Old Headingley’s Guardian Angell provides his preview of the forthcoming season….
After a short break and a tough pre-season campaign, the time has come for Old Headingley AFC to wave goodbye to their loved ones for another 9 months and pundits up and down the country to predict who will contend at the top of the table and who will find it difficult just to maintain their position amongst the elite. This weekend the West Yorkshire Association League swings back into action to kick-off the new season.
The 2011/12 season shapes up to be one of the most exciting times in Old Headingley history. With some promising summer signings and an encouraging pre-season campaign under their belt, Old Headingley have a squad not only capable of maintaining their status in a tough and competitive league but a squad who have the technical ability and passion to challenge against the best.
After last years promotion, Old Headingley AFC 1st team are set for a tough ride in the West Yorkshire Association Division one. The squad will have to be fitter, stronger and work harder than ever. In a recent interview, Chris Burns, manager of the 1st team, stated that he has every confidence in his team and they are ready to compete and show the league that they deserve to be there.
Old Headingley AFC Reserves will be looking to continue their fine form and build on last years excellent campaign. The squad showed signs they can compete at the highest level and with the squad strengthend by Burns, anything is possible if the lads have the right mentality and discipline
Now to review the first week of the season…
Mount St. Marys Vs Old Headingley AFC
Last league meeting: n/a
Form Guide: n/a
After years of avoiding each other and swapping divisions, Mount St Mary’s and OHAFC finally meet in the league. MSM finished pretty comfortably in mid-table in the end last season, and will fancy themselves against a newly promoted team. However, Chris Burns and his side come into this division with aspirations beyond a mid-table finish and will travel to Seacroft in search of nothing less than 3 points. Front men Pickup, Booth and new addition Will Trew will be looking to get off to flyers in the hunt for this season’s coveted goalden boot, and the returning Tim Manuel helps bolster an ever-improving Headingley back line. If pre-season form and efforts can be replicated in this fixture, OHAFC should have the discipline and talent to kick-start their return to Division 1 with a victory.
Angell’s Prediction: Mount St. Marys 1-3 Old Headingley AFC
Old Headingley AFC Res Vs Knaresborough Town Res
Last league meeting: Old Headingley AFC Res 0-1 Knaresborough Town Res
Form Guide: n/a
No gentle start to the season for the the reserves as they begin the season where they played the last home fixture of the season in May. No chance of the match being called off either after rioters got to Woodhall about 3 years too early…A narrow 1-0 defeat to the league champions was nothing to be ashamed of last year, but having built a stronger squad over the summer, the reserves will consider previous league positions irrelevant going into this game. Undoubtedly Knaresborough have a talented squad and will provide a stern opening day test for the OHAFC boys and their newly appointed manager, Matt Fryer. This fixture will require leaders across the pitch if Headingley are to get points on the board on matchday 1. Don’t expect the game to be decided until the very end, this will be competitive throughout and could well see both teams going in front and behind at various stages in the match before a final score is settled upon. Expect something spectacular from front man Adey Shields, if pre-season is anything to go by.
Angell’s Prediction: Old Headingley AFC Res 3-3 Knaresborough Town Res
And finally, I’ll leave you with some words from Chris Burns.
Preseason is finally over and we await Saturdays first proper fixtures with baited breath.
Our most structured preseason has seen us play 8 mixed games against varied opposition, with only one defeat amongst the results. What was more pleasing was the manner in which I saw what we have worked on in training come across in the matches. The application and attitude in the friendlies has been first class.
Setting an aim for the season has been difficult. Set our sights too high and we could be in danger of believing the hype coming out of the manager’s mouth, not living up to expectation, and ultimately under-achieving which could negatively affect morale with even a single badly-placed defeat. Set our sights too low, and we could find ourselves accepting mediocrity as a success. I have found it better not to talk about our finishing position, instead concentrating on the 90 mins in front of us on a week to week basis.
We will get whatever success we deserve as long as our work ethic, enthusiasm and application are of the highest level. Our main aim must therefore be to maintain the high standards we have set in preseason and push ourselves as hard and as far as we can. We must continue learning, and adapting our way of playing to cater for our own ability levels and differing oppositions.
We have signed 5 new players and would like to welcome them to OHAFC. Will Trew and Tim Curtis are truly new players, whilst Paul Cooney, Matt Harrison and Tim Manuel are returning ex-players. Hopefully this influx will be enough to improve the squad, without diluting the player pool and existing team spirit.
The first social has been announced for early-mid September, and the teambuilding weekend has been announced. Preseason is officially over, and we are well and truly on our way to another sure-to-be memorable season for Old Headingley. And I am extremely excited at the prospect of that.
Aspire to excellence lads, whatever happens this season, it is written….
Old Headingley is Written in the Stars from Old Headingley on Vimeo.
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