Firstly apologies for a blank week last week - I did have my weekly notes sketched out but time and other commitments kept me from posting.

However, back to normal this week, and a mixed week on the pitch, but some very key results to us.  The first team kept their unbeaten league form going, although with a draw, which I guess that both they and I would be frustrated with, but then a couple of seasons back we would have been delighted - I keep saying it, but lets remember how far we have come here.  The important thing is that the destiny of a league title is still in our own hands and we cannot ask for more than that, and a league and cup double is still very much on the cards.  Great to see the reserves grab another win at Southbank an climb further up the table.  The reserves was always going to be a tough nut to crack, but after a slow start Gary and Keith have done a magnificent job in turning things around and an unbeaten league run in 2009 speaks volumes and bodes well for the future not only for the reserves, but for the club as a whole, where we must aim for strength in all our league sides.  Disappointing results for our 4's and 5's, but the 4's are not out of it yet, and the 2 convincing wins last week for the 5's should lay the platform for safety for them.  Well done to the 6's who took on a tricky game away to Old Actonians and won, and putting them 2nd in the league even with a points deduction.  Great to see two new young captains getting it right and playing some great football as well and with their league games averaging 6.7 goals a game, are well worth seeing if you get the chance.  The 7's v 8's was the usual high passioned affair and with two such closely matched teams a tight game was always on the cards - congratulations to skipper Steve Drake who got the 8's winner.  My biggest worry about this game was that with both teams in contention for promotion, an inter-club game was always going to hand their rivals an incentive and as a club we could end up with nothing here.  I am therefore glad that the inter-club fixtures are now out the way and both sides can concentrate on their own end of season run ins, where they can help each other by continuing to win.  The fixtures have fallen in such a way that if the 7's and 8's can get the script right over the next 2 weeks then we may see them lying 1st and 2nd in the table by mid-march, and if we could end up that way then what a fantastic achievment for the club.

My day yesterday was spent with the 3's.  As I stated at the start of the season, one of my intentions for this year was to spend some time with all of our teams during the course of the season, and the 3's was probably the one side where I had yet to achieve this.  Originally my intention was to watch most of their game whilst keeping in touch with events elsewhere, but circumstances were such that I ended up with a full 90 minutes worth and far more involved in the action than I ever thought I would be!!!  The 3's ended up 4-3 winners in a tight game, with effectively only 9 fit players on the pitch at the end, and in doing so showed a great amount of character.  I was impressed with the 3's, Nick and Jason prepared well and a positive professional approach was laid down from the start, and even when we were severely tested by a spirited and battling Broomfield side, heads never dropped and we continued to knuckle down work hard and collectively get a job done.  At 3-3 the momentum was definitely with Broomfield, and it would have been easy for the 3's to give it up, but they didn't and some resolute defending kept us in there and made the quality Keith Fleming finish that gave us the victory late on all the more sweeter.  One thing that was said in the teamtalk was to go out enjoy it and play with a smile, something that I fully endorse and preached when I was a captain myself, and we did that and I am sure that it helped the team spirit that for me eventually won this game for us and continued in the bar afterwards - an example we can all learn from.  The result has put the 3's right back into the promotion mix, and incredibly 6 out of our 8 sides are still very much in contention for promotion this season, and long may that continue.  So much hard work has been done by us all to get us here and I would urge you all to make that final push to make our dreams reality.

Steve Martin-Lawrence, Chairman