noticeboard - taken from home page updates

 

 

Tuesday May 15 2012

With both Brandhall and Ebenezer in action last night, the DBMT finalists pointed to a classic showdown at the end of the month as they scored ten goals between them. Top scorers were Brandhall, who in spite of going 1-0 down to Tipton Family Church FC, turned it round to run out comfortable winners 7-1. Ebenezer in their game with AFC Fatherless Barn scored fewer but kept a clean sheet as they won 3-0.

The season is almost over but the new one is just around the corner. Check out the 2012/2013 website, and for teams that want to be involved in The Summer Cup, the deadline for entry is May 26.

 

 

Saturday May 12 2012

The finalists of the DBMT are now confirmed as Brandhall & Quinton FC and Ebenezer All Stars, with both their games having gone to replays. The former produced the most convincing result of the night as they saw off Bethel FC 5-1, with David Wall grabbing himself a hat-trick. Although they lost, the game concludes what has been a pretty decent first season for Bethel and they will be looking to improve on that next time round.

It has been a disappointing few weeks for Crestwood Community Church FC though. With the title in their own hands, they lost to Tipton Family Church FC, and now their chance of silverware has totally gone as they were edged 2-0 by Ebenezer. But they they too have had an impressive season and will no doubt be an even greater force to be reckoned with in 2012 / 2013. They will bounce back for sure. And talking of next season, we've got 10 confirmed teams so far and The Summer Cup kicks off in the middle of June.

 

 

Wednesday May 2 2012

Congratulations to this season's champions - St Matthew's Ravens! We said it would go to the wire and it did, with their very last game being the one in which they sealed their first ever title. And they did it in style as well, as they beat Bethel FC 7-1, helped along by hat-tricks from Liam Watkins and Craig Gregg. And if you were around on twitter on the night, as no doubt Crestwood and Ebenezer players were for obvious reasons, hope you enjoyed the running commentary from Bethel's number one fan @claire_abelle18 - It was brilliant!

 

 

Tuesday May 1 2012

We keep witnessing twists and turns in the race for the title, and none more dramatic than last night's encounter between bottom-two club Tipton Family Church FC and Crestwood Community Church FC. With Crestwood going into the game full of confidence after recent results put them in the driving seat, the form book counted for nothing and it was Tipton who ran out winners 3-2. The following is Jez Jeavons' thoughts from a TFC perspective.

'Tipton Family Church tonight beat a brave and consistent Crestwood team. Having the title within their own hands, and seeing off many a good team already this season, many thought it would be Crestwood's season. But a rejuvenated Tipton, a bogey team of Crestwood, rose to the challenge and sealed victory in a hard fought and entertaining manner. The SICM Sevens title takes yet another twist, will there be any more? I wouldn't bet against it'.

Ebenezer All Stars capitalised on the victory to edge closer to the top themselves, as they beat AFC Fatherless Barn 9-0. One pitch away, they had a constant eye on the TFC v Crestwood game and on more than one occasion, TFC were encouraged by Martyn Shepherd to 'Park the bus!'

Brandhall & Quinton FC hit two late goals to beat Kingsbourne 4-3 with Chawn Hill Church and Oakham FC wrapping up their seasons with the latter earning themselves a 3-2 victory. Top marksman on the night was Matt Nicholls who grabbed five of the Ebenezer goals and Peter Miller, who is more used to stopping them than scoring them, found himself on a hat-trick. But goal of the night must go to Rich Williams, purely and simply because he's the TFC keeper and scored from a kick!

 

 

Wednesday April 25 2012

St Matthew's Ravens were made to work hard last night, with the form book of top v bottom not as clear cut as you'd expect, as Kingsbourne pushed them all the way. The Ravens did run out winners in the end though recording a 2-0 victory as they keep up the pressure on the two teams chasing them for the title. It really is going to the wire this time round.

The May fixtures are now on-line but we need some co-operation between a few teams so that we can draw a line under the season during the month. With Bank Holidays, free slot requests and the European Championships, if we don't get the games played in May we're going to drag on a couple of games to the end of June. There is a thread on the officials' forum.

 

 

Tuesday April 24 2012

The St George's Day fixtures brought out the best in everyone as far as competitiveness was concerned, as the games added saw two drawn ones and the others separated by just one goal each. The DBMT semi-finals both go to replays, as Crestwood Community Church FC's goalless draw with Ebenezer All Stars and the 3-3 between Bethel FC and Brandhall & Quinton FC mean we have to do it all over again. They were both cracking games, end-to-end stuff and lots of thrills and spills along the way.

In the league games, there was nothing at stake as such, other than personal pride, as none of the league contenders were involved. But plenty of passion saw Chawn Hill Church beat Amblecote 4-3 and Men United defeat Oakham FC 3-2, with the only hat-trick of the night going to Men United's Kyle Haden.

Next season's entries are taking shape in terms of applications and acceptances and as from midnight tonight entries are open to anyone. We have a couple of potentials waiting in the wing so it's looking likely we will fill the places soon.

 

 

Thursday April 19 2012

Tuesday's game was a real cruncher, with lots at stake for both teams. A win for St Matthew's Ravens would have pretty much given them the title; however one thing we have learnt over the years is that you can never write off Ebenezer All Stars. Going into the break 0-0, it was the reigning champions who turned it on in the second half to eventually win the game 3-0. The result means it really is anyone's at the top, but the balance of power has now shifted to Crestwood Community Church FC.

And for those of you who followed the game on twitter with the live updates, didn't Andi do well! I was out elsewhere and eagerly awaited each new tweet. Perhaps we can do this again in the future, certainly for key games. Let us know what you think? You can contact us on twitter @sicmsevens.

 

 

Tuesday April 17 2012

Back to business after Easter and Crestwood Community Church FC didn't mess around as they took full advantage of their title rivals not playing until tonight. They had to work hard though as a dogged 6-man Amblecote FC put up a good fight and went into the break all-square at 4-4. The extra man paid off though in the second period as Crestwood ran out 6-4 winners. There was one hat-trick and that went to Mark Hughes of Amblecote.

Chawn Hill Church reversed last week's result as they beat Men United 3-1. The other two games were goals galore as firstly Brandhall & Quinton FC beat AFC Fatherless Barn 10-3 and then Bethel FC, who also hit double-figures, as they defeated Kingsbourne 10-2. Only two hat-tricks though and they went to Brandhall players David Wall and Adam Lawler.

Don't forget to check the new season website, there is a deadline for current teams to apply before it is opened up for any new applications.

 

 

Tuesday April 3 2012

We don't get too many draws, but the quarter-finals of the David Bloor Memorial Trophy produced two when we played them back in February. Well, Monday was replay night and although we now have winners, they were pretty close run affairs again, being separated by just one goal each. Ebenezer All Stars defeated Amblecote FC 2-1 and Brandhall & Quinton FC edged it against Chawn Hill Church 3-2. Jubilation for the winners but sadly disappointment for the losers. Mention must go to Brandhall's Pete Miller though, he scored his first goal of the season. Don't know if it was the winner but way to go Pete!

The draw was made afterwards in the foyer for the semi-finals and with mid-table Brandhall and Bethel FC hoping to avoid the big guns of Ebenezer All Stars and Crestwood Community Church FC, that's exactly what happened. Cue the cheers from the Brandhall lads when their name came out first, followed by Bethel. All the best to everyone, and may the best teams on the night progress to the final.

And talking of Crestwood, they kept up the pressure on the other two around them at the top as they beat AFC Fatherless Barn 4-3 in another nail-biting finish that saw the teams divided by just one goal. The final match of the evening though was more conclusive in terms of goals - although only 2 - as Tipton Family Church FC finally got a win as they beat Oakham FC 5-3. The only movers of the night, TFC are now off the bottom so having been basement team for so long, well done on that front.

St Matthew's Ravens kept their title hopes very much alive on Tuesday evening as they gave us yet another tight game. This one was a 7-goal thriller as they got the better of Men United. New signing Scott Stevenson made his debut in style as he grabbed himself a hat-trick. Three points in the bag but as the table reveals, there's still plenty to play for as far as their two title rivals are concerned.

 

 

Tuesday March 27 2012

After being runaway leaders for so long, St Matthew's position at the top doesn't look so secure right now, as last night they lost 3-2 to Crestwood Community Church FC. But how different it would be if the game had ended at half-time. The Ravens went into the break 2-0 up but a second half hat-trick from Rhys Harper threw the title race back into the open again.

Men United were the only climbers in the table, up a place as they beat Bethel FC 6-4, while Chawn Hill Church completed the double over Tipton Family Church FC in as many weeks. The game was much closer this time though, with three goals late on in the second half securing the three points. In the other game, Oakham FC and Amblecote FC drew 1-1.

In tonight's game, Ebenezer All Stars took full advantage of the Ravens' slip - but only just. They hit a late winner to beat Brandhall & Quinton FC 2-1. The feedback indicates that it was a good match. In fact, 'fantastic, hard fought game' is how Jon Nott described it. Well done Ebenezer. The next few weeks look to be very interesting indeed!

 

 

Thursday March 22 2012

Tuesday's game between Brandhall & Quinton FC and Men United was another one separated by just the one goal. In this instance it was the former who edged a five-goal encounter. The win for Brandhall sees them swap places with their opponents in the table.

 

 

Tuesday March 20 2012

As we enter the final stages of the race for the title, it's down to St Matthew's Ravens to lose it now, as last night saw another twist as Bethel FC pulled off the result of the evening by beating Ebenezer All Stars 3-2. At the other end, Chawn Hill Church pulled away from the bottom two as they beat Tipton Family Church FC. The game was evenly balanced at the break 2-2 but 5 second half goals from Chawn saw them take the points, with Andy King grabbing the only hat-trick of the night.

Apart from the Chawn win, all the other teams were separated by just one goal. Amblecote FC beat Kingsbourne 2-1 and AFC Fatherless Barn edged Oakham FC 3-2. As we now approach the end of the season, details will be published in the near future concerning the next one. Time flies, it only seems like five minutes since we were kicking off this campaign.

 

 

Wednesday March 14 2012

Draw specialists Bethel FC made it one-third of their league fixtures all-square last night as they shared the points with Men United. The game ended 2-2 and with both teams giving 10/10 for each other and the referee, that's the sort of match sheet we like to see! Men United (presume it was Donny Shinn) wrote the following on the back of their sheet:

'Just like to congratulate Bethel, only 6 players but you couldn't tell! Valiant effort and deserved to be winners! Had to go down to 5 men for us to nick an equaliser!'

 

Tuesday March 13 2012

There were goals galore in last night's fixtures, with 13 being anything but unlucky for Amblecote FC, as they scored a baker's dozen against AFC Fatherless Barn and kept a clean sheet in the process. Arran Poultney's hat-trick was only overshadowed by Mark Hughes' five. The other top scorers were Ebenezer All Stars who beat bottom club Tipton Family Church FC 10-1, with Dan Henson finding the net three times to add to an impressive tally so far this season.

However, Ebenenezer's win didn't gain them any ground in the race for the title, as the St Matthew's Ravens waggon continues to roll. They were made to work hard though by opponents Crestwood Community Church FC, as they came from behind to eventually win 4-2. Dave Wall scored a hat-trick as Brandhall & Quinton FC beat Oakham FC 5-2 in the final game. The league table is as you were as far as placings are concerned.

 

Sunday March 11 2012

The race for the title is now very much a three-horse race, as Amblecote FC lost 5-3 to Bethel FC. As they are now 8 points behind the leaders St Matthew's it's highly unlikely they are going to close the gap. And even if they do then Ebenezer All Stars and Crestwood Community Church FC are also ahead of them with points advantage.

The top three all won, so the table is as you were. St Matthew's scored 7 past Men United, conceding 4 in reply. Liam Watkins grabbed himself a hat-trick, the only one of the week. Ebenezer All Stars also scored 4 but conceded none as they beat Brandhall & Quinton FC to keep up the pressure on the Ravens. And still in third place, but only on goal difference, Crestwood took the spoils 3-1 in their game with AFC Fatherless Barn.

And well done to Kingsbourne, who won for the second week on the trot against fellow strugglers, as this time they edged the closest of matches 1-0 by beating Chawn Hill Church. Stranded at the bottom with a string of consecutive defeats for weeks, they now find themselves in a much healthier league position. A lesson in determination.

 

Wednesday February 29 2012

If St Matthew's Ravens had beaten Ebenezer All Stars last night, then they would definitely have had one hand on the title. But as we all know, you can never write off Martyn Shepherd's boys and they grabbed the 3 points in the tightest of margins as they edged it 2-1. Although their unbeaten spell comes to an end, what a run it has been for the Ravens. Over a year without tasting defeat, that is a massive achievement in any league. So on the one hand, commiserations to the Ravens but on the other congratulations.

 

Tuesday February 28 2012

While we've all been focusing on the St Matthew's Ravens v Ebenezer All Stars title race, Crestwood Community Church FC have been quietly plugging away in the background. But last night, as they hit Bethel FC for six with a duck in return, they declared themselves as serious title contenders by edging into second place. And with Ravens playing Ebenezer tonight, there's still everything to play for.

And let's not discount Amblecote FC either, who added another 3 points to their tally, as they beat Oakham FC 5-2. How they must be regretting that cancelled game earlier in the season, particularly if those 5 lost points cost them.

The other two games also saw the victors score 5 times, as bottom club Kingsbourne beat the one above them, Tipton Family Church FC, by 5-2 and Men United saw off AFC Fatherless Barn by the same score. Although lots of goals, the only hat-trick of the evening goes to Men United's Rob Burns.

There have been a few transfers of late, just to clarify with everyone that we allow one transfer per season.

 

Wednesday February 22 2012

In the closest of games on Tuesday evening, Crestwood Community Church edged their way into the DBMT semi-finals courtesy of a 4-3 victory over Men United. They now join Bethel FC as the only confirmed team in the last four. Rhys Harper's hat-trick takes him to 28 goals for the season

 

Tuesday February 21 2012

Following quarter-final night, the only confirmed team in the last four of the DBMT are Bethel FC, who beat Tipton Family Church FC 6-1. After two draws in the league it was Bethel who finally broke the deadlock between the two in terms of results. Ebenezer All Stars came from behind to earn a replay with Amblecote FC 2-2, while Brandhall & Quinton FC shared a ten-goal thriller with Chawn Hill Church in the other game.

The only league game on the night saw St Matthew's Ravens continue their unbeaten streak, and extend their lead at the top in the process, as they beat Kingsbourne 4-1. Just the one hat-trick and that honour goes to Iain Millar of Chawn Hill.

 

Tuesday February 14 2012

There were no movers at all in the table following last night's games, so apart from teams closing the gap on those above them, it's as you were. It's also looking good for St Matthew's Ravens as well, who without kicking a ball, strengthened their hold on the top spot as Ebenezer All Stars lost 4-5 to Amblecote FC. The latter cruised into a 3-0 lead and coming back to 3-3 Ebenezer must have fancied their chances. But in a game that could have gone anywhere, it was the boys in yellow that took the points.

Brandhall & Quinton FC took their points in style as they beat bottom club Kingsbourne 9-1. Pete Oakley grabbed himself a hat-trick but the night's honour for top marksman goes to David Wall who found the net five times. He now moves to 28 in the table, but still some way off Ebenezer's Chris Rhodes who is on 43.

Chawn Hill Church's current run of form continues as they beat Oakham 3-1 to move to the same number of points as their opponents but edged out of a climb by goal difference. Tipton Family Church FC earned their second consecutive draw as they battled a 2-2 with Bethel FC. With both games between them in the league ending in draws, their DBMT cup game next week looks finely balanced.

 

Tuesday January 31 2012

All bottom four teams picked up points last night, with the result of the evening definitely going to Chawn Hill Church, who seriously dented Ebenezer All Stars' title challenge with a 4-3 victory. A tremendous result, well done Chawn. Kingsbourne and Oakham FC collected a point a-piece courtesy of their 3-3 draw, with Oakham scoring right at the end to snatch an equaliser.

Tipton Family Church FC did well to earn a 1-1 with Brandhall & Quinton FC, but they drop a place as Chawn go above them. It's still very tight at the bottom and a good run for any of the teams there will take them into a more respectable mid-table position.

The only other movers were Amblecote FC and Men United, who swapped places courtesy of the former's 7-5 victory. Top scorer on the night was Amblecote's Mark Hughes with 4, while Scott Harrison got a hat-trick for their opponents.

Don't forget to keep an eye on the SICM Sevens twitter account for pitch updates during the cold weather. You can also check Stewart Bloor's as well, with the accounts being @sicmsevens and @stewartbloor respectively. Announcements will be made usually from 5.00pm onwards when the leisure centre staff are in for the evening.

 

Thursday January 26 2012

Tuesday's game saw Crestwood Community Church FC keep up their own challenge on the title as they beat bottom-but-one club Chawn Hill Church 3-1. There are games in hand to be played, and of course points to be dropped and won, but at the moment the title race is between Crestwood, Ebenezer All Stars and St Matthew's Ravens.

Well done to Rhys Harper, who scored a hat-trick to take him to 25 goals for the season, and also his MOTM that puts him on 7. And for Chawn, Andy Forrest becomes their first player to score double-figures, so well done Andy.

 

Tuesday January 24 2012

Following a week of cancelled fixtures due to icy pitches, it was back to business as usual last night. And it was Bethel FC who can rightly claim performance of the evening as they drew with St Matthew's Ravens 1-1. It is only the second time in 13 league games that the Ravens have failed to win, and the result gives Ebenezer All Stars a real boost as they seek to keep their hands on the trophy that they already have in the possession from last season.

And they did their cause no harm as they beat Tipton Family Church FC 9-0 with goal-machine Chris Rhodes grabbing yet another hat-trick. This puts him on 41 for the season, 13 ahead of his nearest rival. Whilst the title race is still wide open, the golden boot seems pretty much going nowhere this season other than Chris' mantelpiece.

Kingsbourne stay bottom as they lost to AFC Fatherless Barn 0-3 and Men United and Oakham FC provided the second draw of the evening as they also shared the points in another 1-1.

 

Tuesday January 10 2012

Tuesday's game saw Brandhall & Quinton FC and Bethel FC swap places, as the former beat the latter 3-1. In sixth place, B&Q will be disappointed with their season in many ways, as they started the campaign amongst the favourites to lift the title. But with a 17-point gap between them and St Matthew's Ravens it's highly unlikely they're going to fulfil their potential on that front this time round.

 

Tuesday January 10 2012

Monday's games saw some big scores, but with no surprises, as teams in the chasing pack defeated those in the bottom cluster. The highest scorers were Amblecote FC who beat Chawn Hill 9-1, with John Doman grabbing the only hat-trick of the night, which was quite surprising really considering the three teams that won scored 22 between them.

Crestwood Community Church FC strengthened their hold on third place as they beat bottom club Kingsbourne 6-0 and St Matthew's Ravens extended their lead at the top to 7 points as they saw off Tipton Family Church FC 7-1.

It's not very often we get a 0-0, in fact Andi Mohr (Mr Stats himself) reports that we have only had two previous ones recorded, and they were in 2011 featuring TFC, but AFC Fatherless Barn and Oakham FC were totally inseparable as they ended up goalless.

 

Wednesday January 4 2012

Christmas seems like a long way off now and when the Sevens kicks off after the break it's also an indicator that we are well into the New Year. This time it so happened that the first game was earlier than usual though, due to the way the dates fell on the calendar.

But it was Ebenezer All Stars who took full advantage of the game by beating Men United 6-0. They stay in second but close the gap on leaders St Matthew's Ravens to just four points - with both teams having played exactly half their games.

Chris Rhodes took his tally for the season to 38 as he hit another hat-trick. And Dan Henson moved on to 17 as Ebenezer made the half-century of goals. Will they hit the ton by the end of the season though?

Finally, we'd like to wish you all a great 2012. And from the perspective of the Sevens, whether you win, draw or lose we hope you have a good second-half of the season by enjoying your games.

 

Thursday December 22 2011

Taking full advantage of Ebenezer's slip, St Matthew's Ravens close 2011 with a 7-point lead at the top as they beat Chawn Hill Church 3-0. And prompted by a post on the SICM Sevens' facebook page the facts as revealed by Master Stats Man Andi Mohr are that the Ravens are unbeaten since November 2010 with that run going to 26 league games. Could there be a new name on the trophy come next spring?

And finally for the year, season's blessings to all from Andi, Debby, Jon and Stewart. Have a great Christmas and a brilliant New Year.

 

Tuesday December 20 2011

Goals galore in last night's games, and it's not unusual for Ebenezer All Stars to hit 5, but when they then lose the match then that must have been a cracker. And it was, well at least for Amblecote FC who put in a tinsel performance as they ran out 6-5 winners. Only the second defeat of the season for Ebenezer but at least Chris Rhodes grabbed a hat-trick.

AFC Fatherless Barn beat Tipton Family Church FC 8-2 with Lee Pike scoring a hat-trick on his debut. The Barn climb the tree and now move to 11 points in the table as they leapfrog Oakham FC who themselves suffered a heavy defeat by crashing to Crestwood Community Church FC 6-0. Rhys Harper got man of the match as his three goals strengthened Crestwood's challenge on the title.

The final game was also full of festive cheer. Well for Men United at least as they beat Kingsbourne 9-3. And amazingly they had no hat-trick heroes, with four players all finding the sack twice.

Just one game to go tonight, so have a great Christmas everyone and see you all next year.

 

Thursday December 15 2011

Tuesday's game was a real classic in many ways as AFC Fatherless Barn stormed into a 4-0 lead against Amblecote FC after just 13 minutes. But level by the break, it was Amblecote who added two second-half goals to win the 10-goal thriller and move above Brandhall & Quinton FC on goal difference. The table has been updated but the statistics will be once we have match sheets.

 

Tuesday December 13 2011

In the final game of the David Bloor Memorial Trophy group stage, Chawn Hill Church edged out Oakham FC 6-4 to claim the last spot in the quarter-finals. Two players scored 80% of the goals, with Robert Wilkinson-Jones' hat-trick not enough for the losers but Adam Rices' five massively contributing to Chawn's progress. Amazingly Adam had played in 13 previous games without a single goal. What a way to open your account eh!

The only movers in the table were Kingsbourne, who dropped to bottom, and Tipton Family Church FC who climbed two as they beat the former 8-1. Both teams have been playing well of late and picking up points, but this time it was TFC who rose to the top.

And talking of top, it's looking good for Ebenezer All Stars as they close the gap even more on St Matthew's Ravens. Another 8-1 saw them beat Bethel FC. Just the one hat-trick, for Mark Jackson, but we might have to extend the match sheets to accommodate Martyn Shepherd's nicknames along with the players' regular names. This week we had a Paolo, Springroll, Nuts and Pon. The mind boggles.

Crestwood Community Church FC maintain their hold on third place courtesy of a 4-3 win over Brandhall & Quinton FC. With their two league fixtures being in consecutive weeks it gave Brandhall the chance for a quick revenge, but the two one-goal margins show just how close things are between these two teams.

 

Tuesday December 6 2011

A couple of contenders for result of the night, for different reasons, but surely most votes would go to Kingsbourne as their 5-1 win over Chawn Hill Church is not only their first win of the season in all competitions after 11 previous attempts, but it also lifts them off the bottom on goal difference. And they also get their first individual player mention, as Steve Williams grabbed their first hat trick in the SICM Sevens.

The other possibility for top game was down to the sheer number of goals scored, as Ebenezer All Stars beat Oakham FC 14-0. And they even had Chris Rhodes rested as well. But Dan Henson stepped up in style as he scored five of their goals. It was a DBMT game, which leaves the final match between Oakham FC and Chawn Hill Church as a winner-takes-all as both teams chase that final quarter-final spot and an encounter with Brandhall & Quinton FC.

Talking of B&Q, their inconsistent season continued as they went down 1-2 to Crestwood Community Church FC. The points lift Neil Armstrong's boys into third place in the table. The final game was a draw as Tipton Family Church FC came from behind 3 times to earn a 4-4 draw with Bethel FC. It developed into a real end-to-end game and although either team could have won it in the end, a draw was a fair result. TFC are now bottom of the league, and that adds to the spice of next week's encounter with Kingsbourne.

 

Wednesday November 30 2011

Tuesday's fixture saw a 5-0 awarded to Bethel FC as their opponents Amblecote FC cancelled. The 'win' puts Bethel in fifth place, the highest for them this season.

 

Tuesday November 29 2011

With two of the Monday fixtures top half v bottom there were no surprises as Men United beat Kingsbourne 4-0 and St Matthew's Ravens defeated AFC Fatherless Barn 5-2. The Ravens were made to work hard for their points though, as against TFC last week it was all-square at the break. But they eventually came through to keep their seven point lead at the top. Men United move into third, and although 10 points behind the leaders, they do have 2 games in hand.

Ebenezer All Stars maintain second place and the pressure on St Matt's, as they beat Crestwood Community Church FC 3-1. Chris Rhodes' goal puts him on 30 for the season. In the other match Brandhall & Quinton FC moved into the top half of the table with a convincing 7-2 win over Oakham. Steve Hirst grabbed 5 of the goals meaning he was the top scorer on the night and the only hat trick hero.

 

Tuesday November 22 2011

The David Bloor Memorial Trophy Group A has now been completed, and although Amblecote FC lost 2-3 to Brandhall & Quinton FC, they still qualify for the knock-out stage. It means they will face Ebenezer All Stars though, but once you're into the quarters and beyond, the reality is that if you are going to progress then sooner or later you have to play tough opposition.

Crestwood Community Church FC go through in third place as they beat Kingsbourne 6-2. Along with Brandhall and Tipton Family Church FC they also have 9 points, so it's just goal difference that has divided them. DBMT hat-tricks were scored by Crestwood's Rhys Harper and Brandhall's Dave wall.

In the league, albeit having played more games, St Matthew's Ravens are now 9 points clear as they beat Tipton Family Church FC 4-1. It was level though until right at the end until the Ravens' pressure finally paid off with 3 goals in 2 minutes. Oakham FC climb 2 places in the table as they saw off Bethel FC 2-0 in a close game.

 

Wednesday November 16 2011

Although having only played three out of their four games, Ebenezer All Stars became the first team to confirm their placing in the group stages of the DBMT, as they convincingly beat Chawn Hill 5-0. The result also sets Men United as runners-up, which leaves three teams to fight over the remaining two spots, so still plenty to play for as they can all do it.

But back to the game and the league's golden boy Chris Rhodes did it as again as he found the net four times. Well done Chris, who is now up to 27 for the season.

 

Tuesday November 15 2011

Only one game in the league last night, and the three points for Brandhall & Quinton in their 5-2 win over AFC Fatherless Barn sees them climb to seventh in the table as they leapfrog their opponents. Barn old-boys David Wall (2) and Gavin Calver both got on the score sheet.

The other matches were all in the David Bloor Memorial Trophy and Men United confirmed their place in the last eight as they beat Bethel FC 5-1, helped along by a hat-trick from Scott Harrison. Although they lost, Bethel will be no doubt joining them in the quarter-finals. With four from five going through, it's going to take cricket scores and cancelled games for upsets to take place in most cases.

The same applies to Crestwood Community Church FC, who although lost 4-0 to Tipton Family Church FC, will also be in the knock-out stages. It looks likely that Amblecote FC will be joining them from their group as their 7-6 victory against Kingsbourne puts them firmly in the driving seat for qualification, albeit maybe by the skin of their teeth.

But it doesn't matter really, as once you're in that top four it's down to real business and what happens on the night. This game provided the night's top individual scorers as Josh Bellamy (Kingsbourne) and Jadon Silva (Amblecote) both scored four times. What a game that must have been to watch!

Finally we must mention Kingsbourne. After some heavy defeats in their opening games of their debut season, in the last three they have picked up their first point and even in defeat have only lost by one goal to Ebenezer All Stars and Amblecote FC. And to score 6 against the latter is a real achievement. Well done Kingsbourne, a lesson is perseverance.

 

Tuesday November 8 2011

Last night's results were as close as can be with just one goal dividing each of the four games. Just think, one extra goal per game and we'd have had a full house of draws for the first time ever. As it was we didn't get one, and that shows how thin the dividing line is sometimes.

St Matthew's Ravens continued their express train start to the season as they became the first team to break the 20-point barrier, thanks to their hard-earned win over Oakham FC 2-1. Reigning champions Ebenezer All Stars aren't giving up their title just yet though, and their three points earned sends them into third place - but with games in hand. They were made to work hard by Kingsbourne though and it was just a 1-0 in the end. But the Kingsbourne keeper pulled off a string of world-class saves which indicates the way the score could have gone.

Men United's 2-1 victory against Crestwood Community Church FC means that just one point separates the four teams below St Matthew's. And finally, Tipton Family Church FC are off the bottom as they gained their first points of the season by beating AFC Fatherless Barn 5-4. The Barn went 2-0 up but TFC got back into it and the second half saw most of the goals as the game increasingly became end-to-end. So well done Tipton. (Tuesday's game between Bethel FC and Chawn Hill Church was a 2-2 draw)

 

Wednesday November 2 2011

Following Monday's games of 'proper' football scores, it was the exact opposite a day later as a 10-goal thriller saw Chawn Hill and AFC Fatherless Barn share the points. Chawn stay where they are but the Barn climb a place as they swap spots with Brandall & Quinton FC. Martyn Price scored three for AFC, the only player this week to score hat trick.

 

 

Tuesday November 1 2011

Congratulations to Kingsbourne who picked up their very first point last night, courtesy of a 3-3 draw with Bethel FC. The point moves them off the base of the table as they leapfrog Tipton Family Church FC. Down 0-3 to Amblecote FC within minutes, Tipton came back to 3-3 only to concede a late killer goal. In the other league game Ebenezer All Stars had to work hard to break down Oakham FC but eventually came through 2-0.

The final match of the evening was in the DBMT Group A and Crestwood Community Church FC pretty much secured their place in the quarter-finals as they beat Brandhall & Quinton FC 2-1. With both teams on six points, along with TFC, it's looking like they will be joined by either Amblecote or Kingsbourne who both have yet to put any points on the board.

Finally, if you run a team can we remind you to keep checking the officials' forum. There are currently 'sticky' threads on there for several teams requesting information. Thanks.

 

Monday October 31 2011

Following a surprise 2-0 defeat at the hands of Crestwood Community Church FC, reigning treble-winners Ebenezer All Stars have bounced back in style. And certainly so in the Tuesday 8-1 win over Men United. Ebenezer would have been favourites, so there's nothing surprising necessarily about the win, but rather the margin. Chris Rhodes is now the leading goalscorer as well as his five take him to 21. They are now up to 5th in the table but with games in hand.

 

Tuesday October 25 2011

Last night's games on paper were all going to be close affairs, as they involved teams playing neighbours in the current league placings. As it worked out, two went right to the wire but the others were convincing wins. St Matthew's Ravens continued their runaway start to the season as they beat Amblecote FC 3-2. They're now on 19 points from 7 games and although there are going to be lots of twists and turns along the way, they will certainly be more than pleased with their campaign to date.

The other close game saw Bethel FC edge AFC Fatherless Barn by the same score, with the win lifting Bethel to 5th in the table. Tipton Family Church FC failed to build on their recent cup game success as they went down 5-0 to Oakham FC. The biggest win of the night saw Brandhall & Quinton FC beat Chawn Hill Church 7-0.

Finally, a reminder to Ebenezer All Stars and Men United that your game tonight is 8pm. From next week we have just the one Tuesday game which will be 9pm and don't forget, all Tuesday teams, to drop match sheets and money off afterwards - details in the officials' forum.

 

 

Wednesday October 19 2011

With recent withdrawals we are now down to just the one game on Tuesday, and it was a cracker indeed as St Matthew's Ravens continued their superb start to the season by beating Brandhall & Quinton FC. The feedback is that it was a great game, hard but played in the right spirit, which is exactly what we want. Although they lost points because of the withdrawals, the Ravens are now back on top. Will this be their season?

 

Tuesday October 18 2011

A number of teams are contenders for result of the week after last night's fixtures, but Tipton Family Church FC's 2-1 victory over Amblecote FC must surely rise to the top of the batch. Amblecote have been very much the in-form team of late and were favourites to win the DBMT group fixture. But a solid and determined shift from TFC saw them go into the break 2-0 up. As expected, Amblecote raised their game in the second half, but their consolation goal was very late and proved to be no more than that.

The other team to collect maximum points in the DBMT was Ebenezer All Stars as they beat Bethel FC 5-1. Chris Rhodes scored a hat trick, which moves him on to 16 goals for the season so far. The final game in the competition saw Chawn Hill and Men United share the points as they drew 3-3.

In the league, someone had to get their first points as Kingsbourne and Oakham FC brought their collective total of zero to the table. In the end Oakham edged it by 3-1 as they put their first points on the board. The featured game on YouTube this week is Ebenezer v Bethel. To view, check out the 'social media' link.

 

Saturday October 15 2011

It was all change around the top of the table following Tuesday's brace of games. Although the Ravens still hold pole position, they are being chased by Crestwood Community Church FC and Men United as both teams clocked up wins. The latter's 7-3 victory over AFC Fatherless Barn was impressive but Crestwood's 2-0 over Ebenezer All Stars must rank as the top result of the week. It certainly opens up the table a little and the only team to have an unbeaten start so far is St Matthew's.

Scott Harrison was the number one marksman on the night, finding the net 4 times for Men United. Finally, although Kingsway Lions have folded due to administrative issues, it is possible that a team may take their fixtures on. As soon as we know anything we will post details.

 

Saturday October 15 2011

Monday's fixtures saw pretty convincing league wins for St Matthew's Ravens and Amblecote FC, as the current top two returned wins of 5-1 and 7-0 respectively. On the losing side were Oakham FC and Brandhall & Quinton FC. Whilst Oakham were always going to be up against a very in-form St Matt's, particularly as they adjust to the league, it was certainly a surprise to see Brandhall lose by such a big margin.

Four goals for Amblecote's James Cartwright takes him to seven in just three matches, which is an impressive return rate. The other game was much closer though as Bethel FC edged a seven-goal thriller in their DBMT fixture with Chawn Hill. On maximum points from two matches in their group, although not mathematically through yet, it's pretty much odds-on that Bethel will be in the knock-out stages.

 

Wednesday October 5 2011

Men United missed out on the chance to go to the top of the table on Tuesday evening as they lost 12-2 to Amblecote FC. It was certainly a surprise result on current form, and although no-one would have been shocked at the fact Amblecote won, it was more the margin in which they did it that will raise eyebrows. Arran Poultney scored 4 and Jon Doman and James Cartwright grabbed hat tricks.

The other match was the only DBMT fixture of the week as Brandhall & Quinton FC confirmed their place in the knock-out stage by beating Tipton Family Church FC 3-2. Cruising into a 3-0 lead, Tipton came back but failed to grab the equaliser. It was a very competitive match but played in a great spirit, and would be a text book game in terms of what we want SICM Sevens to be. So well done to both teams on that front.

 

Tuesday October 4 2011

We have new leaders in the league as St Matthew's Ravens stormed to the top in style as they crushed Kingsway Lions 13-1. The Lions weren't bad though, just that the Ravens were mobile, passed well and above all were clinical in their finishing. Liam Watkins' 5 goals took him to 10 for the season and debutant Tom Piggot added 4.

Both Bethel FC and AF Fatherless Barn hit their opponents for six, with Chawn Hill Church and Kingsbourne being on the end of 6-2 and 6-0 defeats. Danny Reynolds grabbed a hat trick for Bethel as they moved to seventh in the league. The lowest scoring game of the evening was Ebenezer All Stars' 5-0 win over Oakham FC. Although still in 6th place courtesy of less games played, Ebenezer are one of just two teams that still have a 100% record. Expect them to climb in the next month or so.

Finally, the November fixtures will be added on Thursday. Currently Kingsway Lions are beyond the fines limit to to eligible, so that needs to be addressed asap. Also on fixtures, all Tuesday fixtures are now pitch 3.

 

Thursday September 29 2011

The single game on Tuesday evening saw St Matthew's Ravens continue with their impressive start to the league campaign as they moved into third place. Their 4-2 defeat of AFC Fatherless Barn was the latter's first defeat of the season. They remain in seventh but with two games in hand can go within two points of the leaders. Early days yet and still plenty of incentives for all teams.

 

Tuesday September 27 2011

All last night's fixtures were in the DBMT, so Crestwood Community Church FC remain league leaders as we say goodbye to September and enter the month of October. They also got their Group A campaign in the cup off to an excellent start as they beat Amblecote FC 2-0. The top two though with 6 points each from 2 games are Brandhall & Quinton FC and Tipton Family Church FC.

Brandhall's score of 11-0 v Kingsbourne was helped along by Matt McCardle's 5 and a hat-trick from Dave Wall. TFC on the other hand were pushed all the way by a battling Kingsway Lions, although they ran out eventual winners 6-3. Nothing is mathematical yet, but TFC and Brandhall are looking good to make the quarter-finals cut.

The final match was in Group B and Bethel FC did their qualification chances no harm as they beat fellow debutants in the SICM Sevens this season, Oakham FC. Three goals from Donny Reynolds helped them to secure the points as they head the group on goal difference.

 

 

Wednesday September 21 2011

We have new league leaders, as Crestwood Community Church FC take pole position following their 3-1 win over Chawn Hill Church. And with DBMT games predominant in next week's batch of fixtures, they will occupy that slot until in October at least. It was Chawn though who held the lead into the break, but a hat-trick from Rhys Harper in the second-half ensured that Crestwood grabbed the points.

 

Tuesday September 20 2011

With just one league game last night, Amblecote FC's unbeaten run came to an end as they lost 7-2 to St Matthew's Ravens. Helped along by a Liam Watkins hat-trick, the win lifts the Ravens into fourth place. It's certainly close at the top, and with Ebenezer All Stars suffering with fixtures through no fault of their own, it gives plenty of early opportunities for other teams to make their mark. In fact, Crestwood Community Church FC can go top of the pile tonight if they win.

The other three Monday games were all in the DBMT. Early days in the competition yet so nothing is anywhere near decided, but with four qualifiers any team getting three points early on is going to be in pole position. So Tipton Family Church FC, Ebenezer All Stars and Brandhall & Quinton FC will all be happy with their wins last night. Top goalscorer on the night was TFC's Craig Donaldson who found the net four times.

Check the 'social media' link on the website as there are YouTube, twitter and facebook links. Why not spread the message by sharing: either retweeting Sevens stuff, posting on your facebook wall or sharing the weekly video? There is a link on the YouTube video to post on your facebook or twitter page.

 

Thursday September 15 2011

Tuesday's game saw a convincing win for Chawn Hill Church as they convincingly beat Brandhall & Quinton FC 4-0. There were several gracious comments from the losers testifying to the fact that they were seriously outplayed on the night. It certainly opens up the competitive nature of the league this season, as three out of the four top teams are all newcomers. Last season was tight enough, this one looks like being even closer.

 

Tuesday September 13 2011

Following last night's batch of league fixtures, we now have new leaders. Men United find themselves top of the pile, courtesy of a 4-2 victory over Tipton Family Church FC. They were made to battle hard though and with everything evenly matched at 2-2, the final minutes could have gone either way. But making the extra man work to their advantage, Men U passed well, made opportunities and grabbed a couple of goals.

With Josh Owen on fire, Crestwood Community Church FC move into third place. Netting all five goals in their defeat of Oakham FC, no reply saw their goal difference benefit greatly as well. AFC Fatherless Barn and St Matthew's Ravens continued their unbeaten starts to the season as they beat Bethel FC and Chawn Hill Church respectively. They were close games though, with tight margins of 4-3 and 3-2.

Following the withdrawal of Ebenezer FC we are open to a new team joining us and taking on board their fixtures. We need to act quickly though, as fixtures need to be sorted either way. So if you are reading this or you know someone then get in touch asap.

 

Thursday September 8 2011

Both games on Tuesday resulted in seventh heavens for Chawn Hill Church and Crestwood Community Church FC as they defeated Ebenezer FC and Tipton Family Church FC respectively. Top marksman on the night was Crestwood's Josh Owen who found the net four times.

Ebenezer FC have pulled out of the league and so their September slots will be cancelled. The October fixtures will be rescheduled so that one of the rest teams will now be playing. The fixture page will be updated in due course.

 

Tuesday September 6 2011

Following last night's games every team has now played at least one game. New boys Chawn Hill were involved in a good game of football with founder members AFC Fatherless Barn and a 2-2 result was probably a fair ending as they shared the points. Also kicking their season off were St Matthew's Ravens who had a tough task as they took on Brandhall & Quinton FC. Feeling rusty and up against one of the in-form teams so far this season, Ravens will be more than happy with their 3-3 draw. With everything being much tighter this time round perhaps we will see more draws?

The other two fixtures were in the DBMT. Amblecote FC were awarded a 5-0 courtesy of a Kingsway Lions cancelled game. Men United were made to work for their points though as they had to overcome Oakham FC 4-1. These were the first games in the competition so both victors head their groups and take big steps towards quarter-final qualification.

 

Wednesday August 31 2011

Still in August, we have completed our first trophy, The Summer Cup. Keeping a tight reign on fixtures means we haven't gone on into autumn as we have done in previous seasons. And with the DBMT kicking off next week it means that should we have a bad winter as we have done in recent years, it's just the league that is affected. Wrapping the knockout competitions up earlier means we can get trophies sorted for them and avoid congestion at the end of the season.

Ebenezer All Stars retained The Summer Cup, as they eventually saw off Ebenezer FC 8-3. Although they ran out comfortable winners in the end, it was very evenly matched at the start, with Ebenezer FC giving as good as they got, and probably more. But well done to the All Stars. Another treble season for them? Well they're a third of the way there.

The other game, in a week affected by the Bank Holiday, was in the league. Men United move into second in the table as they saw off Tipton Family Church FC 4-2. Although they played really well and you cannot take the win away from them, TFC had two rocket shots that smashed off the bar and bounced down off the line when they could have easily gone the other way into the back of the net. But with three wins out of three, Men United are off to a flying start.

 

 

Wednesday August 24 2011

It's great to have Oakham FC with us in the league, and their game with Bethel FC is the featured YouTube fixture this week. The match itself was very close, with Bethel picking up their first points of the season as they edged it by the closest of margins 2-1. The other results this week weren't so close, with Men United's 3-0 over Crestwood Community Church FC being the next. With a 100% start to the season, the former go into third in the table.

Running away with things at the moment though is Amblecote FC, who produced a result that none of us would have predicted, as they crushed Ebenezer FC 12-3. Five goals for Aaron Poultney with John Doman grabbing four means that Amblecote are the first team to hit ten points this season.

The reigning champions Ebenezer All Stars aren't likely to roll over though as they rose to the challenge on their title by beating Kingsbourne 9-1. In second place, they have a stunning goal difference of twenty-one, the same as Amblecote but to do it in just two games is amazing. Mark Robinson hit a hat-trick and with their goals this week coming from six different players, Ebenezer show why they are formidable opponents for anyone.

The final game saw Tipton Family Church FC move from second-bottom to fifth as they hit Kingsway Lions for six with no reply. Man of the match Dave Law found the net five times. The Lions drop to eighth place in the table.

 

Wednesday August 17 2011

On paper Tuesday's game looked to be as close as they will come this season, but a shock 13-0 win for Ebenezer All Stars over Ebenezer FC completely went against the form book. Although the former would probably have been slight favourites in most people's minds, not even the most fertile of imaginations could have predicted that score-line.

Four goals from Matt Nicholls takes him to sixteen for the campaign so far, and hat-tricks for Chris Rhodes and Mark Robinson also contributed to their impressive tally. They go into third place, with goal difference not surprisingly giving them the edge over others.

 

Tuesday August 16 2011

New boys Amblecote FC are off to a flying start, as they extended their lead at the top with a convincing 8-2 win over Kingsbourne. Robin Davies will be pleased with himself as he scored half the goals. It's early days yet of course, but with 7 points from a possible 9 it is an excellent start for Amblecote.

Brandhall & Quinton FC are just behind them though as a 3-1 win against Bethel FC keeps them in second place with 4 points. Men United kicked off their league campaign with a solid 7-2 victory over Kingsway Lions. Kyle Haden's hat-trick takes him to 9 for the season so far.

The Summer Cup group came to an end as Tipton Family Church FC got their first win of the season. No surprises that it came against Crestwood Community Church FC either as the statistics Andi Mohr posted on the facebook page confirm TFC are Crestwood's bogey team for sure. It was a very close game though and it was only a wonder goal / fluke (take your pick) that won it for Tipton in the closing stages.

Following Midland Elite FC failing to show for their first game of the season, the good news is that we have a team to replace them. From next Monday Oakham FC will be picking up their fixtures. There is a shuffle of games just for the first week in September so make sure you make note of those.

Wednesday August 10 2011

After a successful start in The Summer Cup it was more of the same from Ebenezer FC on Tuesday night as they opened their league account with a 5-3 win against Kingsway Lions. Early days yet, but they will be more than happy with the third place that goes with it.

Following on from last week's disappointment of Midland Elite FC pulling out, we have the potential good news that a new team is going to take their place. It may be that they will be ready for the game on August 22, so Bethel FC need to keep an eye on things in particular. But as soon as we know something we will let you know via the officials' forum, facebook page etc.

 

Tuesday August 9 2011

Last night saw Brandhall & Quinton FC open their league account against current leaders, Amblecote FC. The game ended 2-2, a result which keeps the latter at the top of the pile and sees the former enter the fray in 4th spot. This game is the featured video highlights this week, so check that out via the social media link. And if you're on twitter, don't forget to follow us.

Although having already qualified for the final, Ebenezer All Stars go into the game as group winners courtesy of their 5-2 victory against Tipton Family Church FC. Mark Robinson doubled his goal tally for the season as he hit a hat-trick. The other fixture saw Crestwood Community Church FC collect their first win in the competition as they beat Men United 2-1.

Can we remind team officials of the importance of checking the officials' forum. With fixtures due to be added in a few weeks time, in order to be eligible, teams need to be less than £5 in arrears. At the moment Amblecote FC, Kingsway Lions and Kingsbourne are in excess of that.

 

Friday August 5 2011

Tuesday evening's game was going through the motions as far as anything to play for was concerned, but as always, pride determines that is never the case in reality. In a close game, Ebenezer FC edged it 3-2 against Men United. The win puts the former at the top of the group as they complete their fixtures in The Summer Cup. It's now down to Ebenezer All Stars (and their opponents!) as to who finishes in what order, with both teams due to go head-to-head at the end of the month in the final.

After eventually tracking Midland Elite FC down, we discovered that they had decided not to enter. As a result, the remaining games for August featuring them will be cancelled. It is possible that we may be able to get a team on board for September, we will keep you posted.

 

Tuesday August 2 2011

After a couple of months of action in The Summer Cup, last night the league got underway. In humid conditions it was going to be a test for all involved, but new boys Amblecote FC rose to the challenge by beating Tipton Family Church FC 7-1. All square at the break, TFC did their usual trick of folding in the last quarter of the game. But full credit to Amblecote who look like they will be a force to be reckoned with for sure. Arran Poultney scored their first hat-trick.

The other new teams didn't quite fare so well with Bethel FC going down 3-6 to Crestwood Community Church FC and Kingsbourne losing by the narrowest of margins in a 9-goal thriller with Kingsway Lions. Early days in the table but Crestwood and Kingsway will enjoy seeing themselves second and third respectively.

Crestwood's Rhys Harper found the net three times, but the individual performance of the night goes to Lions' Mitchell Kerry who scored all five of their goals. What a way to announce your arrival!

Unfortunately the final game did not go ahead as Midland Elite FC failed to turn up. At present we are trying to make contact with them as obviously we can't continue with that on a weekly basis. As soon as we hear - or otherwise - we will announce. And of course update the league table.

 

Tuesday July 26 2011

We now know the finalists in The Summer Cup as Monday's games confirmed who made the cut and who missed out. Ebenezer All Stars qualified courtesy of a 3-2 win over Men United, but it was close as a 3-0 lead at the break was squandered allowing the opposition to get back into the game. This was a repeat of their first encounter in the competition when a 6-0 margin was eroded to 6-3.

Joining All Stars will be their namesake, Ebenezer FC, who managed it with a 2-2 draw in their game with Crestwood Community Church FC. Matt Taylor's goal for Ebenezer takes him to double figures for the season and with Matt Nicholls not playing for All Stars, he closes the gap at the top of the goalscorer's table.

Next week, as we enter August, the league campaign get underway. Although there is a TSC fixture on Tuesday, all Monday's games are in the league. Three of the teams in action are with us for the very first time so we wish them the best for the campaign ahead.

The fixture of the evening has to be the Ebenezer All Stars v Midland Elite FC game. Will the former's match practice give them the advantage or will the latter be motivated by the narrow defeats last time round? Let's see!

 

Tuesday July 19 2011

After such a solid start to the season, Ebenezer All Stars lost their first game on Monday night as they went down 2-4 to Ebenezer FC. The result not only opens up the route to the final a little, but also confirms what we have known for a long time - that the quality of the league is continually rising and whoever wins any competition is not going to have it all their own way. With a goal each for Matt Nicholls and Matt Taylor, they took their tally for the season to 12 and 9 respectively.

The other game also finished 4-2, with Men United building on some good results as of late by beating Tipton Family Church FC. Although they looked comfortable at 3-0, TFC came back into it with 2 Andy Southall goals. Unfortunately though for the group's bottom team, that all-crucial sixth goal went the way of their opponents. The win keeps Men United in contention for a final appearance, so it looks like this is going to the wire as well.

 

Tuesday July 12 2011

The Summer Cup is now officially a three-horse race as defeats for Tipton Family Church FC and Crestwood Community Church FC leaves them mathematically out of making the final. Unless of course the teams above them fail to fulfill fixtures and get five-point deductions. But assuming that is not going to happen, then both teams have pride alone to play for.

TFC, although losing to Ebenezer FC 1-3, will consider the defeat a sort of moral boost, as last time round they were mauled by their opponents. And with the game being 1-1 until the latter stages, even a point was not that far away. Crestwood conceded the same number of goals but failed to reply as they went down 0-3 to the only team to have a 100% record in the competition, Ebenezer All Stars.

All Stars' Matt Nicholls becomes the first player to reach double figure goals this season, as his brace takes him to 11. TFC's Rich Williams also heads the statistics, with his third man of the match award in five games ensuring he keeps above those on two nominations.

Finally, we have had contact from AFC Fatherless Barn and so it looks like they will be on board for a September start, but we're still waiting for St Matthew's Ravens to fulfill their criteria. As a committee we cannot stress the absolute importance of the responsibility involved in running a team. It's more than just looking at the fixtures each week to see who you are playing. And on that basis we have set a deadline of July 21 for both teams to get sorted.

 

Wednesday July 6 2011

The top fixture on Monday was the clash of the Ebenezers, and with both teams on a 100% start to the season, something had to give. In the end it was All Stars that ran out 6-2 winners and although not mathematically confirmed yet, pretty much sealed their place in The Summer Cup final which will be played at the end of August. Chris Rhodes grabbed himself a hat-trick, with Matt Nicholl's brace ensuring he is at the top of the pile with 9 so far this campaign.

In the other game, Men United kept their hopes alive of making the final as they came from a goal behind to beat Tipton Family Church FC 4-1. Although we are now just halfway through the season, it looks like a three-horse race for the final, with Tipton and Crestwood Community Church FC unlikely to make the top two.

The August fixtures are now on-line and sees the league get underway as well as the final games in The Summer Cup. The David Bloor Memorial Trophy draw will be made shortly and when that is done, the format will be published. That will begin in September, and so by the end of the month the league games played will all be balanced out for those teams not competing in August.

And on that note, if you are associated with AFC Fatherless Barn or St Matthew's Ravens, you need to get on to your officials asap if you want to be in the September games, which if not, will be too late to begin in October. We cannot stress the importance of officials checking their forum on a regular basis, as well as the website and the facebook page. We give out lots of information but it's up to the officials to read it.

 

Tuesday June 28 2011

As we approach the halfway stage in The Summer Cup it's already looking like a two-horse race, with both Ebenezer teams on a maximum nine points from three games at the top. Ebenezer FC pulled off a tremendous result in their game with Tipton Family Church FC. At the moment there is some confusion as to the actual score as the team entered 12 goals, the referee 11. Either way, it was an emphatic win as TFC found the net just the twice. But even with the lesser of the results, Ebenezer go to the top of the table.

Ebenezer All Stars must have thought that their solid 5-0 win over Crestwood Community Church FC was enough to keep them at the top but they actually drop into second place. It's all statistics really though as their points on the board give both teams a comfortable position. However next week will be very interesting as both Ebenezers go head-to-head.

This week's video features the All Stars v Crestwood game. We're going to make sure everyone has an equal exposure over the course of the season. Check out the videos in the 'social media' link on the SICM Sevens home page and don't forget to 'like' the facebook page to keep up to date with news and information.

 

Tuesday June 21 2011

Ebenezer All Stars move back to the top of The Summer Cup group as they beat Tipton Family Church FC 4-1. However, the score does not do justice to how tight the game really was. One nil up at the break, TFC conceded two very early goals in the second half and then two late ones. So for the vast majority of the match they were either in front or just behind by one. But you can never let your concentration slip for a moment against Ebenezer as they will punish you. Their Man of The Match Matt Nicholls grabbed a hat-trick to take his tally to the season so far to 6 in just 2 games.

In the other game, Men United picked up their first points in the group as they beat Crestwood Community Church FC 3-1. The win takes them into third place, but even at this stage leaves Crestwood with a mountain to climb if they are to qualify for the final. Their consolation, if you can call it that, was that Rhys Harper scored again to move into second place in the goalscoring table.

Finally, the date draws closer when we will be publishing the August fixtures. At this moment in time Kingsbourne, AFC Fatherless Barn, Midland Elite and St Matthew's Ravens will not be in the fixture list due to outstanding fines, officials not registering etc, So if you are a player in any of those teams then chase up your officials if you are expecting to be playing.

 

Tuesday June 14 2011

Before we look at this week's games, with the publication of the August fixtures imminent can we remind everyone that to be playing everything has to be brought up to date. Whether this be fines from last season or two officials posted on the forum, all boxes have to be ticked before you can be considered for fixtures. The details have been on the officials' forum and elsewhere for some time. Teams in this category are Chawn Hill, Kingsway Lions, St Matthew's Ravens, Kingsbourne, AFC Fatherless Barn and Midland Elite FC.

The Summer Cup group is now headed by Ebenezer FC following their narrow 5-4 victory over Men United. Behind at one stage 4-2, the remodelled Ebenezer came back to claim all three points. A decent side last season and always hard to get something from, the addition of new players has definitely taken them to a new level. As we've said before, and will no doubt say again many times, it's going to be a close campaign this time round.

In the other game, Tipton Family Church FC got their season off to a start with a 4-4 draw against Crestwood Community Church FC. Ahead at the break 3-1, TFC looked comfortable for the win, but Crestwood raised their game and thoroughly deserved to turn it around 4-3. However, with seconds to go, up popped an equaliser from Tipton. As Crestwood's official Neil Armstrong commented afterwards in regards to his time running the team, 'That's 13 times we've played Tipton now and we're yet to beat them'.

The game is the featured one this week on YouTube. Check out the playlist via the 'social media' link. There are a number of videos on there, not just games but presentations and cup draws. And talking of cup draws, once we know which teams have got themselves organised and are in the August fixtures and therefore the DBMT, we will make the draw and announce the format. Obviously if teams aren't going to be playing until September, they won't be able to get through all the fixtures and so will be league only.

 

Tuesday June 7 2011

It hardly seems like five minutes ago when we started our seventh season and here we are getting number eight underway. As always, it is The Summer Cup that launches the new campaign and two games took place on Monday evening. Ebenezer All Stars signalled their intention to carry on as they left off by beating Men United 6-3. Leading 6-0 at the break, it was the new boys who came on strong in the second half, but the damage had already been done by then.

It seems almost unreal that a team scoring six and featuring Mark Robinson would not have his name on the sheet. But that's exactly what happened, as Matt Nicholls storms into an early lead in the goal stakes, courtesy of the first hat-trick of the season. The following paragraph is from a delighted Ryan Cook as Ebenezer take pole position in The Summer Cup group.

'It is good to be back at the SICM Sevens league.  Thank you for giving us a tough start against a new team in Men United, although we run out 6 - 3 winners in the end Men Utd gave us a good game.  I am sure with time and experience they will form a good team and push for titles.  It is good to see that the standard of the league is improving every year, hopefully this will make for an exciting season with numerous new teams and several already establish teams all competing for all trophies up for grabs.  Ebenezer All Stars are looking forward to the new season.'

The other game was much closer and it was a late goal from Ebenezer FC that saw them collect the three points from Crestwood Community Church FC, whose name change for the season reflects that of the church at which they are based.

Check out the new 'social media' link on the home page. Included in there is a new introduction for this season where a game will be featured each week on YouTube. Enjoy and look out for the 'Stay on your feet' in the first one, which is the nine-goal thriller from All Stars and Men United.

 

 

Tuesday May 24 2011

The new season is on the horizon, with the publication of the first batch of fixtures. These are for the month of June and The Summer Cup. We have five teams in this season, including Ebenezer All Stars who begin the defence not only of their trophy, but also the treble.

Will they do it again this time round? With SICM Sevens becoming stronger by the season, their achievement last time round was incredible, so if they come anywhere near that again they will confirm themselves as the most successful team ever in our short history.

Enjoy your season everyone, and whilst of course we all want to win, ultimately it's about doing our best  and enjoying ourselves, recognising that not everyone can be a winner. Bit like life really, we aren't always on the victory side. Have a great 2011/2012

 

Saturday May 14 2011

We now have the full compliment of 14 teams on board, these can be viewed via the link on the home page. There are still certain requirements that have to be met before full activation has taken place such as entry fee, officials registering on the forum etc.

The fixtures for The Summer Cup will be published shortly and then we begin the new season. Details of last season's presentation can be viewed via the website from the 2010/2011 campaign.

 

 

Wednesday May 11 2011

The current situation regarding teams for the season is that we have 13 on board and another that has expressed a desire to join us. If that comes through then we will have reached the limit of 14 that has been set. As we had a few drop out, combined with the fact that we have raised the numbers again, to get what we have at this stage is very encouraging.

Take a look at the teams list and if yours has an asterisk next to it, then there are things that need to be done before you are fully activated and ready for fixtures.

The Summer Cup fixtures will be published on May 24, we have three teams that have entered that to date. At least one more would be ideal and then even numbers perfect, so that teams are playing every week. But whatever happens, the new season kicks off the first week in June.

 

 

Tuesday April 19 2011

We now have ten teams on board for the new season and these can be viewed via the 'teams' link on the home page. These are the ones that have applied and been accepted by the committee, although with most of them there are still things that need to be done before they are fully activated. This may be the clearing of fines from last season through to both officials having registered and posted on the forum that exists for those that run the teams.

The date has been set for the publication of The Summer Cup fixtures and that can be viewed in the officials' forum along with other posts relating to the new season. The season kicks off the first Monday in June with The Summer Cup for those teams that want to enter, as it is a voluntary competition originally brought in as a number of teams didn't want a break and were organising friendlies. Having a competition makes it a little more interesting.

The committee has set a limit on 14 teams for the coming season and so once we reach that figure, the door will be closed. At the moment we do have a number of teams interested and it's all on a first-come, first-served basis. So if you are one of those, act quickly!

 

 

Monday April 11 2011

The deadline has now passed for teams from 2010/2011 to enter and so we're now on a first-come, first served basis. Five new teams have shown an interest in coming on board and two of those have already got their applications in and been accepted, so along with teams from the previous season, that gives us 8 definites so far.

Three teams are on a deadline of April 16, so with a maximum of 14 this season, that gives us potentially just 3 places at the present time. Officials have been contacted from the e-mails on entry forms and a forum has been set up for them. So if you're on of the officials then make sure you respond and follow that through.

 

 

Tuesday March 29 2011

Welcome to the new website for the 2011/2012 season. Obviously in early stages, the links on the home page will become active as things start to develop. In the meantime, all teams that would like to be in our 8th season are invited to read the 'general info' section. Even for existing teams there is new information in there, including a number of dates such as deadlines for entering, when the season starts and so on.

One change that we have had to make unfortunately, is to raise the playing fee from £3.50 to £4.00. Halfway through last season the Leisure Centre raised the pitch hire fees and that in itself 'cost' us several hundreds of pounds in having to pay extra but not increasing income. So we've had no choice but to put that up this time round, hopefully a raise that will carry us for a good while.

Current teams have until April 10 to get their submissions in. It's just a couple of weeks, although by now teams will no doubt know whether they are going to be in or not. As soon as we get applications, and they are accepted, they will be added to the 'teams' section.