December 2008

Issue 3 of Bright Golden Haze is ready to go. Copies will be available in the Yeltz Bar from tonight. I will take some to the Waggon & Horses on Thursday and you can obviously get one from the Bright Golden Haze megastore on your left hand side.

Back to the football - apparently we were supposed to be re-signing Dennis Pearce before the game with Evesham on Saturday but obviously he didn't play. Gavin Hoyte's loan spell is scheduled to end on Saturday so I expect him to be here by then. Stuart Pierpoint could also be back but Hednesford and Nuneaton Town are also interested.

Added Sunday 28th December

Evesham United 0 Yeltz 0

It was one of those games where they could have played all night and no-one would have scored. Yeltz were down to the bare bones without the Portugueezers, Chris Nurse and one or two others so a point away to a resiliant Evesham wasn't the worst result in the world. The most notable aspects of the game was the lady referee who was better than most of the (male) clowns we've had this season and the medieval toilets in the corner of the ground without lights which were terrible - I must apologise to the man I nearly knocked head first into the urinal.

Elsewhere there was more festive good cheer with Corby surrendering 5-0 to Brackley, Farnborough losing and Swindon only drawing. We may have dropped down to 5th but we are a point nearer the top.

Added Tuesday 23rd December

Following his release last week, Jermaine Palmer has joined, where else, Corby. That club are seemingly incapable of an original thought. Like a besotted younger brother they turn to their elder, more sophisticated and frankly superior sibling for all their ideas. Well, good luck to them. As Morell Maison said - he's not good enough for Halesowen. He will therefore be fine for Corby.

Added Sunday 21st December

How good it is see that the only team seemingly unaffected by the credit crunch - Corby Town - are going through a lean patch. With players arriving seemingly daily, their playing budget must be untainted by the difficulties that every other club at or around our level (except Team Bath of course but let's not pick that particular scab again) are experiencing. The plastic Jocks are throwing their money around and getting not a lot back. It's probably only temporary and I'm sure they'll be near the top at the end of the season but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

Added Saturday 20th December

Clevedon Town 1 Yeltz 2

In his interview in issue 1 of the fanzine, Jay Denny said he wanted to get more goals this season. He's been as good as his word as two more goals today took his season's tally to eight. It was a good fightback as the Yeltz came from being a goal down at half time to close the gap on Swindon and Farnborough who drew 1-1 in their top of the table clash.

Elsewhere, Corby hilariously crumbled to a 4-1 home defeat against Tiverton and Stourbridge bizarrely beat Yate 8-4. Sounds like Danny Woodhall had another great game in goal for Yate. Clown.

Rumour mill - a seven day approach has been made for Dennis Pearce and we are talking to Stuart Pierpoint although Hednesford want him too. True? You decide.

Added Thursday 18th December

Jermaine Palmer has been released by the club. Like the death of an elderly donkey, struggling in the manger, it's not a surprise but somehow still a bit of a shock when it happens. A good start to the season has tailed off into indifference to the point where he could have been on the field on his own against Stourport and he still wouldn't have scored.

I'm unsure as to the situation with Zema Abbey and Corby but we could be a bit short up front soon. There are fanciful rumours circulating about Eldon Maquemba apparently but I can't see it. There's some serious belt tightening going on so how can a player who priced himself out of the club come back now?

Added Monday 15th December

Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday.

Not a complete the sequence MENSA type question but the bordering on ludicrous schedule for January when the Yeltz have to play ten games. Quite why that is when there are only four scheduled for February is anyone's guess but it won't be long before Morell Maison is moaning about fixture congestion.

Added Sunday 14th December

Yet another postponement yesterday thanks to the deluge on Friday night. We've suffered with the weather this season already with two Saturday postponements. That means two games being re-arranged for midweek and the lower revenue this brings. Morell Maison was in the NonLeague Today paper this morning say the cost of yesterday's game being called off is in the region of Ł4,000 which, given the current financial circumstances, is a lot of money.

Added Friday 12th December

Daniel Ireland has been signed on loan from Coventry as cover for the shortly to be suspended Nick Bussey. Ireland, an Australian, has played one game for Coventry against Aldershot in the Carling Cup.

Elsewhere, Morell Maison has said he knows of up to 40 clubs struggling because of the current financial difficulties. He also said that the playing budget would be cut if necessary even if that meant sacrificing hopes of promotion. Maybe not what the romantics want to hear but very sensible. Any dissenters should have a look at what is going on at Stafford Rangers. Steve Bull gone for non-football reasons and at least half the first team heading to the exit door as well.

Added Thursday 11th December

Is Zema Abbey Corby bound? Are they attempting to assemble last season's Yeltz side piece by tiny piece?

Their manager Graham Drury is hopeful saying "...he still has the desire and hunger to play the game each week, put his body on the line and give it his all."

Does he? How often has Drury seen him play?

Then again he also said "He won't get you 25 goals..." so maybe he has seen him.

Added Tuesday 9th December

Yeltz 5 Stourport Swifts 0

The dream double of the Southern League and Worcestershire Senior Cups is still on after an easy win tonight during which my feet turned to ice. One game in the WSC and we're in the semi-finals. Now that's a cup competition - utterly meaningless but at least we're not messing around.

It was all very routine tonight - Mark Danks got his customary two goals, Darren Caskey scored a free kick and our Portuguese heroes both scored. Hopefully we can carry it on against the kings of Incapacity Benefit, Merthyr Tydfil, on Saturday.

Added Sunday 7th December

Yeltz 2 Swindon S'Marine 4

A couple of weeks ago I wrote disparagingly about Yate's manager Richard Thompson. I said that I did not understand how he could moan about a referee who had given his side two penalties. Although I still think he was wrong I can now see with staggering clarity how the scenario is possible.

Yesterday's referee, Mr O Yates (he deserves to be named), looked about 12 and appeared determined to turn the game into a non-contact sport. When players got frustrated he booked them and although he gave us two penalties he was absolutely useless.

That's not to say we deserved to win though because we didn't. Swindon looked a good team and they had a vocal, although slightly moronic, little travelling support.

Oh, and Nick Bussey got sent off AGAIN. He wasn't as culpable for this one though and not even the best 'keeper of all time, aka Darren Caskey, could do anything to save us this time.

Added Friday 5th December

The final 10 minutes against Swindon Supermarine last season rank as the most traumatic of my Yeltz following career. How 4-1 and cruising turned into 4-4 and hyperventilating will forever rank as one of the great mysteries of mankind.

For that reason I'll settle for a monumentally tedious 1-0 via a deflected shot off the ref's derriere tomorrow, thank you very much.

Added Thursday 4th December

The credit crunch or, as it should be called, the consequence of blind greed and morons running the banking sector crisis, continues to hit football clubs. Steve Bull's Stafford Rangers are the latest to be hit, with players being told they face wage cuts as the club teeters on the brink of administration. I wonder how Stuart Pierpoint and Nick Amos are feeling? I don't think they left Halesowen for purely financial reasons and nobody can blame them for wanting to step up to a higher level but knowing what they know, I wonder if they'd have made the same decision?