-8th August 2007 | back to top

AFC Redhouse triumphant.

Murton dismissed, but AFC hold out against Hylton Castle.

AFC Redhouse 2 Hylton Castle 0 Final
Report by Gareth Brazier.

Hylton Castle started the game the better, with good passing and movement with the ball. AFC were more orthodox, relying on the ball over the top for Tommy Bell to run on to. Not many clear cut chances early on. Mini put one in the car park with a left foot swinger and Carl Middlemiss smothered a shot from Keith Moon. AFC Redhouse took the lead after a stray pass landed at Gash's feet, his first time ball sent David "Bunta" Murton clear and he produced a cool finish to dink it past the oncoming Pottsy. Both teams tended to cancel each other out for rest of the half.

The second half started with Redhouse doubling their lead. Excellent play from Bunta played in Tommy Bell who smashed the ball in under poor Pottsy. Straight after the goal a blatant handball was missed by the ref which infuriated Bunta. He told the ref what he thought of him and was dismissed. Strange decision given that minutes previously a Castle player had done exactly the same but received only a warning. The game, as expected, flared up as Gowey and Grant squared up to each other after a foul. AFC Redhouse then deployed Sassco tactics, as in the recent Thursday game and defended deep. Hylton Castle made the most of the man advantage, but clear cut chances remained at a premium, and the shots that found their way through didn't beat Middlemiss in goal, who was fired up with a sense of injustice (He always is). Hylton Castle then had a period of four quick free kicks in succession in and around the box, after Foster decided that no one shall pass. These all came to nothing. Bell could have made it comfortable after breaking free, but Pottsy tipped it over the bar. In the dying minutes, Coburn lashed a shot from distance which struck the inside of the post with the keeper well beaten. Redhouse resorted to lumping the ball anywhere and everywhere as they were truly exhausted. But in the end it was worth it.

Having made their debut into the Cups, AFC have some pedigree for the forthcoming League as a Winners of the Super League and Runners up in the Open Cup. The Redhouse line up for this final was Carl Middlemiss, David Murton, Tommy Bell, Grant Foster, Chris Middlemiss and Gash Brazier. Semi Final hero, Davy Taylor was missing due to work.

Hylton Castle can take heart from a Cup appearance. Their League hopes faded in Season 10, but this should boost their confidence for Season 11.

Thanks to Gash Brazier for the above report, but he needs to get himself back to school to sort his spelling, capitalisation, punctuation, etc.

The winning team, AFC Redhouse. Pictured standing from left to right are Gash Brazier, Chris Middlemiss, David Murton, Grant Foster. In front, with the trophy, are Chris Middlemiss and Tommy Bell.

-31st July 2007 | back to top

Semi Final shocks.

Both favoured teams are dumped out. Hylton Castle, AFC Redhouse Final.

Hylton Castle 5 Sporting Redhouse 1 Semi Final
Hylton Castle fired in three goals before the break and never looked in any danger against an insipid Sporting team. True, Sporting didn't have their full first team, but this was Castle's day. A quick goal in the second half saw them go 4-0 up before a late consolation strike reduced the arrears. Nevertheless, in the latter stages, Gav Dorwood's delicate chip over the hapless Sangha, aka the "Asian Sensation" made it 5-1. A resounding win which puts Hylton Castle in their first ever final.

AFC Redhouse 3 Southwick FC 2 Semi Final
SA stunning turnaround. Southwick's recent form saw them favoured over AFC. A prediction which was more likely considering that AFC were appearing without Tommy Bell and that they went 2-0 down with a superb strike from Critter (which deceived Carl Middlemiss in goal) and a dubious second from Anth Ross. But then it was comeback time. Gash Brazier somehow remained on the field to strike first (a goal not a fist), before David "Justin Fashanu" Murton fired in an excellent free-kick, despite looking rough with a shiner from a typical Murton weekend night out. Davy Taylor, hastily drafted, in fired in a goal after being given so much time and Southwick's promising hopes of a Treble faded.

-25th July 2007 | back to top

Important News.

Season 11's new rules.

There are a few strict rules in place for Season 11. They mainly concern payment and are summarised as follows:

• Any player sent off is banned for their team's following game. But the £5 fine must be paid within 7 days.
• Any player given a yellow card must also pay the £5 fine before their next game.
• Any delayed payments mean that the fine is doubled.
• Any team not paying the full amount of £14 will be fined £5 on top of what they owe. This League is run at minimal costs so any low payments affect the overall costs. As a manager, make sure you have £14 in your pocket before the game. If your players don't pay you, then I suggest you get new players in.
• For some teams, individual players will be fined £2 on top of what they owe.

Be aware that this League is Durham affiliated, so if you are hit with a fine and decide to pull out of the League, you'll be hit with the full force of DCFA along with related fines which will ban all your players from 11-a-side games, etc. Any time we have to enlist Durham FA's help, a £10 charge will be due on top of any fine or outstanding money owed.

-24th July 2007 | back to top

Southwick and Hylton Castle through.

Worthy attempts by Bunker and Redhill are in vain.

Hylton Castle 3 Redhill 2 Group A
A worthy attempt by Redhill. Hylton Castle were dominant and tended to lead by two goals most of the time, but Redhill had occasional bursts. Both the goals came from these bursts, by Castle had it all sewn up by then - as expected.

Southwick FC 7 Sassco.co.uk 2 Group B
Sassco's season ended in chaos with mass arguments as well as one player going walkies. And this was despite them scoring first. They needed to defeat Southwick by a decent score if they wanted to see Bunker go through (with a heavy win v Downhill), however, Kyle Sumner hit back after lax defending. Sassco were very poor and Southwick put them to the sword. Kyle grabbed a hat-trick eventually and confirmed their place in the Semi Finals.

BunkerUK.com 7 Downhill FC 1 Group B
Bunker got their big score, with Charlie scoring four goals, but Sassco's capitulation earlier meant this game was an end-of-season run out. Downhill's 'keeper kept the score down as both teams confirmed their exit from the cup.

-17th July 2007 | back to top

Semi Finals seem set.

Redhouse Youth's relinquish their Trophy with a whimper instead of a bang.

AFC Redhouse 3 Redhouse Youth 0 Group A
Match was awarded due to Redhouse Youth failing to get a team out. The result is a £14 fine which is due before they play their next fixture. Worst of all, they've relinquished their Cup without a fight. AFC.

* Redhouse Youth are fined £14 for failing to appear for a game.

Hylton Castle 7 BarPure.co.uk 1 Group A
Chaos in the BarPure camp and it showed. Hylton Castle started strongly and finished. Gowey, Coburn and Dorwood scored two each while Kev goth the other one. Ironically, next week sees Redhill with a chance for a Semi Final sport. "Only" Castle stand in their way.

Southwick FC 2 BunkerUK.com 1 Group B
Southwick are all but there. It will take a miracle from Sassco beating them and Bunker heavy hitting Downhill. This crucial game saw Bunker opening the scoring, but Southwick hitting back. Both goals were before half time. Southwick were the better team based on chances and soon scored the winner near the end.

* Southwick are fined £5 for one player wearing incorrect socks.

-10th July 2007 | back to top

Sporting 100%. AFC through.

Redhill dent Youth's hopes.

Redhouse Youth 2 Redhill 2 Group A
A major surprise and a huge setback for Redhouse Youth. Both teams were coming back off contrasting results. Youth's were revived with Baxendale's double last week, and Redhill were suffering from the twelve goal hammering from AFC. Yet, as with all things equal, the game was eventful. It was 1-1 for a large period of the game, until it sprung into life with a superb Redhill goal to make it 2-1. Prior to this, the Redhill 'keeper made a superb penalty save from birthday boy Coyney to keep them in it. The lead lasted until the dying minutes when Youth's equalised. However, the damage had been done.

AFC Redhouse 4 Hylton Castle 1 Group A
David "Justin Fashanu" Murton bounced back with a Man-of-the-match performance after last weeks shambles. He set up three goals with two for Middlemiss and one for Tommy Bell. Gash got the other with a stunning volley after Bell's flick. Murton said in the post match interview that, "Redhouse's crazy gang roll on and who can stop us." No one pointed out that he lives in Hylton Castle (report by Gash Brazier).

Sporting Redhouse 5 Sassco.co.uk 3 Group B
These ancient rivals revived their contest with Sporting coming out on top as they have for the past eight years. Sassco scored the opener with a stunning volley, but as Davinder Sangha succumbed to the roll off, he stood despairingly on the sidelines as Sporting went 3-1 ahead. All were soft goals from Sassco's point of view, but mistakes get punished. Sporting drove on in the second half and despite a brief Sassco flurry, they ran out comfortable 5-3 winners with maximum points in a difficult group. At this moment, joint favourites with AFC.

Southwick FC 8 Downhill FC 0 Group B
A comprehensive victory. Kyle Sumner grabbed a hat-trick as his star studded Southwick team mates ran out 8-0 winners. Critical game next week as Southwick play Bunker. All three teams, Bunker, Sassco and Southwick are on three points. However, Bunker and Southwick are on two games and the winner will surely join Sporting in the Semi Finals.

-3rd July 2007 | back to top

Important News.

Ineligible players.

Despite the Cup competitions being reasonably flexible as post and pre-season events, several teams have recently been playing "ringers". This is mainly someone who's played for a different team the week before. Because player records aren't kept for the cups, it's hard to track down errors. Needless to say, none of the ringers are deliberate ringers and more because teams were short.

But, there's a clampdown now. From next week, you can only play for a team you last turned out for. So, for example, Josh Lay is stuck with BarPure for this competition.

If you are unsure who's played for who, then contact me before the games. You may be left playing with five players if you try and play a ringer again. Fines could also be issued.

-3rd July 2007 | back to top

Sporting defeat Southwick.

Baxendale's goals revive the Cup holders. Bunker's first points. AFC hit 12!

Redhouse Youth 2 BarPure.co.uk 0 Group A
A stunning return from Kurt Baxendale. Injured for a large part of the back end of the season - which probably affected Youth's League and Cup campaign, he came back and slotted two goals past a depleted, but stubborn BarPure side. Redhouse Youth are the holders of this trophy and look set to fight to retain it. An important game against AFC awaits them.

* BarPure.co.uk are fined £5 for incorrect kit (shorts and socks with two players)

AFC Redhouse 12 Redhill 0 Group A
A good thing that goal difference does count in this competition Gash scored four, Murton two, Middlemiss three and Tommy Bell three. Only Grant failed to score and really needs to shake a leg or two. In the post match interview, Manager Gash Brazier had some harsh words for his overpaid superstar, Murton, "missed sitter after sitter and needs to up his game if he wants to keep his place."

Sporting Redhouse 2 Southwick FC 1 Group B
The big game. After Sporting's aborted attempt in the Sassco Open Cup, they came back roaring in the AGUK Super League by confirming a Semi Final spot with a superb 2-1 win over the Double Winners. Southwick lashed in the opener from a tight angle, but Sporting soon hit back. The second half saw Sporting take the lead and despite several attempts from Southwick, they held on to it. The Asian Sensation, after an opening howler, crept back into form in a difficult group. Southwick are still favoured to reach the latter stages, but now have awkward games against Bunker and Sassco to come.

BunkerUK.com 4 Sassco.co.uk 2 Group B
Sangha was in between the sticks for this one and it showed. The second goal saw a three onto one attack which gave Bunker the lead for the second time. An opener from Swinhoe was soon responded to by Yatesy in his last game for Sassco. The second for Bunker was scored by Raeper. The second half saw no real response from Sassco as they eventually succumbed to a 4-2 defeat with Lewis getting the critical goal. Tyzack scored for Sassco and Mouat hit the post, but that was it. Bunker give themselves a fighting chance now with an important tie against Southwick. Sassco's poor record in this competition continues as it seems they'll have to prove themselves against both Sporting and Southwick.

-28th June 2007 | back to top

Latest News.

New Sponsor for the 6-a-side.

Delighted to announce that Schiedel are the new sponsors of the 6-a-side League. Schiedel Rite-Vent is the leading brand for stainless steel chimneys in the UK and Ireland with the widest choice of chimney systems and technical support in the country. Schiedel Rite-Vent has the widest range of flues for use with Residential boilers, stove, cooker and open fires. The range covers single wall, twin wall, flexible liners and flue boxes, in diameters from 75mm to 300mm. There are options for oil, gas, wood and solid fuel. Schiedel Rite-Vent has Commercial sized flues up to 705mm diameter for use with a wide range of chimney and venting applications.

The Schiedel website for steel and also the main Schiedel website contain more information about the company. The League will be renamed as the Schiedel Football League.

From time to time, we will be using Schiedel branded footballs within the League and also for the 11-a-side. These balls were produced by Sassco for Schiedel last Summer as promotional items. The standard, size and weight are the same as the regular Sassco balls.

-26th June 2007 | back to top

Southwick take the Double.

Gash Brazier, hero to zero - sent off.

Southwick FC 3 AFC Redhouse 1 Final
After the heights of a win over Hylton Castle in the Semi Finals, AFC Redhouse came crashing down to earth within nine seconds, as the Thursday Hero, Gash Brazier, was deservedly sent off for abusive language towards the referee. As you may all know, Gash himself is a qualified referee and was an official within this League a few years back. So backs to the wall for AFC. A full strength Southwick team hit a stubborn wall. AFC actually gained some openings and forced Darren Morse into some important stops. It wasn't to last though. Eventually Southwick, crowned Champions a couple of weeks ago, opened the scoring through Critter and played "keep ball." Even with this, AFC had more chances and rued their missed opportunities. They, overall, played exceptionally well and were disappointed to suffer a second goal. Chris Middlemiss was caught in possession and Southwick made it 2-0. Not long after this, Kallum Griffiths drove through the heart of the Southwick team and scored. 2-1. Too little - too late. Southwick hammered in a third to take the Sassco Open Cup for the first time.

* Gash Brazier has a £5 Red Card fine and will miss the next Open Cup game (next Season's).

-26th June 2007 | back to top

Hylton Castle take the initiative in Group A.

Sporting clear in Group B.

Hylton Castle 5 Redhouse Youth 1 Group A
The two close rivals were at it again. Youth's were defeated in the Open Cup by Hylton Castle and again suffered a more damning defeat in this one. Hylton Castle coasted to a three goal lead, before Youth's got back into it. It was 3-1 for a large part of the second half before a long range effort confirmed the important three points for Hylton Castle. Both these would be considered favourites to top the group, but the joker in the pack has to be AFC Redhouse. Only the top two qualify for the Semi Finals.

Sporting Redhouse 2 BunkerUK.com 1 Group B
A depleted Bunker team did themselves proud against Sporting Redhouse as they did in the last cup competition. This time, they didn't take advantage of the superb volley struck by Lewis in the second half, to make it 2-1 - with the deficit against Bunker. Sporting had opened the scoring with a superb goal from Cromack and it was rapidly added to. Three more points for Sporting as they head the table.

Sassco.co.uk 3 Downhill FC 0 Group B
Sassco raced into a three goal lead, before taking their foot off the pedal. Downhill had quite a lot of the play in the opening, but Sassco, as they have tended to do this past Season, soaked up early pressure and were clinical on the break. Tyzack rammed in a goal at a tight angle for the opener and they never looked back. Downhill caused more problems in the second half, but Sassco still had the majority of the chances. At 3-0, a superb double-save thwarted both Tyzack and Muers. Downhill seem to be coping better these days, but lack of a finishing touch and some poor defending on occasions tends to let them down in what is clearly the strongest group in the Cup.

-19th June 2007 | back to top

Southwick - AFC Redhouse Final.

Sassco take the Champions to penalties. Hylton Castle surrender.

Southwick FC 0 Sassco.co.uk 0 Semi Final
Southwick won 3-1 on penalties
Sassco, having the easiest route so far, came up against the League Champions. Last season they faced Wearview and were a post away from taking it to penalties, but this season, a strong defensive performance was forced upon them. Southwick had their strongest team out for a while, with Morse in goal, Danny Hall, Critter and Jiff along with Lee Ellison. Southwick hit the crossbar on one occasion and had many shots saved by Logan or blocked by Sangha. Late on, Sassco gained more openings, but a late winner wouldn't really be deserved. Southwick kept their cool in the penalty kicks and took the penalties 3-1, with Dean Matthews missing a shocker of a penalty.

AFC Redhouse 6 Hylton Castle 1 Semi Final
With Wearview being deleted from the competition, AFC Redhouse (their victims in the Quarter's) stepped in and performed admirably. Murton, having been dropped recently, came back against his old side and grabbed a superb goal. Kal Griffiths, another ex-Castler, struck a superb hat-trick late on, while Tommy "Ten Teams" Bell scored as well. Somehow Gash even got on the scoreline. Something's going wrong with Hylton Castle. The superb team known and feared throughout this past season seems to have lost it's bite. There's plenty for Danny Hodgson to mull over for the next cup competition. As for AFC Redhouse, they seem to be getting a true grip and confidence is at an all time high. The whole side oozes class. Grant Foster at the back, Carl Middlemiss in goal and Chris Middlemiss back in action. Even Tommy Bell got into the act by bigging himself up. He boast that he's "the most successful player ever in the Sassco Leagues." Agreed Tommy - with the amount of teams you've had it's not surprising.

-19th June 2007 | back to top

AFC Redhouse's improved performance.

Chris Middlemiss' hat-trick puts them in pole position.

Redhill 2 BarPure.co.uk 1 Group A
A disaster for BarPure as they are all but eliminated from the Super League before most of the teams have started. Redhill raced into a two goal lead and never really looked back. BarPure did gain a late goal, but it was only a consolation as Redhill gain a valuable three points in a difficult group.

* Redhill have a £5 kit fine.

Sporting Redhouse 5 Downhill FC 0 Group B
Changes for Sporting after some reliability problems in the past few games. It worked. Downhill were a good opponent to test out against and they suffered for it. An opening goal settled the nerves for Sporting and they soon added to it, with Trevor Walker making a superb comeback. Downhill only had a few rare chances at goal, but didn't take them. Sporting head the group.

-12th June 2007 | back to top

Southwick, Champions!

Heartbreak for the Youth's.

Pictured standing are Mark Catcheside, James Dickinson, Kyle Sumner, Dale Huggins, Danny Hall. Crouching are Billy Harrison, Paul Cromack and David Sewell both holding the trophy after their two goal win over Redhouse Youth in the Title Play-Off. Key players not pictured who didn't feature in the end of season game include Vin Okiemen, Michael Conlon, Lee Ellison and Darren Morse.

Southwick FC 2 Redhouse Youth 0 League Play-Off Decider
An end of season Play Off - the first time it has taken place. The game was never a classic. Both teams were nervous and both were depleted. Youth's didn't have Kurt or Dinning, while Southwick were without Critter and had stand in 'keeper, Cromack in goal. The first half was evenly balanced, but Danny Hall, soon to take full control of Southwick, stole in to score the opener. After that, Redhouse were struggling. They did create openings, but not too many of them. Too much passing on occasions allowed Southwick to regroup, challenge and then make a breakaway. One such breakaway led to the Title winning goal. Dale Huggins scored a curling effort midway in the second past Mullen in goal, and the League was going to Southwick.

A great triumph for Billy Harrison's team. They nearly blew it when Hylton Castle defeated them with five player, but they came back strongly and out of all the three contenders, Hylton, Youth's and themselves, they seemed the most unlikely team to take it. However, they hit top form at the right time, while Hylton Castle dipped. Everyone seemed to be taking points off each other in the latter stages of the season. Youth's popped up as late favourites once Crown were out and practically cemented that position with a remarkable 5-1 defeat against Hylton Castle, but came unstuck against Southwick who forced the inevitable Play-Off.

This season has been the best since Season 2 in terms of excitement. All the teams involved were always well organised and fully deserve the thanks from the League Organiser. A few hiccups on the way. Long time members, Crown, withdrew after being handed disciplinary action, while Roker went through two managers before settling at the end of the season. Town End also suffered finance issues and kit problems. They were removed from the competition, albeit finishing all their fixtures. Bunker also had finance problems with weak leadership and kit problems. Despite this, every team had their own semblance of success. Bottom placed Downhill gained two superb and unexpected wins over Bunker and Sassco, while Bunker proved that, despite their inconsistent form, they were a match for anyone by becoming the first team to beat Southwick this season. Sassco had their best season for a very long time. Two outstanding wins over Hylton Castle helped them achieve a 4th place finish with a consistent line up. BarPure decided the outcome of the Title with draws against Southwick as well as wins and draws against Redhouse Youth. Hylton Castle looked set for the Title right from the start, but were eventually hampered by Crown's removal, but more importantly, two critical defeats against Youth's and Southwick. All in all, everyone had their positives and negatives in an excellent season.

-12th June 2007 | back to top

Sassco leave it late.

2-1 down to 34 Signals in the opening half.

Sassco.co.uk 4 34 Signals 2 Quarter Final
Mark Middlemiss struck both goals as Sassco looked shell shocked as well as being outplayed. Sassco opened the scoring from Tyzack, but they seemed to continuously give the ball away. They were suitably punished by 34, who equalised just as their sixth man joined the field. During the second, Sassco soon got back into it and Yates grabbed the equaliser from a tight angle. A speculative shot from Tyzack caught the 34 'keeper unaware and it was 3-2. Poor reward for an excellent performance from Signals as Sassco gained a fourth from Tyzack, to send them through against Southwick FC.

-12th June 2007 | back to top

AFC Redhouse's improved performance.

Chris Middlemiss' hat-trick puts them in pole position.

AFC Redhouse 5 BarPure.co.uk 0 Group B
A revamped AFC team easily defeated BarPure in the second cup competition. Both these teams were eliminated from the Open Cup. Ironically, AFC eliminated BarPure, before falling against Wearview in the Quarter's. Chris Middlemiss struck three goals, while Neil Middlemiss and Gash Brazier scored the other goals. A great performance and a dominating performance.

-5th June 2007 | back to top

Controversial Hylton Castle - Redhouse Youth game.

Wearview destroy AFC. Southwick defeat Bunker.

Wearview Elite 4 AFC Redhouse 1 Quarter Final
Another big clash. Form favoured AFC, who were playing off the back of a superb win against BarPure. Wearview were coming in from the cold, but featured Tommy Bell, Scott Hembrough, Carl Middlemiss from their record breaking Season 8 team. Michael Pearson also made an appearance with Davey Taylor. AFC Redhouse called on the services of John Butler as Kal Griffiths was missing. The opening goal went to AFC. A super strike, but it was soon cancelled out by Wearview. In the second half, the former Double Winners turned on the style to add more goals. The goalscorers were Tommy Bell, Davey Taylor, Kyle Dinsdale and a 25 yard screamer from the ubiquitous Scott Hembrough. The eventual result at 4-1 makes Wearview amongst the favourites.


Hylton Castle 2 Redhouse Youth 1 Quarter Final
Controversy reared it's head in this major Quarter Final clash. Both Josh Lay and Mark Bewick had featured for Sassco in the earlier round and both donned Youth jersey's for this one. The error was rectified in the second half. Had they remained on for more than half the game, then Youth's would have been ejected from the Cup and Castle sent through. The manager's are supposed to ask players if they have played in earlier rounds if the players chosen are not regulars. Both Josh and Mark were told clearly that they couldn't play for any other team in the Cup apart from Sassco. Had I been there at the sidelines, then I would have noticed immediately.The game itself ended in Hylton Castle's favour. It was 1-1 for a while until Keith Moon fired in a superb winner at the end.

Southwick FC 2 BunkerUK.com 1 Quarter Final
Bunker, after their amazing win over Sporting, came unstuck against Southwick (under the control of the absent Danny Hall). A narrow win for Southwick who led 2-1 for most of the game. Lewis scored Bunker's goal and was frustrated to see his fellow players miss some good chances to make it 2-2. However, it was not too be and Southwick head into the last four. Southwick have also been fined £5 for kit irregularities (to be shared £2.50 each between both old and new Southwick managers).

Friendly Game
Sassco.co.uk 6 Downhill FC 4

12/06/07
7:00 Open Cup Quarter Final - Sassco.co.uk v 34 Signals
7:30 Southwick FC v Redhouse Youth (Title Decider)

19/06/07
7:00 Open Cup Semi Final - Southwick FC v Sassco/Signals
7:30 Open Cup Semi Final - Wearview Elite v Hylton Castle

26/06/07
7:00 Open Cup - Third Place Game (optional)
7:30 Open Cup - Final

-5th June 2007 | back to top

Southwick overcome an early shock.

Roker open the scoring, but Southwick take the League to a Play Off.

Southwick FC 4 Roker View 1
A shock on the cards? Roker fired in an opener and Southwick only managed to equalise later in the half. Second half was as expected. Catcheside, Cromack and Jiff (2) grabbed the goals. The Play Off against Redhouse Youth takes place at 7:30pm next week (12th June 07). Southwick have also been fined £5 for kit irregularities (to be shared £2.50 each between both old and new Southwick managers).

-29th May 2007 | back to top

Quarter Final draw.

Some interesting encounters.

Some intriguing games to take place on the 5th and 12th of June. Firstly, Youth's take on Hylton Castle in what would be classed as the strongest game in the four ties. Southwick face Bunker, victors over Sporting. Southwick would be classed as favourites, but then again, so were Sporting in the last round. Sassco face the newest team on the block in 34th Signals while the most interesting game would be an impressive AFC Redhouse facing off against Wearview Elite - a team unbeaten since Season 9.

05/06/07
7:00 Roker View FC v Southwick FC
7:30 Open Cup - Redhouse Youth v Hylton Castle
8:00 Open Cup - BunkerUK.com v Southwick FC
8:30 Open Cup - AFC Redhouse v Wearview Elite

12/06/07
7:00 Open Cup - Sassco.co.uk v 34 Signals
7:30 Southwick FC v Redhouse Youth (Title Decider)

19/06/07
7:00 Open Cup - Semi Final

26/06/07
7:00 Open Cup - Third Place Game
7:30 Open Cup - Final.

-29th May 2007 | back to top

Sporting crash out!

AFC Redhouse cruise past BarPure.

BunkerUK.com 1 Sporting Redhouse 1 Elimination Round
BunkerUK.com won 6-5 on penalties
The big guns were out again. Sporting Redhouse swept the board back in Season 8 before having a mediocre Season 9. Tarnjit Sangha's men came back with a slightly modified side which included Paul Mouat, Cromack, The Traitor, as well as Steven Scott and Scott Johnstone. Their opponents, Bunker, without Donkin, Charlie and Marley weren't expected to put up a fight, but it went down to the wire. Traitor opened the scoring with a scuffed shot, but a cleverly taken quick free kick from Raeper saw the Asian Sensation, Sangha, flapping at the ball as it went in. A tremendous cheer from onlookers reminded everyone that Sporting were always the team to beat. 1-1 and the game petered out for a draw. Penalties ensued and both teams secured text book penalties until Steven Scott walloped the crossbar to send Sporting crashing out and the Bunker through to the Quarter Finals. A massive investment from Tarnjit Sangha will have to wait for the next cup competition, but if it's any consolation, they failed miserably in the Season 7 Cups before becoming the only team to take the Treble in Season 8. Bunker will be delighted to secure a place in the last eight. A resilient but professional performance with Raeper and Simpson sharing the accolades.

AFC Redhouse 4 BarPure.co.uk 0 Elimination Round
A very polished looking AFC team easily overcame BarPure, who were lacking Carl Middlemiss in goal (defected back to Wearview). AFC Redhouse contained Murton and Griffiths, who's last action in the competition was with Marine House back in Season 9's Open Cup. That venture ended embarrassingly with a crushing defeat against Redhouse Youth's, but this one was altogether different. Great football was on show. Gash Brazier, setting an example for his side, fired in one goal, while Murton grabbed another. Griffiths scored two as they overwhelmed BarPure and successfully booked their place in the Quarter Finals.

-29th May 2007 | back to top

All set for a Play Off.

Southwick defeat the Youth's in their penultimate game.

Southwick FC 2 Redhouse Youth 0
It was all about Southwick needing the win. They got it. Two goals in the second half from Jiff concluded a pulsating game, excellently controlled by Anth Mouat. Tackles were hard, but fair. Youth's started bickering amongst each other in regards to their second half substitutes, but it's a squad system which got them to the top in the first place and it's always going to be a difficult decision. The Trophy was on show at half time as it seemed that Youth's would get at least the point that they needed. It was not to be. Southwick now have the comfortable game against Roker View to join Youths level on points. The end result will be a Play Off Game to decide the winners of Season 10 - which is by far the most exciting to date. Each week in the past few weeks saw a change in fortunes. Firstly it swung Hylton Castle's way, then (for 30 minutes) to Southwick before they let Youth's back in. However, now it's Southwick's chance.

Sassco.co.uk 7 Roker View 2
Sassco coasted into a four goal lead. Roker soon came back into it with two Bewick goals in the second half, but despite the pressure, Sassco added two more goals to finish the season in 4th place - their highest since Season 2. Muers and Gourlay (2) scored, while Yates struck four.

-22nd May 2007 | back to top

Sassco comfortably through.

Town End suffer another poor defeat.

Sassco.co.uk 4 Town End FC 0
Sassco, already depleted with losing Tyzack, Middlemiss and Gash to other teams in the Open Cup were two men down. Josh Lay and Frog came in alongside Gourlay, Yates, Matthews and Sangha in goal. After an opening which saw Town End hit the post, Sassco turned on the style and ran out comfortable winners. Lay, Matthews, Yates and Gourlay all scored, while Frog struck the post. Sassco now join the 34th Signal Regiment as the second team to enter the Quarter Finals.

Some tantalising games next week. Former winners, Sporting Redhouse make a much vaunted comeback against BunkerUK. Could it be a glorious path to the latter stages or will they be dumped out by an inconsistent Bunker team?

AFC Redhouse also come in to play against BarPure. The AFC team contain the bulk of the Redhouse FC team from the WCFL. Ex-Sassco player, Gash Brazier, is in control. They should have their work cut out as BarPure tend to be miserly in giving goals away.

-22nd May 2007 | back to top

Great night for the Youth's.

Hylton Castle and Southwick cancel each other out.

Southwick FC 3 Hylton Castle 0
A very strong Southwick side comprehensively defeated Hylton Castle to knock them out of the Title reckoning. The defeat meant it was impossible for them to catch up to the Youth's (who easily won their game).

Redhouse Youth 5 Roker View 0
Five goals for Ramsay saw the Youth's through in an easy victory against the new Roker (to be called Redhill in the Cup).

Hylton Castle 2 Southwick FC 1
A surprise result. Hylton Castle were down to five men having had one red carded and managed to put a spanner into Southwick's Title hopes. The defeat means that Southwick now have to defeat Roker and also Redhouse Youth in order to force a play off between the top two (as they'd be level on points).

-15th May 2007 | back to top

Army side dismiss Downhill FC.

34th Signal Regiment secure a Quarter Final place.

34th Signal Regiment 1 Downhill FC 0
It's over at the first hurdle for Downhill. After finishing Sassco off in their last League game, it was back to square one as it was ex-Sassco player and Manager of 34th, Mark Middlemiss, who put together a team which secured a berth in the next round. A solitary goal was all that was needed as Downhill FC bow out, while 34th celebrate an impressive opening win and become the first team to qualify for the Quarter Finals.

-15th May 2007 | back to top

Youth's hit top form.

What a day to pull off their best performance.

Redhouse Youth 5 Hylton Castle 1
A truly remarkable game. Hylton Castle had been pummelling all before them, but faced their first real crunch game. Redhouse Youth's were full-strength, but Hylton had lost both Gowey and Snowball at the wrong time. Despite this, Youth's were on the back foot for most of the opening, but eventually went ahead. This seemed to cause panic in Hylton Castle who snapped at everything. The game became physical, but it was the Youth's who fired in the all important second goal. 2-0 and it seemed to be game over for Hylton Castle. The eventual score was 5-1. Youth's, for the first time this season and for their most important game, hit top form and struck every chance they had. Ramsay was awesome with his hat-trick, but the whole team, from Dinning in goal, to the likes of Mullen and Kurt (one goal each), along with Stef, Coyney, Kev and Tommy Bell did their team proud. They are top now, one point ahead of Hylton Castle with the same games played. Last mention needs to go to Keith Moon, for Hylton Castle, who scored arguably the best volley ever seen within the League in the last few years.

BarPure.co.uk 3 Roker View 0
As expected, Roker didn't show. The result was awarded to BarPure, while Roker are going to be represented by a new team, Redhill for their remaining games and also in the Sassco Open Cup.

Southwick FC 7 Town End FC 0
Town End on a miserable hiding to nothing. Southwick were slightly depleted, but once the first went in, six followed. Southwick have two games in hand over their top two opponents and should they win both, they'll leapfrog them into the lead.

-1st May 2007 | back to top

Downhill sign off in style.

Superb comeback against hapless Sassco. Hylton pummel Town End into submission.

Hylton Castle 8 Town End FC 0
Just keeps getting better and better for Castle. Eight this time against a poor Town End team who seemed to be defeatist long before kick off. Gowey got three while Coburn and Moon grabbed two each. Gav Dorwood scored the other as Castle move back to the top. They now have the three big games remaining. Two against Southwick and a critical one against Redhouse Youth. This season is by far the most exciting since Season 2 when Royal Mail and Sporting were neck and neck. However, this time, it's the three big guns who all have a chance.

Downhill FC 3 Sassco.co.uk 2
It all seemed to be going well for Sassco. After a worrying opening which saw Downhill being more productive, they swung into action with the returning Tyzack firing in the opener. Second half started similar, but a breakway saw Tyzack receive a Dixon pass to make it 2-0. However, after this, Downhill gained a goal and late on, good work led to an equaliser. With around two minutes remaining, they struck the winner and it was fully deserved. Sassco's players expected a walk in the park and poor passing combined with inexplicable laziness, led to their downfall.

Remaining Games
The remaining fixtures are shown as below. These will be organised on a week-by-week basis depending on which teams are available:

1st block
Roker View FC Southwick FC

2nd block
Redhouse Youth Hylton Castle
BarPure.co.uk Roker View FC
Town End FC Southwick FC

3rd block
Roker View FC Sassco.co.uk
Southwick FC Redhouse Youth

4th block
Southwick FC Hylton Castle
Hylton Castle Southwick FC
Roker View FC v Redhouse Youth

They are arranged in blocks as we're trying to avoide teams playing two games in one night. Choice is up to the teams to play two games back to back, or one game and duplicate the result. However, the Southwick v Hylton Castle game could be played back-to-back as an end of season thriller!

-24th April 2007 | back to top

Ramsay on song with the Youth's.

Hat-trick puts Redhouse Youth back on top.

Redhouse Youth 4 Roker View 1
An impressive performance from Redhouse Youth. They opened the scoring with around one minute remaining from Ramsay, but Robi, in goal for Roker, made some spectacular saves during the game. Most of it was one way traffic, but with seconds left in the half, an equaliser from a corner caught stand-in 'keeper, Mullen, cold. 1-1 at half time, but it wasn't long before Youths eventually went 3-1 up and finally 4-1. Two more from Ramsay and one from Kurt.

This result is classed as a "double result," meaning that if there isn't a slot later in the season to play the second game, then this result is duplicated. But looking at the schedule, there should be an available slot.

Friendly Game
Sassco.co.uk 7 BunkerUK.com 7

-17th April 2007 | back to top

Hylton Castle back in the lead.

Comfortable win over a stubborn BarPure.

Hylton Castle 5 BarPure.co.uk 0
With points lost due to Crown's exit, Hylton Castle had the perfect opportunity to get back on track. Youth's had leapfrogged them last week, but this time, it was Hylton Castle who were on top. The opponents, BarPure, were lacking in a regular team, but Hylton Castle doggedly wore them down, forcing Kev Mc, back in goal, into a number of great saves. Eventually, Keith Moon fired in the opener and the game seemed to be effectively over. A further set of goals led to a 5-0 win. Shaun Coburn grabbed two while Darren Snowball and Denny Mid scored the others.

The game was officiated by our new referee, Tony Andrews, who comfortably handled the rules and was praised by both teams. Hopefully Tony should be our regular referee each week.

Next week's games will be arranged depending on which teams are available from midweek 11-a-side duties.

Friendly Game
Sassco Representative 9 Town End FC 1

-10th April 2007 | back to top

11-0 then 12-0!

Massive wins for Youth's and Hylton Castle. Table change puts all three contenders back in.

Crown Electrics have resigned from the League. A replacement team was due to takeover this week and next week, but unfortunately they couldn't and with time running out, Crown have therefore been deleted from the League. The new table below takes this into account. The table still puts Hylton Castle in the best position and if they win all their remaining games, they'll win the League. It also puts Redhouse Youth into major contention and allows Southwick to still have a great chance considering that all top three teams will be playing each other at least once.

Roker View 3 BarPure.co.uk 3
A remarkable game. Roker were cruising in a 2-0 lead, but BarPure came storming back. Chris Middlemiss, who'd declined several big money offers to return to the League, came back for BarPure and scored two goals to put his team back in it. They even went ahead, but in the last seconds, Roker View scored to equalise the score at 3-3.

Redhouse Youth 11 Town End FC 0
After last weeks controversial game against the now defunct Crown, Town End were involved in more mishaps. This time they were on the end of it. Two men, Nelson for Town End and Snowdon for Youth's were dismissed for violent conduct. Youth's secured their record win with eleven goals to no reply.

Hylton Castle 12 Downhill FC 0

Downhill were completely lackluster, while Hylton were awesome. After the 11-0 in the previous game, one surely didn't expect a high score despite the contrasts in the team. Downhill's effort was no where to be seen, but Hylton played some glorious stuff. Coburn got four goals, Gav Dorwood and Arny had hat-tricks each. Denny Mid got two while Danny Hodge fired in the blanks.

-3rd April 2007 | back to top

Sassco defeat The Bunker.

Youth's cruise. Crown 0 Town End 0. Hylton Castle keep going.

Hylton Castle 2 Roker View 0

A good performance from both teams. Robi in goal for Roker View saw most of the action as Coburn and Denny Mid scored for Hylton Castle. Roker tried to reply, but Hylton were too strong for them.

Redhouse Youth 7 Downhill FC 0
As expected. Without Mickey Pearson, Downhill had no bite. Almost everyone scored for Redhouse Youth in a good turnout for the "old" guard as there was no Tommy Bell or Steve Anderson on show.

Town End FC 0 Crown Electrics 0 - match abandoned and win awarded to Town End Farm
Discipline problems and issues again with Crown Electrics who seem to be the only team within the League with a chip on their shoulder. A frustrating night for Crown as Town End more than matched them. But, Fatty Wardle decided to remove his damaged boot with around 7 minutes remaining. When it got down to 4 minutes, for safety reasons due to glass and stones on the pitch, the referee asked Wardle to put his boot back on. He refused, therefore the game was abandoned at 0-0. The result puts another spanner into Crown's title hopes. Town End were positive all game and came away with an impressive result.

The FA website clearly states that footwear is compulsory.

The current decision is made as follows:

• The match will be awarded as a win to Town End (as per advice from within DCFA).
• Crown still owe payment for the game (£14).
• Points will NOT be deducted.
• Jon Wardle is fined £5 and banned for Crown's 3 next games.

If Crown disagree to this then the only o other option is for Crown Electrics to immediately withdraw from the League and be replaced by a new "temporary" team until the end of the season.

Sassco.co.uk 5 BunkerUK.com 3

Who's the daddy now, Lewis? Sassco raced into a 2-0 lead after missing numerous chances and seeing plenty saved by Simpson. Yates opened the scoring and was soon followed by Dixon. However, Bunker hit back strongly in the second and scored two goals in quick succession. One of them saw Lewis hurtle from the back to bypass most of the Sassco team to score. Moments later a second went in. After this, Sassco weathered the brief storm and Dean Matthews struck to make it 3-2. Muers (of all people) made it 4-2, before Bunker scored again. Dixon finished them off to make it 5-3 final score. Lewis and Sangha both celebrated together after the game as they both agreed that it was good win for the Sassco name and can only bode well for the 11-a-side.

-27th March 2007 | back to top

Youth's return to form.

Southwick's second defeat in a row. Castle defeat Crown. Bunker's 1-0 over BarPure.

WARNING

Some shocking language directed at the referee this evening. Instructions are in place now to caution or send off any player swearing either at the referee or generally. If you are sent off, its a £5 fine and you miss the next game. A caution is a £5 fine only. You have been warned and will be warned before each game. Fines are internal, but any bad language will be reported to Durham FA and you will be banned from 11-a-side games as well as the 6-a-side.

Hylton Castle 1 Crown Electrics 0

Hylton Castle had most of the opening - forcing Robason into several saves. However, once Denny Midd had fired them into a lead, Crown came back strongly and should have equalised. Hylton Castle held on and secured some critical points considering that their rivals were to suffer another setback.

Redhouse Youth 3 Southwick FC 1
It was 3-0 before Southwick even realised it. Two quick goals in the first half and a third in the second saw a rampant Redhouse Youth secure an unassailable lead. Steve Anderson, Snowdon and Bell scored the goals. Cromack scored a consolation for Southwick, a superb one at that, but their chance seems to be slipping away. Crucial games against Hylton Castle to be played.

Kyle Sumner and Billy Harrison were both cautioned in this game. Both owe a £5 fine each.

Town End FC 4 Downhill FC 0
A poor performance from Downhill as they were easily put to the sword by Town End FC. Four goals spread throughout the game which turned slightly nasty near the end.

BunkerUK.com 1 BarPure.co.uk 0

Paul McClusky fired in the only goal near the end of the first half in this tight encounter. Simpson for Bunker made most of the saves, but his strikers were unlucky not to add to the score. His opposite number, Middlemiss, made a crucial double save, but his team didn't take advantage in the 1-0 defeat.

Bunker are on their final warning regarding kit. £5 payment is to be made BEFORE next week, otherwise the team will be suspended. Any more kit errors will result in the team being replaced during this season.

-6th March 2007 | back to top

Bunker shocker.

Southwick's first defeat! Youth's catch up and Town End cancel out Roker.