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2.12.07 - With New Kit

 

   

                                      

I expect their Mothers Luv 'em !!

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BROADBRIDGE HEATH YOUTH - Report from the physio’s bench

 

The U18s finished their season in fine style with a 2-1 victory over close rivals Shoreham, the points from this game securing runners up spot in the Sussex County Youth League. Winning 6 and drawing 1 from their final 7 games meant that the youth team’s 2 year plan, originally set out by the management, finally came to fruition, representing just reward for the hard-work and commitment put in by the whole squad.

 

January saw Heath lose only their 2^nd game of the season but then they drilled 4 past Forest and 7 past Storrington.  Highlights of the Forest game were Andy Wadd’s superb headed goal, the skipper finding space in the box like his Villa hero Martin Laursen and Marcus Richardson’s first and only goal of the season, a sweetly taken pk (penalty kick?) - get in there!  Totally Organic was noticed to be suffering from the effects of the  previous evenings entertainment in a Brighton nightclub, apparently the U18 midfield unit had all been out riding hard and dirty and spreading the word - nuff said, job done.  Storrington’s visit to the House of Pain was of course another practice shooting session for the Heath.  Hat-tricks for Rob “the guru” Godfrey and eventual top scorer for the season Matt Butler only being topped by Jonah’s quality footwork after the game in the skill skool challenge -“Are you ready for the noise” was the call - classy stuff “and thanks for passing by” was the reply - love it!

 

February saw another home game against an improving Pagham side, however the result was the same, a win for the blues, another 3 points and another hat-trick for the predator Matt Butler, much of the same then.  Man of steel for this game was Pat Surlis who capped a super performance with a smart goal and was again a constant threat down the left flank.  Pat has been in great form for the U18s and would often be found downtown doing things in the final 3^rd of the pitch that most defenders find unacceptable and difficult to deal with.

 

Our final 3 games in March saw the Youth team defeat Mile Oak 2-1, draw 1-1 with Lancing and then travel to Shoreham for the final hurdle.  Skipper Waddy and long term casualty Balf both made the trip to support their team mates whilst making time to swap West Ham shineys (football term meaning what?) in the dugout.  Saving the best for last, the Heath found their touch and  played plenty of good stuff, controlling the ball and the game with some high tempo football.  Mikey “Two Touch” Dale opened the scoring after some good work from Pat and Robbo but it was new boy Ryan Lancastle who stole the show with a solid game on his debut for the youth team.  Injuries to the ever improving Sam Harding and Bouba Diop “he likes a splash of lime” saw some defensive reorganisation take place.  On came the joker James O’Dwyer who plugged the gap with another resourceful performance, overseen by Costa’s Jake Mulcahy who has had an inspirational season as caretaker at the heart of the defence.  Jake has made the position of sweeper look easy this year but one has to remember that this is a guy who also makes A levels and making machiatos look easy.  An equaliser from Shoreham only drove the Heath to greater things, keeper Matt Baker took goalkeeping to new heights with some classy saves and the hard working Alex Hall had a shot cleared off the line.  It was only a matter of time before the Heath took the lead and the points, Matt Whiteford’s shot hit the bar but the follow up from Robbo saw him out jump both keeper and defenders to head home - whammy, 2-1..job done.

 

History was made that day, stories were told and will be told of this team’s epic journey from juniors to seniors, carrying with it the enjoyment both on and off the field.  Many a tale has been told in the pubs of Horsham and the clubs of Brighton - Keep the faith, classic club bangers and all.  The gaff Mike Balfour and Head Honcho Nik Mulcahy wish the squad all the best for the future and hope to keep in touch with the class of 2008 both in BBH HQ, the VC, and via blue army network - keep it real!

 

Our final celebration takes place at the end of season awards evening, bring it on, get your best cardigans out, things could get messy!

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I guess Tom will need his ID with him when he goes to the pub else he will never get his 1st pint

Happy Birthday

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BBH U18  - DECEMBER’S REPORT FROM THE GAFFER’S OFFICE

 

With only one game played in December, the youth  team had a quiet month and so were able to fully enjoy their break from college and the festive Christmas period. 

Their only game was against an East Preston side who still had hopes of a top three finish after several good league results.  With several players unavailable, it took some last minute organisation by the Heath’s very own Dream team of Manager Mike Balfour and coach Nik Mulcahy which would rival any Keegan/Shearer combo, to ensure the Heath had 11 players to take the field.  The game began in driving rain and it was the Blues who took the iniative when Pat Surlis nipped in behind the EP defence to net the first goal.  An evenly balanced first half saw both teams pressing and creating chances and it was Matt Baker in the Heath goal who was the busier of the two keepers.  EP then levelled when a slip by Matt Slater allowed a cross to come in which gave the diving Baker no chance.  The Heath then drove up field and it was Rob ‘the guru’ Godfrey, inspired by his new Next cardigan, who fired an unstoppable left foot shot to make the score 2-1 at the break.

 Half time and a chance to discuss the months entertainment, a Christmas do for the team which may involve a roast and a trip to the casino for all those willing to risk their wages - “count me in” was the shout from Whitey - what an inspiration.

 The second half started with a great move by the home side, a series of passes finding Matt Butler who headed home from close range, 3-1.  Robbo then challenged and won the ball high up the pitch to steam  into the heart of the EP defence and finish expertly 4-1 to the Heath - job done.  A game in which the Heath showed great commitment, attitude and effort under difficult playing conditions and against an EP side with a bad attitude from top to bottom.

 With no further games, the Heath were able to organise two training sessions which saw a good turnout from all squad players.  After partying hard, staying up all night and not returning home, Costa’s Jake Mulcahy made both sessions despite a nasty experience of burning his nose in a freakish incident - enough said - Jake epitomises the commitment and spirit of the team and enjoyed the run out, much to the annoyance of the head coach who was furious that our sweeper had not reported home for breakfast that day!

 The Youth team also held their very own Christmas party which apparently didn’t involve fancy dress or a roast.  Instead it was down to the London Road Curry Centre for many pints of India’s favourite beer, Cobra and of course a small prawn curry.  A great turnout saw the entire squad attending and those who were old enough headed on to The Chameleon night club for a session of classic club bangers - old skool.

 Player of the month for November and December was awarded to Matt ‘totally organic’ Whiteford who has been a revelation on the right flank, terrorising  defences from all parts of the county.  The gaffer made the presentation with a little help from our main sponsor - Weetabix, and commented “Matt has been in great form for the youth team and has made some telling contributions during the month, he is a player who can run at opponents at pace and also has a good eye for goal.”  £20 on red was the bet although the spin turned up  black, just his luck…look out for Matt’s team mates appearing soon.

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BBH U18  - NOVEMBER’S REPORT FROM THE GAFFER’S OFFICE

 

With only two games in November, the youth team have had time to focus on their performances to date, keep the pressure on league leaders Arundel and to party hard of course.  The month began with a home fixture against a Rustington side who still held hopes of a top 3 league finish.  The game couldn’t have started any better for the Heath when striker Alex Hall was pulled down in the area, the referee having no option but to award a pk.  Up stepped Matt Whiteford whose spot kick was saved, however the kick was ordered to be retaken as the Rustington keeper actually stepped off his line.  Much to the relief of the dug out and home supporters, totally organic stroked the ball into the top right corner of the net - CRASH 1-0 to the Heath.  The blues then put together a move of real quality when a sequence of passes from back to front saw the ball eventually find its way to Alex Hall.  A sweet cut back from the goal line once again found Matt Whiteford whose side footed shot flew into the top left corner of the net - BANG 2-0 to the Heath.  Playing some high tempo football, Rustington pulled 2 quick goals back so honours were even at the break.  Half time and coach Nik Mulcahy took to his notes and dissected the first half-was it to be marmite sandwiches tomorrow, a difficult choice?  Manager Mike Balfour started to rally the troops with that classic club banger, The Jackson 5’s “I want you back,” James O’Dwyer remarked he was rehearsing the moves to Soulja Boy’s “crank dat soulja boi” and Sam Liley was heard to say that he had seen the gaffer at a Mcdonalds drive through - Gripping stuff!

The lads went out fully pumped for the 2^nd 45 and an intense 15 minute spell saw the hosts take the lead when Alex Hall popped up to tuck in no 3-ole.  Rustington responded immediately when failure to close down by the Heath defence, much to Nik’s dismay, resulted in the scores being levelled 3-3.  At this point in the game and one day before his 18^th birthday, Matt Whiteford took it upon himself to sort matters out.  He collected the ball wide on the right and lashed a fierce shot which sailed into the roof of the net - WALLOP 4-3 to the Heath.  “Now that’s what I call a Matt finish” enthused skipper Andy Waddingham - classic style.

Anyway, with more twists to come and a final Rustington equaliser, a 4-4 draw was probably a fair result.  The Heath were indebted to keeper Matt Baker who pulled off adouble save in the final minutes, honours even and Man of Steel Matt Whiteford quite literally the hat-trick hero - organic!

After a weeks rest and a fully fit squad to choose from, Heath travelled to near neighbours Forest for a league game with more edge than a Horsham v Swansea FA cup tie. With the banter and rivalry you would expect from this sort of game, preparations didn’t quite go to plan as the Youth team turned up without their away kit, secretary Andy Crisp having to cut short a DIY trip to Homebase to finally sort matters out.  Despite an awkward build up the players took to the field and immediately took control of the ball and the game.   Playing into a fierce wind and on a difficult surface, the Heath played some fantasy football and were soon 4 up with goals from Alex Hall, Matt Butler, Andy Waddingham and the impressive Pat Surlis. Half time saw the usual banter, Matt Slater had apparently thrown up whilst brushing his teeth, Costa’s Jake Mulcahy had spilt his macchiato and Marcus Richardson told everyone to “play what you see”-impressive!  The management tried to restore the very best of order and asked the team for more effort and not to let the opposition back into the game.

As ever, the team responded superbly, the 2^nd half seeing much of the same, Heath dominating and the Forest keeper being called upon to make several fine saves.  A further 2 goals from Pat Surlis saw a second hat trick in consecutive weeks, Pat’s finishing being a lot more clinical than any of England’s efforts against Croatia.  A treble substitution meant that if your name was Matt then you were taking a break, off came Whiteford, Slater and Butler much to the amusement of all.

At 6-0 Forest were relieved to hear the final whistle, the Bears finishing the month with 4 points from a possible 6, and 10 goals scored - triumphant!

With only 2 games played the management decided to award the November Weetabix Player of the month after December’s fixtures and so combine the two, it was therefore left to skipper and Worthing wannabee Andy Wadd to recall his team mates, look out for his comments appearing soon.

NEWSFLASH- Long term injury casualty and important squad member Tom Balfour has been making good progress in his recovery and hopes to return to action after Christmas.  He has been training hard and recently organised a birthday trip for ex Heath player Ned Verlander to see the Guildford Heat Basketball team. Unfortunately, leaving on Sunday 18^th to watch the tip off, the group, much to their dismay, actually learnt that the game had been played 24hrs earlier-an oversight by the organiser-quite bizarre but highly entertaining.

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