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28/12/2009	With 6 consecutive away wins Charscot visited St Joseph's BC knowing that a) they should really win and b) sooner or later their great run had to come to an end. As it was today was the day when b happened leaving their title challenge looking distinctly unlikely to lead to anything. The match itself was a poor spectacle which Charscot deserved something from as they held the lion's share of the play. However, for the second time in 4 games they showed an inability to take the chances they created as their shooting boots failed them and it ultimately cost them the match. Two close range scrappy goals were all BC needed as Janek Fischer on 33 minutes and Lubomir Marek on 69 minutes gave the hosts all they needed to protect their fifth position and leave Charscot's fans lamenting their loss of form in recent weeks. Manager Rich Grove was not happy afterwards. "To say I am disappointed would be an understatement. Our form has spiralled downwards since the halfway point in the season and I am at a loss to explain it. In previous seasons we have always been THE most dominant team in the league yet this season we are looking like a relegated side in recent weeks when in we had maintained our past historical form we would be walking away with the league". "I have no doubt that Barnstoneworth will take the lead now as quite simply too few teams in this league seem capable of even taking a point off of them so the chances of making up 6 points on them in the next 10 weeks seems unlikely". "We now have to turn our sights to the battle for second and hope we can reverse this pathetic run with immediate effect". "I have decided to look for deals to freshen the squad as clearly some players are letting us down badly. That being said it has proven nigh on impossible to find suitable trading partners recently as the level of available player has dropped and managers seem to overrate their players somewhat. However, we will be looking and taking enquiries from anyone who has swaps to offer". Meanwhile one player who won't be going anywhere is Stefan Selakovic who signed a 4 year extension today and it seems unlikely that he will leave the club in his career as the current contract won't expire until he is 33 and it seems likely the manager will keep extending his contract until he retires. There was one deal completed today as the merry go round of keepers continued with former keeper Carlo Cudicini returning to the club. At the age of 33 it seems likely he will also be playing out his career at the club and he is expected to be first choice once David Essex retires at the end of the season.
21/12/2009	A big game this week as Charscot hosted a rejuvenated Real Madrid side knowing that rivals Barnstoneworth were likely to win against an underperforming Lisbon Eagles (which they did). Charscot's recent form has gone off the boil whilst Real have started winning again so this game was always going to be a tricky one and so it proved as the teams battled out a 2-2 draw with the hosts having the lion's share of possession but failing badly in front of the goal. Real's main striker Alfredo Di Stefano scored after 22 minutes with a simple tap in from close range. It took just ten minutes for the hosts to equalise as Siddig El Fadil scored his 7th goal of the season in his new role as a striker. The goal was not one of his more spectacular strikes as a poor back pass by Roj Blake gave him the perfect chance to round the keeper and walk the ball into the net. Blake made amends five minutes into the second half as he rose to head home from 15 yards after a breakaway run from David Geary down the left. With less than 15 minutes to go Etienne Rocheteau got his club leading 8th goal of the season (a superb figure at this stage from a midfielder) as he bundled the ball over the line after ghosting between a slow moving defence. At the final whistle the home fans went home unhappy as they learned Barnstoneworth had extended their lead at the top of the table to 3 points and it is beginning to look like United may have their name on the title for this season. Manager Rich Grove had little to say afterwards - "Whilst not disappointed by the overall performance I am less than happy with our efforts once we reached the final third as we failed to create clear-cut chances and when we did our shooting was found to be less than spectacular once again". "We now go to St Joseph's BC next week looking to avenge a 0-0 draw earlier this season when we were deserving of all 3 points. We simply have to get back to winning ways as Barnstoneworth have a number of easy games coming up and we could easily see any title chances become a distant memory very quickly if we aren't careful". There was some transfer business today as Charscot completed the second part of their deal with Dep El Celtico as keeper Alan Shilton left the club. Shilton will be missed as he had a superb season last season but has left to get more first team football. The manager was well aware of his desire to start afresh and has already moved to bring in a replacement keeper,who should be with the club next week and is likely to be first choice next season after David Essex retires this season. No other deals seem likely as the manager has found few targets to chase and most managers seem less than concerned with looking for deals as the holiday period approaches. It just leaves it for all at the club to wish all our fans and visitors a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
14/12/2009	After a disappointing home defeat last week Charscot travelled to an on-fire Long Eaton side knowing that they had to stop the Archers if they wanted to get their title challenge back on track. Long Eaton had won 5 of 6 with the other game a draw so this game was bound to be a hard battle, although the visitors were boosted by the management's good record against the host's manager. As it was Charscot had to rely on a late goal burst to take the spoils after a poor footballing performance but a good show of fighting spirit. It took Long Eaton 12 minutes to take the lead as Owen Davies broke through to round the keeper for a simple goal. The visitors then had to survive some nerve racking incidents as it looked like the Archers would add to their lead as Charscot battled hard but showed little quality. However, the introduction of substitute Stefan Selakovic on 62 minutes changed the game as he set up two goals in 9 minutes to turn the game on it's head. The first on 76 minutes was finished superbly by Luciano Zauti with a fine 30 yard lob after Selakovic had put him in position with a precise through ball that split the defence. As the game looked destined for a draw the Wolverines took a surprise lead as Selakovic beat 3 defenders before his cross found Rick Higgott all alone at the far post for the simplest of tap ins. Afterwards Manager Rich Grove was in a  happy, but relieved  mood. "I have to be happy with the fight we showed today. No one wins anything with pretty football every week and the sign of a team that is challenging is to take the points with a battling performance when they aren't firing on all cylinders. We did that today and although on possession and chances created the result would appear unfair our battling qualities and our more clinical finishing gave us the edge we needed". "We now need to build on this win as we face a number of the top teams over the next month and whilst our run in looks easier with matches against teams in the bottom 6 for the last 5 matches unless we can keep pace with leaders Barnstoneworth United it will count for nothing". The win was Charscot's fifth consecutive road win after a poor start to the season away and the last four away matches all have resulted in 2-1 wins as the Wolverines try to maintain their form. The team now host arch rivals Real Madrid next week in an enormous match against a Real side who have finally started to get results after stinking it up in the first half of the season. No other news on a quiet week as the club prepares itself for Christmas as the league announces no break for the holidays for the first time in the history of the game.
07/12/2009	With a winning run of 5 matches and looking dominant Charscot faced the one side they didn't want to in the circumstances as they hosted a local derby against the Space Cadets. The Cadets hadn't lost in their last 7 meetings with Charscot and are flying high in third position and came into the match confident of giving Charscot their first home defeat of the season and their confidence proved well-founded. Despite Charscot controlling the game the woodwork and a good performance from keeper Alf Stewart denied them and the Cadets stole a 1-0 win with a 55th minute tap in from substitute Ruben Karain. At the final whistle the home manager looked less than pleased and explained why afterwards. "My anger isn't about an unfair defeat, even though it was" Manager Rich Grove explained. "It isn't about us dropping back to second spot with Barnstoneworth winning either" he continued. "My anger is with our continually apathetic fans who have again failed to show up despite our going into the game top of the table, playing a local derby and being the highest scorers in the division. I know we were live on television but even so, what do these fans need to actually make the effort to turn up to a game at the Blue Silver Stadium ?". "We have facilities second to none and a ground fit to host any game at any level and yet we have far too many apathetic fans who seem disinclined to make the effort if they can see us on tv or if the temperature drops below 45 degrees. We will move this club lock, stock and barrel to somewhere where the fans appreciate us if they continue to show so little interest as our players deserve better than they are getting". The defeat leaves the club a point off the top and with a very hard match away to on fire fourth placed club Long Eaton Archers next week and another defeat could well be the death knell in the season and leave the team fighting it out for the runner's up spot. A quiet week behind the scenes as a couple of potential deals fell through and after much consideration the management have decided to avoid any deals unless something special is offered to them now.
30/11/2009	Charscot went into the game on a four game winning streak and with a 100% record in November and with a home game against third placed Space Cadets next week it was crucial the team took the points today and in a close game they came away with a deserved win as they edged the important statistics. The result was not a surprise given this is the visitors seventh win in 10 visits to the Cellanese Stdium where they have only lost once. It took just four minutes for the visitors to take the lead as Siddig El Fadil chipped the keeper from thirty yards for a superlative opener. Spondon were determined to make a game of it however and hit back on the half hour as Silvio Marzolini hit a brilliant 30 yard free kick to bring the scores level. The second half looked like ending in a stalemate as Charscot carved out opportunities but failed to have the killer touch and after hitting the woodwork twice in 5 minutes it seemed luck was against them. Substitute Stefan Selakovic has been on fire in recent weeks with 3 goals in 4 games as a substitute and no substitute had ever scored in 3 consecutive games for the team before today but Stefan was determined to clam this record so when Siddig El Fadil was brought down with a crude challenge by Anatoly Andrishev inside the penalty area Stefan was first to the ball to take the penalty. The penalty was thumped home off the underside of the bar to give Charscot a 2-1 win and Stefan became the 8th player to score a penalty after coming on as a substitute (and the third to do it twice). The win maintains the status quo in the league as the top three all won as Charscot now face a home derby against third placed Space Cadets next week in a game which could determine whether Charscot are going to be challenged for a top 2 position or if it will be a race for the title with Barnstoneworth alone. With Charscot having failed to win in the last 7 meetings with the Cadets this game will be far from easy. Afterwards Manager Rich Grove was in a jovial mood - "I am delighted with the win today. Admittedly our opponents are suffering with a manager who can't apparently sort his tactics out but even so this was always a potential banana skin so it is great to extend our winning run to 5 games and whilst I can't influence the Manager of the Month judges I would hope to at least receive some votes considering the dominant month we have had and the quality of some of the sides we have beaten". "We now simply have to get something at home to the Cadets next week as we look to turn around a dismal record against them". Off the field there was a new arrival and a player committed his future to the club. Johnny Rep signed a one season contract extension today and it is hoped by the time this contract is up he will have perfected his heading and made himself a mainstay of the first XI. Arriving from WPL side Dep El Celtico is prospect Kyrylo Petrov, who it is hoped will be an effective player by the time he turns 20. Three players are moving in the other direction to Dep El in exchange. One left a couple of weeks ago and the other two will join up with their new club later this season as one is still to arrive from outside of the league and the other is currently out on loan and is not required until the start of next season with Dep El already close to a promotion spot even at this early stage.
23/11/2009	Charscot played the final game of the first half of the season as surprise strugglers Lisbon Eagles visited The Blue Silver Stadium. For the second week running Charscot scored four as they continue to play dominant football to remain top of the league with a 2 point cushion on second and a 7 point lead on third. For the third week running Charscot reached half time leading 2-0 at which point the game was over as a contest. Etienne Rocheteau was the player responsible for the lead scroing in the 14th and 17th minutes. Both goals were from close range as he showed his ability to drift into the penalty area unmarked. Dominic has now scored 6 goals in the last 6 games from midfield as he proves his signing last season was a great one for the club. Twelve minutes after halftime Charscot boosted their lead as Ned Dowd tapped in as the Eagles defence made a mess of a simple clearance. From the kick off the Eagles got a goal from Winston Lozzells with a superb lob from distance but it was merely a consolation. With twelve minutes left substitute Stefan Selakvoic scored from the bench for the third time in four matches with a superb header as he rose majestically to head home a Luciano Zauti free kick. As the game wound down Eagles got a meaningless second goal as Jeff Buckley drove in from the edge of the area. Afterwards manager Rich Grove was a happy man. "That was exactly what we wanted to end the first half of the season. Another odminating performance that has already given us a good cushion on third spot and now we need to continue to build on our four game winning run as we try to build a gap on second placed Barnstoneworth United". "Special thanks to the fans as last week I was critical of the low turnout to watch a team playing great football and leading the league and today we had over 2,000 extra home fans watching us despite being a highlights game on television. Hopefully the fans will like what they have seen and will be back here in 2 weeks time for our local derby with the Space Cadets". A quiet week behind the scenes as the manager concentrates on trying to maintain the momentum that the team has found on the pitch. The team now travel to Spondon Renegades next week and will be hoping to take a fifth consecutive win just in time to be ignored by the WPL Manager of the month judges !
16/11/2009	Local rivals Callie Athletic travelled the short distance to the Blue Silver Stadium knowing they had the record against Charscot to be party spoilers and put the Wolverines back on their heels. However, today they were outclassed as Charscot tore their rivals apart for a resounding 4-0 that took the hosts to the top of the league as the only winners in the top four on a great week for Charscot's title aspirations. It took 20 minutes for Charscot to take the lead as Siddig El Fadil got the first of a brace against his ex-manager as he continues to thrive in his new striking role. His first was a superb header as he timed his run to perfection to finish off a fine five man move. Just before half-time Ned Dowd killed off the beleaguered visitors and put the game beyond any doubt as he kneed the ball home from close range after some spectacularly bad defending by Callie. Six minutes into the second half Siddig scored his second goal with a fantastic 30 yard free kick. In the 61st minute Stefan Selakovic came on as a sub and within 60 seconds he had scored the fourth goal (becoming the fourth player to ever score within a minute of coming on following Ronaldo, Ivan Trojan and Siddig El Fadil) with a toe poke after a dazzling run from the halfway line. At the final whistle the surprisingly low crowd were rewarded with the news that the team had leapfrogged Barnstoneworth and gone two points clear at the top of the league and four points clear of third place as halfway approached next week. Manager Rich Grove was extremely happy at the final whistle although this didn't prevent some criticism of the club's fans - "Today has been a great day for the club as we now find ourselves top of the league for only the second time in our history. Last time was on week 31 of the 2005 season so to go top so much earlier is a big confidence booster to everyone connected with the club and we now need to maintain our undefeated home record as we host a tricky Lisbon Eagles side next week". "Our defence deserves special praise as we have now kept clean sheets in six of our seven home games this season. It is also good to see the attack starting to click as they showed their true abilities today". "We need our fans to show up and give us the support that will swing the close games our way. To get our lowest turnout of the season today in a local derby that could take us top of the league is wholly unacceptable and if our fans won't show up when we are doing so well then we may have to look to move to an area where we are appreciated. We have the best squad we have ever had and are playing some great football so the lack of fans is worrying".. With the feelgood factor running through the club it was a quiet week as the manager has decided to keep the squad settled for the remainder of the season. There is one foreign player looking for a new club and he will be sent to the auction market if no offers are received this week.
09/11/2009	A big match this week as Charscot travelled to fifth placed Vasco De Gama and looked to build on the last 2 away wins as the team starts to turn around it's poor away form from earlier this season. On paper this looked like a hard game but in truth Charscot dominated the entire match and were unlucky not to win by more than a 2-1 scoreline. The game was over as a contest after half an hour after Siddig El Fadil's brilliant 35 yard free kick on 23 minutes was followed up 7 minutes later by Etienne Rocheteau's tap in from close range. It took Vasco 87 minutes to have a shot on target but when they did they scored a consolation goal from Brixton White. Manager Rich Grove was delighted with the result that took the team up to second spot. "I would have been happy with a point from this game beforehand so to not only win but thoroughly deserve it is a real boost to all of us at the club. As we approach halfway we are in an unexpectedly high position and the change in tactics and outlook for the season has certainly brought us better results so far and we can only hope it continues for the remainder of the season". "We now play teams in 11th, 12th and 13th in the next 3 games and we really need to take at least 7 points from these games to maintain our momentum and keep the pressure on Barnstoneworth above us and St Joseph's just below us". With a number of deals now completed the only news off the pitch was the signing of a 2 year contract extension from new arrival Johnny Rep as the manager now looks to keep the rest of the squad settled for the foreseeable future.
02/11/2009	After last week's bore draw Charscot travelled to St John's United knowing they had to win to get their title challenge back on track. Despite a dominating performance Charscot found themselves one down at half time after poor defending left Lee Bradbury a simple chance which he took. However, the team continued to play the dominant football in the second half and were rewarded as two goals in 14 minutes gave the Wolverines a 2-1 win and kept the team one point behind the leaders. In the 66th minute Etienne Rocheteau scored his fourth of the season as he scored with an acrobatic volley from close range. With ten minutes left on the clock substitute Stefan Selakovic scored his sixth goal as a substitute (a club record) with a fine drive from twenty yards. Manager Rich Grove was a relieved man afterwards - "We knew we had to take the three points today and at half time I thought we may not get the result our superb play justified. However, the players never let their heads drop and were rewarded with a deserved three points. We now have a tricky trip to Vasco De Gama next week and if we can get at least a point we will have seemingly reversed our poor away form at just the right time of the season". On a busy week a number of deals were completed. First off Peter Palotas arrived from Tameside Bulls with Jose Camacho making the trip in the other direction. Palotas will immediately leave the club for £ 3.1million next Monday as he joins Dep El Celtico. Longfield K.L.F got their hands on a foreign player and it is hoped Michelmersh & Timsbury will get their's later this week. The major deals saw Angus Lee and Paolo Rothini leave the club with utility player Johnny Rep arriving in return. After a number of negotiations had broken down with other teams a smooth deal was arranged with Real Madrid that saw Nathan Delfouneso and Guy Norbury leave the club with Jimmy Johnstone arriving in return. Johnstone will be given the opportunity to try his luck in all the outfield positions over the next season or so. Meanwhile one player confrimed his future at the club as Valentino Ronossi signed a 2 year extension to his contract.
26/10/2009	A tedious bore draw at home to Avgoata Sairsac was a disappointing result after a recent return to form but it has to be said Sairsac were good value for their point as the hosts never got going. The draw seems Charscot drop to third but actually gain a point on the leaders as the gap is just a point after leaders St Joseph's BC lost and were overhauled by Barnstoneworth United. Manager Rich Grove was in a subdued mood afterwards. "The result and performance simply weren't good enough today and we need to show we can make the most of playing the struggling sides if we want to be a serious title contender. We now go to struggling St John's United next week for a game we simply have to win if we want to stay in touch at the top". Behind the scenes it was a busy week as a number of minor deals and some major ones were agreed. In minor deals four foreign players have been sold for cash amounts totalling £7.7million. Charscot have agreed to swap youth defender Jose Camacho with attacker Peter Palotas (a former Charscot youth product) from Tameside Bulls. In a bigger deal another major swap deal involving Kilburn United of the Will Scarlet league sees Angus Lee and Paolo Rothini move to the WS with utility player Johnny Rep arriving in the opposite direction. It is hoped that Rep will feature next season once his heading has been sharpened up. There are rumours of another 2 for 1 deal being confirmed this week with a fellow WPL side but negotiations are still ongoing.
19/10/2009	Having never lost to Shaolin F.C in the club's history the trip to Shaolin would normally be a game the staff and fans look forward to. However, with such a poor record on the road this season the fixture looked more like a stumbling block waiting to hit than three points to keep the team near the top of the league. As it turned out past form was worth more than the current season's away form as Charscot tore Shaolin apart with a first half goal blitz to win the game and ease into second spot in the league. Etienne Rocheteau scored two in three minutes to put the team two up after just fifteen minutes. Both goals came from close range, a toe poke and a side footed shot, as the build up play left him with easy opportunities. Just past the half hour mark Siddig El Fadil killed the game off with a spectacular free kick from 25 yards. Siddig's conversion to attack this week paid an immediate dividend and it is looking like he may have a future as an attacker, having scored many goals from midfield but finding a midfield spot hard to pin down with the recent influx of players. The second half was a procession as the hosts never looked like scoring and the visitors seemed happy to leave with a 3-0 win to move up to second in the league after a third of the season. Manager Rich Grove was very happy afterwards - "That was exactly what I wanted to see from the players after last week's poor road performance at Pittsburgh. We controlled the game from the first whistle to the last and 3-0 was the least we deserved and to find ourselves in second spot so early in the season is a big confidence booster as we tend to play our best football in the second half of the season". "We now need to build on this as we play five teams in the bottom half in the next six games and we need to be looking for a minimum of 13 points from these games if we want to maintain pressure on the teams at the top of the league". After some speculation about a potential deal and it's likely failure it was confirmed today that the deal had indeed fallen down after the other team were seen to once again be wasting the time of other teams by proposing players for deals that they clearly had no intention of letting go. Rich Grove became animated when asked about the deal - "Well, I had a feeling after past failed deals for both myself and others with this time waster that this would probably happen again and after having to chase up the deal after the confirmation date passed without any word needless to say the deal's failure came as no surprise". "Others have complained about this manager, known to many as wag, in the past but I had tried to give him the benefit of the doubt but I won't be doing this again. Needless to say no deals will ever take place in the future between our teams, but considering the manager's lack of ability, football management skills and his poor sides this is hardly likely to be a hard promise to keep to. Hopefully the manager will get what he deserved and his three sides will continue to rot under his poor management where his word is worth about as much as his abilities, namely nothing". There are still three players leaving the club this week and offers are still being sought for two of the foreign players before they make their way to the auction market next week.
12/10/2009	The trip to division 2 side Pittsburgh Panthers was of little consequence to the manager as he hoped for an early exit to allow the team to focus on the league and in particular the team's awful away record which is holding the team back. Before the match keeper David Essex announced his retirement and the emotion of the announcement seemed to affect him as he conceded three goals for the first time with the Wolverines as the team lost 3-1. The match started brightly as Rick Higgott scored his 60th club goal on the half hour mark as a quick free kick caught out the home defence leaving him with a simple tap in from close range. If the visitors thought they may get an unwelcome win that was soon dispelled as the team conceded three goals in a 10 minute spell either side of half time to confirm the club's exit. Manny Ramirez's magnificent header on 40 minutes was followed by a scrappy goal from Shigeki Maruyama three minutes later. On 50 minutes Stefan Baldwin raced clear to score the final goal of the match and leave the visiting manager in a relieved state of mind. "I am thankful we have managed to exit early whilst avoiding any injuries" manager Rich Grove explained afterwards. "Whilst a cup run can be fun if at least the quarter-finals are reached we really need to focus on the league this season after making such a promising start and if the cup had detracted from our league campaign that would have been a disaster". "We now go to Shaolin F.C for a crucial match as we need to turn around our lamentable away form which is holding back our challenge at present. On the upside we have never lost to Shaolin in 12 previous meetings home and away so I will be very disappointed if we can't maintain that record and hopefully come away with a second away win of the season". There was a frankly expected 3-0 win for the club at hapless Spondon Renegades in the WPL Super Cup in the rubber match. Murmurs around the club indicated that a potential deal has been discussed although it is believed the other club may be wasting the manager's time. At present the only thing certain is that any deal must be confirmed over the coming week as the other team approaches the end of it's season. It seems likely there will be more on this story next monday one way or another. The only other transfer news is the likely placement on the auction market of the new foreign player signing. There is a slim chance he may end up being sold directly to a club but right now this seems unlikely. Finally, Gianni Rivera confirmed his future is with Charscot as he signed a 2 year extension to his contract.
05/10/2009	A home game against high flying The Academy wasn't the ideal game to follow last week's defeat but as it turned out it was exactly what the team and fans needed as a 1-0 victory over The Academy resulted in Charscot leapfrogging them and taking fourth spot for themselves. The difference between the teams was the creation of chances as possession was fairly even but Charscot did more with the ball and ultimately deserved the victory. Rick Higgott scored the only goal with a fantastic volley from 25 yards with 65 minutes on the clock, a goal that would deservedly win any game. Manager Rich Grove was content afterwards - "I am pleased we have maintained our home form with 13 points so far from the 15 available but the away form still concerns me. Last season our home form cost us a challenge at the top 2 places and this season it is our away form that could cost us dear". "That said, I am happy to see us move back into fourth position and we have never been this close to the top of the league in terms of points or position as we approach the first round of the cup". The team now make the trip North to face Pittsburgh Panthers for a game that means nothing to the management of the club. Although the teams have never met in the league there was a cup meeting at this stage in 1995/6 at The Blue Silver Stadium, which is tied for the Wolverines highest ever cup win. A repeat is both unlikely and unwanted in truth as the team want no distractions as they look to push on in the league. The team also won in the WPL Super Cup as they won 3-0 at AFC Binfield although progression in the competition is now impossible. As expected Poul Nielsen joined Bedale Blaze for the remainder of the season on loan today and it seems likely that Kincaid J. Stamper will go out on loan as well in the next 2 weeks. The club's scouts have discovered a midfielder this week who will be signed before it is decided whether to offload him for maximum cash or to take a chance on the auction market. His age negates the market but his speed means he may be worth a gamble and with the club financially more than secure it seems an auction market gamble may be taken.
28/09/2009	Charscot's problems on the road continued today as the team lost it's third away game out of four to surprising strugglers Barnstoneworth United. In truth the match was a pretty dire affair with each side having just three shots on target and neither side will be happy with their performance although the hosts will be relieved to pull away from the bottom and up to 8th. The only goal came after ten minutes as David Lockwood rose for a superb header to lighten a drab affair. Charscot dropped to 7th, but only 3 points adrift of second and with the form still far better than in previous years the team will be hoping to move forwards over the coming weeks. Manager Rich Grove had little to say afterwards as he nursed a heavy cold - "The performance was disappointing but not completely surprising as our performances against United in the past year have simply been poor. We now must bounce back when we return home next week for a game against The Academy". There will be enforced changes to the line-up as Valentino Ronossi will miss the next two games with a sprained ankle and it is believed at least one player will be handed a debut, possibly as substitute. The youth team welcomed the arrival of foreign player Jose Camacho, who it is hoped having cost a mere £600k will ultimately make a decent profit for the club despite playing in a frankly poor youth side this season. In the WPL Super Cup the team lost 1-0 at Longfield K.L.F and progress past the group stages now seems all but over as a possibility. Finally, the loan of Poul Nielsen to Bedale Blaze was confirmed after the match today and he will join Bedale next week for the rest of the season.
21/09/2009	The Champions visited the Blue Silver Stadium today for a match that would be a true test of the host's abilities to challenge this season after a better start to the season than normal. After 90 minutes and 5 goals the hosts came away with a well earned 3 points and an important statement of intent as Charscot moved into the top four, a shocking turn of events for a club renowned for it's slow starts. An exciting match came to life as United took the lead on 22 minutes as Callum Di Angelo rose for a magnificent headed goal from close range. Eleven minutes later Lubomir Moravcik scored with a close range goal after some brilliant wing play from Carroll Shelby. Within four minutes Charscot had taken the lead as Stefan Selakovic scored his 39th goal for the club with a simple shot after a mazy run put him one on one with the keeper. As the home team edged towards half time the visitors got an undeserved equaliser as Amin Asikainen lobbed the keeper from 30 yards for a superb equaliser. After such an exciting first half the second half didn't let up although there was only one further goal. Deservedly this went to Charscot as Ned Dowd scored his first goal for the club with a 64th minute winner as he curled a magnificent shot with a 35 yard free kick for a goal fit to win any game. Charscot were unlucky not to add a fourth as Rick Higgott hit the bar with a close range header but United threatened little in the closing stages as Charscot closed up shop for an enormous win at this early stage. Manager Rich Grove was very happy afterwards - "To be honest before the match we would have settled for a two goal defeat to last season's deserved Champions so to come out with not only a win but a performance at such a high level was more than I could have asked for. We need to make sure this sort of performance becomes the norm rather than a rare exception and then we hopefully should maintain a high league position and we can see where that gets us". "After so many top flight seasons where we have struggled before the halfway point to have started this well has given us all a big boost and the buzz around the club right now is very positive". "That being said we must build on this result and get something from a tricky visit to Barnstoneworth United next week or this week's result will mean little". Aside from two foreign players making quick departures this week there was little going on behind the scenes as the club continues to consolidate. It is expected that attacker Poul Nielsen will go out on loan to Bedale Blaze in the next two weeks as the manager looks to get some games for his back up players.
14/09/2009	Charscot travelled to Sandbanks City knowing they had to turn around their lamentable start to the season on the road and with that in mind the manager made a couple of major tactical changes that appeared to make all the difference as the visitors ran out comfortable 2-0 winners. Whether the tactical change was a temporary adjustment or a long term change in methodology only time will tell but this win that moves the team into sixth was both most welcome and most necessary. The game was over as a contest before the half hour mark as the Wolverines found themselves two up and cruising to victory. Stefan Selakovic got his first of the season after four minutes blasting home from 8 yards out for a deserved lead. Luciano Zauti made the game safe on 25 minutes as he dribbled past two defenders before rounding the keeper for a simple tap-in from close range. City fought hard but their strikers were found wanting and Charscot could have had more as the team showed far more prowess in front of goal than they have done in recent weeks. The win moved the team up into sixth position and only 3 points off the top as the division is still very close at this early stage. With Champions Thamesford United visiting next week the first of the big matches is upon us. Manager Rich Grove was a relived man after the match. "It is a big relief to finally get points on the road and this win could be a big step forward if we can take four points in the next fortnight against Thamesford and Barnstoneworth". "It was good to see the attack linking up so well and the midfield supporting to make us very dangerous going forward. With our defence having four clean sheets already this season the team is beginning to take shape. We now need to take this early form forward and build on it as we have a very challenging game against Thamesford next week. Although we won 4-0 at their place in our last meeting they have had our number at our place in recent seasons and having won four on the trot they will be full of confidence". There was little happening at the club this week with the only news being the expected move of Garreth McMeeking to Wascisco Red Sox for a fee just short of £2million. It is expected that Poul Nielsen will be allowed to go out on loan in the next fortnight now his formative training has been completed. Early reports have him going to Bedale Blaze for the season although this has yet to be confirmed.
07/09/2009	With a 100% home record and yet to concede a goal at the Blue Silver Stadium Charscot were hopeful of beating a St Joseph's BC side that has been grinding out results so far this season whilst boring the living daylights out of anyone unfortunate enough to watch them. Charscot failed to maintain their 100% record but the clean sheets record remains as does BC's ability to bore the fans rigid with their dull uninspiring football which has resulted in four 1-0 results and today's goalless draw. The hosts will be disappointed not to have created more clear-cut chances as the visitors failed to have a single shot on target in a dull 90 minutes. With Charscot's shooting going awry it became clear quite quickly that the game would finish goalless and it was a relief for all in the ground when the referee brought this turgid game to a close. The result leaves Charscot in tenth position and looking for their first away points of the season when the team visit Sandbanks City next week. Afterwards Manager Rich Grove was in a resigned mood - "We expected the game to be a little on the negative side looking at BC's results this season but even those scorelines didn't fully make it clear just how negative they would be. As it was we only have ourselves to blame for failing to make more of our chances and our strikers need to take responsibility for not testing their keeper more". "On the upside I had a bad night's sleep and managed to catch up with some sleep in the second half watching St Joseph's tactics so I should thank them for providing such an effective cure for insomnia !". "We must now go to Sandbanks and try and get our first away points of the season as right now the league is very closely knitted aside from the bottom two clubs so we need to take advantage of the lack of a clear leader and put ourselves into a position to challenge as the season progresses". "We have confirmed today that Garreth McMeeking will be joining Wascisco Red Sox next week. With Garreth unable to get into the side at present and at his age he is desperate to play games so we have agreed to let him go and wish him all the best for the future and his part in helping us to a top 3 finish last season will be remembered at the club". Whilst the departure of McMeeking was a surprise today as his form dipped alarmingly it will be no surprise to find the two new foreign recruits leaving next week once they have been moved to their correct positions in defence and attack respectively. Whilst they won't be officially advertised as available for a week maximum cash offers are being accepted in advance from anyone reading this news section. In other news Charscot finally got off the mark in the WPL Super Cup this week as they beat the hopeless Spondon Renegades and find themselves still in with a chance of progression at the halfway point of the group stages. Finally, the manager wasted no time today as the board's cash injection of £3.4million was used to extend the contracts of Carroll Shelby (2 years), Ned Dowd (1 year) and Zak Newton (3 years). It now seems certain that the only deals in the near future aside from McMeeking will be any loans out which are likely to be announced in the next 2 weeks as players start to establish their form.
31/08/2009	A poor week as Charscot's awful away form continued. After a superb season on the road last time around this season has been quite the opposite at this early stage as the Wolverines suffered their second defeat from two away games going down 2-0 to a Real Madrid side that came into the game hardly brimming with confidence. However, on the day Real deserved the win as Charscot's players never got going and the goals from Gabrielle Amor and Hans Porfirio were a deserved reflection of the game. The defeat plunged the team down to tenth and four points adrift of top spot after four games. Manager Rich Grove was not impressed afterwards. "To say this performance was a disappointment would be an understatement. We sort of expected to lose as Real always gain from the randomness of the early season results, but I did at least expect us to compete and put on a show for our fans. Little did I realise the show was going to be a horror." "We now have to beat St Joseph's BC and maintain both our 100% home record and our unbeaten home record against BC with 4 wins from our five meetings if we are to avoid our usual slump towards the bottom three in the early stages of the season". After rumours of a likely new arrival from the auction market proved to be a false one it appears no deals are expected. However, if results don't improve it is believed the manager will be looking for new options and will be looking for deals very soon. With a second home defeat in the WPL Suepr Cup as well this week it really was a poor week all around.
24/08/2009	Visitors Long Eaton Archers have struggled at The Blue Silver Stadium in recent seasons with no wins from their last 6 visits, only 2 points gained and no goals scored in their last 3 going into today. All these records were to continue as Charscot won their fourth straight game against the Archers at home with a convincing 3-0 victory that was thoroughly deserved. Manager Rich Grove made a couple of changes, returning record goalscorer Rick Higgott to the starting XI and bringing Siddig El Fadil back into the final 13. Both players were to reward the manager's faith in them. It took just 11 minutes for Higgott to do his part, scoring his 58th club goal as he took the ball around stranded keeper Kevin Zealand and tapped the ball into the empty net. On 25 minutes the game was over as a contest as Etienne Rocheteau scored his first goal for the club in his third game with a sublime lob from thirty yards that has to be an early contender for goal of the season. The hosts continued to dominate the second half with Garrincha hitting the bar with a close range header before El Fadil came off the bench to score the final goal as he scored from close range after a mazy dribble to beat two defenders. Afterwards manager Rich Grove was a satisfied manager. "That was exactly the performance that was needed to get over last week's disappointing defeat. We now need to replicate last season's away form when we go to Real Madrid next week as we have finally corrected our poor home form of last season only to see our away form desert us". "A win next week will set us up nicely at this early stage, but a defeat will leave us with the same unanswered questions about our ability to put a run together in the early part of the season". The win moved the club up to fifth position with some three games gone in the season. On a quiet week behind the scenes the arrival of François Clerc would appear to be a simple case of making money as he joins a dire youth side that is expected to struggle all season. Leonard Cohen committed his immediate future to the club as he signed a 1 year extension to his contract. It was hoped he would sign a longer contract but the player wasn't interested in a long term deal at his young age. No transfers are expected although rumours abound that the manager is trying to bring in an experienced player via the auction market with the player expected at the club next week if the manager is successful.
17/08/2009	After last week's uncharacteristically good start to the season Charscot came back down to Earth as they were robbed of the points in their local derby at Space Cadets. Although recent seasons had seen the Cadets take the three points in this fixture after last week's result hopes were high for a continuance of the 5 month unbeaten away run but alas it was not to be as the hosts stole a 1-0 victory to go top of the league. Despite being the highest placed clash in the league today surprisingly the cameras chose not to show this game which was a shame as both sides put on a good display of football with no less than 40 shots in the 90 minutes. The only goal of the game came against the run of play in the 52nd minute as Ruben Karain (an ex-Charscot player) scored from close range. The result sent Charscot plummeting to ninth position at this very early stage of the season. Manager Rich Grove was unfazed afterwards - "Whilst we didn't expect to lose this game today to say it was a shock would be a lie. With the history of early season games bringing shocks I am not going to get too concerned at one undeserved defeat". "That said, we must bounce back against Long Eaton Archers at our place next week. Having not lost in our last 6 meetings at the Blue Silver Stadium against them, winning four, I would hope we can get the win our football has warranted so far this season". Despite rumours to the contrary the manager confirmed that he had no intention of adversely judging anyone at this early stage of the season and that the only deals would be loan deals out as and when form dictates. As a sign of the managers intent no less than 5 players signed contract extensions today as Nikolai Makhinya, Nathan Delfouneso, Poul Nielsen, Guy Norbury and Kincaid J. Stamper all signed extensions of varying lengths.
10/08/2009	A new season and Charscot went into their opening home game against Spondon Renegades with little confidence as the club has made a habit of being slow out of the blocks. However, the team, with three debutants and a major change to both tactics and training put in a good opening day performance as the team edged a close fought game and deserved the victory purely for being more effective with their possession. The only goal of the game came on 49 minutes as Carroll Shelby, looking to build on an impressive first season, scored against his old manager as he scored with a simple close range shot. The result puts the club in fifth position although with only one game played it is debatable whether the league table means anything at this early stage. Manager Rich Grove was in a happy but wary frame of mind afterwards. "I am very pleased with us managing to get off to a rare winning start today but unless we build on this and continue to get positive results and not end up with only one or two wins from the first half a dozen matches. We have a tricky local derby at Space Cadets next week where although we have a winning record games are rarely easy there and after their commanding win today they will be flying". With the final arrivals to the squad joining up today with Norbury, Makhinya and Stamper meeting the squad it now looks like the dealing is done for the time being. Loans are likely with Steve Rowbottom, Ricardo Izecson and Angus Lee all being allowed to go out on loan today. More will follow once form has been established within the squad as the manager looks to give the fringe players some games. The one contract signing today was utility man Luka Modric, who signed a two year contract extension. The draw for the first round of the cup sees the Wolverines travel to Pittsburgh Panthers for a game that is likely to carry little interest for the manager, whose renowned disinterest in the early rounds has become common knowledge.
03/08/2009	With third place already secured Charscot finished their season at Lisbon Eagles with nothing to play for. Meanwhile their opponents needed to win to take fourth spot and seemed determined to achieve their highest ever final placing. However, with a 5 month unbeaten away run the Wolverines are no pushovers away from home and this continued with a 2-1 win for the visitors. It took 16 minutes for Stefan Selakovic to score his club-leading 10th league goal of the season as he took an easy chance from close range. Just past the hour mark Carlos Tevez got an equaliser with a fine shot from 25 yards. The visitors won the game with a 79th minute goal from captain Luciano Zauti as he dribbled past the keeper and tapped the ball in from a foot out. Manager Rich Grove had little to say afterwards - "I am glad to get to the end of this season with such a high final placing after a hard season at home. With an emphasis on a new tactical ploy for next season the coming months will be interesting and hopefully successful as we continue to be the second most consistently successful club in the WPL behind Thamesford United". The team managed to equal last season's club record 9 away wins whilst having their joint fewest draws in a season with just five games resulting in the spoils being shared. With third place secured all eyes turned to off the field as the manager finishes getting set up for the new season. Three players are expected to arrive at the club on Wednesday as Guy Norbury, Nikolai Makhinya and Kincaid J. Stamper all join from the Will Scarlet League. Meanwhile three players are sold on Thursday via the auction market and current bids total in excess of £27million. Money that isn't expected to be re-invested in the squad with numbers too high and so little to actually bid on. With the season over the annual awards were announced and it was no surprise to find Stefan Selakovic taking the Player of the Year award. With Nathan Delfouneso taking the Young Player of the Year Award it seems as if the team has a wealth of attacking options. There were two players elected to the club's Hall of Fame. Both players made the roll of honour for their immediate impact this season as Carroll Shelby and Garreth McMeeking deservedly added their names to the list. Now all eyes are on next season and the hope that the club can reproduce their away form whilst being more successful at home where the team has struggled. One addition to the website for the new season is the addition of a full listing of all fixtures for the season in the WPL. As each week passes the list will reduce as the results are posted and kept for the whole season on another page. Se the site map or the main page link for more details.
27/07/2009	Charscot made the short trip to Callie Athletic for a local derby that meant far more to the visitors than to Callie , whose season is over with safety secured. Charscot had taken 16 points from their last 6 visits to Nat's Valley and with a 5 month unbeaten run away from home went into this game full of confidence. The confidence wasn't misplaced as Charscot put on a superb show as they tore apart Callie, who can count themselves extremely fortunate to only lose 2-1. On 37 minutes Carroll Shelby scored an easy goal from close range for a deserved lead. As the half time whistle approached Callie scored on a rare attack as Walter Pandiani scored a superb swerving shot from 25 yards for an undeserved equaliser. As the second half drew on it looked like poor finishing was going to cost Charscot the victory until super sub Garreth McMeeking came on and scored the winner within 2 minutes of his introduction. The goal was a scrappy affair from two feet but the visitors didn't care. At the final whistle fans and players celebrated as news filtered through that the win had secured the team it's fifth third place finish. Considering how poorly the season started to finish well clear of fourth has to be a good result. Manager Rich Grove was pleased enough afterwards - "I was adamant that as long as we finished top four I would be satisfied in the circumstances and third place is a deserved reward for some very good football this season, particularly on the road. If we had managed to produce anything like our away form at The Blue Silver Stadium we would have been looking at a title so next season we need to move it up a level and become harder to beat at our own place whilst maintaining our road form". "We will be trying out a few things next week knowing that our position is secure and the match literally is irrelevant". In a busy penultimate week of the season a final deal was announced with defenders Gilmar and Giacinto Facchett leaving to join London Elite of the Will Scarlet League with attacking player Nikolai Makhinya arriving. Nikolai has been a target for the past 3 seasons so his arrival is considered to be a coup for the manager. Meanwhile attacker Ricardo Izecson secured his future at the club, signing a two year extension to his contract. Finally, the three young stars on the auction market will be sold in 10 days and it is hoped bids will increase over the next week or so.
20/07/2009	Charscot played their last home game of the season as fifth-placed Vasco De Gama visited the Blue Silver Stadium for a must-win game. Charscot had scored four against Vasco in the last two fixtures at the London club and today was to continue the run as the visitors were humbled in a 4-0 rout. It took just 8 minutes for the hosts to take the lead as Zak Newton, given a new lease of life after the manager decided to keep him last week, side footed the ball home from close range. On 24 minutes the game was over as a contest as Stefan Selakovic headed a good second goal. With Charscot dominating they hit the bar with a Zauti free kick before the substitutes both made their presence felt. First Garreth McMeeking got his fourth goal as a sub when he scored on 74 minutes with a superb chip from twenty yards. Not to be outdone Siddig El Fadil dribbled past a couple before taking the ball around the keeper with two minutes left on the clock to finish the scoring. Manager Rich Grove was a happy man afterwards. "That is exactly the sort of home performance we have been looking for and failing to produce for much of the season". "We knew with our record against Vasco that a win was always on the cards and the way we played that game we have put ourselves in an excellent position to take third place". Charscot now finish the season on the road with a local derby at Callie Athletic next week before a final game at Lisbon Eagles to finish the season off. In a surprising transfer move Rich Grove confirmed that the club had signed veteran goalkeeper David Essex for £1.7million and he is expected to play just one season at the club before retiring. Meanwhile youth attacker Steve Jones has been given the chance of a professional career as he joined Victoria Park of the North Star Alliance for a fee of £1.6million. This just leaves three players to be sold via the auction market over the next 2 1/2 weeks (see Auction Market link for current bids).
13/07/2009	Charscot hosted St John's United in a clash of third and fourth. Both teams were hopeful before the match of getting a result although the visitors may just have expected to win based on the hosts awful home record. As it was both sides had to settle for a point which leaves their own positions unchanged with 3 games to go. United had an edge in possession but Charscot looked far more dangerous up front as United were wasteful in the final third. Luka Modric was given the chance to get forward on 33 minutes and scored his first goal for the club with a simple tap in from close range. The second half continued in the same vein to the first and just as it begun to look as if United were going to return home with nothing to show for their efforts they got an equaliser as Dave Williams scored a superb chip from the edge of the penalty area. Afterwards manager Rich Grove was happy enough - "Whilst our performance in terms of controlling the ball wasn't what we hoped for, we were dangerous every time we got forward and our attacking play was a joy to watch at times. As I have said repeatedly in recent weeks whilst the chance for third place is great it is far more important to establish a squad and tactics for next season in the final month of the season". The point leaves Charscot ahead of United by four goals in the fight for third with next week's opponents Vasco De Gama two points further back. As expected a number of players were placed on the auction market today. The main attractions are defenders Ronson and Elias Figueroa and attacker Thomaz Soares. Combined they are expected to raise around £23million. A surprise omission was defender Gilmar who was given a last minute reprieve as management decided to keep him in case the new tactics for next season fail to gel. It is thought that Gilmar will remain available for transfer and swap offers will be encouraged. With the deal to bring in Guy Norbury and Kincaid J. Stamper half completed with the players leaving having gone all that is left is for the pair to arrive at the club in 4 week's time.
06/07/2009	Charscot travelled to Woodley FC looking to protect a 4 match unbeaten road record as the team looked to regain third position. Woodley for their part are involved in the relegation battle and were always going to fight hard to avoid defeat. The 1-1 draw the teams played out is a result that undoubtedly the hosts will be happier with having been outplayed from first whistle to last. Charscot took just 7 minutes to open the scoring as Rick Higgott scored his 57th club goal with a superb close range header and the visitors continued to attack looking to finish the game off. However, on 32 minutes a highly dubious penalty was awarded for handball against Lubomir Moravcik as the ball appeared to miss his hand and strike his thigh but the referee was convinced and Paul Brown scored from the penalty spot to level the scores. The second half was played entirely in the Woodley half of the field but Charscot couldn't get the winning goal their approach play deserved. The point however was good enough to send Charscot back into third position and with both fourth and fifth to visit The Blue Silver Stadium in the next fortnight the season is very much in the Wolverine's own hands. Manager Rich Grove was unfazed by the result afterwards - "I can't be too disappointed with the play today as we put in a great performance that on another day would have been an easy win for us. Although two points dropped is never good in truth we are already looking to next season and anything this season will be a bonus". "We should know where we stand in 2 week's time after playing both our closest rivals but with the squad being re-moulded for next season results are of secondary importance this month". In a surprise move the manager made a complete about turn and merely days after saying Zak Newton's career at the club was over the player was told he now will play out the remaining years of his playing career at Charscot as the manager makes a number of tactical changes in preparation for the new season. Arriving at the club will be Kincaid J. Stamper and  Guy Norbury from the Will Scarlet League. Both players have been previously employed by Charscot so they will be looking to make a better impression than they did first time around. They will both arrive on week 1 of next season. Leaving the club today were the latest foreign youth find as well as attacker Lars Larsson and defender Djalma Santos, who are both going to be missed, particularly if the manager's new outlook proves to be flawed next season. Meanwhile the club confirmed that four players with good value will be on the auction market next Monday. The listing of Elias Figueroa and Thomaz Soares comes as no surprise, as does the listing of Ronson. However, the listing of defender Gilmar will raise some eyebrows and although the manager is adamant he is gone a change of heart would not be a surprise to many onlookers.
29/06/2009	Having never lost to Shaolin FC, Charscot went into today's game with confidence but wary after a run of poor results at home had undermined their top three hopes. As it was the home form continued to hold the Wolverines back as despite the bulk of the play a goal proved elusive as the team had to settle for a point in a goalless draw. The result dropped the team back to fourth position with five games to go. Manager Rich Grove was unflustered by the latest poor home result - "It has to be said that today's result, whilst not deserved was not a surprise as we have struggled badly here this season. Whilst finishing third would be a good end to the season in truth we are planning for next season now and we will be sacrificing our performances over the next month as we set the squad up in preparation for week 1". "As part of our short term sacrifices I can confirm that Zak Newton played his last game for the club today. Zak has been a great servant for the club playing in 184 games with 11 goals despite plating most of his career in defence. With his placing on the market in 2 week's time he will be moved to midfield next week in anticipation. Hopefully he can find himself a good club to play out the remainder of his career". With the season winding down it seems likely that a lot of players will be leaving over the next few weeks as the youth squad and first team squad gets a significant reduction from it's current bulky squad of 48 players. Four players who won't be involved in the exodus are Tiki Barber, Gilmar, Etienne Rocheteau and Paolo Rothini who all signed extensions to their contracts this week committing their near futures to the black and red of Charscot.
22/06/2009	With an unbeaten away run stretching to 4 months the Wolverines were looking confident as they travelled to relegation threatened Ordall Park Raiders for a must win game. The game itself was a hard fought one as neither team got a grip on proceedings but the difference in class up front proved decisive as Charscot made the most of their hcances forcing a number of good saves from Funk in the Raiders' goal as well as twice hitting the woodwork. Funk was beaten just the once after 27 minutes as Gareth McMeeking headed in beautifully from twenty yeards out for the only goal of the game. That goal was all the visitors needed and despite a late effort that rebounded off of the crossbar for the hosts Charscot just about edged the game purely because of their more effective attacking play. The win moved the club into third position and with a good chance of finishing in third if the team can make the most of the next two games against struggling sides before a big match against St John's United. Manager Rich Grove had little to say afterwards - "I am happy with the results as any win has to be a good win but we have to replicate our superb form away from home in our home matches, where we have been frankly dreadful for most of ths season. If we can do that next week then maybe we can get third spot this season, anything less next week and I think our home form will ultimately cost us dearly". Next week the team host Shaolin F.C who have never beaten Charscot in 11 previous meetings and have actually lost all five visits to the Blue Silver Stadium. Shaolin will feel they are due and will never have a better chance of breaking this hoodoo as Charscot continue to struggle at home. No transfer news this week as it seems the likes of Newton, Santos and Ronson are destined for the auction market next month and arrivals at the lcub seem unlikely.
15/06/2009	After 9 consecutive home games without even conceding a goal to Barnstoneworth it was always likely that the record was due to come to an end, particularly with United leading the league. It took United just five minutes to finally score as David Lockwood scored a superb solo goal. Charscot responded well to the goal and got a deserved equaliser on the half hour as Stefan Selakovic hit a brilliant 35 yard free kick that left the keeper grasping at thin air. Despite easily deserving a point in this match a mad five minutes directly before the hour mark proved decisive as bad luck and bad refereeing were to leave Charscot without a point and with a third consecutive home defeat. First Luciano Zauti saw his attempted clearance slice into his own net off a post and just as the hosts looked for a second equaliser the referee inexplicably gave a penalty for a clean tackle by Angus Lee on Peter Brown despite the fact that no one in the ground appealed for it. Robert Hegarty scored from the spot and the game was over as a contest as the hosts lost faith. Manager Rich Grove wasn't unduly concerned with today's result after the match - "Whilst we never like to lose a game we came into the last 2 games considering any points a bonus so to have 3 points puts us well ahead of our expectations. We now have to resolve our truly awful home form, which is my one worry, as we now have 3 matches against teams we should beat before a potential third place decider against St John's United". The upside for the fans has been the complete failure of the team's rivals to exploit the poor home form and build a large gap on the team as they chase third place and if the home form can be improved then third place should belong to the team.
08/06/2009	A surprisingly low key build up to the match as the visiting manager knew this game wasn't as important as the games from week 25 to the end of the season whilst the home manager was distracted by family matters as he anticipated the birth of his second child (and a big congratulations from all at the club to Jon and his wife). The game itself was a complete turn-up for the book as Charscot tore the Champions apart in the first half to record a deserved 4-0 win. The first half rout was started by Angus Lee as he hit a superb shot from the edge of the penalty area to give the Wolverines a shock lead. However, it ceased to be a shock as three minutes later Carroll Shelby hit a fabulous free kick from the edge of the "D". The only thing shocking by now was the United defence as they looked very ordinary and a quarter of an hour later an inexplicable handball from Martin gave Garrincha a simple chance from the penalty spot to make it 3-0 which was easily taken. As half time approached any slim chance of a second half fight back were extinguished as Shelby got his second of the game with a simple tap in from close range. The second half could have been far worse for United as Charscot twice hit the woodwork as the hosts continued to struggle defensively. Afterwards manager Rich Grove was in a buoyant mood - "That first half display was exhilarating and in truth we should have scored more if only we had had that bit of luck with the woodwork. However, considering our season wasn't reliant on getting anything this week or next the added bonus of three points today is good news. We now return home, where we have struggled this season, to face leaders Barnstoneworth United". "Barnstoneworth haven't actually scored on their last nine visits to us and a continuance of that particular run will suit us as any points next week are a welcome bonus". The win moved the club up to fourth position and with a gap developing between fifth and sixth it is hoped that top five should be attainable now with third spot the aim. Following last week's rumour of a deal involving new foreign youth Gary Marx today the deal was confirmed. However, it wasn't the deal everyone expected as the first deal fell through at the last moment as management decided on a change of strategy with team selection and requirements. Gary Marx left along with fellow youth player Mikhail Veritovka with midfielder Etienne Rocheteau arriving at the club from AFC Binfield. As a further side effect of the change in club policy it is expected that at least one defender (Ronson) and possibly two more may well leave by the end of July either via trade or via the auction market.
01/06/2009	Charscot had never lost at home to Vanbrugh Royals but having won for the first time at Vanbrugh earlier this season a response from their local rivals was always a danger and so it proved as the visitors came away with a 3-1 win. The game itself was actually an even game and but for some slack defending and the crossbar the result may well have been different. Vanbrugh took just one minute to open the scoring as Stef Kapusniak bundled the ball in from close range as the home defence was slow to respond. Kapusniak got his second goal after 19 minutes with a fine lob. At half time the Charscot manager read his players the riot act and they responded within three minutes of the restart as Lubomir Moravcik capitalised on some mickey mouse defending to halve the arrears. With a quarter of an hour to go Stefan Selakovic hit the crossbar with a superb free kick and the hosts were made to pay as the Royals immediately went to the other end of the field and Radostin Kishishev headed in from five yards out. Afterwards manager Rich Grove was surprisingly not as upset as many expected - "At half time I was appalled with our play and made it clear to the team that they had to show far more application if they didn't want to be playing at a different club next season. The second half was a vastly improved performance and with a slice of luck we would have got a point from a game that ultimately should have been a draw". "Considering we lost to find ourselves still in fifth and still a single point off of third has to be a bonus as it seems none of our rivals want to stamp their authority over the field in the chase for third place. We have two expected defeats now coming against the top two sides but even then we should be able to make a challenge for third and more importantly we should be safe from relegation which can always be a worry with a couple of bad results". The management moved to address the imbalance in the squad today by signing Charscot old boy Tiki Barber from Callie Athletic with midfielder Philip Anthony-Rodriguez going in the opposite direction. Tiki's return gives the team more defensive options whilst easing the congestion in midfield. There are rumours that the newly signed foreign player may be leaving in a multi-player deal but there has been no confirmation as management have apparently had trouble getting the other club to confirm the precise details of the deal and a firm announcement will be made next Monday on the player's future at the club.
25/05/2009	A trip to St Joseph's BC proved to be no challenge as Charscot continued their recent good form to keep pressure on third place with a 2-0 win. Charscot were in control of the game as St Joseph's shooting went awry and it took just 24 minutes for Rick Higgott to score his 56th goal for the club with a superb lob. As both teams went looking for goals an entertaining game was finished off with four minutes on the clock as Garreth McMeeking headed in beautifully from close range to seal the double over St J's. This win keeps the team in fifth and just one point off of third with a third of the season remaining. Manager Rich Grove was in a relaxed mood afterwards - "To be honest I always felt this was a game we should expect to win as St Joseph's have been fighting slightly above their weight, something which is a credit to their manager, but at this stage of the season with my players on form they really shouldn't have been a challenge and so it proved". "We now go into a home derby next week against Vanbrugh Royals full of confidence. The Royals have never beaten us at our place and we are hopeful of keeping that run going". In transfer news the international scout finally earned his wages as he found a fine 17 year old midfielder. Despite his quality skills for his age it is expected he will leave in a deal over the next couple of weeks. The manager has already made a couple of offers and is requesting offers with a view to a quick turnaround.
18/05/2009	Charscot faced a home double header this week but were only interested in the first of the games as rivals Real Madrid came to visit civilization. With both teams trying desperately to keep in touch with third spot this was a game both teams needed a win from and despite the home team having the bulk of the possession it was the visitors who looked certain to take the three points as they found themselves surprsingly two goals to the good after 42 minutes. It took just four minutes for Michel to score with a fine lob from 25 yards. As half time approached Charscot old boy Panucci made it -2 with a tap in from close range. However, the hosts got a crucial goal back within 60 seconds as Zak Newton hit a superb free kick from the edge of the box to renew the hopes of the hosts. Within 6 minutes of the re-start Rick Higgott was gifted a simple chance from three yards out to square the match. As the clock ticked down to a draw Charscot continued to push forward and were rewarded as Carroll Shelby dribbled past five players before nutmegging the keeper and securing the three points. The win keeps Charscot fifth but may well kill off Real's own dreams of third place. The second game was an anti-climax as the team went through the motions and despite deserving to beat Division 2 Forest F.C the visitors scored a goal in each half for a win that no one at Charscot was even slightly perturbed by. Manager Rich Grove was very happy afterwards - "What a great day. When we went two down against the run of play I thought our luck was out again but the boys fought back superbly and we thoroughly deserved the three points even if it did take a last gasp goal to fet us there". "The loss in the cup is of no consequence and we wish Forest well in the rest of the competition". A quiet week as management considers releasing two of today's scorers via the market in a couple of months as Newton and Shelby may be cashed in on.
11/05/2009	Charscot travelled to Boydstone Road, one of the club's lucky grounds today for a clash with relegation-threatened Comberton Tornadoes. With only one defeat in 15 previous visits it was hoped Charscot could take the three points and maintain the team's challenge for third spot. As it was the team were incredibly lucky as the team returned south with an undeserved point from a goalless draw. The game itself was one way traffic as the Charscot line-up never got going. Afterwards manager Rich Grove refused to speak to the media as he lambasted his players in private for an hour for such a poor performance against a side that is looking destined for Division One. The result leaves the team in fifth and still chasing third position. The only other news this week was the arrival and immediate departure of a foreign player, whose brief visit to the club has made the club £1million.
04/05/2009	With Charscot flying high facing local rivals Space Cadets, who had never won in 15 previous visits to the Blue Silver Stadium, should have been a comfortable win as the team looks to cement it's third position. However, the reality proved quite different as a crucial decision from the referee after a mere four minutes changed the game in it's infancy. Captain Luciano Zauti, who had never got a card of any sort in his career spanning 169 games before today, was sensationally sent off with just four minutes gone as he mistimed a tackle on veteran Philip Sherman. The red looked a harsh decision and it changed the whole nature of the game. Instead of playing their normal free-flowing football Charscot found themselves on the back foot as the local derby became a battle for supremacy. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Charscot managed to take the lead on 71 minutes as Garreth McMeeking scored with a superb 35 yarder. McMeeking is already looking like a bargain with two goals from 3 brief substitute appearances. The lead seemed to galvanise the Cadets and a two goal burst in three minutes stole them the three points in a game that Charscot still had the edge in. Both goals came from substitute Mohinder Suresh, with his first goals since his transfer to the Cadets last month. Both goals were impressive as he scored from thirty yards and then followed up with a 25 yard free kick. At the final whistle the referee had to be escorted from the pitch as the manager tried to make his feelings known whilst the fans hurled abuse at the official. Manager Rich Grove had little to say afterwards - "We always knew our good run would come to an end sooner or later but it is disappointing that the defeat was because of the referee's inadequacies rather than being outplayed on a level playing field. Common sense should have prevailed and a yellow card for Luciano would have been the right decision. Luciano has proven that he is a clean player having never been booked before and the referee should have been able to see that". "It has to be said we are not surprised though as we have had problems with the ref before and if there were any justice the league would remove him from the manager's list". "We now have to maintain our unbeaten record at Comberton next week. They have struggled all season and if we want to renew our challenge for third position then we simply have to beat a team that has struggled all season. Having dropped to fifth we could easily lose considerable ground if we fail to win next week". A quiet week on the transfer front, although there was the arrival of Elias Figueroa for half a million pounds. Elias is expected to be placed on the auction market at the end of this season to try to exploit the desire for youth players from some quarters. The cup draw for the third round was made with Charscot drawn at home to Division Two promotion challengers Forest Fc. With the managers well known disregard for the cup before the quarter-finals it is expected that the team will focus on their league game against Real Madrid and a supposed cup shock should happen.
27/04/2009	A case of trying to prevent familiarity breeding contempt this week as Charscot played Spondon Renegades in both league and cup. The trip up North for the league game was the one the Wolverines management cared about and it showed as Charscot controlled the game from the first whistle to the last but struggled to find the goal their approach play deserved. Just as it looked as if the hosts would get an undeserved point Stefan Selakovic popped up with the winner as he spotted Cam Ward off of his line and beat him with a superlative chip. This win put the team up into third position as their recent good form continues and it is hoped the team can now stay in the top 3 for the remainder of the season. However, with a number of teams breathing down their necks and a large gap of seven points to the team in second it will be a long hard battle. After the easy win Charscot looked complacent as they hosted Spondon in the second round of the cup. Ironically, despite a far less impressive performance the team did find it's shooting boots and came away with a far more convincing result, if not performance. Spondon took a mere four minutes to score as Henrik Kjallson scored against his former manager from close range. The hosts toiled through most of the first half but got a crucial equaliser just before the half as Ricardo Izecson lobbed the keeper for a carbon copy of Selakovic's cup goal. After the break Charscot looked far more deadly as they scored three times to ease into the third round. Lubomir Moravcik scored a seven minute brace with a close range tap in followed by a fine volley from fifteen yards. The final goal came courtesy of the penalty spot after a blatant handball allowing Garreth McMeeking to score as a sub for his first goal at the club a week after arriving. Manager Rich Grove was pleased afterwards - "Whilst the cup result was never important to me, to come out of the week with two wins still has to be pleasing and with two of the bottom three in the league in the next fortnight we must try to consolidate our new-found top three position with two wins". "We have never lost at home to Space Cadets in fifteen previous meetings and I need us to maintain that record, preferably with our tenth home win against them before we go to Comberton the week after". In a quiet week no transfers are now anticipated before the end of the season with the possible exception of a player or two finding their way onto the Auction Market.
20/04/2009	After beating one jinx side at the Blue Silver Stadium last week Charscot faced a second one this week in a Lisbon Eagles side that had won on each of their three previous visits. Despite recent history being against them Charscot came out on top by the same score as last week, 3-1, as a second half come back gave the side a deserved win and eased the club into fourth position, a season high. Things didn't look good as the Eagles took just 44 seconds to open the scoring as Stephen Appiah capitalised on some truly atrocious defending to score a simple goal from close range. At half time the manager laid into his players and the results were obvious as Charscot took Lisbon apart in the second half. The equaliser took just 39 seconds into the second half as Garrincha scored from close range following a mazy run. The distraction of a substitution was all the hosts needed to take the lead as Stefan Selakovic tapped in from close range as Lisbon appeared distracted by a substitution. With seven minutes left and the visitors trying desperately to get out of their own half and look for an equaliser Carroll Shelby scored his first goal for the club, 15 minutes after coming on as a substitute, as he exploited the slow-thinking Lisbon defence who were desperately appealling for an offside that simply wasn't there. Manager Rich Grove was a happy manager afterwards - "The players did exactly what was needed today as we have overcome two tricky sides at our place in the past seven days to move into a more secure fourth position and we can now go into next week's double header with hopefully a degree of confidence". "However, with two games against Spondon next week we really need to get our priorities right and that means concentrating on the trip to their place in the league as the cup is a luxury that shouldn't concern us at this early stage whereas a top 3 spot has to be our aim". The club looked to bolster the on field experience today as the team moved to buy experienced campaigner Garreth McMeeking from Tameside Bulls for £ 2.3mill. It is hoped that he can bring that bit of class that may be needed as the season progresses and he will see out his career at the club, with hopefully a couple more seasons to come from him.
13/04/2009	A battle from the top six today as 5th placed Callie Athletic made the short trip to 6th placed Charscot Wanderers for a local derby that would have a big bearing on the top half placings. Charscot had actually lost the last four home games against Callie so confidence was low going into the game although that lack of confidence didn't manifest itself in the team's play as Charscot took the game to Callie for the full 90 minutes and won at a canter. The result was only Charscot's fourth win in 21 attempts at the Blue Silver Stadium so this win was beyond hoped for. With barely 20 minutes on the clock Athletic took the lead through Venavic and it looked like the jinx would continue but once Charscot equalised just before half time there was only ever going to be one winner. Lubomir Moravcik took the simplest of chances to score in the 41st minute as the Callie defence made a mess of a simple clearance and the second half belonged to Garrincha, whose brace in the last 20 minutes secured a big three points for the hosts. His first was a fine solo goal as he weaved his way past three defenders before nutmegging the keeper and then with six minutes left he hit a superb 25 yard free kick to seal the points. Afterwards manager Rich Grove was a pleased man - "That is just the sort of performance we needed today to stamp our authority on a top half position as we approach halfway in the season. Both Callie today and Lisbon next week have excellent recent records at our ground (Lisbon have won their last 3) so to take the points in such emphatic style is just what we needed". "However, we need to maintain this performance and win again next week to put us in a decent position as we get ready for the repeat fixtures". In a quiet week there are no anticipated transfers as business settles down and the squad looks set for the run-in.
06/04/2009	A trip to high flying Vasco De Gama was always going to be a hard match and so it proved as the team needed a second half comeback to secure their first draw of the season in a game they could easily have lost. A two goal burst in two minutes just past the half hour mark appeared to have given Vasco a victory that would have kept them on the heels of the leaders as Fransico hit a superb volley before a scrappy second from White left the hosts in control. After a half time tongue lashing from the manager Charscot came out like a team possessed and two goals in an eight minute spell brought the team back to level terms. Ricardo Izecson hit a brilliant curling shot from outside the box to halve the definicit before Rick Higgott towered above the defence to head in an equaliser. In the final 26 minutes both sides had chances to win the game and at the end a draw was probably fair as the visitors made more of their limited chances. Afterwards manager Rich Grove was relieved - "Considering the first half performance we have to be pleased to have got a point from this game as our opponents form has been far better than our own this season. We now need to build on this result and beat a Callie side who have won their last four visits to the Blue Silver Stadium to leapfrog them and into the top six". After a busy couple of weeks of deals the last of the current batch were completed today as Del Monti, Astbury and a foreign player left, leaving just one foreign player to join Falcon of the Quartz Elite next week. The club announced the extension of it's long-running sponsorship deal with HSBC today as the club signed a new four year extension to the contract which also provides a £ 10,000 win bonus.
30/03/2009	Charscot travelled to former leaders St John's United knowing the team needed it's third consecutive away win in the league to offset their awful home form. With United losing their way since hitting top spot early this season it looked like the best time for each team to be playing the other and the open attacking game certainly backed this up as both sides went for it from the start. In a game that had no less than forty shots at goal the visiting Charscot side held the upper hand for long periods as they controlled possession and it was no surprise when Rick Higgott hit s fantastic thirty yarder just past the half hour to give the visitors a deserved lead. With half time approaching the hosts clawed their way level with a shot from the edge of the box five minutes before half time. The second half continued in the same manner and the visitors got a deserved winner on 63 minutes as Stefan Selakovic dribbled around the keeper for a simple goal. The hosts tried to find a second equaliser but the Wolverines held firm and took a much needed three points to move the club back into the top half and just two wins away from top spot. Manager Rich Grove was relieved afterwards to bounce back from last week - "After the debacle last week we had to get a win today as this division continues to have little separating it from top to fifteenth. The performance was an added bonus as the three points were the crucial part of the day and it would be good if our younger players could learn from our experienced strikers, Rick and Stefan, who once again proved themselves invaluable today". "We have had a busy week of transfers and these should be concluded next Monday but I am still looking for the right players as we need to freshen up all aspects of the squad in preparation for the second half of the season". As mentioned by the manager it was indeed a busy week as a number of deals were agreed in the fallout from last week's joke performance. Arriving at the club is star midfielder Valentino Ronossi from Comberton Tornadoes. Valentino's final position has yet to be determined but he is likely to be in midfield for this season at least. Joining from Kilburn United of the Will Scarlet league is attacker Paolo Rothini who it is hoped will make a big impact next season once he gets his fitness and speed up to scratch. The final player arriving (and staying) is youth midfielder Leonard Cohen from Sandbanks City, who looks to have a bright future at the club and will spend the next 50 weeks or so perfecting his skills before trying to make a first XI spot his own at 19 year's old. Leaving the club to join Sandbanks City are Pedro Luis and Luis Felipe Monti. Luis never really had much of an opportunity to play at Charscot and Pedro never looked comfortable in front of goal so the fresh start should do them both good. Alessandro Del Horno also left the club as the defence is re-modelled joining AFC Binfield for youth defender Ian Astbury. Astbury however is packing his bags already as he leaves along with Sebastian Rocco in the deal that brings Valentino Ronossi to the club. Despite all these deals, along with a foreign player joining Plymouth United of the Will Scarlet league, the club is still looking for more deals and is expected to keep taking offers for this week before settling on a final squad and possibly placing some players on the auction market.
23/03/2009	On paper today's visitors Woodley F.C were long shots to win as their season has consisted of far too many draws whilst Charscot had won their last 3 games. However, the nearest to paper the game got today was looking at the Charscot defence that looked paper-thin as the visitors tore Charscot apart for a deserved 4-0 win as the hosts were humbled. It took almost half an hour for Woodley to take the lead through Trundles superb volley but once ahead they didn't look back as Gianista quickly added a second with a spectacular free kick. A mere four minutes later the game was over as Gill added the third with a close range header. Despite a lambasting by the manager at half time the second half performance showed little improvement as the hosts were lucky to just concede one more as Efies tapped in from close range on 63 minutes. As the game came to an end the home support made their feelings known as boos ringer around the ground. The result moved Woodley out of the relegation zone and dropped Charscot back into trouble in 9th position and with a trip to St John's United upcoming things could get far worse before they get better. Manager Rich Grove had no excuses afterwards - "We were simple awful today. All credit to Woodley , who thoroughly deserved the win, but we cannot play like that at this level and expect anything other than heavy defeats. Not one player looked up to Premier Division quality today and the players will have to look long and hard at themselves this week and prove they have what it takes when we travel to St John's next week". "I will be looking closely at what I can do to change things around as there are just too many under performers here and I need to get rid of some of them as this cannot continue". The first change took no time at all as it was confirmed that attacker Paolo Rothini is coming in from Will Scarlet side Kilburn United with young defender Illiasu Shilla make the trip in the other direction. Meanwhile three players committed their futures to the club as Siddig El Fadil and Djalma Santos both signed four year extensions to their contracts whilst attacker Lars Larsson signed a two year extension. More deals seem likely as the manager is ready to hear offers.
16/03/2009	Charscot visited struggling Shaolin F.C looking to protect a great record against their hosts who have struggled to get anything in games between the clubs. In ten previous clashes Charscot have won seven and drawn three and only conceded one goal and with this record unsurprisingly the visitors were in confident mood with back to back wins going into today's game. Whilst the final result backed up the pre-match confidence the performance was far from dominant and Shaolin were undone by Charscot's deadly finishing as the hosts controlled long periods of play. It took Charscot 40 seconds to open the scoring as Siddig El Fadil took the ball around the keeper for a simple goal and after this Charscot never looked back. On 34 minutes Stefan Selakovic doubled the lead with a good drive from just outside the area and seemingly guaranteed the three points. With the second half continuing from where the first half ended with Shaolin dominating possession they deservedly go a goal back on 54 minutes as Mido hit a superb thirty-yarder to raise fresh hope for the beleaguered hosts. However, as Shaolin pushed on, Luciano Zauti caught them on the break with five minutes to go to guarantee the three points with a simple goal from close range after a mazy run. The win moved Charscot into sixth spot and with the top two both suffering embarrassing losses the gap reduced to five points. Manager Rich Grove was pleased with the win whilst remaining cautious - "That was an important win today as we had to look to build a winning run. Now we need to take this result into next week's home game against Woodley and try to gain another win as in such a close division we can go from challenging the top 3 to relegation with just a couple of bad results and with two of the top five upcoming after next week complacency cannot be allowed". Another week with no transfer news although it is hoped that next week there may be news of some players committing their futures to the club as contract negotiations are ongoing. In the cup Charscot were drawn at home to fellow top flight club Spondon Renegades, who they now play home and away on week 17.
09/03/2009	Charscot visited a managerless White Swan F.C today for a game of little importance to the management as the team just looked to avoid injuries. The game itself was not exactly a classic as Swan found it nigh on impossible to actually shoot on target as their woeful finishing let chance after chance go begging with Shilton only having to make one save in the game. Meanwhile at the other end Charscot won the game with a Goal of the Season contender from Rick Higgott who dribbled from his own half beating five men before waltzing past the keeper on the quarter hour mark for the winning goal. The rest of the game never really got going and at the final whistle the visitors were just glad to come away unscathed and with a number of players returning from injury for next week's match. Manager Rich Grove had nothing to say after the game as he looked to forget today's game as quickly as possible and focus on next week's trip to struggling Shaolin FC for a game the visitors have to be looking to win. Still no transfer news this week as little is going on behind the scenes.
02/03/2009	A home match against a limited Ordsall Park Raiders side was just what the team needed after a couple of defeats left the team dangerously close to the relegation places. Ordsall's limitations weren't just on the pitch, with the manager lacking the expertise to come up with anything past a limited hack down at all opportunities as a match tactics. Although this tactic would have some success in terms of injuries it completely undermined the team's attempts as the manager inexplicably singled out a player who, whilst weak of body, has proven to be no threat at all in front of the goal and whose departure early today actually suited the Wolverines. Pedro Luis was replaced after just 8 minutes as he sustained a fractured rib following a nasty foul by Cannavaro who deservedly saw a yellow card. However, the introduction of Garrincha early would prove decisive. Despite outplaying their opponents for long periods the Raiders lived up to their name as they raided a goal against the run of play on 34 minutes as Aboo scored from close range. Within 4 minutes Siddig El Fadil scored on his return showing again why this team needs him in the centre of the park, as he hit a fine 20-yarder that left the keeper grasping at air. The second half saw the hosts continue to dominate and it was only a matter of time before they scored and it took just 11 minutes for Ricardo Izecson to score his first goal for the club with a simple toe poke. Six minutes later Garrincha (who wouldn't have been on the field at this point without Luis' injury) took the defence on single-handedly before scoring from the edge of the area to allay any fears of an unjust equaliser. With the game won Charscot looked to avoid any more injuries and at the final whistle the visitors were booed off the field whilst Charscot celebrated moving back into the top half of the table as the season takes to all intents and purposes a one week break next week. Afterwards manager Rich Grove predictably had little credit for the opponents - "I have always been consistent in my attitude to the unsportsmanlike tactic of hacking down rather than trying to find a more intelligent way tactically of playing against a team so whilst I will be scathing I want to make it clear I am just maintaining my long held stance and I would make these comments about any team and manager that stooped so low". "Frankly, the limited ideas from our opponents do not do any justice to what is a great league and I hope Ordall find themselves relegated at the end of the season as that sort of garbage football should be sent as far away from our top division as possible. I won't waste my breath further on such a bunch of small-time losers but will just hope they learn from this and try to redeem their reputation by playing more football in the future as this does their manager and their club no credit at all". "As for us I was very pleased to see us get a win after a couple of poor weeks and with a week off next week with just a meaningless cup tie at White Swan Fc to play which I am happy to lose. We now find ourselves in 8th position and I hope we can start to move further up the table and dispel any threat of relegation over the coming months." With 3 players due back from injury next week Pedro Luis' spell on the sidelines hopefully should have little affect on the club and with no transfers likely any time soon it looks like being a quiet time off the field.
23/02/2009	Charscot travelled to a cold Yorkshire to play high flying Barnstoneworth United whose recent record against the Wolverines has been pretty poor. However, despite Charscot edging the game it was United who gained the three points to leave the visitors in 13th place whilst United moved up to second spot. The game had started brightly for the visitors as Stefan Selakovic scored a superb free kick after just 9 minutes and at this early stage it looked like there would be only one winner. However, when United equalised against the run of play in the 25th minute with a brilliant 30 yarder from Peter Brown Charscot's fans got that ominous feeling that follows them in the first half of every season it seems.. As the game became more balanced in the second half a first draw of the season seemed likely before Jon Phillips scored a close range goal with 18 minutes left on the clock. Despite late pressure from the Wolverines an equaliser proved elusive and at the final whistle a disappointed Charscot side trudged dejectedly off the field. Afterwards manager Rich Grove took responsibility for the defeat - "I messed up tactically today and have to take full responsibility for this result. Whilst we didn't actually deserve to lose the decision to play three at the back was a risky move which I never should have made". "Now we face Ordsall next week needing a win to drag ourselves away from the bottom three in what has become a very even league with no one really standing out yet". The big disappointment was off the field as no less than three players went down injured with two of this week's starting line-up now unavailable for three weeks along with a back up member of the squad also missing three weeks and this will no doubt affect the club's loaning of players in March. No transfer news although if the team continues to struggle the manager is expected to act quickly next month.
16/02/2009	A poor day for the club as after the season finally seemed to be moving forwards the team endured a tough luck loss at home to Champions Thamesford United. The match itself was an even one which neither side really deserved to win but Charscot gifted far too many shooting opportunities to the Champions and eventually the generous defending was the Wolverine's downfall. Callum Di Angelo had given Thamesford the lead with a superb header on 22 minutes which was cancelled out within 11 minutes as Angus Lee scored from close range. With half time fast approaching lax defending gave Jack Rigby a simple chance from close range which he took for what proved to be the winner. The second half showed lots of endeavour but no cutting edge as Charscot dropped down to 11th position. Afterwards manager Rich Grove was in reflective mood - "Whilst the defeat itself is disappointing we have to take heart that we didn't deserve to lose and on another day would have taken a point and more importantly that we are still only two wins away from top spot despite our current lowly position". "With a trip to Barnstoneworth next week if we can maintain our recent record there where we haven't conceded a goal in our last four visits then we will have an excellent chance of coming away with at least a point". A quiet week on the transfer front as the only likely business is the loaning out of midfielder Ned Dowd.
09/09/2009	Following on from last week Charscot continued to dominate their opponents as at the ninth attempt Charscot won a local derby at Vanbrugh Royals to mov into seventh position. Despite the close scoreline Charscot thoroughly deserved the win as they mustered twice as many shots on target as the hosts and controlled possession for long periods thanks to a superb orchestrating performance in the centre of the park from Philip Anthony-Rodriguez. However, all the control didn't prevent Vanbrugh taking the lead on 36 minutes with a simple finish from close range. Just when it looked like the Royals may go in leading at half time Ilie Petrescu got a sense of deja vu as he lobbed his own keeper to make it 1-1 on 41 minutes. Petrescu scored an own goial the last time these sides playes at Castle Park and it has to be thought he won't play the next time these sides meet ! Midway through the second half Charscot scored the winner as Stefan Selakovic hit a superb lob from 25 yards that left keeper Lev Yashin grasping at air. This win sets things up nicely for the visit of Thamesford United next week as Charscot play three of the top six in the next three games. Manager Rich Grove was in a good mood afterwards - "That was an enormous win for us today. To come to this ground and finally take the win after 8 previous failures is exactly what the club and the fans needed as we go into a big game against the Champions next week". "Although he didn't have the hardest day at the office today I want to give praise to our keeper Alan Shilton, who made his 50th appearance for the club today. It took Alan a while to settle and I have never hidden the fact that we have struggled to get any consistency between the posts so to make the position his own has been a great achievement. Hopefully he will continue to play well for years to come". With the transfer market having gone quiet it seems that aside from the possible loaning out of Ned Dowd and Carroll Shelby that there will be no other comings and goings in the near future.
02/02/2009	An important win today as Charscot beat winless St Josephs BC in an embarrassingly one-sided game today which moves the club out of the bottom three with a big local derby at Vanbrugh to come next week. Despite having all of the play it looked like BC's negative tactics would reap them a point until substitute Garrincha scored within four minutes of coming on. His superb swerving shot from thirty-five yards left the keeper clutching at thin air as he claimed a likely goal of the season contender. With the game in the bag Charscot got a second 7 minutes later as Luciano Zauti scored with a close range tap in for his 19th goal for the club from midfield. Afterwards manager Rich Grove was a pleased man. "That was just what we needed after a truly inept performance last week. However, we need to take this performance and replicate it next week at Vanbrugh, a club we have never won at. At the very least we must come back with a point although a first win there would hold us in good stead with back to back games against Jon Sykes' teams to follow". A surprise move today as attacking star Marius Lacatus was exchanged for midfielder Ned Dowd of Ventnor Valiants. Although giving up a lot if age it is hoped that Dowd's flexibility will prove invaluable as he can play all outfield positions. With so much cover more players are expected to go out on loan in future weeks after Luis Felipe Monti and Gianni Rivera went out on season long loans today to Solent Saints and Bedale Blaze respectively.
26/01/2009	A truly awful performance as Charscot lost to previously winless Real Madrid to drop to 15th position after ofur games. Charscot went into their visit to a grim Manchester suburb with high hopes having got their first win last week. However, the team fell by three goals to one to leave them struggling at the bottom. The game was all over just past the hour mark after goals from Charscot old boys Pereira and Porfirio plus a Chidi wondergoal had left the visitors with a mountain to climb. After 72 minutes Rick Higgott did have the consolation of breaking the Charscot scoring record with his 51st goal for the club with a simple close range tap in but it was scant reward on a bad day for the Wolverines. Afterwards manager Rich Grove was disgusted - "That performance was wholly unacceptable. Having listended to my opposing manager come out with ridiculous rubbish about him being relegated now I will have to listen to even more garbage from him for the next 3 months thanks to that truly inept performance for which there is no excuse". "I will make changes for next week as we face another winless side in St Joseph's BC but sooner or later this squad has to produce the goods or else I will need to look at bringing in fresh blood and offloading a number of players here who seem to think they are stars without actually producing anything on the field". It does seem the manager has had enough and a failure to beat a BC side that have one point from 4 visits to the Blue Silver Stadium (although admittedly their last visit was 13 years ago) next week will be the final straw as the team needs to move away from the bottom as quick as possible. Two players arrived today as Mikhail Veritovka and Foreign Player joined the club. Veritovka will stay the season before being sold whilst foreign player will be gone in a week. With interest in the web site polls appearing to be at a new low the current poll will be the last barring an upsurge in interest in the next 2 weeks.
19/01/2009	Finally a win as Charscot completely outclassed visitors Comberton Tornadoes to leave Comberton rooted to the bottom of the division. Despite the gulf in class on the day Charscot only scored the one goal as Rick Higgott tied the club record with his 50th goal, putting him level with legend Billy Dane. The goal came after 18 minutes and was far from a classic as he bundled the ball over the line from close range. The remainder of the game was spent in the visitor's half as Charscot cruised but couldn't find the finishing touches that their football deserved. Manager Rich Grove was delighted with the win after the match - "After a poor start to the season we really needed that result to give the players and fans a boost. Whilst it is early days getting that first win under the belts is always a relief. Now we can go into our visit to rivals Real Madrid with a lot more confidence next week". The team did suffer a 3-0 home reverse to Space Cadets in the WPL Super Cup but that didn't take the shine off of a much needed league win. A busy day of transfers as Johann Vonlanthen left the club for £8.2million as he made his new home in the ROE whilst Illiasu Shilla and Nathan Delfouneso arrived via the auction market.
12/01/2009	The usual lamentable start to the season continued today as Charscot lost 2-1 to local rivals Space Cadets to leave the club without a point and languishing in the bottom 3 in 14th. The performance was a poor one and it was no surprise when Charscot old boy Nigel Pepper opened the scoring to put the hosts one up after just 8 minutes. This goal was quickly followed by a second on 16 minutes as Sebastian Deisler hit a superb lob to leave debutant keeper Steve Rowbottom grasping at thin air. Just past the half hour mark a dubious penalty award allowed Charscot back into the game as referee Arthur Hendrix saw a foul on Higgott that no one else in the ground saw. Selakovic calmed put the penalty away to halve the arrears. An even second half came to life  in the 67th minute when another Charscot old boy Ruben Karain was given a straight red card a disgusting challenge on Lubomir Moravcik. However, despite the numerical advantage the Wolverines couldn't find the equaliser as time petered out. Afterwards manager Rich Grove wasn't pleased. "That performance was wholly unacceptable. It may be early days in the season but we really need to start putting in a level of performance that will get us some wins otherwise we will be back to a relegation battle like two seasons ago". "The referee couldn't have helped us more than he did today so we really have no one to blame but ourselves and I will be making changes next week as certain players who I gave an opportunity to have badly let myself, themselves, the club and the fans down with their inept showings". The major news off the pitch revolved around the auction market as one player arrived and another entered his last few days on the market. Nathan Delfouneso arrived from Avlon Villa via the market for a fee of £ 19.6million and it is hoped he will be a force in attack for many years to come. Meanwhile attacker Johann Vonlanthen's current bid stood at £6.6million with just 3 days to go before he is sold.
05/01/2009	Charscot began their Premier Division campaign with a home game against last season's third placed side Spondon Renegades. On paper it looked like a winnable game but with the lottery that is the beginning of the season everyone knew well in advance that the one result that wouldn't be happening would be a home win. Despite edging possession Charscot started the season with an undeserved 2-0 defeat that left management wondering what is the point in even trying in the early weeks ? The goals both came in the first half as a scrappy opener was followed by a sublime lob right on half-time that killed the game. The defeat leaves the team in the bottom three on opening day but with a lot to play for it is hoped this will soon be turned around...well at least once forms start to have an effect ! Manager Rich Grove was unavailable for comment afterwards fearing league repercussions if he spoke his mind. The draw for the first round of the cup was made today and Charscot travel to White Swan Fc, one of three unmanaged teams left in the WPL. This should be an easy passage into the second round for the Wolverines. The arrival of midfielder Carroll Shelby and defender Luis Felipe Monti from the Will Scarlet League took place today and it is hoped both players will have a part to play in the near future. A new season brings the regular poll for who will win the league. Results of the last poll were as follows - Who do you WANT to win the WPL Premier Division (not who do you think will) ? Mike (Real Madrid)  -   1 Jon (Thamesford United)   -   1 Neither of them - their ego's are big enough already   -   5 Don't care   -   5