I think that is where I almost got booked for 'sticking my tongue out' to the ref after a blew for a free kick. Hmmm, Dont think I ever do silent protests to refs!

Thanks Dave, that'll be me then, and I only saw you for a match 3 weeks ago! I started playing for Fishponds back in 1989 and have played every year since, strting for Fishponds, then when we struggled for players joined forces with Tim, Mark Bray, Pete ?, Julian Mines and a very young Dan Hamer (we even managed to have his dad referee for us a few times) and created Kingswood Rangers. I thin in our one and only season we managed to win something aswell.
Then played a few matches for different teams before joining up with St Matt's, I'd like to think that we produced quite a lot of the talent that's still on show now from that team, with Dave playing for them, and a few lads from VCF and Pips also being involved, I think it was the Pips team that started as a result of the St Matts Wanderers being created.
Back then the big battles were always St Matt's v Hanham and then later St Matt's v Thornbury, the winners of those games tended to be the Champions.

Some of my memories:

I remember playing against the original Slip team down at the Imperial ground, when we had to change in one place and then drive along the road to where the pitch was, which if I remember well was on an awful slope. In my very early days I recall scoring a hatrick against Slip in a Cup or Shield (Shield I think) final that was held on the downs, lucky enough on the pitches very close the changing rooms. Funny how with age you move back down the pitch, don;t score too many from full back now!

With the upcoming return against Woodies it would be great if I could go back to the St Matts days when I think we hammered them rather convincingly on the downs, even though the young lad I'd brought along to play for us (Christy who is now at Hillfields) got a massive bang on the head and ended up in A&E being glued back together.

One of the worst pitches I remember was from the team that played down at W-S-M, think it must have been a cup only team and we travelled down and were amazed at the amount of rubbish on the pitch and the unevenness, it would have been better to have played on the beach.

The old Welton pitch were the very poor changing room (a metal storage container!) and the fact that at one end if you missed a goal and weren't quick enough grabbing the ball, then the ball was very likely to run all the way down the hill (about 1/2 mile). Also the fact that when you arrived you might have to scare the odd horse/goat/cow off of the pitch before the game could start. The one player that played for them for a long time that stands out was a guy who unforuntately had a larger than normal size nose and it seemed that every time I saw him/played against him he ended up breaking it!

Anyway, really good to remember all those good times

Hmm, maybe when I work out how to attach a file I'll attach the spreadsheet! It didn't quite turn out as I thought!

Wow - say hello to Gary for me Chris, tell him I've also recently bumped into Dave Harris (our other very good c midfielder), his son and mine are attending cubs together.

Is his son playing aswell? If he ends up as good as his dad that'll be a good team they've got there. Maybe we'll organise a friendly between Almondsbury and Mangotsfield (where William (my boy) is playing)

Mark, please accept my apologies! I'm just crap with names to be honest.

Oh no, i'm already playing defence this season and i'm 21, i'll be stuck in goal from 23.

I think this was the first year I played for a full season. However before that I played outfield for St Pauls BCF a few times? Can anyone remember?
Since then had a 10 years with for Thornbury...now Champions with Woodies.

Excellent - will let Gary know but you'll have to reveal yourself Mytwins - who are you? Is it Mark? Yes, Gary's son plays and is showing lots of potential of course.

I was trying to remember the other centre midfielder - Dave of course. He and Gary were awesome with their give and gos - the best central midfield partnership I've come up against (wait for the responses!).

2

Pff!! Rubbish!! You scored 2 free kicks against Widcombe, and I quote you from the BSXI game; "Our first goal was just a free kick into the box from halfway which I headed towards goal from just inside the area"

So that's 3. Don't know when the other game was in all honesty. Don't think you've ever played up front other than those two games.