Ed's Eye

2008/9 Christmas Review

Once again I start a review by saying that WMCFL is in great shape. I'm sure you'll agree that the League is thriving. This season we have by far the most teams we've ever had in the League, 31 in all. The previous record was 24. We also have three divisions and a five round knock-out cup. Hits on the web site have dramatically increased over the same period last year, with a daily average of 427 compared to 622 this season. This is partly due to the extra nine teams we have I'm sure but also the effort that many people are putting in to write reports about their games. A big thank you from me for that.

Just a quick word about referees: You'll forgive me for being doubly biased; on the first count I'm now a referee myself and secondly I've been on the WMCFL Committee for ten years. We just had a communication through from James Orotayo with the latest list of Match Officials. There were 51 on the list. This is a massive achievement and is down to the hard work of a number of people over the years that have taken on the task of organising the referees for us. These include currently James Orotayo and before him David Davies, Simon French, Neil Kovacs and Kevin Dodd.

Many leagues are still desperately short of referees and just don't have enough to cover all their games. My two sons both play football, George at under nine: They just don't get referees, you have to find them yourself. Charles plays at under twelve and has had one referee appointed in the seven home matches they have played this year; I've done the other six and thoroughly enjoyed it. We need to look after our referees and treat them with respect and dignity, despite what you think of the decisions they make. They are in short supply and will go somewhere else if we don't look after them.

Over to the football. The look of the League is skewed a bit with the uneven number of games that teams have played. St Mary's look like they have a big lead but if Clarendon win their two games in hand, it'll be down to three points. I think it's all to play for. Division One is definately a two-horse race, I can't see anyone getting anywhere near them by the time it's over. Relegation is where it is a little more interesting. I think that King's and Halesowen will glean enough points from the remaining games to stay up but the other seven are in danger of the drop, especially Amblecote who have played more games than the other teams.

Division Two is probably the most open of the three championships, with five teams in the running. In my book, St Boniface are in the most promising position after they beat Walsall the other day but things can change quickly and Wolves, Zion and Selly Oak could all do it but they would have to pretty much win all their remaining games.

Having lost ten of their eighteen games already, Sandwell are favourites for relegation. EK, despite a good start have slipped away and are probably nine points off safety. It's perhaps the third relegation spot that looks uncertain. I've seen all three teams, Renewal, Chawn and West Brom and none of them look like relegation fodder or Division Three material. That one is going to be a tough choice.

Division Three looks over and done. Cahmpions will have to do a Devon Loch if they are going to come unstuck. It's the other two places that will be interesting, between four clubs: Inter, MBD, Elim and Lighthouse and DC will keep them on their toes.

So, I'm going to put my head on the block and make my predictions as usual.

Division 1

Clarendon - Before the start of the year I said that Clarendon would retain their crown and after St Mary's 3-3 draw at Rowley, I'm going to stick with that gut instinct. I must admit, I was shocked at their poor start to the year. Personally I would put this down to an over-stocked squad: you can have too many. The key game is their return fixture against St Mary's, it could be the Championship decider. We are a few months away from that and there is plenty of water to go under the bridge, so I could be wrong: Champions
St. Mary's - Well it's in their hands. Win all their remaining games and they're Champions. The big game is the six-pointer with Clarendon. If they win it, then there's a six point cushion, allowing them a couple of draws but I honestly think that Clarendon will win that one and retain the crown: Second.
King's AFC - A much better performance than I predicted. I said eighth at the start of the year and they currently lie in third. I refereed them once this year and I would say that where they stand out compared to other clubs is their superior fitness. They are just quicker to the ball and their stamina is excellent. I cannot see why they won't go on to remain in third place by the end of the year: Third
City Church - City appear to have carried the momentum from last season into this with some excellent performances, not least of which was the unlucky 4-5 loss to Clarendon. Along with Sheldon, they have played the fewest games in the division and have their hands full to get the remaining twelve matches played. However, I think that they have a settled side and will do considerably better than last season: Fourth
Sheldon - I thought that Sheldon would have done better than they did last year after they signed Mark Hadden. They have won three of their eight games though and once again like last year are perhaps down in the nether reaches of the division because of lack of activity rather than due to poor form. Remarkably, Amblecote beat them with a scoreline approaching double figures for the second time in two seasons only for the result to be overturned in the return match, which is rather odd. I still think that Sheldon will pull themselves up by the boot-laces an knock out a few good results, propelling themselves back up the division, although they seem to do better when I say they are going to come last: Fifth
Halesowen Zion - Perhaps one I called right before the season started. I said that Halesowen would be mid-table and I think I can safely confirm that's where they are. Halesowen have a core of quality and lads who put the ball into the net with ease. So long as they continue to score they will be fine, although the defence could do with letting fewer in: Sixth
Rowley College - A good team on their day that can frighten any team but unfortunately are suffering the maliase that afflicts most clubs in the League: The inability to pick the same eleven week in, week out. In fact, getting eleven together sometimes is a trial; then nineteen turn up the following week, all expecting ninety minutes. I think that Rowley have sufficient quality and footballing nous to extricate themselves from another visit to Division Two but will not venture much further up the table: Seventh
St. Matthew's - A talented team that seem, like Rowley unable to get a regular side out. The team, like probably half a dozen around them, could advance up the table with a handful of good results or drop into the relegation zone if they fail to win the next few. The clubs below them all have games in hand, so a return to winning ways is imperative: Eighth

Amblecote - I think the damage may already have been done. They are currently averaging just over a point a game and this needs to take a dramatic improvement or they will be the latest club, like Rowley, King's and DK too big to go down. Division Two is a hard division to get out of and I don't think next season will be any easier with an influx of new teams from Division Three. Having said this, I don't think that Amblecote have played the return fixture against Clarendon. They may just do St Mary's a favour; they may need to: Ninth
St. Thomas' Aldridge - Another club with a massive squad but unable to put out anything like a regular starting eleven. You stand a good chance of getting a game if you turn up with your boots, although I don't think that's peculiar to St Thomas' by any means. St Thomas' are capable of so much more than they are currently achieving and proved that with a shock, early season 3-1 win against Clarendon. I think that perhaps there will be too many teams scrambling to escape the bottom three and this will be their demise: Tenth
Dynamo Kingswinford - Like many who have gone before them, they are bottom of the Big League but haven't played badly. I can't see that results will improve sufficiently to keep them out of the bottom three. They have just five points and perhaps need another eighteen to escape. So six wins from the last nine games. I've just had a glance at their fixtures for January and I can see them winning three of them, so you never know: Eleventh

Division 2

St. Boniface - A pleasant surprise for this long established club that appear to be enjoying a new lease of life. Whilst there are many familiar faces from the past, the team also have plenty of new ones. The blend of old and new is working as the team seem to have gelled and unlike other clubs don't seem to be struggling for numbers. The icing on the cake for 2008 was a convincing win over what I would consider to be their closest rivals for the Championship: Walsall Olympic. Things are still very tight at the top but St Boniface are now a club that others will fear. They have some tough games in January but have a little breathing space in that they have two games in had. I think this will be the key: Champions
Wolverhampton and Perton Churches - Wolves have spent quite a bit of the season on top of this division and I wouldn't put it past them to continue in this vein. I just checked where I predicted them at the start of the year: third. I'm going to stick with that notion. They are a good team on their day. I think they have a smallish squad and whilst this can leave them short-handed at times, it doesn't appear to harm their results unduly. The benefits that familiarity brings seem to outweigh the downside: Third
Zion Athletic - Still a Jekyll and Hyde club that can beat or lose to almost anyone in the division. I said at the start of the year that inconsistency was a problem and perhaps this has been the case: They managed to beat St Boniface and then lost to Selly Oak 5-0 and Wolves in the Cup 7-2. One day they will come of age and progress into Division One I'm sure. They are just two or three players away from breaking into the elite: Fifth
Walsall Olympic - A fabulous start to the year where they were knocking goals in for fun but have waned a little towards Christmas. Like St Boniface, they have a difficult looking January and the results from next month will make or break their season. They have now slipped down the division to fifth, although have bags of games to make up. Alarmingly, they have not managed to win a game since 1 November, a phase that included a 9-1 drubbing at the hands of St Mary's and the win on 1 November over Zion could have gone either way. They will need to turn things around sharply or miss out on promotion: Second
Selly Oak Methodist - Commentators kiss of death. I said Selly Oak would win this division this year but they have spent most of the season closer to the bottom than the top. I don't think they have suddenly turned into a poor side overnight and more recently have begun to piece their season back together. In December they beat EK 6-1 and Solihull 1-0 away, which is always a tricky prospect. They will look to take their form into January and have some tough games ahead but currently stand just two points of the lead, so are well placed: Fourth
Renewal Solihull - Now this is where it starts to get interesting. If there is no shake up to the number of clubs and to the make up of the League, one of Renewal, West Brom and Chawn will have to fill the third relegation spot. Chawn won Division One just three seasons ago and the other two you would have thought have sufficient quality in their squads to stay up. It's going to be a close run thing: Sixth
West Bromwich Beacons - They are looking a much better team this year and are a settled side. Results haven't quite gone their way but I think that they will manage to avoid the bottom three but only just: Seventh

Chawn Hill Church - A season of transition for Chawn. They have lost their talisman keeper Mike Kain and will miss him, anyone would. Many different faces throughout the team. They still seem to enjoy their football though and have a number of quality players. Jamie Sutton has already managed to score ten and in Kevin Walters they seem to have replaced Lee Darlington: Eighth

EK Corinthia - I think they are too far adrift to finish out of the bottom three. Another team with a big squad but at times find it difficult to muster a decent team on a Saturday. If they follow true to last year's form, they will come good towards the end of the year but I think the damage has been done. Having said that, they have two games in hand. If they win those two they will be on an even footing with Chawn.
Sandwell United - Sadly, Sandwell seem out of their league at the moment. I never like to see teams get beaten every week and at times it must be miserable for Sandwell. Let's hope they win a game before theyear is out: Tenth

Division 3

Champions Church - I don't think anyone would bet against Champions winning Division Three this season: Nine points clear with a game in hand and their next three games are against the bottom three in the League. Win those three and it could all be over. Well done to the Champions lads though, they have assembled a good team. They were very well prepared for their forray into WMCFL and a quarter-final appearance to boot: First
MBD United - As for the next four or five places, it is getting very tight. In some ways it's a shame that Champions have gone galloping off into the distance. The race for second is far more interesting. I think where MBD scored was their long and well thought out preparation to life in WMCFL. Along with Elim and Champions, MBD were playing matches well before the season started; months before. It's an excellent example to set other teams who are considering entering the League. MBD's January fixtures look difficult to say the least. They start with DC, then Elim and Inter away and finish the month against Champions. If they win all these games, they will deserve second place: Second
Lighthouse Lions - Lighthouse have had a bit of a wobble before Christmas. I think the short break will do them good and they'll come back with a promotion push but I think that perhaps they may miss out on an automatic place: Fifth

Elim Athletic - They are pretty much fufilling their pre-season promise. They've had a bit of a hard time with injuries but have a strong squad. Results have been a little bit mixed but they have only lost two games and their goal difference looks good: Third
Birmingham International - Inter have been a tough team to beat this year but results haven't gone their way recently. They pushed Champions Church very close in their match just a few weeks ago and I'm sure will win most of their games in 2009: Fourth
D C Dynamos - It's taken them a little while but they seem to have got it together now. They've had some excellent results recently against the top teams and could pull off a shock. Earlier in the year, it looked like they were going to lose most their games but they've turned it around. Promotion's a long shot for this year but on the current form, they could sneak it. Perhaps next year though: Sixth
Rockmount United - I've had nothing but good reports about Rockmount this season but they just don't seem to be able to turn a good performance into a good result. Shawn Devonport says that they are the best team that Champions have faced this season but the league table doesn't agree. Perhaps this season will be used to bed the side in and next year they'll get it together and put a run of results together: Seventh
Shiloh United - Everyone's favourite other team. They have done themselves and their church proud in the way they have conducted themselves this year. Another team that perhaps need a little while playing together as a team before it clicks. They have been down towards the bottom of the League this year so far and I don't see that changing by April but they will have a better time of it next season. Their goal difference is very respectable considering their position though: Ninth
Brierley Hill AOG - Despite their low placing, I think this is a club enjoying themselves. They have been bolstered by the addition of some experienced campainers and I think there are several more wins in them this season. Don't be shocked if they pull a few upsets out of the bag, they have form for this kind of activity. First up Champions on 3 January: Eighth
All Nations - Sadly, All Nations have just a point from their twelve matches this year and are cut adrift from the other teams in the League. As success breeds success, the opposite is true. All I can say is go out there and enjoy the football lads and I hope you get a win before the season ends: Tenth
 
I hope you all enjoy the rest of the season. Ed