Harvest FC are expanding their 11v11 football section.  2007/8 the team remained unbeaten winning Saturday division 2 and the Cup. That team is now promoted to Division 1.  Harvest will be replacing the division 2 team with a second development team.

Last seasons unbeaten team was built on a futsal playing base; the plan is that this continues with the development 11.

If you play futsal and want to be part of a well organised Saturday team, then please contact Mathew Bryant 07793307197.

After several seasons off refereeing the Grimsby Futsal  Premier League Brian is taking a break from refereeing futsal.  His daughters' play football and Brian's time has more and more being taken up by coaching their Clee Community team.  Coaching has also led Brian to a Monday night session with GTFC's School of Excellence. 

I am sure everyone would like me to thank him for the excellent job he has done in a very difficult job.  To referee, keep score - record foul counts, whilst marking which house a ball just landed in, whilst smiling at same time is not easy, but Brain has managed it for some considerable time.

The door is open should Brain which to reconsider his decision after a considered break.

Passing Kent St on my way homeI took the opportunity to watch the end of Inter vs. Latics with the thought that I would then leave to get home for a rather late tea.  Inter vs. Latics was a sound game, close to the end, but having missed the first 30 minutes I had not got into the flow of the game which Inter nudged 7-5.

 

The Lindsey School and Community Arts College football teams narrowly missed out on a third national Futsal title after being beaten on penalties in Sheffield.

 

The weekend saw both the Lindsey U14 and U16 boys teams in action at the English Institute of Sport, where over 750 players and 1000 spectators were in attendance.

 

The morning session saw both age groups competing in the group stages, which saw them face teams from all around the country.

 

The U14 boys were in action first, and showed crisp passing and sublime movement in the opening moments of the game. After conceding a sloppy goal, a Ricky Smith strike with only thirty second left gave them a deserved point. The U16 boys matched this in their first game, with a goal less draw against Brentford FC.

 

After a crushing defeat in the second game, the U14 boys needed a win against Real FC to seal their place in the cup knock out stages. Despite a scrappy performance, a Jackson Bradley goal saw TLS into the quarter finals. They were joined in the knock out stages by the U16 team, who won both their remaining fixtures, with Joe Hutchinson and Chris Harmer in the goals, with assists from Alex Flett and Luke Dawson.

 

The knock out stages saw tough fixtures for both teams, with the U14 team against Kickers Futsal and the U16 team playing Team Birmingham. The younger boys game was a tight, edgy affair, with Lindsey having the best of the chances. With no scorers in normal time, the game was to be decided by penalty kicks. ‘Keeper Gary McGrath saved two penalties, with successful attempts by Ricky Smith and Macaulay Crowther progressing TLS into the semi finals.

 

Premier League XII has proved to be the toughest ever to win, and for Harvest to accomplish the feat at their first ever attempt is a remarkable achievement.

The season has gone to the wire, had Gunners Watch beaten Harvest and Grimsby All Blacks beaten Fulstow Rovers then the Championship would have been All Blacks!

Marie Smith, Mollie Smith, Chelsea Smith, Hayley Bunyan, Rhianna Phillips, Holly Donaldson, Sian Marshall, Kylie Huxford

Broughton Ravers U12 girls had a great day at the FA Umbro Futsal finals. They played some very skillful teams including FC Barca, Llanymymench Lymurs, Chalkstone Middle School, Kickers Futsal and Sheffield & Hallamshire.

They only managed to win one game  - the semi final of the plate competition. In the final they lost 2-1 on penalties to Sheffield Academy.

It was a superbly organised event held at a great venue. We really hope to be invited back next year.

For more deatails or to play Broughton at futsal conatct Steve Watson 07840055462

FC Grimsby under 10`s recently competed in the FA National Junior Futsal Finals which were held at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. Twelve teams from all over the country who had qualified regionally came together to play an exciting version of 5-a-side which is now the FA`s preferred style of indoor football.
FC Grimsby started in a group of 4 teams playing each side once over 11 minute matches.

Having no previous futsal tournament experience the boys had to dig deep and showed good character to come away with a 1-0 victory in the first match.

Gunners Watch vs. Grimsby Auditorium

StreetSoccer vs. Harvest

Harvest II vs. Littlefields 

Grimsby Catalonia vs. Grimsby Globetrotters

All games to be played at Second Avenue, Monday 30th.  Match times are in left hand column under Cup-Quarter Finals.

Never seen futsal? These matches would be a good way to start, no result is clear cut.  An inform Gunners should be to good for Auditorium, if they have an off day Auditorium will be up pressing them. StreetSoccer will raise their game and have new signings in their squad, it has to be Harvest, but again it could be a shock. Littlefields are the 'wild cards' - the team keeps raising its game, Harvest II could be vulnerable.  Grimsby Globetrotters are only Kent S team left, the pressure is on them to fly the flag, Catalonia experience will start them as favourites.

back row (left to right) = Chris Harmer, Greg Stiffell, Tom Heaton, Joe Hutchinson

front row (left to right) = Tom Wingate, Alex Flett, Luke Dawson

The Lindsey School and Community Arts College boys Futsal teams will face a tough test this weekend when they travel to Sheffield to compete in the FA National Junior Futsal Finals.

Sunday 15^th June - English institute of Sport, Sheffield.

The Grimsby Achilles heel continues to be missed chances plus not be able to play 2 quality halves.  Yet again we led at half time (2-1) and did not finish off the opposition in the second period.

Mathew Bryant took a strong Harvest squad to Sheffield for a 3 team play off tournament with Middlesbrough Futsal and Sheffield & Hallam teams.  Both teams are experienced futsal teams playing in the FA Umbro National Futsal League.

Teams played a round robin format of 15 minute each way matches.

In their opening game Harvest was drawing with Middlesbrough 2-2 until a last minute unforced error cost them the game.

‘Boro then got thrashed by Sheffield & Hallam 8-0.

Harvest then pulled off a great 2-2 draw with Sheffield & Hallam.  From reports back, a superb performance against one of the top 3 futsal teams in the North of England.

The Harvest performance has to be measured against the fact that the opposition teams are clubs that train weekly to play futsal.  The Grimsby Monday Premier League is of a very high standard, confirmed by the Harvest performance. For Mathew Bryant and team Harvest it was an eye opener to play against organised clubs with set plays on a fast indoor wood surface in dehydrating conditions.

How did English football reach one of its lowest ebbs – is it merely a case of no home grown talent? Are our children technically inferior and not learning the skills enjoyed by the rest of the foreign players playing in the Premiership?

Wednesday night was a organisers nightmare, one team cancelling or not being available can cause havoc, on Wednesday night it did.

Congratulations to Rob Parry, Sports Centre Manager at Kent St. Resource Centre. Rob has initiated a Year 10/11 junior futsal league which will be one of the first in the country for this year group.New teams are welcome to join this professionally run league, be the manager of your own team, it’s not as easy as you might think.

Last 32 Cup update:

Grimsby Globetrotters (Kent St Tuesday) took tournaments first major scalp, beating Premier League table toppers Grimsby All Blacks 6-4.  A result that the bookies would not have opened the book on, well done Globetrotters.

In fairness to All Blacks 2 key players were called out to work on way to venue and goal keeper Leigh Graves was on holiday to compound  problems.

Grimsby Jets and fellow newcomers Futsal Warriors fought out a tight 3-2 encounter that just edged Jets Way.

Shamrock experience was too much for Le Osterals who kept the score to a credible 8-2 over vastly more experienced opponents.

HTS Eindhoven 7 vs. Gy Saxons 6 (CUP)
 
HT Eindhoven struggled with Gy Saxons strength & experience as many of the gy lads has played at the nationals in the junior qualifying group prior to the National Junior Finals. HTS went 3 nil down at one point before ''beal'' The 16 year old wonder kid who, I am reliably informed, left Grimsby Town because '' he didn't like the training!'' achieved his hat -trick with some silky skills & even a bullet from the centre circle that the keeper could only watch fly past him into the top corner. To follow up was a volley from HTS’s own halves, a spectacular goal that won them the game. A great come back for HTS to nick it 7-6.

The last time a referee told me he had a ' star' playing in his league I admit to doubting him; then I popped down to watch and he was spot on in his assesment. The player was Jon Higton, who we immediately gave a game to in the FC Grimsby team and he has not looked out of place against older more experienced players. 

Hull has a 15-17 team in training, do we have anyone who would want to manage an FC Grimsby youth team, the team could play in tournaments in their own right whilst acting as a feeder team for the senior FC Grimsby team?

Timothy Lowe (Harvest) pictured marking Danny O'Hare (Harvest II) has been honoured with selection to play for the England College; his next matches to look forward to will be a 9 day competition in Italy. 

The match ended a convincing 8-3 win for Harvest over their Saturdal League team mates (Lakeside).  It has to be mentioned Harvest II was without Beb Smith (working) and the goal machine Ryan Smith (suspended).

Harvest manager Mathew Bryant says his Lakeside team 'has reaped the benifits of using futsal for team training.'  The team 100% Saturday Cup and League record speaks for its self.

Next Saturday season Lakeside will change their team name to Harvest and expand to a first and second team in the Grimsby Saturday League.  Futsal players that are interested in playing 11v11 within a team of commited futsal players can contact myself and I will pass your details onto to team managers Mathew & Jon Bryant.

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