Just over 3 months since we formed the 11-a-side team, we found ourselves up against our very first opponents again, in a re-match that would tell us just how far we had come in the short space of time since we lost 6-3 to Victory Club at the end of April. Again we started with a very different line up to what we fielded in previous games, with Fran in goal, Steven, Phil(c), Tony and David S at the back, Bill, Dan, Dave M, Paul H and James in midfield and Lee up front. Making a strong start we showed none of the nerves that we had in the first game and competed for every ball with a confidence that we had been lacking in previous games.

However, 15 minutes into the first half after a long ball from the Victory Club full-back appeared to strike Tony on his hand, VC were awarded a dubious(stonewall) penalty... Knowing that this could be a defining moment in the outcome of the match, 'keeper Fran did his best to unsettle the penalty taker with some Grobbelaar-esque antics on the line, before making a phenomenal diving save to his left post to keep out the Victory Club penalty.

Now to honorary cheers of 'Ok, Ok' coming from the sidelines and buoyed by the great save, we surged forward in attack and after charging down a clearance, Dave Matthews cut through the VC defence and chipped the keeper with an amazing shot that made it 1-0 to Beeston.biz, much to the delight of injured striker Andy who tried to claim the goal from the touchline on the technicality that Dave was wearing his boots. Now imposing ourselves on the game in midfield, it looked likely that we'd score another, but not long after a great bit of play from the VC attack caught us off-guard at the back and we conceded an equalizer. Surely a few players that were there in the first game must have been hoping that history wouldn't repeat, so the half time whistle came as a relief and a chance to regroup.

Making changes in the second half, Aki came on with Shaun, and an 11-a-side debut for new players David Moulder, Andrew and Matt. Just as we were finding our feet in the second half the referee awarded an even more dubious penalty which saw the same VC player step up to try an make amends for his earlier saved effort. Victory Club had their second penalty - but we had Fran and with Club Chairman Andy leading the heckling with cries of 'the referee's a banker' we stood and watched as Fran glared at the penalty taker as he took his run up, which was enough to make him blast straight over the crossbar, about 20 feet over...

Again buoyed by the penalty miss, we took hold of the game with Paul H who had been immense in midfield all morning switching to central defence. The excellent, energetic Aki caused problems all day for VC and it was his pass to David Moulder, who then put in a great cross for new striker Andrew. The towering header that flew into the net just under the crossbar to make it 2-1 was a very impressive first goal on his debut. Making changes again, Fran came off to a standing ovation from the Beeston.biz supporters, to be replaced by new signing Rob M and Martin came into his favoured central midfield role and a return to attack for James, Lee, Dave Matthews and Dan and Tony on at left-back.

Now fully in control of the game and high on confidence, we created several good attacking moves that saw us almost extend our lead with a great run through the VC defence by David Moulder, followed by a superb shot that just clipped the post and almost provided another debut goal. Not long after Lee provided a perfectly weighted through-ball to James, who raced through the VC defence only to be brought down by the keeper who was lucky to stay on the pitch after the ref awarded a penalty. James stepped up to take the spot kick, knowing that this would seal victory for us and he calmly fired it straight down the middle to beat the keeper and make it 3-1.

After that the game was never in doubt, with superb performances in midfield and attack and Rob in goal commanding the defence and making several excellent saves late on to frustrate the VC strikers along with captain Phil making some crucial goal mouth clearances, the match finishing 3-1 to Beeston.biz FC. As the final whistle blew it was time for reflection on just how far we have come as a club in the space of a few months and the quality that we now have throughout the squad.

With a few players from the early days of the club no longer with us and many new faces, we have gelled into a team that works hard for each other, has a great team spirit and refuses to give up and we finally got our reward for all the effort and commitment that we have put in over these last months. There is still a lot of hard work to be done, but we will only get better as a team and we have something to build on now for the new season, which if we don't get complacent, will be successful for us.

As usual picking a man-of-the-match was not easy today, with every player outstanding in their particular role and Fran's superb goalkeeping the highlight of most peoples morning, but it has to go to Steven who played 90 minutes at right-back and was excellent all the way through, despite the fact that he hadn't played 11-a-side for a very long time. But well done to everyone who played today, it was a team effort and wouldn't have been possible without each player who went out there and gave 100%. We now have a few days rest and chance to prepare for our next game against Eagleland this coming sunday, which should be an exciting game and a good opportunity to continue our good form if we show the same level of commitment we did today.

For the 1st time Beeston.biz FC arrived at the pitch in very unusual circumstances - it was sunny and dry - to face our friends the Magpies for the 3rd time in the past month. It was a squad severely weakened by injury, illness and an act of Krishna that denied our striker James and defender Tony from taking part in this match. We lined up with Martin in goal who had come prepared for a spot of skateboarding before kick off, Juan, Jeff, Phil and Mark in defence, Lee, Shaun, Paul H, Andy and Craig in midfield and Santi up front as a lone striker.

Playing a new 4-5-1 formation we made a good start and despite a few scares early on, we grew in confidence as the game progressed and made numerous chances for ourselves, with Craig looking especially dangerous on the right-wing. Then after a phenomenal hoof from an unnamed player, our very best match ball cleared the goal, cleared the vast expanse of undergrowth surrounding the pitch, hit a tree and ended up in the canal.

With excellent concentration and hard work at the back from each of the defence, we approached half time without ever really being in danger of conceeding a goal and so it proved as the ref blew for half time at 0-0. Whilst the team talk was going on at the touchline, Martin and Daive C were busy trying to work out how to retrieve our match ball from the canal, which saw Martin swinging dangerously on a tree branch dressed like a ninja turtle for 10 minutes, before Andy appeared and simply walked down the embankment and collected the ball. We made changes at the start of the 2nd half, bringing on Jonno, Daive C and Barney, knowing that the Magpies would come at us strongly again from the kick off.

Then 10 minutes into the restart we had a momentary communication breakdown that saw the Magpies striker race clear through our defence into the box and fire in a goal from close range, much to the keepers annoyance who had been superb in goal all morning. Despite this setback we never let our heads drop and regained our composure immediately, building several good attacks and missing some great chances to equalize and also losing influential midfielder Paul H to a twisted ankle.

Unfortunately for us it wasn't to be and a very even match finished 1-0 to the Magpies. Not the result we were hoping for, but for the 1st time our defence looked solid and not leaking goals as in previous games, aided by a very strong midfield with the 3 central players working hard all morning and the 2 wingers having an excellent game supporting Santi(and later Andy) up front. Our discipline was also outstanding today, with no bookings, no incidents and for the 1st time - no sending off.

Captain Phil was superb as he is everytime he pulls on the shirt, Craig had a great game on the right-wing, as did Paul H in the centre and Jeff at the back, but man-of-the-match has to go to Juan who was outstanding in defence all morning, winning every header, creating attacks and almost getting his 1st goal for the club, a fantastic debut. Now we have a few weeks rest from the 11-a-side until we all meet again on the 3rd of August to play Victory Club in what should be a great match.

As usual we found ourselves early on a sunday morning in conditions far from ideal for playing football, wet and windy, and on a pitch where all the markings had mysteriously vanished. But undeterred we started strongly with a very different looking line-up from our last few games, with Martin in goal, Shaun(coming almost straight from his night-shift) playing central defence with Tony, Mark right-back and Bill in an unfamiliar left-back role. In central midfield we had 11-a-side debutants Santi and Paul H, with Craig on the right-wing and Aki dropping to the left-wing, and up front debutant Dan and captain Andy.

Not long after kick off we lost Tony who suffered a facial injury in a clash with the Magpies forward, to be replaced by Beeston veteran Jeff, who got straight in there with some crunching challenges to let the Magpies know they weren't gonna have it any easier following Tony's departure.

Then 20 minutes into the 1st half something unexpected happened - we took the lead, with Andy providing a clever through-ball to Dan for him to grab a goal on his debut. Despite this giving a big boost to everyone, we soon found ourselves under pressure again in our own 3rd, with Bill having to make a vital goal line clearance from a Magpies corner, a case of 'un poco con la mano de dios, as one famous footballer once said.

Playing against a strong Magpies attack and against the wind, it wasn't long before we conceeded an equalizer. After that we had the same 10 minutes of madness that we had against Victory club a few months ago, with a series of very basic errors leading to us conceeding 3 goals in 10 minutes and ending the 1st half 4-1 down.

Gaining some composure at the start of the 2nd half and bringing on James left-wing and Paul W right-wing, we refused to give up on this game and believed that we could still get something out of it now we were playing with the wind on our side and so it proved as captain Andy broke the offside trap and scored to make it 4-2.

Unfortunately history was to repeat, and after conceeding again from a simple mistake to make it 5-2, we found ourselves under pressure again in our 3rd of the pitch and after playing ping-pong with the ball in our own area it finally fell to a Magpies boot, who blasted in from close range to make it 6-2. Down but not out, we made several changes that saw Santi move up front, Aki right-wing and Tony return to defence and 11-a-side debuts for David S, Rob and Beeston 5-a-side stalwart Jonno.

This seemed to have an impact and we started to put more pressure on the Magpies defence, with Jonno making some great runs through the centre in support of Santi and Andy up front and James and Aki putting in some great crosses. It wasn't long before the next goal came, with Andy heading in from close range to get his 2nd of the match and make it 6-3.

With renewed belief we kept going and scored again from a great delivery from the corner by Tony, which saw the Magpies defender put through his own net to make it 6-4 with a header that even Alan Shearer would have been proud of. Now the comeback was really on, but unfortunately the clock was ticking and we had left it too late, the match finishing 6-4 to the Magpies.

This was a good game for the neutral(and the Magpies) and I suspect even for the Beeston.Biz supporters club(all 4 of them) cheering us on from the sidelines. It had goals, cock-ups and even the customary Beeston.Biz sending off, but surprisingly this time it wasn't the usual suspect, who had a very calm game most probably owing to the fact that his nemesis in black had been replaced by someone who could tell the difference between "losing your balance" and GBH.

In truth a few very basic errors at the back cost us from getting a result in this game, but we must remember it was a back 4 that had never played together before and a squad where almost half the players had never played with each other before, so all in all we should have nothing but positives to take from this game.

The errors at the back can be addressed with hard work, concentration and the experience that comes with playing together every week. We are surely heading in the right direction and I think this was the best 11-a-side performance from us so far, making lots of chances and refusing to give in even when the odds are against us.

Choosing a man-of-the-match was an almost impossible decision today, with Dan making a big impact up front and giving 100% throughout the match and Paul H showing his class and committment in a defensive midfield role that he bossed so well, but it has to go to Andy who fully justified the decision to make him captain, with a superb display that saw him never give up on any ball and never stop running, creating the 1st goal and scoring 2 others. Well done to all the players that turned up today, and lets go into our rematch next sunday full of confidence that we can come away with the win.

We played in a [mostly friendly] encounter at Weirfields Pitches against established league team, Beeston Victory Club. We took the lead through a fine half volley on the run by Lee after a superb cross from our energetic new player James.

At half time we were still holding our own at 3-2 down [Melvyn scoring with a header from a corner - almost his first touch after replacing Andy up front], and changes were made to ensure everyone who turned up got a good length of time on the pitch.

In fact we'd already made three substitutions already in the first 45 minutes, with Andy giving up on the running about lark after about 20 minutes [predictably he played in goal in the second period], Lee getting a knock and coming off injured and Barney being given a rest, all replaced by new boys [Melvyn, Mark and Tom] who showed great potential.

Phil was moved to centre back and overall turned in a 'Man of the Match' performance with his sterling efforts. Jeff swapped with Barney who returned to the heart of defence. Then there were some other interesting 'tactical switches' on both sides which led to the second half becoming a somewhat shapeless, scrappy affair for long periods.

But overall we continued to battle hard for the ball and for a first outing as a team, we did well overall - and scored again [twice, although one was disallowed]. The final result of 6-3 to the Victory Club owed more to two spells of about 10 minutes [one in each half] where we lost our discipline and shape completely and allowed some soft goals to be scored, than it did to the home side's attacking skills.

Beeston.biz FC as an 11-a-side team have much to learn - but encounters such as this on a cold, damp Sunday morning on a poor quality 'end of season' pitch will only help us.

There were many more positives to take out of this match than there were negatives, and if some tactical knowledge can be added at managerial / team captain level [with no shortage of volunteers for the role of team selector] we should see an improvement next time out. Well done to everyone - roll on the next game!

Last week a 7-4 win was recorded over the Bushy Beavers [despite the Bushy Beavers fielding a team with some 'familiar' looking high quality players]. This week, we welcome a new guest reporter, Russell Robinson. Here is his first article for the Beeston.biz Sports Department.

With the students on holiday [again!] Beeston.biz FC were down to the bare bones with only five players available for selection. Fortunately Jonno was back to full fitness having shaken a dose of fatigue, similarly Russell was able to play despite being tired!

With no subs available the key to winning this match was always going to be a disciplined performance.

Matt stood up to this task, commanding the back line and covering for Russell every time he went AWOL. Andy - who had offered to come on pitch if Beeston were running out of steam! - was confined to goal, where he once again kept Beeston in the game with fine saves.

Craig bossed the midfield with tough challenges and finesse in equal measures - much to the opposition's annoyance. Jonno who played the difficult striker role provided a master class in holding the ball and creating chances for players running from deep.

Beeston took the early initiative and went ahead, leading by a margin of three goals for the majority of the match.

However, inevitable though surprisingly late in the game, Beeston ran out of steam and struggled to maintain the level of football they had been playing.

This allowed the Forresters to pull back some goals and the match finished 9 a piece. Understandably there was disappointment among the team but this should not take away from a fine performance, especially by man of the match Russell.

The goal scorers and player awarded man of the match were academic as it could have gone to any one of Beeston's players. However for the statisticians among you Russell scored 5, Craig netted 3 and Jonno poached the other goal.

A fiasco was caused by the league not being able to provide a referee last week - and the result was a friendly match against scheduled opponents Bayerneverlosin, in which The Reds were soundly thrashed! So anything was going to be an improvement as Beeston took to the pitch to face 'Irwins' FC.

Craig was up for the challenge, scoring two in quick succession to give Beeston an early lead. If the recent match against the Steamin Turds was a cruise, then this game could only be described as plain sailing. There was little or no challenge from Irwins, who were frequently knocked off the ball by the combative Russell, Mike, Jonno or Matt.

With opposition like this it was no surprise that Ed and Craig were running the show, with crisp passing a feature of Beeston's game. No, seriously! The lead was doubled by half time, butin truth it could have been much worse for Irwins. A chance to put a dent in the 'negative goal difference stat' was being wasted by Beeston.

The Beeston keeper had little to do, but when an Irwins attacker did squirm through he was quick to narrow the angle down and 'stood up tall' to distract and unnerve the striker opposing him. At least, in his post-match interview, that's how he countered a suggestion from our reporter that the main reason for his team's success was that Irwins didn't have any players who could actually get the ball on target!

Craig completed his hat-trick and other players all weighed in for Beeston with valuable contributions, although Bindi was a little off colour when given his chance to come off the bench, as he failed to score for the first time in the league.

Andy was denied his clean sheet, despite making some good blocks and saves, including a full stretch 'one for the cameras' in the second half. Profligate defending is not a phrase that can usually be associated with Matt, but he did admit to being second best in his challenge to allow Irwins to score their first.

Irwins were credited by the referee as having scored three goals, but the Beeston players were at a loss to remember a third crossing the line! The opposition's second goal was memorable however, a pile driver from inside their own half [the only ball that particular player managed to connect with all evening]!

One of Beeston's goals led to much frustration for Irwins' players as it was clearly saved on the line, at the second attempt by their keeper. But the result was not affected as Beeston ran out comfortable winners. The Beeston manager's only concern was the lack of a ruthless streak in his players against inferior opponents.

With that said, a win is welcome in all circumstances, and The Reds can look forward with confidence to their forthcoming matches against fellow mid-table teams, the Bushy Beavers and Foresters FC. If Beeston can register two wins in those fixtures they will begin to climb up the league table.

Following a thrashing last week - despite another promising start to the game - against Meadows Surestart FC last week, the omens were not good last Monday night. The pressure mounted on player manager Andy whose organisational skills often fail to match his performances on the pitch, although it was hardly his fault when three of his best players were unable to play in this game, due to illness and ill-planned holidays!

No Craig, no Russell, no Ian, all of whom had been Beeston's most consistent stars in recent weeks...but a chance to shine for Ed, Mike, Matt and fit-again Jonno. And shine they did, as Beeston took a well deserved early lead against a team above them in the league.

At half time Beeston led by four goals to one and looked likely winners, due in no small part to Matt's astonishing transformation to striker [scoring one goal], Ed's tireless energy, Jonno's commitment and Mike's tough tackling and organisation.

The Beeston keeper wasn't bad either, one save in particular reminiscent of his early career, as he dragged the ball back from the line after a seemingly unstoppable Strelley shot had actually gone past his last-gasp dive.

The substitutions were working much better as wholesale changes were replaced by only one or two players changing at a time, and Bindi once again scored twice having arrived from the bench. An inside source at the club wished to remain anonymous, but was happy to be quoted as saying this about Bindi:

'If only his work rate matched some of the other subs he would surely be the answer to our lack of striking cover since the departure of Danny.'

Praise indeed for a young man who is clearly a very talented marksman. The second half was a fiercely contested affair, with Strelley fielding an impressive attacking substitute of their own, who was to prove a threat every time he got the ball. He scored most of the goals to help his team mates out of the hole that Beeston worked so hard to dig for them.

Although Beeston scored twice more in the second period, Strelley gained the upper hand as momentary lapses in concentration and fatigue proved to be prevalent once again.

Andy was fuming after the game and threatened to select himself as an outfield player:

'If one or two lads don't want to play to 100% of their ability, for the whole of the match, why should I play in goal when I don't want to?'

This was an unusual outburst for the normally sanguine and subdued skipper, but borne out of frustration as Beeston undoubtedly snatched a draw from the jaws of victory ...

... At one stage Beeston were up against it at 6 goals to 5 down, despite further heroics from their goalkeeper, including a remarkable triple save. The major positive this week was the way that the team, having let their opponents overturn their lead, redoubled their efforts to score the well-worked equalising goal. Starting well is proving to be easy, but finishing just as strongly is the major point of concern.

On Monday night Beeston triumphed again, this time by scoring twice as many goals as the Steamin' Turds - an oddly named, but thoroughly decent bunch of chaps!

In the new league the running total for 'The Reds' is now two wins and two losses - although the League Website suggests otherwise!

Late entrants to the Harvey Hadden League [Beeston's first match was in week six of the current season] are apparently given an average of all of the other team's results, up until the point of entry to the league programme - and this would explain the reason for the official record of played 9, won 3, drawn 1 and lost 5.

In a tight and tense first half, Beeston comfortably dealt with any threat posed by the opposition. With Russell 'Lothar' Cohen at the back and Andy continuing his good form in goal, a clean sheet was on the cards as Beeston took a deserved two goal lead into the interval.

The second period could have been a time for professionally continuing with the good work and closing out a straight-forward victory, but then the game became punctuated by too many substitutions.

It wasn't that the new players didn't contribute - Bindi scored twice and Ian once - but the team's overall rhythm and organisation suffered as the changes were made.

Craig impressed the watching crowd with his skillful touches, as he held the ball up well to bring others into the game - and he netted twice with crisp drives from midfield. Russell scored the other goal, with Jonno hitting the post from a seemingly impossible angle.

In truth Beeston never looked like losing against the league's bottom team, with Matt and Mike tackling well, and good debut performances from Mark B and Guy. One of the Turds' goals was a cruel deflection, as the player manager in goal was again awarded Man Of The Match by the referee.

Next week will surely be a tougher test against the league leaders from the Meadows, but there is a rumour that Beeston have recruited a former Tottenham Hotspur Youth Team player, so could an upset be on the cards?!

The first fixture of the New Year was last week and Beeston [at one stage level at 3-3] crashed to a scoreline of 8-3 against top of the league Inter My Van FC. The performance was encouraging but the lack of a substitute and some post Christmas Break unfitness proved costly in the end.

So would be it be the same story this week? Again, Beeston had only five players, and again they faced stiff opposition in the form of the skillful Sandiacre Steelers.

A new formation was tried with Matt in the centre and Russell and Mike in defence. Craig played up front in the absence of Danny [away on holiday] and Andy returned in goal.

A spirited and organised performance in the first half threatened to cause an upset, as Beeston led at the interval 3-1. However, the encouraging signs were a little misleading. Andy had made several top class saves to deny the Sandiacre strikers and the Beeston players were beginning to tire.

As the second half resumed, Sandiacre were able to make regular substitutions using their squad of six players to good effect.

Opposing them were a team that was losing its shape and some of the discipline displayed in the first period of the match. The shots began to rain in on Beeston's goal.

Despite some good tackling by Mike, Matt and Russell, some skillful touches by Craig and some fierce resistance by Andy, Beeston's lead soon evaporated. Once Sandiacre had victory in their sights they never looked like losing. Keeping the ball, then counter-attacking at will, they soon led 5-3.

Russell scored again to narrow the gap and give some hope, but another display of skill, passing ability and high quality finishing from Sandiacre quashed any thoughts of a draw just as quickly. A disappointing end to the match and another second half performance to forget. When will Beeston's fitness levels improve?

Beeston's record in the league with two matches left to play - played 11, won 4, drawn 0, lost 7.

Beeston faced a crucial league fixture against The Real Madrid with only five players. Both Mark and Steve had originally been selected in the seven man squad, but neither arrived at the ground with the other players. Perhaps Steve had read the report of his being dropped on this website, but Mark's absence remains unexplained.

Rumours of unrest in the dressing room and dissatisfaction with the player manager's role will no doubt gain momentum during the Christmas break, but true to form, Andy preferred to focus on the future in a statement released this morning:

'The players can enjoy a hard earned break for two weeks now, and as this latest victory shows, in the New Year we will emerge as a force to be reckoned with in the Bramcote League. The other teams repect and fear us for our battling qualities and our never-say-die attitude...'

The statement from the manager went on to extol the virtues of his more reliable players, the ever-present Danny singled out for special praise after scoring five on Sunday [with no mention of several other chances missed].

The team's latest victory against the enthusiastic youth of The Real Madrid certainly proves that at the core of the Beeston squad there is an unquestionable grit and determination.

On another bitterly cold December evening, the Beeston players were in high spirits prior to kick off - laughing and joking as their skillful opponents juggled balls and played keepy-up. Far from being intimidated by this display the lads huddled together discussing tactics and commenting on the woolly gloves worn by The Real Madrid keeper! This team have impressed with a string of creditable results since they joined the league as stand-ins for 'No Show' Sawley FC, but the merits of their kit man are somewhat dubious.

During the early exchanges tough tackles from Matt and Mike at the heart of the Beeston defence made a platform from which Russell could boss the midfield. Danny could play his normal game on his own up front and wait for the ball to arrive at his feet - this was a simple recipe, but well served. In fact, Beeston's striker had scored a hat trick before the first shot from a Real Madrid player headed towards goal! Three nil was a scoreline that had arrived at a canter, and no more than Beeston deserved.

When Andy spectacularly saved both of the first attempts by the Real strikers, it would have been easy to assume that the result was in no doubt whatsoever. But then, reality check, this was a Beeston.biz FC match! The warnings before half time were not heeded by the somewhat relaxed and perhaps cocky players, and the second half proved to be a proper fight to the finish.

Two goals in quick succession for The Real Madrid. A perplexed looking Andy in the Beeston goal. Shuffling of feet and an eery silence in the stunned crowd. At last The Real Madrid players had recovered from their apparent jet lag and began to show their travelling fans their silky skills. Then a goal from Russell to steady the nerves, and it was 4-2 to Beeston.

However, the frustrated boys from Madrid were not beaten yet. End-to-end football ensued, with shots raining in on both goals. The scoreline lurched this way and that, 4-3 becoming 4-4, 5-4 quickly levelled to 5-all. Who would emerge victorious - it was anybody's guess, as the determination of Beeston was matched by the skills of the 'Spaniards'.

The final whistle approached. Then, at last, Danny found his finishing touch once again to restore his team's lead, and this time Beeston held on, to record their fourth league win.

If the same fighting qualities are repeated against the New Year's first opposition, top of the table Inter My Van FC, a push for promotion is not beyond the realms of possibility for Beeston's finest, for whom there is no substitute when it comes to entertaining football.

Beeston's record in the league for 2006 - played 9, won 4, drawn 0, lost 5.

A dire performance. A hangover used as an excuse by the star player. But, a big victory, by Beeston's standards in fact, positively huge! But can the team's progress be measured by this game, the second time that The Reds played against Stella Town? The manager's reply to this query:

'Ok, so we won comfortably and scored an extra three goals this time around, but I think you can read more into the fact that we conceded twice as many!'

Never a truer word spoken - at least Beeston's players and management can be honest.

Back in October when Beeston recorded their first victory of the season, running out 7-2 winners against Stella Town, it was seen as something of a turning point. Now, it is obvious that Beeston are one of those teams that only play at the level of their opposition.

So, all doom and gloom then? Well, not quite. With their shiny new blue away kit the Beeston players certainly look the part, and both passing and shooting have improved. The management recognise the need to work on the defence, and recent training sessions have concentrated specifically on man-marking.

It is also fair to report that recent injuries to key players have hampered the progress of the team. The dreaded metatarsal curse has affected first-choice midfielder Jonno and he is still several weeks away from kicking a ball. Thank heavens the two week Christmas Break in the league schedule is almost upon us.

The league table below doesn't really make sense, but it is more or less accurate, with 3 points awarded for a win, 2 for a draw, and 1 point awarded for losing! At least we didn't make up the rules!

The squad for the next match includes a recall for Mark, who, if available, will play in the role vacated by Jonno.

Also picked for this Sunday's match are Mike, Danny, Andy, Russell, and Matt - with Craig away on holiday, Steve dropped for persistent failure to report for training and no new signings.

The rumours that a new player, Ed, would be joining the team, have yet to be substantiated by the club.

However, Ed is known to be a friend of Mike's, which would surely ease his integration into the squad if he were to sign for Beeston. His skills on the ball would be an undoubted asset on match days - here starts the campaign for Ed!

How did Beeston manage to arrange a fixture against Real Madrid so early into their existence? As soon as we heard the news, we sent our reporter scurrying to the club's home ground to find out.

Sure enough, this Sunday's opposition are confirmed as 'The Real Madrid FC', who joined Bramcote Leisure Centre league division two to replace the persistent no-shows Sawley Town FC.

If you can beat a table topping team
With only four players instead of five;
If you can tell the manager you cannot be there,
But give him time to find a sub too;
If you can shoot straight and get a lucky deflection,
Or, reach the rebound first, don't deal in flukes,
Or, being frustrated, don't give way to frustration,
And yet don't look too flash, nor wear white boots;

If you can scream inside - not yell at your players;
If you can pass - but not watch others play their game;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to see the plans you've made
Thwarted by fitness, or lack of it,
Or reliability issues, with no-shows
And yet big up your chances when hopes just fade;

If you can make one gigantic cock up
And pick a team with lack of enough cover,
And lose, and start again the nest week
And never go home and cry to mother;
If you keep trying with all your heart
To serve your team even though you'll lose,
And so play on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will to sustain a cut or a bruise;

If you can talk with reporters and keep your temper,
Or speak with clarity - nor lose the chaotic touch;
If neither foes nor fellow teammates can diss you;
For effort is beyond doubt, but the odds are too much;
If you can fill each of thirteen minutes
With sixty seconds worth of tackles won -
Yours is a win against Willow is a Goose,
And - which is more - you'll be a manager my son!

The management would like to thank Rudyard Kipling, Desmond Lynham, and of course the BBC and YouTube for the inspiration,
and accepts all blame for the defeat on Sunday. Next week a squad of at least seven players,
not six, will be selected - lessons have been learned.

How many minutes of competitive football does it take before a team bonds together? How many matches before familiarity, friendship and trust between players truly manifests itself? Based on the evidence of this victory, the answer is approximately 150 minutes, or six five-a-side matches.

It is only in adversity that a team is truly tested - and it is fair to say that the odds were stacked against Beeston before kick off. Imagine a match in the modern era of the World Cup Finals, in which one of the two opposing squads is reduced to only 12 available players, just minutes before kick off. The effect is much the same, when four players are absent from a squad of nine players in total.

A bitterly cold and windy evening. The Reds without a substitute. Steve still missing and Andy unavailable due to a recurrence of an old back injury. Mike agreeing to don the goalkeeper's jersey and become the third different custodian in six matches. Tonight's opposition only a point behind Beeston in the league. A 'must win' game - the stage was set.

You could have forgiven the players had the mood been pessimistic, but the team took to the field with a swagger that betrayed a newfound confidence and belief. Then the referee's whistle blew to start the action. Uncertainty set in. The wind howled. A foolish back pass to Mike led to a penalty for The Underdogs. Self-doubt returned. The Underdogs scored. Twice.

There was an eery silence as the crowd began to fear the worst. What communication there had been between the Beeston players during the opening exchanges dwindled, and the wind had no need of its fervour in its bid to become the only audible sound. Then, a lifeline - The Underdogs defence making the same error as their opponents, and the appropriate penalty kick was duly awarded.

A steady nerve was required, and there were one or two surprised murmurs in the stands when Matt, one of Beeston's youngest players, confidently strode forward to place the ball on the spot. Seconds later, with the ball in the back of the net, the crowd suddenly found its voice... and so did the players. Possession of the ball became Beeston's to lose, as they took the game to their opponents and rediscovered their earlier assurance.

As the first half and The Reds' dominance continued, all that was lacking were goals. Cries of 'Shoot' and 'Hit it' rang out whenever Beeston crossed the half way line, and some less polite versions of the same call were heard from the Dug Out, as manager Andy became more and more frustrated.

At half time however, with his team still failing to capitalise on their possession, Andy's words were encouraging in a more constructive fashion:

'Just keep your shape boys, keep doing the right things, have more shots, the goals will follow.'

And follow they did. Danny Vickers helped himself to his biggest haul of the season, with four goals - including one opportunistic strike, as he latched onto a wayward Underdogs pass to divert the ball past the stranded 'keeper.

The only question in the second half was whether Beeston would throw away their hard work with poor marking, as their opposition continued to score against the run of play when the concentration slipped in the defence.

Mike was determined to have a say into whether or not that fear became a reality - with a string of four or five top drawer saves in the second period, including one remarkable double save.

The ever-impressive Russell was again deserving of a hat-trick, but nobody worked harder for The Reds than Jonno, who battled for every ball and must have covered every grain of sand on the all-weather pitch! He too was eventually rewarded for his efforts with a goal.

Despite the others not helping him out at times, Matt was outstanding in his role at the heart of the Beeston back line, even finding time to score an improbable drive from at least a hundred yards from goal! With the scores level at five-all, it seemed there could only be one winner in this fixture. But the Underdogs were not beaten yet.

Again they opened up a two-goal advantage, much to the disbelief on the faces of almost all of the players, the referee and the watching crowd. Six minutes remained, and there was more encouragement from the dug out:

'Come on lads, there's still a quarter of the game left to play!'

The swagger returned. Beeston found their shape. The wind abated. The Reds scored. Once, in each of five fantastic minutes of flowing football. The Underdogs were defeated, their spirit broken, their heads down. In previous weeks the players might not have been mentally tough enough to overcome this hurdle. Where in the past panic might have set in as the final whistle loomed, the improvements made in fitness and the undoubted camaraderie in the beleagured Beeston camp were clearly on display.

This wasn't a 'Lucky Escape' or a 'Last-gasp Triumph', this was a team showing that their skills and stamina were superior to that of their opposition. The best team won, as Beeston claimed the three points that were ultimately theirs for the taking. Of greater importance, however, was the emergence of a team.

News just in ...

The management of Beeston.biz have confirmed rumours that injuries are causing plans for this Sunday's fixture to be upset at the last minute. The same squad had been named for the game against Underdogs FC, but at least one player has ruled himself out of the running for a first team place with a self-certified medial ligament strain.

It seems that a number of Beeston players are carrying injuries at the moment, although Craig has assured us that this particular problem was picked up as recently as training on Tuesday night.

Whilst this may be the case, our reporter was keen to find our from manager Andy why his players are still apparently lacking fitness half way through the season.

However, the only response coming from The Reds was in a statement issued late last night:

'The club cannot be held responsible for what was a freak training ground incident - all appropriate safety procedures are in place and this is just sheer bad luck ...'

'... However, we still have a strong team available for the forthcoming league fixture and although we expect a tight match, a victory for Beeston is still on the cards.'

Craig has been an integral part of the midfield and attack, but it is true that he was absent from last Sunday's creditable performance, a narrow defeat to second-placed Sandiacre Steelers. Resisting calls for re-instating himself in the starting line up, the manager has named the same seven players for the match in 48 hours time and has stated categorically that he intends to delay any such decision until training next week at the earliest.

Despite new goalkeeper Steve being a worryingly unexplained absentee at training this week the squad to face Underdogs FC remains as follows:
Steve, Matt, Mike, Mark, Jonno, Daniel, Russell.

Last Sunday Beeston lost 5-0 to the imagintively named Inter My Van FC, due to a second half performance that was nothing short of horrendous.

The fine efforts produced a tight and tense first half together with a hitherto unheard of scoreline of 0-0 at the interval. Unfortunately this proved to be wasted energy, and our reporter was so disappointed by the collapse of the second period that he declined to file a report!!

This week, however, the signs were much more encouraging, as a new Beeston team line-up came close to denying second-placed Sandiacre a victory.

Prior to kick off The Reds were in a confident mood, with Mark returning to the squad to replace Craig [absent with a stomach bug] and new goalkeeper Steve so impressive in training that player manager Andy dropped himself from the team in favour of the new man.

But it didn't take long for the skillful Sandiacre side to provide a reality check - opening up a two goal lead! The crowd were becoming impatient and looked towards the manager for any sign of a decision about substitutions, but he was unaccustomed to his new role on the sidelines - and they saw nothing in his eyes but hestitation ...

... At the mid-point of the first half a change finally came, with Matt entering the action, replacing the frustrated Jonno who had worked hard to shake off his troublesome knee injury, and justified his starting line up selection with a good performance.

The move was soon heralded by an onlooker as 'inspired' - Matt's first touch controlled the ball, his second beat his marker, and his third sent the ball into the top corner of the net! Beeston were back in the game.

From this point onwards the action was frantic, with some end-to-end football providing goals, goals and more goals! More substitutions were made as the game progressed, and at half time Beeston were unlucky to be behind. It seemed at one stage as though the referee was against Beeston with some 'interesting' decisions and a lack of ability to notice the flying elbows of the Sandiacre players! However, the pressure put upon him by both the disgruntled players and the supporters eventually led to him evening up the score - by allowing Dan's dubious goal in the second half!

Luck was to be the deciding factor in this match, with several deflections and fortunate rebounds helping the Steelers to keep their noses in front. Some of the Beeston defending could also have been termed 'lucky' for Sandiacre, as their failure to mark the opposition proved costly.

Any team that concedes 9 goals in 26 minutes of football undoubtedly has some reorganising to do! However, there were signs that at last Beeston's players were beginning to come to an understanding when pressing forward. Andy said afterwards:

'I have to say I'm deligted with our attack - we scored 8 goals and played some of the best football I've seen since we joined the league!'

Russell scored 4 of those goals and definitely relished his midfield role, but although he is arguably Beeston's best player, he still has a tendency to dribble when a pass might be a better option. Jonno won as many tackles as he lost and was the most vocal player, shouting encouragement and admonishment in equal measure.

Meanwhile, Matt provided a selection nightmare for the manager by battling as hard as Mike and scoring his superb goal, whilst Danny returned to scoring form with both his dubious effort and one outrageous strike from a seemingly impossible angle!

So what of the controversial decision to leave himself out of the team by the manager and team captain? Our reporter posed this question after the defeat, and the sanguine skipper had this response:

'Steve's debut was marked with some excellent saves and one or two lapses in concentration, and he more than justified his selection. He'll be playing again next week - and if the players can help him out by defending better, I predict a win against Underdogs FC! After all, they produced an 11-all scoreline against Stella Town this week - and we thrashed that lot!'

Although sloppy goals conceded is a worrying trend and the team have much work to do this week in training, this positive outlook is not without merit - and we'll be there to cheer The Reds to victory!

Sawley FC were perhaps scared by the scoreline achieved by the 'Rampant Reds' in their last league fixture, as they failed to show up for their scheduled encounter against Beeston on Sunday night. At least, this is the version of events that many of the Beeston players were keen to talk about when questioned by our reporter!

After a brief investigation, it did not take long to reveal that in fact, Sawley have yet to arrive at the ground for any of their scheduled league games so far this season.

Keen not to miss an opportunity, a friendly fixture was hastily arranged to replace the cancelled match, with six of the seven Beeston players available for selection. The seventh squad member, Jonno, failed a late self-assessed fitness test with a suspected knee injury, so he joined the watching crowd as The Reds kicked off shortly after 7.00pm.

Russell had volunteered to play for the opposing team, and was joined by four footballers from a squad who were awaiting their own scheduled league match at 7.30pm - on paper, Beeston fielded a good team with Andy in goal, Matt and Mike at the back, Craig in midfield and Danny up front.

Beeston's goalkeeper made some good saves in this match, but it has to be said that at times he and his team mates looked somewhat disinterested. In contrast, Russell, playing for the 'All Stars' opposition - possibly with a point to prove? - was outstanding throughout. His excellent communication with unfamiliar players was matched by some silky dribbling skills and good attacking play - an observer was heard to say:

'Is that ball stuck to his foot or what?!'

Sadly, Beeston.biz FC were not so impressive - although they scored four goals, the defence lacked cohesion and there was a tendency for all of the players to chase the ball rather than mark the opposing attackers. Danny showed that he is an excellent finisher when hurried, but given time and space he was once again occasionally 'Desperate' in front of goal. Craig showed some neat touches but did not live up to the previous week's performance.

Mike and Matt were tough-tackling and energetic, Mike scoring a goal by tackling an opposing player and causing the ball to rebound past the dubious 'All Stars' goalkeeper, but overall neither of these players was likely to be man of the match.

As for goalkeeper Andy, his performance in this match may be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Despite making a string of top drawer diving saves, often from crisp shots by the night's best player Russell, his clanger revealed a frailty in his handling that must surely be questioned. A relatively tame shot that was apparently heading straight into Andy's grasp somehow eluded him, dropping through his cradled arms, through his legs and into the back of the goal! His look of disbelief was met with silence by all players and spectators, as he muttered something about having lost sight of the ball 'because of the light'.

It should be reiterated that this was only a friendly match, staged mainly to raise funds for Beeston.biz FC and to make up for an otherwise wasted journey to the home ground. However, at times, the communication between the Beeston players was non-existent and addressing this must surely be a priority at training on Tuesday night.

We are delighted to hear that the club's bank balance - available to download with an appropriate password - is in the black, but we ask the question, when will Beeston's results match their undoubted enthusiasm for the game?

Under fire manager of newly formed Beeston.biz FC, Andy, arrived at the ground on time and was delighted to discover that tonight's opposition [Stella Town FC] were bottom of the league. Somewhat weaker than the headache-inducing brand of lager with whom they share their name, Stella Town had conceded almost thirty goals in two previous matches!

However, Andy was quick to warn his players against complacency as he noticed that they had also scored nine - five more than The Reds had managed in their previous two league fixtures.

Downpours throughout the day had threatened this week's league programme, but the rain had eased a little as kick off approached and the team selection was made: controversially, both Jonno and Matt were left out of the starting line up - but both took the news with good grace and spent the first few minutes of the game enthusiastically cheering on Beeston's players.

New signing Mike had turned up with a small group of supporters, and the presence of some attractive young ladies was not lost on Andy - perhaps this was why he chose to select himself in goal? Either way, it was only seconds into the match when The Reds scored the first of many past the inexperienced Stella Town 'keeper. Craig opened his account by stealing the ball and sliding it into the bottom corner.

It wasn't long before the scoreline was doubled, but then the complacency that the manager had warned against reared its ugly head, as Stella struck twice to level the match.

Andy had made a good smothering save when the first deflected shot from a Stella Town player was goal-bound, but was helpless to prevent either the pile-driver into the top corner, or the massively deflected second for the bottom of the league outfit. Substitutions were inevitable, but Beeston were again on top before Craig and Russell volunteered to take a rest. The manager said later:

'It was clear that we were the better side, but I was disappointed by the way we nearly let them back in'.

Both Matt and Jonno helped themselves to a goal apiece as The Reds regained their composure and attacking flair. The rumour before the game was that the regular goalkeeper for Stella Town had broken not one but both of his ankles recently, and this would go some way to explain what happened before half time. The stand in goalie passed the ball out to a team mate with his foot, rather than rolling the ball - and our favourite referee awarded the appropriate penalty for the offence.

Despite having missed a penalty in training earlier this week [against a stand-in goalkeepr on that occasion also], Dan stepped up confidently to take the spot kick. Then, he drove it straight at the dive of the 'keeper, much to the amusement of the watching crowd! Later, Dan explained to team mate Jonno:

'I have my on and off days, and occasionally fluff a few!'

Although Dan's finishing from the penalty spot is a little desperate [do we have a new nickname for the striker here?] he weighed in with a worthy contribution on the night and scored twice.

Almost everyone got in the act, with the post-match analysis suggesting that in fact Beeston scored nine goals. In addition to Craig's hat-trick and Dan's brace, Mike, Russell, Jonno, and Matt all claimed to have notched - an appeal to the referee may be made in writing should someone not admit their 'mistaken' claim!

It was Craig's classy performance that lit up an otherwise dreary and damp evening of entertainment. Efficient in his passing and economical in his use of energy, it seemed he barely broke sweat as he despatched his three goals. There was little for the Beeston 'keeper to do in the second half of the game, as the rolling subs made by The Reds compensated for any lack of overall fitness.

Stella Town on the other hand, with no subs available on the night, became increasingly tired and frustrated with each other. Ultimately it was arguably their basic passing and goalkeeping errors that made the scoreline flattering for Beeston, but Andy was keen to suggest otherwise:

'Take nothing away from my boys - we've still got work to do on the training ground of course, but you can only beat what is put in front of you, and we showed that we're good enough to do that.'

Pleasingly, Russell's suggestion that it would be another week or two before victory could be enjoyed by The Reds proved incorrect.

With this confidence-building win under their Belt and a full training session to come on Tuesday evening at the acclaimed Harvey Hadden Stadium, we'd like to think that it won't be their last.

The third week of the season ended in chaos as no fewer than six committed players arrived well ahead of kick off time, expecting to play against Stella Town FC.

The Reds' manager Andy, turning up 20 minutes later than the 6.15pm start time that he himself had set, was forced into an embarrassing apology when he had to confirm what the players had been told by the Leisure Centre staff:

'There are no league matches being played this week as clearly stated on the league fixtures list'.

So, a masive cock-up! Andy's apology, together with an offer of resignation, was however met with good grace by the players - perhaps they realised that a change of manager would not benefit team morale so early in the club's history. Or, perhaps, as Russell was heard to mention:

'If we sack the management the organisation falls to someone else!'

Later, when our reporter challenged Andy to explain his error, he was keen to emphasise the pressures of managing a new club and highlighted that the turn out, the highest so far with only one missing registered player, was particularly pleasing.

He was also at pains to explain that new signing Mike, who can play as either a 'tough-tackling midfielder' or as a goalkeeper, would prove an invaluable addition to the squad:

'Mike is a class act. Although we only managed to get a brief kickabout tonight you can see the talent straight away!'

Maybe so, but we can reveal that the manager, who works more than 40 hours per week in another job, could perhaps have offered another explanation to his players - all of whom had turned out expecting to play in a vital league fixture, only to find his orgainsational skills left much to be desired.

Our reporter has several contacts in the local community, and has it on good authority that Andy was seen the night before the Sunday fixture in his local pub, laughing and joking with friends, rather than planning team tactics - or even, if we may say, checking the league fixtures list!

Indeed, when we questioned Andy's sister at her home near Beeston, asking her to explain the alleged incident in the pub on Saturday night, she refused to confirm or deny his whereabouts, claiming:

'Andy came around for some dinner at about 8.00pm and we drank only one or two glasses of cider with our meal - what he did afterwards I wouldn't know.'

So, perhaps the manager should come clean, and admit that it was too much Scrumpy to blame for his mistake? Whatever the real reason, the players have agreed to allow the matter to pass. We will be watching events closely over the coming days and weeks - should it be found that managerial negligence is threatening the future of our local team, we will report it here first!

Two new signings, lesser opposition, same result - a drubbing for Beeston.biz FC. Unfortunately Craig and Mark couldn't make it so instead of the expected squad of seven players, Beeston had just five. The lack of a substitute would prove costly - as Real Kebab mercilessly changed their players at regular intervals, giving them fresh legs against the somewhat unfit ones of the team in red! Manager Andy explained afterwards:

'Not only did we have two new guys to try to get used to playing with, but that Real Kebab mob changed their line up so often we never knew which one of them we were supposed to be marking'.

Overall, despite the result, the players were in agreement that improvements had been made - better organisation and communication were obvious from the first whistle to the last. Midfield stalwart Russell was confident enough to make the prediction:

'In three weeks we'll be winning our first match!'

Luck was certainly not on the side of the new entrants to the Bramcote Leisure Centre League. Danny's low shot in the first half, for example, hit the post and the ball rebounded to safety when it looked for all the world as though it had to be diverted into the open goal. He also slipped at a crucial moment when clean through on goal in the second period.

The other new signing Jonno showed some neat touches on the ball and a good understanding of the game - but not the rules! It was his step into the goalkeeper's area that led to a first half penalty for Real Kebab, having apparently 'forgotten' that this was against the rules. The resulting spot kick was despached by the Kebab striker with aplomb, as Andy cried:
'How utterly pointless!'

This reference to the cruel nature of 5-a-side penalty kicks, which are taken 2 yards from the goal, was somewhat unsurprising for a goalkeeper with a dodgy shoulder and the slowest reaction time seen in sport since the fabled tortoise lined up for a race against the hare!

Referees are of course sticklers for the rules and when an accidental back pass in the second half was adjudged to be worthy of a second penalty award to Real Kebab, the men from Beeston.biz knew that the result was no longer in doubt.

At one stage the referee was failing to notice so many fouls by Kebab players, and awarding so many free kicks against The Reds, Matt was reasonably justified when heard to ask him:

'Just how much are this lot paying you mate?!'

In the post-match discussion, which centred mainly on the referee's bias and general lack of vision, Danny summed up that - taking away the 'lucky' goals such as the deflection and dodgy penalties - the real result was probably only five goals to two.

Our reporter agreed, but of course the record books will show that it's very much a case of 'practice makes perfect' and 'things can only get better' for Beeston.biz FC.

So said Andy, manager of Beeston.biz FC after his team's very first match, a crushing defeat at the hands of the experienced 'Willow Is A Goose' FC. He denied that calls for his head this early into the inaugural season show a distinct lack of respect for his managerial qualities, and stated defiantly:

'We're getting fitter, we showed some neat touches on the ball, and the club's finances are in good shape'.

Our reporter also managed to get a brief quote from the right back, Matt, who explained that although he was a little embarrassed at fluffing his best opportunity to score late on in the match, the latter stages of the game had been really positive:
'We only lost the second half 2-1 you know!'

What about these club finances then? Our investigation revealed that so far, the club's revenue is at least fairly typical for a football team in its first season.

Due to the administration being undertaken entriely by a team of volunteers, total expenditure amounts to only £31.00 - a £20.00 league registration fee plus the cost of hiring the pitch on the first Sunday [ongoing cost of £11.00 per week].

Revenue totals only £12.00 but will be boosted by a full squad next week each paying 'subs' of £2.50 on the night.

When our reporter pressed him for further explanation of the dreadful scoreline, team manager Andy explained that the match day, last Sunday evening, was the first time that most of his players had met!

Poor organisation, perhaps? More suggestions to the contrary, Andy claiming that since it had only taken two weeks from the club's foundation to that very first kick off, in fact the organisation was 'Nothing short of miraculous!'

To sum up, the team has had a bit of a rude awakening - learning the harsh reality of league football must be done quickly, if the team is to gain any credibility and not be known as 'The Whipping Boys of Bramcote!' We would like to congratulate Beeston.biz FC for all of the hard work so far and wish them well for the rest of the season - we'll leave the final word once more to their under-fire manager:

'It's a game of two halves, and we've only just kicked off!'