The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast - There’s Only Two James Morrisons

Click here to listen to this season's final podcast.

Hello and welcome to the final Terrace of the 10/11 campaign. We may be back with the odd close-season extravaganza, but for the moment just fill your boots with this offering.

We kick things off by talking through the Scottish Cup final, before moving onto the latest news in Scottish football this week, featuring Hearts' signings, Willo Flood, St. Johnstone and the Rangers soap opera.

We'll have a special Top 5 as we look back on five of the most memorable (positive) things to have happened this campaign and we will have the return of the Rumour Mill, where we talk Bothroyd, Conway, Aluko, Wallace and Taouil among others.

We give our congratulations to Ayr and Albion Rovers, both promoted through the playoffs and also talk Jimmy Nicholl, Paul Burns, Ross County signings from their Highland neighbours and Paul Hartley taking the reins at Alloa; fear the beard!

In this packed end-of-season show we'll also peruse the Scotland XI to face Wales and have Where are they Now?

Be sure to get in touch: email - theterrace@scotzine.com / Twitter: @terracepodcast

It's been a blast, folks! Enjoy the show.

The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast - Cup Final Special

Click here to listen to this week's Terrace Scottish Football Podcast.

We preview the battle for Scotland's last silverware of the season between Celtic and Motherwell.

We all believed Motherwell have a great chance of lifting the Scottish Cup on Sunday, only to all comprehensively agree that Celtic are clear and away favourites for trophy.

While the domestic season ends on Sunday, Scottish players are still in action next week as Scotland travel to Dublin to face Wales and Ireland, and we talk over Scotland's chances of winning some vital co-efficient points. Furthermore, Scotland's likely line-up is discussed and carrying on from Monday's episode, Aberdeen's Chris Maguire receives more ear bashing.

Alan provides his usual Punt of the Week which includes some very favourable odds on Motherwell winning on Sunday, before we take a look at the First and Second Division's playoff finals between Brechin City v Ayr United and Annan Athletic v Albion Rovers (who are definitely not Weegies...)

Hope you enjoy

Email: theterrace@scotzine.com

Twitter: @terracepodcast @wrl1989 @craigfowler86 @alanftemple

Ronaldo: Il Fenomeno

Click here or read below for my player profile of Brazilian football icon, Ronaldo. It was published on Scotzine.

Ronaldo: Il Fenomeno

“Mentally, I wanted to continue, but I have to acknowledge that I lost [the battle] to my body.”

Those were the words of Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima speaking in February 2011, when announcing his inevitable retirement from football. Ronaldo had problems with his knees for large periods of his career and it appeared, alongside a heavy weight problem, an issue that he was unable to shake off.

There is always a tinge of sadness when a quality player finally admits defeat with their body and some Rangers fans may go through similar motions when their favourite old man, Davie Weir, hangs up the boots. However, while Weir has been a great servant to his club in times of financial turmoil, his achievements severely pale in significance to that of Ronaldo who would unquestionably be in most people’s top fifteen players of all time.

The Brazilian superstar – known by many fans as ‘Il Fenomeno’ – has an endless list of trophies and awards, some individual, some team-orientated. After winning the Copa do Brasil with Cruzeiro in1993, he moved to Europe, with a scoring ratio of almost a goal a game at PSV Eindhoven and continued to make similar impacts for Brazil and his next club, Barcelona. His unbelievable talent and goal tally was rewarded with the title of FIFA World Footballer of the Year in 1996 and 1997, making Ronaldo both the youngest ever to win the award and the only player to do so in consecutive years.

Unable to renegotiate Ronaldo’s contract, Barcelona were waving goodbye to their star man after just one season at the club. Inter Milan forked out, what was then, a world record fee of £19 million for Ronaldo’s services and the then, twenty-one-year-old, made his way across the Mediterranean.

The goals continued to flow and the whole world looked forward to witnessing what Ronaldo could produce on the biggest platform of football at the 1998 World Cup. Bizarrely, Ronaldo already had a World Cup winners medal after being included in the 1994 Brazil squad, but he had failed to make an appearance, so he was desperate to claim another, this time by firing his country to glory.

After a 2-1 victory over Scotland, Ronaldo scored his first goal of the tournament in a 3-0 romp over Morocco. Although Brazil fell to a 2-1 defeat to Norway in the final group stage fixture, they won their group and progressed to the second round. Ronaldo would score a penalty, hit the post and then coolly slot past Chile keeper’ Nelson Tapia to wrap up a 4-1 demolition of their South American neighbours. It seemed that after a typically Brazilian tentative start to the tournament, they had finally shaken off their complacency and looked set for another World Cup success.

In the quarter finals Brazil met Denmark in what ended up being a thrilling end-to-end affair. The Brazilians came up trumps to win 3-2 with Ronaldo assisting two of the goals. Indeed, it seemed that some people were oblivious to his clinical through-balls as well as his finishing, but after this special performance, his all-round game would be appreciated further.

The Netherlands were the next obstacle for the Samba Boys and they soon looked comfortable after a fantastically timed run by Ronaldo, finishing past Edwin van der Sar with ease to open the scoring. However, Holland equalised three minutes before the full-time whistle and after a fruitless extra thirty minutes, penalties would follow. Ronaldo set Brazil on their way, sending van der Sar the wrong way and after Ronald de Boer missed his decisive penalty, a final between host nation France and World Cup holders Brazil was set up.

It would be this infamous World Cup final which tainted the star’s reputation. Ronaldo, quite simply, failed to produce the goods, with Brazil on the receiving end of a Zinedine Zidane master-class, finishing 3-0. Conspiracy theories followed especially when Ronaldo failed to be placed on the team-sheet seventy-two minutes before kick-off, only to be mysteriously added again on a further team-sheet released around thirty minutes later. Ronaldo did take to the pitch, but he looked a shadow of his former self and failed to impose himself on the game.

In the end however, it transpired that the night before the final Ronaldo had suffered convulsions and it was only decided by medical staff at last-minute that he was well enough to play the fixture. Despite the clearance by doctors, Ronaldo’s team-mates were not convinced and it seems worry took hold of them and they failed to perform to their usual high standards. After the match, Ronaldo was quite philosophical about the whole episode claiming that “we lost the World Cup but I won another cup…my life,” underlining how close to death he and his team-mates believed he was.

Ronaldo continued his astounding performances when he returned to Inter Milan, but the first significant signs of injury troubles appeared on 21 November 1999 in a match against Lecce. The striker had ruptured a tendon in his knee and required surgery. He made his comeback in April 2000 and within minutes left the pitch injured once again. Two operations and months of rehabilitation followed and Ronaldo found himself ready just in time for the 2002 World Cup.

Ronaldo scored in all three group stage fixtures, knocking a single goal past Turkey and China respectively, followed by a further two against Costa Rica. The goal tally continued with a late goal against Belgium in a 2-0 win and although he failed to score, Brazil beat England 2-1 in the quarter finals, a match which was won thanks to Ronaldinho’s exhilarating lob over David Seaman. The semi-finals brought Brazil and Turkey together again with a forty-ninth minute Ronaldo goal enough to send the Brazilians through to another final.

This time, Ronaldo was fit and able to play and the man himself opened the scoring after sixty-seven minutes when he pounced on a rare Oliver Kahn mistake. Twelve minutes later Ronaldo popped up again to side-foot past Kahn and seal a fifth World Cup for the boys in yellow. This appeared to be the rebirth of Ronaldo’s career. He finished top goalscorer at the World Cup and later in 2002, won World Player of the Year for the third time after sealing an incredible €39 million move to Real Madrid.

As it transpired, Ronaldo continued to score but injuries still plagued him and would repeatedly do so for the rest of his career, often incurring lengthy spells on the sidelines. Criticism of his now sizeable weight followed him into the 2006 World Cup and indeed the most recognisable striker in the world failed to light up the competition as he had in the two previous.

Brazil won their opening three games of the competition, but Ronaldo would struggle, being substituted in the first two fixtures, before finally breaking his duck against Japan, twice. In the second round, Brazil cruised past Ghana with Ronaldo scoring the first goal of the match which came about from a perfectly timed run onto a through ball followed by a wonderful shimmy past goalkeeper Richard Kingson. This goal took Ronaldo’s overall World Cup goal tally up to fifteen, a record which still stands to this day.

Brazil were knocked out by France in the quarter finals and from this moment forth, Ronaldo’s career would spiral into oblivion. He made the trip back to Italy, this time to play for AC Milan, but ravished by injury, only featured for just over three hundred minutes in the entire 2007-8 season and the world icon headed home for Brazil.


Ronaldo was adamant that once he recovered from injuries he would sign for Flamengo, however, he shocked the country by joining league rivals Corinthians instead. Initially, the move appeared successful, after helping the club win the Campeonato Paulista and the Brazil Cup. Although Ronaldo signed a contract extension to the end of 2011, he announced his retirement in February this year soon after Corinthians were knocked out of the Copa Libertadores.

There is no doubt that the natural talent Ronaldo possessed was nothing short of extraordinary and the endless individual and team awards he has received recognise this. However, due to physical weaknesses his career was often interrupted for long spells. Therefore, Il Fenomeno should be given credit for continuing as long as he did and congratulated for his continued goalscoring record at all times, no matter how fragile he was. Despite his problems, he managed to play ninety-two games for Brazil, scoring sixty-two goals in the process, but perhaps the most significant blip on his record is the lack of a Champions League medal even though he featured at Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter and AC Milan.

Ronaldo was not the fastest player in the world, but he did have incredible bursts of pace which enabled him to play off the shoulders of defenders to devastating effect and he seemed to almost contain a physic ability to draw out goalkeepers to meet him, only to fool them at the last possible moment and stroke the ball into the goal with, what appeared, relative ease.

Is he amongst Pele, Zidane, Best, Maradona, Beckenbauer and Garrincha? For some people, not quite. They argue that his injuries crippled him for too long and was therefore unable to provide the consistency to be an all-time great. Whether you follow this train of thought or not is somewhat irrelevant. He was sensational to watch when he was fit and undoubtedly added an extra dimension to the 1998 and 2002 World Cup which at the time, for a youngster like myself, was spellbinding to watch.

written by Will Lyon

The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast: Team of the Year

Click here to listen to the latest episode of The Terrace.

 We talk about Rangers and how they are the Champions of Scotland for the 54th time, as Walter Smith bows out of the Ibrox hotseat a winner. We'll have the story of Helicopter Sunday, and chat about where the title was one and lost, what's next and chat about the extraordinary and laudable atmosphere's at both Rugby Park and Celtic Park.

The SFL playoff's promise excitement, and the semi-finals did not disappoint. Cowdenbeath and Alloa both went out at the semi stage, meaning both are relegated [to SFL2 and SFL3 resepectively]. We'll hand out praise where it's due and look ahead to Ayr vs Brechin [for a place in SFL1] and Albion vs Annan Athletic [for a place in SFL2].

And, as a special end of [SPL] season treat, we will be piecing together our SPL Team of the Year 10/11, with our usual proviso; that every team should be represented [11 players, 1 coach]. Feel free to get in touch if you agree/disagree with out selection.

Remember, also - we'll be back on Friday with a pre-Cup final special, so be sure to download that on Friday as your perfect prelude to the Hampden showpiece.

Email: theterrace@scotzine.com ¦ Twitter: @terracepodcast

Terrace Travels #10: Cowdenbeath 0-2 Brechin City

Click here or read below for my experiences at the recent fixture between Cowdenbeath and Brechin City. It was published on The Terrace.

Brechin are Reekin'

The playoffs have been an absolute revelation to the SFL since their introduction. They attract bigger crowds, high tension and drama. With this in mind, The Terrace's Will Lyon headed along to Cowdenbeath for their second leg, semi final fixture against Brechin City, with the scores tied at 2-2 from the first leg.

The unique Central Park, Cowdenbeath

 The sun was shining and the fans were out in force. Central Park may not be the prettiest sight in the world, but as it loomed in the distance I could not help feeling a tinge of sadness that this could be my last visit, due to new plans to demolish the old lady. Or am I just a bit soppy?

As my dad and I walked towards the rickety ground, we were made to feel welcome by a group of teenagers who booed us, presumably because we were walking behind two middle-aged men proudly sporting Brechin City shirts.

We walked into the ground and took our seats with fifteen minutes to kickoff. Of course, Central Park hosts stock car racing and therefore fans have to sit well away from the pitch. To make matters worse, floodlights and wired fences also hinder the view from the stands. Despite this, (and I am probably in the minority) I still cannot help liking the unique ground.

After initially basking in the sunshine, my dad realised he had left his phone on top of the car (he's getting old) and hurried back to the car park to pick it up. With the greatest of respect to Cowdenbeath, if you have visited the town before, I am sure you can imagine how lucky he was that it was still there five minutes later. 

As I was sitting on my own, Ross County manager Jimmy Calderwood came up into the stand, presumably to support his pal and Cowdenbeath manager, Jimmy Nicholl. The initially empty terracing was also beginning to fill and it was a pleasure to see both sets of fans freely mixing together, with few policemen in sight. The usual songs about Brechin fans liking sheep was sung by Cowdenbeath fans and by the sounds of things, City fans were only too happy to remind the home support that they were from Fife and therefore likely to be married to their sister…

My dad arrived back, just in time for the pre-match entertainment which featured a group of youngsters carrying out some daring dance moves. One unlucky girl was flung up into the air, only to be dropped after gravity had hauled her back to earth, but that aside, everything went to plan. 

The match kicked off at a frantic pace that bestows the typical lower league football fixture. Unfortunately, the quality of football in the first half was hampered by a bumpy pitch and the strong wind hardly helped matters. However, the two sets of fans on the terracing appeared to be having a good time and the policemen were chuckling along with the banter. Conversely, Raith Rovers manager John McGlynn, sitting behind us, did not appear to be having a particularly good time. To improve the situation, he left his seat just before half time and staggered back with a supply of pies for assistant manager Paul Smith and office manager Bob Mullen.

During the interval, numerous signed Cowdenbeath shirts were given away by mascot “Bluebell the Coo” to delighted youngsters, before the club's under-14s attempted a one-on-one shootout against their poor goalkeepers, dwarfed by the full sized goals.

In the second half, Cowdenbeath began to take control of the game, but repeatedly saw their shots blocked by brave Brechin defenders or saved by veteran ‘keeper Craig Nelson. However, it was the away side who took the lead. The impressive Jamie Redman nipped in ahead of a static defence and struck home from six yards. With just ten minutes to play, Cowdenbeath flung men forward, only to concede the inevitable breakaway goal, with Craig Molloy tapping in to seal his side's place in the final against Ayr United. The result also condemned Cowdenbeath to relegation down to Division Two and questions will be asked if Nicholl will stay at the club, along with experienced pros Stevie Crawford and Colin Cameron.

The Cowdenbeath young team let out their anger by chanting “Brechin are reekin'” and although their fans smelt perfectly fine to me, their team were no great shakes and you would expect Ayr to topple them for the coveted place in the First Division.

written by Will Lyon

Season Review 2010/11: Hamilton Academical

Click here or read below for my season review of Hamilton Academical. It was published on The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast.

Hamilton Academical - A Season To Forget

New Douglas Park - The home of Hamilton Accies

New Douglas Park, Saturday 25th September 2010 – the day that set the tone for Hamilton's season. Accies found themselves 2-0 up at half time over Mixu Paatelainen's Kilmarnock. The home side had absolutely dominated and were unlucky not to be further ahead at the break. However, the standing ovation at half time would be replaced by stunned silence just sixty minutes later. Midfielder Simon Mensing gave away a completely unnecessary penalty when he brought down Danny Invincible with just seven minutes remaining. Tomas Cerny saved the penalty, but referee Crawford Allan ordered it to be re-taken after players had encroached into the box before Jamie Hamill had taken his shot. Second time around, Hamill slotted home and Killie proceeded to throw everything at the Accies goal. Their pressure paid off on the 89th minute when Connor Sammon redirected a shot into the goal from close range to clinch a 2-2 draw. Many Accies fans believe it was this game that set in stone the belief in the players that they could not defend a lead. It became a self-fulfilling prophecy and led to the club's ultimate demise. 

Obviously, there were other moments where Hamilton shot themselves in the foot. The Accies conceded a staggering fifteen penalties in all competitions and there is only so much a goalkeeper can do to keep them out, although Cerny did manage to save four. The seven red cards accumulated during the campaign will not have helped either, especially considering the number of injuries Accies suffered over the season. James Gibson suffered the third serious knee injury of his career in his comeback reserve match at the start of May, club captain Alex Neil was out injured for the majority of the season and so it appeared that manager Billy Reid rarely had his strongest first eleven out on the pitch at any point.

Although there were numerous setbacks throughout the 2010/11 campaign, Accies made things tough right from the start. After just two SPL games they had accumulated no points, failed to score any goals and conceded eight goals in the process. After just 180 minutes of football most bookies already had Accies down as relegation certainties.

A midweek loss to Raith Rovers in the League Cup heaped more pressure on Reid, but a Dougie Imrie screamer was enough to dispatch of Inverness Caley Thistle in the next league fixture and Accies began to find their feet. Imrie's magical left foot set up the South Lanarkshire side on an eight game scoring streak, but an underlying problem at the same time was Accies incapability to stop conceding goals. 

However, Hamilton did manage a few clean sheets, most notably in late October where they claimed a 1-0 win at Fir Park. After the match Reid came out and claimed that “if we just play our usual passing game, we'll pick up points”, but it was after this match that Hamilton failed to win in their next twenty-two league games - a damning statistic that simply is not good enough for any club expecting to stay in the SPL.

The elusive win to buck the trend came at Easter Road in mid April, but the problem for Accies was that they only had five remaining fixtures to turn over their nine point deficit at the bottom of the league. They managed to pick up a respectable seven in the remaining ties and even secured what would be their only home league win, beating Hibs 1-0. Despite the valiant effort by the stricken Accies, it was too little and too late to manage the great escape from relegation.

Reid would often come out after matches lamenting his side's lack of “rub of the green”, but it would be false to attribute this as the prime reason for Accies demise. When a team are on the back foot for long spells of football matches they will undoubtedly concede more fouls, freekicks, penalties and red cards, even if some of the decisions are indeed incorrect. 

Reid was always quick to praise the efforts of his players and Hamilton were well known for their attractive style of play, but ultimately, when your top goalscorer (Mickael Antoine-Curier) only manages to score five goals (two were penalties) you do not need to be a nuclear scientist to work out that Accies struggled to put the ball in the back of the net. 

Despite Reid professing after one match that “you can't tell me St Mirren are a better team than Hamilton Accies - I can't have that”, I am sure, with time, he will admit that Accies just were not good enough to stay in the SPL. Losing James McArthur in July 2010 was probably the final nail in the coffin for the club. Reid tried his best to bring in suitable short term replacements but his efforts were in the end, futile. 

The season of 2010/11 will be one Hamilton will hope to forget as soon as possible and what better way to do so, by winning promotion from Division One at the first time of asking. Reid has already made a few decent signings which includes the addition of Queen of the South talisman, Willie McLaren. To be fair, this upcoming season would have to be a capitulation of epic proportions if results are not an improvement compared to the monstrosity of the campaign just past.

written by Will Lyon

Fifteen Players Leave Raith Rovers

Click here or read below for my article on the recent player cull at Raith Rovers Football Club. It was published on Scotzine.

Financial Turmoil at Raith Rovers?

On Tuesday this week it was announced that fifteen players had left Scottish First Division side, Raith Rovers. This followed just hours after the startling news that fellow league side Falkirk had asked eighteen players to depart their club. However, are Rovers simply shedding excess players, or are the Kirkcaldy club really in serious financial difficulty?

Gregory Tade: Off to pastures new

Recently, Chairman Dave Somerville offered an honest assessment of the club’s finances on the official website. He admitted it is a “myth” that the club are debt free and that certain Directors and a Shareholder have been adding personal funds at critical times of the season, but that “this practice cannot continue.” It seems that even Rovers, a club with a modest First Division budget, are struggling to sustain full-time football without outside investment.

However, while fifteen players does sound like a major cull (especially at a level where fellow First Division side, Queen of the South, often struggled to field eleven senior players throughout the season), the cuts to Raith budget do not appear as severe as first thought. Seven of the released players were from the under nineteen squad and four were ‘squad players’ or ‘bench warmers’. Of the four first team players released, Gregory Tade had been offered two contracts but had rejected them both, as he wanted to test himself at SPL level. Therefore the remaining three: Craig Wilson, Stephen Simmons and Mark Campbell are the only first team players who have actually been culled. Yes, just three.

Mark Campbell has left Raith after five years at the club

 So after looking a little closer at the cuts, it becomes apparent that while there are obvious budget cuts, the negative newspaper headlines and downbeat interviews from Rovers manager John McGlynn, are perhaps a little exaggerated. With the loss of promoted Dunfermline Athletic’s sizeable away support, there was always going to be a reduction in Raith’s budget and if Directors are having to subsidise the club during harsh winters, then obviously, re-adjusting the finances is required.

Clearly, it would be wrong to label Raith Rovers as a club in crisis, but simply one re-adjusting to the financial climate and factors out of their control. Indeed, if it is true that Raith have signed Greenock Morton’s top striker, Brian Graham, the cuts are not even close to being catastrophic.

John McGlynn and the Raith board are quite rightly lowering the expectation of fans, especially after a season of pushing above their weight, but perspective must be retained.

written by Will Lyon

Tividale FC with Leon Murray

Please read below for my interview with Tividale general manager Leon Murray. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Leyton Orient, Dunfermline Athletic, Crawley Town and many more football clubs.

Tividale FC

The Beeches - home of Tividale FC

Last month Football Focus caught up with Leon Murray, the General Manager of Tividale Football Club. 'The Dale', at time of writing, were striding away at the top of the West Midland Regional League, Premier Division and Leon was hopeful they could see out the challenge, although he was also looking forward to a bit of a rest before throwing themselves into another gruelling season. “Our hopes are to win the league and the two cup competitions that we are still in. Then a well deserved break!”

Leon is not surprised that Tividale have competed at the top of the table all season when he looks at the quality throughout the first team squad and says the nurturing of talented players is not uncommon at the West Midlands club. “There are a number of players in our squad who could play at a much higher level and a number of our former players have played at a higher level. Of our previous players, Leroy May left us in 1991 and signed for Walsall FC, and more recently Matthew Barnes Homer went to Wycombe Warriors in 2008 and David Davis signed apprenticeship forms for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2009.”

Even if Tividale are successful on the pitch, times are hard in the current financial climate. However, Tividale are well known for their busy social club and there is no doubt that it brings in some vital extra income, even though some of it's members do not watch Tividale. “Despite the recession we have a thriving social club, even though many of our members have no interest in football! There is no doubt that our biggest challenge is simply survival. Since I have been here I have seen 6 pubs within walking distance of the club close down. I have also seen the demise of 3 very local football clubs, who all operated at either our level or the level above. However, along with the rest of our committee, we spend every spare minute we have, trying to keep the club afloat and thriving.”

While Tividale stormed their way to the top of the Premier Division, they were delighted to have club legend, Harry Shaw, as guest of honour for a match against Bustleholme recently. Harry was born in June 1925 and was brought up in Tividale. During the Second World War, he served in the RAF, but after being demobbed in 1947, he made his way back to the Black Country and immediately helped to form Tividale Rovers Football Club. He converted the sloping field at the club's Packwood Road into a playing surface, cutting down the rough growth with limited equipment. He played as a right-half for the first four years of the club’s existence before moving to Sedgley after meeting his late wife, Edith. Harry still follows Tividale's progress and would be delighted to see the club seal promotion this season.

Leyton Orient FC

Please read below for my article on Leyton Orient who came close to knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup this season. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Dunfermline Athletic, Crawley Town and many more football clubs.

Leyton Orient

Jonathan Tehoue equalises against Arsenal

Leyton Orient have a habit of pulling a rabbit out of the hat at the last minute. Many will remember Jonathan Tehoue's stunning 89^th minute equaliser against Arsenal in the FA Cup fifth round earlier this season and the club hope they can pull out another rabbit as they search for promotion to the Championship. At the time of writing, Orient are sitting three points off a playoff place in the Npower League One table, with just two games remaining and they will need to win both if they are to knock MK Dons and Bournemouth out of their respective fifth and sixth positions.

If the club are unable to achieve a playoff slot, then their remarkable feat against Arsenal will undoubtedly be their highlight of the season.

With the Gunners having just come off the back of a fantastic victory over Barcelona in the Champions League, many feared Orient would be on the end of a resounding defeat.

However, this was the clichéd old fashioned cup tie, hosted at Orient's traditional lower league ground, which possessed a slightly bobbly pitch and was watched by over 9,000 roaring fans on a dark, misty, east London evening.

Arsenal, as expected, dominated possession, but created relatively few chances until Tomáš Rosický headed them into the lead on the 52^nd minute. Soon after, Andrei Arshavin looked to have sealed the win for the visitors, but his effort clipped off the post.

Orient kept up their search for a goal and their moment of joy arrived just one minute from time when Tehoue surged forward, squeezing through two Arsenal defenders and lashing the ball past the helpless Manuel Almunia, sending the home fans into raptures.

It was a dream comeback for Orient and it set them up for a money-spinning replay at Arsenal's spectacular Emirates Stadium. Orient chairman Barry Hearn had promised before the match that he would take the players on holiday to Las Vegas at the end of the season, if the team could draw a replay against the Gunners and this action may been the influencing factor for Orient grabbing the equaliser.

Although Orient fell to a 5-0 defeat to Arsenal in the reverse tie, the players did not take their eye off the ball in the league campaign and now find themselves just inches away from the final coveted playoff position.

Whether or not The O's manage to clinch the final spot, they shall still possess a fantastic memory of holding Arsenal to a draw and will have undoubtedly laid the foundations for another crack at promotion next season.

written by Will Lyon

Leamington FC with Paul Edwards

Please read below for my interview with Leamington FC press officer Paul Edwards. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Leyton Orient, Dunfermline Athletic, Crawley Town and many more football clubs.

Leamington FC

New Windmill Ground - the home of Leamington FC

In April twenty-three years ago, the game looked to be up for Leamington. After a long and successful history, the club were evicted from their home, Windmill Ground, and as press officer Paul Edwards explains, it was only the dedication of a few fans that kept Leamington going. “The club was kept alive by a small group of determined supporters, who continued to pay the registration fee to the FA each year. In 1990 a field was purchased from a local farm and a rudimentary ground created. Re-launched in 2000, and now playing at the New Windmill Ground, Leamington FC have not looked back.

Leamington – otherwise known as The Brakes – have experienced unprecedented levels of success in recent years and Paul believes this is due to the feel good factor produced by the re-emergence of the club eleven years ago. “Brakes never enjoyed the sort of gates we get now and I don’t think anybody was expecting the kind of response to the clubs’ resurrection that took place, so that immediately gave a massive boost. The initial success of the Midland Combination Division Two title success was the beginning of the snowball if you like, as we have improved our position each season, which is no mean feat.”

Paul also feels credit is due to the back room staff at Leamington who have successfully moulded team spirit with talent, but Paul is also keen to stress that none of it would have been possible without the volunteers who work behind the scenes at the club. “Jason Cadden and Dave Draper put together a blend of local youth and experienced players to breed a winning mentality, and the success and attraction of playing in front of more than the proverbial one man and his dog attracted the better players in the area to the club. Another factor in the ongoing success has been the strength of the team behind the scenes. Leamington have been fortunate to have so many committed people that have given up their time to keep things running, and they have done it for the love of the club.”

Indeed, it is volunteers who have helped rebuilt the club from top-to-bottom at their new home, New Windmill Park, although as Paul explains, not everyone likes the new ground! “The ground has come a long way from its previous life as a farmers field. We now have two covered seating areas and both ends are terraced, one covered. The clubhouse was a welcome addition, and the supporters can be proud that they have contributed to the development of their ground. The groundsmen, Idris Elms and Nigel Hodgkins, have won numerous awards for the quality of the pitch, which is tremendous given the work that has gone into improving it over the years. The only negative feedback we seem to get is about the rather unpleasant smell drifting across from the nearby chicken farm, but only if the wind is blowing in a certain direction!”

Despite the distraction of unsavoury smells at New Windmill Park, the first team are currently occupying a lofty position in the Southern Football League Premier Division and Paul is quietly optimistic for the future. “I hope we can amass enough points from our remaining fixtures to make the playoffs. After that, it is a lottery! If we fall short, then we have made great strides from last season and improved our league position and playing squad, so I will certainly look forward with hope, whatever happens. The club drew up a plan a couple of years back to map out how they would like to progress over the next ten years and the main aim is to bring the team under the Conference umbrella, which certainly looks to be achievable, if not this season then in the near future.”

Clearly, Leamington have a lot to look forward to on the pitch, but Paul is just as proud of the increasing youth development at the club which is very beneficial for the local community. “In the last few years the club has placed a lot of emphasis on nurturing youngsters into potential Brakes players of the future, with the introduction of Leamington Brakes FC, which since 2006 has evolved to become one of the largest junior set ups in the Birmingham County area. Another affiliation, with the Leamington Lions Girls and Ladies teams led to the club being awarded Charter Standard Community Club status in 2008, and it continues to provide plenty of opportunities for young people in and around Leamington to play football.”

In other news, Leamington fan Bob Smith-Ward has been cycling 255 miles to attend a Brakes match, just to raise money for the club. You can check out how he managed at http://www.leamingtonfc.co.uk/

written by Will Lyon

Bognor Regis with Simon Cook

Nyewood Lane , the home of Bognor Regis FC

Not so long ago, Ryman League Division One South side Bognor Regis were relegated from a league they helped to form, but there are no regrets. The Rocks decided to keep within their budget and club secretary Simon Cook is glad that they did. “We used to be in the Blue Square South Division and were founder members of the league. However, like many clubs we found it very hard to compete at that level financially. So, we made a decision not to spend money that we couldn’t sustain, even though we anticipated we would then drop down a level, which we did. We are playing at a level at which we are comfortable and now we don’t have any debts, we are on a much stronger footing.”

The Rocks are a club with a proud history, famously knocking Swansea City out of the FA Cup in the mid 80's, but although repeating that success would be near impossible in today's era, Simon is buoyed by the quality of football currently played at Nyewood Lane. “I think we have a team spirit back which makes a big difference and we’ve been able to attract some good players. It is a good combination of young players who are finding their way and some old heads that are helping to lead and develop them. Our joint management team are former players who have fought to keep the club playing attractive passing football. It is amazing how the clubs support has been galvanised. We are averaging a home gate of 450, which is higher than all but four clubs in the Ryman Premier League.”

Bognor are currently striding away at the upper echelons of their league and plans are now in place for their promotion, should it arrive. However, Simon stresses that on-the-pitch success is not everything and strides for the club to play a bigger role in the community. “It will be a challenge for us to sustain the club at a higher level, probably a natural level for this club would be the Ryman Premier but the step up will require more financial challenges. Our aim is to stabilise and we won’t overstretch. However, being part of our local community is also very important. We have a number of youth sides and even a veterans side.”

It has been a turbulent few years for Bognor Regis. After suffering relegation, their clubhouse was on the receiving end of an arson attack and some wondered if the club were on a never-ending downward spiral. However, the West Sussex side now possess a brand spanking new clubhouse, which hosts seminars and meetings and on the pitch, success appears to be following in similar fashion. It seems that the only way is up.

written by Will Lyon

Highworth Town with Fraser Haines

Please read below for my interview with Highworth Town secretary Fraser Haines. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Leyton Orient, Dunfermline Athletic, Crawley Town and many more football clubs.

Highworth Town

Highworth Town line up

Last month Football Focus chatted with Highworth Town secretary Fraser Haines and not before long, it became apparent that they are an incredibly close-knit club, and proud of it. Fraser's brother is the current chairman and he took over the reigns when their father passed away. Fraser believes that it is the comradeship within the staff that has helped the club move forward so successfully. “We are all a very close club and have grown rapidly recently after merging with our junior section in 2008.”

Indeed, it is in the youth that Highworth have invested towards in large sums and Fraser is delighted with the rewards reaped. “We’ve kids of all age groups and we have over four hundred children registered with us in thirty-two teams. Our manager Dave Webb trusts youth players and gives them a go if they are good enough. The average age of our first team is around twenty-two which bodes well for the future and shows our youth system is working.”

Although Fraser is rightly optimistic about the future of the club, he is also pleased with the current success of the first team in the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division, despite their lack of experience. “Our league performance has been very good considering how young our squad is and we don’t pay players unlike a number of teams at our level. Within five years I would like to see the club in the Southern League. We almost got there in 2005, but at the time our ground didn’t reach the required standard.”

After being held back from promotion six years ago, the club were adamant to make the necessary improvements and Fraser cannot speak highly enough of the people who helped make it possible. “We have so many volunteers and everyone involved works so hard here. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them. We’ve spent money on the facility including floodlights, stands and dugouts and have enclosed the pitch with a fence all around the perimeter. We were recently awarded our community status with the FA which gives us a chance to develop our facility further.”

With Highworth Town Reserves having recently won their respective league, Fraser is hoping the first team can kick on from their current spot in the higher echelons of the Premier Division and occupy a place in the Southern League before long.

written by Will Lyon

Dunfermline Athletic - Back In The SPL

Please read below for my article on Dunfermline Athletic who recently won promotion back to the Scottish Premier League. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Leyton Orient, Crawley Town and many more football clubs.

Back In The SPL 

East End Park, the home of Dunfermline Athletic

In May 2007, Dunfermline Athletic found themselves relegated from the Scottish Premier League, but finally, four years on, they were on the brink of returning to the promised land.

With relegation to the First Division comes severe budget cuts and because of this, the Pars stuttered to a fifth place finish in their first season back in the second tier. Dunfermline sacked Irish manager Stephen Kenny and decided to invest their faith in their experienced striker Jim McIntyre who would initially take a player-manager role. Progress was initially quite slow, but over the years McIntyre removed the ageing core of the squad, bringing exciting players to the club, such as Willie Gibson, Joe Cardle and Steven Bell. The Pars began to form an exciting brand of football, with much of their creativity emerging from new signings, Cardle and Gibson.

Dunfermline trailed First Division champions Inverness Caledonian Thistle by fifteen points last season which placed McIntyre under immense pressure from the fans to deliver the goods for this year's campaign. Thankfully, they made a solid start to the term, but were unable to grind out the narrow victories that nearby rivals, Raith Rovers performed. Indeed after a 2-1 defeat to Raith in the New Year derby, some Pars fans were resigned to another season in the First Division.

However, influential winger, Willie Gibson, was snapped up for a six figure fee by Crawley Town and McIntyre was allowed to reinvest the money in the squad. Seasoned pros Kevin Rutkiewicz and Martin Hardie were brought in to add a bit of steel and experience to the squad, while Liam Buchanan, released from his Partick Thistle contract, added some much needed pace to the Pars attack.

McIntyre stressed the importance of being able to grind out victories and if necessary, ditching their attractive style of play. It was a vital decision by McIntyre, setting Dunfermline up for a nine game unbeaten streak before facing Raith again for a top of the table clash. After their impressive run of form, Dunfermline found themselves one point clear before the match and therefore would extend that gap to four points with just two games to play, if they managed to beat their Fife rivals.

On match day, Dunfermline dominated the first period, but after a goalkeeping error, found themselves a goal down at the break. However, the experienced Hardie drove his side on and scored two second half goals to place Dunfermline in the driving seat for promotion.

Director Of Football, Jim Leishman, was delighted with the victory and now sets his sights on preparing for a return to the SPL. “The league is in our hands and we have played very well throughout the season. Next seasons plans will very much depend on if we get promoted, but if we do, we will do everything we can to stay in the division.” However, if the SPL get their way and reduce the number of teams in the division to ten, there is likely to be three relegation places instead of the usual one, making survival extremely tough for the Pars.

written by Will Lyon

Binfield FC with Bob Bacon

Please read below for my interview with Binfield chairman Bob Bacon. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Leyton Orient, Dunfermline Athletic, Crawley Town and many more football clubs.

Binfield FC

Above: Hill Farm Lane, the home of Binfield Football Club

Bob Bacon, chairman of Binfield Football Club, is an ambitious man and it appears that his principals lie in the right areas. Bob is seeks a successful youth policy, improved coaching, modern facilities and a club who play football the right way – producing exciting football that the local community can be proud of.

All the above components are important to Binfield, but Bob believes success with youngsters is particularly vital, although he stresses that they must enjoy themselves too. “Binfield FC has 400 registered players below Under 18 level, of which 40% are from the local village. We run a Soccer School, which takes boys and girls from 3-and-a-half to 6 and typically has an attendance of 40-plus each Sunday. We invest in 10 coaches, all at least FA Level 1 qualified and first-aid trained but this is very much a fun culture.”

Indeed, it is the youth system which nurtures youngsters from the local community into becoming quality players for the future and as Bob explains, the Hellenic Football League, Premier Division side produces one or two players every year which attract scouts from bigger clubs. “We have Chelsea, Brentford and Queens Park Rangers regularly scout at the football club and some boys go and enjoy a couple of years of slick training on fantastic pitches, which really helps their game. I don't want to tempt fate, but we have two centre forwards this year who have scored more than 60 goals between them - it is fair to say they are getting increased attention from clubs. Clearly, we hope they stay with Binfield!”

Binfield possess some quality facilities and a fantastic playing surface at their ground, Hill Farm Lane, so it is little wonder that the club has a knack for producing exciting players. However, Bob explains that it is the hospitality that Binfield supply that wins them just as many plaudits. “Margate FC came to Hill Farm Lane in the summer for an FA Cup game; they were very complimentary on how we looked after them and our playing style. A jewel in the crown for us is the playing surface, which gets accolades. Most of our opposition love playing on it as it is flat and has grass on it! We invest heavily in it during the close season, and will continue to do so. In total, we have two full size pitches, one of which is fenced off for the senior teams and a further pitch for the 7 a-sides.”

If the Hill Farm Lane facilities are in use, then Binfield are sure to have their remaining coaches helping elsewhere in the local area and Bob is proud to label Binfield a community club. “We achieved FA Charter status 4 years ago, and then we were awarded FA Community status 2 years later. We work actively with the local Binfield primary school and 2 of our coaches run after-school soccer clubs for a nearby primary school. We are also looking at striking a relationship with a local senior club, where we will work with boys and girls and in turn, look to train our seniors on their 3G pitch and use their gym facilities during the winter months. We also, as a club, sponsor of the Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) charity, and recently funded screening for 30 teenagers to check on their cardiac health.”

Looking towards the future, Bob seeks further improvement in the youth side of the club. “I want to see the junior club standard increase, which doesn't mean thrashing everyone in sight, but playing a standard and a quality of football that people admire. I would like to see the coaches improve and share their skill with other age groups and for the Community Club ethos reach out to other schools and organisations. Ideally, I would like to see our under 18's Allied Counties team have 60% of their squad come up through the ranks of the club.”

Bob's ambitions do not stop there. He also wants the senior team to keep progressing. At the time of writing, the Binfield senior side are pushing towards the top of the Hellenic Premier Division and could find themselves in a higher league next season. Bob is delighted with their achievements so far this season and hopes they can push on. “At the senior end I want to see the first team get to the next step in the pyramid, playing the brand of football that they have played this year - quick, on the floor, passionate, lots of shooting. It would also be nice to see us get further in the FA Vase and the FA Cup than we got last year and to make Hill Farm Lane a fortress.”

written by Will Lyon

Cricklade Town with Alisdair Ross

Please read below for my interview with Cricklade Town chairman Alisdair Ross. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Leyton Orient, Dunfermline Athletic, Crawley Town and many more football clubs.

Cricklade Town

Stones Lane, the home of Cricklade Town

Mohamed Al-Fayed, chairman of Fulham FC, showed off his moonwalking skills at the recent unveiling of a Michael Jackson statue at Craven Cottage and many were critical of his lack of skill. However, the same cannot be said of Cricklade Town chairman, Alisdair Ross. Alisdair has featured as a player for the Hellenic Football League side over the last eighteen years, seven of which, he also occupied the position of chairman. Unbelievably, this is not Alisdair's only dual role! He is a recognised goalkeeper, but if required, can throw the gloves to one side and slot quite comfortably into defence.

After long success as a player, Alisdair is finally going to hang up his boots at the end of this season and he feels that his final campaign has acted as a perfect platform for success next season. “With so many games in a short time, injuries and players not being available for midweek games have caught up with us. It's still a good season and with recent results, a top five finish is what I would expect. We have now built up a great squad that with a couple of additions, we could challenge next season.”

While the first team has started flying, Cricklade's youth system has stuttered recently, but Alisdair still believes they are a vital component of the club. “Youth is very important, you get more local support with more local players coming through the youth, and when you don't pay money you need players that want to play for the club. Cricklade used to have a great youth set up with teams at every age group, but with lack of players and people to run the them, it has declined over the years. However, next season we have a new group of players coming through that we will base our reserves on.”

Footballing facilities at Cricklade's Stones Lane are second to none in the Hellenic League, but it is the comfort of the spectators that Alisdair has at the forefront of his mind. “We have a good playing surface, it's flat and has lots of grass on it, unlike many clubs. The changing rooms are as good as you will get in the Hellenic league and the dugouts are of a good standard. What lets the club down is facilities for spectators. We need some hard standing and sheltered seating, but it's hard to fund expansion when you don't own the ground.”

Clearly, Crickdale are up against it, especially in the harsh economic climate which has smothered the country. “The biggest challenges for us and many clubs is to still be in existence in five years. The cost of running a club goes up each season and with the current climate, sponsorship is harder to find.”

Despite the issues of running a lower league club, Alisdair remains positive and hopes that silverware will be being transferred into the trophy cabinet in the near future, especially with some exciting players in the squad. “I would like the club to win some silverware, its been a while for the club and with the players we have, we should challenge a bit more than we have over the last few years. We have got a few players that can play up a couple of leagues and in the past, teams from the Hellenic Premier Division have taken players from us.”

Crickdale will be hoping they can hang onto their top performers and push further up the table next season as Alisdair assumes a different role, cheering his side on from the sidelines.

written by Will Lyon

Concord Rangers with Anthony Smith

Please read below for my interview with Concord Rangers chairman Anthony Smith. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Leyton Orient, Dunfermline Athletic, Crawley Town and many more football clubs.

Concord Rangers

Thames Road - the home of Concord Rangers

Concord Rangers originate from a team of boys who played friendly matches during 1966 on a pitch along the Canvey Island seafront, close to Concord Beach. The club took their name from this beach and rather aptly, nicknamed themselves the Beach Boys. Around twenty years later Rangers secured land at Thames Road, Canvey Island, and it is here that the club can be found today.

Football Focus discovered more about the Ryman League Premier Division side when catching up with chairman Anthony Smith last month. Although Anthony has been chairman for a number of years, his involvement with the club goes much further, having played for the Beach Boys aged nine, all the way till twenty-six years old.

Anthony is delighted with the success the Beach Boys have achieved this season, after winning promotion just last season. Despite the on-pitch success Anthony insists that enjoying the roller-coaster ride is primary objective. “The main thing is that everyone at the club has enjoyed this season going to new clubs and meeting new people. We started the season just wanting to stay in the Ryman Premier and set ourselves fourteenth or higher as a great achievement for our first season. But at the moment we are on the verge of the playoffs, so now I would say top ten would massive in our first year at this level!”

In fact, it appears that Rangers have a habit of exceeding their own expectations and as Anthony explains, the board are now considering the possibility of Conference South football in the near future. “We set a five year plan in 2008 that was to gain promotion from the Essex Senior League to the Ryman League and then the Ryman Premier within three years. We are a year ahead of the plan. We will assess the viability of Conference South for our club before pushing for a further promotion, although we may have no option if the lads carry on in the form they are showing currently!”

Indeed, as Anthony notes, the current crop of players are attracting some interest from big clubs. “We have a few that are regularly being watched by various Football League clubs, most notable is Tony Stokes.” Stokes is a former West Ham United youngster and it seems the London club are linked to Concord in more than one way. Former midfielder, Billy Knott, left the club for the Hammers and he stayed there until he was snapped up by Chelsea in 2006. Steve Bruce spotted his talent, picking him up for Sunderland in 2010 and the eighteen-year-old is clearly admired by his gaffer, who recently claimed the youngster “has the world at his feet.”

As with most football clubs up and down the country, the recession has hit hard and Anthony is determined to keep Concord in the black. “As with all non league clubs the financial side is always the one to watch, But I have strong beliefs in that you set a budget and stick to it, I have seen too many clubs go to the wall or get in trouble when the correct finance has not been in place.”

However, the club have still been able to make improvements despite financial restraints and now Concord Rangers have the appropriate facilities to host Conference South football. “Over the last three years we have enhanced the ground extensively with new pitch perimeter fencing, three new all-seater stands and we are now approved for Conference South.” Clearly, the only way is up for the Beach Boys.

written by Will Lyon