I'm sorry to announce that one of my local sides, Silsden Sunday, have folded.
I can't say I'm surprised by this, baring in mind that they failed to raise a team for their scheduled game on Sunday.
They also have the dubious honour of having twice broken the record for the worst defeats in the Premier Division of the Bradford Sunday Alliance league, this season, as they have been beaten 14-0 and 19-0.
This is particularly disappointing for a team that a few seasons back reached the last 16 of the FA Sunday Cup and played in at least one West Riding County Sunday Cup final.
Amazingly, I heard a bizarre rumour today that they still intend to play in the Sunday Cup!! As their withdrawl from the league has been verbally confirmed to my Dad by a league official, I doubt this will happen.
However, a precedent has been set by another local side, Stanley Road, who like Silsden, suffered a dreadful start to the 2004/05 season and withdrew from the Bradford Sunday Alliance after playing only a few games. They somehow kept this information from the FA and played Fantail (MF Logistics) from Liverpool, losing 6-0, so I for one will be interested to see if the game goes ahead.
The FA Sunday Cup blog
Wednesday 29 September 2010
Saturday 25 September 2010
The Danger Men...A preview of the the teams to avoid
With the Preliminary round starting tomorrow, I thought I’d preview some of the teams that I believe will contest the competition’s latter stages.
For the regular followers of the competition, this preview will not contain many surprises, as I my ‘top tips’ are the teams with a solid track record, however, I have included a couple of the lesser fancied sides as well.
Birstall Stamford
Current Charnwood Sunday League champions, they have reached the semi finals of the Sunday Cup on three occasions.
They also have reached the second round without playing a game, due to the withdrawal of their scheduled opponents, Warstones Wanderers.
I thought they would be a cert to reach the quarter finals but they have had a very poor start to the season, losing their opening games 6-0 (to fellow Sunday Cup entrants Loughborough Falcons) and 4-1, so it will be interesting to see how they fare this season.
Hetton Lyons CC
What can you say about them that hasn’t already been said? Absolute Sunday Cup legends, the first team to lift the Cup three times.
They dominate Sunday football in Durham, winning 9 of the last 10 Durham & District league Premier Division titles and have lifted the Durham County FA Sunday Cup for the last 5 seasons!
Despite the above achievements and winning countless other honours, Hetton have never retained the Sunday Cup and I would think they are desperate to achieve this.
One thing’s for sure, they will be tough to beat and any team capable of beating them, will probably go on to win the Sunday Cup, as happened in 2007 (when Coundon Cons beat Hetton on penalties in the second round) and in 2009, when Scots Grey beat Hetton 1-0 in the 4th round.
They certainly mean business this season, as they have a 100% record after seven games (including two cup matches) and have scored 39 goals in the process!! Without a doubt, they are the team to beat.
Huddersfield Irish Centre
Quarter finalists two seasons ago, they pulled off a stunning fight back to beat 2009 runners up Oyster Martyrs last season. There was certainly no shame in their 4th round 1-0 loss at Hetton Lyons, especially when you bear in mind that Hetton had scored 15 goals in the first three rounds and conceded none.
Huddersfield & District Sunday League champions for the last three seasons, they have certainly been in the goals in their opening two league matches, beating Leeds Road Wanderers by 20-4 and Rose and Crown 9-1!!
Providing they can avoid Hetton Lyons, I can see the Irish reaching the semi finals (now I’ve stuck my neck out and said that, they will probably go out in the 1st round!!)
Lebeqs Tavern Courage
Lebeqs are one of the competition’s mainstays and have reached a level of consistency that few teams can match. You have to go back to the 2003/04 season to find the last time that Lebeqs failed to reach at least the last 16.
Runners up in 2006/07, Lebeqs have been a major force in Bristol Sunday football for years, racking up countless league and cup titles and will once again prove a stern test for any team.
However, the current Bristol and District Sunday league champions are Hanham Sunday, who didn’t lose a league game last season, scored an impressive 61 goals in 14 games, and conceded only 8. They also lifted the Gloucestershire County FA Sunday Premier (South) Cup and are my outside tip for a place in the last 8.
Magnet Tavern
Last season’s runners up hail from the Spalding Sunday League and besides reaching the final, are probably best known for fielding former England U21 international Julian Joachim last season (although he didn’t play in the final).
Magnet have reached at least the last 16 for the last 3 seasons but it will be interesting to see how they cope without their successful manager, John Chand, who is now in charge of United Counties league side Holbeach United. A few weeks after unveiling Chand as their manager, Holbeach signed…Julian Joachim.
Oyster Martyrs
Another former runner up, the Croxeth side enjoyed their moment in the national spotlight, due to there biggest fan…Wayne Rooney, whose Uncle manages the team (his brother and cousin play for them)
If for nothing else, they deserve respect for winning the Premier Division title of one of the Country’s toughest competitions, the Liverpool & District league. Oyster have made a good start to their domestic campaign, beating fellow Sunday Cup competitors Dengo United 7-0 and Lobster 4-1.
Another team to avoid, the Oyster’s will take some beating and I would love to see them battle against Hetton in the quarters or semi finals, or even another epic clash against Huddersfield Irish.
Witton Park Rose and Crown
Members of the Wear Valley Sunday League, this will be Witton’s 3rd season in the Sunday Cup and they will be keen to avoid Oyster Martyrs, who have ended their interest in the previous two seasons (Witton reached the quarter finals in their debut season).
Witton are another team to have made a perfect start to their league campaign and they certainly don’t hang about in the Wear Valley league, as Witton have already played 6 games!! They have won the lot, scoring 26 goals and conceding 5.
Witton are certainly dangerous opponents, who had the misfortune to receive 2 tough draws last season. By all accounts, their 1st round game against Kelloe WMC was an absolute cracker, with Witton victorious by the odd goal in 7!! Then they played Oyster again, losing 4-2 in the 2nd round.
Providing they can avoid some of the ‘big guns’, I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see Witton reach the last 8 again.
Speaking of Kelloe, they are another team that I believe are capable of progressing to the latter stages of the competition. Currently second in the Durham and District league, Premier Division, Kelloe have only lost one of their six league games so far.
Apart from the above mentioned Bristol sides, there has been a definite Northern/Midlands bias to most of my ‘top tips’. This is primarily to do with the success of teams from those areas over the last 10 years or so.
So in an attempt to even things up, I was going to extol the virtues of Wycombe Town, who made the last 8 in the debut season two years ago and lost a 4th round game to Lebeq last season.
Unfortunately, Wycombe have recently withdrawn from the Sunday Cup. I’m not sure why, although their website confirms that they have a new management team in place and that they have lost two leagues games already this season. Not too much wrong with that, you may think, but Wycombe only lost 2 leagues matches during the previous 3 seasons!!
Perhaps their new management team thought they weren’t ready for the Sunday Cup yet. I hope they enter next season.
Another reason for featuring mostly Northern sides is that being based in West Yorkshire, these are the sides I get to watch!! I can’t say I have expert knowledge of Sunday football in the South, so I was going to play it safe and feature Hazelhurst of the Morden & District league and Sungate of the Essex Corinthian.
Both sides were new entrants last season and they met in a quarter final tie, with Hazelhurst winning 4-1. Hazelhurst were beaten 2-1 in the semi by Hetton Lyons. However, neither side has entered this season!!
So, apart from the Bristol sides, it appears that the Southern half of the competition is wide open.
For the regular followers of the competition, this preview will not contain many surprises, as I my ‘top tips’ are the teams with a solid track record, however, I have included a couple of the lesser fancied sides as well.
Birstall Stamford
Current Charnwood Sunday League champions, they have reached the semi finals of the Sunday Cup on three occasions.
They also have reached the second round without playing a game, due to the withdrawal of their scheduled opponents, Warstones Wanderers.
I thought they would be a cert to reach the quarter finals but they have had a very poor start to the season, losing their opening games 6-0 (to fellow Sunday Cup entrants Loughborough Falcons) and 4-1, so it will be interesting to see how they fare this season.
Hetton Lyons CC
What can you say about them that hasn’t already been said? Absolute Sunday Cup legends, the first team to lift the Cup three times.
They dominate Sunday football in Durham, winning 9 of the last 10 Durham & District league Premier Division titles and have lifted the Durham County FA Sunday Cup for the last 5 seasons!
Despite the above achievements and winning countless other honours, Hetton have never retained the Sunday Cup and I would think they are desperate to achieve this.
One thing’s for sure, they will be tough to beat and any team capable of beating them, will probably go on to win the Sunday Cup, as happened in 2007 (when Coundon Cons beat Hetton on penalties in the second round) and in 2009, when Scots Grey beat Hetton 1-0 in the 4th round.
They certainly mean business this season, as they have a 100% record after seven games (including two cup matches) and have scored 39 goals in the process!! Without a doubt, they are the team to beat.
Huddersfield Irish Centre
Quarter finalists two seasons ago, they pulled off a stunning fight back to beat 2009 runners up Oyster Martyrs last season. There was certainly no shame in their 4th round 1-0 loss at Hetton Lyons, especially when you bear in mind that Hetton had scored 15 goals in the first three rounds and conceded none.
Huddersfield & District Sunday League champions for the last three seasons, they have certainly been in the goals in their opening two league matches, beating Leeds Road Wanderers by 20-4 and Rose and Crown 9-1!!
Providing they can avoid Hetton Lyons, I can see the Irish reaching the semi finals (now I’ve stuck my neck out and said that, they will probably go out in the 1st round!!)
Lebeqs Tavern Courage
Lebeqs are one of the competition’s mainstays and have reached a level of consistency that few teams can match. You have to go back to the 2003/04 season to find the last time that Lebeqs failed to reach at least the last 16.
Runners up in 2006/07, Lebeqs have been a major force in Bristol Sunday football for years, racking up countless league and cup titles and will once again prove a stern test for any team.
However, the current Bristol and District Sunday league champions are Hanham Sunday, who didn’t lose a league game last season, scored an impressive 61 goals in 14 games, and conceded only 8. They also lifted the Gloucestershire County FA Sunday Premier (South) Cup and are my outside tip for a place in the last 8.
Magnet Tavern
Last season’s runners up hail from the Spalding Sunday League and besides reaching the final, are probably best known for fielding former England U21 international Julian Joachim last season (although he didn’t play in the final).
Magnet have reached at least the last 16 for the last 3 seasons but it will be interesting to see how they cope without their successful manager, John Chand, who is now in charge of United Counties league side Holbeach United. A few weeks after unveiling Chand as their manager, Holbeach signed…Julian Joachim.
Oyster Martyrs
Another former runner up, the Croxeth side enjoyed their moment in the national spotlight, due to there biggest fan…Wayne Rooney, whose Uncle manages the team (his brother and cousin play for them)
If for nothing else, they deserve respect for winning the Premier Division title of one of the Country’s toughest competitions, the Liverpool & District league. Oyster have made a good start to their domestic campaign, beating fellow Sunday Cup competitors Dengo United 7-0 and Lobster 4-1.
Another team to avoid, the Oyster’s will take some beating and I would love to see them battle against Hetton in the quarters or semi finals, or even another epic clash against Huddersfield Irish.
Witton Park Rose and Crown
Members of the Wear Valley Sunday League, this will be Witton’s 3rd season in the Sunday Cup and they will be keen to avoid Oyster Martyrs, who have ended their interest in the previous two seasons (Witton reached the quarter finals in their debut season).
Witton are another team to have made a perfect start to their league campaign and they certainly don’t hang about in the Wear Valley league, as Witton have already played 6 games!! They have won the lot, scoring 26 goals and conceding 5.
Witton are certainly dangerous opponents, who had the misfortune to receive 2 tough draws last season. By all accounts, their 1st round game against Kelloe WMC was an absolute cracker, with Witton victorious by the odd goal in 7!! Then they played Oyster again, losing 4-2 in the 2nd round.
Providing they can avoid some of the ‘big guns’, I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see Witton reach the last 8 again.
Speaking of Kelloe, they are another team that I believe are capable of progressing to the latter stages of the competition. Currently second in the Durham and District league, Premier Division, Kelloe have only lost one of their six league games so far.
Apart from the above mentioned Bristol sides, there has been a definite Northern/Midlands bias to most of my ‘top tips’. This is primarily to do with the success of teams from those areas over the last 10 years or so.
So in an attempt to even things up, I was going to extol the virtues of Wycombe Town, who made the last 8 in the debut season two years ago and lost a 4th round game to Lebeq last season.
Unfortunately, Wycombe have recently withdrawn from the Sunday Cup. I’m not sure why, although their website confirms that they have a new management team in place and that they have lost two leagues games already this season. Not too much wrong with that, you may think, but Wycombe only lost 2 leagues matches during the previous 3 seasons!!
Perhaps their new management team thought they weren’t ready for the Sunday Cup yet. I hope they enter next season.
Another reason for featuring mostly Northern sides is that being based in West Yorkshire, these are the sides I get to watch!! I can’t say I have expert knowledge of Sunday football in the South, so I was going to play it safe and feature Hazelhurst of the Morden & District league and Sungate of the Essex Corinthian.
Both sides were new entrants last season and they met in a quarter final tie, with Hazelhurst winning 4-1. Hazelhurst were beaten 2-1 in the semi by Hetton Lyons. However, neither side has entered this season!!
So, apart from the Bristol sides, it appears that the Southern half of the competition is wide open.
Sandon Dock withdraw
Sandon Dock have become the 4th casualty, as they have withdrawn from their preliminary round game against Oak Tree Pub, who are now away at Salisbury Athletic in the first round.
Wednesday 22 September 2010
Wycombe Town withdraw from Sunday Cup
Wycombe Town, quarter finalists 2 seasons and good enough to reach the last 16 last season, have surprisingly become the 3rd team to withdraw from the competition.
Their schedules opponents, Silsoe Park Rangers from the North Home Counties league, now have a walkover in to the 2nd round.
When my limited spare time allows, I was working on a preview of sides I thought would reach the last 8 this season. Wycombe were one of the teams I was going to feature!! Back to the drawing board on that then!!
Their schedules opponents, Silsoe Park Rangers from the North Home Counties league, now have a walkover in to the 2nd round.
When my limited spare time allows, I was working on a preview of sides I thought would reach the last 8 this season. Wycombe were one of the teams I was going to feature!! Back to the drawing board on that then!!
Thursday 9 September 2010
Possible 1st round double header
As London Maccabi Lions v Enfield Rangers are kicking off at 11:15 in Barnet, there could well be the potential to watch two 1st round games, as the afternoon matches are all scheduled for a 2:00 kick off.
Saturday 4 September 2010
Another one bites the dust...
Wisbech St Mary have become the second side to withdraw from the competition before its even begun.
The team from the Kings Lynn Sunday league were due to travel to Cannock Chase, to face Belt Road, who now have a walkover in to the 2nd round.
Hopefully, there will be no more withdrawal's but I wouldn't bank on it.
The team from the Kings Lynn Sunday league were due to travel to Cannock Chase, to face Belt Road, who now have a walkover in to the 2nd round.
Hopefully, there will be no more withdrawal's but I wouldn't bank on it.
Thursday 2 September 2010
It didn't take long...
Warstones Wanderers of the Wolverhampton & District SL have become the first casualties in the Sunday Cup, before they have even played a game in it!!
They have withdrawn from the competition, so their opponents, 3 time semi finalists Birstall Stamford of the Charnwood SL, have a walkover in to the 2nd round.
Unfortunately, hardly a season goes by without a team (sometimes more than one) withdrawing before the competition has started. Lets hope there are no more.
They have withdrawn from the competition, so their opponents, 3 time semi finalists Birstall Stamford of the Charnwood SL, have a walkover in to the 2nd round.
Unfortunately, hardly a season goes by without a team (sometimes more than one) withdrawing before the competition has started. Lets hope there are no more.
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