In 2013 one of America’s largest papers the Sun-Times took the SURPRISE decision to make professional photographers that they employed… redundant. They felt that these professional photographers were surplus to their requirements but sent each photographer a memo about training to take pictures on Apple’s iPhone? This is going to begin the debate between the photographer with a very expensive DSLR camera and the ordinary person who uses their mobile phone to take those family pictures but calls themselves a photographer also? In this day and age everyone carries a mobile phone around with them, it is part of everyday life and as valuable as our house keys and wallet.
Phones have made things even easier now, that we can pay for items in stores with our mobiles making it no so important we need to carry our wallets/purses all of the time. With the mobile able to be whipped out of one’s bag or pocket we can immediately capture the sun rising/setting or family moment within seconds with, pretty pleasing results. Results that can easily be shared with a few swipes of the finger to family friends and those on social media. I believe these good results are in situations with slow moving objects near perfect lighting and surroundings. The DSLR camera has been around for years and each year the photography manufactures find ways to build the next model with fantastic improvements to the last.
I believe currently the difference between a DSLR and mobile phone is the difference between day and night or chalk and cheese. The mobile phone sits in one’s pocket and guess what every professional photographer will carry one of these too. The DSLR mind you carries a heavy bag full of changeable lenses but is more flexible in getting the desired results in a variety of lighting when you only have one chance and one chance only to capture that! Moment.
Obviously I feel if you like photography and work within the industry a proper DSLR is the way to take pictures. DSLR improve every year but the mobile phone cameras are improving, are improving more at a quicker rate and one day, maybe one day with the help of new technology a mobile phone will be able to take better pictures than a DSLR camera across all categories sports, portraits, wildlife, nightlife etc. But until “’Q” in Mi5 releases James Bond’s prototype camera’s in a mobile phone form a DSLR has to be your first choice of equipment which leads back to the first point, how or why would you sack your team of photographers in favour of an iPhone? With the suspicious mind of mine could someone have taken a little sweetener to bring a box load of iPhone’s on board for their staff if you push out the trained and proven photographers? There just is no logic to that decision. Even more so now just like Leicester in the premier league last season the Chicago Cubs have just won the World Series. A huge achievement, a moment cemented in history captured and printed on one side a DSLR professional camera and the other captured and printed from a mobile phone :- :HERE:
Can you blatantly see the difference, which picture is better? The decision to offload the professionals in favour of the latest mobile phone doesn’t seem such a wise choice if you ask me. Someone will be getting their knuckles wrapped I am sure of that because I’m pretty sure journalists didn’t ask “Siri” to write the newspaper article for them to place alongside these pictures
Sitting in the writing room after the Brentford Vs Barnsley game, sports and club photographer Mark Fuller approached me straight faced came out with a statement that left me quite honestly flabbergasted. “You shouldn’t be here!” With this statement I was speechless. I was about to ask what, just what have I done wrong?? And apologise for something I didn’t know what for. Mark quickly continued by saying “Well we lost again…. “…. and that’s when the penny dropped!
I did a little digging through my hard drive and found all the games I had been too photographing Brentford Football club. With the games listed a quick google search showed my record watching Brentford stands at P12 W0 D2 L10 F11 A28. Which is relegation form if these stats were applied to a football team. I knew my time watching Brentford play wasn’t great but reading these stats any Brentford fan knowing my attendance to their next game would surely have them signing a petition for me to stay away! With possible court injunction for me not to come within a mile of the ground. I wouldn’t mind but games I’ve attended have been close games, with Brentford putting in a good shift and team performance, however at the end of 90 minutes the result seem to reflect otherwise and more likely another defeat?
Once my attendance to this game had been arranged I started my pre match homework by Google searching the Barnsley squad and possible line up against Brentford with key and danger men to look out for. I am a keen football fan but my brain is not that much of a sponge in this area to know every player at every team in every league but if said at which venue and what camera settings did I use, I bet I could tell you that! However I was hopeful after two recent away games up at Newcastle and then slightly closer to home Derby County, Brentford would feel more comfortable returning to Griffin park and familiar surroundings playing in their 4000th league game. This I thought would bring a party atmosphere and a much needed win for the team and for my sake break my club jinx.
Arriving at the ground far earlier than the scheduled kick off, I passed a public house which already was full with vocal fans and collected my entry ticket from the turnstiles and headed to the media room. Sky TV was showing the live premier league match between Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur which didn’t look exciting one bit with the score late in the game.. a riveting 0-0! A few other photographers were already setting up their computers waiting like me for the team sheet to speed up captioning and togging of players. Once I got what I needed I took myself down pitch side, claiming my area and unpacking my gear out in front of the away end, firing off a few test shots getting to know what setting I needed to use for when the game started. Sitting in front of the Brook Road Stand the thousand or so Barnsley fans were making themselves heard. I assumed it was the amount of beer I had seen them consume beforehand? The thing is although noisy singing their witty football songs and maybe because I have always been a football fan since my playing days were over long ago. I actually found myself thriving on this energy and wasn’t distracted or intimidated with screaming fans a few feet behind me whatsoever. Remember football fans use language and also “colourful” language with most of their football chants. With my skills learnt with me being the only male in my house I have had years of practice blocking out screams, shouting, tantrums and general badly timed and sometimes very loud chitter chatter. So noisy Barnsley fans or not I could still concentrate on this job at hand. Obtaining a good photograph in this instance.
In this game Barnsley had this game controlled and although it wasn’t one way traffic Brentford’s time in front of goal and in particular in front of my camera lens was limited. From my Brentford stats above needless to say the goals in this game came one in each half and typically [again] at the opposite end of the pitch to where I was sitting. At these time you realise lady luck is not sitting with me as although I have a lens that can reach the far end it wont be an amazing photograph, compared to a player who has just scored just a few feet in front of me filling my whole camera frame.
Barnsley saw this game out for their victory, adding another numerical digit to the ‘lost’ column of my own personal Brentford stats. With no flash points or match changing dramatic moments all that was left was to pack my gear away and return my media bib to the club. With reporters already waiting to interview managers Dean Smith and Paul Heckingbottom, the writing room well, was surprisingly quiet, sheer concentration with the low noise levels only broken by constant keyboard tapping and the odd cup of tea being drunk or placed back on the table.
Mark Fuller was in the zone preparing his pictures for the clubs website and with my work done for the day I gingerly approached him to say goodbye. I wasn’t sure if he would say goodbye and don’t ever come back!! Or goodbye and see you again soon? Mark being the gentleman he is it was the latter, so lucky for me eh? My luck at Brentford has to change for the club at some point? So why not my next game?
A sports fan or not you will have been made fully aware that earlier in the year the words biggest sporting and most televised sporting event took place in Brazil who hosted the Olympic Games. Great Britain, in comparison a small island in the west of Europe had a very successful games whose athletes won an incredible amount of gold, silver and bronze medals beating many of the super nations for a country of our size. The national euphoria when these hard working athletes achieved this success is clear to see all over the media and it’s a great that in these Olympic weeks that the news is filled with success stories and colourful photographs rather than depression, disasters and violence of the modern day world we live in.
Of course as a sports fan, especially the Olympics I did stay up watching key events into the early hours of the morning and still had to get up early for work in the next day. Although shattered!! Survived the working day still full of joy from witnessing a Team GB athlete’s success.
Anyhow with the Olympics closing and planning moves ahead to Tokyo in four years’ time. Not just hosting the event but athletes still young enough to compete will organise their training now so they arrive in Tokyo at the peak of their fitness. Until then this is the period after a year’s training athletes have let their hair. You can tell this as following on social media, they seem happy to show the world the fantastic holiday locations they are at with their feet up.
The success of our athletes warrants a welcome home parade for fans to see and cheer their idols and I suppose a way of saying thank you for their years of training and hard work. Four years ago in London 2012 a parade took place from Mansion House to Trafalgar Square when over one million people filled the streets watching our athletes drive slowly past. I too was here at St Pauls watching and it was amazing! noisy, colourful and worth the wait until the parade started. This year was slightly different, I honestly believe the parade was held too late after the closing of the Olympics, not on a school day and felt an even larger turnout of spectators would have occurred if these options had been considered? A little baffled too…. I am sorry to say… *In my opinion* Just why Manchester got first pickings of the parade date when the countries capital had a later date with some key athletes we would all like to have seen did not attend the London parade as they did the day before in Manchester? I know it’s a sore point and people in the north will say they can’t get down south and they too deserve to show their appreciation but none of us can help the nation’s economy, decision making and sight-seeing attractions are all in the countries capital…. London. So you can’t hold that against the Sothern Team GB fans who have this as our advantage?
I digress but as soon as the London date was announced I made plans to attend, fortunately it fell on a day I wasn’t working and with the Parade to start at one o‘clock I knew arrival early would be an important factor into getting some great photographs! I set off at 8:00 (A lot later than I did in 2012!) stressing myself out every time I felt the train driver was stopping at unnecessary red lights or commuters were taking too long to get on and off the trains. With a heavy ruck sack of photograph equipment I made a short run in a new Olympic record time ran from Charing Cross to Trafalgar Square to find…… The Square was closed off, security in place and the square wouldn’t now open until 11:00. I didn’t realise beforehand but hey as this gate I was now at the front of the queue. I just now had to occupy myself for the next two hours until the Square opened and a further two hours until the parade started!
Would you believe as more spectators arrived and talking to people next to me these two hours went by ever so quickly apart from the odd flare up of the cheeky people wanting to push in front and getting told not too! it was a chilly but pleasant wait. Ticking down the time it wasn’t long before my bags were searched and access was gained into the third section. Children had the first reserved section, followed by family and friends of the athletes and the last section was us, the general public. So immediately I thought I would need my biggest lens and positioned myself accordingly to get the best shot with my equipment at hand. Until they allowed the public to join in with the family and friends totally threw my photography planning out the window. I did think our includance with the family and friends was a little harsh on them as now they had no real advantage of their coloured wrist band giving the side entrance and a viewing advantage? BBC television presenter and current strictly come dancing competitor Ore Oduba hosted the event with his humour and short interviews with spectators and managed to give another big shout out to local athletics club Blackheath and Bromley (Who I still remember competing against when I was young as Blackheath Harriers!)
Compared to 24hours previously in Manchester the weather in London was of bright sunshine but the temperature was pretty chilly. Still the odd Team GB athlete made an appearance on stage video the crowd or taking a selfie with the crowd behind. One o’clock finally arrived and the entrance on to the stage was theatrical as athletes danced and waved onto the stage in their sports discipline. They had me right over entering the stage on both the left and right side and with only one camera I need guidance from Ore to describe who was coming onto the stand from which side so I at least could try and capture pictures of that athlete. At one point I didn’t think they would have enough seats but they all squeezed onto the stage somehow. Interviews and screen footage took place with several crowd roars of appreciation. I couldn’t help but notice :-
• Some athletes truly loved the occasion smiling away, neck weighted down with a medal.
• Others looked like they couldn’t wait for the next hour and a half to be over with.
• Others were glued head down into their mobile phones, texting or on social media?
I have of course had a mammoth job to organise these pictures into my folders after the event the three above statements are very true. It was even noticed the national chain used to purchase their favourite hot coffee and snack ;-) Which completely goes against the image of an athlete never eats unhealthy food or treats. Probably need to remember they are out of training season so should be allowed some slack.
The parade went concluded very quickly. Played out by The Vamps? With the stage becoming a dance floor for the athletes. Their day was only half complete as a visit to Buckingham Palace soon awaited.
Tokyo is the next on the calendar for the Olympic Games. I already wish our team the very best of luck and hope planning now is taking place for our Team GB stars home coming Olympic Parade. Yes of course you know I will be there!
The warmth and joy that followed the weekend’s win over Dereham Town vanished at Bayliss Avenue on the coldest night of the season thus far, as Thurrock avenged the Mead’s win across the river in the first week of the season.
In a ridiculously tight game of very few clear chances, the Gaffer was left disappointed as the Mead stuttered and in the end fell short as Halle’s headed goal midway through the second half proved decisive.
The Mead had the better chances in the first half as temperatures dropped. Josh Oyinsan did well to get in front of a defender to meet Jay Porter’s driven centre only for his toe-poke flash just the wrong side of the post. Thurock then enjoyed a spell of pressure although Mead keeper Tyler McCarthy was rarely called into action. Indeed the closest that the visitors came was when Clark headed over well placed.
Meanwhile at the other end, Thurrock keeper Wheatley was forced to turn aside Tom O’Connor’s low drive – the Mead man was looking for his third goal in a week and for a second it looked as if his shot from the edge of the box was getting away from Wheatley, but the Thurrock stopper made a fine save. Shortly before half time, Josh just couldn’t get enough on a header after Jay whipped in another fine cross, and under pressure the new Mead striker saw his header bounce wide of the left post.
The second half, if possible, was even tighter, but the Mead struggled to get a foothold particularly in the final third and for long periods Thurrock dominated possession. That said, actual chances were few and far between and the visitors converted their clearest of the second period when Halle was left unmarked in the Mead box to head home at the half’s midway point.
Try as they might the Mead just couldn’t get back into the game and not even playing the final ten minutes with three out and our strikers could rectify the arrears. And to top the night off completely, in stoppage time right in front of the dugout’s, there was an ugly confrontation which saw Mead sub Ike Feehi shown a straight red card.
The Mead now go on the Road – to Brightlingsea Regent and Maldon & Tiptree – before the prospect of playing nine games in 28 days in November!
:SOURCE: TTFC
On the day that the SCT staged its first Wedding Fayre, the Mead went from being “bridesmaid” in recent weeks to “bride” with a terrific display that they’d been threatening for a number of weeks. On an afternoon that started ten minutes late due to the visitors being delayed on the M25 on their trip from Norfolk, the Mead punished the Magpies with a display in front of goal that had been brewing for weeks.
All in all it left Tommy a happy yet still cautious manager as he spoke to the official website after the game. “I don’t want to tempt fate,” he said, “but we’ve been creating chances in nearly every game and to be honest, I think that we could have had even more than we got today. We haven’t been killing teams off before now but we have today, we got into some great areas and could have finished it off earlier than we actually did. I don’t think that there’s a lot wrong with the way that we’ve been playing – it’s just that when you lose a game of football, you’ve got to accept it. We did that after Tuesday and we freshened a few things up a bit and today we’ve worked hard, pressed hard and got our just rewards.”
Two ahead at the break through Jack Mahoney’s angled lob and Paul Vines’ follow up header, the Mead’s lead was doubled before the hour when Tom O’Connor brilliantly drove home from the edge of the box, and Vines fired home Tyler McCarthy’s long clearance. Crisp did pull one back for Dereham only for Aaron Rhule to promptly head a clearance into the corner after Vinesy was denied his hat-trick by the Dereham keeper. Crisp flicked a second for the visitors in stoppage time but by then the damage had been well and truly done!
Damage that had begun after 16 minutes when Scott Kinch released Jack behind the left full-back – the Mead’s returning skipper’s great ball saw Jack race clear to coolly lob the ball over the advancing Viner for his first goal since THAT goal against Guernsey in the FA Cup. One soon became two as the lively Josh Oyinsan making his home debut was denied by Viner’s block and as the ball looped high in the air, Vinesy was first to react and nodded the ball into the net. Jay Porter was then agonisingly close to a third as he arrowed a shot from a half cleared corner, before the biggest cheer of the half was reserved for Andy Walker’s punch from the front row of the officials seating – Walks and his family were attending their first game since his horrific injury at Great Wakering three weeks before.
Whatever Tommy said to the Mead players at half time worked a treat as within fourteen minutes of the restart the lead had been doubled. On 51 minutes, Vinesy turned creator as he cut in from the right and found Tom who still had an awful lot to do – but boy did he do it with a bit to spare. Cutting to his right, the young midfielder then arrowed a low drive past the despairing Viner into the bottom corner of the Dereham net. Vinesy was then rewarded for an excellent all round display with his sixth goal of the season latching onto Tyler’s long kick before lashing a shot past the hapless Viner into the net.
Dereham rallied briefly when Crisp swept home after a centre wasn’t cleared, and then brought a fine low save out of Tyler at the base of his left post after a smart shot on the turn. Kinchy then headed a dangerous corner out from under the bar as the visitors threatened to get a foothold in the game, before the Mead cemented the win with seventeen minutes left and again Vinesy was involved, as he was denied a hat-trick by a fine block but as the ball looped up, Aaron was first to react and almost apologetically headed the rebound into the net leaving Vinesy shrugging his shoulders – but the Mead number nine had the satisfaction of scoring two and making two as his side returned three League points for the first time in two months!
Tyler then produced a stunning save to deny Walters before Josh was denied a home debut goal by another good block from Viner. Vinesy almost created his third of the afternoon as he fed in Jay only for the Mead’s left wing-back to first miss his kick before seeing his right footed shot deflect wide for a corner. Substitute Ike Feehi then had a “goal” disallowed as he followed up Vinesy’s thunder-bolt that hit the underside of the bar before in the final minute of five additional minutes, Crisp flicked in Dereham’s second. By then though the visitors were facing a very long trip back to Norfolk as the Mead found their touch in front of goal after what was becoming an increasing number of near misses.
THE MEAD – Tyler McCarthy, Bode Anidugbe, Jay Porter, Scott Kinch (Richie Danquan), Joe Denny, Lewis Knight, Aaron Rhule (Nathan Simpson), Tom O’Connor, Paul Vines, Josh Oyinsan (Ike Feehi) Jack Mahoney
Subs – Steve Springett, Ellis Green
13 October 2016 a day Jessica Ennis-Hill has announced her retirement from athletics. Jessica born in Sheffield, United Kingdom is a face everyone will know, a true Icon of Team GB athletics and has literally been there, seen it done it. A true role model to the nation and in particular the youngster in this day and age proving….. That with hard work you can achieve anything. A lifetime of training with her super coach Toni Minichiello together they have had many success stories but with these stories has come days and months/years of hard, hard! training that the Joe Public just do not see.
The 30-year-old won Olympic gold in the heptathlon at London 2012 and silver at Rio 2016, and is a two-time world champion. Ennis-Hill released a statement on her Instagram account saying it was "one of the toughest decisions" she has faced but "retiring now is right".
She wrote on Instagram: "Amazing memories...from my first world title in Berlin 2009 to Rio 2016 I'm so fortunate to have had such an amazing career within the sport I love and this has been one of the toughest decisions I've had to make.
"But I know that retiring now is right. I've always said I want to leave my sport on a high and have no regrets and I can truly say that.
"I want to thank my family and incredible team who have spent so much of their time supporting me and enabling me to achieve my dreams. Also a huge thank you to all those people who have supported and followed my career over the years x."
Ennis-Hill won heptathlon gold in 2012, to emulate Denise Lewis' win at the Sydney Olympics, after she claimed victory on Super Saturday, which also saw Mo Farah win the 10,000 metres and Greg Rutherford take the long jump crown inside the Olympic Stadium.
She won by 306 points ahead of Germany's Lilli Schwarzkopf with a total of 6,955 but was unable to defend her title this summer when she finished runner-up to Belgium's Nafissatou Thiam by just 35 points.
Sheffield-born Ennis-Hill had taken time out between the Games to have son Reggie, missing the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and did hint about retirement immediately after winning silver in Brazil. "It's going to be a tough decision, I'm going to go away and think about it," she told the BBC at the time. "At this moment, I'm tired and emotional, it's a big decision." She returned after the birth of her son in July 2014 to win the World Athletics Championships in Beijing last year having already achieved the qualifying standard for Rio.
It was her second world heptathlon title after winning in Berlin in 2009 while she also claimed silver two years later.
Ennis-Hill's senior breakthrough came in 2006 when she won bronze at her only Commonwealth Games while she also won gold at the 2010 European Championships and the World Indoor Pentathlon title the same year.
The victories were part of her dominance of the sport between 2009 and 2012 ahead of glory at London 2012. She won the 100 metres hurdles before coming sixth in high jump and 10th in shot put. A personal best of 22.83 seconds saw her second in the 200 metres and Ennis-Hill was also second in the long jump before throwing 47.49 metres, a personal best, in the javelin to finish 10th and put her on the brink of the title. She completed victory with a season's best of two minutes and eight seconds in the 800metres to win the race and the Olympic crown.
Although a firm favourite to win Heptathlon gold in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with the nation getting up in the middle of the night willing her to victory. she was actually beaten by the new kid on the block Nafissatou Thiam from Belgium . Who put a spanner in Jessica’s works. Another 2-4 years off this hard training or call it a day now?
Unfortunately for Athletics fans she chose to walk away now and she will be a personality who will be sadly missed. I have seen Jessica perform at the Anniversary Games and was very lucky to meet her own book signing event where she kindly signed her name in her to which “Father Christmas” gave to my daughter. You will have many memories of Jessica Performing and I do too but my biggest memory is seeing my daughter open Jessica’s book on Christmas Day 2012 and seeing her facial expression with Jessica’s signature inside it #Priceless
I’m glad Jessica has retired at this point in her life but equally gutted and I mean gutted she has had to retire, she will be missed on the athletics track by many in the stands. We’ve had many great years watching Jessica and I wish her and her growing family the very best of luck for the future. I will sign off and reminding our Majesty it could be time to call Jessica Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill ??
“The boys are down in there!” OB told us as he came out of the dressing room. “Todays a competition that I’ve always enjoyed; it’s a good competition and I want to be in it. We bowed out of the FA Cup way too easily last week in a real bad day for us and I thought we’d get a real good go at it today.” Sadly OB was wrong as after taking the lead seven minutes into the second half through Paul Vines, two goals for the home side between seventy and seventy-seven minutes saw the Mead exit our third different Cup competition in eight days.
The game’s first real chance fell to the Casuals as full back Morgan’s low drive saw Tyler McCarthy make a super low save before the Mead’s chances took a blow as Joe Vines hobbled off with a hamstring injury. Joe’s brother Paul then flashed a header wide from a corner before Ellis Green’s low drive saw Casuals keeper Bracken make a fine save. Uzin then wasted a good chance when well placed for the home side, before Bracken made a second fine save – this time blocking Ike Feehi’s 1-on-1 effort. Vinesy then flashed a second header wide from a super run and cross from Warren Whitely as the half ended with the Mead in the ascendency.
Uzin should have given the home side the lead in the early minutes of the second half when heading a corner wide when completely unmarked. Vinesy then did give the Mead the lead following some great work from the hard-working Bode Anidugbe fed Ike, who’s first time ball in turn fell to Vinesy who coolly clipped the ball past keeper Bracken. The Casuals keeper then excelled and kept his side in tie shortly afterwards with an excellent save to keep out Ike’s header, before Vinesy missed a couple of good chances. Firstly he glanced a header from Jay Porters free kick just wide before a last home defender did just enough to thwart the Mead number nine at the back post with a superb challenge that wasn’t even recognised by the match officials as a goal-kick was awarded following a quick-corner!
Then it all went horribly wrong for the visitors as the home side scored twice in seven minutes to take the advantage. On seventy minutes Hodges’ deep hanging cross wasn’t dealt with by the Mead back-line and Serbony was able to bundle the ball home as the Mead conceded another poor goal before on seventy seven minutes Morgan repeated his earlier drive – this time the ball arrowed past a wrong footed and unsighted Tyler and into the bottom corner.
The Mead’s misfortune was then highlighted in stoppage time when Casuals keeper Bracken didn’t deal with a cross but saw the ball ricochet off the back of a defender and loop straight back into the arms of a very relieved keeper.
After the game, a clearly frustrated OB told us, “I think we had enough chances to win the game but again we didn’t!” Shrugging he continued, “we now have to go again on Tuesday at Ware – I don’t mind if we don’t touch the ball for 89 minutes if we get a 1-0 win and that might just lift the changing room a little bit. I’ve been in teams that have nicked a 1-0 and the confidence that that gives you is unbelievable but as we’ve just said to them in the dressing room, there are responsibilities on the management and the players but the bottom line is that it lies with the players and we can’t do this without them, and if they don’t buy into to it, we’re struggling. They say all the right things and want to do all the right things – we just need that little bit of luck and that little bit of confidence that will hopefully kick start it!”
Thamesmead Town’s amazing run in this season’s Emirates FA Cup has sadly come to an end in the Surrey countryside after a first half
drubbing left our heroes with far too much to make up against a Merstham side that has suddenly found its form in abundance against Thamesmead Town
After failing to win any of their first six Ryman Premier League matches, Merstham have hit form dramatically and going into the tie
had won their last three home games, netting sixteen times in the process, including five against one of manager Tommy Warrilow’s former
club Tonbridge Angels in midweek. And sadly for the Mead, the goalscoring continued and then some as Merstham eased into the FA Cup’s final qualifying round for the very first time.
After the game Warrilow spoke with his usual honesty when he said,“Its really disappointing that we’ve worked so hard to get here today
but also sometimes you’ve got to come off the field and say fair play to them. I felt that we could have done better with the goal’s but
they were the better team today and they deserved to go through. I’m disappointed with the score-line – we’ve got to dust ourselves down
now; the Cup run’s over and we’ve got to go again in the League.”
“I think that we’ve bee playing well up to today but we just didn’t play very well today at all – we were poor as a side and a few of the
lads could have given us more whilst there were some who gave me everything they had. When the goals were going in as they were in the
first half is demoralising but at least we went out in the second half and drew it 1-1, and we haven’t been done another four, five or six. But that’s football, and we’ve got to now get on with it…”
The visitors never really recovered from going behind after only five minutes when former Bromley defender Henriques headed home a free kick from wide out on the left. It got worse after 24 minutes when referee West gave a free kick against Jay Porter down the Merstham right when it appeared that the Mead full back had himself been fouled by Addai. But as the kick was played into the Mead box, the home players appealed for a penalty for hands, the official again bemused the Mead players by awarding a spot-kick for a push! Vidal stepped up and although Tyler McCarthy guessed right and got a touch on the ball, he couldn’t keep it out.
Worse was to follow as the Mead lost possession in midfield and after some quick passing on the ever slicker surface (made so by a couple of
heavy down pours in the opening half) the ball fell to Hector who drove the ball into the net. Three was to become four on the stroke
of half time when full back Campbell was afforded far too much time and space to run into before firing a skidding low drive into the bottom right corner of the net from 20 yards.
The home side almost made it five just after the break when the Mead goal had an amazing escape. The ball was played into Penny, who has
just returned to Merstham from National League side Woking, and somehow he managed to squeeze the ball off of Tyler’s body onto the
bar, where the ball bounced twice before being hacked to safety.
Warrilow made a half time change which saw Richard Butler brought into midfield as the Mead swapped from a 4-4-2 formation to a 3-5-2, and that helped to deny the home side so much of the space that they enjoyed before half time, but sadly the Mead didn’t really create a
chance worthy of the name until that is ten minutes from time. Then a shot from the irrepressible Bode Anidugbe (who didn’t stop running all afternoon) looped high into the air forcing home keeper Wilson to claw the ball away from under the bar. Butler was following up and the ball squirmed to Paul Vines who was able to poke the ball between defenders, keeper and the left post and the Mead were on the board.
Sadly, any hopes for a “great escape” that the Mead fans may have had evaporated within sixty seconds as Henriques headed his second of the game arriving late and unmarked from a left wing corner. It could easily have been six for the home side in the final minute as a long
ball forward was missed by both keeper McCarthy and Penney and as the ball looked like it was going to roll into the empty net Nathan
Simpson was able to get back to thump the ball away to safety.
A disappointing end then to what has been a fantastic and of course record breaking run for the club which has taken the Thamesmead to the Third Qualifying Round for the very first time – there’s always next year for the next round!
THAMESMEAD – Tyler McCarthy, Nathan Simpson, Jay Porter, Bode Anidugbe, Joe Vines, Joe Denny (Richard Butler 46), Warren Whitely, Tom O’Connor (Jack Maloney 59), Paul Vines, Ike Feehi (Adrian Stone 59), Ellis Green
Subs – Steve Springett, Fraser Walker, Max Ovenden
:Source: KSN
After an amazing night at Bayliss Avenue, the Mead recovered from a 0-2 half time deficit and a half time lecture from Tommy and OB, to firstly force Extra Time thanks to goals from Ike Feehi and Ellis Green, before sealing progress in the extra 30 minutes through a stunning strike from Tom O’Connor before Ike sprinted clear to seal the victory and progress to the next round.
“We’ve definitely earned our money in the FA Cup this year,” Tommy admitted after the game. “We’re going to enjoy the night as night’s like these don’t happen too often but I’m most pleased for the Chairman tonight – he deserves this more than any of us! We all know that he needs some help at the club financially and tonight we’ve given him something back! I said before the game that all four managers for the Third Round draw will consider that the tie will be winnable. And now I will be at the Colliers Wood / Merstham replay Wednesday night, but with paying both sides the greatest respect, I don’t care who we play because if the lads do as they’re told because they’re all good at their own individual jobs, I know that we’ll do alright.”
Yet at half time, not even the most optimistic wearer of the Mead’s green would have thought making history would be possible. After a really disappointing half, the home side found themselves two behind as Austin twice took advantage of some lackluster defending to put the visitors in the driving seat. Austin’s first goal on ten minutes set the tone but his second was a horror show for Mead keeper Tyler McCarthy as the young keeper was punished for dwelling too long on a clearance as the striker charged it down and rolled the ball into the empty net.
“We started well tonight for fifteen / twenty minutes then we stopped,” the Mead boss admitted. “We made them look world beater and with respect gave them two goals where we didn’t attack the second ball – we were flat on our feet and we got caught for two poor goals! I don’t like chucking things away as we’ve worked so hard to get here and I’m annoyed as in the first half the boys didn’t have the belief that they should have had and we didn’t do our jobs and got punished! I went ballistic at half time and told them that I wasn’t putting up with that a performance like that – we made two changes (it could have been a load more) changed the system and thankfully the players responded and I’m pleased for them as they deserve to still be in the FA Cup.”
The changes Tommy made, with Ellis and Bode Anidugbe coming on, paid dividends within three minutes of the restart as Ike flicked the Mead level past the advancing Minter in the Hanwell goal. Although the Mead dominated for long second half periods, the chances were still at a premium. Paul Vines was a fraction away from turning a driven Ike cross into the net as the half began to drift away, and the Mead’s next real chance saw Adrian Stone’s shot blocked after a Green cross. Just as it seemed that the Mead weren’t going to find the goal their dominance deserved, Ellis put a brilliant curling ball into the box that sadly eluded all of his onrushing team-mates. However, the ball had enough curve on it to nestle beyond the diving Minter in the corner of the net, and the Mead had an 89th minute leveler. Cristain Nanetti then fired narrowly wide of the left post and Ike prodded a Cristain cross wide of the right post as the home side almost won the game in 90 minutes.
So for the second replay running, the Mead went into Extra time, and three minutes from the end of the first period took the lead for the first time on the night. Tom’s great run was only bettered by his stunning finish as he curled the ball around a diving Minter and into the net to spark wild scenes of celebration. Celebrations that grew as Ike sprinted away and whilst the defenders were appealing for a flag that didn’t come, the Mead striker rolled the ball past the advancing Minter to seal what had at half time in normal time seemed a very unlikely progression into the next round and with it a place in Club history.
Who said the Greatest Cup Competition in the World has lost its magic???
THE MEAD – Tyler McCarthy, Nathan Simpson, Jay Porter, Richard Butler (Bode Anidugbe HT), Joe Vines, Steve Sprigett (Ellis Green HT), Cristain Nanetti, Tom O’Connor, Ike Feehi, Paul Vines (Adrian Stone 81), Warren Whitely
Subs – Fraser Walker and Andy Walker
:Source: Thamesmead Town
All my life I’ve been a sport fanatic, watching my dad playing football when I was young. Him watching me when I was old enough to play myself. Watching sport on television with my dad on Sunday Grandstand, participating in sports day events and now I find myself watching my daughters at their sporting events gives me much enjoyment watching most sports either watching or participating myself. As time has gone by I’ve developed the running bug the challenge to run every Saturday at Sweatshops 4K fun run soon developed to a 10K, 10mile, half marathon and now a full marathon runner. In between photography and daily work routine the next challenge is always to sneak in my next training run in preparation and hope that I can obtain a London Marathon place and run yet another Marathon. All this training well… sends my wife mad. Although a keen football fan running is not top of her agenda so going out for a quick run together like some other running couples will not happen in our house? Although she participates in the Race For Life 5K run at Blackheath with our daughters I could never see her increasing this distance and time to a sub forty minute 10K race time any day soon.
So it did surprise me when she looked online, entered and became team leader encouraging neighbours and friends to participate in a 5K event which include obstacles and mud? … and then asked me to help her get fit with regular sit ups and trips to the local park to “run” a few laps in an attempt to boost fitness. Although I do question the running around the park which always seemed to include a mobile phone in hand whilst hunting for these Pokemon characters? I’m not a Pokemon fan (never was or will be) and anyone that talks to me about it gets in interested facial expression (So I don’t appear rude) but an internal mind question of what on earth is this person on about? So whilst out playing pokemon we could multitask and run two to three miles in relevant comfort and ease.
The training had been going well and while regular team meetings about items of clothing to wear and creating a JustGiving page between the #PinkLadies at the local public houses the day of this event was soon upon us. The pre-planned operation of meeting in a local car park and heading to Stratford, East London in a mini convoy left us plenty of time to park at Westfield and then walk what seemed an absolute age, past the Olympic Stadium (Hang on I thought the event took place around the stadium? to the start of this event. Race For Life are a charity who put on many events almost weekly at various venues around the UK. They’re women and girl only events from 5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, Muddy Runs and Hiking events. So regardless of your fitness they do an event that you could participate in and enjoy. All finishers are rewarded for their efforts with a goody bag and medal and it is stressed completing is more important than racing and being competitive. The emotion in the air is quite high, many messages written on the back of the person next to you running in memory of, running on behalf of, I have survived cancer etc etc is not only heart-warming but encouraging to see. In this day and age disease affecting our family and friends is heart breaking and with Cancer being one of the biggest battles we and doctors battle against. It will take regular events like these to raise money so that more in-depth research can funded so that one day a cure for cancer can be found, as reading this I’m sure you know a family member or friend who has been affected by this disease.
I could not possibly guess how many participants were here on this sunny Sunday along with each member of family and friends that came along also but this made the day even better. Their role to cheer and support everyone about to start this challenge. The sheer volume of entrants means the start has to be staggered in approximately 15 minute intervals starting from 10am and finishing approximately 13:30. Enough time for each pen to perform the pre-race warm up to the latest high energy chart music with a very enthusiastic MC full of energy? As a spectator there is a chance to watch members of your group set off but once started a quick glance of the time follows with an estimated time they will finish. Obviously this means that the remainder of the group then make a short walk to the finishing area to see people descend the final obstacle into a pool of muddy water before the short sprint/walk to the finish line. This was probably the worst part of the day. According to our team #PinkLadies they completed the course and obstacles en-route with ease but then had to stand and wait in a long queue just to complete the course. It was a little disappointing that standing in line for over one hour! Meant the queueing took longer than actually running/walking the previous 4.9 kilometres. Sounds impossible but this was very true. Even on social media after the event this was the one gripe many other people had with the day too. Some even chose not to do this obstacle which is a shame as it’s the main feature of the day.
I’m lead to believe … Just from this one event Race For Life could have raised in the region of £250,000. Amazing really but huge congratulations to the people who have raised this. The work involved behind just to organise these events must be a mammoth task but the if each event could raise this kind of money to research and find a cure for cancer then let’s all hope its soon to help our loved ones affected by cancer already. #TogetherStrong #BeatCancer