Grassroots Magazine December Issue 3

At the time of writing this the World Cup is in full flow & despite the many negative things that this has thrown up, some of the football has been amazing. England have so far done an amazing job & we all hope they can go all the way. Thank you to everyone that continues to contribute & share the Magazine we really appreciate it.

A Special thanks to Tony Foster & Adam Maine at the Chelmsford Sunday League for helping us put the League Feature together, if you would like any information about joining the league you will find all detail at www.chelmsfordsundayleague.org .uk

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.

HOW TO INCREASE SHOT POWER

!!

To work on increasing your shot power, you need to work on each component and movement involved in producing a powerful shot. These are balance and stability, knee extension and hip flexion.

BALANCE AND STABILITY

The first thing we need to address is the stability of the leg you’re standing on when taking a shot. For example, if you’re right footed, you need to plant your left leg and it needs to be stable to help you keep your balance as you swing your right leg. Without balance and stability, you’re unable to produce the force needed to strike the ball with power.

Static balance exercises can help:

• Stand on one leg with a slight bend in the knee

• Aim to hold your balance for 30 seconds and work towards a full minute

• Progress the exercise by doing it with your eyes closed or throwing and catching a ball as you balance

Once you’re able to balance on each leg for 30 seconds to 1 minute, add some ball work to the exercise. For example, if you’re a right-footed striker of the ball, a good drill would be to volley a ball back to a teammate with your right foot (keeping it off the ground) while you balance on your left foot, continue volleying for a set number of kicks or length of time. This is great for balance, with the additional bonus of it being football specific.

KNEE EXTENSION

Knee extension is straightening your leg, so it takes a strong, forceful knee extension to be able to strike a ball with great force. Improving your quad strength will help you to produce a more powerful strike of the ball. Double leg exercises such as squats and deadlifts can be used to build quad strength, as can single leg supported exercises such as split squats and lunges or any variation that involves stepping forward onto one leg and then pushing back as powerfully as you can.

THE LEG EXTENSION MACHINE IN THE GYM

is another option. Not all strength and conditioning coaches favour leg extensions as some believe it’s not a functional movement. However, the angle of the knee in this exercise is able to mimic the angle of your knee when taking a shot, so there’s strong potential for a crossover into developing a stronger, more powerful strike.

ADDING SPEED TO KNEE EXTENSION

The next step after increasing the force which each of the muscles involved in kicking can apply is to add speed to the movement, that combination of increased strength and increased speed leads to increased shot power. This can be achieved using free weight exercises such as box squats, where you descend slowly to the box and then power back out of the squat position at speed to return to a standing position. However, for more advanced athletes in the gym, adding accommodating resistance can be useful. In squats or deadlifts for example, adding chains or bands to the bar will make the exercise easier towards the bottom of the movement and then harder towards the top. This can help to produce more power than regular lifts by removing the need to decelerate at the top. Using regular back squats as an example, there’s a need to slow down towards the top of the movement to avoid finishing with a jump. With accommodating resistance however, you can power up from the bottom to the top at speed without the need to slow down.

KEY POINT:

Accommodating resistance exercises should only be used once you have a good base of strength and power. If you can back squat 1.5 x your bodyweight, you’ll benefit from using accommodating resistance in training.

HIP FLEXION

Bringing your knee up to your chest is a movement that demonstrates hip flexion. One training option is to use a hip flexion machine, but a more accessible exercise is to use a short, looped resistance band.

• Loop the band under your left foot to stand on it and put your right foot inside it

• Lift your right knee as high as you can against the resistance of the band

This exercise should be done with a light band initially to master the movement and control your balance. Increasing the resistance with a stronger band will then help to build strength. The next progression is to return to a lighter band and add speed to the lifts, using a running arm movement to help maintain balance and rhythm as you develop power in the moves. Hip flexor and groin pain can be an issue for footballers, so begin with a light band for no more than 2 or 3 sets of 5 reps. If you’re pain free, progress to a stronger band and gradually increase the reps to 10 or 15. When you then begin working on speed, return to a lighter band and around 5 reps per set.

SHOOTING PRACTICE

Working on stability, balance, knee extension and hip flexion will help to increase your shot strength, but shooting practice is equally as important. If you want to improve your shot strength, you need to practice striking the ball with a good connection and with as much force as possible. To increase stability throughout the movement further, try tensing your stomach as you strike the ball, you’ll be amazed at the difference such a simple strategy can make on your striking power and quality.

Hard striking of the ball should be treated as a power exercise and should only be done following a thorough warm up. Power training, such as sprinting, requires extended rest periods and shooting practice should be no different. It makes sense to go for quality rather than quantity to avoid fatigue limiting your performance, therefore every shot should be as strong as possible with rest scheduled between each strike.

Imagine it in terms of percentage, if you can kick a ball at 100% maximum power, there’s no point practicing kicks that only equate to 75% of your maximal power due to fatigue. Shoot, go and get the ball, relax a minute and then take another shot. If you limit the number of shots you take to no more than 5 and take a rest of 30 seconds to a minute between them, you’re going to get closer to maximal power and you’ll get more speed on the ball.

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Oaks Hospital Orthopaedic Services

Neck

Foot & Ankle Knee

Want to see your team on TV?

Let Essex Charity FC Help

As part of our vision to be an asset to the charity football community, Charity Football TV has finally launched its community project.

The project consists of filming games for teams to help give them more exposure and giving them an asset, they can use for their own social media.

We will travel to the venue, film the game, film interviews, do live commentary and release the full edited highlights on our main YouTube channel. What’s great, is we do all this completely FREE, allow the teams to raise as much money as they can for their chosen charities.

We love traveling from venue to venue and connecting with other teams in the community who share our vision. Teams that now feature regularly. Essex Charity FC, Level Up FC, Everyman Matters, Farke Knight Rises, Football VS, Romford Rhinos.

If Essex based and interested in featuring your event, please drop us a DM @CFTV2022

Come and join us for a truly festive evening of fabulous food, wine and funky music. December is the month to enjoy celebrations with friends, family and colleagues and we have the event that will get your holiday celebrations off to a fantastic start.

You will have reserved table seating upstairs in the winery and once you are seated, we will serve all of the guests with a complementary glass of our Galleywood Sparkling Brut. We don't think there is a better way to get a party started! Whilst you are enjoying your meal you will have a musical trio playing some soulful tunes. After dinner the band gets bigger! and is also joined by a vocalist for an evening of Motown classics for you to dance the night away.....

The cost is £60pp and includes the three course meal, a glass of our Galleywood Sparkling Brut on arrival and the Live Band entertainment. The winery will open at 7pm and we will have two booking slots 7.30pm and 8pm to help us with food service. You can choose your time slot when booking. You are welcome to arrive anytime from 7pm and have a drink at your table. The Band will finish at 11.30pm and you should pre arrange carriages before 12 Midnight.

Bookable dates are;

Friday 2nd December & Saturday 3rd December

Friday 9th December & Saturday 10th December

Friday 16th December & Saturday 17th December

Dress Code: Smart casual is a minimum requirement on Christmas party nights. No Jeans or trainers and gentlemen are kindly requested to wear a shirt with a collar.

Dinner is served on the upper floor of the winery building. We have limited seating for those requiring ground floor seating. If you have a guest who requires accessible seating please call us to make your booking and we will check for availability.

Please note our Christmas evenings are strictly over 18's only Booking online or call 01245 476994

Jacko

Early Years

Jack was born in Romford in 1994 to Scot and Nichola Phillips. He was the middle child to two sisters, Paige and Jordan. As soon as he could kick a football, it quickly became his favourite thing to do.

He was a lively child, enjoying family holidays overseas, especially if he could find a game of football to join in with. Jack actually caused a holiday camp kids game to be abandoned, because he was a little "too competitive", a sign of things to come. Even during a family walk on the beach, enjoying the weather and the sand, Jack disappeared behind some trees and came back with a football, there was literally no stopping him.

Jack attended Crownfields infants and primary school, but wasn't keen, and was described by one of the teachers as having "the attention span of a goldfish", unless you mentioned football

Football Mad

As soon as he hit primary school, he was able to play in school matches, although they weren't encouraged to be that competitive.

At age eight, he started to train with his dad Scot at Santiago FC. Despite being less than half the size of the adults, he got stuck in during the end of session practice games, using his speed to great advantage.

As a junior, Jack played for Leaside Colts U9, Raiders U10 and U11, United Amateurs U12,and finally Redbridge FC U13 U16. He also represented his secondary school Marshalls Park from age 11 16.

Even during the closed season, Jack would be out most days with his mates, playing football until he was exhausted, coming home only to eat his family out of house and home.

A Fierce Competitor

Jack took no prisoners on the football pitch, and when that whistle blew he became a different person. Even after the game, if you had made a mistake during the match, you knew you'd never hear the last of it from Jack.

Jack's uncompromising style of play often attracted the attention of the referee, and although he played in teams that made multiple cup finals, he also managed to get himself sent off during the big games.

As a captain, he led by example. His team followed him into battle every week, knowing that he would never give up, and he expected no less of them.

During his senior career, he played for Coral FC, Eva Hart FC and finally, Haver Town FC. It was with Haver Town FC that he won the league and cup double in 2019.

JP8 FC Charity Team

It's taken a little while to organise, but the JP8 Men's team is up and running, and has a number of charity matches arranged for this season. After not playing together for over 3 years, it's so wonderful to them playing again.

Of course, JP8 teams have played in some of the original JP8 tournaments (often more than one), but this group plan to formally enter a league next season, and carry on promoting the legacy left by Jacko.

Managing and running the football club is a great honour, not only to keep the memory of jack phillips going who was loved and so special to a lot of people, but to do this and also raise money along the way to help out various charity’s as much as we can. we currently play once a month against other charity teams, to raise this money.

we currently play once a month against other charity teams, to raise this money.

In the 2023/2024 season we will be entering a Sunday league but will continue to do a charity game once a month, we

we have also entered a tournament which kicks off in January and it is called United charity tournament and it is straight nock out and is full 90mins games and we stretch across 4/5 months.

We are a family at jp8, and like any football ball team we want to win but at the end of the day football is family, and to carry on the jp8 means so much to me and to manage my friends and the love we have for each other is untold. I appreciate all of these boys and everyone involved with jp8

Lastly, I would like to thank our sponsor fuse.gold because with out these guys none of this would not of been possible.

The Charity

A couple of months after Jack’s tragic death in 2019, his friends from his last football club (who were struggling themselves with the loss), asked the Phillips family if they could arrange a charity football match in his memory.

This first match took place on the 8th December 2019 at Hendersons Sports and Social Club, between a JP (Jack Phillips) FC XI and Coral FC, with JP FC claiming the victory. A fabulous £710 was raised and donated to St Francis Hospice.

More charity games followed in 2020 and a six team tournament in 2021. It was clear that the support of so many people could help provide a lasting legacy to Jack's memory, and the organisation became a registered charity in November 2021.

The charity is administered by four trustees: Scot Phillips , Nichola Phillips, Alan Webb and Selina Peel

The charity's listed objects (aims) are:

"To promote community participation in healthy recreation, in particular but not exclusively by providing facilities

To advance charitable purposes in accordance with the law of England and Wales, by making grants to other charities as the trustees see fit from time to time.

Including, but not limited to those who

support families that have suffered the loss of a child under the age of 25".

So far the charity has raised over £9,000.....incredible during the pandemic and lockdowns ! Football really is family.

The charity is run by a committee of volunteers: Scot Phillips, Alan Webb, Lee Upton, Martin Halpin, Tony Clark, Tom Bennett, Steve Claxton, Steve Ince, Barry Hagland.

Going forward the charity is looking to do so much more for communities, the vulnerable, elderly and families on low incomes.

With the help of the rapidly growing JP8 family, Jack's lasting legacy will continue to make a positive contribution to so many lives.

Click here or scan to donate

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Star duo have the Wright Motivation to take on Run the Month: Marathon Edition for Prostate Cancer UK

The only way is Exercise! Two television stars are limbering up for a lifesaving charity challenge by taking on January’s Run the Month: Marathon Edition for Prostate Cancer UK.

To kick off 2023, iconic 1980s fitness guru Mr Motivator and reality star Elliott Wright will be pounding pavements and parks and completing 26.2 miles to support the largest men’s health charity against a disease that affects one in eight men in the UK.

By proudly wearing the charity’s iconic blue and black colours, the star duo will be a part of Prostate Cancer UK’s supersized running squad all raising money to help fund research to find better tests that could save thousands of lives. One mile and one donation at a time.

Sign up for run the month via runthemonthme.prostatecanceruk.org.

Run the Month Marathon Edition is more than a run for Elliott, who was inspired to go the distance for Prostate Cancer UK after his dad Eddie was diagnosed with the disease in 2013, before sadly passing away of COVID last year.

He said: “There’s no better time for a running challenge than January, and I can’t wait to kick off 2023 in style by taking on Run the Month: Marathon Edition for Prostate Cancer UK.

“It’s a brilliant charity doing great things to help men and their loved ones affected by prostate cancer, which, shockingly, is the most common cancer in men.

“I’ll be lacing up my trainers because this horrible disease has hit my family. My amazing dad Eddie was diagnosed back in 2013. By that stage, the cancer had spread outside the prostate and the news was devastating for me and the family.

“My dad was a real family man; always upbeat and happy. He was my rock, the perfect role model and gave me the family values I hold today. He never moaned or complained despite the awful circumstances. He was so strong, so brave. We were devastated when he passed away in March 2021 after bravely fighting COVID.

“I’ve taken on this challenge before and it’s a great way to not only shake off the Turkey and Quality Street, but also to raise funds for such a brilliant cause. To hopefully ensure other men don’t suffer like he did.

“Dad will be on my mind when I pull on my Prostate Cancer UK running top and knowing every step will make a difference will only fuel me further. I can’t wait to get started.”

One in eight men are affected by prostate cancer. That’s thousands of dads, grandads, brothers, partners, uncles, sons and mates.

What’s more, one in four black men are affected by prostate cancer that’s double the risk of other men a statistic that stunned Mr Motivator (real name Derick Evans) who has seen family members and friends affected by the disease

He said: "Every January we are bombarded with so many get fit and healthy messages, from New Year New You, to get fit now well your health is your wealth! So together let's make our lives so much richer by being positive and also by taking part in Run the Month: Marathon Edition for Prostate Cancer UK.

“As a man prostate cancer is always on my radar and this is something to never be ignored And whilst I am passionate about spreading the message of awareness of prostate cancer care to all men, did you know that one in four black men will be diagnosed with the disease in the UK?"

"I do have friends who have had to deal with prostate cancer and treatment has been successful because it was caught early. So please let me encourage you to put on your trainers and take on 26.2 miles of running in January for this fantastic cause. Just imagine you will do something that will not only benefit you but also provide much needed resources to Prostate Cancer UK."

Run the Month has raised more than £5.2m since October 2020 with a tireless team of over 30,000 runners covering in excess of 700,000 miles.

And this year will be bigger and better with the squad boosted by more star names with a direct link to prostate cancer such as Emmerdale star Matthew Wolfenden, comedian Fred MacAulay, Love Islander Arabella Chi, Channel 5 presenter Rob Bell, Team GB Winter Olympian Ollie Davies, broadcaster and novelists Lucy Beresford and Dr. Shola Mos Shogbamimu, motor racing presenter Louise Goodman and many more.

Nicola Tallett, Director of Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK: “The fight against prostate cancer is a marathon not a sprint. Since 2020 our wonderful supporters have raised substantial funds by taking on our virtual running challenge and 2023 is shaping up to be bigger and better.

“By running 26.2 miles or more in January our supporters won’t just be keeping fit after the rigours of the festive season, they will also be raising crucial funds in the fight against the most common cancer in men.

“From stars of stage and screen to novice and seasoned runners; taking part with mates or your pet pooch; starting the day or finishing under the stars; every challenge plays a fantastic role in bringing people together for a common cause.”

“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, and an early diagnosis can save your life. Everyone who laces up their trainers will help fund ground breaking research towards a screening programme, so we can catch prostate cancer early and save lives. We thank everyone taking part and can’t wait to get started.”

Sign up for run the month at runthemonthme.prostatecanceruk.org

NOTES TO EDITOR

For more information, please contact Gary Haines, Sports PR Manager at Prostate Cancer UK, on 020 3310 7079 or at gary.haines@prostatecanceruk.org, alternatively email pressoffice@prostatecanceruk.org or call 07984 325001.

About Prostate Cancer UK

About Prostate Cancer

o Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men o More than 52,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year on average that's 143 men every day o Every 45 minutes one man dies from prostate cancer that's more than 12,000 men every year. o 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime This raises to 1 in 4 for black men o Around 475,000 men are living with and after prostate cancer. o A 30 second online risk checker is available at prostatecanceruk org/risk checker o Prostate cancer mainly affects men over 50 and the risk increases with age But the risk is higher for black men or men with a family history of prostate cancer, so they may wish to speak to their GP from age 45. o Prostate cancer often has no symptoms so men shouldn’t wait to see changes before they act. o Anyone with concerns about prostate cancer may contact Prostate Cancer UK's Specialist Nurses in confidence on 0800 074 8383 or online via the Live Chat instant messaging service: www.prostatecanceruk.org

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MATES FC

We are not your normal team, we believe in creating a bond, a family, a community, friendships is as important if not more important than the actual game itself. A good close happy team will create a better atmosphere and joined up approach than a team that is run on discipline and punishments. By adopting that thought process and working together to create respect and a bond and following the key points we should naturally not need to discipline.

MATES FC was set up in 2019, since then over 350 different people have attended our sessions and played for us, in 2021 we won McDonalds & The FA- Grassroots Project of the Year. We are proud to have Ex Man Utd & West Ham player Luke Chadwick as our MATES FC Patron.

Since 2019 MATES FC have been part of Calm`s (The UK`s biggest suicide prevention charity) Football Collective, we are part of Active Essex, working together to do all we can to use football to prevent suicide and improve people's positive mental health. In 2021 MATES FC were selected by CALM as one of their new Caring United initiative, partnering with Carling to highlight teams that do more in the community than the average club to help people's mental health. This is led by Marvin Sordell, Ashley Cole and Darren Bent along with Calms new ambassador Declan Rice.

In 2020 we played 44 Saturday games against other teams we played 11 League Games and won 10 of them, drew one. In 2021 we won all of the 2020-21 league games leading to us to topping the league and going on to win the Cup Final.

In 2022 we only played 3 Saturday Games against other teams, this was because we had such a high demand to play for us, we had to start playing ourselves each week and putting two MATES FC teams out each week! We then played 49 Saturday Games with two teams each week! We held four 5-a side tournaments; our Sunday League team were put up 2 divisions because of their incredible stats for the previous season.

In 2022 MATES FC filmed two adverts for CALM’s Caring United Campaign which have been shown regularly online, on their website and on Sky Sports and Sky Sports News. Mates FC is now a `Football V Homophobia Club, ` Kick It Out` equality-chartered Club, affiliated with ESSEX FA, an FA Accredited Club and we are also part of Active Essex`s `Find Your Active` campaign.

What's next? Every January we revisit our foundations, make sure we are strong and doing what we planned to in the best way we can, we listen to our attendees , before building on them and expanding out into the next evolution of MATES FC, we are YOUR MATES FC!

Get a Grip on your Health!

Mike has over 30 years experience in health and fitness and is no stranger to in juries!

He treats all sports and non ports injuries and specialises in training with debilitating injuries like arthritis, joint degeneration and pre-diabetes, based on his qualified and personal experiences.

Mike uses a total approach to Health and Longevity including Mental Conditioning, Strength and Flexibility, Mobility, Performance Nutrition and Sports Massage.

His goal is to help you get a grip on your health and reach your true potential, without having to “hang up your gloves”. Get in touch for more information.

grassroots magazine

Remembers grassroots

FUTURE SOCCER SANDON

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League Focus grassroots

Brief History of the Chelmsford Sunday Football

League

The roots of the League were from teams playing un affiliated football at Melbourne Park where the likes of Allied Engineers, Boarded Barns, Chelmsford Co op, Essex Chronicle, Eastern Garages, Eastern National and Saracens, whose goalkeeper Gavin Suttle would defend his goal by drawing his sword from his waist band and wave it menacingly at the opposing forward as he approached him.

All this activity soon came to the attention of the County Football Association Area Officer, Ivan Tuttle, who saw that there was sufficient interest and enthusiasm and called a meeting. He brought to their attention that this was not permitted under Association Football rules and, along with Peter Fidge (Park Avenue) and Ray Boreham (Eastern National), called a meeting at the Star & Garter in November 1961 where 14 clubs attended. The outcome was 13 pulled together to form the League which commenced on Sunday 14th January 1962, each team playing each other on the one occasion from January 1962.

The teams were Allied Engineers (now Chelmsford Social Club), Boarded Barns, Chelmsford Albion, Chelmsford CO OP, Eastern Garages, Eastern National, English Electric, Essex Chronicle, Ford End, GPO, Hoffmann Rangers, Inter United and Saracens. Ivor Tuthill was Chairman and Secretary.

Allied Engineers were the first Champions whose players also played on Saturdays for senior sides such as Heybridge Swifts. Essex Chronicle were runners up in the league and won the Division One Cup, beating Saracens 8 1 at New Writtle Street, which remained the highest winning margin until 1981 82 when Roblin Sports defeated Walnut Tree 8 0 in a replay at Tufnell hall after a 2 2 draw at the Stadium. The Chronicle team were made up from the Marconi Works team who were successful in the Borders League.

Difficulties arose regarding the use of pitches but, with the co-operation of the council, 95% of the games were played at Melbourne Park as, at this time, there was no Chelmer Park. The only regret being that Sunday teams were charged 27/ , whilst Saturday teams paid only 16/ . The first full season, 1962 63 saw the competing clubs reduced to eleven, with Chelmsford Albion, Eastern Garages and Ford End all withdrawn, being replaced by Doddinghurst Youth "A", whilst Boarded Barns changed their name to Park Avenue. Peter Fidge became chairman and his team, Park Avenue were the hot favourites when they faced English Electric in the cup final, but Electric really upset the form book by winning 4 0.

The league was desperately short of referees having only four regular officials one of which, John Davies, was later to become league secretary, Ray Boreham became press and publicity officer, referees' appointments secretary and registration secretary and alone, Peter Fidge has remained a stalwart of the league throughout in one capacity or another.

Season 1963 64 saw further changes in the constitution with Chelmsford Co op, Eastern National, Hoffmann Rangers and Doddinghurst Youth "A" all withdrawing, being replaced with Britvic, Bakers Arms, Medway United (Peter "Dambuster" Smith) Saints and Taurus, bringing the division up to twelve teams. In 1965 Horace Bates became referees' appointments secretary, a position he was to retain for fifteen seasons before retiring. Essex Chronicle were the outstanding side in the early seasons clinching a hat-trick of league championships and they were so successful that they existed on a squad of only thirteen players. This, unfortunately proved their downfall in 1964 when, having reached the final of the Sunday County Cup, they were forced to field a team with only nine fit players and lost 3 0 to Waterhouse at Harlow's Dorstel Press ground.

Having remained at just one division for the first two full seasons, Sunday football suddenly became very popular, to such an extent, that the next five seasons saw the divisions being increased by one each year, until six divisions had been formed at the start of season 1968-69. By this time the league covered a vast area with clubs from Ongar, Hanningfield, Mundon, Stebbing, Stisted, Wethersfield and Wickham Bishops.

The league management committee considered that six divisions of seventy eight teams were sufficient to administer efficiently, this decision resulting in the birth of the Braintree and North Essex Sunday league the following season.

Season 1965 66 saw Len Menhinick move from league secretary to chairman, a post he held for sixteen seasons, before retiring from all football involvement. This season also saw Maurice McNally enter the competition as secretary of Old Chelmsfordians and the start of an involvement with the League for over 40 years.

The same campaign saw Little Waltham under the guidance of ex Chelmsford City player, Geoff Walker, obtain the "the double" and included in the line up was a youngster named Richard Ling, who completed over six hundred games in this competition with Bakers Arms and Little Waltham. Whilst Essex Chronicle and Little Waltham were the earliest successful sides, the largest crowd was always attracted whenever Park Avenue met Saracens.

These two teams always produced our most competitive encounters with something usually controversial occurring, and whilst Park Avenue in the shape of Secretary Peter Fidge had the character off the pitch, then Saracens stalwart Clive Barker was without doubt the extrovert on it!

Between 1967 and 1971 this league dominated the inter league, seen under the captaincy of Jackie Parkinson, winning the trophy four times in five years, proving the strength of the league with victories over leagues which included top class amateur players including England internationals from the metropolitan areas of the county (this period undoubtedly saw Sunday soccer at its peak with our league worthy champions).

Johnny Carter who scored two goals in the first final graced the league with his skills for fifteen seasons and represented the league on thirteen occasions, being a member of the 1967 and 68 winning sides, whilst Lance Gooch, who completed twenty seasons (1963 64 to 1982 83) was in the successful sides of 1968, 1970 and 1971, which included epic victories at grounds such as Dagenham and Roots Hall (Southend). Lance is also the only player to have won the man of the match award (presented at divisional cup finals) on three occasions.

Between 1967 68 and 1971 72 Bakers Arms from Danbury, under the guidance of manager Harold Young, dominated the proceedings, winning the championship for five successive seasons (a record). Since then, the league became more evenly contested with six different teams winning the league before the arrival in the top flight of Peter Taylor's Roblin Sports, who clinched a hat trick of championship triumphs (1980, 1981 and 1982).

Since then, the chase for the top prize has again evened out, making for a far more exciting finish. Although Ivan Ribban's Walnut Tree became another side to clinch a hat trick of wins (1984 85 86) followed by Highfield Victoria with two consecutive successes (1987 88).

Manager Alan Smith joined them in 1982 and his appointment heralded the start of many victories in the county cups in 1982 and 1985 and the Essex Intermediate cup in 1990. That season saw the league prove its strength with a team in each of the three county finals, with Compasses becoming our first trophy winners. The Junior Cup has been out most successful competition with seven victories so far.

In 2008 ill health caused long standing Secretary Colin Hambrook to step down after nineteen years in the post and chairman Maurice McNally decided it was time, after 26 years, to allow a younger chairman to move the League into the next phase of its life. This left the League with new personnel in the key posts and an administratively rocky season followed but Adam Maine and Kevin Cornwell took over the secretary and chairman's roles to steady the "ship" and restore the balance. Today sees Mick Elliott as chairman with Adam Maine as Secretary.

The John Coward Challenge Cup, in memory of our past president, was introduced in 1968 69, after Len Menhinick suggested the idea to the Management Committee for a competition which every club could take part in. The idea was received with great enthusiasm, particularly by the clubs in the lower divisions, where they foresaw an opportunity of becoming Sunday league "Giant Killers". This being followed ten years later by the Peter Gillott Reserve Team Cup. Sponsorship by local sports firm Pope and Smith arrived in 1979 80, and with it, the change of name to its present title.

The bathroom is a place we all visit on regular basis. Whether it is to answer nature's call or just freshen up, we somehow end up developing a special relationship with our bathrooms. There is no other place on earth where we can find so much peace with nobody to bother us. And we can create this excellent place right for you! We are very high skilled and experienced professionals providing only high quality workmanship. Our speciality is bathroom installations and all interior works. Our ethos is to always work cleanly and tidily around our working area and treat our customer’s property with the same respect we would accord our own homes. It is a well known fact that bathrooms sell houses. They also add a touch of indulgence to your home. With this in mind, choosing your bathroom is a long term investment; it is important that you choose wisely. Our years of experience have helped us to gain a good understanding of what works and what doesn’t. We take the time to listen to our customers’ needs and make recommendations to them based on their requirements and our extensive experience. We are proud of our team of bathroom fitters and guarantee a friendly, clean and tidy service; we always aim to exceed your expectations, which is why we have gained the reputation as one of Essex's finest local bathroom installers.

We take a personal approach to every bathroom fitting we complete and ensure that every bathroom delivers on quality, value, functionality and appearance. If you would like a free, no obligation consultation and quote please contact us. For more information about our bathroom installation services and to take a look at some of the work done by our friendly, professional bathroom fitters.

Grassroots is proud to be supporting Farleigh Hospice

Grassroots Magazine is delighted to be supporting local charity, Farleigh Hospice. In each edition, we will be sharing with you their latest news along with upcoming events that you can get involved in!

Farleigh Hospice has been a cornerstone of our local community since 1982 when, following the death of a lady called Audrey Appleton from cancer, her friends Glenda Lance and Dr Gill Collier launched an appeal to establish hospice services in and around Chelmsford.

Since its creation later that same year, Farleigh has provided hospice care to thousands of people affected by life-limiting illnesses and bereavement across mid Essex. The hospice, which is celebrating its 40th birthday this year, continues to help people to live as actively as possible from the point of diagnosis to the end of their lives, by providing physical and emotional care, free of charge.

As a charity, Farleigh relies on the generosity of the local community to raise the £6 million it needs every year to care and support those who rely on its services. One of the ways that Farleigh engages with the community is through the range of fundraising events it organises throughout the year, which are listed on its website www.farleighhospice.org/events

Farleigh Hospice remains open throughout the festive period offering specialist and compassionate care to those facing the hardest time in their lives. There are lots of ways you can help us fund our festive period. Get your friends, family and colleagues involved. Be the star baker of a Christmas themed bake off, play pin the nose on Rudolph, or dress up in your favourite Christmas jumpers.

Sign up today and order your fundraising pack it gives you all the hints and tips you need to make your event a success.

For lots more ideas download our leaflet. And don't forget to post your photos on social media and tag Farleigh Hospice so we can share them with our followers.

Registration is open now. To sign up, contact our Fundraising Team on 01245 457411 or email us