Diary Of A Close Season At Irlam
Tue 26th August 2014 | Irlam | By Ian Templeman
With the season now underway, Irlam Secretary Warren Dodd has once again given us an insight into his busy close season.
While many enjoyed a break from football, like many non-league volunteers Warren spent many hours over the summer preparing for the start of the new season. Here’s his report on the past few months at Silver Street.
“Five games in, and an appropriate time to put pen to paper.
Season planned (!) with teams competing in the North West Counties, Cheshire League and Youth Alliance. Looks very organised, and the chance to meet new friends and attend lots of meetings.
New drainage at the ground and a super job done. The grass looks lovely but we keep losing players down the grooves caused by the groundwork. I believe they will be hardly noticeable by season 2018/2019.
Tractor blew up. £500 to fix it. The chairman stumped the cash up. I advised against putting our own money in, as we will start to hate the place, to which the chairman replied, “what makes you think I don’t hate the place already”.
Plenty of sponsorship cheques arriving in from generous local businesses, although our treasurer, Streety keeps complaining that he has to keep going to the bank to cash them. A treasurer who hates money.
Went to the Youth Alliance AGM to listen to a representative slagging off North West Counties grounds to the floor. I went to see him up at the top table and gave him some feedback.
Steve Halliwell was sat next to him...I think Steve pretended to tie his shoelaces until I had finished. I will not be getting a Christmas card off that individual.
Reserves joined the Cheshire League and all is well. Very organised, but a few cracks are appearing!! No equalisation of match officials.
If you are in the heart of the Cheshire plains you pay three quid mileage for the ref. If you are from Irlam... well we are a long way from Midsomer Murders land, let’s put it that way. I have already drafted the proposal for the AGM.
I was met at recent Cheshire League meeting and encountered what can only be described as a Masonic handshake by one of the officials. At first I thought he had cursed me with the black spot, but on inspecting my hand I found a Cheshire League badge inserted into it. You could not make it up!!
Went to the NWCFL regional meeting at Alsager to meet up with a “lite version” of the League Management Committee. As usual, Tommo told us to not ask him anything and referred us to John Deal. Geoff Wilkinson was absent, having signed up for a six week tap dancing course, starting that night.
Meeting passed over amicably enough, with tasty sandwiches and free drinks courtesy of Alsager.
Phoned John Deal to tell him I had an odd shaped ball. He replied quicker than my local GP, I must say. He told me to put it in a brown paper bag and send it to Peterborough. I thought I was imagining the conversation.. Peterborough!
Eventually we decided to pass the ball to Respect Co-ordinator Stewart Taylor at our game against Northwich, me and Stewart having lots of fun bouncing the said ball and guessing which direction it would go in... beats watching the game.
Had our ground grading, Stewart Taylor and Geoff Wilkinson on hand to eat chocolate hob nobs and drink free coffee at 10am. Geoff noticed that the clock in the office said 11am, and when he went into the home dressing room the clock in there said 2pm. “Different time zones” I explained.
I have just seen a picture of Emil from Colls on Twitter. He is sat in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency in Washington DC! I knew we were paying too much for pies when we go to Alder St.
As always, the football comes first, and the players are all doing well. All Clubs should be proud of the hard work they put in with the players and the Clubs they represent. Non-league is tough and there isn’t much help about.
It is the help and good relationships between the Clubs in our league that gives me as much satisfaction as the three points at the end of a game.
Keep up the good work !!”
Diary Of A Close Season At Irlam
Tue 26th August 2014 | Irlam
By Ian Templeman
With the season now underway, Irlam Secretary Warren Dodd has once again given us an insight into his busy close season.
While many enjoyed a break from football, like many non-league volunteers Warren spent many hours over the summer preparing for the start of the new season. Here’s his report on the past few months at Silver Street.
“Five games in, and an appropriate time to put pen to paper.
Season planned (!) with teams competing in the North West Counties, Cheshire League and Youth Alliance. Looks very organised, and the chance to meet new friends and attend lots of meetings.
New drainage at the ground and a super job done. The grass looks lovely but we keep losing players down the grooves caused by the groundwork. I believe they will be hardly noticeable by season 2018/2019.
Tractor blew up. £500 to fix it. The chairman stumped the cash up. I advised against putting our own money in, as we will start to hate the place, to which the chairman replied, “what makes you think I don’t hate the place already”.
Plenty of sponsorship cheques arriving in from generous local businesses, although our treasurer, Streety keeps complaining that he has to keep going to the bank to cash them. A treasurer who hates money.
Went to the Youth Alliance AGM to listen to a representative slagging off North West Counties grounds to the floor. I went to see him up at the top table and gave him some feedback.
Steve Halliwell was sat next to him...I think Steve pretended to tie his shoelaces until I had finished. I will not be getting a Christmas card off that individual.
Reserves joined the Cheshire League and all is well. Very organised, but a few cracks are appearing!! No equalisation of match officials.
If you are in the heart of the Cheshire plains you pay three quid mileage for the ref. If you are from Irlam... well we are a long way from Midsomer Murders land, let’s put it that way. I have already drafted the proposal for the AGM.
I was met at recent Cheshire League meeting and encountered what can only be described as a Masonic handshake by one of the officials. At first I thought he had cursed me with the black spot, but on inspecting my hand I found a Cheshire League badge inserted into it. You could not make it up!!
Went to the NWCFL regional meeting at Alsager to meet up with a “lite version” of the League Management Committee. As usual, Tommo told us to not ask him anything and referred us to John Deal. Geoff Wilkinson was absent, having signed up for a six week tap dancing course, starting that night.
Meeting passed over amicably enough, with tasty sandwiches and free drinks courtesy of Alsager.
Phoned John Deal to tell him I had an odd shaped ball. He replied quicker than my local GP, I must say. He told me to put it in a brown paper bag and send it to Peterborough. I thought I was imagining the conversation.. Peterborough!
Eventually we decided to pass the ball to Respect Co-ordinator Stewart Taylor at our game against Northwich, me and Stewart having lots of fun bouncing the said ball and guessing which direction it would go in... beats watching the game.
Had our ground grading, Stewart Taylor and Geoff Wilkinson on hand to eat chocolate hob nobs and drink free coffee at 10am. Geoff noticed that the clock in the office said 11am, and when he went into the home dressing room the clock in there said 2pm. “Different time zones” I explained.
I have just seen a picture of Emil from Colls on Twitter. He is sat in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency in Washington DC! I knew we were paying too much for pies when we go to Alder St.
As always, the football comes first, and the players are all doing well. All Clubs should be proud of the hard work they put in with the players and the Clubs they represent. Non-league is tough and there isn’t much help about.
It is the help and good relationships between the Clubs in our league that gives me as much satisfaction as the three points at the end of a game.
Keep up the good work !!”