Squad news, last week's match report and rumours about the summer tour...
The Wandsworth Athletic squad has seen several comings-and-goings recently, with injuries and unavailability being balanced by the return of some old faces. The major update is that Andy Michel remains unavailable for the foreseeable future with the knee injury he sustained against The Number 4 Kings. Michel has an upcoming scan which will hopefully reveal more, but the positive news is that he is moving more freely. Everyone hopes he’ll back sooner rather than later. Reports suggest Michel has been spending his downtime perfecting table tennis skills with Sasan Molaie…
In other squad news, Pete Thorn is temporarily engaged on a trip to Canada, sanctioned by the management team after a personal request from Thorn, who wants to spend time recuperating and refreshing before the climax of the season. David Lloyd has travelled to Argentina for a one month loan spell to gain further knowledge of South American tactics and training methods, whilst Ricky Tavares is back in the side after a lengthy period of absence. There are also rumours that Alex Platt and Joe Hancock will return for this week’s fixture, although tabloid reports of an altercation with a taxi driver at 04.20 in the Kingston area last week may affect the upcoming team selection…
The most prestigious event in the calendar – The Wandsworth Athletic Summer Tour – is in the process of being arranged by the club’s administrators. Murmurings amongst the players suggest the tour will take place in early September, to a destination within Europe, but further news will follow.
Finally, a brief report of last week’s game is below:
Wandsworth Athletic 5 – 5 BRNO Athletic
Wandsworth Athletic recorded an astonishing third draw in five games last week following an entertaining fixture against title rivals BRNO Athletic. It was a contest full of quality, and Wandsworth will be bitterly disappointed that a clear late penalty was denied.
The match started in tense and taut fashion, both heavyweights sparring from a distance. Wandsworth slowly took a grip though, and began playing some quite resplendent football. The passing was crisp and imaginative, and it came as no surprise when goals followed. Tavares tucked away an early penalty, and then James Platt and Molaie swiftly made the score 3-0. Molaie’s strike was a remarkable effort, the full back poking the ball in from an impossible angle after a typically dynamic run. When Tavares slotted home a fourth, and then played in Platt for a fifth, the Champions were fully in the ascendancy.
Wandworth’s depleted squad began to tire though, and BRNO hauled themselves back into the tie. With names such as Michel, Thorn, Lloyd, Alex Platt, Hancock and Shoubber missing, this was no real surprise. And BRNO must be complimented on their finishing as well, which was of the highest order. Three strikes were simply un-saveable, giving Snelling no chance. With the score at 5-4, it seemed almost inevitable that BRNO would equaliser, and they duly did with another assured finish.
This galvanised Wandsworth though, and it was the Champions who finished the game the stronger, and indeed should have been awarded a late, late penalty for a clear infringement. Luck deserted the side from South-West London, but they’ll still take great heart from the first half of this display, which came close to perfection. With both teams dropping points, the pinnacle of the table looks closer than ever. It promises to be an exciting end to the season.
The following was taken from a statement issued by Kingston Police Station: “In relation to the said incident involving four males (understood to be employees of Wandsworth Athletic Football Club) that occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning...it can be confirmed that a PCSO was present at the scene who dealt with the situation accordingly. All parties have been released without formal charges and the matter will not be pursued further. “
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