Posts from Football Team Blog

“It’s not Rugby!” Life in the 2nd division

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:32:13 GMT

As 2011 draws to an end & we sit back & begin to enjoy the Christmas break I can look back on a roller-coaster of a return to Division 2! The harder the challenge the more resolve is needed & Division 2 is proving to be a CHALLENGE! We have had a mixed start to life in division 2 (cakes at Full-time are always a welcome relief no matter what the score!) after winning promotion last year. Commitment & regular squads are the key to good performances & pleasurable results. I think it is fair to say that as a Church team we need the commitment as much as possible from the footballing membership to sustain the good times & overcome difficult. This weekend was the Carol services & it was so good to see a number of the unbelieving players with their partners & families attend. To this end it is encouraging to be able to report that this season’s numbers are greater than ever (only bettered in the season we had 2 teams 11 years ago), we have again even more new non Christian faces & some old faces (both Christian & non) from previous years having had a season or 2 fallow footballing times. Training is now well established at Hurstmere School floodlit Astro on Thursday evenings 7.50 till 9pm & numbers are always very good often with people bringing friends sometimes as a one off & sometimes becoming regulars.

Things on the face of it would appear to be healthy but stability is the key & I think more than ever we now need prayer to help guide us through the remainder of the season creating a springboard for coming years allowing us to focus on fellowship.

Thank you everyone for your support & prayers.

Gary Panton - Manager

It’s not Rugby!

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 04:45:11 GMT

After a 10 week break we are back in the saddle & training again, first session was Thursday 7th July. We had our end of season dinner on June 11th at the Centre where 28 players, partners & 2 parents gathered to celebrate the season 2011/12 & look forward to this coming year. We were (as always on occasions like these) served so faithfully by members of the Church; setting up, preparing food, serving & clearing away that again had such a positive impact on non Christians on what it is to be a member of the family of God & give freely. A special thanks to Becky Gibbs for the food with specialist assistance from Alison Martin.

So first training session & great numbers to kick off with, 17. Some regular faces from last season, some old faces from the not too far away past & amazingly completely new faces. It does make for a long haul from now until the end of the season but we are all excited & glad to be back together after the break looking forward with great anticipation to what might be? Please continue to pray for relationships to grow between the players & wider family members; as Barça say we are ‘more than a club!

Help Please – last season we had a rota of people who made cakes for match days which again had a real positive impact on the non Christian players & their families that come to watch & I would really like to do the same thing again this year. So if you feel you can be a part of the ‘cake team’ please contact me or Debbie (she puts the rota together), we are in the Church directory.

Thank you everyone for your support & prayers.

Gary Panton - Manager

CLUB COMMUNICATION please follow us @:

Twitter – www.twitter.com/ncfcsidcup

Club web site– www.ncfcsidcup.co.uk

Gary

Promotion!

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 02:54:42 GMT

“It’s not Rugby!” but it is the end of the season and what a season!

This season 2010-11 started for me at Newday back in August 2010 when I eventually plucked up the courage through trusting in God to start texting for pre season after what had been a pretty disappointing season previously. All this I shared with the Church at a 'week of prayer' meeting in September where I was once again encouraged by God that I was doing his will.

Thinking about writing this blog and one word stands out to me but for two reasons and that word is ‘PROMOTED’. I say two reasons and they are; firstly that yes on the last day of the season (please read more detail on this from the league web Site, link Below) we secured promotion to the 2nd division. We hadn't been higher than 3rd all year but made the runner’s up place ours by beating Penge Family Church in 2 games back to back 3-1 and 3-0. Secondly I believe that the Church members of the squad have promoted Jesus to men, men that have most definitely not used hair striaghtners (there may be some hair product with the younger members!) or worn skinny jeans!

For me the Football Club represents a real tangible conduit to reach unbelieving men and their families. This season has slowly developed some strong and valuable relationships. Personally I have been encouraged again and again by what God has done with this group of men and being involved in the club has really developed my own faith and walk with God. I know many of you have prayed for us over this past season and I would appeal to you to contiue supporting us in this way, it's great to see our performances on the pitch being transformed but more than that we'd love to see men and thier families transformed by the good news of the gospel!

Thank you for reading I’ll be back in August/September.

CLUB COMMUNICATION please follow us @:

Twitter – www.twitter.com/ncfcsidcup

Match reports - Bromley & Croydon Christian Football League, Div. 3 (reports are on the right hand side of the page, just choose the match you want to review)

Club web site– www.ncfcsidcup.co.uk

Gary

February update

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 10:48:46 GMT

February (mixed bag but …. more than football) - “it’s not Rugby!”

On the pitch January brought mixed fortunes with 2 cup losses & 2 emphatic wins.

February sees us move to our new training facility at Hurstmere School on the Astro pitch. The fact that this facility has become available to us is a real blessing, our registration of interest to use the Astro was only formalised just before Christmas when we were placed on a waiting list!

The club’s player base continues to grow in; regular numbers, quality of ability & character. Please pray that we will see God’s work in the lives of these men that he is bringing to us.

CLUB COMMUNICATION please follow us @:

Twitter – www.twitter.com/ncfcsidcup

Match reports - Bromley & Croydon Christian Football League, Div. 3 (reports are on the right hand side of the page, just choose the match you want to review)

Gary

January Update

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 01:51:43 GMT

January (new year, same season) - “it’s not Rugby!”

Finally we get to play again! With our last game being the 20th November - that’s 7 weeks since we last kicked a ball. So back into the swing & a tough cup game against 1st division opposition & Cup holders, New Life (for a full match report see the link below).

Amazingly the club continues to grow not in numbers alone but in strength as well. This week’s game saw 3 new debutants making their match debuts in front a record crowd at the home of football that is ‘Waring Park’. I really feel that there is a real momentum in the club & it is an amazing thing to be a part of, thank you to everyone for your support & prayers. To find out first hand what it is like talk to the players on a Sunday or at Life Group if you are fortunate enough to have one as a member.

CLUB COMMUNICATION please follow us @:

Twitter – www.twitter.com/ncfcsidcup

Match reports - Bromley & Croydon Christian Football League, Div. 3 (reports are on the right hand side of the page, just choose the match you want to review)

Gary

December update: "It's not rugby!"

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 10:43:22 GMT

We will most likely have a fixture on the 8th January so I need to know availability for that and for the first 3 weeks of January training will have to change; the options are Tuesday 7.45pm or Thursday 6.15pm please let me know your preferences & availability ASAP.

Club Communication: follow us on twitter @ncfcsidcup

Or keep up to date by our Match Reports (reports are on the right hand side of the page, just choose the match you want to review.

November is not my favourite month: cold and cloudy! But enough of the weather report - the football was again a pleasure to be a part of with two cup wins against second division opposition and a league draw in only our second away game of the season. God continues to bless us through strengthening the squad with the addition of players: this month saw the debut of Andrew Winnery (scoring) and two more players are waiting to don the famous striped shirts and set foot on the hallowed turf that is Waring Park, but due to weather conditions this has been delayed. Support at the home games has been tremendous! Thank you to everyone that has turned out: hopefully we can continue to provide a feast of footballing delight - a delight that has been celebrated with some culinary masterpieces! Thank you to all that have provided cakes so far, they are beginning to detract from my post match analysis!

Games for December are planned for 11th (cup game) then the Christmas break and a resumption on the 22nd January at the moment with a league fixture (this could well change with a fixture before this, check the web site).

Match Reports

Match reports can be viewed by following this link Bromley & Croydon Christian Football League, Div.3 (reports are on the right hand side of the page, just choose the match you want to review).

Gary

November Update

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 04:14:45 GMT

From Club Manager: Gary Panton

Nov 2010:

Into our stride now & all match reports can be viewed by following this link Bromley & Croydon Christian Football League, Div. 3 (reports are on the right hand side of the page, just choose the match you want to review) weekly indoor training continues at a local school (Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar School, Hurst Road Sidcup. DA15 9AG) 19:45 – 21:15.

Numbers continue to grow with what seems to be a developing youth policy! October was a promising month for results, training & the introduction of post match cakes!

The Club:

Established out of a popular Sunday afternoon kick-about, a number of young men from NCC found a manager and entered the Bromley and Croydon Christian Football League as Athletic Football Club Sidcup (AFC Sidcup).

With the success of the inaugural season and continued interest the club doubled in size to two teams (Inter and Roma). Since then the club has reverted to one team, New Community Church Football Club (nccfc).

The team plays Saturday afternoons, kicking off @ 1:30. Home games are played at Waring Park, Sidcup.

Training:

During the seasonwe train every Thursday at 8pm at a local school, focusing on anaerobic fitness and individual skills.

In the off-seasonwe have a casual ‘kick-about’ on Monday evenings at Waring Park from 7:30pm till…we’ve had enough or it gets dark!

We are always pleased to welcome new members of all abilities. For more information contact team manager Gary Panton via office@newcommunitychurch.org.uk.

Click here to download a player registration form.

Gary

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September Update

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 04:17:27 GMT

September 2010: With the first game of the new season scheduled for 2nd October at home to Coney Hall, training is due (Thursday 23rd September) to move indoors to our winter facility at a local school 19:45 – 21:15.

Pre-Season has been very encouraging with an increasing number of new players training regularly recruited from; via the Church web site, students and existing church members.

The Club:

The team plays Saturday afternoons, kicking off between 1:30 & 2pm. Home games are played at Waring Park, Sidcup.

Training:

During the season we train every Thursday at 8pm at a local school, focusing on anaerobic fitness and individual skills.

In the off-season we have a casual ‘kick-about’ on Monday evenings at Waring Park from 7:30pm till…we’ve had enough or it gets dark!

Further details, including fixtures and results, can be found on the Bromley & Croydon Christian Football League’s web page. We are always pleased to welcome new members of all abilities. For more information contact team manager Gary Panton via office@newcommunitychurch.org.uk.

Click here to download a player registration form.

Gary

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