TUESDAY 1st SEPTEMBER 2020 - 19:45

Extra Preliminary Round

MARKS MUSINGS

We are really pleased to welcome everyone back to B.E.P Stadium tonight for our first competitive fixture. It's been a strange time even now kicking off the season in midweek with an F A Cup tie is unusual but hopefully we can all get back to some normality over the coming weeks and months.

Our opponents today Longlevans play in the Hellenic Premier and at the time the season finished were a comfortable 6th position so we've got a tough draw and a difficult match ahead. At the time of writing our pre-season has gone pretty well and we have concentrated on the whole squad getting sufficient minutes to be ready for this campaign.

I an pleased we managed to keep the whole squad together as well as adding some quality additions in Asher Yearwood and JJ Lofthouse Smith, we also have a fit Lol Clark which is like another great signing.

The F A cup is a special competition for non league teams and if you can get a good run it can be a great experience, I hope this game is the first of many in the competi-tion but we are under no illusion that we wil have to hit the ground running to pro-gress.

Enjoy the game

Mark

Founded: 1954

Name Of Ground: Saw Mills End

Ground Address: Corinium Avenue, Gloucester, GL4 3DG

Capacity: 1,000

Covered: Yes

Seating: Yes

Telephone: 07526 958972

Club Nickname: Levens

County FA: Gloucestershire FA

FA Charter: Community

Chairman: Mark Cornell

Secretary: Bill Davis

Managers: Craig Martin

Programme Editor: Chris Bishop

Colours 1st: Red/Black, Black, Black

Floodlit Ground: Yes

Midweek fixtures: Wednesday

Website: www.longlevens.co.uk

Replica Shirts

Adults £30 Children £25 NEW

And the award goes to...

Awards were presented by Cherie & Barry Phipps of our sponsors B.E.P. Contracting Ltd

BORO’ & LEVENS F.A CUP RECORDS

RAMBLING RANGER

Whoohoooo!!! Football’s back! It seems so long ago that the nonsense began and we were robbed of a

fantastic title and cup winning season (and poor old Brian H had 35 goals wiped from the official rec-

ords). Of course, the nonsense is still here, just not so in your face now. I believe, when history is

written and all the true facts are known, we will look back on this as a huge mess that could have been

handled much better, not just here but across the rest of the world. But, hey, we’ve ruined the econo-

my and ruined many people’s lives and education and yet we are still carrying on, in part, with the non-

sense. You will wear a face mask in a shop but no need in a pub or restaurant. You must sanitise any-

thing that moves, or doesn’t move and you must self isolate if you have a cough or a holiday and you

must queue outside a shop but can mass on a beach. In all honesty, Lock Down all seems a bit OTT. I

mean, even Boris’ Chief Advisor Dominic Cummings doesn’t believe it really, or for that matter Profes-

sor Ferguson, the chief Government Scientific Advisor at Imperial College, who’s urge for a little dalli-

ance was too great even for Covid. So clearly, much of it was unnecessary and designed to cover up the

frailties of the NHS that has been ravaged by Government cuts for many years. Okay, I know what

you’re thinking. You think I’m heartless and uncaring about those that died. Well, if you truly think I

care less about people dying than you, then you are a fool. However, let’s be realistic. Most of the

deaths in Britain occurred in care homes where old sick people live (do you know the average life ex-

pectancy for someone going into a care home? Just short of two years.). Also, the figures don’t add

up. Did people die ‘of’ Covid or ‘with’ Covid? The answer is that most deaths were caused by other

health issues; Covid hastened the end. Clearly the answer is to protect the vulnerable (i.e. sick, obese,

care homes etc.). So, it’s time we all grew up a little and not act so scared. Forget the stupid phrase’

New Normal’, it’s not normal! We must get back to normal-normal and get back to work, school and

play. There cannot be another lockdown....Ever.

Now, I’ll get off my soapbox and turn to football. Firstly, may I congratulate Mark and the first

team on a magnificent last season, which was cruelly cut short with the team on the verge of breaking

all Club record’s. Unfortunately, we have been denied promotion and will compete in the same

league. Our Wycombe Senior cup final has been cancelled as has our Hellenic League Cup semi final.

So we have it all to do again. We do make a return to the FA Cup though and tonight we welcome Hel-

lenic Premier side, Longlevens, who have travelled all the way from Gloucester tonight for this extra

preliminary round. Tonight’s opponents were enjoying a decent season themselves last time around,

sitting comfortably in sixth place before the proceedings ended so abruptly, so we will need to be at

our best if we are to progress to the next round.

The players still managed to get an end of season presentation together with a BBQ and drinks

(socially distanced nonsense, of course) and for your information: Players player & Top Scorer was Bri-

an Haule, Managers player went to brother Davis Haule and Supporters Player was Sam Pekun. Gary

Rymer picked up the Young Player’s award. Also, a very warm welcome to new signings Asher Year-

wood, JJ Lofthouse-Smith and Jaydon Moore. I’d also like to welcome ex-player Mark Endean who has

joined the club as Development Team Manager and John Pusey as Allied Counties League Youth Man-

ager.

Anyway, that’s enough rambling from me. Enjoy the game and see you in the bar after. RR

Should after 90 minutes the game be level then the tie will go straight to Penalties.

The winner of tonights will be home to either

Winslow United or Newport Pagnell Town

In the Preliminanry Round on

Saturday 12th September 2020

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RRFC Publicity Team

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PLAYER SPONSORSHIP 2020/21

Once again you can sponsor your favourite player for the sum of just £60, If you would like r

more Information, please speak with any committee member or contact either:

Steve Burnett 07546538263 or Christine Driver 07870235989

TABLES Uhlsport Hellenic League Division One East

Uhlsport Hellenic League Division Two North

Allied Counties Youth Football League North Division