OC II's - 8 Aldenham II's - 0

By Alan Fenton

I played my first league game for the OC III's on Saturday 17th September 2011. Led my the mildly homoerotic duo of Dolman and Kibbey, we took on an Andy Evans-less Haberdashers on their patch. In a dire 1-1 draw, there was little sign of things to come, the 'nearly-men' of '10 and '11 struggled to assert any real pressure and in the end were rather fortunate to snatch a draw. With an almighty hangover, and magazines for shinpads, I sat on the bench with JCB for 70 of the 90 minutes struggling to control the camera.

Fast forward to this Saturday and the OC III's have come a long way. (2 Wellington dead rubbers aside) this team has not lost since that day in Arthurian League Competition, 5 trophies have been won and nearly 200 goals scored. That team have overtaken the 2's, vanquished the 'nearly-men' tag and become the toast of the club. The footballing style initiated by Kibbs and Del has become doctrine under RUDDEN's leadership. This team plays with an attacking verve seldom seen in amateur football, 7 different assist makers, 8 goals scored, none conceded, relentless pressing high up the pitch; this Saturday was a joy to behold, a long way from 2 years ago on the Chiswick flood plain.

Some things never change though, and as JCB and I again watched from the bench (albeit with shinnies and without hangover), Ben Moss was, by some considerable distance, the outstanding player on the pitch, just as he was in 2011.

It is probably weird to think of an 8-0 drubbing and immediately associate Ben Moss with it. He isn't known for his goalscoring, or even his final pass, but on Saturday he was magnificent. He led the side on Saturday with all but armband, his insatiable appetite for the ball from his centre backs started off nigh on every move, his passing was crisp and accurate and, as ever his heading and off the ball covering play was supreme. Has he been in secret training all summer?

Needless to say he is my man of the match, and I challenge any nay-sayers. Other notable performances came from Greensmith x2 in dominating the left flank and Hitchcock on his competitive debut, offering a direct threat down the right hand side.

Aldenham are not a bad side, they won the league below at a canter last year and will be a competitive side in this division, but they were no match for this team, on this day. Whilst it took 25 minutes to open the scoring, it was a fully deserved 5-0 at the interval. Ordered on by RUDDEN, rather than cruise to a comfortable vistory, it was relentless. 6-0, 7-0, 8-0, and it could have been so many more. Manches will be disappointed to 'only' notch a hat-trick, Nash may have been persuaded not to drink himself to the verge of suicide if he had added to his pair with any of the gilt edged chances he squandered and yours truly has been bullied by Cameron and Beddows for far too long to be confident and clinical with any sniff of goal.

Lads, best of luck for the season, I have no doubt you will smash this league, a bit of luck and Justin Lee Collins will be lost and found again, and you are going to be a match for anyone in the regional cups. I can't wait until the stars align and I can step up again. God Speed.

*I look forward to his Match Report so, so much

OC IIIs thump Parkfield in London Old Boys Finale

1903 - the Wright brothers' defy gravity; 1954 - Roger Bannister runs a four minute mile; 1961 - Uri Gagarin enters space; 1969 - Neil Armstrong lands on the moon; 1990 - the World Wide Web is launched. humanity has been waiting for another date in its diary to share with generations of the future and on Saturday 13th April 2013 at 16:45 hrs the OC 3rd XI provided perhaps the most important of them all when they became the first Arthurian League football team to win the Junior London Old Boys Cup.

A cup which has eluded past greats of the OC game - notable individuals include Dolman, Jackson (J), Jackson (M), Elles-Hill and French, now sits proudly in the 3rd XIs ever growing trophy cabinet. Time and time again great sides, pieced together by masterminds of the game, have toiled in the fiercest of battle conditions to call themselves victors, alas never fruitful. This is now amended; bruised from years gone by, scarred from the feeling of injustice, the 3rd XI animal was hungrier than ever on Saturday - and for once they prevailed in the London Old Boys. The agony of years gone by has been alleviated, pain has become pure joy.

The conditions may have been enough for believers in pathetic fallacy to pack up and head to the comfort of the Lighthouse. The rain drove down and the wind howled, even the bullets unleashed by Cobden-Ramsey seemed to be effected. Not the OC 3s though. The early exchanges from the men in pink, maroon and navy had the unmistakable stamp of class. Tackles were relentlessly won, the ball was nurtured like a fine tuned Kibbey lid and the channels were exploited with such ruthlessness you would have been forgiven for feeling just slightly sorry for their full backs.

Just ten minutes into the game came the first breakthrough. Cobden-Ramsey, fed the ball by the self-confessed Rolls-Royce of centre backs, Carnegie-Brown, made a mockery of not one, not two but three players before feeding the ball between goalkeeper and centre back. Manches, fuelled on what he called his 'best buy to-date from M&S' - a prawn, noddle, coriander and mango chilli wrap, timed his run to absolute perfection sliding in superbly from close range. 1-0.

Parkfield were riled, however the Charterhouse boys smelt blood. When Manches received the ball on the top right corner of the penalty area he swivelled before provided a signature finish into the bottom left. 2-0 and just 15 minutes had passed on the referees watch.

Why stop there then? As Parton and Moss (B), industrious as ever, fought for every 50-50 in the middle the ball broke for Manches again, he played in Nash, who had caused all sorts of issues for Parkfield with his pace, he rounded the keeper to pass into an open net. Parkfield did find time to grab a scrappy goal from an incoming corner but it was the mighty 3s who entered into the relative comfort of their changing room with a 3-1 lead at the interval.

It is a mark of a great side when they can change their game in order to deal with the problems posed by an opposition. This is exactly what happened for the next quarter of the game. Parkfield increased their levels of aggression to a scale unseen so far this season. Poor tackles and increased levels of abuse would have left many sides questioning how much they wanted to carry on in their pursuit. This OC side pushed harder and stood firmer though, they wouldn't crumble, they wanted that cup!

With just fifteen minutes left on the clock the first major mistake of the game occurred and Parkfield's fate was sealed. A Cobden throw was misjudged by the opposition keeper, who once he had tipped it over his own head could only watch in horror as it nestled in the goal bag. 4-1, cue some flaring of tempers.

As the OCs refused to give a yard to their opposition nasty tackle after nasty tackle came their way. Three yellow cards and a red later - all for Parkfield, Kibbey skinned his marker to feed Perera who gratefully accepted the task of slipping the ball under the encroaching keeper. Rout complete. Name on the trophy.

Just the final whistle was left to be blow, the trophy collected and a few celebratory drinks to be sunk. the JLC final awaits this weekend, could lightning strike twice in two years in Teddington?

Treble Dream Still Alive as OC 3s Dig Deep on Bumper Weekend

This weekend was a good weekend.

Saturday's 5-0 demolition of Eton, away from home on a tough surface - in a cup semi-final no less - must go down as one of the performances of the season, in a campaign in which we have consistently delivered to a very high level. The frustration felt in yesterday's 3-2 defeat on a foreign surface (astro turf) away to Wellington really shouldn't take away from that. Ultimately, the possibility of an unprecedented treble remains - something which, I'd imagine, is true of very few teams, at any level of football, up and down the country.

One of the great things about the 3s this year is the manner in which we have found ways to win all kinds of football matches. If the unavoidable truth that the playing surface at Eton more closely resembled Aintree at 4 30 on Saturday afternoon than any sort of pitch fit to showcase the finest footballing talents of the Arthurian League made the fact that all 5 of our goals came from set-pieces less surprising, it certainly made the feat no less impressive. As a team that prides itself on playing 'proper' football, its nice to know that we have the ability and the nous to mix things up and find other ways to find the net.

Two penalties from Charlie Nash (both dispatched with aplomb), two long throws from George (forced over the line by Ben Moss and Rich Greensmith) and a corner audaciously back-heeled home by Nick Wilkinson showed we can still revert back to the ways of the Old Fentonians era when required. In fact, it would have been rude of Dolly to head home when unmarked from 3 yards out as it simply wouldn't have been in keeping with the theme of the day. Equally impressive though was the rearguard action which barely allowed Eton a sniff all day, and what was pleasing was the way that at 2 and 3 - 0 we continued to attack and refused to sit back on our lead as we have occasionally been guilty of doing in recent weeks. The back-four was the ideal one to deal with the long ball assault leveled at us in the second half, and, when called upon, John Jenkins was ready as ever to make a fantastic save. Ed Goldmith and Charlie Nash dove-tailed well to mask the absence of Mike Sanchez, while wide-boys Ruddsy,  Kibbs and Frenchy all used the ball effectively and looked a constant threat on the break. Ben, Dolly and Gus, as ever, dominated the midfield battle never allowing Eton a foothold in the match, before setting our regular attack waves calmly on their way with some intelligent passing. GCR may have just edged the MoM voting for his significant contributions at both ends of the field - so long as we overlook his 'macho' shove in the second half after being blind-sided by an opponent.

Ultimately it was a great display all-round resulting in a fantastic win. We should be very proud of our progress to the final.  


Following that, Sunday was always going to be tough. Hamstrung by a number of mitigating circumstances including the unfamiliar astro surface, a somewhat threadbare 12-man squad (9 of whom had featured heavily on Saturday) after a couple of late and unavoidable withdrawals and the inevitably heavy legs we were carrying, I think we can be proud of our performance. Yes, it would have been nice to get the league sewn up, but the fact remains that we will have more opportunities to do so.

Tiredness was apparent was we slipped to a two goal lead in the first 20 minutes, but the reaction was a spot on, and should give us real optimism going forward. At 2-0 down, fatigued as we were, we could have crumbled, but, with our backs-to-the-wall we really showed what we were made of and drag the game back. After leveling up at 2-2 with goals from Ed Greensmith (though Rich Greeno would beg to differ) and a James Kibbey header (yes, really), anyone watching would have thought there could only be one winner. But that wasn't to be and a cruel slice of luck saw a double deflection squirm past John Jenks with just 6 or 7 minutes remaining. Again we roared back at them and, if your captain for the day could finish we might well have snatched the draw we needed to secure the title at the last - which is a great testament to all involved. Nasher played very well and provided some great attacking threat, but MoM clearly went to returning hero Adam Dolman. Unfortunately his reward for his fine performance wasn't a medal or  MoM champagne, but a huge number of astro burns on his legs from the number of sliding tackles he put in. Wear those scars with pride Del - you were top draw!


Onwards and upwards from here gents... Its all to play for. The treble is still very much ON. That said, we've won nothing yet...!

JLC 2nd Round: OC III's - 4 Old Cholms II's - 0

Well done Saturday guys, a very professional job which sees us march on into the quarter-finals of the JLC to play Old Wellingtonians or Old Reptonians away.

Having weathered the original push from Cholms in the first 20 minutes or so we came through and in all honesty the game was dead at 3-0. Having said that we kept working and made sure that we finished the job. A clean sheet is always a positive so well done to the back four and Rob who made a couple of great saves… JCB’s clearance off the line in the first half at 0-0 was superb too!

The midfield and front line all put in a really good shift which is great. Three of the four goals were counter-attacks following a sustained effort to get the ball back. Once the ball was with us the clinical nature of the goals was fantastic too. Well done all over the pitch, they were stuffed and are really not a bad side at all so a big congratulations is in store.

A special mention has to go to Dolly for his goal, I can’t remember a smile quite like it when you saw the ball hit the back of the net. MOM though goes to the hat-trick hero. El Manche was calm and collected in front of goal and his movement and work rate to get into those positions was superb too. Well played sir!

Old Chigs II's - 4 OC III's - 5 16th February 2013

2 points up with a game in hand on our closest and biggest rivals, 5 league games left to play.... "4 wins will see us home, girls will want us, blokes will want to be us... but lets take it one game at a time" was the twisted logic of skipper RiRu before the game in his pre-match pep talk. This one was big, the opponents strong, the stakes high.

The Chigwell pitches (aka the Leyton Orient training ground) had, to put it mildly, been affected by recent wet weather. Moved from the sand trapped scheduled pitch to a lower ground, this was not the quickly drained sandstone base of Northfield's green pastures. Nevertheless, we started well, quickly settling into a good passing game which saw us dominate possession and chances on goal for the first 15 minutes of the game, with Henry Bliss and Rich Rudden dominating the middle, and James Kibbey and George Cobden-Ramsay linking really well down the right. A couple of half chances were created before Charterhouse struck, a scrappy opener  but well taken by the weaker and lesser talented Greensmith brother Ed, some sharp feet (not easy for a big man) taking the ball round the defender and slamming home from close range. 1-0. The second followed shortly after, a beautifully whipped in corner by Charlie Nash placed perfectly on Mike Manches' head who rose like a salmon high above the defenders to power the ball into the top corner. 2-0. This seemed to wake the home side up a bit, with Charterhouse also suffering a major blow mid-way through the first half with inspirational defender Nick Wilkinson limping off with a hamstring injury. This prompted a reshuffle at the back, with 'signing of the season' Rich 'The Rock' Greensmith (too far?!) sliding from left back into the middle (and continuing off the pitch in one comedic episode mid-way through the first half), and the Godfather James Moss, as solid as ever, being brought on to slot in at full back. The home team created a couple of chances, a dangerous corner that was cleared and a 25 yard pot-shot that went just over showing that they had real intent. However, the game was seemingly killed off 10 mins before half time as Nash was hacked down in box having rounded the keeper ('I GOT THE BALL' he proclaimed... Sure), to cooly slot home the resulting penalty. 3-0. Half time.

The second half brought a rejuvinated Chigwell (including 2 substitutes that were not 2s regulars), who noticeably upped the tempo. 15 mins in a we still looked comfortable however, until a quick break down the left and a well placed cross was too good for the defence and their striker headed home expertly with a fine finish. 3-1. No need to panic. That was until 5 mins later when a free kick was given (don't get Rudden started on the decision) and one of their subs bending the ball over the wall and into the bottom corner for another fine goal. 3-2. The game stayed that way for a while, with Jon Jenkins commanding is area well as the home side pumped long balls forward in search of an equaliser, and the excellent James Carnegie-Brown, Henry Bliss and Angus Procter commanding every header that came their way. Then it was our turn to break, a flick on from Manches setting Rudden through on goal to expertly slam home past the keeper to provide the breathing space we needed. 4-2.

10 mins left. We could all breath a sigh of relief at last after a frantic 20 minute period. That lasted all of 30 seconds however, when time seemed to stand still as there half time substitute (who rashly admitted to being a professional goalkeeper mid-game) let a 'worldy' fly from 40 yards that left Jenks helpless as it sailed into the top corner. 4-3... Game On. The next 5 mins saw the ball being thumped back and fourth as they desperately searched for an equaliser, whilst we broke ranks from our usual Brendan Rodgers inspired passing game to resemble Wimbledon of the 1990s. 2 minutes to go, a soft free kick conceded (not the first in the game, but we're not bitter.............), which was whipped in to the back post. At least 6 bodies jumped which only served to knock the ball down on a plate to their sniping #14 to slot home his second of the game. 4-4.... heartbreak. 90 mins on the clock, from 3-0 we would have to settle for a draw. We would have taken that wouldn't we? Away to tough competition on a difficult pitch, our opponents in the ascendancy?

NOT A CHANCE.

1 minute into injury time. The ball straight from the kick-off finds its way down the Charterhouse left wing, with a good defensive challenge forcing a corner. The 'Big Lads' (know your place JC-B) are thrown forward. Nasher takes from the bottom end, and fires in to the near post, flicked on, and falls on the half volley to man-of-the-match Henry Bliss, unmarked, 3 yards out.....

4-4 after 90 mins....... 5-4 after 93. (Lets forget for now the mysterious 'offside' to deny Manches his second in the dieing moments with the goalkeeper down the wrong end and us with a 3 on 1... Course you saw it ref...).

Four games left, a semi-final to look forward to. Lets take things one game at a time is the cry. The fans (Mrs Jenkins) are already dreaming of glory.

By Rich Greensmith

LOB 1/4 Final: OC III's 7 - John Fisher Old Boys II's - 3

Through to the semi-finals we go - for only the second time in the 3's history and I can only say that it was fully deserved. We ended up playing against some thoroughly unpleasant people who wanted us to turn the game into a fight. We ignored their efforts though and not only embarrassed them by showing we were much better players but also much better blokes!

At times the game may not have been as free flowing and dynamic as we like but when we needed to turn it on we did, particularly just before half time and just after. There was a slight dip which let them get two goals back but the game was soon put to bed with the seventh. We tackled hard, without trying to break any legs and just got on with it. Had we lowered ourselves to their average mental age of 4.5 we may have had difficulties but our maturity and ability shone through, we destroyed them and the battle for silverware on three fronts continues!

Mike and Nasher both had great games, coming away with two apiece, Spinksy, Dolly and Fentona had disciplined performances in the middle of the pitch ensuring that hole between the defence and attack was always plugged and Kibbs and Danny both caused problems down the flanks, as did the two Greensmith brothers. Yet again Wilko and JCB came off better than the opposition forwards and Jenks seems to get better and better - particularly his kicking and punching to which he has adopted a no nonsense attitude!

MOM though was Ed 'Goldmith' Greensmith. He proved a real asset going forward but also continues to be near impossible to get past. He also did well not to lose the plot when he got a real horror tackle in the second half (just after Nasher also got one). The team maturity and performance warranted a place in the semis, continue to play like this and we will be there or there about in all three trophies boys - keep going, stay fit and stay hungry!

Slaying Chigs; Slaying Chicks - OC III's - 1 Chigs II's - 0

It is Saturday, 12th January 2013. The score is locked at 0-0, with just 10 minutes to play. 3 points could prove crucial as we enter the business end of the season. Yet none of Tottenham, Everton or Newcastle would go on to find a winner. Where three of England's biggest clubs failed however, the OCFC 3rd XI succeeded emphatically - marching on in their quest to retain the Arthurian League Division 2 Title. Tottenham, Everton and Newcastle can boast just one major trophy between them since 1999. The OC 3s took two home last season. There lies the difference: the OC 3s win when it matters. With Captain Richard Rudden's winner 9 minutes from time securing all three points, the 3s waltzed off into the freezing January night to do the only thing they do better than winning football matches; they had dealt with Chigs, it was time to deal with Chicks.

Following a somewhat subdued performance on a tough away-day in the Ukraine (or somewhere) the previous week, in which the OC side did well to come away with a win, the senior management were blessed with a wealth of options, which included the well-groomed pairing of James's Moss and Kibbey, who has successfully managed to delay their departures to the African Cup of Nations by a couple of weeks. Buoyed by the faintest hope that there might be a touchline cameo from Basil Jackson, the 3s took to the field in good spirits. The positivity didn't last long however as a freezing temperatures, blowing winds and, eventually snow dampened OC spirits, if not their will. The pitch felt as though it was stationed alone in the Arctic, and the rhythm and flow of the game was severely disrupted by its stop-start nature; mainly attributable to the isolated nature of the pitch (and some wayward shooting from the OC skipper). The OCs showed flashes of their footballing pedigree, but failed to find a satisfactory level of consistency or commitment. That said, they were creating the better of the chances.

Mike Manches, the Arthurian League's answer to Luis Suarez, was denied a blatant penalty as his reputation for controversy apparently preceded him, while Dan Perera had the ball in the net, only to see it ruled out for offside. The OCs spurned number of half-chances, but continued to dictate the majority of the play. Despite having some possession in good areas and a number of corners, Chigwell forged little by the way of chances to show for their endeavours - when they did, Jon Jenkins was on hand, as ever, to ensure the back door was well and truly shut. As the game meandered into the second half, what was both notable and impressive was the calmness within the OC ranks. The clock ticked on, yet nobody panicked. There was a quiet, underlying confidence that the goal would come.

And it did. Of course it did. After a number of a range-finders, the captain's low curling effort from eighteen yards nestled in the bottom corner of the net, drawing one of the most impassioned celebrations of the season from the OC players and their loyal fans hidden their under umbrellas (one of whom was rumoured to be hapless former England boss, Steve McLaren). Every goal, every point, every win is of crucial importance now as the 3s march on towards their goal. And march on they do.

Match Ratings ***:

Jenkins - 7: Professional.
R. Carnegie-Brown - 5: Untidy but effective.
J. Carnegie-Brown - 5: Usually spectacular. Struggled in adverse conditions.
Wilkinson - 7: Slick and sophisticated.
Greensmith - 4: Not at his best.
Parton - 6: No frills. Solid.
Proctor - 6: Dealt difficult hand. Coped admirably.
Perera - 6: Works hard.
Rogers - 7: Silky.
Rudden - 6: Consistent. Struggled with finer details.
Manches - 7: Well drilled.
Kibbey - 9: Mercurial. Oozes class.
J. Moss - 8: Sharp, fresh, youthful.
Cobden-Ramsey - 8: Cultured. You get what you pay for.


*** N.B: Ratings based solely on match-day Haircuts.

Resilient Threes show why they are made of stern stuff

“Winning means… you’re willing to go longer, work harder [and] give more than anyone else” (Vincent Lombardi).


Broom and Lees played host to the much awaited OC 2nd XI vs. OC 3rd XI, Division 2 top of the table clash on Saturday and it served up a Winter Warmer. December is a month famous for Christmas, a time of giving, neither side here seemed to be in charitable mood however as the crisp, damp Saturday morning transcended into a good old fashioned scrap.

The threes started the day with the boost that Ed 'Goldsmith' Greensmith had decided to turn up for the game. Drink and drug fuelled Friday nights have got the better of him in recent weeks - stories leaked just a fortnight ago that he woke up on Saturday morning, as his teammates began their match against Cholms,  in a ditch not far from the former site of Dale Farm. His attempts to rebuild bridges are clear though as Saturday saw him slap a new kit bag down on the changing room floor. Controversy ensued. Dolman, Kibbey and Jackson (J) all opted to boycott the night out citing the removal of the old Umbro bag as the reason behind their decision, further news on this issue is expected in the coming days.

Once suited for war the league leaders undertook their now world famous 'French' / Rondo warm up combination whilst the skipper won the first battle of the day, correctly calling 'Heads' at the toss. The Threes (donning the famous OC colours) chose ends and the Twos (kitted in the slightly less famous inside-out OC colours) were given the ball before Guy Walker blew for the game to begin.

The most notable talking point of the first ten minutes or so, which mainly belonged to the Threes, was Guy Walker's dressing down of Schofield Senior for using a dog whistle - a stewards enquiry is still underway following complaints from Dolly that he had been left "confused to the point of tears".

For half an hour or so the Threes continued to dictate events. The back four, marshalled by the newly emerging senior figures of Jenkins, JCB and Procter, knocked the ball around amongst themselves, an illustration of the class found in every corner of the side. Dolly and Mosser set the bar in terms of commitment in the middle, winning tackles and headers as if they were fighting for the hand of Jesse Higginson, as the top four kept plugging away at a stubborn Twos defence.

Slowly though, Jingo's men came back into the game and the 15 minutes either side of half time belonged to them. Hooper struck the bar with a close range header and Jenkins was forced into a smart save at the feet of Holder before the first half whistle had gone - but for a half chance header from Manches, the Champions could afford little in the closing exchanges of the first 45 minutes.

The second half started as the first finished and with around 65 minutes on the clock Holder hit a viciously struck half volley following a corner which dipped over Jon's head into the net. At this point it would have been easy to throw in the towel, hide and hope for the best. The threes, though, came to life and it is this which they should happiest with. From that moment until the final whistle they were undoubtedly the better side. Wave after wave of attack, only broken by moments of highly efficient defending from the likes of JCB, Procter and the two centre midfielders saw the Twos begin to shake.

Rob C-B began whipping delicious balls into the area from the right, Goldsmith was everywhere, driving powerfully forward and winning everything in the air while Nash, Manches and Buzz came closer and closer. It was with 15 minutes to go and an unusual face on the score sheet which saw the league leaders draw level though. A beautifully timed run and an immaculate flick saw Procter latch onto a Nash corner and wheel away to the corner in celebration.

The last 10 minutes saw RCB strike the bar, Nash have a shot well blocked in the six yard box and with two minutes on the clock Manches had a header stunningly saved by what RiRu's sister described as 'the angriest man alive'. She has since declared some of the twos players to be 'self-righteous and over dramatic' furthermore citing concerns that Mike was "being bullied".  The second goal couldn't be found, however, and the game finished one-a-piece.

There is a long long way to go in the league, but the Champions showed they very much intend to hold onto their status as the divisions best. They should be proud of the effort and commitment they showed as well as the supreme levels of maturity on offer once they went one down. Surely another title would show to the world that the seconds have been firmly knocked off their perch?


The night out served up many a story which will no doubt come to the surface in the coming weeks...

MOM could go to one of four or five people but it was Goldsmith who edged it. He won everything and put in some superb challenges as well as looking a real threat going forward. You should all be proud of your contribution though. The most pleasing aspect to this point is how well all the new faces have settled in and the outstanding position we have put ourselves in for the business end of the season. The next two months are key and if we can keep plugging away we should still be fighting on three fronts.