As many of you will know, Eric Heanes’ partner Joan died a fortnight ago. Joan had cared magnificently for Eric for more than ten years and will be greatly missed.

Joan’s funeral will be held at St Matthew’s Church, Blackmoor near Bordon at 3 pm on Tuesday 7 February. Eric would, I know, be very touched if as many as possible Fleet Spurs players, officials and supporters could be there. The church’s post code is GU33 6BN.

For further details, please phone Paul Hampshire (07850 810133), Kierin Gurrie (07831 200603) or me (01252 628345).

John Porter

Pre-Season will be starting on Thursday 7th July. 7.00pm at Kennals Lane.

Fleet Spurs FC are looking for a Reserve Team Manger. Could any interested people contact Andy Hunt on 07515 882831 or via e-mail at andyhunt79@hotmail.co.uk

Closing date for entrees is Friday 17th June 2011.

Fleet Spurs Football Club are pleased announce the appointment of Andy Hunt as the new manager of the 1st team. He will be assisted by Danny Roberts. The club would like to wish Andy and his staff the best of luck for the new season.

ATTENTION ALL PLAYERS AND CLUB OFFICIALS

The Lismoyne Hotel, Church Road, Fleet

Friday 13th May 2011

Dinner to be served at 7:30, so be there a 7pm for when the bar opens!

Singles £30 and Couples £50, so bring your missus even if it is just to save a fiver!

Please fill in the menu selection form that you have all been given and return it to the address at the bottom of the form along with your payment by 30th April 2011.

If you have any queries relating to the event please do not hesitate in contacting Sam Knowles or Kierin
Gurrie.

It is with much regret that i had to inform Bryan Sheppard and Paul Hampshire that i would be standing down in my position as Fleet Spurs manager, after being given the opportunity to go and manage with Jon Underwood over at Godalming Town in the Ryman League.
I have had a great 15 months at the club, and feel that i have turned us from a side at the bottom of the table, to a team that is now respected within the Wessex League.
I believe that i am leaving the club in a better position than when i first joined, and hope that the green shoots i started can continue in the future.
Fleet is a great little club, and i wish them every bit of success in the future, i want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone connected with the club, from the committee to the players, but most importantly Paul Hampshire, who has been an exceptional support to me over this period.
Not only have i enjoyed working with Hammy, i now consider him a friend, and for that reason it made it a harder decision to leave the club than it should have done.
I should also like to thank people like Eric and John Porter, as without people like these, a club like this would probably not be so strong.

This was probably Spurs’ worst performance since Neil Baker took over as manager at the beginning of last season, as they threw away a one-goal lead against a spirited Cowes team who, despite playing for an hour with ten men, succeeded in gaining their first league victory of the season.  To make matters worse, Baker was carried off towards the end with serious ankle ligament damage and is likely to miss a number of games.
The game started scrappily with both sides apparently preferring to pass to opponents and with Fleet abandoning their normal passing game and adopting route one tactics.  They gradually got on top and created a number of chances, but as so often their finishing left much to be desired.  However, after half an hour, Baker rose high in the Cowes box and Michael Jones made a fine save diving to his right to stop the player-manager’s goalbound header.  Unfortunately, Jones was not the goalkeeper and saw the inevitable red card.  Sam Knowles left the real keeper Christopher Norris helpless from the spot and everything seemed rosy for Spurs’ supporters.  How wrong could they be?  Five minutes later, the Fleet defence showed undue courtesy allowing Dan Ross through and the visiting striker made no mistake from close range.
The situation got still worse for Spurs in the first minute after the interval when the unmarked Darren Williams rose high at the far post to nod home a left-wing cross.  Not surprisingly with their one-man advantage, Fleet now dominated possession, but rarely looked likely to turn possession into goals, though they should have scored when Adam Crittenden beat two men and laid the ball on a plate for Luke Walsh, but the youngster only managed to hit the post.  Visiting keeper Norris then had to leave with concussion having never really recovered from a first-half knock, but his replacement Joe Winchcomb was rarely troubled.  Cowes defended gamely, showing much more desire than Spurs, and their delight when the final whistle went was understandable.
Spurs are now ninth in the league.  They have a free day next Saturday and their next league game is on Saturday 9 October when they entertain Andover New Street (Southwood: kick-off 3.00).
Team: Tom Walker, Ben Clisby, Neil Baker, Adam Paris, Dan Bailey (sub Jack Chambers 60), Luke Walsh, Ben Edwards (c), Luke Thorn, Tom Chillery (sub Dan Sleet 70), Adam Crittenden, Sam Knowles.
Spurs Reserves and the Vets each had good wins in the Aldershot League.  The Reserves had a hard-fought 2-1 win at Hale Rovers, Alex Cash scoring a late winner after fellow centre-back Kierin Arscott had given Fleet the lead.  The Vets beat league leaders Normandy Reserves 2-0 at Southwood with a goal from Roger Farmiloe and a Roy Allaway penalty.  Spurs missed a number of chances and the score certainly didn’t flatter the home team.

Spurs exited from the Vase against a Rye United team that is challenging at the top of the Sussex County League Division One, one step higher than the Wessex League Division 1.  The game was as close as the score implies, and Spurs might have gone in at the break with a healthy lead, but inaccurate finishing and slack defensive marking gave the Sussex club a let-off and once they had scored their second, Spurs rarely looked likely to get back into the game.
The game started with Fleet playing an attractive passing game and skipper Ben Edwards went close in the first couple of minutes after a good right-wing move.  However, Rye’s more direct approach was proving effective and the visitors took the lead ten minutes later.  A Spurs move down the right broke down and a quick counter-attack left Danny Leach unmarked in the six-yard area, the Rye striker making no mistake from a tight angle.  Quarter of an hour later, Sam Knowles rose highest in a crowded box to nod home an inswinging Luke Thorn corner.   Spurs shaded possession for the rest of the half, but Rye continued to look dangerous on the break.
After the interval, possession was much more equal and it was no surprise when Leach regained the lead for Rye on the hour mark with a powerful close-range shot after a long ball over the Spurs defence.  Five minutes later, Adam Crittenden and Sam Knowles were through two-on-one against Josh Pelling in the Rye goal, but Crittenden lost control at the crucial moment and a United defender cleared the danger.
Twenty minutes from the end, an off-the-ball scuffle between the opposing captains, Ben Edwards and Shaun Loft, led to each player being dismissed from the field for a second yellow card.  With Rye defending with great resolution and closing Fleet down quickly, the game petered out with the visitors maintaining their lead with a fair degree of comfort but without threatening to score again.
Although Spurs were naturally disappointed with the result, the Sussex side’s greater experience and more streetwise attitude enabled them to proceed  to the first round proper of the competition Spurs’ next game is on Saturday as they return to league action when they entertain Cowes Sports (Southwood: kick-off 3.00).
Team: Rob Bullivant, Ben Clisby, Neil Baker, Adam Paris, Luke Thorn, Jon Tanfield, George Short (sub Tom Chillery 75), Ben Edwards (c), Gavin Smith, Adam Crittenden, Sam Knowles

After last weeks performance Fleet Spurs A went into the match full of confidence against the unknown Shalford Social.  Manger Matt Thornett had put his cricket  whites in the cupboard for the winter and joined us for our second home match of the season.  Rumours had spread of our victory the previous week and a bumper crowd of well over 10 were pitch side anticipating another football master class.  They got one but unfortunately it was dished out by the away side.  The starting line up included 5 different faces from the week before and we struggled to create anything in the first half.  All the passing drills that we had worked on in training had been forgotten and we found ourselves 2 – 0 down at half time.  I could go into detail but the goals were poor from a team point of view and we spent the whole half chasing shadows and giving the ball away in key areas, enough said.  At half time we regrouped and set about trying to get back into the match.  Shortly after we kicked off it was 3 – 0 to Shalford.  Then it was 4 – 0 to Shalford.  Then its was 5 – 0 to Shalford.  With 85 mins on the clock Fleet Spurs A began to stamp their authority on the match.  As we kicked off Hammond managed to slip a ball through to Jimmy who smashed the ball across the keeper and into the net. 5 – 1…. Game on! With the clock now on 89 mins Byron picked up the ball on the left dropped his shoulder and chipped the keeper!! 5 – 2.  Shalford knew they were now in a game.  Unfortunately time was not on our side. The game finished and we got what we deserved form the match. Tw@t of the match went to the Hit man (Russell Peter Hammond).  Last seasons top scorer found himself 3 yards out with the keeper stranded at his near post.  As the cross came in Rusty rose like a salmon and headed the ball up and over the bar.  Still waiting to open that account.

Two late goals by top scorer Sam Knowles ensured that Spurs gained the victory that their overall superiority over a game Whitchurch side merited.
Fleet started brightly and Knowles headed against the woodwork twice in the first twenty minutes.  However they squandered a number of chances and Luke Stickland in the visitors’ goal made some decent saves, and the game became scrappy as the interval approached.
After the break, there was little change with both sides unable to break through, though Fleet continued to shade the possession with United threatening in their rare breaks and forcing keeper Mark Appleby into a couple of good saves.  Quarter of an hour from the end Knowles finally broke the deadlock with a fine far-post header from Phil Boddy’s cross.  Whitchurch never looked like scoring and Knowles put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time with a well-struck penalty after keeper Stickland had brought down Jon Tanfield.
Spurs are now sixth in the league.  Player-manager Neil Baker said “Overall, this was a good performance by the lads, particularly considering that we are still missing a number of players through injury.  Once everyone is fit, there will be competition for places, which is always healthy.”  Spurs’ next game is on Saturday when they entertain Rye United from the Sussex County League in the second qualifying round of the FA Carlsberg Vase (Southwood: kick-off 3.00).