite team in the UK: Spurs

Favourite team outside the UK: There is football outside the UK?

Childhood Hero: Gary Lineker and for a brief phase I remember wanting to be Eddie the Eagle so much I almost drowned “ski jumping” into the sea. 

Favourite Food: Pizza

Favourite Drink: Ale

Favourite Band: Pass. 

NAME: David Quainton

TEAM: Handsome

POSITION: CF, though, let’s face it, I’ve played everywhere. A season a left-back proved it’s not my natural home.

BIRTH DATE: 07/06/1981

BIRTH PLACE: London (Westminster, to be precise)

PREVIOUS CLUBS: Stringfellows, Book Club, Teaching Vanny To Read Good Club, Sinjuns Grammarians.

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1. Tell us who you are outside of the club. What do you do, how would you describe yourself?

Raconteur, handsome go-getter, purveyor of joie de vivre, standard-bearer for literacy within Merton FC. Man most likely (after Vanny) to dig-out D’Arcy[sic] and Vin for being fat. I work in PR and do writing, innit. For EE. So if you’re on the UK’s biggest and fastest mobile network and have experienced no signal or appalling customer service it’s not my fault, but I do know the person responsible.  

 

2. How did you end up at Merton FC?

My Sinjuns teammates were all getting a little long in the tooth and Messrs Willgoss and Jennings had long extolled the virtues of Merton FC. Clappers said I talked too much at my first training session, but I knew he loved me really. My keenness at training briefly earned me the name ‘new Mustard’ which I took as a compliment; now I’m not so sure… Also I accidentally fouled Chris Rayner about three times a session.

 

3. What was your best moment in your MFC career till now?

January 2016, an away match for the 1s against someone (I never know who). Quainton, Rayner and Willgoss on the bench. All three chucked on late in a tug-of-war 0-0. Bosher scores, we concede immediately, but we’re desperate for the win. Willgoss win the ball at right back and clears to 40-ish yards, I outsprint the defence, round a centreback on the halfway line, and race through with nothing left on the clock. Chuffing away to my left is, not a defender, but Chris Bloody Rayner. I’ve got the goddamn sense to square. Rayner, cold as ice, slots home. Everyone goes chicken oriental. It was a special, special moment.

 

4. If you could play for a professional team, which would be it and why?

I already play for QPR. Look-up Jamie Mackie.

Otherwise, aside from the obvious Merseyside Reds, I’d go Fiorentina, because Batigol and Florence.

5. Do you have any pre-match rituals or superstitions?

Shirt number 3 is mine.

 

6. Lastly, share us your goals/expectations for the season.

I expect to score goals. I’ll miss some as well, but I will also score, and get injured. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

 

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RAPID FIRE:

Player of the season (at Merton, or in professional football): Paul Pearce, N’Golo Kante.

Childhood Team: Liverpool FC

Favourite team in the UK: Liverpool FC

Favourite team outside the UK: St Pauli, the ultimate hipster side

Childhood Hero: Roald Dahl

Favourite Food: Paella

Favourite Drink: Dr Pepper

Favourite Band: Radiohead

NAME: Michael Gubby   

TEAM: Various

POSITION: GK (with the odd cameo on field)

BIRTH DATE: 10^th May 1993

BIRTH PLACE: Basingstoke

PREVIOUS CLUBS: Various teams closer to home

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1. Tell us who you are outside of the club. What do you do, how would you describe yourself?

I’m a product manager for BT, managing the process of changing prices that our customer’s pay. Outside of that im a lot less boring…

Love listening to music and going to gigs of various genres and watching and playing a variety of sports. Oh and getting drunk quite often with friends

 

2. How did you end up at Merton FC?

Through a few friends who work at BT with me and play for Merton

 

3. What was your best moment in your MFC career till now?

Picking up MOTM and DOTD on debut (for the 3s)

 

4. If you could play for a professional team, which would be it and why?

I would play for Man United. Been a fan since my dad made me a fan as a young kid

 

5. Do you have any pre-match rituals or superstitions?

Always put my gloves on last…

 

6. Lastly, share us your goals/expectations for the season.

I would love a clean sheet or a point at all on the goalkeepers Golden Glove table

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RAPID FIRE:

Player of the season (at Merton, or in professional football): Zlatan!

Childhood Team: Man United

Favourite team in the UK: Man United

Favourite team outside the UK: The Burkina Faso national team

Childhood Hero: Peter Schmeichel

Favourite Food: Nachos

Favourite Drink: Cherry Coke

Favourite Band: Foals

As the snow tumbled down, 13 men who, by Saturday, don the mighty yellow, expectantly checked their phones that morning, with the text from Scholesy that the game against Poly would be called off seemingly a racing certainty.

But it never came, and an almost reluctant Merton 4s slowly gathered in the change room. The late arrival of the manager meant the kit was hurriedly put on – not that anyone really fancied a warm up anyway.

Given the adverse conditions, the pitch was in surprisingly good nick, and after some encouraging performances in recent weeks, Merton said about asserting themselves.

But the first couple of minutes were almost a perfect microcosm of the 4s season so far. For about 120 seconds from the kick off, they pinged the ball around beautifully, getting ball to feet, and building two very dangerous attacks in the process.

It didn’t yield a goal though. Well, not for Merton anyway. One hoof upfield from Poly, a mix up in defence, and the hosts gleefully poked it home. And just like that, a deflated Merton were 1-0 down.

The lads kept their heads up though, and, impressively, they kept playing football. After 15 minutes, it is fair to say Poly had barely had a kick, and yet were 1-0 up. Not only had Merton bossed the midfield, but they’d opened up their opponents down the wings a number of times too.

Yet they were always vulnerable on the counter, and that’s how Poly’s second came about. Their striker got in behind, and Kieran initially made a fine save. Unfortunately, he lost his footing a touch on the follow up, and his palmed second save could only send the ball over his head and rolling agonisingly into the net. 2-0 Poly.

And still Merton kept going, as the midfield continued to have the better of things, with Sonny and Akram doing a fine job in the middle of the park. But then came a nasty injury to Chris Outred, as he clashed heads with a Poly player as both went in for a full-blooded header. And full blooded it was, as an astonishing amount of the red stuff came from Chris’s forehead. After a few minutes of checking for concussion and performing some relatively amateur first aid bandage work, Chris was escorted from the field. We do wish him a speedy recovery.

The third and fourth goals came just after half time, although this scribe was in the clubhouse attending to the wounded at the time, so no details of how it happened are currently available.

There is no fun in getting a battering. But credit to the Yellows, they kept going, and still continued to produce some pockets of good football. That said, Poly were by now the more dominant side, and as injuries accumulated for Merton, they became very stretched.

Poly’s 5th goal came about from some good interplay down the left, although the shot which finished it was something of a worldie. It left Kieran with no price whatsoever. The same could not be said of the 6th goal though, as Merton were caught out trying to play it from the back.

At the other end, Ryan Burchell made a good run that almost yielded a goal, while Danny Gridley also made a fine surge upfield, which led to a decent chance.

But it wasn’t to be, and the final whistle mercifully sounded to end a bitterly disappointing day. After a result like that, the acid test was going to be just how acidic the recriminations were in the change room. Yet nothing of the sort ensued. Instead, the lads shared frustration, but took pride in the quality of football they produced. True, the sloppy goals they continue to give away, and their profligacy in front of goal are a big concern. Yet in amongst all that is also some very, very good football. It’s time to convert that into a result against Bank of England next week.

Youth section U9s lost 4-0 in a friendly against Carshalton Athletic from a higher division. Good game and our lads played well. In the big game of the day, our U11s win 3-0 away at Bedfont Eagles and move into Cup Semis. Great stuff lads!
U13s game cancelled due to oppo not having enough players available to play.
U14s won 10-1 against Met Police Reds
U15s had no fixture today.

Today’s results –

1s and 2s games called off due to pitch condition.
3s no game
5s cancelled due to opposition not able to field a team.

4s lost 6-0 at Poly Played some good passing football but defensive lapses and failure to take chances made a big difference. Chris Outred off with head injury but great emergency aid at Poly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6s lost 5-1 to table topping Carshalton.

Sadly the 6s Chris Spencer suffered a dislocated wrist and double break – nasty injury after a heavy fall defending manfully.
His number 5 short was cut off and is currently on sale on eBay .. hope to see you back before the end of season Spanner – special mention to 1s player Rat who took Chris to A&E

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7s best result a 4-4 draw with South bank Cuaco