Welcome, everybody, to the Club and to this our very first attempt at a newsletter !

FC Crusaders is now fully up and running and, through regular newsletters, we intend to keep all Club members informed about our activities and, most importantly when we get down to some football action, our results !

Club news: AGM

On 3 July we held the Club’s first Annual General Meeting. Those attending elected the Management Committee for the 2001/2002 season, who are:

ü Dean Hollands, Chairman and Team Manager

ü Penny Bolton, Secretary

ü Andrew Potterton, Treasurer

ü Roger Smith, Team Manager

A summary of everything that was agreed at the meeting will be issued within the next few weeks.

The Management Committee hopes that everyone will feel able to be as involved with Club activities as their time and commitments allow. (In fact, any help parents can give at social and fund raising events during the season will be particularly valuable.) We are very keen that nobody should feel excluded or uninformed.

Club news: FEES FOR 2001/2002

The AGM agreed that:

Membership will cost £15.00 (the £15.00 you have already paid).

Training fees will be £2.00 per session attended.

Match fees will be £1.00 per match played.

Among ideas coming forward at the AGM was the suggestion that finding the change for training and match fees can be a hassle for parents on a Saturday or Sunday morning, when getting out of bed is a major achievement for some of us. It was agreed that, although the structure we are used to should be the norm and fees will be collected at each training session or match, anyone who finds it more convenient to pay all or even a number of weeks’ fees in advance may do so. Penny will be pleased to talk to anyone wishing to pay ahead.

FIRST AID

Our three qualified first aiders will undergo routine refresher training soon and some parents have also volunteered to be trained.

If anyone else would like to join them on the course, at the Club’s expense, please let Penny or Dean know as soon as possible.

SO, LET’S TALK FOOTBALL!

We expect to have 22 players and have two teams registered with the Guildford, Shere & District League, to be known as:

FC Crusaders “Lions”

and

FC Crusaders “Dragons”

The Lions will be managed by Dean. Roger will manage the Dragons. Some parents have already agreed to help out with training and refereeing and we are most grateful to them.

Detailed team lists will be announced at the training session on 7 July. In general, the teams remain unchanged from last season, however there have been one or two minor changes to ensure both sets of boys are able to compete in their respective leagues and develop skills and abilities accordingly.

Club colours, to be launched with a flourish at the BBQ at Mount Browne on 15 July, are red and black halved shirts and black shorts.

Team news: TRAINING

At the first summer training session on 24 June, it became clear that there is demand for more training events. So, we will hold weekly training sessions starting on 7 July, at Boxgrove School from 10am to 12 noon. Boys will take a 15 minute break halfway through.

We will incur costs from 7 July, so training fees will be payable from that day.

The hot summer weather may just continue, so we would ask parents to ensure the players are protected with sunscreen lotion and that they bring with them plenty to drink.

The training is optional, recognising people have other commitments at this time of the year. Pre-season training will begin in earnest at the end of August.

Team news: MATCHES

CRUSADERS HELD TO EXCITING DRAW BY BURPHAM BOYS

Our first friendly game was a swiftly arranged affair against Burpham on the evening of Friday, 29 June. Our boys enjoyed themselves and they played very well. They had plenty of chances and emerged, after going behind to a goal against the run of play, with a well deserved 1:1 draw. Well done to the team, to Jordan, who bravely took a kick in the head, and especially to Robert, who scored our equaliser and the first of many Crusaders goals !

We hope to arrange more friendlies during the summer, to give all players the opportunity to play.

The programme for League matches will be determined in July and we will let everyone know the fixtures in the next newsletter. Matches will probably start in early September.

Supporters’ news: WEBSITES

We are grateful to Alan Dolby, Stuart’s Dad, for creating a fantastic new website for us,

http://www.fc-crusaders.co.uk ,

that looks brilliant already and that, we notice on writing, Alan last updated on 2 July. We hope parents and supporters will enjoy exploring this site throughout the season. Go on, have a look !

The League also has a website,

http://www.youthleague.co.uk ,

and all the indications are that this is maintained regularly, so everyone will be able to see how the teams stand.

But don’t worry, those of us who are not cybersoccer freaks will be able to read all there is to know in future editions of this newsletter.

FC Crusaders is proud to have ADAC as our sponsor and we thank the Company very much for supporting us. More about this overleaf.

Financial news:

ADAC SPONSORS LIONS

FC Crusaders is very fortunate indeed, through the kind efforts of Thomas Morton’s parents, to have secured sponsorship by ADAC, a local company. ADAC’s name will be printed on the Lions’ shirts and we hope the boys will give us all, sponsors and supporters alike, much to cheer about this season. The Club thank ADAC for this most generous contribution to our start up costs. Thanks also go to Rosemary and Edward for arranging it for us.

We are looking for another sponsor to help our finances, and will print the sponsor’s name on the Dragons’ shirts. If anyone knows of an organisation that may support us, Penny would be pleased to hear from you.

Some parents have kindly either provided us with a donation, or have indicated their intention to do so. This is also very much appreciated. Thank you.

It is important to remember that the Club started only recently from nothing but a sporting ideal. To get to where we are now in such a short space of time would not have been possible without this ongoing financial support, as well as the equally valuable practical help others have kindly offered. We have a very sound foundation but would like to do more for the boys and plan ahead to future seasons when weekly expenses (such as referees’ fees) grow.

FUNDRAISER:

SHIRT SPONSORSHIP PROPOSAL

We are sure you will be impressed when, on the 15^th, you see the kit the boys will wear this season.

We want to provide badged FC Crusader fleeces for the colder weather and another idea we have, to instill even more pride and confidence at matches, is for each player’s name to be printed on the back of his shirt. Such things of course come at a price and we should like to put forward our suggestion to parents at Mount Browne that £20 parental shirt sponsorship will help the Club pay for this. The Management Committee members will be available to explain the Club’s position at the BBQ to help you decide if you wish to contribute. This will not be a pressure sales pitch – we’re not very good at that and we really want you and your families to enjoy the afternoon. Look on it as an opportunity to let us know what you think or to suggest alternative or additional fund-raising activities.

Clubcode:

SPORTSMANSHIP

A founding principle for the Club is that we should encourage football to be played in a sporting manner and this will be a key part of the boys’ development as young footballers. Dean will soon hand out to all the players a document that sets out what sportsmanship means to us in practice.

The Guildford, Shere & District League also values sporting behaviour and awards a trophy at the end of the season to the team in each division that has played in a consistently sportsmanlike way throughout the season.

FC Crusaders are aiming for both the Lions and the Dragons to secure those trophies. Let’s all work together to achieve this !

+++++++++++++++++

Social news:

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

We have a number of events planned already. Some only have tentative dates at this stage.

Sunday 15 July !!!

Barbecue for all the family at Mount Browne police centre (off the Guildford to Godalming road) starting at 3pm.

All are welcome, supporters, players and siblings. Apart from giving us the chance to eat, drink and get to know each other better, this important event will see the launch of the kit, the draw for each player’s squad number (which he will keep for as long as he is a Crusader) and the taking of official photographs of the squad and each of the teams. We also hope to organise some games for the children. Please note we shall need to collect the kit back in to have the numbers printed on their shirts.

22 September

FC Crusaders Jumble Sale

at Boxgrove School

(to be confirmed).

16 December

FC Crusaders Players’ Christmas Party (to be confirmed).

15 June 2002

FC Crusaders Presentation Evening. To be confirmed.

The next newsletter will provide information about the various awards that we will giving.

FC Crusaders

“The Friendly Football Club”

Newsletter written by

Roger Smith, Andrew Potterton, Penny Bolton and Dean Hollands.

Feedback and other contributions from members are welcomed by email to:

pennybolton@tinyonline.co.uk

roger-janice-smith@supanet.com

contact telephone numbers:

+++++++++++++++++

Dean Hollands 01483 826355

Roger Smith 01483 503387

Penny Bolton 01483 457998

Andrew Potterton 01483 457998


NEWSLETTER	Issue 1 July 2001 http://www.fc-crusaders.co.uk