Dartmouth AFC

The Centenary Reunion has now been scheduled for Saturday 16th August

This will last most of the day and the programme will be released on this blogsite

For those of you interested in helping out or just making enquiries please ring Chairman Gary Lobb on 07896 557 662 or President Dave Duffy on 01803 835 899 or myself on 01803 833 725

It follows the Ist XI home match at Longcross against Newton Abbot Spurs on Friday 15th KO 7:30pm under the new floodlights. So those of you coming some distance to join the celebrations might think of making a weekend of it and watching the current Ist team squad in action against our local rivals

Doc

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My blogging days are coming to an end and will close after the July 100 year re-union celebrations. Gary Lobb is out of hospital after his hip operation and will soon be back directing the preparations. In August Neil Patey takes over the this blogsite with some exciting new perspectives on the beautiful game and the fortunes of Dartmouth AFC

In the meantime another retiree has the stage. John Motson is retiring from live BBC match commentaries after 34 years and 18 major championships. Here are some of his famous gaffe's

That tackle was so hard it hurt his whole family

For those of you who are watching in black and white Spurs are in the all yellow strip

I think this could be our best victory over Germany since the war

The goals made such a difference to the way this game went

Its Arsenal 0 Everton 1 and the longer it stays like this the more you have to fancy Everton

Thanks for all the other stuff John, and a happy retirement

Doc

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The new season kicks off with an away match at Homers Heath at 7:30 pm under Buckland Athletic's new floodlights on Friday 8th August

For the full season's fixture list go to www.swpleague.co.uk/

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This year's Dinner Dance was held on Friday at the Dartmouth Golf and Country Club and there was a good turn out of players and supporters

Kevin Causley won the Supporters' player of the year and Stevie White the Player's player

Carl Woodgate won the Managers young player award and and Daniel Griffiths the newly instituted Craddock Cup for the Young player of the year

John Rimmer and Chris Hooper shared the Manager's player of the year and I was given the Club person of the year (very embarassing !)

The trophies were presented by new Chairman Gary Lobb who goes into hospital this week for a hip replacement. Gary says he's looking forward to working on his golf handicap when he's fit again, but I'm looking forward to him resurrecting his football career and challenging Rimmer and Hooper for their 1st team places. Get well soon Gary

Doc

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Hi everyone

I think we should sign Benny Bennassi and Zoltan Veres for Dartmouth AFC next year

Doc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwR6MsB8XTM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDAj2AV0534&NR=1

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This 40 page history of the club is on sale for £5. It's a limited edition being sold on a first come first serve basis and we are already down to the last 100 copies

If you want a copy send me a £5 cheque made out to B J Boughton plus postage to Rose Hill Villa, 49 South Ford Rd, Dartmouth , Devon, TQ6 9QT

All profits to the Floodlight Fund

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Those of us who would give a right arm to have had Mark Loram's talent, or dream of being George Best, may be interested  why footballers are born and no amount of training would have made us great. Sorry its a bit technical.

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"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and darkness was on the face of the deep"

The Bible hasn't been more relevant for Dartmouth AFC since the vicar agreed to pray for us to win the 2007 Devon Premier championship.

 Kim Prestwood and his team from Sportlighting brought in the heavy lifting machinery to erect our floodlights.

I wrestled to get the Planning Department to discharge the light spillage paragraph of our planning consent on time.

And Gary Lobb's management team  did some heart searching over the terrible weather forecast. In the end I chickened out and it was Gary's call to let the big machines into Longcross.

In Somerset there were flash floods and the fire brigade said they would not reply to more 999 calls unless there was a danger to life. It emptied down for 3 days and in the Dartmouth, tourists huddled in shop doorways and the whole place sold out of umbrellas.

Up at Longcross it was very very wet, but we demolished some wooden fencing and Kim kept the big machines off the playing surface. Which was just as well because off the pitch, the wheel damage was a couple of feet deep in places

But slowly our floodlights have risen to the sky and tonight we will have our first switching on. Well done everyone. Next season I hope we will use these lights for Friday evening league matches, for training on Wednesday nights, staging different cup finals,  and then the great prize - our entry into the FA Vase.

My nephew Glyn Creaser captained Wycombe Wanderers and lifted the FA Vase at Wembley some years ago. I bet him a pint of beer that Dartmouth would do the same one day and this week we've made a start !

"And God said let there be light, and there was light"

Doc

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This Eric Cantona quotation introduced the Radio 4 programme last night about the relationship beween professional football stars and the press and media. The best stories were about George Best

" I'm a pop star really, not a footballer. The newspapers and the media were paying girls £1500 to sleep with me. " - George Best

" George came into the Man U dressing room 5 minutes before the kick off. He was paralytic and had this gorgeous bird with him. I told him to go home and I would see him on Monday morning. He didnt turn up and I never spoke to him again."  - Tommy Docherty

" Would you prefer a maverick genius like George Best or a managed mannikin like David Beckham. I know who I would choose. " -  Brian Cooney

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