29/12/2008
 With the club already promoted and the manager already dismissive of the need to win the league the fans arrived to celebrate promotion at the first attempt back to the division where they feel they belong as the team hosted Red Legends today.

The title was up for grabs but by the look of the players you would never have guessed it was as the team went through the motions in an incredibly dull ninety minutes where all the entertainment was provided by the celebrating fans in the stands.

With a goalless draw the opportunity was presented to Space Cadets to reclaim top spot with a 1-0 win and a deserved title success.

Manager Rich Grove seemed unconcerned at the final whistle - "Congratulations to Space Cadets on their title success. It is thoroughly deserved as they have led for most of the season and our aim was always promotion, the actual position was of no significance to us. I am pleased to see Shaolin join us as they are very deserving of promotion themselves".

"Today's game was always going to be an anti-climax but it will be of little consequence when we play our first Premier Division game of the season when we host Spondon Renegades".

With most contracts signed on week 1 some players signed extensions early. Rick Higgott was a stand out as he signed a four year extension and he is expected to finish his career at the club now. Giaccinto Facchetti and Lubomir Moravcik both signed two year extensions and Ricardo Izecson and Pedro Luis have been given a further year each to prove they have a future at the club.

As is usual at the end of the season the club announced it's newest incumbents to the Hall of Fame today along with the Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year.

The two players elected to the Hall of Fame are keeper Alan Shilton and defender Djalma Santos, a sign reflecting the good season the club has had defensively.

Alan Shilton completed a double of sorts as he also took the Player of the Year award after an exceptional season for the club.
No surprise with the Young Player of the Year as Luka Modric easily took the award and he will be hoping to get a chance to shine in the first team during 2009.

The team can look back on a strong season as the club broke three club records and tied two others. The fewest losses ever in a season for the club with just four defeats is a highlight, as is the club's 9 away wins and only 11 goals conceded on the road (both also records). The team also tied records for fewest away defeats with just two and fewest home goals conceded with 7 goals.and unsurprisingly conceded the fewest goals in their history with just 18 goals hitting the net against the club.
15/12/2008
 Today's trip to Greytree Rangers was the team's first chance to seal their return to the top flight at the first time of trying and the team went into the game knowing a win would guarantee promotion with a game to spare.

The game itself was a complete mismatch as their relegation-threatened opponents could only manage one shot on target in the entire match.

With the hosts so anaemic it all came down to whether Charscot could find the elusive goal needed to take the three points and for long periods it looked like they would be thwarted.

However, with just under twenty minutes left the Wolverines got that all important goal from a surprising source. Defender Angus Lee was still forward after a corner and when the ball came out to him he took one touch to control the ball before hitting a perfect lob that beat the keeper and sent the visiting players, management and fans into scenes of wild celebration. This caused a delay of two minutes as order had to be restored, not that the visitors cared as they knew the hard work was done and they controlled the ball for the remainder to take an easy three points and a promotion spot.

As the fans invaded the pitch at the final whistle news filtered through that leaders the Space Cadets had lost allowing Charscot to go top for the first time this season at almost the perfect time.

The press conference was surprisingly brief as manager Rich Grove wanted to celebrate with the supporters who had made the long trip.

"This has been a superb day for the club. Although many considered us favourites for promotion this season the hard work still has to be done as we have all learnt the hard way that nothing is guaranteed in this league. My players have done everything we could ask of them this season and to have lost a mere four league games at this stage is all we could hope for and our current twelve game unbeaten run has been a masterclass of quality football and doing all we need to".

"Whilst it is great that we could win the division the important thing is the promotion and now that that has been achieved we can look forward to 2009 with renewed optimism. I want to thank all our fans and the players for never giving up this season"

"I am pleased to see the Space Cadets joining us in the top flight and if there is any justice Shaolin will join us after the Christmas break". "Now if you will excuse me I want to join my players and the fans to celebrate our success".

With that he returned to the pitch and to celebrations that lasted well into the night.

With the season almost over and the league going into a one week break for Christmas it was confirmed that Waring, Dobinson and Pandev would be joining Johann Vonlanthen on the auction market. Vonlanthen was listed today and will be sold in mid January and it is expected he will make in excess of £ 6,000,000.

No other news so it is just left for all of us at Charscot Wanderers to wish everyone reading this a Happy Christmas.
08/12/2008
 An enormous game this week as Charscot, with a tiny grip on second hosted third placed Shaolin Fc knowing that a win today would put the club on the verge of an immediate return to the top flight.

With Shaolin never having scored at The Blue Silver Stadium in four previous defeats history favoured the hosts although since those games Shaolin are under new management and were never going to be pushovers.

The game itself was incredibly tense and there was little to separate the sides as neither gave the other any space to play with.

The tension was reflected in the shooting boots of the hosts as they sent several shots wide or over when in good positions whereas Shaolin found Player of the Year elect Alan Shilton in dominating form as he handled everything the visitors threw at him.

The only difference between the sides was the level head of Rick Higgott who smashed the ball home from close range just before half time to give Charscot the three points.

With The Academy winning to go third (and the two chasers facting each other on the final day) this result guaranteed the promotion of Space Cadets and leaves Charscot needing two points to be guaranteed promotion themselves.

Manager Rich Grove was delighted after the match - "That was an incredibly hard match and my sympathies go to Shaolin who deserved a point. I hope when the dust settles on the season we both find ourselves in the top flight."

"Rick Higgott proved what a class act he was again today. Since coming to the club he has never let us down and his return from injury three weeks ago we felt would be a crucial boost to our chances of promotion. Hopefully Rick can get the brace he needs to become our all time top scorer next week and give us promotion with a game to spare".

A quiet week behind the scenes as Goran Pander was snapped up by Nottingham Panther of the Loxley Elite leaving just Kevin Dobinson of the multi-million players without a club. With Johann Vonlanthen making his way to the auction market next week it looks like Kevin Dobinson will be joining although it is understood the club would accept a price of £2.5mill for a quick deal.
01/12/2008
 A big local derby as Charscot made the short trip to Wascisco Red Sox for a game they simply had to win to maintain their promotion push.

With the Sox in the middle of an injury crisis and with little to play for it was a concern that they would play spoilers and ruin the Wolverines hopes and tensions were high as the game kicked off in cold, rainy conditions.

Charscot settled their nerves early on as a quick double left the hosts with a mountain to climb as Charscot scored two in the space of thirty seconds.after ten minutes to take control.

Stefan Selakovic opened the scoring with a superb lob from thirty yards and from the restart the lead was extended as Siddig El Fadil intercepted a back pass before taking the ball past the stranded keeper and making it two.

After the break the Sox quickly halved the deficit as Corin Nemec hit a fine free kick into the net from the edge of the area.

Just as it seemed the hosts may sneak an equaliser Lars Larsson killed the game with a solo goal as he beat three men before nutmegging the keeper.

With next weeks' opponents losing the win leapfrogged the team into second spot with three games to play, but with only a one point gap from fourth all is still to be played for.

Afterwards manager Rich Grove was relieved - "Although we were in control of the game for long periods it is still a relief to get the three points secured. Our ten game unbeaten run , and 2 defeats from 18, couldn't have come at a better time. However, we have to avoid defeat next week as a defeat now against our main rivals could be a killer blow to our hopes".

"Hopefully history will repeat itself as we have won all four previous home games without conceding a goal and Shaolin have lost four of five this season against their promotion rivals. If history carries through to next week then we will be in a great position, if it doesn't it could spell disaster".

More transfers this week as arriving from the market is youth attacker Thomaz Soares and an undisclosed defender who has already been shipped back out to Wednesfield Warriors of the North Star Alliance for a quick cash profit.

All that is left are a handful of 17 year olds that will go on the auction market in two weeks if no cash offers come in to the club.
24/11/2008
 Charscot hosted relegation-bound Outer Southampton knowing a win was needed. However, the manager had referred to this as a likely banana skin match beforehand and so it proved as the visitors took a first half lead and looked like holding onto it until defender Rivaldo made a calamitous error with just over ten minutes left as he headed the ball past his own keeper for a deserved if lucky equaliser.

Whilst not one of the Wolverines better performances it was a game the home fans expected a win from but on this occasion there was not enough scoring chances created.

Luck was on Charscot's side as The Academy lost giving Charscot a one point lead over them for third spot with four games remaining.

Manager Rich Grove wasn't too upset afterwards - "We weren't quite at our best today so to find our league position had actually iproved by a point has to be considered a result at this point of the season. We now face four teams that we beat in the first half of the season and if we can beat three of them then hopefully that should be enough to gain us promotion which has after all been our target all season long"

Having gone on an unbeaten run for the past two months it is hoped the team won't be dealt a cruel blow over the remaining four games but it is too close to call at present.

A busy week of negotiations as a couple of deals were agreed.

The first wasn't much of a surprise as Klaas Jan Huntelaar has been sent to Lisbon Eagles with youth defender Sebastian Rocco arriving along with £4million to boost the bank balance.

It is hoped that despite Rocco's apparent lack of potential that given enough work and a bit of luck he can find his way to be a challenger for the starting XI around the age of 19 or 20.

The second departure came as a shock to many fans as the officially best 18 to 25 year old midfielder Kincaid J. Stamper is leaving to join Kilburn United. Whilst undoubtedly a star player Kincaid's failure to find the net in 26 games for the club have left many to feel he is an overpriced defender in all but position and management has decided to cash in accordingly.

Arriving in return is former defender Luis Felipe Monti (who is seen as a replacement for Tiki Barber who left the club today) and midfielder Carroll Shelby, who is expected to add that touch of experience that is so important in the game these days.

With both players arriving for week 1 management are just hoping that more injuries don't occur in the meantime to undermine the club's attempts to gain promotion.
17/11/2008
 A big local derby as Charscot travelled the short distance to Rivendell for a game they simply had to win to keep their place in the top three with just five games to go.

With their three rivals all facing struggling sides Charscot knew they had to win or else face dropping out of the promotion spots.

The game itself thankfully proved to be easier than anticipated with two early goals taking the pressure off the visitors.

Garrincha took just 90 seconds to open the scoring from close range and when Rick Higgott on his return from injury made it 2-0 from twenty yards in the 17th minute the game was over as a contest.

Rivendell did give themselves a false hope just before the hour mark as Burgermeister hit a speculative shot from outside the area that somehow hit the back of the net to cause a moment's doubt for the Wolverines.

However, Pedro Luis allayed these fears as he hit a superb chip with 11 minutes to go to give Charscot an impressive 3-1 win.

Afterwards manager Rich Grove was a releived man - "I know how much our opponents wanted to scupper our hopes today so to come away with this scoreline is both a relief and something to be proud of. With our attack spluttering through most of hte season the return of Rick Higgott certainly seemed to make a difference as all three goals came from attackers. The fact that Rick is just three goals away from being the club's All-Time record goalscorer says it all for me".

"We now host Outer Southampton next week, and with them having declared that they are looking to next season now we need to make sure we find a way of winning the game as with only five games left we can't afford to drop any points as we only have a promotion spot on goal difference".

In transfer news, it was confirmed that most of the club's 17 year olds are avilable for cash with a buyer seemingly found for David Pressland already. Johann Vonlanthen is the exception as he will be making his way onto the auction market in the next few weeks where he is hoped to make the club at least £6,000,000.

With Poul Nielsen arriving today all that is left is for Tiki Barber to join Callie AThletic next week and the remaining youths to find new clubs and the squad is all set for next season.
10/11/2008
 Charscot hosted league leaders Space Cadets today in a top of the table clash that could go a long way to determining each club's season.

Charscot had never lost to the Cadets at the Blue Silver Stadium in 14 previous league matches and today was to prove no exception , although ultimately the Cadets will have been delighted to take anything from a game they were outplayed in for long periods.

The game was so one sided the only surprises at half time were how the game was still goalless and how a particularly dirty Cadets side had avoided any cards after they spent the first 45 minutes kicking the opposition more than the ball.

Justice looked to have prevailed as two minutes after half time Luciano Zauti scored fro close range for a deserved lead.

Within minutes the psychopath Leo McGarry took a swing at Pedro Luis and to the amazement of everyone in the ground the incredibly weak Geordie referee only showed McGarry a yellow and that decision was to prove crucial as within minutes McGarry scored with a fine header from the edge of the box for a thoroughly undeserved equaliser.

Charscot bounced back from this setback and continued to pepper the visitor's goal and twice the woodwork denied them as the game came towards a close.

At the final whistle the visitors jumped for joy as the home manager argued with the referee as he came off the pitch.

Manager Rich Grove was in a less than charitable mood afterwards. "It has to be said the behaviour of both our opponents and the referee was a disgrace today. They came here with clearly one intention - to kick lumps out of us and try to intimidate us and the referee failed to give us any protection".

"All credit to our players for continuing to play football in such harsh conditions as with the rain pouring and the opponents hacking and the referee auditioning for Blind Pew I am amazed that we came out of the game with 11 uninjured players and a point".

"However, we need to get back to winning ways as after four consecutive draws we have allowed our rivals to close on us and now it is going to be a dogfight over the last six games to get promotion and failure to achieve that aim is simply not good enough".

With the team holding third only on goal difference the last six matches, which include four games against lower half teams and one big match with promotion rival Shaolin are all going to be crucial.

Slight delays with the anticipated two for one deal this week as league headquarters managed to fudge the paperwork and only Julio Salinas left the club on time. It is hoped that Poul Nielsen will arrive next week with Tiki Barber leaving the following week.
03/11/2008
 Charscot travelled to the ineptly named Your Mum's Athletic knowing that anything less than three points would leave the chasing pack right on their heels and so it proved as despite total domination from the visiting Wolverines they couldn't find their shooting boots as they hit no less than 15 shots wide and over.

The game itself really should have been won but for the second time this season the teams finished goalless.

Afterwards manager Rich Grove was less than happy - "For the second consecutive week we have outclassed the opposition but not made enough of our chances. We have an enormous local derby at home to leaders Space Cadets next week and we desperately need to win as Shaolin are right on our heels. The only good sing is we have never lost in 13 previous home league matches against the Cadets, winning eight of them, so if we can continue that run we hopefully will be alright".

With the impending arrival of youth prospect Poul Nielsen next week from Callie AThletic and two new foreign players at the club awaiting cash offers it now looks like the only deals left will be the aforementioned foreign players and the youth attackers (except Huntelaar) being sold for cash assuming any offers come in.
27/10/2008
 The tv cameras came to the Blue Silver Stadium as third placed Charscot hosted second placed The Academy in the match of the week.

The game itself was to be a disappointing spectacle for the viewers with the hosts dominating but failing to find the killer touch in front of goal as the game petered out to a goalless draw that the visitors will be the far happier about.

Manager Rich Grove was in a mixed frame of mind afterwards - "We are disappointed not to take the three points as we were the only team looking to try and win the game and if there had been any justice we would have got the win we deserved. We now have just a three point gap to fourth place and with the leaders to play here in a fortnight we are a long way from being in a dominating position".

"The upside for us this week is the agreed deal with Callie Athletic to bring in youth prospect Poul Nielsen, with Julio Salinas and Tiki Barber going in the other direction. This is a bit of a gamble for us but hopefully Poul will improve as we hope and will be a mainstay of the first XI in a few seasons".

With the deal out of the blue with Callie occurring today it seems unlikely that any more deals will be done outside of selling off the excess youths in a couple of months.
20/10/2008
 Charscot travelled to seventh placed Sandbanks City today knowing that avoiding defeat was their aim after having lost the home fixture earlier this season.

With Sandbanks hoping to close the gap on the top three this was always going to be a hard game for the visitors depsite their recent good form and so it turned out as City controlled long periods of the game from the start.

The hosts took just under twenty minutes to open the scoring as Dave Praties scored an easy goal from close range to give them a deserved lead.

The second half continued in the same manner with Charscot only breaking away sporadically and with ten minutes to go Charscot looked destined to defeat.

However, just as the points looked lost a poor back pass to the home keeper left Luciano Zauti with the simple task of taking the ball past the keeper and tapping in for an undeserved equaliser.

After this the visitors shut up shop, happy to come away with a point.

Afterwards manager Rich Grove was a very relieved man - "Whilst I can't fault my player's effort today in hard conditions against a battling side we really need to produce more quality as today we just weren't at the races and if we keep playing like that we won't maintain our promotion spot. That said, we are pleased to still have a five point lead on fourth at this stage in the season particularly as we play the top two in the next 3 games which will go a long way to determining our final position".

With big games against The Academy and Space Cadets upcoming a change in personnel took place this week as Igor Akinfeyev, the back-up keeper left the club for £ 6,650,000 joining Knottla Town of the Royal Oak Elite. Arriving in his place os Steve Rowbottom from British Alliance side Tree Hill for £ 5,000,000.

Whilst no more transfer activity in is expected it is understood the manager is prepared to reserve youth players for max cash in advance of their selling around week 28/29. The plaeyrs understood to be available are Johann Vonlanthen, Goran Pandev and Kevin Dobinson.
13/10/2008
 With just 10 games left to play after today the home game with White Swan took on added significace with the teams in 3rd and 4th and a win for the visiting Swan side would leapfrog them above Charscot.

With so much at stake a close game was expected although in truth the result doesn't do justice to the football being played as Charscot were dominant.

It took 24 minutes for Lubomir Moravcik to score his first goal for the club with a drive from the edge of the area that gave the keeper no chzance.

The teams went into the second half with just the one goal separating them and the visitors, who had rode their luck were determined to get something to reward their rearguard action and with just three minutes gone in the second half they got their reward with a scrappy close range goal.

This seemed to just encourage the hosts forward and as they began to attack at will it seemed like a goal had to come and on the hour mark it did. Despite an acute angle that seemed to negate any chance to score, Stefan Selakovic, who is in free scoring form right now since his conversion to attack, somehow steered the ball home with his head for a fine winning goal.

At the final whistle news filtered through that Charscot were the only winner in the top six and had not only given themselves a five point gap from fourth but had gone into second spot just one point behind beaten leaders Space Cadets.

Manager Rich Grove was delighted with the result after the game - "That was a really, really big win for us and we needs to keep this momentum going. We have won 3 on the spin and with some tricky games coming up in the next month, including the sides both in third and first place, if we can keep the run going for a month we could be looking at an instant return to the top flight".

On a quiet week a new poll has been listed on the forum and the results of the last poll made public.

The last poll was -

Who will win the WPL Cup this season ?

Charscot Wanderers   -   6 votes
Chelsea Blues   -   0 votes
Comberton Tornadoes   -  0 votes
Longfield K.L.F   -  0 votes
Real Madrid   -   2 votes
Space Cadets   -  0 votes
Tameside Bulls   -  0 votes
Thamesford United   -   2 votes
Vanbrugh Royals   -  0 votes
Other Team   -   7 votes

The new poll can be found via the home page.
06/10/2008
 A big week as management had two games to negotiate and with the league of far more importance a sacrifice had to be made and so it was the manager focused on the tricky trip to struggling Lakeland Vendetta whilst passing on the home tie with St Joseph's BC.

Consequently the cup went as anticipated with a close fought 2-1 defeat with Stefan Selakovic continuing his scoring run for the only bright spot with a consolation goal at two down after 62 minutes.

With the cup defence now over all eyes turned to the league game as the fans expected nothing less than a win to justify the manager's decision.

The game itself ended up being an end to end thriller as Lakeland put on a real show for their fans. Lakeland had lost 8 of the previous 9 meetings so Charscot were quietly confident of the three points.

Charscot took the lead after 7 minutes as Zak Newton rose to score with a superb header. As half time approached Siddig El Fadil struck a superb volley from the edge of the box to seemingly hand the points to the visitors.

However, the hosts refused to give up and attacked without fear and were soon rewarded within just two minutes as Jorge Cadete scored a superb solo goal.

The second half was an even contest and appeared to be heading towards a 2-1 away win with time running out. However, with just one minute on the clock Pat McGinlay equalised with a fine 18 yard drive that looked to have snatched victory from Charscot.

However, the visitors were desperate to take the three points and in one last attack Garrincha hit a magnificent 30 yard screamer to win the game with probably the goal of the season.

Afterwards the manager was in a relieved mood. "We had to fight very hard for this win today and our cup sacrifice was ultimately worth it as we now find ourselves clear in third position. We host fourth placed White Swan F.C next week and if we can win that game we will be at least four points clear of fourth so our attention has to be 100% on preparing for next week".

The only bad news this week was on the injury front as Angus Lee broke his nose in training and will now miss the next couple of weeks as he recovers.
29/09/2008
 After last week's disappointment Charscot entertained a Toon City Tigers side that has always struggled in this fixture and this game proved no different as management made a number of changeswhich all worked.

With Toon stuck in bottom spot Charscot were desperate to take the three points and get their promotion campaign back on track after a poor fortnight.

The manager made a number of changes as the team's formation was chanegd to a more attacking 3-3-4 and Stefan Selakovic was given his first game in attack after over 150 games for the club.

The game itself was dominated by the hosts and it seemed only a matter of time until the first goal came. As it was, it was a quickfire brace from Selakovic, who was clearly revelling in his new role, that settled the game on 61 and 67 minutes.

The first was a superlative chip from thirty yards and the magnificence of this strike was actually exceeded by the second - a free kick from all of 35 yeards that flew into the top right hand corner with the keeper motionless.

After this the result was in no doubt amd Charscot controlled the remainder of the game, strolling to a 2-0 win that lifted the club back up to fourth position as the team approaches two games next week.

Afterwards manager Rich Grove was relieved to see the changes bear fruit. "After a bad couple of games I felt we needed to freshen the side and tactics up for a must win game today. The players all played their parts to the letter and special praise has to be made for Stefan Selakovic who has always done everything I have asked of him. He was asked to attack at all opportunities today and he didn't waste his chance to impress. Whilst he probably won't be up front for long it was good to see him produce the goods today in a rare attacking formation."

"Next week we face two games - a meaningless home cup tie against St Josephs Bc and a trip to Lakeland Vendetta, a game we simply have to win to carry forward any momentum for the final 3 months of the season. Clearly playing such a poorly managed team as BC the fans will be expecting us to win but I hope they will understand that our priority has to be the league and it is only fitting that little clubs like Bc have their day in the Sun so I am sure they will enjoy their progression to the last eight of the cup" Rich Grove stated with a smirk.

On a good week keeper Alan Shilton signed a two year extension to his contract , whilst loanees Kincaid J. Stamoer and Lars Larsson returned from their loan periods to give the manager far more options for the coming months.
22/09/2008
 A truly pitiful result this week leaves the team languishing outside the top 3 at precisely the moment when the team should be pushing clear for promotion.

Charscot travelled to struggling Balham needing to win to make up for a poor result last week against Puigpunyent. With the team facing the strugglers over recent weeks Charscot were expected to create some distance between themselves and fourth place, instead the team has pathetically dropped points against three strugglers and is now back in fifth position and looking desperate for a goal, never mind a win.

In truth Charscot deserved to win against a lowly Balham side who in ninety minutes had a mere two shots on target yet still managed to take all the points with a goal after 64 minutes.

Charscot had the lion's share of the possession but did little with it and with star striker Rick Higgott out for 3 months the team looks like struggling to score any goals.

Manager Rich Grove was left fuming after the game. "This is just wholly unacceptable. We are the best squad, side you name it in this division by a country mile but you would never know it by our performances. Our defensive play has been decent all season but going forward we are an embarrassment. We have scored barely over a goal a game and in this league that is unacceptable. We have the players here who should score but they are letting themselves, the club and the fans down and I won't put up with it for much longer".

"We need to be winning these sort of games in style, not crawling away with our tail between our legs. If we carry on like this then promotion will be just a pipe dream and if we can't get out of this division with this squad then I will need to consider my options as I have no intention of watching this shite every week".

At this point the manager refused to take any further questions and stormed out of the press room.

The only other news this week was the draw for the third round of the cup. The club have been drawn at home to St Joseph's Bc. The Saints have failed to win in four previous trips to the Blue Silver Stadium, losing three, so the club will expect to progress as Cup holders despite their opponents coming from the top division.
15/09/2008
 A very mixed week this week as the team continued their undefeated run in the cup, lost their main scorer to injury and moved up to second in the league despite an undeserved defeat !

In the league the team put in one of their less impressive performances as they hosted struggling Puigpunyent at the Blue Silver Stadium. Despite a below par performance the team still deserved a point but lost to a 71st minute solo goal from Robertson that left the fans disappointed to say the least at the final whistle.

However, with Shaolin still finding it impossible to take any points against the top teams their 4-0 hammering allowed the Wolverines to move up to second on goal difference.

In the cup it was a game the manager had openly stated he would rather have lost to concentrate on the league. However, after losing in the league the team were determined to get something from the week and so they did as they beat Division Two side Paris Devils by two goals to one. Whilst a fair result Charscot would again have hoped for a better performance as they were nowhere near as dominating as they would have hoped to be.

It took a mere 12 minutes for Rick Higgott to score his fifth , and possibly final goal of the season after taking the ball around the keeper with Devils' defenders forlornly looking for an offside that was never coming.

Devils surprised everyone with a 68th minute equaliser with a superb lob from Alfonso that had Shilton grasping at thin air.

Just as the match looked headed towards the extra time the manager had predicted before the game up stepped Stefan Selakovic with just over a quarter of an hour to go to win the game for Charscot with a magnificent chip from 30 yards.

After the game it was confirmed that main target man Rick Higgott had sustained damaged knee ligaments (the third player to sustain this injury this season!) and would be out for 11 weeks. His participation in the remainder of the season seems unlikely due to the lack of fitness he will undoubtedly have by this point and this is a massive blow to the team as Rick has been the only player who has found the net with any regularity this season and he will be sorely missed.

It is expected that management will be making moves within the squad to compensate for his loss.

With the manager in a surprisingly reclusive mood after the game the press conference was cancelled, although rumours that he was in the process of completing a deal were denied by unofficial sources within the club.
08/09/2008
 A big game this week as the team reached the halfway point in the season with a trip to fourth placed Red Legends. The Legends would leapfrog the Wolverines with a win whilst Charscot would be guaranteed a top 3 spot with a point. Having beaten the Legends on both previous meetings the team was looking to maintain their record.

The game itself was close in terms of possession but the visiting Charscot side created far more chances in front of goal and with the shooting looking particularly prolific it was only a matter of time before the visitors took the lead.

The scorer for the second week running was Rick Higgott with a superlative chip from just outside the area to give Charscot a well deserved lead.

The lead lasted a mere 13 minutes as Charterhouse scored an exquisite solo goal to bring the home team level.

The second half continued with Charscot creating the better chances but finding the home defence doing everything they could to prevent the ball hitting the net. It began to look like the home side's desperate defending would gain them a point until with 18 minutes left Zak Newton headed in from close range after substitute Lubomir Moravcik had waltzed past four defenders en route.

At the final whistle the visitng fans celebrated in style as the team continue to look good with half the season to go.

Manager Rich Grove was ecstatic after the game - "We have in recent weeks played all the top teams in this league and with one minor exception we have proven their betters on every occasion and that has to give us confidence as we prepare to face our opponennts for the second time this season. Even though we dropped a place on goals scored that is of little concern as all that matters is finishing in the top three and returning to the top flight. Where in the top three we finish is of little concern. We now face a number of struggling teams in the next month and we need to make the most of the upcoming games and not get distracted by the cup, where we face a Paris Devils side with nothing to lose next week".

It was confirmed after the game that another player has pledged his future to the club with Alessandro Del Horno signing a 2 year extension to his contract as management looks to persevere with the current personnel as deals have proven almost impossible to complete in recent months.

With Stefan Selakovic returning from injury the only bad news this week was a 3 week injury to back up keeper Igor Akinfeyev that will leave the manager hoping his first choice keeper can avoid any injury or suspension issues in the next few weeks.
01/09/2008
 With games against the bottom five in the next six games it was important the team didn't slip up after their recent good run got them into promotion contention. First up was visiting Greytree Rangers who find themselves in a false 13th position and this game was always going to be a hard one.

The visitors took the lead after 24 minutes bringing to an end the five game clean sheet run of Alan Shilton's defence.

With Charscot having the possessional advantage it looked like it was just a matter of time until the home team equalised and the goal on 37 minutes was no surprise. Rick Higgott knocked the ball over the line from close range for his 45th goal for the club to send the teams in level at half time.

The second half saw Charscot continue to have the edge but struggling in the final third. However, midway through the second half David Challis of Greytree drove the ball into his own net whilst under pressure from Pedro Luis to put Charscot ahead. The home team didn't look likely to lose their lead and held firm for a 2-1 win that moved them up to second place in the league.

The manager refused to talk to the press after the game and it was left to the assistant to confirm the team's pleasure at the recent run.

It was confirmed today that three players each signed two year extensions to their contracts and will be at the club for the foreseeable future. Marius Lacatus and Gianni Rivera were surprises considering their limited opportunities to date whilst the signing of Zak Newton shows the change in beliefs at the club as Zak has made himself invaluable in the past few months and his age has not prevented the manager from committing to keeping him, despite the manager's normal preference for offloading players when they reach their late 20's.
25/08/2008
 An enormous game today as Charscot travelled to leaders Shaolin F.C knowing that a defeat would leave Shaolin flying clear and Charscot stuck in the chasing pack.

Charscot took a four match run of not conceding a goal into the game whilst Shaolin had scored in every match this season meaning something had to give. History favoured the visitors, who had never lost in 8 previous meetings and had in fact only ever conceded one goal in their meetings and history proved the winner as the record was maintained.

The game itself saw the hosts Shaolin have the bulk of the play but the Charscot defence held firm, whilst the Wolverines always looked capable of scoring with their counter attacks.

Eleven minutes into the second half a superb move ended with Angus Lee scoring his second goal of the season with a fine header from ten yards.

As Shaolin looked to get back into the match Charscot put the result beyond doubt two minutes later with a superb lob from Stefan Selakovic from thirty yards.

The 2-0 pushed Charscot up to third position and within three points of leaders Shaolin and after having come through four tricky matches in the past month unscathed it is hoped the team can push forwards from here. The number of goals conceded (six) is a league best as the team continues to dominate defensively.

Manager Rich Grove was very pleased at the final whistle - "That was a clinical performance and I couldn't be happier with hos the defence is playing right now. Ideally we would like to be scoring more goals but as long as the clean sheets continue we should be there or thereabouts at the end of the season, particularly if we can keep on beating our promotion rivals as we have done in the last two matches".

"We now need to carry this form into the next six matches where we actually play the bottom five teams in the division. If we carry on as we have we could be in a very good position at the beginning of October. We mustn't however get complacent as things can easily turn against a team very quickly".

The only bad news this week was the sprained ankle sustained by midfielder Stefan Selakovic. Whilst only out for a fortnight this is still a blow and it is just hoped his absence doesn't affect the team too badly.
18/08/2008
 Charscot hosted high flying Wascisco Red Sox in a must win derby match as Charscot looked to maintain their recent run of clean sheets.

The game itself was disappointing as derby matches go with Wascisco offering little resistance and after Garrincha's super solo goal gave the hosts the lead on 17 minutes the result was never in doubt. If not for some profligate finishing and the woodwork the score vould and should have been more.

Man of the match Angus Lee celebrated his 100th full appearance for the club as the defence continued to remain unbeachable.

However, the fans won't be complaining as the team kept their fourth straight clean sheet and maintain the best defensive record in the division.

Next week Charscot travel to Shaolin Fc who have scored in every game this season so something has to give. For what it is worth history is on Charscot's side as in 8 previous matches Shaolin have never won and have only scored one goal. However, this is a different team with a better manager so the past has little bearing on next week.

Manager Rich Grove was a relived man after the game - "We always hate these derby matches as form seems to count for so little so to take the three points and leapfrog the Sox and going up to fourth has to count as a good day's work. We now need to maintain our run at Shaolin next week where a draw will be a good result".

With transfers still proving hard to complete the management are apparently getting frustrated and may have to pull out of some proposals as managers continue to waste the club's time.
11/08/2008
 Another tricky trip this week as Charscot traveled to Outer Southampton who were also chasing a top 3 place.

With both teams needing the points the likeliest result was achieved as the teams fought out a fairly dire goalless draw.

Chances were few and far between with the visitors having the greater amount of possession but being profligate with their shooting as chance after chance went begging. The shooting was particularly woeful today with only 3 of 15 shots finding the target.

Afterwards the team found themselves still in seventh and facing three of the top five in the next three games in what looks like a make or break part of the season.

Manager Rich Grove was far from satisfied after the game - "Defensively the team are playing with great confidence but our play in the final third just simply is not good enough. I am losing patience with our midfield and attack and if they don't start scoring soon then major changes will have to take place at the club. We are still looking to bring in a fresh face but we need one or two to go in deals first before our target can come in".

It is believed the manager is looking to bring in a defender for an attacker to free space to offload a midfielder to Eastleigh for their promising striker Fernando Torres. However, the initial deal for a defender is proving nigh on impossible right now.
04/08/2008
 A big local derby this week as Charscot host rivals Rivendell in a game that both teams needed the points from to challenge for a promotion spot.

As it was despite Charscot having the lion's share of the play they couldn't get the goal their attacking play warranted and they had to settle for another undeserved draw. The number of dropped points from games the team has dominated is beginning to build up and some are wondering if the team are going to be hard luck losers again this season and not achieve their aim of a return to the top flight.

After the game with the team dropping to seventh and facing a tricky game at fifth placed Outer Southampton next week manager Rich Grove was losing faith with his attack. "We really need to find a cutting edge to complement our attacking play as we are getting into the final third and not making teams pay. We simply must start scoring goals. Our defensive record is the best in the division and if only we could get some goals we would be flying high".

With the attack spluttering the first casualty is veteran attacker Rick Fox, who has been allowed to leave for WPL side Spondon Renegades. With Fox not announcing his retirement and also not finding the net for the club it was felt best to cash in on him whilst still possible and hopefully a fresh start will help him start scoring goals as Spondon chase a league title.

With Derrek Lee due to complete his move to March Town United in the next week if March Town manage to successfully fill out the paperwork the attack will be slimming down somewhat, particularly as the gamble with Moravcik is being considered a failure according to sources within the club and his return to midfield seems likely within weeks at latest.

Management is attempting to make room to bring in one attacker to freshen things up and the player is believed to be Fernando Torres of Eastleigh Saints, although any deal will be contingent upon moving at least one other attacker out of the club.

In other news the draw for the second round of the cup was made today and Charscot will host Paris Devils in a game they would hope to progress through.

There is a new poll for everyone to vote on (finally !). See the link on the front page or below.

Results of the previous poll were as follows -

Who will win the WPL Premier Division this season ?

Callie Athletic   -    4 votes
Comberton Tornadoes    -    0  votes
Palmeiras    -    0  votes
Real Madrid    -    3  votes
Saints United    -    3  votes
Spondon Renegades    -    2  votes
St Josephs Bc    -    0  votes
Thamesford United    -    5  votes
Vanbrugh Royals    -    0  votes
Vasco De Gama    -    0  votes
28/07/2008
 A break from the league this week as the first round of the cup was played with Charscot starting their defence of the trophy that they won last season with a home game against Shadow's Fall.

The game looked on paper like a potential banana skin as the Fall have a strong side considering their lowly league placing but as it turned out the result was never in any real doubt and the game was over as a contest inside the first ten minutes.

Rick Higgott settled the home side's nerves after just 120 seconds with a superb solo goal as he ran fully 50 yards before making the goalkeeper look stupid with an audacious dummy before tapping home.

Any hope the visitors had of a comeback was gone in the tenth minute as Angus Lee scored with a fine drive from a poorly cleared corner.

After this the game was over in truth but on a swelteringly hot day the Charscot plaeyrs chose to pass the ball around and not push themselves too hard.

Afterwards the manager was in a relaxed mood. "That was a solid win for us as we tried out a few different things tactically and it gives me some things to think about as I look to next week's big derby with Rivendell. The players did all that was asked of them and whilst the Cup is a low priority it is still good to avoid being knocked out in our first game after getting the trophy".

Another quiet week as the manaegr continues to struggle to find any deals.
21/07/2008
 Charscot faced a local derby at rivals Space Cadets and went into the game confident on the back of a nine game unbeaten run on the road.

Unfortunately the confidence proved to be false as the team were hit by two late goals in a hard fought match to send the team dropping down to sixth place as the cup break approaches next week.

The game looked to be going the way of the visitors when Rick Higgott got his first goal of the season in the 52nd minute with a simple tap in from the edge of the six yard box.

With the game seemingly heading towards an away win the Cadets came roaring back with Gabriel Milito scoring from close range with twelve minutes left on the clock.

As the game looked destined for a draw Charscot old boy David Boreanez scored with a drive from ten yards out in the final minute to grab the three points for the hosts.

Manager Rich Grove was disappointed after the match - "Gutting to lose in the manner we did. We need to learn how to hold onto a lead. If we don't start making our possession pay then we will not be getting out of this division anytime soon".

With the Cup taking over next week it is understood that there will be some experimenting as management look to try something different in the hope of getting a gameplan that works.
14/07/2008
 Charscot hosted the team they beat in the Cup Final last year, Your Mum's Athletic, in a game the hosts were looking to win to consolidate their position in the promotion spots.

The game itself was one way traffic as the hosts tried without success to break down their opponents, who rarely threatened andseemed happy to take a point.

At the final whistle another one-sided home performance but only a point to show for it, which dropped the team down to fourth.

Further bad news came after the game as another player was hit by the ridiculous injury jinx that has swept the club the past four weeks. This week's unlucky recipient was Lars Larsson, who will miss the next 11 weeks with damaged knee ligaments.

Manager Rich Grove was in a less than jovial mood after the match - "It is very disappointing that we still seem to find it hard to turn our possession into the goals we deserve and we have to start winning the home games as sooner or later our excellent away form will come to an end. If our home form was even close to our away form, where we haven't lost in nearly four months, then we would be flying high whereas the home form is holding us back".

"The injury to Lars is very bad timing as I ws looking to play him next week. I will now be looking to freshen up the attack, that has looked stale this season, in a more creative way.Whether it works or ont time will tell. We now travel to local rivals, Space Cadets for a must win game. We have a good record at their ground and we need to put some distance between us and them as they will be up there come the end of the season".
07/07/2008
 Charscot travelled to highflying The Academy for a game that would go some way to prove whether the team has what it takes to compete for a promotion spot this season.

As it was the team passed with flying colours as they took away a deserved 2-0 win to return to a top three position after last week's blip.

The game itself was a close fought affair with the visitors proving to be slightly more effective as the midfield contied to contribute the goals.

Just past the half hour mark Siddig El Fadil scored with a simple close range tap in to give Charscot a lead they looked like holding on to.

With just under ten minutes left in the game Captain Luciano Zauti scored with a decent header to wrap up the points.

Afterwards manager Rich Grove was pleased but remaining cautious - "I am very pleased with the manner of this win as The Academy were going well before facing us and it is promising to see how well we have done so far against the teams up the top with us at this admittedly early stage. We now face two teams just below us in the table before the cup returns in Your Mum's Athletic and Space Cadets. We need to take at least 4 points from thos two games to maintain the momentum we have got over the first seven games".

A new poll will be a week late unfortunately and will now be available next monday.
30/06/2008
 Charscot hosted a tough Sandbanks City side that came with a wealth of experience, albeit lacking any fresh legs.

The hosts were anxious about this game as it has felt like a return to the bad days of undeserved defeats was just around the corner, and so it proved as City left London with an incredibly undeserved three points in a 1-0 away win that was nothing short of a travesty.

Unbelievably for the third time this season Charscot's opponents were reduced to ten men in the opening minute of the match as defender Jon Dymock was sent off for swearing at the referee.

Despite being given this advantage the hosts played some superb football but couldn't get the ball in the net  and as the game progressed you could see the hosts becoming more desperate to get the goal they deserved.

With 22 minutes left on the clock the visitors broke away and captain Deadmarsh scored from close range to complete a miserable day for the club.

The result dropped the team down three places to fifth and a trip to second placed The Academy awaits next week.

In further bad news it was announced after the match that midfielder Kincaid J. Stamper had damaged knee ligaments and would be out for 11 weeks, joining Gianni Rivera and Zak Newton on the treatment table as the midfield continues to be decimated by injuries.

Manager Rich Grove was less than pleased after the match with what turned out to be a bad start to the week. "We looked today like we were back to last season where we outclassed our opponents only to lose unluckily. We can't allow this to become a habit again and we really need to go to The Academy next week and pick up a decent result to prevent us dropping too far down the table".

"The injury situation is looking less than impressive right now and it begs the question if something has changed in training to suddenly have so many injuries.I have put in an official enquiry to the league President but haven't had any response as of now".

The one bright spot to the day was Angus Lee signing a 3 year extension to his contract, guaranteeing his remaining at the club well into his mid-20's.

A new poll will be a week late unfortunately and will now be available next monday.
23/06/2008
 Charscot faced a tricky visit to White Swan F.C who had a 100% home record going into today. The visitors for their part were looking to extend their unbeaten start to five weeks and put pressure on the teams at the top.

As it was Charscot again put on a superb show of football but found goals to be lacking as their opponents defended valiantly for almost the entire match (in fact only managing one shot on target in ninety minutes).

However, despite the heroic defending the visitor's superior skills proved decisive as Garrincha scored a superb solo goal from the edge of the box on 72 minutes to give the Wolverines a deserved victory.

The result was never in any doubt after this and the valuable three points took the team up to second in the table at this early stage.

Manager Rich Grove was satisfied but not getting carried away. "This was a great result bearing in mind how dominant Swan normally are on this ground and plenty of teams will come here and fail to win this season. Whilst our start has been exactly what we needed it is far too early to be thinking of promotion - we just need to try and build on the previous game and go out and win as many as possible and see where it gets us. We know we have the class to dominate but whether we have the heart to do likewise only time will tell".

With the team going so well the only news was bad this week behind the scenes as the squad lost two midfielders to sprained ankles. Both Zak Newton and Gianni Rivera are hoped to be back within 3 weeks but Zak's presence in particular will be missed as he has proven invaluable in the recent winning run.

Whether Zak's absence will mean a debut for Lubo Moravcik will become clear next week.

A new poll will be started next week so this is the last week to get your votes in on the current poll.
16/06/2008
 Charscot built on their unbeaten start as they ground out a 1-0 win over a dirty Lakeland Vendetta side to maintain their exceptional record against Vendetta with 5 wins out of 5 at home and 8 wins out of 9 all time.

The game was never going to be a pretty one as Lakeland came determined to play the part of spoilers, no more evident than it was in the very first minute when Howard Debacker was sent off after launching into a foul mouthed tirade after a mere fifty seconds.

Any chance the visitors had of stealing the points went with this moment of madness and it just came down to whether the hosts would be able to break down their opponents who remained encamped in their own half for long periods, only briefly breaking to try pot shots from long distance at the home goal.

Just past the hour mark the Wolverines got the goal they deserved and with it the three points as Pedro Luis got his second of the season with a simple shot from close range after some fine skills beat the retreating opponents.

After this it was just a question of whether the hosts would get more but in the end they settled for a 1-0 win that keeps the unbeaten start to the season going as the team moves up to fifth position at this early stage of the season.

Afterwards manager Rich Grove was in apprehensive mood - "Whilst it is good that our start has been far better than we are used to having it is far too early to be getting carried away. We have to maintain our winning run between now and the first round of the cup to try and establish ourselves at the top of the division. I don't want us making hard work of this division in the same way we normally make hard work of everything !!".

On a quiet week there was no other news from around the club as management prepared for a settled period in the hope that this would help the club move back towards the Premier Division.
09/06/2008
 After what seems like a lifetime Charscot finally got a deserved away win today and their first win of the season that leaves the club undefeated and two points off the top of the table at this very early stage.

Charscot traveled to managerless Toon City Tigers knowing that if they could reproduce the form of the first two games of the season then there would be a decent chance of taking the three points.

As it was they cut apart the hosts and despite the attack being rather goal shy the rest of the team weighed in with the goals as the team got four and could have quite easily had far more.

It took the Wolverines 20 minutes to open the scoring as Luciano Zauti, in his third game as captain, scored with a superb lob from thirty yards as he continues to show the quality that makes him the best under 25 playing the game anywhere today.

On 32 minutes Stefan Selakovic scored with a great volley from the edge of the area that killed the game as a spectacle for the long-suffering home fans.

As the second half started the visitors hit the bar with an exquisite free kick before the hosts took the loose ball the length of the field to score with a simple tap in.

This merely proved to be a false dawn though as Charscot scored a third within nine minutes as Sole Campbelle forced the ball into his own net whilst under pressure from a corner.

It took another nine minutes for Charscot to get their fourth as Gilmar scored his second of the season with a fine dribble from the halfway line before rounding the keeper and placing the ball into the empty net.

In the final twenty minutes the visitors continued to pile on the pressure but had to settle for the four goals.

Afterwards manager Rich Grove was pleased with the performance - "Finally we got the sort of result our performances had been demanding. We would have 3 wins out of 3 if there were any justice but at least we are still undefeated and I hope our players can build on this performance and start to assert ourselves on this division, particularly in these early weeks when results can be something of a lottery".

The win took the team up to seventh and in a good position to pressure the teams above them if they can maintain their form.

Gianni Rivera arrived from March Town officially today to complete the management's transfer dealings for the time being. Aside from the departure of Derrek Lee to March Town in a few week's time there are no deals planned.

With the Cup arriving at the club this week it has been added to the trophy page of the website here. Click on any image there for a larger version of the picture.
02/06/2008
 A familiar feel to the start of this season as for the second week running Charscot hammered their opponents but still failed to win as they stay in tenth position and start to wonder where the first win will come from.

Visitors Balham Town were never in the game and it came as a shock when they scored with a breakaway goal after 18 minutes.

For a long time it looked like they might leave with a thoroughly undeserved three points befroe Pedro Luis scored his first goal for the club in the 70th minute with a close range header.

Despite the game being played in and around Town's penalty area the hosts couldn't find the winner they deserved and at the final whistle the players, fans and management look deflated by this result.

"Yes, of course we are disappointed", manager Rich Grove confirmed after the game. "It is beyond frustrating to consistently outplay our opponents and not get the results we deserve. We are head and shoulders above every other team in this division but we aren't getting any luck and what more can we od but outplay our opponents each week ?. Annoying to put it mildly but we will just have to keep playing our football and hope our luck turns. We now go to managerless Toon City Tigers next week and we HAVE to get a win to get our season off and running".

After what seems like a long search for a deal for Derrek Lee it was finally announced that a deal had been agreed and that Derrek will be joining March Town United of the British Alliance for the start of their new season in a couple of months. Arriving in the opposite direction is former Wolverine Gianni Rivera, who is expected to balance out the squad since Garrincha re-invented himself as an attacker.
Despite having cost the club £20million from the auction market two seasons ago it was felt that it was best for both parties that he have a fresh start to his career that has yet to reach the heights his talents would imply he should.

Also arriving at the club is youth striker Johann Vonlanthen. Johann cost £2.1mill from abroad and it is hoped he will progress in the youth team before being offloaded for a cash profit at the end of the season.

A new website poll today to determine who will be League Champions this season.

The last poll results were as fiollows -

Will Charscot return to the Premier Division at the first attempt ?
Yes    11 votes
No     16 votes
26/05/2008
 Charscot's first game in the second tier in 13 years followed the same pattern asm ost of last season as the team put on a superb footballing performance but still found luck evading them as they had to settle for a point in their first visit to Puigpunyent's Theatre of Nightmares ground.

Despite Puigpunyent having to play a defender in goal due to a lack of managerial long term planning the hosts took an undeserved lead in the 38th minute with a close range goal.

Their lead didn't hold to half time however as Charscot equalised within five minutes as Gilmar scored with a tap in after a good break through the middle of the field.

The second half was almost entirely played out in the host's half of the field as they were continually bombarded but somehow they held out for a very undeserved draw.

Afterwards manager Rich Grove was upbeat considering the nature of the game - "Whilst we clearly deserved the three points as every one of the sell out crowd could see today, the fact is we at least didn't start the season with an undeserved defeat as we normally do. We can only hope we build on this and get three points from our first home game of the season next week against Balhma Town".

"I will be looking to get new signing Rick Fox involved next week as we aren't expecting him to hold off his retirement plans for long and we are still hopeful of balancing out the squad with a deal in the next week or so".

As a number of deals completed over the past 7 days (see last week's news) it is looking liek the squad is almost set up for the season and management were confident enough in the players to allow Tiki Barber, Ricardo Izecson and Julio Salinas to all go out on loan today to get valuable games under their belts.

Charscot's first opponents  as they look to defend their trophy this season will be Shadow's Fall after the draw was made today. The Fall will travel to the Blue Silver Stadium for a game the hosts would expect to win.
19/05/2008
 The biggest game in the past 3 years for the club today as the team played in their first Cup Final, facing a Your Mum's Athletic side from Division One that had nothing to lose as the Wolverines were made hot favourites.

The game itself will not go down as a classic, not that Charscot's players and fans will care as ultimately the team came home with the trophy. Whilst Charscot edged the position they were fairly profligate in front of goal and it always lookedl ike one goal would decide the game.

The winning goal came from freshly promoted (and converted from midfield to attack) Garrincha who rewarded his manager's faith with a superb volley from 25 yards in the 24th minute to lighten an otherwise dull game.

After the goal Charscot rarely looked in trouble and at the end the 1-0 result seemed like a fair one. With players and fans finally having something to cheer about as the season drew to a close the manager was in relieved mood afterwards.

"We deserved that today but it could have been very different as we wasted a number of opportunities and one goal is never enough to be entirely confident and Athletic ran us close. It is a great moment for the club in what had been our worst ever season going into today s this at least takes us into next season a little happier and a little more confident".

"We have negotiated a number of deals in recent weeks and it is hoped that the players we have here can bounce us straight back into the top flight where we feel we belong and frankly another season like this will simply not be acceptable".

The team finished off their season with an undeserved 1-1 draw at Callie Athletic. Having won their five previous trips to Callie the 89th minute equaliser against the run of play after larsson had given Charscot the lead was typical of the team's luck this season. The draw was enough to move the club to 14th and avoid playing cup finalists Your Mum's Athletic on week 1 ironically.

Unfortunately a number of club records were equalled or beaten this season and unsurprisingly none of them are good ones ! The 8 home defeats, 2 away wins and 14 total defeats ties club records, whilst the 10 home goals scored easily eclipses the previous worst of 13 goals. There was also a new low with the club recording the fewest total league wins in a season as the team won a measly 6 games (the same number of wins as the team had in the cup !).

The end of an era today as it was confirmed that the Cup Final was club captain Eya Mistabic's final game for the club. Eya played 263 games for the club, scoring 41 goals from midfield and he was laways first on the team sheet as his consistent performances at the highest standard made him invaluable to the team.

"I am sad to see Eya go but with so much youth coming through the system I felt it was time to give them a chance and Eya wanted another league title and with our relegation it seemed only fair to send him to his former manager at Callie Athletic where he can fight it out for another Championship next season" the manager stated after the game. "It also seemed fitting that his final game should be our first Cup Final".

With Eya going the new Club Captain has been confiremd as Luciano Zauti, who it is hoped will hold the post for at least the next dozen seasons.

Also leaving the club is keeper Pawel Pokora who has been placed on the auction market who had an incredibly brief stay at the club but with age against him and Alan Shilton playing better than anticipated it was felt the retaining of three keepers was an unnecessary waste of resources.

Meanwhile there are 3 players due to arrive at the club next monday, all from the King Richard League. Two are hoped to be stars of the future in attacker Klaas Jan Huntelaar and midfielder Luka Modric. They will both spend next season in the youth team. The third player is nearing the end of his career but it is hoped his experience could be vital in the club's assault on the top three. Attacker Rick Fox is hoping to build up a quality attack with proven scorer Rick Higgott as the team look to score far more goals than they have in recent seasons.

Attacker Martin Foulke has just 3 days to go before he is sold on the AM and the bid is currently just past £4million..

Finally the awards were handed out last night at the Player of the Year evening. Unsurprisingly Rick Higgott took the senior honours whilst Garrincha took the Young Player of the Year award , fitting as he was to score the Cup winner less than 24 hours later. The newest entrants into the Hall of Fame were also announced with all-rounder Zak Newton and defender Angus Lee getting the nod.
12/05/2008
 The inevitable relegation of the club was finally official today as Charscot undeservedly went down to a 2-1 home defeat to Lisbon Eagles. As it was the result didn't matter as results elsewhere conspired to send the club down no matter what they did today.

The game itself was a typical one as Charscot controlled the game but couldn't find the goals they deserved before ultimately succumbing to a couple of sucker punches that cost them any points.

The Eagles took the lead on five minutes after a laughable penalty was awarded for a handball that clearly was committed by the Lisbon attacker.

Just before the half hour Eya Mistabic got his first league goal of the season with a superb long range shot that left most fans wondering why he couldn't do this more often...

The game stayed level for a mere fivem inutes though as the visitors broke away to score a simple goal from close range to secure the three points.

In the second half the hosts hit the woodwork twice but with news filtering through that Palmeiros and Vanbrugh were both avoiding defeat and that the team were relegated anyway the players seemed to lose the heart to fight and the game petered out in the final ten minutes.

Afterwards all the talk was of the club's first Cup Final. "We are just looking ahead to next week and trying to forget our league form this season" manager Rich Grove stated after the match. "Six league wins simply isn't good enough and we have got what we deserved as no matter how good our football has been at times you get judged on winning games and we have failed on that score. Whilst I am looking to next season and putting the final pieces in place for what will hopefully be a promotion push I want the fans and players to enjoy the build up to the Final over the next 7 days. I want us going there in a relaxed mood and ready to put on a show and bring home the Cup for the first time in our history".

On a quiet week attacker Martin Foulke has just 10 days to go before he is sold on the AM and the bid has yet to reach £2million.
05/05/2008
 The biggest game since the 2005 title decider this week as Charscot played Callie Athletic in the Semi-Final of the Cup. The club has had an horrendous record at this stage losing on all three occasions. The team today seemed determined not to repeat history and took control of this game from the first whistle.

An absorbing ninety minutes as Charscot battered their opponents who mustered just one shot on target in the game and as the referee whistled for extra time many fans could be forgiven for thinking it was not meant to be the Wolverine's day.

However, Marius Lacatus, promoted early to try and save the season was to do just that as he linked up with Garrincha before scoring from close range to give Charscot their first ever Cup Final. At the final whistle jubilant fans swept onto the pitch as they finally had something to celebrate in a season that has been marred by bad luck, bad management and bad performances.

The team had little time to savour this result as they had to quickly make a trip to Toon Bay Wasps for the league match that was expected to relegate Charscot.

However, buoyed by the cup performance the Wolverines showed their class as they tore the hosts apart and left everyone thinking if they had played like this a little more they would not be going down.

Garrincha, fresh from signing a contract extension, made his debut in attack and rewarded his manager with a simple goal following a flowing move the length of the pitch. His celebrations, which included a sojourn into the visiting dugout to celebrate with management was rewarded with a warning rather than a card.

Whilst the Wasps tried to stifle the Wanderers with some thuggish tackles (which earned no less than five cards during the game) Charscot responded to superlative football and with five minutes to go to half time Lars Larsson put the result beyond any doubt as he scored a tap in from the edge of the six yard box.

With the game in the bag the team were caught napping at the start of the second half as Toon scored following a mistake in the Charscot back four.

The hosts slim chances of gettign aything from the game were ruined with just under half an hour to go as Segi Berrera committed a deliberate handball and having been booked for dissent earlier he was shown the red card.

Charscot's superiority was ocnfirmed four minutes later as Larsson gained his second goal of the game with a drive from just inside the penatly area.

The remaining twenty plus minutes were spent camped in the Toon's final third but no more goals were to come.

The result leaves the team almost certainly down with two games to go, an inferior goal difference and five points to make up, but it does mean the team have survived longer than many pundits expected them to.

The manager Rich Grove was exceedingly happy after the game at the team's efforts. "This week we knew relegation was more than likely but we managed to put that to the back of our minds and put in two truly superb performances. Our performance in the cup was simply unbeatable and no one would have lived with us and all credit to Callie on taking us all the way to extra time. Marius' goal completely justifies his early promotion to the first team as that goal means so much to the club".

"Speaking of early promotions, Garrincha's was also greatly deserved and he rewarded us all with a goal that set us on our way. At this rate he may well find his future as a striker rather than a midfielder ! The fact that he also committed himself to the club was almost as big a result as the cup win and one that I am delighted he made".

"The team will more than likely be relegated this week but for the first time this season there is at least hope that this team can show the spirit needed to fight to return to the top flight next season. In the meantime we will prepare for the cup final against Your Mum's Athletic and hope we can make our cup final appearance a winning one and the first of many".

With Your Mum's , the division One side awaiting the club in the final a tense hard fought final is expected.

After week's of failed offers the manager finally managed to make another move in the market as Toshi Susuka and Luis Felipe Monti were allowed to leave the club with both making their way to the King Richard League. Arriving in exchange is youth attacker Klaas Jan Huntelaar, who because of the league differences will be arriving on week one where it is hoped he will progress to being another star of the future in time.
28/04/2008
 A meaningless game this week as the team prepared for next week's semi-final with a home game for title chasing AFC Audenshaw in a game the visitors had to win and the hosts were disinteretsed in.

As it turned out the visitors looked less than interested themselves as in a pretty dire game man of the match Djalma Santos scored his first goal for the club in the 34th minute to give Charscot a 1-0 win.

Whilst undoubtedly going down this result did mean that it wouldn't become official for another week not that the management seemed too bothered -

"Whilst I am glad the players can still remember how to win games I would rather save the wins for the cup now as having lost in three semi-finals we really want to make our first final this season to rescue something out of the worst season in the club's history".

"I have promoted Garrincha due to his being unsettled and he may well figure in next week's semi, that will be decided later in the week. The offers for him and the otherl isted players have been interesting but no deals have been agreed yet and if none are agreed this week then I will stop looking for deals and start considering using the auction market to add revenue instead".

As expected youth attacker Martin Foulke went on the market today and will be sold on the 22nd May.

Results of the latest poll are as follows -

Should managers continue to be allowed to bid on their own listed players on the auction market with other team's they run ?

Yes   6 votes
No    4 votes

There is a new poll below.
21/04/2008
 The inevitable basically become a reality today as Charscot succumbed their tenure in the Premier Division after a run that had them as the second most successful club in the WPL behind Thamesford United. The battle of the basement today was a local derby as the team visited The Space Cadets for a game they had to win to have any realistic hope of staying up. As it was a hard fought battle left neither team happy as the teams slugged out a 1-1 draw.

The team did show some battle (at last) today as after going a goal down in the 37th minute to a superb shot from Charscot old boy Ian Bishop the team immediately hit back as Luciano Zauti scored a goal of the season contender with a fre kick from just outside the area.

In a dour second half neither team could get a winner as the draw left the visitors relegated and the hosts dropping back into the bottom three as well.

Afterwards manager Rich Grove was a surprisingly relieved man - "I am actually glad it is over to be honest. The false hopes were doing no one any good and we can now concentrate on trying to win the Cup this season and working out exactly who is surplus to our needs in preparation for next season".

"We have had far too many players underperform and a few will clearly have to go as there is no point in keeping players who can't do their job properly. On the upside the appearance of a number of our youth players on their Top 20 lists respectively has to be taken as a good sign as if they are that good at 17 then the future can only be better surely ?".

In transfer news the departure of Martin Foulke via the auction market was confirmed with the youth attacker expected to raise £4mill+ when he goes on next monday. Anatoly Sudic completed his transfer to Sporting Southampton and Diego Capel is expected to leave within a fortnight.

With Garrincha grumbling about his lack of opportunities it will be interesting to see if the management will persevere with the perfect youth or look for a deal. Expect any decision to be made this week.
14/04/2008
 The manager stated that no less than a win today would do as Charscot hosted A.F.C Fifa but seemingly the players neglected to listen. Despite being the better side the hosts barely created any chances of note and at the final whistle of a dour match the home fans booed the underachieving hosts for what seemed like the umpteenth time this season.

The draw leaves the club five points from safety but with a far worse goal difference than their opponents next week, The Space Cadets.With just five games left in the season and two title chasing sides still to play (as well as the two teams directly above the club) the likelihood is that the Blue Silver Stadium will be hosting Division One football next season.

Manager Rich Grove had little to say after the game - "Well that was dire wasn't it ? We just didn't show enough today to deserve the three points and frankly our chances of survival are pretty much gone. We knew a fair while ago that it was likely we would go down so no one at the club is surprised and to be honest we are all just getting on with preparing for next season now".

With the club seemingly doomed the job of releasing youths is continuing apace as following Peter Palotas' departure it was confirmed today that Anatoly Sudic would be leaving for Sporting Southampton of the Major Oak Alliance next monday.
07/04/2008
 A trip to in form Saints United wasn't exactly the match the Wolverines would have chosen this week and as it was Charscot held their own and deserved more than they got from a bruising encounter.

The first half killed off the team as United took their chances with goals from ex-Charscot player Pierluigi Inzaghi and Peter Francks to give the hosts a two goal lead that they defended with muscle as much as guile in the second half.

The home team committed no less than 23 fouls (to the Wolverines solitary foul) and it was no surprise when Harry Stottle saw red for his second booking following a bad challenge on Igor Akinfeyev quickly followed up by a punch being thrown at Angus Lee. The player could have no complaints but sadly it came too late for Charscot to make their numerical superiority count for anything.

Afterwards manager Rich Grove was in defiant mood - "Whilst I haven't hidden the fact that I believe we will go down we now have to take the performance from this games, which we didn't deserve to lose, and reproduce it with better finishing as we HAVE to win the next two matches. Anything less than six points from our games with Fifa and the Cadets and our time in the top flight is definitely over".

"I will be making changes next week, both tactical and in terms of personnel as clearly things just aren't working for us".

The draw for the semi-final of the cup was made today and the tie that the neutrals wanted for the Final is sadly going to be the Semi as the final two top flight sides play each other. Charscot will play Callie Athletic in a local derby with a place in the final up for grabs (which would be a first for Charscot).

The clubs have met on two previous occasions in the cup. In 1995 they met in the second round with Callie winning at the Blue Silver Stadium by two goals to one. The second meeting was in 2003/4 as Charscot won 1-0 in the quarter-finals again at the Blue Silver Stadium

In transfer news youth attacker Peter Palotas will be sold to fellow WPL side Dynamo Zeppelin next week in a deal worth £2.2mill.
31/03/2008
 A home fixture this week against Palmeiras was to all intents and purposes last chance saloon as the club had to start finding a way to win matches it dominates if avoiding relegation was to be even a faint hope. As it was the season continued as it has all season with Charscot deserving a win and yet finding a way to lose 1-0.

Palmeiras scored the only goal of a tense match just past the quarter hour mark to leave themselves safe from relegation whilst the hosts now find themselves six points from safety and seemingly down.

The team had to quickly try and put this game to one side as they made the short trip to local rivals Rivendell for a Cup quarter-final that pitted two teams that will probably be playing each other in Division 1 next season.

This game was a reverse of the league struggles this season as Charscot failed to play any cohesive football yet took their chances superbly to ease into the Semi-Finals for the fourth time in the club's history (where the team will be hoping to change history, having lost the previous three semi-finals).

It took just twelve minutes for Toshi Susuka to score with a superb free kick from 35 yards that had even the home fans clapping.

At half time the hosts were struggling to understand how they were trailing but soon made amends, scoring with a tap in from close range shortly before the hour mark.

However, Charscot were not to be denied as Siddig El Fadil replied within seven minutes with a fine header. As the hosts tried to fight their way back into the game Rick Higgott killed the game off with twenty minutes left as he headed in from six yards for his fourth cup goal of the campaign to send the Wolverines into the last four.

Manager Rich Grove had mixed feelings after the double header - "The league defeat has really killed offo ur chances now and I have to start looking to next season and trying to work out which players are good enough to get us out of a competitive Division One as clearly many of the squad just aren't producing the goods here and I need to resolve these issues within two months as before we know it we will be fighting for our lives down a division".

"I am pleased to see us make our fourth Cup Semi but it is of little use if we fall short again at this hurdle so I will be looking for us to win two more Cup games to give this club the trophy the fans have long hankered after".

"With relegation a seeming certainty now I will be taking offers from now and until week 29 to try and resolve some problems in the squad and hopefully a few managers will come up with deals to aid the club".
24/03/2008
 Charscot travelled to Spondon Renegades knowing that after their last disastroud road trip they had to come away with something from the game.
As it was the team were once again within minutes of a much needed win before a late dubious penalty denied them once again.

The match had gone the visitors way with Angus Lee scoring with a superb free kick after drawing the foul himself just past the half hour.

For long periods that looked like being the only goal of the game before the referee gave a harsh penalty for a handball that looked more like ball to hand than hand to ball and after Keith Peacock despatched the penalty the fans spent the remainder of the game booing the referee at every opportunity.

After the game the result meant the team pulled within three points from safety although realistically it is four points with the goal difference being well adrift of The Space Cadets.

Manager Rich Grove had little to say after the match. "I am pleased with the fighting spirit we showed today as we hve now entered a period where we cannot afford to lose. However, the referee's decision could be crucial as we really need to start winning away from home and a win today would have set us up for the next four games that I believe will determine our fate".

With no other news from the club it seems any more transfer deals will only take place once the season is over in terms of league position and any possible Cup Final.
17/03/2008
 Charscot hosted Barnstoneworth United today in a game that was to serve as some small measure of cathartic redemption as the team looked to get past last week's seven goal embarrassment against a Jon Sykes' managed side. As it was Barnstoneworth are the perfect opponents having failed to win in this fixture in the past eight seasons, and they weren't about to reverse that trend today.

The game itself was a dull affair in which neither side got going and it took a superb piece of individual skill to break the deadlock.

Marius Lacatus was desperate to prove his early promotion from the youth team was justified and he finally came good in the 66th minute as his spectacular free kick left Simonsen grasping at thin air for the only goal of the game.

The visitors never really looked like getting an equaliser as Alan Shilton had a satisfactory debut in goal, aside from an early yellow card.

At the final whistle the home fans finally had something to celebrate, although their joy was shortlived as results from around the country meant the club made up no ground on the team's in the safety zone.

Manager Rich Grove was surprisingly relaxed after the game - "In truth today was a game I was always confident we wouldn't lose. It just came down to whether we could get a winner, and for a change we were fortunate enough to get one. The real battle starts next week as we play the first of five matches that will either confirm our likely relegation or get us out of the bottom three. By the time we finish playing on week 27 we should have a clearer picture of our fate".

In transfer news it was confirmed that a buyer has already been found for Anatoly Sudic, who will be going to an unnamed Dave Shepherd club nearer the end of the season.
10/03/2008
 Charscot managed to create a little slice of history today as they managed to put in a truly lamentable performance that left them leaving Thamesford United's ground with a record defeat as they went down by seven goals to nil.

The match itself was never in any doubt as Igor Akinfeyev played a great game just to keep the score down to seven as an embarrassingly high 35 shots peppered the Charscot goal, with no less than 60% of them on target.

By the quarter hour mark the visitors were already three down and a fourth goal just before half time left the scoreline in no doubt. With Smoker having scored and Rigby having two it was left to the other first half scorer to continue as Dieter Von Strauss completed his hattriick in the second half before a late Phil Day goal broke the record books for the Wolverines.

After the match manager Rich Grove was in a quiet mood - "What to say ? The perfromance was a joke and every player on that pitch for us should be ashamed at their part in this debacle. The irony is the result has changed little in terms of our relegation battle as the four point gap to safety has remained and our goal difference was dire already ! The only saving grace is getting to play one of our lucky teams next week in Barnstoneworth , who have failed to beat us in 8 years at the Blue Silver Stadium - if we can maintain that record all is not quite lost. That being said, the way we are playing right now I seriously doubt we have what it takes to get enough results this season to give us even a chance of staying up".

Another player arrived today as Anatoly Sudic arrived to bolster the youth defence , although he is expected to be allowed to leave for maximum cash in the next couple of months.

The draw for the cup quarter-final was made today and Charscot face a local derby at Rivendell, who are currently fighting a relegation battle in division one and will be glad of the distraction.


The latest poll results are listed below. The new poll is a simple one on the bidding on Auction Market players.

Last poll result -

Will Charscot Wanderers be relegated this season ?

Yes   6 votes
No    6 votes

For details of the new poll please see here.
03/03/2008
 Today's local derby against mid-table Vanbrugh Royals was a big game with two games against strong Yorkshire rivals in the next fortnight as the team had to try and get threee points otday to cover for likely losses for the next fortnight.

As it was the team again failed at home for the second season running although they still remain undefeated in this fixture. However, without the generousity of the visitors the result could well have been far different.

In a fairly even game it took until five minutes before half time for defender Zamose Skieniewice to score a bizarre own goal as with no one near him he sliced a clearance from twenty yards out into the roof of his own net. In a weird coincidence an own goal from fellow defender Ilie Petrusco had got the Wolverines a point in a 1-1 draw earlier this season and history was about to repeat itself.

With just under twenty minutes to go in the match Gustavo Poyet scrambled the ball in from close range to give the visitors a deserved point.

At the final whistle the hosts were left to find themselves in grave trouble at the bottom whilst the Royals will be confident now of avoiding relegation.

With the league position a constant concern it was a relief today for Charscot to forget the league for a couple of hours as the club hosted high-flying Division 2 side Chelsea Blues for a third round cup tie. Surprisingly, manager Rich Grove actually admitted to caring about this game (a first at such an early stage) today and as it was he eventually went away a happy man after a long battle over two hours and a penalty shoot out.

Most of the action in the first two hours took place in the first half as the teams shared four goals. It took a mere three minutes for the visitors to score with a hotly disputed penalty that was still being debated late into the night on the television highlight show.

The goal only spurred the home team on though as it took just six minutes for Siddig El Fadil to score with a towering header from the edge of the area.

Just before the half hour mark Rick Higgott scored his tenth goal of the season with a fine volley from close range to put Charscot 2-1 up.

However, Chelsea gained a deserved equaliser in the 36th minute as Joey Ferenc hit a sweet free kick in from twenty five yards.

The next  75 minutes saw both teams go close before the inevitable penalty shootout where one team was waiting for a hero to step forward.

The hero in question turned out to be oft-maligned keeper Igor Akinfeyev who made two superb penalty saves.

With Zauti, El Fadil, Ferenc and Harpy proving successful and Lacatus hitting the bar with the fifth penalty it took a superb tip over from Akinfeyez to keep the shootout at two apiece as Rossetti could only shake his head in disbelief.
The next penalty from Rick Higgott was despatched clinically allowing Akinfeyev the chance to put the hosts ahead as he caught Kostanov's low shot with ease.

This save set up substitute Lars Larsson to be the hero as he strode forward and blasted the ball into the roof of the net to send the Wolverines through to the quarter-finals for the sixth time in the club's history (where the team have won three times).

Afterwards manager Rich Grove was pleased with the displays if not the combination of results - "We have played two hard games this week but the draw against Vanbrugh has to be two points lost simply because we need to win our home games to have any hope of staying up, longshot though that is. With two games against Jon Sykes' managed sides in the next two weeks it is likely we will not be adding to our points tally and by then we could be three wins at least from safety with just nine games to go."

"The cup was a good performance as the Blues had nothing to lose and we now find ourselves as one of only two Premier Division sides left in the last eight and I do wonder what the odds are on us playing Callie Athletic in the final on the same day we play weach other in the league ?".

The club confirmed the arrival of youth attacker Martin Foulke from the auction market today, although it is believed Foulke's tenure at the club will be a short one.

Finally, it has been confirmed there will be a new poll at last next week so this week is the last chance to vote on the club's pending relegation threat.
25/02/2008
 In a scene reminiscent of Custer's Last Stand Charscot visited rock bottom managerless Toon City Tigers knowing that anything less than three points would have sounded the final deathknell in the club's season.

With no away wins all season the task hardly looked likely before the match and the fans descended on the ground more out of duty rather than hope for the proverbial six-pointer.

As it was the game was a close hard fought match as neither side wanted to be seen to be giving any ground. In the first half Charscot twice hit the woodwork as Marius Lacatus missed a sitter and then Derrek Lee's superb lob clipped the underside of the bar before being cleared by the defence.

With luck like this it looked like it wasn't meant to be for the visitors but the final quarter of an hour changed all that as Rick Higgott took centre stage. As the clock ticked into the final quarter of an hour Higgott found himself unmarked to steer an easy header in from close range to send the visiting fans wild.

As the hosts pushed forward Charscot broke away and Higgott found himself on the end of a long flowing counterattack that left him with an easy goal from the edge of the six yard box.

At the final whistle the visitors celebrated as if they had won a Cup Final whilst the home fans looked convinced of their team's relegation.

Manager Rich Grove wasn't getting carried away after the match though. "Winning here, whilst crucial, means nothing if we don't start winning consistently. Let's be blunt, EVERYONE has been beating the Tigers this year - it is hardly an impressive result in that context. What would impress me would be to take 2 wins from the next 3 leagues games to at least give ourselves an outside chance of safety".

On the transfer front the expected departure of Carlo Cudicini was confirmed today as he left for Wascisco Red Sox , with Alan Shilton coming in the opposite direction. With £1,000,000 also going to the Sox it is hoped that Shilton's past issues with being overly aggressive can be kept in the past, whilst the Sox will be hoping that Cudicini can re-discover his ability to keep clean sheets, whilst the money will come in handy.

No more transfers are expected at this point in the season, as the club look to continue with some sort of stability.
18/02/2008
 Charscot's fate seems all but seale after yet another defeat that leaves the club running out of games and still seven points adrift at the bottom of the table.
The visitors Real Madrid played their part in a fairly even game buty once again the hosts just couldn't find their shooting boots whilst the visitors had no such problems and ended up leaving with a 3-1 win.

Just past the quarter hour mark Real took the lead with Charscot old boy Hans Porfirio scoring from close range. Within fifteen minutes the lead had been doubled as ageing attacker Mido tapped in a simple second that left the home manager fuming at half time.

The manager's tirade at his players had little effect although the substitution of Captain Eya Mistabic did as Siddig El Fadil scored within sixty seconds with the third close range goal of the game.

However, the visitors scored straight from the kick off as Di Stefano scored a superb lob to put the game out of reach.

At the final whistle manager Rich Grove left the pitch to calls for his immediate removal from the fans, who are understandably sick of watching their team lose to inferior teams week in week out.

"I don't blame them", Grove stated after the match. "This is truly pathetic. I have a squad of so-called stars in that dressing room back there but not one of them looks like they are up to even playing a Sunday League game at the moment. I will make changes yet again for next week's battle of the two most inept sides in this division as we travel to Toon City Tigers but this squad of players don't exactly fill myself or our fans with much hope right now."

"That being said after a long discussion with certain parties I can now confirm I will be remaining at the club irrespective of what division we will be in next season. Whilst rumours had myself leaving (admittedly instigated by myself) I can now state that whilst my duties in the game may be reduced I will remain at the helm of this club as long as the directors want me".

One piece of potential transfer news as rumours abound that Carlo Cudicini's time at the club is coming to an abrupt end following a string of uninspiring performances since joining the club. A number of clubs have been linked with him with another keeper expected to arrive in his place.

The only other news was the draw for the third round of the cup giving Charscot a home tie against Division Two side Chelsea Blues who are having a strong season as they look to bounce back after last year's relegation (and probably face the Wolverines in the league next season).
11/02/2008
 A busy week as the Wolverines found themselves with two games to play.

The first game was a trip to Kendal to face a high flying Comberton side that had only beaten Charscot once in 14 previous attempts at Boydstone Road and after a thrilling game they still couldn't add to their solitary home win.

In fairness neither team deserved to lose a game that was all action from the first whistle to the last. It took just three minutes for Siddig El Fadil to give the visitors the lead with a superb free kick from 30 yards out.
Just before the half hour mark Charscot doubled their lead as Rick higgott scored from close range as the home defence lost it's bearings.
Just before half time the Tornadoes got a lifeline as Peter Bubs chipped a superb lob from way outside the area which gave the home club hope. This hope was rewarded on the hour as Charscot old boy Jordona Brewster hit a superb free kick on the edge of the box to bring the scores level.
Within four minutes the host took the lead as another old boy came back to haunt the visitors as Adriano hit a superb lob to match Bubs' one.
Just when it looked like Charscot's luck was out they came back and equalised with 20 minutes left on the clock as Rick Higgott got his second of the game with another easy close range shot.
Both teams went close in the final stages but neither could score again so both teams took a deserved point.

The team then made the journey back to London to face a Dynamo Zeppelin side that was out to close the two division gap between the teams in the second round of the cup. As it was Dynamo's only victory was in the physical department as they proceeded to put in an ugly performance with four visitors going into the book and a number of others being lucky not to join them.

On the quarter hour mark Rick Higgott continued his purple patch of scoring as he scored with a superb free kick that sent the keeper the wrong way.
The visitors showed they were no mugs though as it took just 10 minutes for them to equalise with a close range shot.
With the teams level at half time the tv audience watching this game live may have wondered if they were going to be privy to a cup shock but as it turned out the home side turned on the class in the second half and a 20 yarder from Zak Newton was followed up by a late header from Luciano Zauti that confirmed the home team's dominance.

Afterwards manager Roch Grove had mixed feelings at the team's week. "Whilst our cup performance pleased me it is hard to get to excited about a competition that holds no real importance compared to the battle to stay in the Premier division. We have failed to win again in the league and the gap of seven points is looking pretty insurmountable right now. We face a number of the top teams over the next few weeks and we could easily be relegated in the next month to all intents and purposes".

"I am pleased with the effort a number of my players have put in on the training pitch this week, it is just a shame that many of them may never get the chance to fulfil their potential if the team can't turn this season around".
04/02/2008
 Charscot's relegation seems certain after yet another home defeat to Callie Athletic today (their 8th in 10 seasons). Whilst the result wasn't deserved it comes as no surprise as Charscot have had zero luck all season and clearly nothing will change their destiny now.

The game itself was a close one that Charscot seemed the more likely to get a winner in until , with just over fifteen minutes left on the clock, Rembrandt Brown scored from close range to leave the home fans stunned.

By the time the final whistle went over half the 17,000 crowd had already left the ground as this latest derby defeat leaves the team 3 results adrift of safety.

Manager Rich Grove had little of cheer to say after the match - "Well, we didn't deserve that result but then that has become something of our catchphrase this season and quite frankly I see no way of us getting out of the mess we are in now. We are seven points from safety and in truth we don't look like winning one game, never mind the 8 minimum that we need in the second half of the season to have a chance of staying up".

"I have promoted Marius Lacatus today and he will be involved in some capacity next week as the team looks to the young blood to try and at least salvage some respect out of what is clearly the worst season in the team's history. We are now down and I have to consider my future over the coming weeks as I am deeply disappointed with the farce that this season has become."

"I may well promote youth midfielder Garrincha next week to give him some first team experience as well but that decision will be made later in the week".
28/01/2008
 Charscot's lamentable away form continued this week as the team travelled to Lisbon Eagles for the proverbial six-pointer. The Eagles lay just one place above the Wolverines with a two point cushion and this was a game the Wolverines couldn't afford to lose. However, with Charscot still winless on the road this season it was no surprise to find the team on the wrong side of a beating yet again.

After going a goal down in the 27th minute following a comedy of errors at the back it took Derrek Lee just five minutes to score for the third consecutive game with a superlative 35 yard rocket.

In a game where the hosts showed the greater fight, they were frequently considered over physical by the referee committing twenty fouls to just the two from the visitors. Midway through the second half the Wolverines defence was punctured again as Effenberg gave the hosts the lead and after that the game was over as a contest as the visitor's heads dropped.

At the final whistle the visiting fans booed their own players of the pitch and as the players went down the tunnel a fight broke out between the Charscot manager and two unnamed members of his team.

Manager Rich Grove was in a terse mood in the press conference - "To say that was a pitiful performance would be an understatement. We had to at worse take a point from this game but once again my players showed no fight or spirit and got what they deserved. It is a shame that the two idiots who mouthed off after the final whistle couldn't show more fight whilst they were on the pitch. We have a major problem with players not putting the effort in at this club. They don't seem to realise that if we go down the club won't be there for them any mroe and their professional careers will be over".

"I am considering promoting Marius Lacatus from our youth squad as he has proven himself at that level and needs a new challenge. Add the fact that with the exception of derrek Lee no one looks like scoring consistently and clearly something has to change". "A decision will be made this week but don't be surprised to see him in the line-up in a fortnight".

"We now host a Callie side that not only are flying high but have beaten us seven times in their last nine visits to the Blue Silver Stadium - to say times are looking hard would be an understatement !".

There was no other major news this week.
21/01/2008
 Finally the team hit form today as they entertained one of their favoured opponents as the Geordies came to town in the form of Toon Bay Wasps. With Charscot rooted to the bottom and halfway approaching the team was desperate for a win but despite the pressure showed no signs of nerves.

In truth this was men against boys as the visitors were completely outclassed from the first whistle. The strikers, who have been heavily criticised this season, finally came good as they were responsible for all 3 goals in a 3-0 win.

The first goal came on the half hour mark as Derrek Lee scored his second in two games with a fine header from the edge of the area.
It took just 11 minutes for the team to double it's lead as Lars Larsson also got his second goal for the club with a close range poacher's goal.
With the game over as a contest it was left to substitute Toshi Susuka to add to the scoreline with ten minutes left as he hit a superb goal from just outside the area to leave the fans chanting "easy, easy, easy".

After the game manager Rich Grove was pleased but refusing to get carried away. "Today was a great performance but it is imperative that we go to Paris Devils next week and win again to put ourselves above them and in with a shot at safety. We cannot afford to go back to the level of performance we have shown for most of the season as we are still in big trouble".

On a quiet week the departure of one foreign player to Calzini Atlantico Nuovo as part of the Luka Modric deal has been followed by the confirmation of a second foreign player going in the same direction over the next 7 days.
14/01/2008
 Another week and the team still can't get any sort of good form going as despite a first goal for Derrek Lee Charscot today went down 2-1 at AFC Audenshaw to return to bottom spot in the Premier Division.

In truth the result was a fair one as despite Lee's superb solo goal on the half hour mark the team couldn't hold onto the lead and a tap in just before half time followed by a free kick just after half time was enuogh to send the visitors away with nothing to show for their efforts.

Manager Roch Grove had little to say at the final whistle - "We are just not good enough. We have a team of individual stars and that is exactly what they play like, a bunch of individuals. I can't take much more of this garbage. It is an embarrassment to find ourselves rooted to the foot of the table and we are already two wins away from safety and at this rate relegation is a certainty".

Charscot confirmed the signing of  midfield prodigy Luka Modric today in a large deal involving no less than 5 players going to Calzini Atlantico Nuovo in exchange for him. The midfielder isn't expected to join until next season with the five players going over the remainder of this season with two foreign players being confirmed as the first to leave. It is understood that Zak Newton will also be leaving in the deal as soon as Charscot's relegation is confirmed.
07/01/2008
 The New Year started where the old one left off as Charscot again drew today and continue to find themselves struggling at the bottom of the table.

Today's visitors The Space Cadets had never won in thirteen previous visits to the Blue Silver Stadium and will feel that today they should have finally brought that run to an end as they dominated from first whistle to last. As it was both teams are still left looking for a first league win since week 3 as despite controlling the game The Space Cadets only came away with a point in a goalless draw.

Afterwards manager Rich Grove was less than impressed with his team's showing. "That was unacceptable. We have to start winning games if we are to have any chance of staying in the top flight and gettign so badly outplayed is hardly going to get us out of the mess we are in. A lot of players need to look at themselves and work out if they really want a future at this club as we cannot continue to harbour so many failures in the squad".

The result did lift the club off the bottom but still leaves the team four points away from safety and in grave danger of going down unless the team starts winning immediately.

There is a new poll today. The last poll had the following results -

What one factor would be enough to force you to leave SS ?

Increase in cost to play   -   0  votes
Seeing managers cheat and get away with it  -   6 votes
Change in how the matches are played in the program-   0  votes
Too many vacant teams in competition with you in your league  -   2 votes
No new features added in a long period of time   -   10 votes
Never having any success with my team(s)   -   0  votes
Loss of the SS forum   -   0  votes
Change in player's attributes within the game   -   0  votes
Not being able to receive my turns in the post   -   0  votes
Nothing would ever make me want to leave SS  -   1 votes