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BIRDS EYE VIEW by John Middleditch
12 February 2012 |
Best wishes from everyone at the club to our former
skipper Gavin Frost, get well soon frosty, we've all
been thinking about you mate!!
I really enjoyed my first visit to Bungay Town
recently, was very impressed with the facilities,
apparantly a football foundation grant was obtained
to pay for most of the work on the ground. Perhaps
it might be an idea for us sometime in the future!!
The Youth team impressed yet again with a 5-1 away
win. (and it could have been more!) Hopefully we can
keep all of this team together as they play
wonderful football and all look capable of
progressing to the first team, some of them have
already achieved this. I must apologise to manager
Dan Frost as I forgot to bring his sweets for the
match.(I gather several of the team did notice.)
Well done to Terry Fryatt (father of Johnno) for
mastering the minibus for the first time!!
Had to laugh when fellow supporter Neil rang up
Ipswich Town recently to obtain 4 tickets for the
recent match against West Ham, he was quoted £164,
needless to say we didnt bother!! I obtained an
Ipswich Town Annual over xmas & they predicted in
July of last year that Ipswich Town would win the
Championship, Michael Chopra to be top scorer & West
Ham to finish last!! How far wrong can you be!! Who
would have thought the West Ham game would result in
a 5-1 win!! Mr Jewell has finally realised that loan
players and older players on high wages are not the
answer!!
Was wondering why teams in the Ridgeons Premier
League like Gorleston & Great Yarmouth only charge
£5, yet Brantham charge £7, surely all the entrance
charges should be the same as is the case in
speedway, all teams in the Elite League & Premier
League charge exactly the same.
The recent home match against Kirkley & Pakefield
resulted in a narrow defeat by the only goal, with
Ross Gilfedder now at Wroxham & Lewis Pemberton ill
& James Hubbard & Liam Scopes on the bench after
injury & suspension the team probably deserved at
least a draw, for some reason our away record of 7
wins is better than our home record of 5 wins in the
league. Hopefully we can make it 6 home wins today
against Dereham and a repeat of the excellent 4-0
away win. Am hoping the weather has improved as you
read this after postponements of the recent youth
match against Ipswich Wanderers & first team match
against Norwich United.
"COME ON THE BRIDGE"
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BIRDS EYE VIEW by John Middleditch
28 January 2012 |
I will start with a question "Why are Ridgeons
Premier League attendances so low??". Comparing
prices with professional football, cricket &
speedway i think Ridgeons League football is great
value for money!
I would like to welcome new signing Lewis Pemberton
from Needham Market who had a very good debut in the
match at Gorleston last week (more later) and looks
a very good addition to the squad.
The 2-1 home defeat by CRC was unlucky for the team
who definitely missed the injured James Hubbard up
front. He stood in the crowd with us and headed
every ball & kicked every shot. It wasn't long
before he admitted "I am not a good spectator". I
soon realised this as I thought I was going to get
knocked out at one point!! Hopefully James will be
fit again soon.
The youth team continue to impress under the
guidance of Dan Frost, a 2-1 home win over Bungay
where Mark Ray impressed & a fruitless visit to
Thetford where supporters and the Minibus had
arrived at the ground to be told the match was off
due to a frozen pitch with the temperature at 1
degree above freezing!! (Having seen Ipswich Town's
youth team this season Dan's team would certainly
give them a game!!). The reserve team played at the
same venue 3 days later, a certain person was
absent, so to Carl and the team I accept full
responsibility, best not to mention the score!!
Another fantastic, but very windy day out at the
seaside at Gorleston last Saturday, with both first
choice forwards out, Liam suspended & others injured
the team worked their socks off and two goals from
Tom Trevivian, the second of which seemed to be up
in the air forever before finally going in. Not for
the first time this season they were the better team
with ten men and secured the points, helped by
another impressive display by keeper Tom Sills.
In the bar after the game myself and Ben Seaman were
discussing the latest Ipswich Town defeat, I think
we are not the only ones thinking relegation could
happen!! It is very refreshing to see the
Woodpeckers playing as a team and helping each
other, Paul Jewell please note!!!
"COME ON THE BRIDGE"
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BIRDS EYE VIEW by John Middleditch
14 January 2012 |
Firstly I've got to mention the fantastic dive &
fall in the mud by Steve Baldock during the reserves
6-0 win against Debenham (And in front of his wife
and everyone in the main stand) Absolute quality and
well worth the £2 entrance fee on its own!!
Hopefully the main stand will be fixed soon after
very windy weather!!
Bad news on the remaining smoker in the Woodpeckers
squad, I'm afraid it only lasted 16 hours, but new
football boots were on show at Great Yarmouth which
were given a great cheer by the away support and a
one finger salute on entering the pitch!! Well done
James!! What a great day we all had on the sea
front. An 8-1 away win & Sea food & Chips before the
game. We were having a pre match drink at the ground
when everyone heard a very loud noise in the
distance getting closer, it was indeed the
Woodpeckers minibus, it certainly wasn't quiet!!
Another great hatrick for Ross Gilfedder to make it
12 goals in his last 8 games and a great team
performance. Poor Yarmouth didn't know what had hit
them and they have recently drawn 2 home games!!
Hopefully we can keep Ross at least until the end of
the season.
Another home victory against Diss followed with yet
another goal from Ross. Precisely 3 seconds before
he scored the winner i said to Steve Roper, "Ross
has been quiet", quite amazing!! Nice to see
Gilfedder Senior Ian enjoying supporting the
Woodpeckers home & away and indeed sponsoring a home
match.
The 9-0 reserves recent victory over Whitton was
thoroughly deserved as James Hubbard, Mark Roper &
Kelsey Trotter were all happy to play with no first
team game & they all scored. I still have no idea
how James didn't get a hatrick!! Had to feel a bit
sorry for the Whitton goalkeeper who had to go off
after a 50-50 challenge, guess who the challenge was
with??
Well done to Liam Scopes who has played so well at
Centre Half, with injuries to Ben Miller, James
Buckle & Craig Stuart (who played in the recent 9-0
game).
With 15 games left, 9 at home and 6 away a top 6
position is now so close, so come on the
Woodpeckers, YOU CAN DO IT AND YOU ALL DESERVE IT!!
"COME ON THE BRIDGE" |
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BIRDS EYE VIEW by John Middleditch
02 January 2012 |
Floodlight failures do not happen very often but it
happened in two matches I attended at Notcutts Park
in very wet weather for the youth match against
Stowmarket and two days later for the first team
away match at Ely. I was very sorry to hear of the
sad loss of Mr Singh at the Unwin Ground.
I was very pleased to see the opening of the new
stand at Debenham FC in memory of Claude Chapman.
Claude was a great lad and local non-league football
will not be the same without him. Also the same
applies to Albert Ainsworth (Oakey) Grandad of Ben &
Jordan Seaman, was very proud to have known them
both.
The home match against Wroxham was probably the best
0-0 draw I have ever seen. Both teams had shots
cleared off the line & we came so close to adding to
the 12 goals they had conceded all season. We were
just talking about Liam Scopes playing so well at
centre half & having no bookings when he got booked
for a "nothing" challenge.
The boxing day derby clash with Felixstowe turned
out to be a tight affair which Mark Roper described
as "the worst game in history" on facebook. Manager
Mark Scopes was sent off and 3 or 4 bookings, even
James Hubbard was booked for throwing the ball away
& Liam booked harshly yet again!! (quite amazing
when you consider the home team had no bookings
after numerous fouls!) Hopefully refereeing
decisions will even themselves out over the rest of
the season!!
Word is that the only smoker in the Woodbridge Town
squad will give up smoking on New Years Eve. Good
luck mate & hopefully he will take out his
frustration on opposition defences in 2012!!
Finally I'd like to wish Richard Scott a happy
birthday for yesterday, New Years Day, keep up the
good work mate, your Christmas meal was wonderful!!
"COME ON THE BRIDGE" |
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BIRDS EYE VIEW by John Middleditch
17th December 2011 |
I was most surprised to see Fred Elliott from
Coronation Street making a comeback managing Kirkley
& Pakefield last month. Didnt see Ashley though!!
Was even more surprised when the Clacton PA
annonucer named the teams for the 4-2 away win
including "The late Keith Hetherington"!!
Great to see goalkeeper Elliot Harrison working at
the Heathlands Public House in Foxhall Road, I hear
he is getting on very well, although he is a West
Ham Supporter. Nice to keep up to date with Elliot
on Facebook.
What a performance in the last twenty minutes of the
Haverhill home match. 1-0 down, a great comeback and
a fantastic hatrick for Ross Gilfedder & "world
class" goals from James Hubbard & Paul Berry. If
only that were to happen at Portman Road!!
Been watching the Youth team again recently, playing
wonderful football & unbeaten in the league since
August, long may it continue. I think the management
were slightly uneasy recently when 3-0 up after 8
minutes against Stowmarket and the floodlights went
out, thankfully this was soon rectified!! Credit to
all the families involved with this especially Steve
& Michelle Baldock.
Got to give great credit to the small band of
supporters who follow the team Home & Away so well
done to Neil Peck, Colin Allcock, Kevin & David
Leech, Keith & Ivan Rattle, Barry Cameron, Chris
Blundell, Brendon Mcardle & Messrs Roper & Berry
Senior, have also noticed some of the Colchester
Boys families (Hope I haven't forgotten anyone!!)
Also great credit to Physio David White who does a
great job keeping the squad fit & healthy (with Paul
Berry's help i hear).
Lastly I would like to wish everyone at the club a
Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!!
"COME ON THE BRIDGE" |
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BIRDS EYE VIEW by John Middleditch
29th November 2011 |
At the Kirkley & Pakefield Away game Manager Mark
Scopes asked me if i would mind writing a regular
article for the programme, so here goes!!
Sitting watching an Ipswich Town home game last
season playing noughts and crosses it occurred to me
is this really worth it?? £480 to play noughts and
crosses, I think not!! After 38 years of supporting
Ipswich Town and 4 years of supporting the
woodpeckers (When Ipswich weren't at home of course)
which do I enjoy more? I decided to support the
woodpeckers Home and Away (100% effort every game &
for a fraction of the cost). I only hope the team
don't get too annoyed when they hear the immortal
words "COME ON THE BRIDGE" which is normally heard
by everyone in the ground.
When am i going to meet any of the Ipswich Town
team? And more importantly will Mark Roper's dad
Steve ever watch one of his Penalty Kicks?? I have
found all of the squad and staff very approachable &
always look forward to having a word with James
Hubbard after a game when he enjoys a well deserved
cigarette and telling Ben Seaman how Ipswich Town
have got on (we both still care!!). Hopefully we can
get a full strength team out soon as it hasn't
happened since the first two games (which we won!!).
There is no reason why we cant still aim for a top
six finish as narrow unlucky defeats to Brantham and
an away win at Dereham prove.
I always enjoy the banter with David Leech which
usually ends "NORWICH ARE LOSING" or more recently
"IPSWICH ARE LOSING" and more recently Brendan
Mcardle supporting the team with the words "COME ON
LUTON!!". The Club deserves success & hopefully in
years to come this will happen. The U-18's team have
some very promising players & play some excellent
football. Great Credit to Dan (A very keen Liverpool
supporter I believe!) and all of the coaching staff
(First Team, Reserves and U-18's) Billy Lummis, Tom
Sills, Alex Greggor (Tosh), Luke Moss, Tom Ross &
Andy Baldock have all tasted first team action and
done really well.
I've even been "working" at the club most Tuesdays,
great credit to Keith, Johnny & Greg who all do a
great job keeping the stadium up to scratch and
maintaining it as one of the better stadiums in the
Ridgeons Premier League.
"COME ON THE BRIDGE" |
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