Royston FC...

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted By: k33per No.1

so this is why you didnt go to Royston on Saturday Rhodes
pmsl

Keeper No.1 - Like I said I was washing my hair on Saturday as it was looking a bit greasy, anyway we went mob handed to Royston, unlike Broxbourne Borough when I last saw you, with the Reserve Team Coach, Hector, the Club Secretary, Willow the Cat and you so there were plenty of people to muck in and wipe the players noses.

[petethegreek]

But what was your excuse for missing the County Cup Final on Sunday which you said that you would attend?

[Rhodes]

'The great' Kenny Dyer wasn't able to make it in the end so I didn't bother, did New Salamis win out of interest and what sort of crowd did they get.

[blowingbubbles]

bore off rhodes

[Willo the Cat]

blow some bubbles for us blowingbubbles

[blowingbubbles]

[petethegreek]

Originally Posted By: Rhodes

'The great' Kenny Dyer wasn't able to make it in the end so I didn't bother, did New Salamis win out of interest and what sort of crowd did they get.

New Salamis won the game 4-3 after extra time.

A few houndred.

[Willo the Cat]

[Hurryup Harry]

I'm glad I joined F Man

[NeutralFan]

ICU... I take it you didn't make the journey to Leighton last night? Shame you would've seen a very rare site, these days, of me scoring!! (... and before anyone comments it wasn't an own goal!)

[Hurryup Harry]

Sorry mate no, I coach my sons U-15 team as well and we had a game. Off to Buckingham tonight to watch them again so that makes it football last Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, tonight and tomorrow at Hanwell..no game Sunday but something on Monday Ive forgotten for now. I really can't wait for a break but then I know I will be willing the season to start again before long.

What was score last night?

[NeutralFan]

We lost 3-2, were 3-0 down after half an hour so not too displeased with the final result considering. They had a bit too much for us in midfield and up front!

[Rhodes]

Any indication yet on whether Paul Attfield will be staying at Garden Walk or is it too early, there's very little news in the Royston Crow these days.

[Rhodes]

I see that Royston Town are back in the news in the Royston Crow, sorry but I can't seem to post the link:

 

THEY say that football is a game of two halves. Well that was certainly the case for Royston Town's season of ups, downs, and twists and turns.

After being relegated from the Premier Division, the 2007/08 campaign started poorly for The Crows, and for a while it looked like an embarrassing second successive relegation was on the cards.

The likeable Phil Snowden seemed to have taken the club as far as he could, which included the second round of the FA Vase - the furthest the club had been in years.

His side certainly showed glimpses of promise, but in having players often unavailable, and a long injury list, a lack of stability was always going to be a problem.

Snowden had the nucleus of a decent team, and if his better players had been available week-in-week-out, then he would have probably lifted Royston from the early doldrums.

Nicky Morgan, Bradley Poole, and Bruno Condutto were potential match winners, and three players that current manager Paul Attfield would have liked to have had at his disposal.

But for one reason or another, Snowden couldn't hold them down, and was forced to chop and change his side.

As a result, The Crows never had the cohesion to get their season up and running, and the time came for a change.

And some change it was. Snowden resigned, and out went stalwarts Lee Rogers and Stuart Snowden, keeper James Scott, Albert Adudonyianah, Seb Ndombe, David Daniels, and Eddie Julu.

All replaced in a makeover that Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen would have been proud of, as new manager Paul Attfield brought in a number of his former Buntingford Town players.

But as the first half of the season was underlined by poor results and a continual flux, the second half became a platform for a 17-game unbeaten league run and a period of much-needed solidity.

First-team regulars Carl Edwards, Peter Chappell, and in particular Allan Reid, were given a new lease of life, and alongside talented youngsters such as Tom Malins, Luke Robins, Lewis Endacott, Damion Williamson, and David Cain, Attfield transformed Royston into a team with a winning mentality - where demoralising defeats were soon replaced by convincing victories.

However, come the final day of the season, there was not a league title or promotion place to celebrate, as by early April their push had taken a dramatic turn for the worse.

However, what was evident more than anything else, was the fact that despite the promotion fallback, a team of enormous talent had been born, and the foundations of a very good squad set firmly in place.

Perhaps most impressive of all was The Crows' ability in front of goal, as Royston showed their killer instinct by finishing the season as the league's joint highest goalscorers, with 92 goals.

And, although not wanting to sound like a cheesy game show host, in football goals win points, and points win prizes. And that is something that Attfield's side have in abundance.

In Craig Hammond, Royston have one of the best players around, and a striker who became the scourge of South Midlands League defences.

While their form in putting the ball in the net grabbed most of the headlines, The Crows also boasted the second-best defensive record of 44 goals - a figure that would have been considerably less had Cain, Endacott, Chappell, and Mark Babbage been playing together from the start of the season.

And that defensive unit is sure to be just as important come next season, as Attfield looks to mount a serious challenge for the title.

But perhaps his biggest problem will be keeping this talented crop of players, with the likes of Hammond, Reid, Robins, and Endacott sure to have drawn the attention of the bigger clubs.

Next season promises to be an interesting one, and The Crows should be the favourites for Premier Division promotion.

Come August, having gained some valuable experience, this young side will be a lot wiser.

And as long as the club can keep everyone together, the 2008/09 season promises more than just a cuddly toy.

 

 

 

 

[blowingbubbles]

detailed, interesting read however rhodes

[Rhodes]

Thanks. Very sorry Cambridge United got so near and yet so far, I would have preferred to see league football return to the Abbey Stadium rather than St James's Park, did you go to the game.

[Rhodes]

An interesting article from the Royston Crow

[Rhodes]

I see that Paul Attfield is all over the Royston Crow like a rash talking about Royston's attractive looking FA Cup draw, he said that it would be nice to start and end at Wembley but surely there's not much chance of them reaching the final even if Craig Hammond rediscovers his scoring touch which deserted him at the end of last season:

 

http://www.royston-crow.co.uk/content/crow/default/default.aspx

 

[Horace]

Originally Posted By: Rhodes

I see that Paul Attfield is all over the Royston Crow like a rash talking about Royston's attractive looking FA Cup draw, he said that it would be nice to start and end at Wembley but surely there's not much chance of them reaching the final even if Craig Hammond rediscovers his scoring touch which deserted him at the end of last season:

http://www.royston-crow.co.uk/content/crow/default/default.aspx

That may be an unfortunate turn of phrase by Mr Attfield! Start and finish at Wembley = lose opening game?

[Rhodes]

It's unusual for Paul Attfield to pass such a comment as he is normally more professional than that, I know Hector Varela was very impressed by him and his approach when Royston came to the Copthall Stadium on 12 March, desite their 1-0 defeat, and he should know having rubbed shoulders with the World's great Coaches and learnt his trade at Ajax.