Managers End of Season Reports... more pics will follow I reckon..

Under 16 Season
Preseason was really good with some cracking games against a school team from Chile and an Acadamy side from London. Admitedly narrow losses but the football was great. The actual season got off to a very slow start, with a lack of cohesion within the team, and "passing" seeming to be a foreign word. A low in the second game was a 10 - 0 hammering by Chilcompton who just knocked the ball around and then scored. Winning positions against Larkhall and Wookey were thrown away as ambition to score a wonder took over good sense.

But then the season got better as the team started to gell and we went from the start of November to late February unbeaten. Admitedly we did have a snowy winter! Then after the snow we played top of the table Team Bath Arsenal (who were to eventually win the league) who had not played for 5 weeks and they could not hit a barn door from in front. A breakaway goal from Fabian, and a tripple deflection from Jack saw us win 2 - 1 in a game we had 3 chances to their 26. And it was still the referees fault according to them.
If Benji could have touched the ball in, in the last game instead of scooping it over we might have finished the season on a high but hey.........

If that is the penultimate game before Twerton's last game together then some good football was played and everyone has enjoyed it. Lets hope the coaches have the last say at Twerton on 16th May!

I hope you have a really enjoyable week; don't become too stressed! Andrew

Bath City youth U 14s season 2009/2010.
This season we started with a small squad of only thirteen players, and if everyone was available every week this would have been o.k. But knowing how busy 13/14 year old boys are, we played a quarter of our matches this season with only 10 or less players.

Having said that, every match we played under strength we won, and not by the skin of our teeth we out played the opposition with superior football. Having said that when facing the same teams at full strength we have lost. Our main problem is belief in our own ability, when we score first our confidence is high and we always go on to win the game. When we concede a goal first our heads drop and we stop playing football as a team and usually go on to lose the match.

The winning or losing of the match is not my main priority, but the attitude towards the game is. When we are winning our attitude is brilliant and so is the football, but when we are losing our attitude is not so good and this is when the football suffers. We must learn to have a good attitude for the whole match and the good football will follow, which means the results will follow. I can honestly say without ego that our team plays the best football in our division, But only in 5 or 10 minute spells. if we could keep up the confidence and play our football for the whole match we would not lose so many games, of this i am sure. But to finish, the second half of the season after all the bad weather there has been a noticeable change in the way we play.

The last three matches we played were the best three games i have ever seen our players play, and this is a credit to them. Nothing gives me more joy than seeing young men playing football the way it supposed to be played. I look forward to next season and taking our football up to a higher level. Shaun Walter U 14s coach.

u14 Girls
Last seasons U13 girls team completed the campaign as winners of the league and runners-up in the Cup, on top of that they had a 6-a-side victory at Trowbridge. For this season they had hoped to compete at 11-a-side and hence merged our squad with Bradford Town to form a strong 15 player squad. Sadly with the lack of similar sized squads in the league, Bath had to remain in a 7-a-side division.
The  League -  with  3 games  to  go  the  girls  simply  need to win  all 3  and  will be once  again crowned  champions.   Bath  have  played  10 other  teams  in the league once  and  due  to the  fixture  postponements  they  will not  compete  in the reverse  fixture.  The  league  instead  have  spilt  the  league  into  sections  so  remaining games  will  be  based  on league position.
            W    D    L    GOALS SCORED        GOALS CONCEEDED
Bath City Youth            9    0    1        75            7
Somerset F.A  Girls  under 14 cup – The  team was entered  into  this  prestigious 11-a-side  competition  whilst  playing  in a 7 a side  league.  The girls had never played a full 11 a side fixture except in a pre-season friendly.   However  the girls  showed  their  undoubted  ability  and  attitude  to quickly  learn  to  adapt  to  11 a side.  Their  first  game  was  against  Wells  City ( the team who they  lost  4-2  in the pre-season game). The improvement was easily witnessed as the Bath girls ran out 7-1 winners.   The quarter  final  saw  a  5-0   win,  whilst  the  semi final  trip to Weston Super  Mare saw the girls  cruise to a 4-1  victory.  In the final  the  girls  narrowly  lost 2-0  to Brislington  Juniors  F.C  who  in fact  have  been  unbeaten  in  over 2 seasons. This  was  a real  achievement  by  all the girls who  showed  that  next season’s  objective  has  to be  playing  regular  11 a side  fixtures.

The girls have also reached the League Cup Final due to be played on May 9th. Plus a good chance to retain  the league title.  Another  fantastic  and successful  season!    
Matt Pearson, Ray Li & Kieron Broad

End of season review - Bath City Romans U13

A season of highs and lows. When we were good we seemed unbeatable. Season opening wins of 8-1 against Larkhall and 6-1 against Derry Hill left us feeling very optimistic. At times however we struggled to play as a team and came up short in the final moments, relinquishing a hard fought initial lead. The highlight of the season was our cup game in Salisbury.

Travelling down we didn't know what to expect as our opponents were two divisions above us. Upon arrival we spent several minutes trying to find the pitch behind the stadium only to discover we were playing in the stadium. Full sized pitch, full sized goals. After our first goal the boys began to believe in themselves and by half time they found themselves 4-0 ahead.

The face on the other side's coach was incandescent. Unfortunately the size of the pitch took it's toll on the boys and they began to tire. At the end of regular time we were tied 4 all. Although our opponents walked away with a win our boys walked away feeling like Bath City had just taken on Chelsea and been a hairs breath away from pulling off the result of the season. Our final game will be at Twerton Park on the clubs Presentation Day and we will be ready for that big stadium win.
 

City youth u12s

The u12s first team joined the Mid Wilts league, a new challenge having won the MSN league last season. It has been an excellent season, the boys have worked hard at training to raise their game and have show improvement all over the pitch. Beyond the league, also had  good tour in Holland, scoring 15 international goals against opposition a full year above their age. The players have made a lot of new friends and admirers this season,
finishing overall 4th in the first division out of 31 teams in total.

I'd like to thank the players for their hard work and dedication this year, also to the parents for ensuring the boys get to games and training week in week out. Phil R-S.

Under 12s End of Season Award Winners
Parent's Player of the Season - Gavin Rochford-Smith
Player's Player of the Season - Ben McMullen
Most Improved Player - Bradley Matthews
Manager's Player of the Season - Patrick Osborne.

U-11

As this was our first season at 11-a-side football, we were not sure how it would go or where we would end up. We finished mid-table last year, if there had been a table, but we had some new players over the summer who looked quite useful and would bolster the squad, so who knows!

Our first match against Wells City Youth we won 7-0. That was a pleasant surprise, but new opposition we had never played before. Still - nice to have some point on the board.
Our second match against Frome Town Youth we lost 2-0. Perhaps this was back to reality and our mid-table aspirations again. We only had 11 players (no subs) that day and the boys were visibly tired by the middle of the second half.
But there then followed a run of games as follows: Norton Dragons (Won 9-0), Shepton Youth, the form team last year (Won 5-1), Westfield (Won 5-1), Midsomer Norton in the cup (Won 5-2), and by halfway through the season we found ourselves at the top of the league. Alfie had become a prolific scorer, scoring 2 or 3 goals in each of those games, which was also down to a midfield with pace and passing ability that gave him such fabulous service, a solid and robust defence and a fabulous goalkeeper (Tom) with a great kick.
Our next game was against Frome Town Youth, the only team to beat us so far. A fabulous game saw them take the lead, only for us to be leading by half time. A few more goals after the break seemed to have settled the result but Frome came back with a late flurry of goals. The result, a win 6-5.

Our next match was a cup match against Team Bath Arsenal. We were currently leading the second division, but Team Bath were leading the first division, so this was going to be a toughy. We put in one of our finest performances against a very good side. With seconds remaining we were 2-1 down and Alfie was screaming up the pitch with the ball. Alas it came to nought and the ref blew the final whistle.

We continued with results against Wells City (Won 11-1), Midsomer Norton (Won 4-1), Shepton Youth (Won 5-3, a match where their manager claimed they should have had 3 penalties!!!) Westfield (Drew 1-1) and finally Midsomer Norton again (lost 3-0)
Overall, a fabulous season, winning the league and everybody playing fabulous football along the way.

The final stats (League and Cup matches) were:
Played 13
Won 9
Drew 1
Lost 3
Leading Scorers: Alfie (27), Jamie (5), Matt (5), Milo (4), Harry (4)

Bath City Youth Girls U11's End of Season Summary

Putting a team together is never easy, September saw players come in small numbers with 5-7 consistent. Many months on and we are a successful, hardworking unit of 15+ hopefuls. Having played two friendlies so far this season we are coming together nicely. Firstly, a great victory over Bradford Girls 9-1, secondly, a loss to Trowbridge of 3-1 but a well battled game. As a coach, I look forward to coaching the girls they are a pleasure to teach. The club as a whole is very 'family' based and makes everyone feel welcome. So, with their individual skills, personalities and pure desire these girls have formed a solid side ready to enter a league next season. Watching this side come on has been great! I am proud of each and every single player for their efforts! Well done girls.
Coach - Stacie Doyle

Brief Player Information

Zara - Never been a GK before, but has a top personality and pure willingness to work hard and volunteered to play in goal for us, she is coming on tremendously!
Victoria - Solid centre back, loves a challenge and never gives up. Brilliant vision, I can always rely on her to do her job.
Maria - New to the side but has shown she has more than enough to offer a growing Bath side. With great effort and enthusiasm I can see alot more will come from her.
Freya - Quick, agile and skillful right midfielder. Tough to stop and will run all day. Has great passion, desire and belief to become a big star. One to watch!
Kirsten - With five goals in her first game, and scoring the only goal in our second Kirsten has shown she has alot to offer our side, her shot is hard to stop! Excellent progress!
Hanna Fox - Eldest of the pack, so level headed and committed to her game she is hard to stop. Always gives her all and never gives up, she is a great asset to the squad. Keep up the good work Hannah and you will go very far!
Olivia - Given the captain's armband by myself and Kate this season for her motivation, drive and sheer determination. A little bit more belief and Livvy will begin to shine! She is a true star!
Darcy - 'Class clown', Darcy always manages to bring her jokes along to football with her and put a smile on the group's face. She is very quick and skillful and enjoys a challenge, once her mind is set in the game Darcy shows her talent and is a huge challenge for opponents.
Hannah - Hannah is one of the smallest of the group, but she will not come out of a challenge without the ball. She's a pleasure to coach, has a great personality and is beginning to blossom. Her work rate is second to none!
Jade - Jade it too old to play in matches but trains with the side and has done so all season, a great defender and solid in all challenges, a small push for confidence and Jade will go on to be a big player for the older side!
Eva - Easily the smallest of the group, but puts in just as hard a challenge. Juggling between her other sports, Eva always arrives full of energy and raring to go, she enjoys her game and battles well!
Emily - Emily has a great personality and desire to win. She's never missed training and is happy to play in any position as long as she gets on the pitch, she battles hard and is coming on hugely!
Others - We also have a handful of younger players who train with us but are too young to play games with us at the moment, these girls still come week in week out and are progressing tremendously. They have all shown they have alot to offer a newly formed team - Grace, Grace, Tilly, Charlotte

Well done to all of the girls, and many thanks to all of the parents for their support. A Huge thankyou to Ray Li at Bath CityYouth for all of his support behind the scenes!

Under 10s
Another full season, bringing soccer joy to 34 players. Maintaining 3 regular teams with continued support from a number of parents, the U10s contested nearly 50 matches and everyone played well.

At last the Reds showed their exceptional talent, winning several more games than they lost (with 4 draws). A tactical change and regular keeper reduced their goals conceded per match by 30% over the previous season: a significant factor in their success. The Blues struggled a little, partly though inconsistent availability: yet they scored more goals this year, and finished with a truly fantastic performance.

The Greens continued to put smiles on faces: being the third team to take to the pitch, they often found themselves up against a mixture of opposition 1sts and 2nds, yet they often outplayed them. Known for messing about a bit during the warm-up (generally squawking and pushing each other over), the Greens always focused for the kick-off and performed tremendously with great spirit.

Champagne moments include George H’s first goal for the Club, that had the sideline in raptures. This was followed by Louis’ first goal: hurrah. Rueben’s guest appearance for the Reds resulted in his 2 cracking, “goal-of-the-month” goals. And who can forget the Club’s first “proper” set-piece headed goal by Joe P: like a bullet from Miles’ perfect corner.
So goodbye mini-soccer.

11-a-side beckons: the offside law; bigger pitches and goals; proper leagues; cup matches. Our two new squads relish the challenge. Coaching will continue to focus on technical development and ball mastery, but team skills will become more prominent: the ball will need to do the work (or we’ll run out of puff). A number of parents will complete the FA level 1 training course over the Summer, so we should boast the most highly-qualified coaching staff in the Club next season.
Nick P

Bath City Youth U9s Manager’s Report
Following on from last season, the U9s squad has remained thirty strong (with a waiting list of half-a-dozen). This has allowed us to enter three teams (the Blacks, the Whites and the Colts) in the MSN U9s Mini-Soccer League.

We’ve had another very enjoyable and successful year. Building on last season’s strengths, the overall abilities of the squad have continued to improve. The standard of individual skill is high, and all the teams have developed a good passing game. Some of the turns, ball control and passing the players can execute are a joy to watch. At training the coaches have been left wondering how to do the “tricks” on display!
This season the Blacks have only lost one game. They play an excellent passing football, and are developing great defensive skills and physical presence to compliment their skills. The Whites have played in the “C” Division of the league, which is for clubs with only one side. This means they are up against some strong sides. They have been very competitive and play good passing football. Like last year, the Colts are skilful and determined. Both the Whites and Colts sides would be a match for a lot of the A teams of the clubs we play against.

Thank you: to all the coaches who come along on Fridays to help with training; without help at training a squad of thirty would be impossible. To Rob and Dave for looking after the Whites and Colts respectively. To Craig from Coerver Coaching who more than anyone is responsible for the players’ levels of skills, and to the club for enabling us to use him. Another very big thank you to Poppy for being the team secretary and taking on the burden of collecting subs, players details and generally organising us.
Thank you to the parents for coming along, rain or shine, to matches, and supporting and encouraging the teams. And finally, thank you to the players for entertaining us all throughout the season.

Paul King
U9s Manager
 

Under 8s
I knew we were in trouble when we won our first game of the season 28-0! We then started to improve.

It has been an extraordinary season for the U8s of highs and even greater highs encompassing fantastic displays of passing football (Frome Town Sports), individual brilliance (Charlie vs Midsomer Norton), and plenty of great days out in the wind, snow and rain (Cardiff City Academy).

Two things have stood out for me this year. First, the technique of every member of the squad has improved immeasurably (as it has for some of the dads too). Nearly everyone is confident with both feet and all could do you a “Maradona” if you asked them to. Second, this squad plays with a smile on its face (sometimes hidden behind the swagger). We have laughed together every Friday and most Sundays for 8 months this season. Not only does our football have a samba heart-beat, it also has a Frankie Howerd giggle-beat. This is really what has made it such a privilege to be part of the U8s.

I want to give my great thanks to Rich, Simon, James, Craig and Jennifer and all the mums and dads for everything they have done this year. You make this all possible!
I also want to thank every player who has put on a black and white striped shirt. You make it all worthwhile!

u7s
Haven't we come a long way in one season ?

We are now unrecognisable to the squad of swarming flies following a ball which suffered a 5-0 home thrashing to Wells FC in our inaugural game way back in October.

Under the careful coaching & tuition of Club Coach & Secretary, Andrew McPhee, we have concentrated on teaching the players the basic techniques of control, passing & shooting and are now witnessing the fruits of the players' labour with some very structured performances on the field.

A huge thank you to Andrew for his help on the Coaching front as well as being a re-assuring & ever present point of reference for me.

Thank you to all parents who supported throughout the season by turning out in their droves to watch and provide encouraging vocal support. It is so helpful that you are all so quick in replying to e-mails because it makes organising teams, fixtures & events much easier.

Next season will see us take training outside which can only help with player development because the players have become restricted by the confined space of the Kingswood Sports Hall.

Hopefully, we can teach the players about the appreciation of space and team work whilst still allowing them to play with the freedom and enjoyment which first attacted them to soccer.

This is where we will benefit from the footballing knowledge of Alex Johnston, Andy Lovelock & Darren Hall, all accomplished soccer players with (dare I say) too many years of soccer experience between them to count, to help with ongoing coaching ideas, techniques and exercises to ensure the players are kept stimulated and continue to develop.

Thank you to Bill Biggs who has been regularly on hand to assist organise teams on match days not forgetting his help with the assembling & dismantling of those wretched posts !

The highlights of the season include Archie scoring our first ever goal, our first win against Frome Town, Harvey's 5 of the best against Frome Collegians, Cameron's heroic goalkeeping display against Frome Town, Niall L's miss of the season quickly followed by his goal of the season against Frome Town and Jacob's crunching tackles in.....well every game of the season (what is he fed on Kirsty ?).

I wish all players & parents a restful summer (well we can dream can't we ?) & look forward to seeing you all in September.

Bath City Youth Men’s
Senior Team’s

Reserve team
This was the first year in which the senior team had a reserve team. This team was made up of the Bath City Youth U16’s from last year and also had some players from the 1st team as well. For most of this team, this was their first taste of men’s Sunday football and they started in the Bath & District Sunday League, Division 5. It turned out to be a very tough season for the reserves. A lot of new teams had started up that year and were put in to division 5 and they struggled. It was very hard for the team to get started in the league which saw them get 9 pints out of a possible 36. One of the factors is that they couldn’t manage to get a full squad every week. This extremely affected them because they sometimes had to play a game with only 10 men or just have the bare 11, but with no subs. However, the team then managed to get a good run in at the end of the season managing several wins which left them 8th in the table. A good first season but next season will be even better.
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Bath City Youth Men’s
Senior Team’s

1st team
This was the team’s third season in the Bath & District Sunday league. After gaining promotion last season, they were now in Division 3. The season started off well with a solid win over a team who were an established Division 3 team. However, the team then went on a bad run with losing a number of games which let the team near the bottom of the table. Joseph Mayled, then brought in a couple of players which would hopefully try to kick start their season. It worked!! The team then went on a good run, putting a number of wins together despite having 3 games within 8 days. The team are now 5th in Division 3, and have had a decent end to the season. The 1st team didn’t have much luck in the cups. They took part in the Tom Morgan Cup which saw them get through to the 2nd but only to find that they have been drawn against G T Sports who are a Division 1 side. They were also involved in the Stan Milson Cup which saw them drawn against a Division 2 side. However, both of these games were played when the team were on a bad run, otherwise the results could have been different.