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In this issue….

3. A Commercial View

Editorial from the Club’s

Commercial Manager

4. Cup Final Day

A round up of the Rotherfield

FC’s 1st team cup final

5. Junior Funday, Snack Bar &

Other Stuff

A round up of the day and

some further information.

6. A Day In The Life Of…

This is a typical match day and

the week leading up to for Jim

Harwood.

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Brave Under 16’s Took Defeat

Rotherfield FC’s Under 16 squad

became only the second team in the

Club’s relatively short history to reach

a Cup Final.

On Sunday 31st March the boys made

the short trip to the Crowborough

Community Stadium to face fellow A

Division opponents Ridgewaye FC.

Despite a brave effort and a large

Rotherfield crowd, the young greens

of the future were out played and lost

3-0.

However, read on to see how Jim

Harwood’s squad did in the league!

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A Commercial View

We have come to the time of year

that I really enjoy and looking back

on another long season. I can look

back on this season and be proud on

what the Club has achieved as a

whole. Success is not just about lifting

that coveted trophy at this level of

football, that is just a bonus, success is

about knowing that your Club is ran

properly and is able to do things that

other Clubs can’t or may not want to

do. A good example of this is when

our Senior 1st Team were led out onto

the pitch at the Montgomery Cup

Final in May by 15 Junior members.

Another Cup Final that we were

involved in was the Under 16 Knock

Out Cup, which was attended by

many parents and also Senior players

(featured on the right of this page).

These events really show a great Club

unity, that both Juniors and Seniors

are part of one Club.

For some years now, Rotherfield FC

has invested much time and effort

into getting the Club where it is

today. A fantastic Junior set-up,

involving players of all abilities, which

our Seniors are now earnestly starting

to reap the rewards of and a great

Senior Section which has three great

squads which are constantly

developing and getting better year

on year. This is what I believe having

a successful Club is about. Three

people who have been instrumental

in the Junior success are Peter Ford,

Roddy Harman and Karen Rodemark.

As you will have heard, these three

are stepping down from their roles,

however Pete has agreed to stay as

‘interim Chairman’ until a suitable

replacement is found.

Attaining this level of success is about

following a good ethos, which

Rotherfield tries to do. We may not

always get it right but our intentions

are always there. We want to give

everyone that chance to play

football, but we are also here to listen

if you think there is something that the

Club or even just your child’s coach

or Club staff could do differently no

matter how small it may be. But

before you make that suggestion, we

also would encourage people to

think ‘Is there something I can do to

help?’ For example, if there was a

scenario where you felt that your

child’s squad doesn’t warm up as

well as it should why not offer to help

take the warm up and maybe inject

some fresh ideas in to the squad.

Have you ever missed out on a Club

event because you didn’t know

about it but you would have liked to

have gone? Perhaps you could help

advertise the event.

The Club needs more people to get

involved, that’s the honest truth, if the

Club is going to continue to grow, not

in quantity but in quality. If you can

help, please get in touch with one of

the coaches or one of the

management committee. I’m sure

there are lots of things that we all

could do to improve the experience

of others and I will almost coin a

phrase from former U.S. President

John. F. Kennedy “ask not what your

Club can do for you, but ask what

you can do for your Club!”

Enjoy the summer and I look forward

to writing to you next season.

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Rotherfield FC Cup Final Day

This was a great event for the Club as it

shows how well ran we are as a club

both on and off the pitch.

Unfortunately the result did not go our

way but credit must go to every single

player for displaying the utmost

professionalism.

The Club would also like to both thank

and congratulate all the Junior

mascots (pictured right) that attended

the final. Very well behaved and a

credit to our Club.

t was a very tight game with a strong wind

spoiling the fixture somewhat, but both

teams did try and play football. The teams

went in at half-time at 0-0. Early in the 2nd

half however, Peacehaven broke the

deadlock. Rotherfield responded in kind

not long after with one of the best free-

kicks you will see at this level. Taken by

Dave Kilby, on the outside of the penalty

area, but delivered like a corner, the ball

sung in and ended up in the far corner of

the net.

The game remained tight throughout with

only a handful of chances each. Then in

the final 10 minutes of the game referee

John Doctrove awarded Rotherfield a

penalty and an opportunity to clinch the

trophy. Up stepped Richard Clibbens, but

to his disappointment and to the Club’s

amazement, his effort sailed over the bar.

The score remained unchanged right

through to the end of extra time. So, it

came down to the infamous a penalty-

shoot-out. Despite, the team’s best efforts,

Peacehaven emerged victorious from the

spot-kicks winning 3-2.

It has been said many times after this Cup

Final, that it was a great day for everyone

at the Club. The Club received many

messages of support, congratulating the

Club on how well organised the Club is

from sponsors, league and FA Officials.

So, once again on behalf of Rotherfield

FC, well done to all involved at the Cup

Final and thank you to everyone who

came and supported the Club.

Brave Under

16’s Took

Defeat

Rotherfield FC’s

Under 16 squad

became only the

second team in the

Club’s relatively short

history to reach a

Cup Final.

On Sunday 31st

March the boys

made the short trip to

the Crowborough

Community Stadium

to face fellow A

Division opponents

Ridgewaye FC.

Despite a brave effort

and a large

Rotherfield crowd,

the young greens of

the future were out

played and lost 3-0.

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RFC Junior Funday

Sunday 11th May was the Club’s annual

Junior Funday. It was the usual set-up of

inter club games, and presentations of

player’s player and coaches player of

the season as well the younger

members all receiving a medal.

It was also a special day for other

reasons too as our three long-standing

officers; Pete Ford, Roddy Harman and

Karen Rodemark step down from their

current posts. There were a number of

gifts given as the three will be sorely

missed from their roles.

RFC Quiz Night

Rotherfield FC held its annual quiz night

at the end of March in Rotherfield’s

Village Hall.

It was a very successful evening raising

close to £1000 on the night.

Last year’s winners Jarvis Brook FC

successfully defended their

championship, which was met with

suitable jeers and various objects and

insults hurled in their general direction!

Thanks go to Dave Hacker for being

Quiz Master and general organiser,

Mark and Lorna Sumner for running the

bar, Pete Ford for organising the raffle

Gary and Mary for selling tickets and

manning the door, Anneka Ridley for

keeping score and finally and, most

important of all, thanks for everyone

who came.

Snack Bar & Other Stuff….

If you’re like me, you know how

welcome a warm cup of tea

and a bacon roll is on a

Saturday morning when

watching or coaching the

boys. It adds to the great

atmosphere at the Club and all

visitors compliment it as it adds

to the overall positive

experience they receive.

But, help is required, if you can

offer a Saturday morning,

either regularly or not, Amiee

Bristow would love to hear from

you. Without help, we will lose

it, so please come forward.

We are also looking for people

who can help out with

organising fundraising events.

This won’t necessarily be

running the events, it will be

more about promoting and

advertising and coming up

with new ideas and hopefully

delegating people within the

Club to help run them. So if you

are good at poster design or

have got a great idea to raise

some funds, then please let

Elliot Ridley-Smith know.

I would also like to take this

opportunity to welcome Adrian

Moss and Hillary Mackelden

and thank them for taking on

the Treasurer and Secretary

roles respectively. If they do

half as good a job as the

previous officers then they will

do very well in deed.

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A Day In The Life

Of….

By Jim Harwood,

Under 16 Lead

Coach (Under 18s

next season).

In September 2002 my son, Ed, came

home from his first day at primary school

with a screwed up piece of paper in his

pocket, "It's football club Daddy". So I

took him, aged 4, to the fledgling RJFC.

For a while I enjoyed watching with a tea

and a bacon sandwich, until Roddy

uttered the prophetic words, "Jim you

used to play a bit, bring your boots next

week and help out." So in 2003 I began

my journey as a Junior Football Coach,

which reaches its climax in two week’s

time when the U16s (virtually the same

group of lads who were U6s in 2003) will

win the league if win their last two

matches. And not just any league but

Division A.

Over the intervening 11 seasons quite a

few things have changed, not least my

job. I now travel very extensively and that

had to be incorporated into the build up

to the season's climax.

Week commencing Monday 21 April

It's Tuesday, we play the first of the two

matches on Sunday 27 April at home

against Uckfield. I am in the United

Airlines lounge at Heathrow waiting to fly

to Chicago. With time on my hands I

begin to think, probably too much, about

the game ahead. Who should start, what

formation should we play, what were

Uckfields's strengths when we played

them last time? Having fretted for a while

on all the “what ifs” I email the boys some

(hopefully) encouraging and positive

words. I email the Uckfield coach the

details and text the ref.

Over the next two days in Chicago I write

down a number of different starting line-

ups, I think about what I say to the lads if

we win, or if we don't! I look at Uckfield's

recent results, which are good, and I note

their very good midfielder has been

playing regularly. I worry some more.

I arrive home on Saturday at 8 am, badly

jet-lagged. Every time I closed my eyes

on the plane visions of either very happy

or very sad Rotherfield faces float into

view. When Ed wakes up on Saturday

morning I ask him if the match has been

discussed at school, "Oh yeah, we're

going to win." I sense some anxiety buried

in the bravado, so I try to hide my doubts.

In the evening we go to my sister-in-law's

birthday party. I am tired, jet-lagged,

anxious about the match, but none-the-

less we have a great time....but don't get

to bed until 1:30am!

On Sunday, match day, the alarm goes

off at 7 am…..crikey I’m tired. We go to

the ground at 8:30 am and begin getting

everything ready – nets, respect barrier

etc. Nick, Gaz (who now run the team

with me) and I go over the starting line-up.

The boys, now typical teenagers, drift in

half asleep. I talk them through tactics,

what's at stake and try to get them

switched-on. As they begin their warm-

ups I say to Nick "I think we'll be ok today

they seem up for it", I am trying to reassure

myself. A nerve shredding 80 minutes later

we have secured a 3-1 win, the boys were

brilliant. Then its nets down, tidy up the

ground and home to update the league

website…the admin never ends.

Week commencing Monday 28 April

I am now in Gatwick South terminal

waiting for a flight to Milan. I have asked

some of the Mums if they would do some

snacks for after next week’s game and

I’ve asked Pete if he could open up the

bar. Am I over- confident or just

organised? The “what ifs” have begun

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again so I email the match details out to

the boys and the opposition, and text the

ref. The admin is done all that is left to do

now is worry!

While away with too much time on my

hands I start to look at our opposition

(Hastings) last few results. They recently

lost two games 9-0 with only nine men, as

bottom of the league they may be losing

interest, things are looking good. But

hang on last week their very good

goalkeeper played and they just lost a

close match. So he is likely to play against

us, what if he plays a blinder against us?

What should I say in my speech if we win,

what on earth do I say if we lose? Apart

from the goalkeeper do we need to worry

about a team we beat 6-0 at their

place? No room for complacency, the

anxiety has now really begun.

Finally, Sunday comes, it’s a 10:30 am kick-

off so I’m at the ground at 9 am putting

up nets etc. Ed is anxious but focused.

The boys drift in, they blast balls at each,

stand around and chatter. They seem

very relaxed - almost complacent. We’re

at home to the bottom of the league

team, what can go wrong? Gaz, Nick & I

agree the starting line-up, we try not to let

me anxiety show as I give them a speech

designed to get them going. I say the

word Champions a lot, try to get them to

envisage what it would feel like not to

win. They seem up for it, but then warm

up in their usual casual manner. A big

crowd of extending families arrives, the

tension builds, some of the boys are

beginning to

show signs of the pressure.

Around two hours later my nerves are

shredded, I am worn out. I have cajoled,

encouraged, shouted, berated,

celebrated and finally smiled when the

final whistle confirms our 4-2 win. We are

Division A Champions! The sense of relief

and achievement across the boys, who

have been together for so long, is

obvious. The celebration in the clubhouse

is one of quiet satisfaction. Myself, Nick &

Gaz are done in, the boys are

drained…but extremely proud of what

has been achieved. Eventually it’s home

to update the league website, email the

parents about our success, the Funday

next week, what’s happening next season

etc…the admin never ends.

Myself, along with all the other coaches

give of our time entirely voluntary. We do

it because we enjoy it. However, as you

can see from the above it’s not something

that ever leaves our thoughts and in

certain circumstances can become an

almost all-encompassing distraction.

However, there has not been a moment

through the last 11 seasons that I regret

agreeing to Roddy’s request to “bring my

boots along next week and help out.” So

if you’re thinking about it, bring your boots

along or, ask how you can help (lots of

jobs to do), you’ll not regret it.

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