BALHAM FC vs SUTTON COMMON ROVERS

HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR COVER DESIGNERS SO FAR THIS SEASON PREMIER DIVISION

BALHAM vs SUTTON COMMON ROVERS 28 DECEMBER 2019 | 3PM KO WIBBANDUNE SPORTS GROUND, SW20 0AA

£2

The Mitre Delta - ready to make history again.

Available now at mitre.com/delta

The Legend Returns mitre.com/delta

Balham Football Club Founded - 2001 (as Balham Blazers FC)

Ground: Wibbandune Stadium, Opposite 199-213 Robin Hood Way (A3 South Bound), West Wimbledon, London SW20 0AA

PREMIER

Telephone - 0208 942 8062 Board Of Directors: Greg Cruttwell, Derek Fordham, Jennie Molyneux Committee Members: Zoe Appleton, Len Chapman, Lorraine Colfer, Steve Pigott

Today we welcome our opponents

Chairman and Director of Football: Greg Cruttwell – 07763 581 523 Club Secretary: Jennie Molyneux - 07949 006 481 Finance Director: Derek Fordham - 07774 939 051 Club Welfare Officer: Zoe Appleton - 07770 432 982

Sutton Common Rovers FC

Matchday Programme Design: Steve Pigott - programmes@balhamfc.com Matchday Photographer: Pedro Soares, Insta: @pedro.soares17 Club Email: info@balhamfc.com Club Website: www.balhamfc.com First Team Manager: Greg Cruttwell Coaches: Ebrahim Seedat, Sam Ross, Joel Projean-Skupski Goalkeeping Coach: Pedro Soares Strength & Conditioning Coach: Simon Amzaleg Nutritionist: Stephanie Papalaskaris Match Co-ordinator: Jennie Molyneux

Balham FC Cover Art We are asking local artists, designers, photographers to design the front over of our matchday programmes for the 19/20 season.

If you or anyone you know is interested please drop us a line. Also if you would like to purchase this weeks artwork then please get in touch. programmes@balhamfc.com

Reserve Team Manager: Ebrahim Seedat Match Co-ordinator: Joel Prujean-Skupski Youth Team Manager: Greg Cruttwell Match Co-ordinator: Jennie Molyneux U18s Manager: Sam Ross Match Co-ordinator: Len Chapman Colours: White Shirts, Black Shorts, Black Socks Alternative Colours: Maroon Shirts, White Shorts, Maroon Socks The Stadium: We have 120 seats and covered standing space for 300 spectators.

Cover Design:

Follow The Blazers:

@balhamfc

www.balhamfc.com Today’s Programme Partner

Priest Stonework & Restoration Ltd 0208 677 5660 • priestrestoration.co.uk

OLOGIES

E ANTH

E

INITIV IES : DEF

HOLOG ITIVE ANT

: DEFIN

LBUMS :

A MS : NEW

S: W ALBUM

UMS : NE NEW ALB

ITIV S : DEFIN IE G O L O ANTH

MS : NEW EW ALBU N : S M U NEW ALB

RD HOWAN JO ES

LD OF R O W L U DERF THE WON ERRY REDs and how to order CH release bsite er we se and oth 6 3120 or visit the ils on the 9 9 ta 8 e d 0 2 re 0 o otline For m ailorder h d.co.uk call our m .cherryre

www

GAZINE M.F.F. MARed Records’ rry he C is is Th ws mag. colour ne ease e mail: ibe pl cr bs co.uk. su To cherryred. infonet@ to date with up ep Red. Ke at Cherry everythingcribe now!

Subs

ISSUES ASSIC RE L C : S E C REISSU

: CLASSIC

rryred.tv www.che rviews. depth inte Unique in

SSIC ES : CLA

REISSU CLASSIC : S E U S REIS

BALHAM FOOTBALL CLUB

FROM THE DUGOUT

Greg Cruttwell 1st Team Manager & Chairman

It’s been a strange and unsettling few weeks with a number of games falling foul of the wet weather. Our last two outings though were both satisfying for different reasons. We were back to our best at home to a strong Camberley Town, only a week after not performing at all against Spelthorne Sports. We then travelled through rush hour traffic the following Tuesday to squeak home in the League Cup against a spirited CB Hounslow Utd. I made a lot of changes for that game in order to wrap some players in cotton wool, give others much needed game time and also give opportunities to some who deserved them. The game thankfully ticked all the boxes. By the time you read this we may or may not have had an away game at Raynes Park Vale, but will definitely have had Christmas and all that brings. Hopefully our players will have showed some restraint when it comes to stuffing their faces and won’t be mince pie heavy this afternoon for what will undoubtedly be a very tough game against Sutton Common Rovers, who we welcome to The Wibb’ for the last game of 2019.

RAISING AWARENESS

FOR MORE INFORMATION &Raising TO GET INVOLVED PLEASE VISIT WWW.C-R-Y.ORG.UK Awareness Saves Young Lives 5 Cardiac Risk in the Young Every week in the UK at least 12 young people die of undiagnosed heart conditions. Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) aims to reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death (YSCD). CRY supports young people diagnosed with potentially life-threatening cardiac conditions and offers bereavement support to families affected by YSCD. CRY promotes and develops heart screening programmes and funds medical research. CRY publishes and distributes medical information

BALHAM FC FOUNDED 2001 | Combined Counties Football League Premier Division Ground: Wibbandune Stadium, SW20 0AA

Balham FC was formed in 2011 in order to provide player progression into open age football for the hugely talented, high achieving age group teams of Balham Blazers FC, which was founded by Greg Cruttwell in 2001. Having won back-to-back promotions in 2011/12 and 2012/13,

LATEST RESULTS

Balham did the league and cup double in the Surrey South Eastern Combination in 2013/14. In 2014/15 Balham finished in a promotion position again, in the Surrey Elite Intermediate Football League, however promotion was denied due to Combined Counties League facility requirements not being met. Having moved to ground share with Cobham FC, in order to meet the facility requirements, Balham finished as runners up in the SEIFL in 2015/16 and as a result were promoted to Division One of the Combined Counties League for the 2016/17 season.

The club had an exceptional first league campaign at Step 6, finishing in a promotion position for the sixth consecutive season and winning the London Senior Trophy. In 2017/18 the club had an equally exceptional season, finishing 5th at Step 5 in the Premier Division of the CCL and winning the London Senior Cup. 2019/20 will be the club’s third season in the top flight after flirting with relegation in 2018/19. Having begun on Wimbledon Extension, before moving to Cobham, Balham are currently ground sharing with Colliers Wood United at their Wibbandune Stadium.

6

CUP CCFL CCFL CCFL CCFL

CB Houns Utd Balham Balham Cobham Balham

3 - 4 Balham 4 - 1 Camberley 1 - 4 Spelthorne 3 - 2 Balham 3 - 2Frimley Green

Manager: Greg Cruttwell Coaches: Ebrahim Seedat, Sam Ross, Joel Projean-Skupski, Pedro Soares (GK) Match Coordinator: Jennie Molenyeux

BalhamFC BalhamFC

PREMIER DIVISION

7

CLUB HISTORY Balham FC is run by a Board of Directors: Greg Cruttwell, Derek Fordham and Jennie Molyneux.

It also has a Managing Committee, which, in addition to the Board members, includes Zoe Appleton, Len Chapman, Lorraine Colfer and Steve Pigott.

In 2017/18 the club had an equally exceptional season, finishing 5th at Step 5 in the Premier Division of the CCL and winning the London Senior Cup.

The club was founded as Balham Blazers FC by Greg Cruttwell in 2001. It started with one Under 10 team in 2001/02 playing in the London County Saturday Youth Football League.

Having begun on Wimbledon Extension, before moving to Cobham, Balham are currently ground sharing with Colliers Wood United at their Wibbandune Stadium.

Following on from their success more age group teams have gradually been added and the club now offers a direct pathway from Under 7s up to Senior First Team semi professional football at Step 5 in the football league ladder.

The Balham FC Under 18 Youth team played for seven seasons in the Southern Youth League, until it folded in 2017.

Following a playing ethos of trying to bring a bit of Barcelona to Balham the age group section of the club has been extremely successful to date, winning or being runners up in over 350 League and Cup Competitions.

in 2011/12 they were SYL Invitational Plate Winners.

2019/20 will be the club’s third season in the top flight after flirting with relegation in 2018/19.

In 2010/11 they were Central Division Runners Up.

In 2013/14 they were SYL Challenge Cup and SYL Invitational Plate Runners Up. In 2014/15 they were Central Division Winners, overall SYL Champions and SYL Challenge Cup Runners Up.

The club, nicknamed “The Blazers”, has also been an unprecedented three-time winner of the London FA Charter Standard Community Club of the Year Award and four-time winner of the Wandsworth Sports Club of the Year Award.

In 2015/16 they were West Division Winners and overall SYL Runners Up. In 2016/17 they were West Division Runners Up.

Following the launch of the Under 18 Youth team in 2010 the First team was founded as Balham FC in 2011.

Following an uneventful first season in the newly formed Combined Counties League Youth Section in 2017/18 they had an exceptional campaign in 2018/19, winning both the North Division League Title and the League Cup.

Having won back-to-back promotions in 2011/12 and 2012/13, Balham did the league and cup double in the Surrey South Eastern Combination in 2013/14.

The Balham Panthers FC Womens team, formed in 2014/15, will be playing for the sixth season in the Greater London Womens Football League.

Our Reserves, formed in 2017/18, will be playing for the third season in the Surrey South Eastern Combination, having won promotion to the top division in their first season and our U7-U18 age group teams will be playing in either The Surrey Youth League, The Tandridge League, The London County Saturday Youth Football League or The Surrey County Womens and Girls Football League. We are also launching a new Vets team in 2019/20. They will be playing in the Southern Amateur Vets League.

In 2014/15 Balham finished in a promotion position again, in the Surrey Elite Intermediate Football League, however promotion was denied due to Combined Counties League facility requirements not being met.

Having moved to ground share with Cobham FC, in order to meet the facility requirements, Balham finished as runners up in the SEIFL in 2015/16 and as a result were promoted to Division One of the Combined Counties League for the 2016/17 season.

The club had an exceptional first league campaign at Step 6, finishing in a promotion position for the sixth consecutive season and winning the London Senior Trophy.

8

Manager: Greg Cruttwell Coaches: Ebrahim Seedat, Sam Ross, Joel Projean-Skupski, Pedro Soares (GK) Match Coordinator: Jennie Molenyeux

BalhamFC BalhamFC

1ST TEAM HONOURS

đ&#x;?† đ&#x;?†đ&#x;?† đ&#x;?†

đ&#x;?† đ&#x;?†đ&#x;?†

2018/19: Winners CCL Premier Division Sportsmanship Award 2017/18: Winners London Senior Cup

Winners CCL Premier Division Sportsmanship Award 2016/17: Combined Counties Division One (Promoted)

Winners London Senior Trophy 2015/16: Runners Up Surrey Elite League (Promoted) 2014/15: Surrey Elite Intermediate Football League (3rd)

Winners Surrey Elite League Sportsmanship Award 2013/14: Winners Surrey South Eastern Combination Division One (Promoted)

Winners Surrey South Eastern Combination League Cup 2012/13: Surrey South Eastern Combination Division two (Promoted) 2011/12: Surrey South Eastern Combination Junior Division 1 (Promoted)

ACTIVE WANDSWORTH AWARDS

2011, 2013, 2015 London F.A. Charter Standard Club of the Year

2011 Regional Charter Standard Club of the Year 9

2011, 2013, 2016, 2018 Active Wandsworth Sports Club of the Year

BALHAM RESERVES Surrey South Eastern Combination Intermediate Div 1 Ground: Wibbandune Stadium, SW20 0AA

Balham Reserves had an excellent first ever season in 2017/18, finishing as Runners Up in Intermediate Division 2 of the Surrey South Eastern Combination. They also won the Sportsmanship Award. In 2018/19, following promotion, they finished mid table in the top division of the SSEC and won the Sportsmanship Award again. The aim this coming season is to do as well as possible in the league, to reach a cup final and to introduce as many of our age group players, as we can, to senior football at a good level.

BALHAM PANTHERS (W) Greater London Womens Football League Div 2 South

BALHAM YOUTH (u18s) Combined Counties Football League u18 Division East

The Balham FC Under 18 Youth team was started in 2010 and played for seven seasons in the Southern Youth League, until it folded in 2017. In 2010/11 they were Central Division Runners Up. In 2011/12 they were SYL Invitational Plate Winners. In 2013/14 they were SYL Challenge Cup and SYL Invitational Plate Runners Up. In 2014/15 they were Central Division Winners, overall SYL Champions and SYL Challenge Cup Runners Up. In 2015/16 they were West Division Winners and overall SYL Runners Up. In 2016/17 they were West Division Runners Up. Following an uneventful first season in the newly formed Combined Counties League Youth Section in 2017/18 they had an exceptional campaign in 2018/19, winning both the North Division League Title and the League Cup. The aim this coming season, which begins on September 4th in the FA Youth Cup, is to try and do the League and Cup double again, which won’t be easy with a new look younger team. We have a lot of good players coming through however and it will be fascinating to see how they get on in the league and cups campaign.

BALHAM LEAGUE TABLES RESERVES

u18 YOUTH

PANTHERS

VETS

JUNIOR SECTION SPECIAL

Photo supplied by Romeo McFarlane

A little insight into our Juniors section for todays programme from those coaches that provided summaries.

U7 FC This is the first of many predicted seasons for this squad. Entering the season managerless and with just 5 players, they’ve managed to now have a squad of 8 and 3 coaches (2 who are part of the Balham men’s set up). The season has been pretty stop start with only 4 league games being handed to them due to other clubs not fielding teams. Here’s hoping the new year brings more league fixtures and allows this squad potential to be achieved.

U8s - We started our preseason games off with 3 tournaments. The team performed very well and were unbeaten in 2 of the 3. The League kicked off away with a good performance from the team in a very competitive match. We followed that up with a convincing win, with some excellent phases of play, hitting the posts and crossbar several times. However our downfall was in our lack of tracking back to assist in defence. Definitely a game we threw away.

We then had a double header against Lambeth Tigers.

The first game we dominated and played some very good football, winning the game comfortably. The

second leg, going forward we played even better than the previous week; however the work rate and desire to track back was lacking. This along with Lambeth resorting to a route 1 tactic resulted in an embarrassing defeat.The next four games can best be described as puzzling and frustrating. At times we can play blistering football, and then at other times it’s as if the boys have forgotten how to play as a team. Sadly our results have reflected this. We’ve finished off this half of the season with two very poor performance’s and results to match. The boys will have to regroup and get their MOJO back for the restart in Jan. u8 youth - This is one of the new squads this season, solely created from players from the trials and recent Balham FC football schools. Coach JC has rejoined the youth sector to start again with the future BFC players. This squad has enjoyed a massive 11 league games in the LSCYFL, winning them all with 117 goals scored with 7 of the 8 reaching double figures. The highlight of the season was when the squad was depleted through school holidays and the match day squad had to play completely new positions but took it on with the best attitude ever. The pre-christmas “B” division has served its purpose of allowing this squad to bond, play and mature together and they are very much looking forward to being in the “A” division alongside the other BFC U8 team.

U9s Season has gone really well. The boys have played excellent football in every game we’ve played this season.

They communicate positively and support and encourage each other, which for me is as important as the quality of football they play. They have developed into a really talented group of players, capable of playing in multiple positions and always working hard for the team.

In non competitive football a cup run and tournament success is always nice!

Every week the boys vote for who their man of the match is and give me a reason as to why they voted for that individual. Not only has this award been shared by multiple players, the rationale the boys have used to justify their vote has shown a great understanding of how we translate training sessions into matches.

U10s This season we expanded from a single squad to 2 squads at U10, both playing in the London County Saturday Youth League. Both squads have had a bright start to the season under the watchful eye of coach Andrew Fuller. The squads caught the eye of the Chelsea Development squad and they were both invited down for a friendly. Both teams fared extremely well and were the toughest opposition they had faced to date. We look forward to more of the same in the league and in the summer tournaments to come.

Huge thanks to Jaden - Head Coach of our Junior Section and the many Team Reps and parents who support their children every week at Balham FC

Before YouTube, Coaching Apps and Michael Owen’s Soccer Skills. Gordon Cowan MBE (a talented artist as well as a giant in the grassroots football coaching scene in Liverpool and Manchester) wanted to spread the Beautiful Game to any boys and girls who were keen to learn it. To that end he wrote “Football, Step by Step” which was serialised in the Liverpool FC match day programme, The Anfield Review, in the mid 1990s and Gordon’s family have given us permission to reproduce it here in the Balham FC Programme for the first time since then.

BALHAM FOOTBALL CLUB

MATCH REPORT

T.Read ️

⚽⚽⚽⚽

4-1

In terms of goals scored this game was the Tom Read show. Balham’s attacking midfielder, who has been in scintillating form this season to date, bagged four more goals to make him the league’s top scorer. There were plenty of others involved though in what was a return to top form for Balham. They were helped by the sending off of a Camberley defender for violent conduct in the first half, however Balham had been playing some sweet football before the frustrated defender let his feelings get the better of him. Tino Carpene excelled having been moved to play a more central role and both Anthony Thompson and Kojo Kyei provided a constant threat from wide areas. This was Balham at something close to their best and the final scoreline was a fair reflection of their dominance and of the quality of the football they produced.

TEAM: Torelli, Thompson, Frew, Henry, Kyei, Snadden, David(capt), Adebayo, Read T, Wocial, Carpene SUBS: Robinson, Hedges, McFarlane GOAL SCORERS: Read T(4)

14

BALHAM FOOTBALL CLUB

PREMIER CHALLENGE CUP

MATCH REPORT

3-4

⚽ ⚽

T.Read Tedros McFarlene Robinson

⚽ ⚽

Balham Manager, Greg Cruttwell, made seven changes for this midweek League Cup game on a windswept, rainy Tuesday in West London. Starting debuts were handed to Marlon McFarlane and Buruk Tedros, both of whom said thank you in the best way possible by scoring the first two goals of the game. At 2-0 Balham looked in total control however a defensive mix up in a much changed back four let the home side back into the game. Tom Read soon restored the two goal cushion but CB Hounslow weren’t giving up without a fight. They capitalised on more defensive errors to get themselves back on level terms midway through the second half. With an exciting encounter now in the balance Balham stepped on the gas and centre forward Jack Robinson ran onto a delicious through ball from James Adebayo to get what proved to be the winning goal.

TEAM: Gardner, McFarlane, Fuller, Henry(capt), Savage, Thompson, Hedges, Adebayo, Read T, Tedros, Robinson SUBS: Cruz-Rosa, Fuller J, Watt GOAL SCORERS: Tedros, McFarlane, Read T, Robinson

15

SUTTON COMMON ROVERS

Management Team: Darren Salmon and Donny Rennalls Asst Manager: Bryan Nzinga Coaches: O’Neil Lindo and Ryan Lock Physio: Geoff Moxey and Brent Wallage

@official_scrfc

Recent Club history Chairman and Life President Alan Salmon founded SCR F.C in 1978, when the club began life as INRAD FC, based in Carshalton. The club entered a new era when Alan moved to Sutton and arranged sponsorship with his new neighbour, CENTRE 21 FC was born. This era saw the club running one Saturday side, three Sunday sides and three Youth sides. Centre 21’s sponsorship continued until the club’s youth players were no longer under 21 years old.

The club again sought new a identity, SUTTON COMMON ROAD FC was formed and subsequently abbreviated to SCR FC. Since then the club has had five major sponsors whose names have been incorporated into the clubs affiliated name: SCR PLOUGH (twice), SCR GRAPES, next the club’s longest sponsor SCR LITTEN TREE (7 years) & finally SCR Kingfisher, Ewell with whom we started our venture in Saturday football in 2004/05.

It was at this point that the club took the decision to revert back to using the SCR name alone, feeling that as we strive for continued promotion we needed to disassociate ourselves with the whole ‘pub team’ image. The club however did take sponsorship form the Fox & Hounds, Carshalton for the Sat first team in 2006/07, but the decision was made that the pub name would not be incorporated into our own, for the above reason…

The club entered yet another new era this season, with the introduction of a third Saturday side (Messers Alex Avis & Tony Williams) and the 1’s moving to the Middlesex County FL (and a name change SUTTON COMMON ROVERS) in the pursuit

of combined Counties football, having made an unsuccessful application from the Surrey South Eastern Combination at the end of season 2006/07 having finished joint top (3rd on goal difference…

-1 goal) A third place finish in the Middlesex County League Premier division in 07/08 meant that our promotion to the CCL was not assured but months of hard work & determination from the management team SCR eventually secured a place for the clubs 1st time in their 30 year history at the league AGM in June 2008 and the reserves moved into the CCL reserve division under the guidance of Alex Avis & Justin Salmon.

Season 08/09 saw the latest name change of the club, to form MOLE VALLEY SCR FC reflecting the area in which we played. Season 09/10 saw the club reach a Surrey Cup final, narrowly being defeated by Sutton United after a 1-1 extra time score line on penalties and in the same season compete in the FA Vase for the first time in our relatively short history. We finished Champions of Division One at the second time of asking, narrowly piping Worcester Park to the post in a fine run which saw us finish 3 points clear on the final match of the season, assuming as we believed, we were awarded the points from the postponed Coulsdon match who unfortunately were unable to field a side for our scheduled league game some weeks earlier.

The following season saw the club play at our highest level to date, and make our FA Cup debut, although this lasted just one game, and ended

in a 5-0 defeat against Chertsey Town. The club managed two seasons in the Premier Division, before being relegated back to Division 1, following a start to the season that saw 12 straight league defeats.

The 2012/13 season started with a rebuilt side and expectations of consolidation, however a 20 game unbeaten run propelled us into runners up spot, and a much coveted promotion back to the Premier Division.

2013/14 started brightly, but went to the last game, and a point saw survival. It was the same last season, and although we lost, we still managed to survive.

For the 2015/16 season, there has been a change of name to Sutton Common Rovers, and after much hard work by the Salmons, a return to Sutton, and a ground share with Sutton Utd. 2016/17 saw a 12th place league finish and the capture of the Southern Combination Cup

18/19 SEASON TABLE

19/20 SEASON RESULTS

The following season, 2017/18 we recorded our highest ever placing, finishing 3rd in the Premier Division, and reached the semi final of both the Southern Combination Cup and the EL Records Premier Challenge Cup.

2018/19 was our best ever season, finishing runners up in the Premier division behind the powerful Chertsey Town side, winning the Premier Challenge Cup and finishing runners up in the Southern Combination Challenge Cup U21’s/23’s - The U21 side was formed for the 2017/18 season, under the management of Tyler Chambers, and took on many of the SCR Colts U18’s side, plus a couple of older heads.

The first season was relatively successful, although ultimately ended trophyless. In the Development Division, topping the table going into the last couple of games we were unable to reproduce our good form of the season and slipped to runners up spot, behind champions AFC Croydon Athletic.

It was a similar story in the Development Division Cup Final, where a feisty game saw us go down 2-1 to AFC Croydon Athletic and in the inaugural Surrey U21 Cup we were again runners up, going down 4-0 to a powerful Carshalton Athletic side.

This season and the move to U23’s has seen us go one better, winning the Development Division, and finishing runners up in the Development Division Cup

PREMIER

PREMIER

3pm KO First Team Manager: Greg Cruttwell Coaches: Ebrahim Seedat, Pedro Soares (GK)

Cameron Smith (GK) Haydn Read (GK) James Adebayo Frank Charnock Andre Cruz-Rosa Dan David Brook Ermias Marco Erriu Dan Forde Hamish Frew James Fuller Julian Fuller Jack Haire Luke Hedges Jake Henry Piers Oldland Tom Read Jack Robinson Khalid Savage Ashley Snadden Mirhire Tarimo Anthony Thompson Tomasz Wocial Tino Carpene

c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c

TODAY’S MATCH OFFICIALS: Ref: Fernando Costache, Asst: Richard Marus, Asst: Iain Walworth

Management Team: Darren Salmon and Donny Rennalls Asst Manager: Bryan Nzinga Coaches: O’Neil Lindo and Ryan Lock Physio: Geoff Moxey and Brent Wallage

c Matt Farrell (C) c Michael Eacott (GK) c Ollie Ellaway (GK) c Adam Allen c Nathan Ayling c Aaron Bogle c Aidan Brown c Aaron Goode c Craig Hastings c Kyle Henry c Shawn Lyle c Brendan Murphy-McVey c Craig Nelson c David Ompreon c Phil Page c Ben Senior c Daryl Siaw c Matt Tanton c Ollie Twum