Extra Friendly match confirmed

7pm, Thurs 6th Jan v Effra Academicals. Stadium Pitch, Crystal Palace.

End of year round up

I've just checked our records. Big thankyou to Daniel Knowles who is the only person to have  attended all 8 of our sessions since our move to the Dome. Daniel  turns up on time every week, keeps in touch between games, pays on time and plays really well on a consistent basis.  Daniel's commitment  and reliability has made a big contribution to the club and Daniel has set the standard for others to aspire to in terms of overall contribution to the cause. Lots of other players have made similarly excellent contributions, including Sam D who attended  6 sessions out of 6 before going for a shoulder operation that will keep him out of action until next summer.
   Well done to Fabio who  has ended the year as top scorer - although 10 different  players got on the scoresheet  in the course of our first seven 11 a side matches.

Seventh Heaven

Seven a side and a 7-7 scoreline. Great way to finish the year.
Four Dome debutants helped to ensure we had enough players for a good session. On the other hand, a club record 10 people didn't show up having said they would be there!!.... (club rule changes to follow as a result.)
There was lots of nice attacking football on show and some spectacular goals. There would have been lots more goals but for a fantastic display in nets from Alex Hill.
Next Session is Tues 4th Jan . Hope to see everyone there. Also possible extra bonus  11 a side on Thurs 6th jan - details to follow.

Shirts

With over 30 club members and 15 shirts we may need some extra kit in the new year.
Firstly, please everyone , double check at home that you haven't accidentally stockpiled any shirts.
I'll order a couple of spare shirts  for the club early in Jan.
If anyone wants a shirt for themslves, let me know. Short sleeve shirts with badge cost £12.60 and Long sleeve  shirts cost £15 . You can have your name printed on the back for an extra £4 and a squad number of you choice printed for an extra £2.

Dome session Confirmed for tonight.

Business as usual despite the snow. Let's all get there by 6.30 so we can be ready to play at 6.45pm.

slideshow

Here are the rest of the pics from the  FC Inter game. Maybe we should start taking photos/films of some of our games. Any volunteers?

Southside FC 2, Grafton 1.

Two on the bounce! Another great result but more importantly , another great team performance. We dominated possession and could have won by four or five,  but for an excellent display from Grafton's keeper.
Having gone behind against the run of play to a Grafton counter attack, Southside played their way back into the game.  Bilal got on the end of a quality Dan K cross to head the Mighty Reds level before half time. When Malek put us 2-1 ahead in the second half it was nothing more than we deserved.
Thanks to everyone who came down on a cold night. Special thanks to Fabio who resisted the lure of Man Utd v Arsenal on Sky. Big apologies to Dan W and Dan K, who didn't get on the pitch in the second half. I'll make sure it evens out in future matches. I'll stick to touchline duties for the cup game to make sure the subs run smoothly.
Great debut from Sonny and really nice to see Obinna back in Action for Southside.
Once again, well done  to everyone. It's a big acheivement to dominate a match against a team who cut us to shreds in a 5-0 demolition  just 3 months ago.

Action Shots

Big thanks to Kostas from FC Inter who has sent through loads of great photos from the titanic 5-3 clash in November. I'll add the rest as a slideshow soon.

Match ON tonight!!

Great news - Let's all be at the stadium by 7.30 ready for an 8pm kick off.

Spread the news.

Cup fixture confirmed

MON 10TH JAN v MRC EWELL, 8.30 K.O

New date for Cup fixture

Mon 10th Jan has been proposed for the delayed cup fixture v MRC Ewell.
Hope that's ok for everyone.
See you all on Monday for the Grafton match.

Christmas present

Apologies to everyone who had to wait outside in the cold  for last night's session. Palace have been really good about it though, and have offered us a free Dome session as compensation. Also they say they will book us in from 6.45pm  for future sessions at no extra charge.

It was a very enjoyable session last night - although we only just had enough players  for 6 a side - thanks to Scott for bringing a friend along to make up numbers. Please invite friends down next week - We've got 42 club members but attendance levels are low so we really need 4 more regular, reliable players.

Next Monday 13th at 8pm we have a tough 11 a side match  scheduled on the stadium pitch against Grafton. The pitch is frozen at the moment but the forecast is for warmer weather at the weekend so its 50/50 whether the game will go ahead. If it's cancelled we'll play in the Dome on Tuesday 14th instead. I'll contact everyone  on Monday morning to confirm.
Please contact me now to confirm availablity for both dates.

Tonight's Cup Game Cancelled! Frozen pitch

Match to be re-arranged shortly.
We've got the Dome pitch tomorrow, Tuesday, instead. 6.30-8pm

Snow Update

Palace  will do a pitch inspection on Monday morning. It's more than likely that they will cancel the Cup fixture on Monday  but we live in hope so bring your kit to work on Monday just in case.

If we don't play on Monday, we can definitely have  the Dome pitch on Tues, 6.30-8pm as usual.

Please keep in touch  so i know whether you can make it for either of these dates, and please spread the word to any team mates who may not have read this message.

Dome session cancelled Tonight

Palace have called to cancel the booking for tonight - roads and car parks around Palace are too dangerous.

The weather forecast is looking bad but the cup game on Monday 6th is still on for now.
I'll know by Fri if it is likely to be cancelled. plan B is to play in the Dome next Tues 7th instead.

Extra 11 a- side

V Grafton - Mon 13th Dec - to be confirmed in next couple of days.

Reds 4, Yellows 8,

I hope everyone enjoyed the friendly practice match last night on the grass at Palace Stadium.

One last minute cancellation and six no shows meant that  it was 9 a side with no subs! 

The Reds paid the price for much too much negativity in the first half and went in 6-1 down, but roared back in the second half , aided by a  strategic keeper swap and Alex hill's rib injury.

Lots of positives as ever, but last night showed again that good teamwork wins games. The most talented 11 players don't necessarily make the best team and i'll bear that in mind when picking the team for the Dec 6th cup clash.

Check out the short clip above - it gives us a glimpse of MRC Ewell in MI Cup action against Effra. They are a dangerous team, but  they look (very)vulnerable from set pieces.

11 A side Next Week!!

Palace have just called to say they've made a mistake with the Dome pitch booking for next Tues 23rd Nov.
Happily though, they've offered us the grass Stadium Pitch as an alternative.
Match kick off 8pm. Oppo tbc. Meet 7.15pm.

Let me know ASAP if you  are available for this game.

Dome session - 16th Nov

A really enjoyable , relaxed session last night, capped by a stunning volley from in form striker Dan W.
It was fantastic to welcome  Ian Wint back into the Southside Football fold too.
We've got the dome pitch through to next year now so we can look forward to lots more warm dry nights of winter football.
One thing though: Numbers -By Monday night I had 23 people asking to attend - by Tuesday lunchtime  it was down to 18. With 5 no shows on the night we had 13 players - just enough for a good session. Spread the word - it's no problem if you can't come, but you really must let me know so i have time book someone else in your place.
  Grafton FC have asked us to play them before Christmas - anyone up for an extra 11 a side fixture? It would either be at Palace or Dulwich.
See you all next week.

Effra 1, MRC Ewell 5.

Last night's result means that a win against Ewell will see Southside through into the quarter finals of the MI Cup. Ewell deserved their win although the scoreline flatters them. Effra froze on the night and never really got going against a team that Effra had hammered 5-2 earlier this year.. Ewell fielded a young team and Effra didn't get to grips with Ewell's pace and fitness.
The game on Dec 6th will be a tough challenge  for Southside , but Ewell do look beatable. We'll need to improve our tactical discipline and play to our potential but a win is there for the taking.

Cup Update

Effra Academicals play MRC Ewell in a crucial Millenium Cup Group E match tomorrow. We'll know after the game exactly what we have to do to progress when we play MRC Ewell in the final Group E tie on December 6th.
Scores will posted on this site.

Golden Boot

With one 11 a side to go in this year, Southside's Brazillian striker, Fabio, leads the chase for the 2010 Golden Boot. Fabio is unavailable for the  next match so will  Fabio be overtaken? After last week's performance, Dan W must fancy his chances to overhaul his strike partner.

Southside 5, FC Internazionale 3

What a great win for the mighty reds. Having given FC Inter an early 1 goal lead , Southside roared back with a powerful display. Dan W and Fabio  capped terrific first half performances with a goal each  before the interval, but with men committed forward,Southside still looked vulnerable to FC Inter's counter attacks.We need not have worried though. As Half time approached Scott hammered home  one of the best goals i've seen for a long time. The ref blew for the interval as the shot crashed into the back of the net:3-1.
     In the second half  Southside picked up where they left off with great performances all over the pitch.
Neill, Mark, and Alex Howard  formed an excellent defensive unit, ably assisted at CB by Yusuf , who showed his versatility with a really solid performance  after replacing the injured Alex Hill.Although FC Inter managed two goals in the second half,a brace from Tariq and Fabio  took the game beyond  the team in white.
Tariq tormented FC inter down the left with his pace and Daniel Knowles  excuded calmness and class on the right.Bilal and Malek dominated in the middle.Jason had some good touches when he came on after half time and Sam showed promise with a  solid, determined debut performance up front.Big thanks to Idris  who  calmly slotted into several positions throughout the game.
  All round, an excellent match played in a good spirit. Southside FC  is all about playing football for fun, but it's funny how you have even more fun when you win. If we play like this in December we'll have a good chance of progressing in the cup. Most of all though , i was proud last night of the treamwork and positive spirit shown by the whole squad. Roll on next Tuesday.

Southside v FC Inter

I'm really looking forward to next week's 11 a side vs FC inter. We've never played them before so we'll need to prepare for a tough challenge. It's our last 11 a side game before the Milennium cup tie on Dec 6th.
A lot of people want to play in this game - 20 at the last count, so if you want to play you must re-confirm that you intend to play and you must pay  before you play.
  As ever, the emphasis will be on teamwork - we want to play good , simple football, with everyone looking to make simple passes and working hard to close the opposition down when we lose possession.
Usual rules apply, no showboating, no ball hogging, no deliberate fouls. everyone must communicate clearly to teammates, but no negative comments.
   Bring a spare red shirt just in case - I only have 5 of the original 15 shirts at the moment.
see you all next week. 8pm kick off. Meet 7.30pm. Floodlights on from 7.45pm.

Dome pitch success

After the success of the first dome pitch session, i'm confident that this will become a regular booking.
Friends welcome as per, but do try to let me know  in advance who is coming  as numbers will be capped at 20 per session.
Don't forget, the next  11 a side is on Mon 8th November, so if you want to be in the squad for that, come to the Dome pitch session on Tues, train hard and bring your cash for the big game.

Dome pitch 8 a sides confirmed

Tuesdays 8 a side football ,7-8pm. Meet 6.30pm at the Dome, behind Crystal Palace Sports Centre.
Club members, please bring £30 for the block booking till christmas. Guests welcome @ £3 per session.

Southside 0, Longmead Tuesday1

Southside  somehow lost a game in which they had the lion's share of possession and the vast majority of chances. As always , Southside played with pride and passion but went away empty handed after longmead scored with a clinical finish late in the game. The Southside goal rarely seemed under threat,  but despite numerous half chances Southside were unable to equalise. Actually, Southside's best chance came early in the first half when Colin's excellent long range shot just failed to dip in time, with the excellent Longmead keeper beaten.
   As ever , there are lots of positives to take into the next game. Roll on next Tuesday.

Training and next match

Anyone who wants to be considered for the squad for the next match on 11th Oct needs to attend training next week on Mon, Oct 4th.
Thanks to everyone who participated in an enjoyable training session this week - Alex H, Yusuf, Daniel K, Jason, Shane and Kelvin.

Kit

I should be able to get hold of 6 or 7 pairs of black shorts for free - enough for everyone who doesn't already own a pair i hope.

That just leaves socks. It would be good to get matching kit - we might need to chip in a couple of quid each to buy a set of socks.

Now we've stopped losing we need to sharpen up our image.

New fixture dates

Two new fixture dates have been confirmed for 11 a side matches at Crystal Palace  Athletics Stadium.
In addition to Mon Oct 11th , we also have the pitch booked for Mon Nov 8th and Mon Dec 6th. Oppo TBC. Kickoff 8.00pm

In addition we have the opportunity to use the Crystal Palace Academy indoor 3/4 size training pitch  - it's in the big white dome behind the Crystal palace Sports centre. Let me know if anyone is up for this?

Training -Film

I managed to miss all of the goals - quite an achievement - 

there were lots of goals -

 got a couple of great misses though.

Training session

Modest turnout tonight but lots of effort and some good football on display. Session didn't finish until 7.45 so we got our money's worth. Two more practice sessions before our next match on Oct 11th.

We could have had a match next Mon, but not enough money collected to pay for a full pitch so it's 8a side training again next week , from 6pm

Big thanks to tonight's attendees: Alex H , Danny, Alex SFL, Daniel K,  Yusuf,  Malek, Kelvin, Luis S.

Effra Academicals 2, Southside FC 2

Where do i start? A great contest and a good result. We we're unlucky not to win a game in which we twice took the lead. We've still got a lot to learn but there are lots of positives to take from the game.Fantastic commitment shown by all players and quite a bit of really good football too.The group stage is wide open - a victory against MRC Ewell would probably be enough to see us progress to the quarter final so there's everything to play for. We've got plenty to discuss and work on in training, in terms both of football and club rules. Suffice to say for now that the club has a strict zero tolerance policy in relation to physical violence and verbal aggression. Any player breaching this rule will cease to be a club member. Southside FC exists to promote respect, tolerance and fair play. All Southside FC players must show full respect to opponents, teammates and referees at all times. If anyone has a problem with this, then Southside FC is not the club for you.
  Monday sees the start of our regular 6pm booking at Dulwich , so lets all relax, have fun and enjoy playing the game we all love.

We're in the Cup!

We've been drawn with Effra Academicals in the group stage of this year's MI Cup. This opens up the possibility of designating this week's fixture as a cup game. More detail to follow.

UPDATE: GAME NOW CONFIRMED AS CUP TIE

Forthcoming events and Money

If you want to play this Thurs, come to training on Mon and bring your £5 subs for the match.
Likewise, if you want to play at Dulwich next Mon, bring £5 THIS  Mon so that we can pay in advance.
All booked events are subject to cancellation if insufficient money is collected in advance, so put your hands in your packet to ensure the survival of your club.

Ex Southside player makes good

In our first ever game , this June , Big Dean Marney  helped us out by playing for Southside vs Effra Academicals. Everyone at the game realised that he was far too good to play at our level. Three games later he is still our top scorer. Shortly after the match Big Dean was snapped up by Ryman Premier League semi pro side Harrow Borough. Click here to read about Big Dean's exploits against Birmingham City, a few weeks after he played for us. Big Dean is now a regular for  Harrow and is playing really well.

Certitude Football Fun day

This event was a big success. Around 40 staff and customers took their opportunity to play in  one of the 2 matches at Ravenscourt Park. For many people it was a first opportunity to play in an organised 11 a side match.Top scorer on the day Was Daniel Keynes. Daniel just gets better and better each week. Players were cheered on by a large crowd before a downpour sent everyone rushing to the pub for post match drinks.

Effra Academicals 4 , Southside 1

Last night we showed that we have the potential to be competitive at this level.
Everyone played with passion and commitment but ultimately we defeated ourselves by getting the basics wrong.
For the first half hour we did magnificently despite having only 10 men. Big thanks to Jason who had only come down to watch, for rising to the challenge and filling in when we were were short of players.Several players had to play out of position and some were out of the stadium as the ref blew his whistle for the game to start
As the game began, i found myself in goal, bracing myself for the inevitable onslaught. To my relief and surprise we played some really good , neat and tidy passing football. We played as a team  and kept things positive. As a result we almost scored within 3 minutes. By half time all of our players finally arrived but we were 3-0 down. I can only apologise for their first goal. Enough said.
In the second half,with a strong team on the pitch we made things hard for ourselves. Too much negativity and too may people wanting to be heroes, trying win the game on their own. Football doesn't work like that.
One of their team said to me after the match that we'll be a good side once we start playing as a team.He was right.
I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. I did, despite everything. We're playing the same team again in 4 weeks time. I'm looking forward to it already. Once again, well done to everyone for all of your efforts. Next time we might even win.

Certitude Football Fun day and picnic

Certitude is hosting a football fun day and picnic at Ravenscourt park, Hammersmith on Weds 8th September from 1pm - 5pm.
There will be a Southside v Support For Living football match - probably 7 a side. We need to get a team together . Anyone interested?

M.I Cup invitation

Southside FC has been invited to participate in a local cup competition - the M.I cup.
It would be a big challenge for us to enter a competition, but as cups go, the MI cup is about as friendly and informal as it gets. e.g rolling subs allowed. Some teams are Sunday league teams and others are mid-week friendly teams like us. Entry is  £20 per club.
18 Teams compete in total. The first round comprises 6 mini leagues of 3 teams , with 6 winners and the 2 best runners up progressing to the knock out stages.
if we want to participate we'll need to sign up in the next week or so. Group stage games are played between September and  December . We'll be paired with other midweek teams in the group stage.
Let's decide this week.

Next game

Looks like we've got  a decent squad for the next game vs Effra Academicals.
On Monday we can look at the team and tactics and we need to pick a captain and a couple of vice captains.

Southside v Grafton

Just a few seconds footage captured of our second ever 11 a side game