View From The Training Pitch

RAMS ARMY
SUPPORTERS CLUB OF CROYDON ATHLETIC FC

I will try to get along to training sessions or talk to our management team throughout the season and offer snippets of information on a regular basis. Here is my first report from pre-season:

16th August

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve managed to get along to a training session at The KT Stadium. Visits to The O2, Croydon Arena and Selhurst Park getting in the way. As such, it was good to catch-up with Bob Langford tonight. I arrived in time to watch a 9-a-side match with what appeared to be “shared” wingers who were forced to play in marked-off areas along the edge of the pitch. It certainly seemed interesting and I think it is this type of innovative training that the players really appreciate. This group of players certainly seem to have bonded well in pre-season and you sense a positive air about the place.

Confidence is high and Bob (& Dave) are looking to be pushing for the play-off places next April, which would be a very welcome change from last season’s 7 month fight against relegation. When you look at the combination of experience and youth in the squad you can see where that confidence comes from.

It’s not all positive however – it never is for The Rams – as physiotherapist Andy Moody has left the club due to family reasons. Also, the towering figure of new goalkeeper Dave King has picked-up a freak back injury at the gym! With the season so close the joint managers have elected to sign 24 year old stopper Matt Reed from Met Police as a replacement. Matt has plenty of experience having played at Sittingbourne last year, also having had spells at Dartford, Carshalton and Tonbridge Angels.

Despite the narrow 0-1 defeat to Ryman Premiership side Tooting & Mitcham in the final pre-season match last Saturday it was encouraging that Bob was unhappy with the result and the performance. He and Dave felt that we could have got something from the game and had got a few things wrong on the day. That’s what pre-season games should be all about.

The managers know pretty well who will feature for the team on Saturday. Apart from Dave King there are a couple of other injuries and suspensions to contend with, but that’s why we need a decent sized, quality squad. We have, of course, two very difficult games to begin the season – away to Burgess Hill Town, who enjoyed a good 2010-11 season, followed by Bognor Regis at home, who having just missed out on promotion last time are firm favourites this season.

Bob has been really pleased with the pre-season. Fitness levels are excellent, for which new coach Barry Moore must take a lot of credit. Bob has been happy to see our players finishing games strongly and that could be very important when the serious stuff starts this weekend.

19th July

I managed to get along to the KT Stadium to see another training session this evening. A good turnout of around 30 players, being put through their various paces by Barry (Moore).

Dave & Bob remain pleased with the way pre-season is progressing. The reverse against Carshalton has done nothing to dent their enthusiasm or belief for the new campaign. The score-line in friendlies is of no, or little, consequence and it was a good workout for the 19 players involved in last Saturday’s game. The joint managers continue to look at trialists and it is game-time that is the best way to assess their future prospects. Playing full games also improves fitness levels and allows the management team to assess the match fitness of individual players.

They are pleased with the signings so far, including new Goalkeeper Dave King, who was absent on Saturday but at training tonight. Most of the starting 11 on Saturday have now committed to the club, with a few more signatures collected this evening. Dave & Bob are particularly pleased with both the calibre of player and the commitment to play for Croydon Athletic. David Graves, for example, has taken a substantial reduction in wages to play for The Rams, he attended the awards evening in May and is just one of a number of new players who have come to the KT Stadium because they want to play for the joint managers. This augurs well for the forthcoming season.

The 3 x 30 minutes format that was played against Carshalton will be replaced by the more familiar 45 minute halves against Lingfield this Saturday. Kick-off is again at 3pm and, as the game is to be played on the training pitch, there will be no charge for spectators. The bar will be open.

John Cartledge remains injured for Saturday and did not train. You can expect to see some more trialists over the coming games as Dave & Bob continue to put together a squad capable of pushing towards the top places of next season’s Ryman Division One South.

12th July
I caught up with joint managers Dave Garland and Bob Langford at a training session on Tuesday evening (12th July). It was obvious from seeing the 20+ players taking part that the new season will be see a very different squad of players. Dave and Bob confirmed this, saying that a lot of players had been allowed to leave. This new squad would be the first that they could really call their own. Obviously, when they first came into the club in September 2010 they had a complete scratch squad of volunteer players. Even when they were given a budget later in the season they had to try to get players who were available at that time.

There are some notable returnees including Rams Army Player of the Season, Colin Hartburn, defenders John Cartledge & Rees Coleman, youngster Cody Best and striker Stephan Joseph. I’m sure there are others that I didn’t spot or were absent from training but, nevertheless, this will be a whole new beginning on the pitch.

There are a lot of trialists at present and there will be a number on show in the game against Carshalton on Saturday. This will be Dave and Bob’s first pre-season and that will give them the opportunity to prepare a strong squad, which they are confident of achieving. On the night, the 4th training session, the lads were certainly put through their paces. New first team coach Barry Moore wasn’t taking any prisoners at the end of the session, leaving certain players in no doubt as to his thoughts on their level of fitness! This, I think, augurs well for the season and even Dave and Bob admitted that we were not always the fittest of teams last season.

Both joint managers are very happy with the way the pre-season is going and are confident about the season ahead. It seems they will have a similar budget to the one at the end of last season which will, hopefully, allow us to perform well in Ryman Division One South. They are hopeful of signing a number of players on Saturday.

All thoughts now turn to Saturday and the first friendly to be played on the training pitch. This game will be free of charge for those wanting to see the new players in action. The bar facilities will be open, but there will be no food.