Noticeboard

The noticeboard consists of the home page updates where news, reports, updates and announcements are posted.

 

June 29 2010

The season has finally come to an end, and what a season it was: definitely the tightest that we have ever had. Everything went to the wire and that was the case with the DBMT as it took a replay for Midland Elite FC to take the honours as they defeated Hilly House 3-2. It was a cracking game, level at the break, and when Hilly took the lead it looked good for them. But two goals from Midland ensured that they won a trophy in their first season. Check out the YouTube link for some action as well.

This will be the final website update for the 2009/2010 season, it's now a switchover to the new site, which has been in operation anyway for some time. The presentation night is July 19, see you there. Hope you've had a great season and judging by the re-entry of all teams bar one, that seems to be the case.

June 22 2010

The already long season is being extended by yet another week, as the DBMT has to go to a replay. In a very tight and competitive game played in a good spirit, Hilly House and Midland Elite FC drew 2-2. That was the score at the break, and that's how it finished at the final whistle. Hilly House were the dominant team in the first half but Elite came back into it more and more as the game progressed, and they had a couple of late chances to wrap it up. A draw was a fair result but we need to settle things next week as the 2010/2011 season starts the Monday after with The Summer Cup.

The delayed final outcome in the DBMT means that the trophies will now be ordered first thing on Tuesday morning (June 28). As previously, any teams that are still arrears regarding outstanding fines (and there are a number) will not be on the order list that is handed in. In addition, to be eligible for games next season all fines have to be cleared. So you may as well do it now and get your trophies.

June 15 2010

Congratulations to Hilly House who confirmed their second league title when they beat Ebenezer FC in  Monday's game. Not only was it the only match of the evening but it was also the final one in the league campaign and the win gives them the edge on goal difference only. Spare a thought though for Brandhall & Quinton FC, who led the way pretty much all season. It just goes to show, never give up. As long as there' s a mathematical chance, keep battling away.

With trophy order day fast approaching it's important that teams clear their fines if they are to receive awards. There are currently 6 teams that are in arrears (details on the officials' forum). Fines range from 50p to over £20 but rules are rules and we all know where we stand when everything is in 'black and white'. 

We've also been asking for several weeks now for fair play award nominations. We still need entries from St Matthew's Ravens, Kingsway Lions and AFC Fatherless Barn. Come on guys, it only takes a few seconds.

June 8   2010

Hilly House moved a step closer towards their second title when they brushed aside 6-man Kingsway Lions 10-0. The goal machine Tom Adams was again in top form as he found the net four times. With one game to play and a far superior goal difference, it's all down to Hilly House winning their final match. And with this being the last game of the season next week, it really has gone to the wire.

The other two fixtures saw all four teams complete their season. St Matthew's Ravens and Crestwood Church FC went out on highs as they defeated Crestwood Cobras and Stour Valley Rovers respectively. With scores of 5-4 and 4-0 there were plenty of goals in both games.

With trophy order day fast approaching it's important that teams clear their fines if they are to receive awards. There are currently 7 teams that are in arrears (details on the officials' forum). Fines range from 50p to over £20 but rules are rules and we all know where we stand when everything is in 'black and white'. 

We've also been asking for several weeks now for fair play award nominations. We still need entries from St Matthew's Ravens, Kingsway Lions, Midland Elite FC and AFC Fatherless Barn. Come on guys, it only takes a few seconds.

 

May 25  2010

Hilly House took another step towards the double as they defeated Crestwood Church FC 5-1 in the semi-final of the David Bloor Memorial Trophy on Monday night. Their success so far, although a team effort, has definitely been aided and abetted by Tom Adams. This week not only did he get man of the match but also scored four times as well. It's hard to say which is the most impressive to date, his 15 motm awards or his 67 goals.

The other game of the week featured Brandhall & Quinton FC and St Matthew's Ravens in the league. With the latter being tough opponents, any win is always welcome, but with Brandhall desperately needing not just the points but the goal difference they went into overdrive and ran out 8-2 winners. As that was B&Q's final match of the season, Hilly House know what they need to do if they are to lift their second title.

Next season's website continues to develop and at the time of writing we have 8 teams that have applied and been accepted and 3 who are on deadlines to get their entry form and fee in. But if they don't make the deadlines then places will become available for other teams, so in the event that you are interested, then still get in touch.

If you're involved in the league in any way then join the facebook group link on the home page. This is updated regularly and with information and news being important, it's vital that as many people are taking on board what is being put out. Details on the trophies and the presentation night will be published soon as well. The date is July 19.

 

May 19  2010

The score 5-2 was the flavour of the night on Monday as three of the four games played ended that way. The most important one, as far as honours are concerned, was Hilly House's 5-2 victory over Crestwood Cobras. After months of sitting at the top of the table, Brandhall & Quinton FC have finally been knocked off their perch, well for 24 hours at least. The odds are now firmly on Hilly House taking their second title in the history of SICM Sevens.

But will they do the double? That remains to be seen as, assuming they get through their semi-final game, they will have to face Midland Elite FC in the final. Hat-tricks for Jeetinder Bhogal and Pritpal Tiwana saw off the challenge of St Matthew's Ravens as they cruised into the final 8-2.

Tipton Family Church FC cemented their third place in the table as they beat Crestwood Church FC 5-2. The final game with that score saw Ebenezer FC end AFC Fatherless Barn's season with a defeat. A hat-trick for Craig Eccleston (TFC) added to Tom Adams' goals for Hilly House meant that four players had the honour of hitting the net three times on Monday.

Tuesday's fixture saw plenty of goals, and as they were all one-way traffic, not only did it see Brandhall back at the top of the pile but it also helped their goal difference, as it is likely that the title will be decided that way this season. Four from Luke Naraine and a hat-trick from Paul Hewitson gave them a convincing 9-0 win over Stour Valley Rovers.

Finally, the deadline has now passed for teams to enter next season's competitions. At the time of writing there are places available for new teams as some of this season's clubs have not submitted applications. It's now on a first-come, first-served basis as we add the final numbers to take us up to the 11 we will have next time round. You can keep up to date with news for next season via the 2010/2011 website which has been active for some weeks now. We have 8 teams registered for the new campaign.

PS. The referee for the Brandhall game has contacted us to say that the score was 10-0 and not 9-0. The site has been updated and could we have the additional goalscorer from B&Q.

 

May 13  2010

It's not over till the fat lady sings - and that saying has never been more relevant than now as we enter the final few games of the league title run-in. For months the championship has looked to be safely secured in the hands of Brandhall & Quinton FC, but with Hilly House powering on in top form, they have taken advantage of a few slip-ups and now actually hold the cards. The tipping point was this week, as although both won, Hilly House's 18-2 demolition of Kingsway Lions gives them a much bigger goal difference. Brandhall & Quinton weren't exactly stuttering either though, as they defeated bottom club Stour Valley Rovers 7-1.

Apart from Hilly's goal tally, the result of the week must surely go to AFC Fatherless Barn who beat Midland Elite 10-4. The Barn have had a good season and the victory is just rewards for their determination and doggedness. Midland Elite have become the first team to complete their league fixtures but they are still in the DBMT competition. Tipton Family Church FC hauled themselves back into 3rd place as they saw off Ebenezer FC 6-3, taking full advantage of dropped points by both St Matthew's Ravens and Crestwood Church FC who drew 2-2.

With all the goals this week it's hardly surprising that we had some individuals on fire and here they are: Tom Adams (6), Dave Wall (6), Pete Miller (5), Nathan Cain (4), Rich Nettleton (3), Matt Nicholls (3) and Shaun Perry (3). And it comes as no surprise to discover that four of the seven play for Hilly House. Well done one and all.

For those who want to know how their rivals are doing and don't want to wait until the website update, then you can always check out my twitter where I, at the very least, post the results on match nights. I also post when the website is updated etc so it's also good for general information. Then of course there is the new facebook page, with the link on the home page of this website.

Finally, we are in the last few days before the deadline for current teams to enter next season's SICM Sevens. After May 17 any places available will be opened up to new applications. We have already had several present teams apply and once approved they will be entered on the new website for next season. So if you do intend to be in next season then make sure you work to the deadline. If we don't hear from you then we just assume that you won't be entering.

April 28  2010

This week's batch of games were all in the David Bloor Memorial Trophy, and to be precise were the four quarter-final fixtures. The biggest surprise of the night was another defeat for Brandhall & Quinton FC as they crashed out of the competition 3-0 to Crestwood Church FC. Not that there is a surprise on the part of the victors, as Crestwood have been playing well lately and are on top form.

Another in-form team, Hilly House, made it through to the last four as they comfortably saw off Kingsway Lions. They raced into an early lead and although the goals dried up after then, with a 5-0 advantage it was all over bar the shouting by half-time. There were no hat-tricks this week but Tom Adams' single goal for Hilly takes him to 54 for the season to date.

The other two games were much closer, with Ebenezer FC pushing St Matthew's Ravens all the way, finally going down 5-3. Midland Elite FC also advanced in the competition by two goals as they beat Tipton Family Church FC 4-2. The draw for the semi-finals has been made and can be viewed via the new facebook page for SICM Sevens.

If you're not on then make sure you join - or 'like' as it is now called. We've currently got 42 people who are on board but we ought to get a lot more than that! Regular updates will keep you informed. The new website for next season is now active with the first post there concerning team entries for the 2010 / 2011 campaign. Current teams have until May 17 to get their application forms in and then it's open to any newcomers.

And finally, we need information from team officials concerning recent games such as man of the match, goalscorers etc. These can be viewed via the results section of the site and the information can be posted on the officials' forum. It's a big help for us to have the match sheet filled out properly on the night as having to keep going back into the site to update it takes up a lot more time.

 

April 22  2010

In what could arguably be described as the biggest shock of the season so far, Brandhall & Quinton FC crashed 7-0 in their league game with Midland Elite FC. Only a few weeks ago we were talking Brandhall and Champions-elect in the same breath, but this one result opens it all up again. With a number of teams mathematically able to take advantage of the slip-up, it certainly is the closest season we have ever had.

St Matthew's Ravens' topsy-turvy form was more topsy than turvy this week as they beat Kingsway Lions 5-2. And although they are in fifth place, with a game in hand the win also puts them to within three points of Brandhall. But the team in the best place to challenge for the title is Hilly House, who put in a solid performance against a much-improved AFC Fatherless Barn to win 4-0. In fact, with their game in hand Hilly can go top.

But Brandhall will see their destiny in their own hands, and particularly if it goes down to goal difference. With two games still to come against bottom club Stour Valley Rovers, they will be confident on that front. Stour again leaked goals as they lost to Crestwood Cobras 7-0. However, it wasn't such a one-sided game as the score suggests, as it was just 1-0 at the break and most of the Cobras goals were late ones.

Tuesday's game was a real thriller - an 11-goal one in fact - that saw Crestwood Church keep their outside chances of the title alive as they beat Ebenezer FC 6-5. It shouldn't have happened though as Ebenezer led 5-2, but Crestwood are a dangerous side and as they proved in last week's equaliser in the final seconds of their cup game, they never give up. The only player from Ebenezer who will feel remotely satisfied though is Ben Jones, who found the net four times and gained his 9th man of the match in the process.

April 14  2010

The first of the DBMT quarter-finals was played this week, and it's a case of doing it all over again, as Crestwood Church FC and Brandhall & Quinton FC drew 1-1. It didn't look that way, as Crestwood scored their equaliser with seconds to go. It was a well deserved goal though and a draw was a fair result. Booking an hour slot, we don't really have much capacity for extra time, and with no penalties in normal games it would be an odd way of settling a game, plus the time factor kicks in there as well. So replays it is in any drawn cup games.

There were another two DBMT games, although both had nothing at stake as all four teams were already cemented in their respective groups. Hilly House's 4-1 win over St Matthew's Ravens confirmed them as top scorers in the group stages, with a total of 39 goals. But only Tipton Family Church FC maintained a 100% record, as they beat Stour Valley Rovers 5-0. They also end up with the honour of having the tightest defence, with just one goal conceded.

In the league, Midland Elite FC edged it against Crestwood Cobras in a seven-goal thriller. Their four goals keeps them ahead of everyone else in terms of finding the net. However, their free-scoring is balanced out by the vulnerability to leak at the back; but one thing you can guarantee whenever Midland Elite play is fast, flowing football and plenty of goals. The other league game saw much improved AFC Fatherless Barn beat Kingsway Lions 7-2. Although they are well behind the title-chasing pack, the win lifts them comfortably above the group at the basement. This is arguably the Barn's best season.

Finally, a new facebook page has been started that replaces the old group (link on home page). The problem with the latter is that unless you visit you never know what is being posted, whereas a page notifies each member when activity has been made. There is already a forum that exists for the managers/officials of each team and now this one will make information sharing much more accessible to everyone. The group is open to all, so make sure everyone in your team knows about it.

March 31 2010

Following their convincing 5-1 win over Kingsway Lions, the term 'Champions-elect' must surely be one that many people are using in reference to Brandhall & Quinton FC. Even a casual glance at the league table shows that, although mathematically possible, it's going to be a tough call for anyone to put in a late serious challenge.

The one team most likely to do that though is Hilly House. They have definitely hit form on the run-in to the end of the season, and continued that as they beat Midland Elite FC 3-1. Tom Adams on his own has scored more goals than four league teams so far this season, and his single this week takes him to 48 for the campaign.

Another 3-1 victory saw Tipton Family Church FC maintain second place in the league, as they beat Crestwood Cobras in an evenly matched game played in a good spirit. With just two league matches to play this season, TFC will be hoping that the teams below them drop points in their games in hand, thus enabling them to at least equal last year's third place.

Barring any cancelled games (and therefore points deductions), the final game on Monday saw the final three qualifiers confirmed for the knockout stages in the David Bloor Memorial Trophy. It was a close game, but although they led for much of the game, AFC Fatherless Barn eventually succumbed 6-4 to a St Matthew's Ravens team who will be glad of the victory. Their form has been erratic of late, so they will be hoping that the qualification from the group will act as a springboard.

Tuesday's fixture saw Ebenezer FC and Crestwood Church FC share the points in a 3-3 draw. Neither team moves in the table, although Ebenezer now join the Barn and the Lions on 13 points. It's Crestwood who will feel the most disappointed though - 2 points lost and all that - as a win would have strengthened their hand at the top end of the table. But well done to Chris Jones, who claimed his 11th man of the match award of the season.

 

March 23 2010

The one league game this week saw Tipton Family Church's outside chance of the league title pretty much come to an end as they were beaten 4-1 by in-form Hilly House. Tom Adams again had his eye for the net as he scored a hat-trick to extend his lead at the top of the goal scoring table.

Ebenezer FC confirmed their place in the last eight of the DBMT by beating Crestwood Cobras 4-2. The Cobras are the team from the group that have failed to make the cut, due to the fact that they earned only one point from their six games. Midland Elite FC look sure to join them, although they do have to wait on other results in their group. Their 6-1 victory against AFC Fatherless Barn gives them a good chance of qualifying.

The game between Stour Valley Rovers and Crestwood Church FC didn't have anything at stake as group C was already done and dusted. But that didn't stop Crestwood from going full throttle as they won the game 9-0. The first of the quarter-final games is now in the April fixtures and as soon as the final placings in group A are confirmed, the others will be published. These will take place in the last week of April - currently the free slots.

 

March 18 2010

There are quite a few contenders for game of the week this time round; in fact every single match has a reasonable argument as to why it should be chosen head and shoulders above the others. So make your own mind up. But before we begin, could we remind team officials that they need to keep checking the designated forum. There are questions relating to statistics that we need to clear up. Thanks.

The one DBMT fixture this week saw Crestwood Cobras hold Brandhall & Quinton FC to a 2-2 draw. The result leaves the group wide open in terms of who plays who in the quarter-finals, as Brandhall can still be caught at the top and the Cobras can still sneak in at the bottom. Both possibilities look unlikely though due to goal difference, but where there is still mathematical possibility we can never say never.

Looking to go into second place in the league were St Matthew's Ravens. And going into a 2-0 lead against Midland Elite FC they certainly looked like they would leapfrog Tipton Family Church FC, who were having a free week. But one thing about Elite is that they never give up and you always have a game on your hands when you play them.

And thus it proved as they turned the match right around to end up 3-2 winners. But we must congratulate the Ravens on pointing out to the referee that the shot he thought passed across the goal line actually went through the hole in the net at the side. Tremendous honesty that deserves to be fully applauded - particularly when it was the winning goal.

Tom Adams was in blistering form again as he hit four goals that helped Hilly House to a thumping 8-1 win over Ebenezer FC. Although they remain in seventh place in the table, their games in hand can see them go to within one win of Brandhall at the top. Talk about being close when, with a month or so to go, any one of the top seven can still lift the title.

One of those is Crestwood Church FC who hit twelve goals past Stour Valley Rovers, conceding just one in the process. Having scored forty league goals before the game, it meant they did a third of that in one blistering fifty minute spell. Josh Spear was top marksman with four.

Another team who can be rightfully proud of their performance and result is AFC Fatherless Barn. A solid 7-3 win against Kingsway Lions lifts them to eight place, just one spot behind title-chasing Hilly House. But with a twelve points gap the Barn aren't looking that far ahead. There were hat-tricks for Martyn Price and Shaun Maley.

March 5 2010

This week's games were all in the David Bloor Memorial Trophy, and we saw the first two teams book their slots in the quarter-finals. And not even a single ball was kicked in their group either. Stour Valley Rover's cancellation meant that their five-point deduction plus the 5-0 win awarded to Tipton Family Church FC, saw the group qualification places signed, sealed and delivered.

Other teams that have now mathematically qualified for the last eight are Brandhall & Quinton FC and Hilly House Both claimed convincing victories, beating Crestwood Cobras 5-0 and St Matthew's Ravens 8-1 respectively. Tom Adams took his goal tally to 40 for the season and if he continues that sort of form, Hilly House will be looking to take a trophy - or two!

The final game ended in a draw as Midland Elite FC and AFC Fatherless Barn battled out a 3-3 draw. Both teams had chances in this very open match and perhaps a draw was a fair result. It certainly leaves the group open in terms of who will not make the cut. Still plenty to play for there.

The details for Ebenezer FC and Kingsway Lions will be entered once both teams have returned the match sheet. The April fixtures are starting to appear, but as we want to make sure we complete the DBMT games, they will be trickling on-line rather than the normal batch in one go. This is an unexpected lifeline for a couple teams who have now fallen below the fines limit in order that they can be included in fixtures. It's a well-worn drum that we keep banging but we can't stress how important it is to keep checking the officials' forum if you run a team. Every team has two registered officials so there's no excuse!

March 5 2010

With both teams having an outside chance of making a late title push, Brandhall & Quinton FC will be happy that the game between Tipton Family Church FC and Midland Elite FC ended in a 1-1 draw. It could be argued as two points lost for both teams, on the other hand it was a very good game and a draw was a fair result. One team who will probably be frustrated though is AFC Fatherless Barn who lost out by the odd goal to Hilly House in a game that saw the net found eleven times. Leading at the break, there won't be many teams that score five past Hilly House, hence the understandable feeling that they should have got something from the match.

The other two Monday games were in the DBMT. Kingsway Lions put their poor league form behind them as they moved to nine points and certain qualification into the last eight. Theirs was also a close game though as they beat Crestwood Cobras 5-4. The latter are now rooted at the bottom of the group with no points as of yet. After two defeats at the hands of Tipton, Crestwood Church FC finally got off the mark as they defeated Stour Valley Rovers 4-0.

In spite of the goals scored overall, there was only one hat-trick. Or to be more precise a hat-trick plus two, as Hilly House's Tom Adams scored five. This takes him ahead of the goalscorers so far with thirty five goals. Tuesday's game was another result that worked in Brandhall's favour as closest rivals St Matthew's Ravens were held to a 3-3 draw by much improved Ebenezer FC. This means that B&Q had an excellent week - without even kicking a ball!

February 26 2010

After being at the head of the table for so long, suddenly Brandhall & Quinton's claim on the league title doesn't look so solid. Isn't it amazing how one game can change everything. With Crestwood Church FC having lost every match this year so far, you would have expected the B&Q bandwagon to continue rolling. But the opposite happened as they were derailed 2-1 and Crestwood took the points. It certainly opens up the title race as we head into the final weeks of the season.

In the DBMT, Ebenezer FC gave themselves a lifeline towards qualification in the knockout stages. A solid 3-0 win over Crestwood Cobras sees them add their first points in the group following a run of three straight defeats. In the other Monday game, Midland Elite FC forfeited their match with Hilly House which sees them slip back due to the points deduction. But there are still plenty of games to go yet before we start to fill in the quarter-final slots.

Tuesday's games were cancelled due to the snow. If there is any issue with the weather I telephone the Centre to get updates or decisions. I then make sure that they are posted to my twitter, which in turn goes to my personal facebook page. If I am at home I will also post directly on this home page as well. So keep checking if there are any doubts. Hopefully though we can move on now as we leave February behind.

This coming week sees just one Tuesday game from now on as we take four Monday slots. Try and make sure you get the right pitches as it will mean everything runs smoothly. Eight teams not knowing where they are supposed to be will be chaos. Also, Tuesday teams from now on will need to get their match sheets and money directly to me. I don't live that far away and if you organise it amongst yourselves you can do it in one and avoid duplication. Details are on the team officials' forum.

 

February 22 2010

It was a case of entertainment galore on Monday evening as the three games saw a total of thirty four goals. There were big wins for Hilly House as they beat AFC Fatherless Barn 11-2 in the DBMT and for St Matthew's Ravens as they hit nine past Stour Valley Rovers in the league for no reply. And even the drawn game between Midland Elite FC and Ebenezer FC ended up six all!

As you can imagine there were some individuals that got amongst the goal tally with three hitting the net four times each. These were Shaun Perry and Tom Adams of Hilly House and the Ravens' Peter Madge. Regardless of the goals scored though, it was the results that produced the movement in the league table, with St Matthew's climbing into third spot and Ebenezer swapping places with the Barn. The win for Hilly House sends them to the top of their group in the DBMT, and in that case the number of times they found the net did count, as they head the group on goal difference.

Tuesday's fixtures also saw plenty of goals as the league's top two found the net a dozen times between them. The victories for Brandhall & Quinton FC and Tipton Family Church FC were both in the DBMT though, so the table remained as it was on Monday evening. Although not mathematically through yet, the wins mean Brandhall and Tipton will be probably be in the quarter-finals of the competition. TFC's 5-0 over Crestwood Church FC was a good solid performance and having done the double over them in the group stage, puts them firmly in the driving seat.

But it wasn't quite so plain sailing for B&Q though, who had to come from behind to beat Kingsway Lions 7-4. Joe Thorpe grabbed all of Kingsway's goals while Craig Donaldson netted a hat-trick for Tipton in their game. Finally, can we remind all team officials to keep checking the forum. It's obvious that some aren't and with announcements being made on there, not to forget the fines updates which if ignored will result in missing games for a month, it's vital to keep in touch.

February 13 2010

Just when they look like they could be caught, Brandhall & Quinton seem to get the result that they need. And they did that on Monday evening as they defeated Ebenezer FC 7-1. Anything but a win would have given the chasing pack hope, but surely we are talking about the champions-elect? Or is that the kiss of death! But with Monday evening's table showing a seven point lead over second place, and a game in hand, with just six games to go, surely the title is theirs!

Crestwood Cobras moved into the spot behind them, courtesy of their 3-1 win over Kingsway Lions. Behind at the break, they hit three second period goals to indeed prove the cliche that football is a game of two halves. It wasn't good news for their stablemates though, as Crestwood Church FC continued their win-less year by going down 5-3 to Hilly House FC. Although they remain in seventh place, with games in hand, Hilly House can climb into second. It's a tight league this time round.

And finally, as far as Monday is concerned no match sheets or money has been submitted from either of the Crestwood teams. Their results have been entered but team statistics haven't as requests for details have not been met. Although, as Columbo would say, just one more thing. A pitch has become free on Monday evenings and so from March we will be playing four games at 9pm with just the one Tuesday game at the same time. This will help with fixture compilation as many teams struggle to do a Tuesday.

The Cobras' occupation of second place was short-lived, as on Tuesday evening Tipton Family Church FC claimed it back. Moving into a 5-0 lead over AFC Fatherless Barn, it looked to be all over before the first half even got going. But although they did hit the Barn for six in the end, it was only after they came back to 5-3 and set up what could have been the comeback of the league's history, never mind the season. Craig Eccleston is on fire at the moment for TFC though, grabbing another hat-trick.

Midland Elite's current run of form came to an abrupt end as they lost 5-2 to St Matthew's Ravens in the DBMT. The Ravens are inconsistent at the moment and so they will be hoping that this win kick starts their challenge for the title, of which they still have an outside chance. Peter Madge took his goals tally for the season to 22 as he found the net twice.

February 7 2010

Would you believe it! Monday's games were cancelled due to the snow, even though we expected to be playing. It was a great disappointment for us all, but at least the rain in the meantime meant we could get our two matches in on Tuesday.

After hovering around mid-table for a while, a solid 4-2 win for Tipton Family Church FC over St Matthew's Ravens sends them into second spot in the league. It is all so close, as even Hilly House who are currently in seventh, can leapfrog TFC if they win their games in hand. The chase for silverware is still very much alive. And talking of trophies, the Fair Play Award was shared this season, so if the teams concerned want to exchange the trophy they can do now.

It's looking good for Kingsway Lions in the DBMT as they are on maximum points from two games following their 4-3 win in their match with Ebenezer FC. Joe Thorpe joined Tipton's Craig Eccleston as a hat-trick hero for the week. Let's hope it's business as usual this coming week!

January 26 2010

It's not been a good year for the Crestwood teams so far, and on Monday night both tasted defeat once again. Both were league games and with the Crestwood stable occupying second and third places prior to kick off, there was plenty of incentive to get a result. The closest game was between Crestwood Church FC and St Matthew's Ravens, which looked like ending up as a 0-0 (we don't get many of them) until the Ravens clinched the points with a single goal. Having been quietly climbing the table in recent weeks, they now sit pretty in second spot.

The Cobras lost to Tipton Family Church FC 7-2, but the scoreline gives a deceptive appearance. Into the second half it was 2-2, and when the score is like that, the game can go either way. And fortunately for TFC  it went theirs and they ran out comfortable winners in the end. With six different goalscorers, they will also take comfort from the fact that all their eggs aren't in one basket. It's great to have someone who can find the net on a regualr basis, but it's also good to know that anyone can pop up with a goal or two.

And talking of finding the net, Tom Adams, scored Monday night's only hat-trick as he hit all three of Hilly House's goals in their 3-5 defeat at the hands of Midland Elite FC. This was a DBMT game and it's looking good for Elite in the group stage so far. With their next two games also in the competition, they could well be the first team to qualify for the last eight. A goal for Amo Sandhu keeps him at the top of the pile as well, with twenty four so far this season. Tuesday fixtures will be added to the website as soon as match sheets are received.

January 20 2010

It's good to be back! That was the view shared by many of us this week as it was business as usual following the enforced month-long postponement of games courtesy of the worst winter in thirty years. It will of course set us back in terms of completing everything, and as soon as we get past February and (hopefully leave the worst of the weather behind us!) we'll publish a timetable for the rest of the season in terms of presentation evening, final games, next campaign etc.

But for now it's all systems go and this week's matches were all in the DBMT. There are several candidates for result of the week, but surely Midland Elite's 7-0 thrashing of St Matthew's Ravens must be up there at the top of the pile. Definitely showing no signs of rustiness after the lay-off, Elite were out of the trap faster than a greyhound at Monmore Green as they sent the Ravens to the doghouse. Jeetinder Bhogal scored four of the goals as well as getting man of the match.

And Tipton Family Church FC also put in a solid performance as they stopped in-form Crestwood Church FC in their tracks. A brace from Craig Donaldson gave TFC the edge as they moved to the top of Goup C. It was a bad week for Crestwood all round as the Cobras also lost, and again by the odd goal as they went down to Kingsway Lions 3-2.

Brandhall & Quinton FC came from behind to beat Ebenezer FC 4-2 and while AFC Fatherless Barn also scored four goals, they ended up on the losing side as they lost to Hilly House 8-4. Tom Adams was the joint leading scorer of the week as he found the net four times, as well as claiming his sixth man of the match award of the season.

But it's early days yet and with teams playing each other twice, not to mention only one being eliminated from each group, everyone will still fancy their chances of reaching the last eight. And finally, there is no transfer window activity to report, no impending administrations and not one approach from a wealthy foreign investor. Boring isn't it!

December 17 2009

In last week's website update we were calling Brandhall & Quinton FC champions-elect. Talk about the kiss of death! What a difference a week can make, as a 6-5 defeat at the hands of title chasers St Matthew's Ravens opens it up again. It's always going to take something special to beat Brandhall, and helped along by four Craig Beresford goals, the Ravens were able to deliver themselves a very welcome early Christmas present.

As did Hilly House, who finally got the better of Tipton Family Church FC. In the last season or so, they have struggled to overcome Tipton and they were coasting this week at 6-0. But even though the green army mobilised late in the game, their very creditable five goals still saw them lose ground in the title race with the final score being 8-5.

The Christmas presents of gifted goals continued in the Midland Elite FC v Stour Valley Rovers match, with the latter suffering a crushing 11-1 defeat. This leaves them firmly rooted at the base of the table, and with some clear water between them and the pack above them, it's a good job we don't have relegation! But back to Midland Elite, a massive well-done to Amo Sandhu who scored eight of their goals. He's now the leading scorer in the league.

The final games were back to earth though as far as goals were concerned, as AFC Fatherless Barn earned an excellent point in a 2-2 draw with a very much in-form Crestwood Church FC team. With Brandhall losing though, Crestwood will see it as two points dropped. And Kingsway Lions got the better of Ebenezer FC 3-2 to join them and the Barn on ten points.

And finally, with Christmas coming up, some of you may be wanting to go to a carol service but don't have a church in mind. As we have a number of teams in the league that are church-based, send me your website address and I'll put it here on the home page.

December 10 2009

With just eight games to go is it too early to start calling Brandhall & Quinton FC champions-elect? No doubt a number of other teams will have something to say about that, but a convincing 5-2 win over Hilly House puts them into a very strong position at the top of the table. Ten wins out of twelve is definitely title grabbing form. At the moment the team with the best chance of catching them is Crestwood Church FC, and they did themselves a massive favour as they claimed bragging rights in the Crestwood Church derby. It was always going to be a close game and the 2-1 scoreline reflects that.

Another close game saw Tipton Family Church FC come back from two very early goals to beat Midland Elite FC 3-2. ME are a hard team to beat and anyone that can take points from them will deserve to do so. Following on from their Summer Cup victory last week, is this a turning point in TFC's fortunes? They are up to fourth in the league and one of the teams that has an outside chance still of catching Brandhall.

St Matthew's made hard work of defeating bottom club Stour Valley Rovers, and at the end did well to hang on to their 3-2 lead. On their day Stour are putting in some incredible performances, it's just consistency that is letting them down. And talking of consistency, Kingsway are turning into the draw specialists, as they once more shared the points. This time it was with Ebenezer FC, who moved into double figures as far as league points are concerned.

We always stress how important it is for team officials to keep checking their forum. That is particularly important this week, because as we are ready to publish the February fixtures, two teams are currently in the position whereby they are more than £10 in arrears. The rule, introduced this season to combat the problem of teams failing to meet their responsibility, is that to be included in fixtures, fines must be below £10. As well as the two teams concerned, others need to make sure that this coming week's money bags keep them above the cut-off figure.

December 3 2009

Congratulations to Tipton Family Church FC (and the colour scheme reflects that!), who lift the first trophy of the season courtesy of their hard fought win in the final of The Summer Cup. It was 0-0 at the break and the final score of 3-0 does not do credit to how close the encounter with Hilly House really was. It could have gone either way, but in the end TFC ran out winners and so well done to them. While they were battling it out, with Brandhall & Quinton FC resting this week, Crestwood Cobras took full advantage as they added three points to their already impressive league tally. And with St Matthew's Ravens being the victims, the 2-1 scoreline suggests that Cobras had to pull something extra from out of the bag.

And with the Crestwood derby being the next game on both team's radar, it looks like being extra spicy, as just behind the Cobras in the league are Crestwood Church FC. They move into third as a result of their 7-1 demolition job on AFC Fatherless Barn - who themselves have been putting in some solid performances recently. In-form Amerjit Singh grabbed a hat-trick for Crestwood, making him one of four players this week to find the net three times or more.

Top scorer was Kingsway Lions' Ed Caton who got four of his teams goals as they drew with Midland Elite FC, sharing the points in a ten goal thriller. Jeet Bhogal scored three of ME's tally and they now find themselves the league's highest goalscorers - although what they score at one end they pretty much go on to concede at the other. But that sums up their game, which is very much a fast flowing attractive style of open football. If you want to beat them then be prepared to score a few goals in the process!

The final match of the week saw Ebenezer FC beat bottom club Stour Valley Rovers 7-1, helped along by a Ben Jones hat-trick. The win puts them into eighth place and just four points behind Hilly House, who themselves are looking at a top two finish. It shows just how close the league is, even though we are at the halfway stage in terms of games played.

And finally, as most of you already know, SICM Sevens is run as a charity league, raising funds for SICM's work in Africa. After we pay for trophies, pitch hire, referees and room hire for the presentation everything then goes into the work we do. And so it is with great pleasure that we can confirm last season we raised a total of £3,299.91. SICM is a registered charity and we have independent accountants who do the books each year so there is that inbuilt accountability in the system. But many thanks to everyone who plays, manages and generally gets involved. You're all part of it!

November 26 2009

It's certainly going well for Brandhall & Quinton FC, as once again they scored a late goal to win a game. This time round their victims were Hilly House, who put in a battling performance and will be frustrated at their 0-1 defeat. A draw would have been a fair result, but it's all going very well for the Brandhall boys as they continue to add the points to their season's tally.

With games in hand, it is possible for the six teams to below them to have just a single point difference! That just shows how close the league is this time round, with the current second spot being occupied by Crestwood Cobras who beat Ebenezer FC 5-0. In spite of their very poor start to the season, the Cobras have managed to turn things round and they will be happy at their seven wins from eleven games form as they enter the second half of the campaign.

Despite losing 0-5 to a solid performance from Crestwood Church FC, Midland Elite FC are still top three, although dropping a place as the Cobras leapfrogged them. Crestwood Church themselves will be looking at putting in a title push, as their results have improved tremendously since they failed to make the cut in The Summer Cup. So all that talk that teams make about 'Concentrating on the league' may just be true!

Although they have struggled of late, you can't write Tipton Family Church FC off, as Stour Valley Rovers found out this week. A good performance saw TFC keep a clean sheet and run out 4-0 winners. It's still as you were with the bottom four, but Stour Valley have a little catching up to do if they are to avoid the wooden spoon. Kingsway Lions remain just above them as they lost to St Matthew's Ravens 4-1.

This coming Monday sees the final of The Summer Cup between Hilly House and Tipton Family Church FC. Opinions are divided on who will win, but one thing is for certain, it's going to be a close affair. It promises to be a good hard - but fair - game and may the best team win. And finally, there are now three extra links on this page - facebook, twitter and YouTube. Enjoy!

November 19 2009

It's looking very rosy in the Brandhall garden as they hit their halfway stage in the league. Their 4-0 victory over Ebenezer FC gives them an average of 2.5 points per game, which is certainly title winning form. Also reaching halfway in their league fixtures is AFC Fatherless Barn, who collected their third win so far as they defeated Stour Valley Rovers 7-2. In the 2006/2007 season, it took them the whole campaign of 21 matches to achieve that. They were helped along by a Gareth Stringer hat-trick and also on the scoresheet was Nathan Telford. This was his last game for the Barn as he is joining the army. We wish him the very best.

Revenge was the order of the day in the Hilly House v St Matthew's Ravens fixture, as the latter finally got the upper hand after recent defeats at the hands of Scott Smith's boys. The Ravens are still in 7th place in the league, but with games in hand, they have the ability to go into second. Hilly House drop one as they occupy 5th.

Tipton Family Church FC swapped places with Hilly House as they picked up a point in their game with Kingsway Lions. With TFC leading 2-0 they looked to have the points in the bag, but a couple of late goals earned Kingsway a well deserved draw as they battled well and put in a performance beyond their league position. The Crestwood derby was a very competitive match, but with all the energy being channelled in the right direction. After playing second fiddle for so long, it was Crestwood Church FC who earned bragging rights as they beat the Cobras 2-0.

The DBMT link in the toolbar is now active and so the format can be viewed there. Teams will play each other twice in the group stage and the draw will be made this coming Sunday at Tipton Family Church! We're going to do it in the morning service and use some of our young people to pick the names out of the hat. We'll video it as well and will get that on-line in due course.

Finally it was good to see Rob Sutherland back in black as he is recovering from a minor operation. But going the other way is Len Perry, who will also be out for a few weeks with the same. Len was down to officiate in the final of The Summer Cup, so maybe next season!

November 12 2009

What a week of results that was! Take your pick for the game of the week! First up, Brandhall & Quinton FC tasted defeat for the very first time as they went down to a Crestwood Church FC team that battled away and never gave up. Trailing 0-2 and coming back to 2-2 you would have expected Brandhall to then take the game by the scruff of the neck, but instead it was Crestwood who snatched the winner. Another team who came from behind was Midland Elite FC as they eventually overpowered St Matthew's Ravens 6-3 with hat-tricks from Amo Sandhu and Harpo Pahal.

And what about AFC Fatherless Barn! In season's gone by when they featured in a game that saw a team score ten goals, it was always another heavy defeat that they suffered. But this time round they were the ones celebrating a net full as they beat Stour Valley Rovers 10-1. David Wall was the week's top scorer, getting half of the Barn's tally and the defeat for Stour leaves them firmly rooted at the bottom.

Tipton Family Church were hoping to capitalise on the team's above them dropping points as they kicked off on Tuesday, instead they joined the list as they crashed to Ebenezer FC 4-2. The wins for Ebenezer and the Barn sees KIngsway Lions drop into the bottom two as they lost to Crestwood Cobras 5-2. Andy Goudie grabbed a hat-trick for the Cobras as they move to four points off the top. Who knows what the next batch of games will bring!

November 7 2009

The finalists of The Summer Cup are now ready for their winner-takes-all clash at the end of the month, as Hilly House have been joined by Tipton Family Church FC. The latter made it on Tuesday night, helped along by a Simon Westwood hat-trick, as they defeated Kingsway Lions 3-1. Leading 2-0 at the break, it looked very comfortable until a well taken free kick from Kingsway put them back into the game. But TFC settled the semi-final tie as they again established the two-goal margin.

The other match on the evening saw Midland Elite FC hold on to second spot in the league table, despite losing their second game on the trot. This time it was Crestwood Church FC who claimed the points in a tough competitive game. Josh Owen was the second player of the night to get a hat-trick.

There are some exciting fixtures coming up this week and by Tuesday evening we could see a much tighter table, or will we see Brandhall & Quinton FC continue with their storming start to the season? Well, we will have to see, but don't forget that if you want to keep smack bang up to date with the action, access the twitter page link.

November 3 2009

The first finalists of The Summer Cup are Hilly House, following their 4-3 victory over St Matthew's Ravens. It was a superb game, one of those where a draw would have been a fair result; but with the Ravens leading 3-2 well into the second half they definitely had one foot in the final. Hilly House never gave up though and rather than let their heads drop, they raised their game. But even at 3-3 it could have gone either way. However, well done to Hilly House as they got the result in the end.

Also congratulations to Ebenezer FC who got their first points of the season as they came from behind to beat Stour Valley Rovers 4-2. Stour have been playing well in recent games and when they got their first point of the campaign last week, courtesy of a draw in their game with Hilly House, the last thing on their mind was dropping points to a team that has lost every time they have played. But that's football for you, and that's definitely the Sevens this season. There are just three points dividing the bottom five teams. Ebenezer move two places as they leapfrog both Stour and the Barn.

The final game on Monday evening saw Crestwood Cobras climb into third place in the table as they saw off a determined challenge from AFC Fatherless Barn to clinch the game 4-1. It was always going to be a close contest and so it was, with a much improved Barn giving the Cobras a run for their money.

October 31 2009

After two consecutive league defeats, Tipton Family Church FC bounced back in style on Tuesday evening, as they hit Kingsway Lions for six. However, the 6-0 scoreline hides the fact that for most of the first half it was a tight game. It was only a late flurry of goals that gave TFC the upper hand, and in effect put the game out of reach. The two teams clash again this coming week as they meet in the semi-final of The Summer Cup.

The other Tuesday game left Ebenezer FC as the only team without a point so far this season as they went down to St Matthew's Ravens 2-5. But just as it's close at the top, it's also tight at the other end as well, and any team that gets a win is going to climb a place or two.

The three points puts the Ravens in a position that if they win their games in hand, they can go into second place. They won't be closing any gaps this week though, as they feature in the other semi-final of The Summer Cup when they take on Hilly House. It's going to be a brave person who will predict the outcome of that fixture, with the Ravens looking at avenging two recent heavy defeats at the hands of their opponents. Maybe a draw! Who knows, but the results will be tweeted so you can follow the latest developments that way.

October 27 2009

On Monday evening we had the amazing fact, that five minutes into the second half, the top three teams in the league were all trailing. And although there was the inevitable recovery as the evening wore on, only one of the three came through to claim all three points. So on that front it's well done to Brandhall & Quinton FC, who continued their recent habit of making it very difficult for themselves, as they beat AFC Fatherless Barn 3-2.

Second-placed Midland Elite FC didn't bounce back though in their match with Crestwood Cobras. They started the game on the back of a five-match winning streak, but were frustrated by a Cobras team who were determined and well organised. The 3-1 win moved them up a place as well, as they go into fourth in the table.

The other movers were Stour Valley Rovers who shared the points with Hilly House courtesy of a ten-goal thriller. The point is the first of the season for Stour, but it has definitely been on its way as they have put in some excellent performances recently. Hilly House's Tom Adams netted the only hat-trick of the Monday games.

The December fixtures will be on-line November 3 and there is currently one team that has been in the 'red zone' as far as fines as concerned for a few weeks now. The rule is (and it's already been implemented once this season) that if a team is more than £10 in arrears when the fixtures are published, they won't be playing. This is why it's vital for team officials to check the forum regularly. I know we keep banging the drum but it's only because we want a smooth running league, which is for the benefit of all of us.

October 23 2009

One of the noticeable differences this season compared with past campaigns is how hard teams are having to work to get the points. Whilst there are still fairly large wins come the final whistle, most of these are courtesy of goals scored in the last quarter. Often at half-time and beyond, games are much closer.

And so it was on Tuesday when high flying Midland Elite FC took on Ebenezer FC, who are rooted in the bottom two and still to get a point this season. But far from being a formality, the game was very close indeed. However in the end it was Elite who won 6-5 in the clash of the new boys in the league. But well done to Dean Yeomans who grabbed Ebenezer's first hat-trick.

The other game saw Tipton rivals St Matthew's Ravens and Tipton Family Church FC go head-to-head. With TFC coming back into the game at 1-2, it looked like going to the wire as so often the clashes between these two do. But it was the Ravens who edged in front as they wrapped up a 4-1 win and three points that sees them move into sixth place.

The top three are all in action on Monday evening, so if you want to know how they get on, check out the twitter link above! Get the goals as they go in and avoid the frustration of having to wait for website updates the next morning to see how your rivals did the night before!

October 20 2009

Kingsway Lions can count themselves extremely unfortunate in their game with league leaders Brandhall & Quinton FC. Taking a 2-0 lead, they allowed Brandhall to get back in it at 2-2, but didn't give. In fact they went 3-2 ahead and looked the better team. With the seconds ticking away, not only did B&Q equalise though but they also snatched a late winner. It was hard on Kingsway, but well done to Brandhall who now have nineteen points on the table and a lead of seven. Ben Fowler's hat-trick gives him a total of thirteen goals so far this season.

The only movers in the league were Hilly House, who slotted into second spot courtesy of a 4-1 win over bottom club Stour Valley Rovers. However it was far from an easy game for Hilly House, who were made to work hard by a team that is lately playing football beyond their league position. Their performances are certainly confidence building and it will just be a matter of time before they get their first points.

The final game had no significance attached to it in terms of something to play for. However the last group stage game in The Summer Cup had anything but a friendly feel to it, as both teams put in their best to win the game. Although St Matthew's Ravens won 3-2 in the end it was a battling performance from Crestwood Church FC. Chris Jones' man of the match puts him on six for the season so far.

October 17 2009

The two remaining unbeaten teams went head-to-head on Tuesday as Brandhall & Quinton FC took on Tipton Family Church FC. Taking a 4-0 lead as the second half progressed, it looked as if the points were comfortably in the bag for B&Q. And although they did get the win, they were made to work hard as TFC came into the game and scored two goals late on. The result gives Brandhall a four point cushion at the top of the table.

The other game saw St Matthew's Ravens pick up their first win of the league season as they defeated AFC Fatherless Barn 6-3. The only movers of the Tuesday games, the teams swap places in the league. Peter Madge scored five times for the Ravens to take him to the top of the goalscoring tree with seventeen so far this season. All of the Barn's goals were netted by Martyn Price, so congratulations to him as well on his hat-trick.

We need information from a couple of teams this week to complete the statistics. This has been requested on the team officials' forum so if you run a team make sure you check that regularly. And finally we've had some positive feedback about the Twitter updates on match nights. So if you want to know how your rivals are getting on then tune in on Mondays and Tuesdays! This is the link.

October 13 2009

Although both teams had already qualified for the semi-finals, there was nothing but total commitment in Monday's penultimate group stage fixture in The Summer Cup. But it was Hilly House that ran out 4-1 winners, as St Matthew's Ravens failed to take anything from them for the second week in a row. And it wasn't that the Ravens played badly, but rather Hilly House put in a performance that will do their confidence no harm at all as they eye up the title this season. The result also means the teams will meet again in the semi-final, with the other game being contested by Tipton Family Church FC and Kingsway Lions.

Kingsway picked up a point in their game with Crestwood Church FC. The final score of 1-1 was a fair result in the end as although both teams did enough to win the game, neither deserved to lose it. In the dying minutes it was Crestwood who came close to taking all three points as Josh Owen hit the woodwork. The top Crestwood team so far this season though is definitely the Cobras, who came away from their game with Ebenezer FC with maximum points on the board. They remain in fifth but are just four points off the top.

With five games a week taking place from now on, the site will be updated after each batch of games rather than the original weekly update. The intention (barring computer problems or other such unforeseen circumstances) is to refresh the site on Tuesday morning after the three Monday games and then the Tuesday fixtures will go on at the end of the week. But so that everyone is bang up to date with results, I will add them to my Twitter page as soon as I get them. And most weeks there will be tweets from the centre as the games develop! So what better way to keep in touch with how your rivals are doing! This is the link. You will also be notified the moment site updates etc are published.

Congratulations go to Danny Knight of Crestwood Cobras, the top scorer as he claimed the only hat-trick of the Monday games. His team mate Alex Hughes grabbed two, as did Hilly House's Shaun Perry. But the biggest congratulations of all go to AFC Fatherless Barn's Dave Tout who got married last Saturday, and at the time of writing is on his honeymoon. Our best wishes for the future go to Dave and Louise as they embark on married life together.

October 9 2009

They may be rooted at the bottom of the table, but you would never have guessed that on Tuesday evening, as Stour Valley Rovers put in an excellent performance in their league game with Tipton Family Church FC. With keeper Colin Gower in top form, not only were they hard to break down at the back, but they looked sharp right across the pitch. And when TFC went 2-0 up early in the second half, the floodgates didn't open as might be expected. In fact it signalled a comeback for Stour Valley. And although they eventually lost 4-2, it won't do their confidence level any harm.

In the other game, The Summer Cup semi-finalists were decided, as St Matthew's Ravens beat Crestwood Church FC 4-2. The loss means that Crestwood cannot now make the cut for the last four. Who plays who will be decided this coming Monday, when the Ravens take on Hilly House. That looks like being a good game, and the Ravens will certainly be after revenge following last week's mauling at the hands of Hilly House in the league.

TFC's Simon Westwood is now at the top of the goals table with thirteen so far, while Chris Jones' five man of the match awards for Crestwood Church sees him taking a lead at the top of that table. And a special mention to Stour Valley's Colin Gower, previously referred to for his performance in the game with Tipton. His three man of the match credits this season have come from just three starts. And finally, the site may be down from Monday morning due to external maintenance work, so if you need to take note of any fixtures etc, then do so before then.

October 6 2009

Well done to AFC Fatherless Barn, who at the fifth attempt so far this season, put some points on the board. And they did it in style as well, as they recorded a convincing 8-2 victory over debutants Ebenezer FC. David Wall had his shooting boots on that's for sure, as he found the net five times. The win lifts the Barn to eight place in the league, the second week that they have seen a climb. Last week's elevation was due to Stour Valley Rovers dropping below them on goal difference.

At the other end of the table, Midland Elite FC cemented their claim to be the stronger of the three new teams this season, as they put in another solid performance to beat Kingsway Lions 6-1. Early on it was anyone's game, particularly when Dave Cartwright jnr equalised with a long-range effort; but come the final whistle Elite had comfortably got the points. They remain in second place, but close the gap on leaders Brandhall & Quinton FC to just one point.

And up to third go Hilly House, who put in an excellent shift to inflict a 10-3 defeat on St Matthew's Ravens. Hilly House looked very solid and were helped along by Craig Hudson's four goals. At this stage it certainly looks like it's going to be a very close season, perhaps the most open yet. The present top four all look like they could win the title, and of course you cannot write off last season's runners-up, the Ravens, after just one game.

It would be a brave man who would put his shirt on anyone at the moment to rise to the top of the pile, come next spring. Plus there are a cluster of teams not mentioned who can suddenly hit form, play with confidence and get a few wins under their belt. Above all though, win, draw or lose, it's good to see everyone enjoying their football. That's what it's all about at the end of the day!

September 30 2009

Brandhall & Quinton FC continue as early pace-setters in the league, as they reached thirteen points by beating Crestwood Cobras 4-0. But like most of the victories this week, they had to work hard for the win. Brandhall have a four and six point lead over second and third place respectively, but with the following teams having games in hand, that lead could be cut. But it's better to have the points on the table than not, and the theory of peaking too early isn't one that league leaders worry too much about. It's usually something that slow starters talk about!

Second place is now occupied by Midland Elite FC, who have won three back-to-back games, and have put behind them the nightmare of their opening day mauling. They look very sharp and are well organised, and pass the ball with confidence. Early days yet, but they will probably fancy themselves to be amongst the challengers come the end of the season. This week they beat Hilly House 4-3.

Another team that will also be in the mix is Tipton Family Church FC. Unbeaten in eleven starts this season in all competitions, their 5-4 win over Crestwood Church FC takes them to third place. It was a very close game though and only a last minute goal secured the three points for TFC. At the other end of the table, Kingsway Lions picked up their first of the season as they beat Stour Valley Rovers 6-1. The defeat saw AFC Fatherless Barn climb one place in the table without kicking a ball, courtesy of goal difference.

Lots of goals this week but only one hat-trick. Well done to Midland Elite's Amo Sandhu who found the net three times. He is now on twelve for the season, which puts him at the top of the pile, jointly with TFC's Simon Westwood. This coming week sees St Matthew's Ravens and Ebenezer FC start their league campaigns. The season has now well and truly started!

September 23 2009

Brandhall & Quinton FC become the first team in the league to reach ten points, as they defeated bottom club AFC Fatherless Barn 7-3. It's early days and so lots of points still to be played for, but another way of looking at it is they are one-fifth of the way through their league season and they're four points clear!

Up to second place go Hilly House, courtesy of a solid 3-0 victory in their clash with Crestwood Church FC. The only current team to have won the league title, will this be their season? Following their thrashing on opening day, Midland Elite FC have done an amazing turn-around and two back-to-back wins sees them go third. This time round they were the ones handing out the lessons in goal scoring, as they beat fellow new boys Stour Valley Rovers 13-0.

Tuesday's game saw Kingsway Lions take on Tipton Family Church FC in The Summer Cup. Both teams are through to the semi-finals, so other than pride there was nothing else at stake. It was a good game though, and Kingsway were always in with a shout before a couple of goals in the last ten minutes sealed a 4-1 for Tipton. They are now unbeaten in ten starts this season, winning nine of them.

Well done to Midland Elite's Amo Sandhu and Balwant Dhaliwal who between them found the net eleven times with this week, with Amo edging the honours by one goal. Both will need to be in form this coming Monday as their team is involved in a second v third clash in the league. And with five teams still to get off the mark, that will also be reduced this time next week as Kingsway and Stour Valley battle it out on Tuesday.

September 16 2009

Two weeks ago they were playing in a bottom of the table clash, but courtesy of taking the points there and a win this week, Crestwood Cobras now find themselves sitting in second place in the league. That's what happens early season, where a couple of wins can take a team from one end of the table to the other. This time round they beat new boys Stour Valley Rovers 4-2.

Another new team this season, Midland Elite FC, put their first points on the board as they edged it 4-3 versus AFC Fatherless Barn in the Tuesday game. It was a good match and the Barn can draw comfort from the fact that they put in a battling performance. Following their mauling in the opening game, Elite looked good and they are what you would call a 'passing side', and will cause problems for their opponents as they settle into the style of play in the Sevens.

Well done to Tipton Family Church FC who confirmed themselves as group winners of The Summer Cup by beating Hilly House 5-4. It was another good game and although Tipton found the net seven times, two of those goals were behind their own keeper.

And also well done to Crestwood Church FC who have had a disappointing run in The Summer Cup, but hit the league running as they won their first game 4-2 as they defeated Kingsway Lions. And while we're giving the congratulations out, top scorer this week was TFC's Simon Westwood with four and hat-tricks were taken by Amo Sandhu on his debut for Midland Elite and Cobras' Alex Hughes. This was the second game in a row that Alex has found the net three times.

September 8 2009

We have new league leaders this week. Brandhall & Quinton FC put in a good shift as they beat new boys Midland Elite FC 9-1. It's always difficult for new teams as they find their feet, but the encouragement for Elite is that it doesn't get much harder than this, as Brandhall are amongst the favourites to lift the title next spring.

The bottom of the table clash between Crestwood Cobras and AFC Fatherless Barn saw the former take the points in a 5-2 victory. And because it's early days, the win saw the Cobras go from bottom two to fourth! It was a good game and right towards the end, the Barn were still in with a shout, so they can take heart from that.

It's looking likely that Crestwood Church FC will not make the cut in The Summer Cup as they lost 3-2 to Hilly House. For the second week on the trot they let a 2-1 lead slip in the last few minutes. But with some very much improved performances on the field recently, they will be looking to have a good season in the other competitions.

Well done to this week's top marksman, Ben Fowler of Brandhall, who found the net four times. He was closely followed by Cobras' Alex Hughes who scored a hat-trick in their win. And finally, if you run a team, don't forget to keep checking the officials' forum!

September 2 2009

They're not there mathematically yet, but Tipton Family Church FC's 3-2 win over Crestwood Church FC in The Summer Cup, puts them in a very strong position to take the first honours of the season as group winners beckons. With six wins out of six, they need just one point from their final two games - and that's assuming St Matthew's Ravens win their next three games and score a lot of goals in the process.

But TFC were made to work hard for their victory, which due to the Bank holiday meant it was the only game of the week. With the clock ticking away, Crestwood held a 2-1 lead, but the final third of the game saw a couple of goals give Tipton the points. Crestwood can take heart from their performance though and will go into next week's crucial game with Hilly House full of confidence. With games running out they need to, at the very least, avoid defeat if they are to make the semi-finals.

Next week also sees the first of the three new teams this season in action, as Midland Elite FC take on Brandhall & Quinton FC. With Brandhall amongst the favourites for the title, it will be a good test for the new boys, as they embark on what will hopefully be an enjoyable season. And although we are only a handful of games into the new campaign, the final match is a bottom of the table clash as AFC Fatherless Barn and Crestwood Cobras go head-to-head.

August 27 2009

The league table has a new team at the top - the third in as many weeks - as Tipton Family Church FC moved up two places as they convincingly beat AFC Fatherless Barn 10-0. TFC have had an excellent start to the season, remaining unbeaten so far in all competitions. And as well as the league, they also enter September as the runaway leaders of The Summer Cup group stage. It's looking good so far, but there's lots of football to be played before next spring.

The only other game this week saw Crestwood Church FC pick up their first points in The Summer Cup as they drew 3-3 with Kingsway Lions. Apart from TFC, who have now qualified for the semi-finals, the other three places are still open. And with four teams chasing them, there's still plenty to play for. The Summer Cup competition will be wrapped up by November, and then we will begin The David Bloor Memorial Trophy.

Well done to Craig Donaldson and Simon Westwood, who were this week's top scorers, both finding the net three times each for Tipton Family Church FC. TFC's goal feast this week sees a number of their players featuring in the current goals tally table.

And finally a reminder to all those that runs teams to keep checking the officials' forum. It's obvious that some teams aren't and as a result are finding themselves inconvenienced. We are always releasing information but it needs to be read!

2009 presentation video

August 24 2009

Although it's still very early days of course, we have new league leaders, as Brandhall & Quinton FC nudged Hilly House into second place in the table. And they did it in style as they brushed aside Crestwood Cobras 7-1, which also gives them a healthy goal difference. And with things expected to be tight this time round, goal difference may well settle a few places along the way, and who knows, even the title!

It's been a poor start for the Cobras though. One of last season's toughest defences, already this time they have conceded twelve goals in just two games. Will Andy Hodson be the first manager casualty of the season! Their stablemate rivals aren't doing any better either, as Crestwood Church FC lost their third game on the trot, going down 10-4 to Hilly House in The Summer Cup.

The other TSC game of the week was close, but St Matthew's Ravens edged it against Kingsway Lions 3-2. It looks unlikely that Tipton Family Church FC will be caught in the group, but it's never over until it's mathematically impossible and so the chasing pack have every incentive to keep going, even if just to qualify for the semi-finals.

Well done to Matt Nicholls of Hilly House, who was this week's top scorer with five goals, followed by Brandhall's Ben Fowler, who bagged a hat-trick. The goals table can be viewed via the link in the toolbar.

August 11 2009

Kingsway Lions did their chances of qualifying for The Summer Cup semi-finals no harm as they beat Hilly House 5-2. The win puts them into second place on seven points, and although nothing can ever be taken for granted in football (the fat lady and all that), it's always good when your destiny is in your own hands.

In the other fixture of the week, Tipton Family Church FC dropped their first points of the season. They still remain undefeated though, as they shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw with Brandhall & Quinton FC. It was a well fought game, with both teams looking as if they could snatch a winner, so perhaps a draw was a fair result. Early days yet, but the result puts them in second and third place in the table, Brandhall above Tipton on alphabetical order!

The presentation for last season is on August 12 and details are here. Try and bring as many along as possible, it's important that we get a good turnout. The presentation is being done by Dennis Pearce, who has assisted us before. As a professional, Dennis played for Wolves, Notts County and Peterborough.

And finally, SICM runs a Prediction League which is open to all, with the first games scheduled for August 15. If you'd like to get involved and start predicting, here is the forum. If you don't have an account already, you will need to register, but after that it's a case of all systems go! Hope to see you on there, the more the merrier, and there are other football threads to get stuck in to as well!

August 4 2009

The first league game of the season saw Hilly House defeat Crestwood Cobras by a convincing 5-1 scoreline. And as this was the only league fixture of the week, it puts Hilly House at the top of the table! They were helped along by the Matt Nicholls, who is this week's top scorer with a hat-trick. There are just a handful of league games this month, with the focus being on The Summer Cup, but September sees the league getting into full steam.

And talking of The Summer Cup, there is no stopping Tipton Family Church FC as they created a massive lead at the top of the table by defeating St Matthew's Ravens 4-3. It was always going to be a close game, but it was TFC who had that little extra. The win means that they have now won five out of five in the competition and are strong favourites to win the group.

The other fixture in the competition was also decided by one goal, as Kingsway Lions registered their first win in four games. The points came courtesy of a 2-1 victory against Crestwood Church FC, who remain rooted at the bottom of the group. But with four out of the five teams qualifying for the semi-finals, there is still plenty to play for.

The September fixtures will be published first thing on August 10, so teams have until the day before to tie up any loose ends. This includes making sure that all fines are below £10 (teams that are above this figure will not be in the month's games) and ensuring that both officials have not only registered but also posted on their forum. At the time of writing there are several teams that fit both categories, so act now if you want to be included in next month's games.

The presentation for last season is on August 12 and details are here. Try and bring as many along as possible, it's important that we get a good turnout. The presentation is being done by Dennis Pearce, who has assisted us before. As a professional, Dennis played for Wolves, Notts County and Peterborough.

And finally, SICM runs a Prediction League which is open to all. If you'd like to get involved and start predicting, here is the forum. If you don't have an account already, you will need to register, but after that it's a case of all systems go! Hope to see you on there, the more the merrier, and there are other football threads to get stuck in to as well!

 

July 28 2009

Tipton Family Church FC made it four out of four as they beat Crestwood Church FC 5-2 in The Summer Cup. The goals were well spread throughout the team with five individual scorers. Dave Whitehouse's strike takes him to six for the season as he heads up the goal scorers table. And TFC also sit pretty at the top of TSC group stage table as well, although St Matthew's Ravens are hot on their tail as they also won their game 5-3 as they took on Kingsway Lions. We need the match sheet from the Ravens asap so that we can complete the website update - plus the match fees!

This coming Monday, not only are we into August, but we see the commencement of the league fixtures. As well as two TSC games, the first league match kicks off. All the signs indicate that it's going to be the closest season yet and several teams will be quietly fancying their chances of getting amongst the silverware this time round. Only time will tell, but all the best to each of the teams that will be competing.

And finally, without wanting to come over in a patronising way, so please don't read it like that, it's a good idea for people to read the rules before they start arguing with us! Otherwise you end up in a deep hole with a small shovel! And if you're a team official it's vital that you keep checking the designated forum as information is posted there regularly.

 

July 21 2009

The great start to the season continues for Tipton Family Church FC as they beat Kingsway Lions 6-0 in The Summer Cup. For most of the game it was much closer than the score suggests though, and well into the second half it could have gone either way. But full credit to Tipton who have come out of the trap at full speed so far this month, and with three wins out of three, head The Summer Cup group stage. A hat-trick for Dave Whitehouse puts him on five for the season and at the top of the goal scorers table.

But getting off the mark was Peter Madge of St Matthew's Ravens who scored  a hat-trick of his own as his team came from behind to beat Hilly House 4-3. The win takes the Ravens from bottom of the group to second, such is the movement that a win can prompt early in the season. The result halts a mini-slide for St Matthew's as they have lost their last two games, which came on the back of a nineteen game unbeaten run at the end of last season.

The presentation for last season is on August 12, get your tickets from Debby Bloor at the Leisure Centre. We still need more people to commit to the event, but we'll get there. And in spite of banging the drum until the skin is starting to wear through, we still have four teams that haven't even got past the basic stage of registering two officials on the forum yet! Teams that are not fully on board by the publication of the next fixtures on August 10 will not be playing games during September and will, assuming they register before the next fixture publication, not be in the DBMT draw but restricted to league only from October.

 

July 14 2009

It's a great start to the season so far for Tipton Family Church FC, who came from behind to beat Hilly House 4-2. It's very early days yet in the competition, but they do sit very confidently at the top of the table with a five point lead. But as teams have to play each other twice, there are plenty of points to be battled for and all teams will fancy their chances of progressing to the semi-finals, as well as taking the honour of winning the group of course.

The August fixtures are now on-line, but unfortunately half of the twelve teams are not featuring in any league games during the month! The reason being that both officials have yet to register and post on the officials' forum. We have been banging the drum for weeks now (check the noticeboard) so no excuses! The same criteria will apply when we publish the September fixtures shortly. Obviously at that stage if teams are still not properly registered we are going to have to look at their involvement as it will be very difficult to catch up. The teams that currently need to register are: Ebenezer FC, Kingsway Lions, Marsh lane CFC, Midland Elite FC and Stour Valley Rovers.

July 7 2009

The new season is now underway! In the first of The Summer Cup games, St Matthew's Ravens impressive run of 19 unbeaten games came to an end as they lost to Tipton Family Church FC 1-3. It was a good game, very competitive and if the season continues on this vein it promises to be a cracker. Very early days yet of course, but the win puts TFC at the top of the group.

The other match in the competition ended 4-4 as Hilly House and Kingsway Lions went head-to-head. Both had disappointing seasons last time round by their own standards and both will definitely be looking to improve this season. The honour of scoring the first hat-trick of the new campaign went to Kingsway's Rob Tromans.

The August fixtures will be published on July 13 and all teams need to have two officials confirmed on the internet board. Until two officials have posted to say that they have access, teams will not be playing league games. At the moment that covers half of the teams, which are: Crestwood Church FC, Ebenezer FC, Kingsway LIons, Marsh Lane CFC, Midland Elite FC and Stour Valley Rovers. Three of those still have both officials yet to post! So if you are a player in one of those listed and don't want to wait until September (at least!) before you kick a ball then get on to the people that run your team!

 

June 30 2009

The starting line is now in sight, as we kick off the 2009 / 2010 season this coming Monday with two opening games in The Summer Cup. There are five teams that have entered the competition and the group stage will be completed by the end of August. We will also be starting league games in August - but only for teams that have both officials registered on the officials' forum! The August fixtures will be published on July 13, so if you've yet to register then you've got 2 weeks to do so.

This season match sheets are to be printed by each team and the link to those are below, as well as individual signing forms - and take note of the under-18 information. There are regular updates and other important items published on the team officials' forum but apart from that we would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone an enjoyable 2009 / 2010 season. It promises to be the closest league title race in the history of SICM Sevens, so may the best team win!

 

June 22 2009

The Summer cup fixtures for July have now been added to the site and the 'Fixtures' link is now live. There are still a number of teams that haven't had access to the officials' forum (in fact at the time of writing, only Hilly House and Tipton Family Church FC have both team officials that have logged on). We can't stress how important it is for teams to have access to the forum.

So much so that when we publish the August fixtures in July, unless teams have two officials logged on then they won't be included in the league games for that month. If you're in a team and the possibility of not playing concerns you then see your officials immediately and make sure that they get registered and signed in.

The 'Forums link' on this page contains both individual player signing forms and match sheets. As from this season all of these have to be printed by the teams, so if you're playing in July then get them done now. And bear in mind that all players under the age of 18 must have parental signatures. Anything other than that (or official guardian) will be considered unsigned!

And if you're on facebook, add me as a friend as I often post SICM Sevens related messages on there. (Stewart Bloor).

 

June 9 2009

All twelve teams for the new season are now in the fold and are listed in the 'Teams' page. Those that haven't got their pages created yet are ones where we are still waiting for further information such as kit colours etc. As soon as we get information, pages will be linked.

Nine teams from last season have re-entered (only Juaniche Wanderers failed to apply) and so we welcome three new teams this time round - Ebenezer FC, Midland Elite FC and Stour Valley Rovers. And for those who have been asking - the Ebenezer team is not the one that has previously been with us. It's just the name Ebenezer (which is a fairly common church name); that is the only connection.

The Summer Cup will commence the first week in July and teams have until June 21 to enter via the team officials forum. Fixtures will be published on June 22. And if you're on facebook, add me as a friend as I often post SICM Sevens related messages on there. (Stewart Bloor).

June 4 2009

Eleven teams have now entered for the season, and with waiting on forms from a further team that has been accepted, we now have the full compliment for the 2009 / 2010 campaign. It's always good from an administrative point of view when you can get the teams in and then move on with the planning.

A forum for the team officials has now been launched and e-mails sent to all those on the entry forms. But a word of warning - some of the e-mails bounced back, so if you didn't get yours then you need to get in touch as soon as possible. In previous seasons many teams have missed out on various things because they weren't organised! That has ranged from not being able to book a free week to actually missing out on entering the league. As a league we put out plenty of information and issue deadline dates on as many things as we can so that everyone knows where they stand. But if you don't get organised, there's nothing we can do about that!

June 3 2009

We now have 10 teams that have entered for the season. There are currently two places available so if you are interested then you can e-mail us here. Ideally we are looking for teams that have at least a loose church connection and can play on either Monday or Tuesday evenings. The officials of teams that have entered will be receiving an e-mail tomorrow with details of the forum that exists for those who run teams. It's important that people follow this through, as smooth communication is vital so that we are all aware of what's going on and the league is as enjoyable as possible. Teams that are well organised off the pitch perform much better on it!

May 20 2009

The deadline for current teams to enter has now passed and we have 6 of last season's on board plus a new team from the Crestwood stable, making it 7 definites so far. More derbies for next season! In addition the following have until June 1 to get their entries in: AFC Fatherless Barn, Hilly House Adecco, Marsh Lane CFC and a new team from the Oldbury area.

If we do get the 11 then that leaves a maximum of just 1 space available. This will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you are interested then get in touch with us asap. You can e-mail us here.

 

April 25 2009

Welcome to the new website for the 2009/2010 season. Most of the links at the top of the page are currently dead, but they will become active as teams enter and we progress towards the new campaign. Current teams have until Monday May 18 to apply to re-enter. All fines from the current season must be paid up to date. Also make sure that you read the information via 'General info' in the toolbar so that you are aware of all changes.

After May 18 we will be opening up the league to any new teams that want to apply, so if that is where you fit in then contact us straight away to join the waiting list. Entry forms can be downloaded by clicking here. Availability to play on a Tuesday is going to have a bearing on fixtures this season, hence the questions on the form. If you can play just once a month that would guarantee at least one cup fixture, but the most likely outcome is that Monday availability only will mean just league fixtures.