Newsletter - October 2002

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Page 2 When Sunday Comes
Season So Far

The waiting is over and the season has started. 11-a-side, bigger pitch, bigger goals, offside, etc. Am I enjoying it? You bet I am.

We have now played five games and won 2, drawn 2, lost 1, Scored 15 and conceded 10 leaving us in a healthy position of sixth.

Despite losing the first game at Shrivenham, I felt that the signs looked good. The new lads fitted in well and the lads were generally adapting well to the changes, especially the offside rule. Even though the lads were 4-1 down at half time, they showed tremendous

character to battle on in the second half, scoring one, conceding none and going close on a few occasions that could have snatched a draw.

The second game against Shaw was even better. The whole team improved and again they showed great character coming from behind to earn a deserved draw.

Then came our first win against Stratton Youth, scoring five without conceding. Some of the football was a joy to watch.

And our final game in September was away to Ferndale, where we picked up another point

to give us an unbeaten run of three games.

In my opinion, the lads have adapted quicker than I expected, and to have only lost one game in five is a solid start which has given us a platform to build on. We are scoring goals regularly, and from a number of players, which is encouraging.

If success is based on enjoyment and development, then in my opinion, we will have a successful season.

Thank You.

Codes of Conduct

The Codes of Conduct are documents that relate to the manner in which Players, Parents and all Club Officials conduct themselves while representing Purton Football Club.

These Codes of Conduct may seem unnecessary for children’s football, but we believe that conduct and behaviour is just as important as winning. We are not saying that we are happy in defeat if our conduct is good, however, do we

want to win at all costs? The answer is NO. We DO want to win, but win playing good football and within the laws of the game. We do not want to lose games because of our conduct.

Each game, players and supporters are judged and marked accordingly by the opposition. These results are then forwarded to the Swindon and District league. I feel just as much pride for good conduct as winning.

Several of these codes of conduct have been completed and are currently available on the web site for Purton Village.

Upon completion of these codes, and after a review, these codes will be issued as a handbook to each and every player.

So watch this space.

Football Association Coca-Cola Soccer Star Challenge

As you may recall from the last newsletter, one of the items was the Coca-Cola Star Awards.

The Soccer Star Challenge is a soccer coaching, learning and assessment programme, for boys and girls aged 6-16 years.

The programme consists of practices and games to enable children to learn essential soccer

techniques, together with six simple reliable tests.

Six grades or stars are available to be awarded on the basis of the test scores of the child and the 'norms' for the child at that age. Certificates and/or badges are awarded to reward the children for their level of ability.

These tests include running with the ball, turning with the ball, speed,

dribbling, heading and shooting.

The tests will reflect the technical ability of the players in these techniques, and set their own benchmarks to improve upon.

It is my intention to do the first of these tests in the up and coming weeks. I look forward to rewarding the lads for their efforts.