We (Intotheblue FC) had a decent start to life in Division One after our promotion last season. We had our first game this morning, beating Pot House FC 8-1 at The Rec.

The injury seemed innocuous, with the lad turning and seemingly getting studs stuck in the turf.

Ridiculous how the ambulances work as a I believe the lad was still there over 1 hour later because not deemed serious for instant help.

First local game for a while that I've taken. If they were all like that I'd do more! Really enjoyed the game definitely some good young 'up and coming' talent on show.....

Yeah it was like a snooker table

Unlike Grayfields last week when we had our last friendly, for some reason the grass was quite long but was covered in dead grass from when it was last cut. Glad we moved back to the rec like.

Greys was ok today, grass a good length n the left over grass has gone.

We drew 2-2 with the avenue this morning in our first game in the premiership, you'd have loved it if you like seeing red cards chip they had 2 sent off.

Referee Craig gilbraith held it together very well I thought, sound lad and a good ref, reffing in shall we say difficult circumstances.

Very happy to have finally got to the premiership, even happier to have got this game out of the way first, looking forward to playing against more footballing sides this season.

Good luck to all involved in local footy this season.




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Blackhall teams giving abuse?! Something's never change eh!

It's a nice balance you need to to strike up at Blackhall between winding then up and not pushing them to far that they will lynch you. Cracking pitch though!


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As mentioned Blackhall is a cracking pitch but a very hostile place to go. Our centre forward had his tooth knocked out within 5 mins and was accused by their side of faking it. I do miss Sunday league like, reckon I'll get back involved one way or the other in the near future.

Repeat what everyone said.

Great pitch but they don't have try to intimidate you up there. Not surprised when there is loads of them, usually accompanies by a crate of lager. Because I mean who doesn't love drinking at 10:30 on a Sunday morning

Played up there once about 7 year ago when our team was shite. We got hammered so didn't get much grief. Plenty on the sidelines drinking like


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We got beat about 9-2 I think in a cup game, didn't help that our keeper never turned up. Loads drinking when we played them as well, every few minutes a dog ran on the pitch as well.

Could be worth going up there to watch the Avenue against them whenever that is, proper get abandoned.

always seems to be case with the better footballers, of which jamie is one.

makes it worthwhile to be average just to avoid the bad tackles

With 7 Saturday morning teams Chip I think many players will just chop and change teams now, be plenty looking for different clubs in a few week I would imagine. I've just gone back to the Catholic Club and they had 20 there on Saturday.

As much as they love to intimidate people I always enjoyed playing up there. Good battles over the year and when you beat them it makes it a bit sweeter!

Jamie is a cracking player. Can be a shit to get the ball off him and he's not exactly whiter than white either!

Just had a look at whose signed for the avenue and I'm not surprised they got a few reds. Could guess at who got one of them!


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Jamie is quality as is his brother Shannon, both played for us when we were a 6 a side team. Jamie had a broken leg about 6 year ago and was out for about 6 month.

Kisongo Saints FC are just about to start pre-season training ahead of hopefully another excellent season. We ran the show in the Arusha region of Tanzania last year, defeating some of the best amateur teams in the region and finishing runners-up in a national tournament. Our players of the year were our bull of a striker, the Nigerian Umeh Burberry Jesus (yes, that's the name he goes by) and the 'Zambian Vieira' Happy Mbaleni bossing the midfield at only 17 years of age. Well, it's local to me...

Never underestimate the quality of the tanzanian league.

I heard Chris Turner wanted the striker as is left footed and adds balance.

Most definitely not! We beat two teams last year who are sponsored by Willem II in the Netherlands and the Irish FA respectively. Young lads, fit as lops and technically very good, if only they could get better positionally and not shy out of tackles some could be world beaters...

How do your team react to your historical pre match motivational speeches like you used to give at Supporters Kolley?

Haha! Much more simpler these days mate, I'd say 85% of the lads don't speak English as their first language.

True.

Maybe we should send Ian Moore out there

It's a shame your still not here to motivate the supporters as they've dropped out the league, another casualty.


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True, hate it when teams pack in like. Seems to be more and more in the last couple of years. It's a thankless task running a club, time consuming and sometimes mind numbing but I enjoy it and thrive on the hard work that goes in from everyone.

Hopefully the rain eases off, just been driving from the marina and plenty of flooded roads. Absolutely bucketing down.

Agree with all of that. Would take a lot for me to just rap it all in, I'd certainly look to hand it over instead, all the effort n hard work for years n to jack in seems a waste.

Anyway, we don't have a game tomorrow. Might have a walk over greys to watch a few if the rain eases off.


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Good stuff. Lion are playing avenue at greys on the bottom pitch we share with them. Should be interesting after our game with them last week.


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Nice friendly sedate game and pretty easy win 5 2 for us up at Blackhall this morning. Even a few pints in the Wick afterwards, totally different team to who I've played against previously.

Watched the lion this morning beat avenue 3-0. Pretty comfortable throughout.


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Rumour has it that Blackhall are going to resign from the league as they can't field a team.

Yeah they definitely look to be struggling and even had to bring on a sub keeper up front as they had no other subs.

That'll take us down to 9 in the prem.

3 teams resigned this year through lack of players.

Where have all the players gone?


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Could work with 2 divisions of 15.

There's only 30 teams now so you lose anymore n you wouldn't even get your 2 divisions of 15


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I think 14 in each would be maximum for two leagues there was only 10 in Prem last year and after a few good cup runs we still ended playing Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday in April.
Hopefully they'll sort themselves out and no more teams will have to fold.

sedate game, easy win, whats going wrong at Blackhall? Only couple of year ago we had 3 teams in the village, Hardwick, Old Boys and over 40s now down to just the one team. John Bell long term Hardwick manager has just rapped in and under new management, which could mean Blackhall Hardwick on the slide.

sedate game, easy win, whats going wrong at Blackhall? Only couple of year ago we had 3 teams in the village, Hardwick, Old Boys and over 40s now down to just the one team. John Bell long term Hardwick manager has just rapped in and under new management, which could mean Blackhall Hardwick on the slide.

Looked like Texxy and Don Naylor were in charge this morning but a lot of the long serving lads don't appear to be playing this year. Even the lads that played didn't seem bothered, shame really as i've always enjoyed playing up there despite the normally hostile atmosphere.
Hopefully it is just a blip or they have a few lads unavailable at the minute and they get back on track i'd hate to see another team go.

Two divisions would never work. Say for instance there's a minimum 14 teams in each division that's 26 league games plus John Dowson, Steven Tierney and the divisional cups plus county cup then you've got your inevitable postponements. There's just not enough time between August and early May. Also you'd have teams like Throston Wanderers and Lion hammering teams who are now lower first division but not prem standard and they would soon get sick and fold. In my opinion two divisions would lead to a slide that could see the league finish altogether.

Fook knows what the answer is but at this rate the leagues in hartlepool wont last another 4-5 year. We're losing about 6/7 teams a season.

I know the under 18 leagues arent that strong in this town anymore, is their only 2 teams in a teesside league now i was told y'day?

Lads dont appear to be making the transition from youth league to sunday league like they used to.

lads just don't care about sunday morning football

There's plenty that do, we wouldnt have 30 teams otherwise.

We just need a few more to care a little bit more.

Not sure where you heard that mate. There are 6 hartlepool teams in the under 18 leagues this year.

Playing where they should be. And not getting the shit kicked out of them in a pub league by blokes that should have been banned years ago.

Don't know what games you been watching mate lol.

We aren't like that, we play football and have a great disciplinary record, and also aren't a pub team. Yubeps side a good footballing side as well.

There's 1 to 2 teams in the town that kick yer up in the air, it's a dying breed n very out dated. My point was dibble where do the lads go once they reach 18?

We've signed greatham under 18s keeper as our back up this year, he's very good, it would be a shame to think he'd not play football next season as he'd be too old.


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As people have said not many teams try to kick you off the park these days.

We've got 6 or so young lads that have signed from the Seaton Under 18s last couple of years.
Decent players who tend to turn up hungover every week but they do at least turn up

I think that's the problem with the younguns now. Clubs staying open till 4 so they can't get up for footy. Rather have a game in the sports domes mid week on a perfect pitch n get lashed on the weekend.


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I saw one team play that had a least two players looking for a fight from the kick off, and one actually kicked an opposition player in the thigh off the ball, in front of the ref, unprovoked.

The ref was clearly too scared to send him off.

I wouldnt recommend any decent player palying against tem.

The best younguns play elsewhere. They play in a variety of leagues rather than the sunday league.

We lost a few of the older 18s last season to teh sunday league for the very reason they ahd started drinking with the players from the sunday league.

Hopefully this seasons team care more about playing than drinking.