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Added Wednesday 25th February
Last night's result
Southern League Premier Division
Yeltz 2 Cambridge City 2
In the end a point was a good result from a game that Cambridge will feel they should probably have won. The Yeltz showed some character to come back and get an equaliser in a match that was threatening to become a carbon copy of the goings on against Gloucester. Richard Shittu scored again but I'm still not convinced whereas loan signing Tayler Thomas looks an excellent player. A committed and skilful performance was rewarded with the equalising goal. Yesterday was my first look at Matt Clarke and, shall we say, there was a fair bit to see, although he is not yet in Darren Caskeyesque physical shape. He did well though and it was good to see him encouraging his team mates when we were behind, especially Carl Paul who, fact fans, is the 161st full back used by Morell Maison this season.
Only 278 people turned up though which is extremely poor. The ticket promotions caught few imaginations by the looks of it. They might want to put it in the paper next time. Might have to pay them though!
Added Tuesday 24th February
It's good to see that the club are making efforts to increase revenue ahead of tonight's game against Cambridge. With the inevitable Champions' League game on television, a few may be tempted to give it a miss tonight so the club are trying to lure them into the Grove with a cut price deal for tickets for today and Saturday against Chippenham. There's also new stuff (hats and scarves, sod's law it's not cold though) and a sale in the club shop and offers in the Yeltz Bar. It may not work but they are to be congratulated for trying. Is this the work of Guy Simpson, the new Chief Executive (posh title, tough job).
If so, it perhaps shows that what Morell is doing is too much for the one man band that the club really was after the departure of Martin Kearns.
Ruben Gouveia has, not surprisingly, gone home to Portugal. Big loss? Not really, I don't think. He flattered to deceive early on but I don't think he ever really came to terms with the Southern League. Nuno Barreto was the bigger loss there although neither were Eldon.
Added Saturday 21st February
Southern League Premier Division
Mangotsfield United 0 Yeltz 1
Crisis over. We're obviously now going to win the League.
Or am I being a bit simplistic?
Added Friday 20th February
First things first - the Issue 4 of the fanzine is out. Get one while you can.
Other things - another four players have signed for the Yeltz. Most notable is Matty Clarke who turned out for us in the mid-90s. He's no youngster. We've signed some more players who I might mention if it becomes apparent that they will be here for more than three days.
Aargh! No, breaking news. I've just had a look at the official site and it seems that a fifth deal has been done. Tayler Thomas has signed on loan from Gillingham until the end of the season.
Lee Canoville has gone to Gainsbrough Trinity on loan too.
This is madness. How many players will play for us this season?
Added Thursday 19th February
There's a fair bit of press coverage about the situation at Halesowen and the common consensus is that we are officially a 'crisis' club. Nigel Pitt has understandably hit back at Morell Maison's claim that the club was in debt when he took over. Morell himself seems to have changed his tune on this as I remember him saying in the past that there was no debt when he took the helm. Let's just say I know who I believe.
Elsewhere the recession (or is it a depression?) continues to take its toll. Very close to home, there are rumours that Merthyr Tydfil could fold in the next couple of days. According to stories, if £50,000 is not found by tomorrow morning then they cannot continue to play in the Southern League. The water and electricity has been cut off at their ground and as a result they can't fulfil their fixtures. Now, they may not have the best reputation in the world but they are a proper club so I hope they survive.
On a happier note:
Can the club that gave us Sean Canham really be axed? I do hope so.
Added Tuesday 17th February
Worcestershire Senior Cup Semi Final
Evesham United 4 Yeltz 0
How much longer can this go on? Well, quite a long time as the manager is the owner but we are descending into the realms of being a laughing stock now. We started the game with ten men as Lee Canoville and Nathan Peprah Annan (told you he wouldn't stay long) both failed to turn up. Reuben Max Grant turned up late (not for the first time) and Reuben Gouveia has apparently gone back to Portugal. I can foresee us struggling to put out a team for quite a while now. Why would anyone want to play for us?
Oh, and Cambridge won in the league tonight so we're not in the playoff places any more either.
Added Sunday 15th February
Yesterday's result:
Southern League Premier Division
Yeltz 1 Gloucester 2
It doesn't get any better. Turning up at the ground to hear that Alex Cowley has left is not a good way to start the game, and the rumours that alleged it was because a wage cheque bounced made things worse. If that's true (and I'm not saying that it is, enthusiastic libel lawyers) then it's a disgraceful way for the club to behave.
For 20 minutes it wasn't too bad. 1-0 up with a penalty to take and three points looked on the cards. That is until Davion Hamilton missed and everything went wrong. Gloucester went down to 10 men in the second half but it made no difference, and the game ended with the Yeltz looking like a bunch of clueless strangers. The chorus of boos at the final whistle were a fair reflection of the downbeat mood of the afternoon.
What of the new signings? Nathan Peprah-Annan looked good to me, and along with Aaron Cornwall, was our best player. He won't be here long. Joachim Lindholm didn't do much wrong either. Richard Shittu on the other hand. Is there some rule that says if one sibling is a quality player then the other has to be a duffer? I don't know but I present to you as evidence - Jeremie Aliadiare and young Thibault, and now Danny and Richard Shittu. I call it the Inverse Skill Proportionality Syndrome.
Added Friday 13th February
Tomorrow's game against Gloucester is a big one for a number of reasons. The recent postponements have meant we have avoided potentially tricky trips to Tiverton and Cambridge that could, on recent form, quite easily have translated into defeats and a slip towards mid-table. However, we're still fourth (largely because we've played more games than most other teams) and a win tomorrow over fifth placed Gloucester could give the tiniest of cushions in an attempt to consolidate a play-off spot. I'm not confident though. The vast majority of tomorrow's team will have only met in the last week or two and that makes a difference. Plus Jay Denny is out suspended.
On a happier note - tomorrow is Bright Golden Haze's second sponsored matchball.
Added Thursday 12th February
 I said it was quiet yesterday, didn't I? I should have known better. The weekly transfer bus has pulled up outside of the Grove with it's now customary three new weekly signings. Emerging blinking into the surreal Yeltz world are Richard Shittu (brother of Danny), Nathan Peprah-Annan and the previously mentioned Joachim Lindholm (pictured) who unfortunately won't be bringing any of his copious number of shirt sponsors with him from Finland. I have no idea how these signings are being funded when rumours persist of players already at the club being less than impressed with the current goings on but what do I know anyway?
Added Wednesday 11th February
Well, the votes are in for the first round of the fanzine awards, and it looks good so far. Bright Golden Haze is up for best fanzine (print or online), best editor and best writer (two of us nominated there). Some of the categories have enough nominations to fill a small town, so I'm guessing the cull wasn't particularly ruthless.
Away from the ego massaging, it's very quiet on the football front. No comings or goings at the club this week yet which makes it almost unique this season (although I'm still hearing rumours obviously).
Tonight's top of the table clash between Farnborough and Corby has been postponed, so all in all the metaphorical tumbleweed is rolling across the Southern League at the moment (unless you count the thrilling sounding game last night - Evesham United 0 Bedford Town 1, if you're interested. If you are you're probably the only one).
Added Tuesday 10th February
Now I know how Kate Winslet must feel. The nominations for fanzine of the year closed on February 6th with the nominations supposed to be published yesterday. Then they changed it to today and now it's tomorrow. Perhaps they are still counting the Halesowen votes as according to this:
there were quite a lot of us voting (joint twenty-fourth with Chelsea, Newcastle & Portsmouth, if you can't be bothered to click the link). Hopefully they were voting for Bright Golden Haze. We might found out tomorrow although these media types who are meant to be counting the votes will probably be down the pub. I reckon they're students. Or Civil Servants.
Added Sunday 8th February
Last weeks's two "released" players Michael Briscoe and Mark Danks have both joined clubs at a higher level. Briscoe may well have jumped out of the frying club into the fire by joining Redditch United - a club not without financial difficulties themselves. Mark Danks has joined AFC Telford United and made his debut in yesterday's derby win over Tamworth.
Added Saturday 7th February
It's a barren day with all Southern League Premier games falling foul of the weather. It's quite nice not to have think about it actually so what am I doing writing this?
Added Friday 6th February
Another one bites the dust. Or should that be snow? Tomorrow's game at Cambridge is off after a rare show of good sense by the Southern League allowed clubs to inspect their pitches today. That's the sixth or seventh league postponement in a rare recent season where we're actually getting a winter.
Elsewhere, there are internet stories (must be true then) linking us to a Finnish fellow called Joachim Lindholm. I've never pretended to understand what's going on at the club, but if we actually are after him then I have to say my mind is boggling. Just who is Halesowen Town's Scandinavian scout?
Added Thursday 5th February 2009
There's been a bit of negativity lately on the official site when they mention forthcoming away fixtures. Brackley were introduced as a team who hadn't lost since October and we all know what happened there. Now Cambridge are mentioned as being amongst the favourites for promotion. Now, it's all true but (and this may be the cynic in me speaking) is there a bit of playing down of expectations going on here? With the apparent battle to even get a team on the pitch perhaps the club don't want us to expect to win as well.
Added Tuesday 3rd February
Not surprisingly tonight's game at Tiverton has been snowed off. If we were in for another night like last Tuesday then that's fine by me.
Added Monday 2nd February
Paul Birch 1962-2009
Every now and again we are reminded that all our worries about the club - financial or otherwise - are, in the real world, of trifling significance. Paul Birch, who played 75 times for Halesowen between 1998 & 2000, died this morning of bone cancer, aged 45. He leaves behind a young family. I'm sure all Yeltz fans will recognise that Paul's spell at the club was a relatively minor footnote in his football career and an all too short life. It's sad that he hasn't had time to do more.
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