News
Many thanks to Jeremy Clarke and Parkgate Developments for sponsoring the trophies for this season's Presentation Evening. We very much need the support of companies such as Parkgate and can't thank them enough for their generosity.
Congratulations to our Under 12s who have won promotion to the A Division next season. Having been unbeaten in all competitions for two thirds of the season they eventually finished as Runners Up in the B division and having claimed some notable A division scalps on the way they also reached the semi finals of the League Cup.
Our Under 14s were Runners Up in a high standard Farncombe five a side tournament on May 18th drawing the final 2-2 aet but losing in a penalty shoot out. Penalties were the curse of Balham Blazers on the day as but for the dreaded spot kicks it would have been an all Blazers U14 final with Balham Blazers B drawing their semi final 0-0 aet before losing on pens too. Our three Under 12 sides entered all qualified from the group stage into the quarter finals where as has been the case in many other tournaments two were drawn against each other. Balham Blazers C made it into the semi finals where they lost narrowly 2-1 after hitting the cross bar twice.
Friday July 4th, 6.30pm to 9.30pm. At our home ground, The Trevor Bailey Sports Ground, Dulwich College, Dulwich Common.
The Balham Blazers Presentation Evening is the club's social night of the year and is when all cups, trophies, medals and individual awards are handed out to players. Every player in the club will receive something. Photos for the web site will be taken of all squads and individual winners. There will be a bar, barbecue outside, a raffle and competitions on the night. This is the one night in the year when all four age groups come together to share in and celebrate each others achievements. Players, parents, families, friends and supporters are all very welcome to attend. More details will follow—including what time it starts.
Whatever you do don't miss it!! Put it in your diaries now!
The Losers ran out winners at the 2008 annual Balham Blazers Quiz Night on May 10th. The ironically named Losers team pipped the Blazing Saddles team at the post when Loser Louise Albrecht answered the tie break question correctly after the nine round, nine team competition was tied at the finish. The evening itself was a great success and has to date raised £535, which betters the two previous years totals.
It's happened many times before and it happened again on May 10th when the two Under 15 Blazers teams entered into the Walton & Hersham six a side tournament both qualified from their two different groups as winners and runners up and therefore had to face each other in the semi finals. The game finished 0-0 after extra time but was won on penalties by Balham Blazers B who finished the tournament as Runners Up after losing 1-0 in the final.
Some footballers can only dream of scoring a hat trick for their club, scoring a goal at Wembley and being called up to play for their country. Balham Blazers coach, Robin Shroot, succeeded in achieving all three in the space of three days. Robin scored a hat trick for AFC Wimbledon against Ashford on Saturday April 12th in a 4-1 win, scored again for them at Wembley in an 8-1 win over Corinthian Casuals on the Sunday and then jetted off to Portugal on the Monday with the Northern Ireland Under 20s to play in the Campo Verde tournament against Portugal, USA and Cape Verde. Unfortunately a hamstring problem restricted Robin to one appearance against Cape Verde. Nevertheless he played the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 defeat.
Balham Blazers General Manager and Coach Greg Cruttwell was honoured with a Voluntary Services to Sport award at the 11th annual Wandsworth Sports
Awards on March 11th. Unfortunately Greg couldn't be at the presentations
to collect the award himself however Committee member Arlene Allen and U14
player Charlie Barthorp were there representing Balham Blazers and Charlie
very kindly received the award on Greg's behalf.
U15s Ed Carnochan and Fareed Fletcher-Lord currently hold the club keepy uppy passing record. Working as a pair each player must do three or more kick ups then pass the ball to their partner who must do three or more kick ups and then pass it back. It is a ball skills technique competition to see which pair can keep the ball up between them and make the most passes. The ball must never touch the ground. Ed and Fareed's current club record stands at 33. The second best score achieved to date is 29 done by U15 Alex Hayles and U14 Bradley Haseley. The third best is 27 done by club individual kick up record holder Joe Taylor-Holland and Fareed Fletcher-Lord and the fourth best is 21 done by U14 pair Fred Fox and Tom Diamond.
Having beaten last year's sponsored marathon running time in September we
can confirm that the double has been done and the total sponsorship money
raised has also surpassed last year's total of £1500. This year's total
raised currently stands at £1600. Well done and many thanks to all who've
contributed by collection or donation.
Top quality Under 15 player, Alex Hayles, suffered a horrendous injury at
training on October 27th, which will keep him out of football for the rest of the
current season. Alex will be sorely missed and his return to the team
won't come a moment too soon. He is a fantastic player, with a great
attitude and is a vitally important member of the squad. He was in great
form this season. Alex's power, presence, excellent range of passing and
silky skills means he can play anywhere and this season he had already
played up front, scoring five goals, in midfield and for the first time in
central defence where, as with everywhere else he plays, he was
inspirational. Alex is irreplaceable and everyone at the club wishes him as
speedy a return to action as is possible.
We are delighted to welcome back referee Phil Childs this season. Phil will be sharing refereeing duties at the Trevor Bailey Sports Ground with Rubel Ahmed who refereed our home games last season. We are very lucky to have two such highly qualified and experienced referees as Rubel and Phil.
The first Balham Blazers Coaching School course took place on Wandsworth
Common in half term and proved to be a great success. 8 to 14 year old
players from both inside and outside the club took part over three days
playing loads of football, answering three testing lunchtime quizzes and
hopefully having a lot of fun. There may well be another course before
Christmas. Watch this space for further news.
We are very grateful to Robert Trindle & Co who are replacing Tesco as our main sponsor this season. Robert's increased sponsorship and continued support is much appreciated by all at Balham Blazers. It's great to have the backing of a local business such as Robert Trindle & Co, whose name will be emblazoned on the Blazers' shirts in 2007/08.
The 3rd annual Balham Blazers Sponsored Marathon took place on Saturday September 8th. Runners from our U9s, U12s, U14s and U15s each carried the baton for 1km. We were also treated to some "stunning" running from mums, dads and siblings. The record overall time, achieved last year, of 3 hours 13 minutes was obliterated with a new record time of 2 hours 59 minutes being set. Last year the event raised £1,500. We are hoping to set two new records by beating that total this year.
Young Balham Blazers coach Robin Shroot represented Northern Ireland Under 20's at the Milk Cup in his home country in July. With a draw against Turkey and victory over Chile, Northern Ireland qualified for the final where they lost to Israel. Robin, who has won many plaudits at AFC Wimbledon, where he is currently under contract, played in all three games.
The 2007 annual end of season Presentation Evening was held this year at our
home ground in Dulwich on Tuesday July 10th. The weather was fantastic, the
burgers were delicious and there was a big turnout to celebrate the
achievements, dedication and hard work of all Balham Blazers players,
helpers and supporters. A PDF document can be downloaded showing all the trophy winners for the 2006-7 season.
Congratulations to our U13s who finished joint Runners Up in the Tandridge League B Division and as a result have been promoted to the A Division for 2007/08.
Balham Blazers F.C. returned triumphant from the Petts Wood F.C. youth football tournament in Bromley, Kent, on Sunday May 20th. The Blazers three age group teams all made the finals with the Under 11s and Under 14s winning a high standard tournament and the Under 13s finishing as runners up.
Congratulations to our U13s who went unbeaten in winning the South Park F.C. tournament in Surrey in June and to our U11s who won the Furngate Youth F.C tournament in West Sussex, where our two sides entered in this age group played a total of seventeen matches in all, with the one and only time one of them lost a game coming when the two Balham
Blazers teams had to play each other in one of the semi finals.
Congratulations to our U13s who won the Sportsmanship award for the Tandridge League B division which is voted for by the twelve competing clubs. Congratulations also to our U8s who in their first ever competitive tournament at Elm Grove Colts F.C played some excellent football against much more experienced teams and won the tournaments' Fair Play award.
April 2007
After coming very close a few weeks earlier U13, Jamie Davis, smashed the club kick up record at training on April 3rd, becoming the first player to top 300 with a stunning 309. His record stood for only ninety minutes however as the previous record holder, Joe Taylor-Holland, who looked on as Jamie took his record, reclaimed it with a staggering 488. At training on April 24th, inspired by coach Robin Shroot doing a mean 500, Joe broke the record yet again with a magnificent, mesmerising 552.
Joe Taylor-Holland created a new kick up record with a staggering total of 552.
The FA announced at the end of June that they are launching a pilot scheme for next season allowing girls in Under 12, Under 13 and Under14 age groups to continue playing mixed football. Individual Leagues have to apply to the FA to put this into practise. The FA will then weigh things up at the end of the 2007/08 season and go from there. This is great news for Minnie Cruttwell whose campaign has brought this about and for the many other girls all over the country who have supported the campaign and now have the opportunity to play mixed football next season.
There was an excellent turn out for the second annual Balham Blazers quiz night on March 10th. Thirteen teams battled it out over a fish and chip supper with the simply named, Table Seven, emerging victorious. The evening raised £500 for the club, which is almost double the total raised last year. Many thanks to everyone who came along.
In addition to the existing teams playing this season in the Tandridge League, Balham Blazers will be starting two new age group teams at Under 8 and Under 9. Neither age group will berushed into playing League football however but will spend the season training together, playing friendlies and if all goes well possibly entering tournaments later in the season with a view to playing League football in their second seasons together.
Balham Blazers would like to thank Tooting based group, Natural Triangles, for writing a club song for us. The song, music and lyrics are copyright NNT 2006. All enquiries to resmash@gmail.com
Have a listen by downloading the track as a mpeg. The file size is 3.6megs
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