Catching Up With The 'Side: Introducing Barkingside FC!

SportTrades are pleased to announce that we will be following Essex Senior League side, Barkingside FC this season. As part of our 'Support Your Local' initiative this year, every month we will be updating our blog and finding out what has happened to our adopted clubs in the last month. Here's the latest to do with Barkingside FC by Adam Dennehey.

The 2009/2010 season brings much optimism for everyone at Oakside. It's a new start for the club with Jimmy Flanaghan (the chairman/secretary of the club) in charge for his first full season at the club as well as new home and away kits. Last season was a season of two halves for the club. There was trouble in the opening months of the season with early cup exits, boardroom disputes and floodlight issues. However when the boardroom dispute was settled at the end of December, when Jimmy Flanaghan took charge of the club everything settled and everyone at the club helped get the club back to together.

Come the end of the season the team had finished a respectable 5th in the Essex Senior League and had even grabbed a piece of silverware - the Essex Senior League Challenge Cup. This season the target for Manager Tony Fenn is to win the league, but even at this level of football it isn't as easy as that.

'Side so far have drawn their opening 2 league games and suffered a disappointing defeat at home in the FA Cup to Bowers & Pitsea. However in the last fortnight there just might have been a major improvement in the team’s fortunes. Essex Senior League leaders Sawbridgeworth Town were beaten twice in the Challenge Cup Group stages with 'Side scoring 4 goals in both matches.

Lastly I would just like to mention Martin Meyers before the end of this post. Martin is a valued member of the committee and is a steward for the club in all their home matches. During the recent league draw with Basildon United at home on the 22nd of August, we were constantly speaking about the Oval test match in the Ashes.

As I am a big cricket fan myself, I had my radio on hand to listen to the game whilst reporting on the match. When Jonathan Trott was nearing the nervous 90s, I found Martin by the sidelines and handed him one of the earphones to listen to the cricket. Now whenever I recall where I was when Trott got his 100 and Graeme Swann bashed 63 runs to help set England on their way to winning that test and the Ashes. I'll always remember that I was behind one of the goals at the Oakside listening to it on Test Match Special with Martin asking me 'when do you think Strauss will declare like, we've got enough runs in the bank'. That’s the wonder of Barkingside FC where there's lots of stuff happening and good humour around the club.