retired_crazyjmiles

August Results - 2005


Welling - Eastbourne Borough
Conference South League Match
Venue: Park View Road
8/13/05

Overall Record: 1-1-0
Last Meeting: 1-0 Eastbourne at Park View Road (Conference South)

Line-Up Sheet

Hook(c)
Holmes
Tuck
Veldman
Hemsley

Chapman
Fox
Graham
Warner
Gilder

Oakes

Subs

Harrington
Myall
Arthur
O. Rowland
Marney

Pre-Match Notes: Openning fixture of the league season. Scott Oakes, John Veldman, and school-boy Andrew Fox all find themselves getting their first debuts. Michael Hall opts for a 4-5-1 away from home.

Match

Welling went close twice in the first twenty minutes. The first chance came when Jamie Day was not closed down on the edge of the box, but his shot tailed just wide. Paul Booth had the second chance shortly after when the ball fell to him just inside the penalty spot, but he somehow blazed his shot over. The Welling dominance continued through the first half, and great saves by Lee Hook kept the scores level at the break, but Welling in complete control.

After more last ditch defending by Borough, Michael Hall made the choice to open up and atttack Welling. Their first shot of the match came in the 57th minute off a free-kick by Matty Warner, but his shot sailed on him, well over the bar. But, a mazey run by substitute Danny Marney followed by a cross that the Welling goalkeeper could only tip across the goal mouth found the head of a charging Matty Warner who headed it into the net. With the lead, Michael Hall decided to pull back the squad, and play defensively again. With all his substitutions made, Eastbourne went a man down when Richard Holmes was forced to leave due to injury. In the 87th minute, Welling took the advantage and earned a much deserved equalizer when Phil Collins sent a slicing ball through the middle and Paul Booth ran it down and slotted it by Lee Hook. In the 90th minute Welling took the points when Kevin Randall got his head on the end of a corner kick and buried it in the net. Shortly after the goal Gareth Graham was sent off for a kick to a Welling player, a straight red card.

Welling, 2 - Eastbourne Borough, 1
Matty Warner(70)
Paul Booth(87)
Kevin Randalll(90)

Notes: We got battered the entire game and deserved to lose, still with the lead late in the game, it's frusrating to allow Welling to grab the points. Two injuries and a sending off didn't help our cause.

The Attendance at Park View Road was 320.

Best Performance: Matty Warner looked good in his first match of the season.
Worst Performance: Gareth Graham. He had a very quiet game and ended it with a stupid red card and will probably get a lengthy suspension.


---

Squad Update

Ashley Vincent and Ryan Peters have recovered from their pre-season injuries. Ashley Vincent had missed the last three weeks with a thigh injury. Ryan Petters had missed the last four weeks with a foot injury.

Richard Holmes will miss about a week due to a damaged shoulder.

Steve Oakes is out for about two weeks with a calf strain.

Gareth Graham's ban was increased by a further two matches, giving him a total of a 3 match ban for his kicking of another player. Great.


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Thurrock - Eastbourne Borough
Conference South League Match
8/20/05
Venue: Unknown Stadium

Overall Record: 0-0-2
Last Meeting: 2-0 Thurrock at Priory Lane

Line-Up Sheet

Hook(c)
Connell
Tuck
Veldman
Hemsley

Chapman
Myall
Peters
Warner
Gilder

Marney

Subs

Harrington
O. Rowland
Barron
Vincent
Arthur

Pre-Match Notes: Connell makes his debut in the place for injured Richard Holmes. Ryan Peters is rushed back into action for the suspended Gareth Graham. David Barron and Ashley Vincent find themselves on the bench.

Match

In the 10th minute, Danny Marney was sent through by a nice pass by Ryan Peters, and while the forward's shot beat the keeper it didn't beat the post. Thurrock took the lead in the 14th minute very much against the run of play when Steve Heffer's shot took a deflection off Kevin Hemsley and fell into the back of the net. Matty Warner pulled Eatbourne back in the 24th minute after Danny Marney was fouled just outside the box. Warner smashed the ball through the wall and by the keeper. Marney almost pulled Eastbourne ahead in the 39th minute after a great run from the halfway line, but his shot trailed just wide of the right post as he shot across the goal.

Phillip Gilder went down in the 72nd minute as the match turned to a very physical, slow paced affair. 'A.A' Adam Arthur had a great shot to put Eastbourne ahead after a free-kick sent him free, but his initial and rebound shot were both denied. A misheader by Stuart Tuck in the 82nd minute led to a devasting go-ahead goal for Thurrock as Michael Malcolm convereted from close range. The last chance for Eastbourne came in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time. With only seconds left 'A.A' Adam Arthur sent a shot in, but was denied, but Danny Marney was there for the rebound to steal a point at the death.

Thurrock, 2- Eastbourne Borough, 2
Steve Heffer(14)
Matty Warner(24)
Michael Malcolm(82)
Danny Marney(90)

Notes: While we were very lucky to get the late goal, it was still a very frustrating match. We should have gotten more but a poor deflection and a mistake by Stuart Tuck showed two very bad signs for Eastbourne. While the lapses in the defense have seemingly returned, their luck hasn't.

The Attendance at Unknown Stadium was 429.

Best Performance: Matty Warner put in another great performance, leading the team going forward and controlling the game from the left wing.
Worst Performance: Stuart Tuck didn't look anything like himself this game. A very poor match.



Eastbourne Borough - Lewes
Conference South League Match
Venue: Priory Lane
8/27/05

Overall Record: 0-1-1
Last Meeting: 1-1 at Priory Lane

Line-Up Sheet

Harrington
Holmes
Tuck(c)
Veldman
Hemsley

Chapman
Peters
Warner
Gilder

Marney
Odubade

Subs

Hook
O. Rowland
Myall
Vincent
Arthur

Pre-Match Notes: Harrington in for Hook, who picked up a slight injury before the match. Michael Hall opts for an aggresive 4-4-2 with Odubade returning from suspension and paired up with Marney up front.

Match

A very quiet first half ended with no real chances. A few corners for Lewes contributed for most the activity as the midfield struggled to move the ball forward for the Sports. A mistake by Harrington led to the first goal as he miscontroled a cross and Marc Whiteman hammered the loose ball into the net in the 44th minute.

Danny Marney should have equalized in the 58th minute after he was set free on a counter-attack but the ball sailed over the bar. A long shot by Lewes hit the crossbar in the 72nd minute, as Eastbourne struggled moving forward.

Eastbourne Borough, 0 - Lewes, 1
Marc Whiteman(44)

Notes: We have alot of work to do.

The Attendance at Priory Lane was 316.

Best Performance: Danny Marney had several good runs, but there was no support.
Worst Performance: Danny Chapman did nothing to break up Lewes attacks.


August Results: 0-1-2

retired_crazyjmiles

September 2005: Results

Squad Update

As health seemed to improve for Eastbourne, Scott Oakes tore a groin muscle but fortunately is only expected to miss a month of action.

---

Eastbourne Borough - Bishop's Stortford
Conference South League Match
Venue: Priory Lane
9/10/05

Overall Record: 0-0-2
Last Meeting: 0-2 at Priory Lane

Line-Up Sheet

Hook(c)
Holmes
Tuck
Veldman
Hemsley

Barron
Peters
Warner
Gilder

Marney
Odubade

Subs

Harrington
Chapman
Fox
Vincent
Arthur

Pre-Match Notes: Hall goes with a very basic 4-4-2 formation, Barron and Peters paired up in the middile, Marney and Odubade up front.

Match

Danny Marney did well to pickpocket Bishop's midfielder Paul Neville in the first minute and after a nice run into the box, his shot was well saved. Matty Warner's free-kick just went wide in the 5th minute. A poor clearance by Stuart Tuck was a perfect set up for a strike by Bishop's Scott Cook, but his shot grazed the outside of the left post. In a very open match, Eastbourne still looked wasteful going forward.

Another early chance was wasted when Ryan Peters slid a ball into Yemi 'Trainwreck' Odubade who fired way over the bar and shortly later Marney fired over after finding space in the box. Bishop took the lead in the 61st minute when a long ball from a free-kick found it's way to the back post where Alstair Heselton hammered it from close range. Shortly after Kevin Hemsley recieved his second booking of the match and was sent off. Just to make matters worse, Matty Warner also recieved a second booking, and in the 81st minute, he was forced to leave the match as well.

Eastbourne Borough, 0 - Bishop's Stortford, 1
Alstair Heselton(61)

Notes: A number of missed chances, two red cards, and a undeserved, weakly given up goal. That was the match for Eastbourne.

The Attendance at Priory Lane was 322.

Best Performance: Ryan Peters had a decent match
Worst Performance: Kevin Hemsley.


---

Squad Update

Kevin Hemsley and Matty Warner will miss the next match due to suspension.


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Cambridge City - Eastbourne Borough
Conference South League Match
Venue: City Ground
9/17/05

Overall Record: 1-0-1
Last Meeting: 2-0 Cambridge at City Ground

Line-Up Sheet

Hook(C)
Holmes
Tuck
Chapman
Veldman

Graham
Peters
Warner
Gilder

Marney
Odubade

Subs

Harrington
Chapman
O. Rowland
Barron
Myall
Arthur

Pre-Match Notes: Graham is back from suspension as Michael Hall sends out a balanced 4-4-2 against the 5-3-2 of Cambridge City. Ashley Vincent is in for the suspended Warner.

Match

Richard Holmes was forced to clear a header off the line in the 7th minute while Eastbourne were forced to play deep in their own half. Cambridge continued to dominat the half and after several great saves by Lee Hook and a few botched chances, Eastbourne escaped into halftime with the scores level.

Poor passing between the midfield of Eastbourne led to a counter-attack by Cambridge City and Robbie Simpson easily finished. Eastbourne continued to their poor passing throughout the entire half and only a slight chance by Danny Marney was beating one defender was botched when he shot the ball well over the bar in the 60th minute.

Cambridge City, 1 - Eastbourne Borough, 0
Robbie Simpson(53)

Notes: One point in five matches, our passing has been awful, we aren't creating even a third of the chances we were last season. Granted every club we have faced are currently in the Top 5 of the table, we have to pull a result soon.

The Attendance at City Ground was 327.

Best Performance: Phillip Gilder fought well on the right side, gathered possession and looked decent going forward.
Worst Performance: The rest of our midfield was awful.


Eastbourne Borough - Weston-super-Mare
Conference South League Match
Venue: Priory Lane
9/24/05

Overall Record: 1-0-1
Last Meeting: 1-0 Weston at Woodspring Park

Line-Up Sheet

Hook(c)
Holmes
Tuck
Hemsley
Veldman

Chapman
Graham
Warner
Gilder

Marney
Odubade

Subs

Harrington
Barron
Arthur
Vincent
Peters

Pre-Match Notes: Michael Hall decided to go with a 4-4-2 with only one new player from the last offseason in the starting eleven.


Match

John Veldman made a bad mistake in the 9th minute knocking the ball past his own keeper and the scramble that followed led Danny O'Hagan poking the ball into the net. Eastbourne were down 2-nil at the 25th minute when Kevin Parker slotted one by Lee Hook and Eastbourne looked to be in shambles. A great cross by Matty Warner met the head of Gareth Graham at the end of the half but his shot was parried away.

The second half didn't have alot of action, and my frustrations levels are starting to peak, so I don't want to talk about this match anymore.

Eastbourne Borough, 0 - Weston-super-Mare, 3
Danny O'Hagan(9)
Kevin Parker(25)
Mark McKeever(79)

Notes: No comment.

The Attendance at Priory Lane was 474.

Best Performance: Matty Warner.
Worst Performance: Danny Chapman.


Eastbourne Borough - Hornchurch
Conference South League Match
Venue: Priory Lane
9/27/05

Overall Record: 0-0-2
Last Meeting: 2-0 Hornchurch at Priory Lane

Line-Up Sheet

Hook(c)
Holmes
Tuck
Hemsley
Veldman

Graham
Barron
Peters
Warner
Gilder

Odubade

Subs

Harrington
Chapman
Myall
Vincent
Marney

Pre-Match Notes: In an effort just to get some points, Michael Hall sends out a very defensive oriented line-up. David Barron is in the line-up as well as Peter Ryans. Yemi 'Trainwreck' Odubade sits up front alone.

Match

A dreadfully boring game where a total of 3 shots were made in the entire match, none of which were on target.

Eastbourne Borough, 0 - Hornchurch, 0

Notes: Well, we got a point to break up the losing streak.

The Attendance at Priory Lane was 472.

Best Performance: David Barron did well breaking up attacks.
Worst Performance: Yemi Odubade barely touched the ball.

September Results: 0-1-3

retired_crazyjmiles

Oh my, how the time has flied. If I can recall, the last time we visited Priory Lane, our Sports were not exactly off to a great start in the league. An off-season of changes and the injection of young players from various locations took it's toll on our brave Eastbourne Borough squad and the chemistry just wasn't there.

The FA Cup is the best Cup in the world, though, I may be biased and in the Qualifying rounds, our Sports found their footing. A very crowd pleasing home tie victory over Stamford with two goals by Danny Marney and a goal by Yemi 'Trainwreck' Odubade gave the squad a big confidence boost. This win put in motion a great string of results with another FA Cup win against Mangotsfield(Trainwreck) and then two league wins over Redditch(Warner, Marney) and Margate(Warner, Trainwreck).

The biggest result of the great streak was a rather low-key victory over Windsor & Eton as Eastbourne snuck by with a late goal by Danny Marney. The win meant that the lowly Eastbourne Borough had gone through the gauntlet and qualified for the First Round of the FA Cup. A qualification that boosted the whole morale of a squad that only a month ago was in shambles.

A draw against Carshalton and being knocked out by Hyde in the first round of the FA Trophy Cup put a damper on the excitement before the Eastbourne Borough squad headed to the Racecourse Ground for the huge FA Cup tie at Wrexham. While the result wasn't exactly pleasing for Eastbourne(6-0 loss), the achievement of making it that far was enough to keep the pride of the squad high.

After being knocked out of the FA Cup, Michael Hall's squad had a few up and down results before knocking off Basingstoke and Farnborough(a club, if you remembered, dominated Eastbourne last season). The mix results followed Eastbourne well into December and as January approached, the Eastbourne Sports began to show signs of wearing down as injuries began to become a very tough problem for Michael Hall.

The biggest news, besides the FA Cup run, for Eastbourne was the stunning sell of their leading goal scorer Danny Marney. Marney was sold to S****horpe for £70,000 where he will join former Eastbourne striker Scott Ramsay. It was a move that shocked not only the fans, but the squad as Danny Marney was voted Player of the Year last season by the supporters, was on his way to another decent/team leading goal tally, but Michael admited the money was too good to pass up and the team needed a shake up.

Danny Marney's career at Eastbourne didn't last long but it was memorable. He scored vital goals in the campaign last year to save the Sports from relegation and his key goals this season helped put together a nice run to push Eastbourne up the table and away from the bottom. He made a total of 53 starts for the club and 8 substitute appearances. In that run he scored 30 goals for a club that struggled to find the net.

In an attempt to replace the goal scorer, Michael Hall brought in Reading's Kevin Doyle, a 22-year old Irish forward, on a season long loan.

To cap off the end of December, Eastbourne fell in three straight games, but the table looks alot brighter than it did only a few months ago.

retired_crazyjmiles

The Table: Beginning of January

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/4899/table6lv0.th.jpg

The Squad

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/5539/squadua4.th.jpg

(Lee Connell has been playing most his matches in the midfield as Michael Hall attempts to convert him into a holding role type of player)

FA Cup - First Round

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/4588/wrexhamhw0.th.jpg

The result doesn't look good, but it was a big achievement.

Roleplayers Comparision

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/1889/roleplayerskz1.th.jpg

A comparison between two players that don't get alot of starts, but come in various positions to fill a gap due to injuries, suspensions, etc.

retired_crazyjmiles

The New Year started off great for Eastbourne Borough as they traveled to York Road to face Maidenhead. Michael Hall notched his second win over Maidenhead in his career at Eastbourne in a 2-1 victory. Phillip Gilder took a Gareth Graham short free-kick at the edge of the box and powered the ball through the Maidenhead goalkeeper in the 17th minute, but Maiden pegged them back immeadiately. A mistake by Richard Holmes, the fullback gave away the ball in the box and it led to an easy equalizing goal for Lawrence Yaku. Though, vital, late goals are where heroes are born, and Kevin Doyle was the hero in this match. In the 89th minute, Doyle was picked out on a great centering ball by Scott Oakes. The loaned in forward headed the ball into the net to steal the three points to the dismay of the home fans.

Shortly after the match, Michael Hall confirmed the transfer of Ollie Rowland. Ollie, the full-back and brother of Simon Rowland, was upset about his fringe status due to his promising performance at the tail of last season. With a handed in transfer request, Michael Hall decided to honor the players plea for a change of clubs, and a deal was quickly worked out with Halifax for £2,000. The 23 year old full-back made a total of 11 starting appearances and 6 as a substitute, and while he performed well, he was never able to unseat Stuart Tuck.

"We felt it was only right to give Ollie a chance somewhere else. He just wasn't getting playing time here and he felt that it was hampering his career. We wish him all the best," Michael Hall was quoted as saying in an interview with Eastbourne's lead reporter, Benny Bailey.

The next match of January saw Michael Hall end his losing streak against Sutton United. A club that beat Eastbourne twice last season fell victim to Kevin Doyle. The new loaned in player found the net twice in a span of two minutes. His first goal came on a counter-attack in the 23rd minute when in-form winger Phillip Gilder sent him through and only a few minutes later Ashley Vincent(in for the injured Matty Warner) sent a long ball that Doyle latched on to and easily beat the Sutton keeper.

In a great start to January, Michael Hall saw his club climb to 12th after the first two matches of the new year. A nice 10-point cushion lay inbetween the Sports and the relegation zone.


---

Benny Bailey had only moved into the small apartment a few days ago, and already the changes had begun. Michael Hall cursed as he searched under the table, in the drawers, and anywhere else he could think to find his cigarettes.

The courts had moved at rapid speeds, after the documents, interviews, and witnesses it was clear that the Bailey family had no wish to watch over the "pest of a child" and Michael Hall had won the guardianship of the boy. It was a dramatic change, he had never had any kids, and now he understood why. Benny Bailey was an independent boy, nearly into teenager hood, but that still required him to actually provide a meal on a regular basis, something he rarely did for himself.

But, while there were alot of changes, things Michael Hall needed to do differently, he was glad to have Bailey in the home. Benny was now out of the dangers of his former household, and that was the most important thing, though, that phrase had to be repeated several times some days when Michael Hall needed that extra bit of convincing.

The questions hadn't stopped since Benny had entered his new home for the first time. Michael Hall had grown used to and loved the isolation of working on his managing in his own apartment, but now there was rarely a moment of silence. He rarely found the time to work on potential line-ups, go over his notes without Benny peaking over his shoulder, questioning his every move of the pencil. "Why'da cross dat one out, looked brilliant to me" or the more important "Why dun you play him?"

Why, why, why. The American had grown to hate that word. "Why this", "Why that"...but when that happened, Hall usually tried to be honest, a detailed explanation of why, but then he realized that just provoked more "Why questions" and he resorted to now just giving quick, sarcastic comments that left the young boy startled and confused. In that brief silence Michael Hall would quickly find something to do and disappear but before he knew it, energetic Benny Bailey would pound him with more questions.

But Michael Hall also knew that this was the right thing, and Benny Bailey, while like most children, could cause annoyance, it was nice having the company. It was nice hearing a young, optimistic view of the Sports and other various topics.

But then there was the most annoying factor of Benny Bailey's arrival. Michael Hall pulled himself up off the carpet after finding no trace of his treasure that he sought for in and under every location he could think of through the apartment. Finally giving in, Michael Hall shouted toward the area of Benny, who was eating his cereal and watching the lastest football highlights on the television.

"Benny, where the hell did you put my cigaretes?"

"I ain't tellin', they ain't good for ya. They had a big talk about it at school last week."

Walking over to where Benny lounged comfortably on the couch that sat directly infront of the small television screen, Michael Hall brought his voice to a serious tone.

"Benny, I know they are, but I just need to tell you where they are. I won't smoke them."

"You promise?"

"I promise," Michael Hall lied.

"I flushed 'em down the can."



---


The match had ended 1-1, and Michael Hall shook the opposing manager's hand as obsenities filled his head. He knew Eastbourne should have beat Thurrock, a team that had frusrated the American manager in the past, and the late equalizing goal had stolen two points from the club.

But, the home fans at Priory Lane didn't seem the least bit disappointed. In fact, cheers and chants filled the air, all directed toward Kevin Doyle, the newest sensation to hit the small Eastbourne squad. He had scored again which had meant 7 goals in 9 matches, this time a nice run complimented a decent ball by Matty Warner and Doyle, in a great crowd pleaser, chipped the goalkeeper to give what should have been a game winning goal.

Gone from the supporters' memories was the dramatic, unpredictable goals of Danny Marney and in it's place was Kevin Doyle. The loaned in forward from Reading had captured the joys of Eastbourne faithful, and who seemingly got along well with the squad members. Doyle had linked well with Eastbourne's most noticeable player Matty Warner from the start and this was a huge plus. With the performances and skills of Warner over the last seasons, he had quickly become an undroppable, important player of the team and ever since his "yellow card incident" he had earned the loyalty of the fans and teammates. Now with another player in the squad, someone who worked well with the fan favorite Matty Warner, Michael Hall realized that this was special.

That night, long after Benny Bailey had gone to bed, Michael Hall dialed Len Smith.

"I know it might be a crazy thought, but let's talk to Reading. I want to make Doyle's loan move permanent."

"I like your ambition, lad, but I'm not sure we could afford him, the one we have raised needs to go to other places besides new players. Secondly, I'm not sure he would be all too keen in making Eastbourne more than just a building block, teams are going to be coming out the woodwork for him now."

"I know, Len, but, let's just try. I just think..."

"Alright, lad, I'll try, but don't get your hopes up."


---

Following a 1-0 defeat at third in the table Welling, Eastbourne had horrible injury news. John Veldman, one of their most consistant performers tore a calf muscle in the loss and doctors assumed he would miss about three months, which would basically rule him out for the rest of the season. With the loss, Michael Hall's Eastbourne squad suddenly looks very insecure at the back. The 38 year-old Dutch defender had performed well all season for the Sports and now a big gap in the center of the defense appeared due to his injury.

In an effort to fill the place left by Veldman, Michael Hall quickly made a move to loan Charlton's 22 year-old defender, Mark Ricketts. Charlton and Eastbourne agreed on a three month loan switch. The move for Mark Ricketts was a knee-jerk reaction, and Sports fans were very optimistic that Ricketts could quickly patch-up the backline as Eastbourne traveled to Bishop's Stotford, who sat 6th in the table.

Yemi 'Trainwreck' Odubade put Eastbourne up early in the first half, shortly after Hemsley was forced to clear a ball off the line and Doyle almost added to the tally shortly after but he was denied from close range on a counter. But a horrible own goal added to what would end up as a shocking 3-1 win for Eastbourne with a Scott Oakes goal wrapping up the scoring for the Sports.

A match at Lewes, who jumped Bishop in the table after Eastbourne's win in the last fixture, was next for the Eastbourne. Kevin Doyle led the squad to another improbable win when he headed in a Phillip Gilder cross in the 82nd minute in a very even match up. Scott Oakes sealed the points in stoppage time when the 32 year-old forward made it two goals in two matches. Eastbourne were flying high, with Kevin Doyle finding himself as the hero in another tough fixture for the Sports and Michael Ricketts yet again excelled at the back.

In the last match of the month Eastbourne fell to Cambridge City 1-0. But the loss at the end January couldn't hide the great run of form that Eastbourne found. The Sports collected four wins, one draw, and two losses in the entire month as they saw themselves climb the table to finish the month at 11th.

---

The phone rang at 5pm, Michael Hall was half-asleep, watching a television in a day that he took off from football. It was the 2nd of February and his team had turned around what looked to be a dismal season, and Eastbourne now found themselves secure in the middle of the table. He decided not to focus on his work for the day with the next match of the season six days away, he felt he needed a break from the grind of working as a football manager. The voice on the other end was Len Smith, chairman of Eastbourne Borough.

"I just got off the phone with Nigel Howe, we got a deal."

"What?"

"Nigel Howe is the general manager of Reading, lad. We hammered out a deal for Kevin."

A surge of excitement soared through Michael Hall as he bolted up in his chair.

"How much? How much? Can we afford it?"

Len Smith chuckled to himself as Michael Hall's voice raced and stumbled over his words with energy.

"Ah, lad, they don't call me a business man for no reason. We worked out a a deal for £4,000."

Michael Hall was stunned, he had figured that Doyle, especially with his goal streak would be valued at quadruple if not more what Len had said the deal would cost them. Len's voice took over as Michael searched for words to say.

"Well, I hope you are ready to go out, let's head out to Priory Lane. We have an appointment with Kevin and his agent in two hours."

So much for a day off, Michael thought amusingly to himself as hung up the phone, and raced to get prepared for the meeting. As he headed out the door, he remembered one thing he had forgotten.

"Benny, get ready to leave, I have a story for you to report on."

retired_crazyjmiles

As January ended with a 1-0 loss, so February began. Weston-super-Mare continued to show their dominance over Eastbourne when Mark McKeever's free-kick found the net in the 63rd minute. Michael Hall's side fell for the third time in four matches against the Weston squad, and this match would only add to his frustration. It was a slow, physical game and the only real chances for both teams came with several free-kicks and McKeever's goal was the only breakthrough.

The next fixture marked the beginning of Kevin Doyle's career as an Eastbourne Borough player. Shortly after finalizing a contract with Len Smith and Michael Hall, Kevin Doyle netted the winning goal over Redditch to the delight of the supporters at Priory Lane. Often injured Scott Oakes also found the net shortly after Doyle to seal off the game, but Doyle had the limelight. Kevin Doyle's goal came when Yemi 'Trainwreck' Odubade sent a through ball inbetween the Redditch defenders in the 72nd minute, and Kevin Doyle finished with ease. The 2-0 win while pleasing, the performance of the hyped player that had just sealed a two year contract for Eastbourne was the most delighting outcome of the match.

The win over Redditch was followed up by two more victories, a very tight 1-0 win at Hornchurch where Scott Oakes stole the points on a counter-attack in the 82nd minute and a very open 2-1 victory over Margate where Matty Warner started the scoring with a free-kick and Yemi 'Trainwreck' Odubade gave them the two goal lead in the 50th minute. Margate pulled one back in the final minutes, but it was all too late and the great Sport run of form continued.

A surprising mistake by Lee Hook saw Eastbourne fall to a Nic McDonnell tap-in and a Carshalton victory at the War Memorial Sports Ground. The early goal in the 10th minute was a tilt in the match that Eastbourne couldn't recover from, as they were continuely frustrated by the very defensive tactics of the hosts.

Eastbourne followed the loss with a 1-1 draw at home against Redbridge. After again falling behind early, Yemi 'Trainwreck' Odubade stole a point from the visitors in the 86th minute when he was on the end of a Kevin Doyle deflected shot and he slid it by the goalkeeper for an equalizer.

Though after the draw, the poor results came. It started with a heavy loss to table topping Cambridge who hammered the Sports 3-1 at the Abbey Stadium. An early penalty given up by Kevin Hemsley only set in motion the loss but a Kevin Doyle lifeline goal late in the match was equaled out by a counter-attacking goal by Cambridge with Shane Tudor wrapping up the scoring.

Following the Cambridge loss, Eastbourne embarassingly lost against both Basingstoke(1-0) and Farnborough(2-1). Both teams sat near the very bottom of the table, and in a match that Eastbourne Borough were now expected to win, they dropped all three points. Kevin Doyle looked to have at least earned a draw in the Farnborough match with a late goal, but in stoppage time Richard Holmes was sent off for a second booking and Farnborough quickly scored a goal with their man advantage.

March ended with another heavy loss, the fourth straight for the club, when Bath clobbered Eastbourne with three goals in the first 15 minutes. Scott Oakes pulled a goal back just before halftime, but it was only consolation as Eatbourne ended March sitting 11th in the table and 8 points above relegation. With one month to go and 6 matches, Eastbourne Borough have looked to escaped the drop yet again, but now Michael Hall will be forced to build a squad that could make their way up to the top half of the Conference South Table.

retired_crazyjmiles

After four straight defeats, the month of March came to an end and the final month of play for the season arrived. April's first of six fixtures for Eastbourne came against Hendon, who sat 2nd in the table coming into the match.

In the 2nd minute attacking midfielder sent a nice defensive splitting ball through the middle of the Eastbourne backline and into the box where Eugene Ofori knocked it across Lee Hook to give Hendon the early lead. They doubled their lead in the 26th minute when Andy Robinson powered a free-kick into the net, a shot that gave Lee Hook no chance of a save. It was looking very dismal for Eastbourne, but Kevin Doyle pulled them back into the match a few minutes into the restart when Phillip Gilder picked him out with a cross into the box. 'A.A.' Adam Arthur slid a ball through the middle to find Scott Oakes unmarked in the box and he slotted the ball by the keeper to score an improbable equalizer. The comeback was complete in the 80th when Eastbourne's playmaker Matty Warner smashed a free-kick into the inside of the post and into the net for a dramatic winner.

Following up their dramatic win over Hendon, Eastbourne Borough struggled to refind their goal scoring boots as they drew with Newport County in a very boring 0-0 match that ended with Eastbourne Borough and Newport County only amounting to 4 shots in total. Eastbourne Borough rebounded after the point against Newport with a two goal win over Bognor Regis, two goals by Yemi 'Trainwreck' Odubade put them over the relegation battling squad and gave the Sports a nice confidence boost going into the very tough away fixture at Havant & Waterlooville.

Havant & Waterlooville sat 3rd in the table when Eastbourne Borough traveled to Westleigh Park. Havant had won all three of their previous meetings of the two clubs and James Taylor gave the hosts an early lead in the 15th minute when he climbed above Kevin Hemsley for a header. Lee Hook stopped a penalty in the 29th minute which turned out to haunt Havant after Kevin Doyle cancelled out the early lead. Scott Oakes added two goals in the second half with two well-placed shots after coming off the substitutes' bench. A late goal by Nigel Beale made the final 10 minutes edgy, but Eastbourne pulled out the 3-2 come from behind victory.

A 2-1 loss at Sutton United followed up the dramatic victory over Havant & Waterlooville with a goal by Kevin Doyle not enough to earn the draw.

After the loss, Eastbourne Borough hosted Maidenhead in the final match of the season. Maidenhead came into the match in the relegation zone, and were desperate for a victory. Their aggressive tactic turned out to burn them as despite Michael Hall's young line-up, the Sports made Maidenhead pay. A Matty Warner goal seperated the squads in the 42nd minute after a load of possession by Maidenhead went to waste. Kevin Doyle sealed the match off in the 75th minute after a great dribbling effort in the box freed him for a one-on-one chance with the keeper which he buried. Maidenhead were relegated, and Eastbourne left the crowd of 1,200 in Priory Lane with one last victory to keep their spirits high. In another season that relegation was a big possibility, Michael Hall and the Sports delievered a league performance that saw them finish the season in the top half of the table at 9th.

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Final Table

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The Squad

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Kevin Doyle's Form

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Kevin Doyle's form after completing his transfer to Eastbourne after coming on loan.


Matty Warner

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Matty Warner's numbers over the last two seasons at Eastbourne.

Stuart Tuck - Richard Holmes

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Our two full-backs had another solid, consistant year. Here is their comparison.

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<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> The Michael Hall Report Club: Eastbourne Borough (2nd Season with Club)Season: 2005/2006Divison: Conference SouthFinal Standings: 9thThe ResultsTotal Competitive Matches: 47(W-D-L)RecordCompetitive: 20-7-20 League: 17-7-18Cup: 3-0-2Home: 11-5-9Away: 9-2-11Biggest Win: 3-0 vs Stamford (Home) - FA Cup: Second Qualifying RoundBiggest Defeat: 6-0 vs Wrexham (Away) - FA Cup: First RoundBiggest League Win: 3-1 vs Bishop's Stortford (Away)Biggest League Defeat: 3-0 vs Weston-super-Mare (Home)Most Games Won in a Row: 5Most Games Lost in a Row: 4Most Games Without Losing: 7Most Games Without Winning: 7Friendlies: 4-0-3</pre>



<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">StatsGoals Scored: 52Goals Conceded: 53League Goals: 47League Conceded: 45Cup Goals: 5Cup Conceded: 8Goal Chart( ) - League GoalsKevin Doyle - 15 (15)Yemi Odubade - 9 (7)Scott Oakes - 9 (9)Danny Marney - 8 (5)*Matty Warner - 7 (7)* - No longer with teamStartsLee Hook - 45Kevin Hemsley - 43Phillip Gilder - 42Stuart Tuck - 42Richard Holmes - 42Sub AppearancesAdam Arthur - 33Danny Chapman - 17Scott Oakes - 17Ashley Vincent - 17Ryan Peters - 14AssistsMatty Warner - 15Yemi Odubade - 6Phillip Gilder - 5Adam Arthur - 4Gareth Graham - 3Pass PercentageScott Oakes - 86David Barron - 84Yemi Odubade - 84Matty Warner - 82Gareth Graham - 82Tackles Per GameDanny Chapman - 3.32John Veldman - 2.77Richard Holmes - 2.63Kevin Hemsley - 2.54Phillip Gilder - 2.50Dribbles Per GameKevin Doyle - 2.37Matty Warner - 2.23Yemi Odubade - 2.09Ashley Vincent - 2.07Scott Oakes - 1.91Shot on Target PercentageScott Oakes - 81Kevin Doyle - 61Yemi Odubade - 44Adam Arthur - 38Matty Warner - 38Yellow CardsKevin Hemsley - 7Phillip Gilder - 6Ashley Vincent - 6Gareth Graham - 5Yemi Odubade - 5Red CardsKevin Hemsley - 2Phillip Gilder - 1Gareth Graham - 1Richard Holmes - 1Matty Warner - 1</pre>


<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">AttendancePriory LaneHighest Attendance: 2405 vs Margate - Conference SouthLowest Attedance: 176 vs Hyde - FA Trophy: Round OneAwayHighest Attendance: 3683 at The Racecourse Ground (Wrexham - FA Cup, First Round)Lowest Attendance: 306 at The Camrose (Basingstoke - Conference South)</pre>

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Placing his feet on the desk, Michael Hall leaned back in his chair. His office, a small shack like building that sat on the Priory Lane grounds which had formerly been used by the park/landscaping supervisor. He had used the shack as a storage area for tools and various paperwork. Now it belonged to Eastbourne Borough and their manager Michael Hall.

The room was small and cluttered, neatness was not one of the attributes the now 31 year-old American possessed. There was a small filing cabinet in the far back corner and the room's center piece was the small desk that Hall currently propted his feet upon. A little lamp on the desk and a very dull bulb placed in the center of the ceiling were the only light sources in the room. Folders and papers lay spread out around the desk in no paticular order, and the wooden floor that surronded the desk only continued the disray that was the mess of papers. A small trash sat just to the right of the desk overflowing with crumpled pieces of paper, cans of various drinks, and a few styrofome boxes that formerly contained food.

As soon as the season had ended with the victory at Maidenhead, Michael Hall had began his work on the next season. The squad had jumped eight spots in the table last season from Hall's first season at Eastbourne where they had just avoided the drop, and another eight spots, while not likely meant one thing, first place.

Through all of Michael's dedication, he had earned the respect and faith of the Eastbourne supporters. A very stubborn, loyal following, the Sports supporters had raised eyebrows when the American had first taken the post, and the first stumbling block, the fans began to fill the small messageboards dedicated to the southern England football squad with their disappointment. Now, two years into his stint, Michael now had the backing of the loyal Sports' followers which just made his dedication and motivation that much stronger. He had given his all to earn their respect and now he couldn't let them down.

Michael Hall couldn't take all the credit for the moderate success(or lack of failure) the club had achieved over the last couple seasons. Nick Greenwood, while unpraised, probably deserved a good portion of it. The aging assistant manager had the utmost love for the club, and his passion for Eastbourne Borough and the players that represented it were unmatched by all. If you gave the club your all, Nick Greenwood was the best man to have in your corner. The first person to console a player after being dropped, the first man to give a player a break for missing a training session due to an emergency, the first person to support a player after a poor match, and the first coach to congratulate and drown a player in praise after a victory. Nick Greenwood gave his heart and soul into the club, but if squad member played for Eastbourne, he expected nothing less from them as well. There had been a clash between Matty Warner and Nick for a long time, two very different personalities, and it got to the point that Nick tried to convince Michael Hall several times that he had to be gotten rid of. But when Matty Warner made his dramatic change to support the club instead of himself, Nick Greenwood was now the first man to support the winger.

But that wasn't the only support Michael had found, Len Smith, the chairman had answered his plea for a chance to continue as the manager. And at the lowest point in Michael Hall's season, where Eastbourne sat at the very bottom of the league with no victories, Len Smith gave him his full backing. Now there was a greater amount of money finding its' way into the club, and Len was doing his utmost to allow Michael Hall to use it.

Then there was the rest of the coaching staff. When Michael Hall had first arrived, the coaching staff was simply Nick Greenwood at the helm of a quiet, middle-aged coach named Adrian Colwell. A small man, Michael learned while his actual coaching abilities were questionable, his ability to say the right things to encourage the players at the right time was unrivaled. He didn't speak alot, but when he did, the players listened. Ray Tuppen was the lead physio at the time of Michael Hall's arrival, and still holds the position. While not a great doctor, Ray knew his stuff and gave great medical advice for Michael in key situations. There could be no complaints toward the eccentric physio as he obviously did his best to make sure the players were healthy and fit, showing he really cared about the player, making sure they never rushed back from injuries. Ben Greaves was the last member of the "team" that the American fell into, a scout that Michael had only seen a handful of times in the two years. Most of Greaves and Hall's contact had come through Len or over the phone, but his advice had led to the signings of three players that now made a dramatic impact for the squad. Richard Holmes, Matty Warner and Phillip Gilder were the first crop that Greaves had found for Eastbourne, and with those findings, Michael Hall had full trust in his scout.

After the first season Michael expanded the coaching staff. His appointment of Luther Blissett was raved about by the players and supporters. He was very good coach, league experienced in both coaching and playing and his service was invaluable. He had quickly became a revered and loved coach in the lockerroom, but unlike Nick Greenwood, he wasn't looking for effort but rather results. Where Nick would support and pull a player up when player were down, Luther would tell the same player what they did wrong, and reinfornce that they had to get better. Michael Hall needed that stern voice in the training sessions, and Luther was the perfect fit. The last addition to the staff was the appointment of a 'Chief Scout' and Hall, while very supportive of Greaves, wanted a man he could meet and discuss players with on a regular basis. That man became Bob Pearson, and with Pearson's ability to find great potential in English youth, his recommendations were never taken lightly.

Then there was Michael Hall. At the head of the Eastbourne staff, Michael Hall entered the world of English football with no knowledge of what he was entering. Though, he dived in, and with a mixture of great support, luck, and some of his own abilities, he had become a manager. I rather quiet man, he let most his coaches do the talking and he rarely stepped in. He didn't do alot of the training work, handling the teaching and actual coaching to his staff. To compliment his lack of technical knowledge of the actual playing of the sport, something he had never known, Michael focused on learning the tactics, filling his head with formations and strategies, and that's where he had found his success. He gave small smirks and grins when his players succeeded, cursed to himself when they failed, and tried to keep as unemotional on the sidelines as possible. In a sport full of passion, he focused on being that rock that the players turn to when everything else was in chaos, and for some reason, despite the impersonal approach of Michael Hall, the players folowed him.
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The news of John Veldman retirement had rocked Michael Hall's off-season plans. Veldman had only been brief with his reasons, but there was no covincing the Dutch defender after recovering from his torn calf muscle that another season in football was worth it. The bringing in of Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne would help fill the gap, but the releasing of Rhys Wyborne before and now the loss of Veldman created a lack of depth in the back. The backline under Veldman had improved greatly from the season before, and now it was starting from square one, and Hall now had to look at rebuilding the back again.

Though, with the loss of Veldman came the arrivals of three new players. The first to join Eastbourne in the off-season was veteran defensive midfielder Scott Corbett from Conference South rivals Sutton United. The 31 year-old midfielder made a total of 52 appearances for Sutton over the past two seasons and Michael Hall decided that a midfielder with the experience he held in the division was too good to pass up. The American manager was not only counting on the former Sutton United captain to link up with Gareth Graham in the middle but also to tutor the young players like Andrew Fox, David Barron, and Lee Connell.

Gavin Worboys was the next arrival, the 31 striker was signed by Michael Hall in an attempt to add depth and quality to the overall striking force.

And then came the record signing. A very hot topic through the off-season for Eastbourne was Carl Rook. From neighboring club, Hastings United, the 17 year-old striker was tipped as a great talent and Michael Hall jumped at the opportunity to sign him. Nick had commented that the player was "alot of chatter but no production," but Michael Hall was determined to grab the young Englishman.

In a deal that led many people to question, Len Smith and Michael Hall completed a deal with Hastings United for £14,000 to bring him to the club. This was the biggest fee ever paid for a player by Eastbourne Borough, and now all the eyes of the supporters were firmly focused Carl Rook.


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Michael Hall sat down on the coaches' bench at Priory Lane. The stands and the pitch were empty and Michael sat alone on the bench, with only the sounds of a small breeze breaking the silence.

He was now entering his second season at this small club in the south of England, and the first two years were full of memories that would stay with him for a lifetime. The escape from relegation had given a new sense of pride in the club by the players and the supporters that had never been seen, and after the top half finish of last season, there was a new stirring of excitement entering the third season. While no one expected a miracle, with the great improvement of last season, the supporters were opmistic. The first rule/expectation as it was each season with Eastbourne was to fight off relegation, but Michael Hall dreamed of more. He didn't want this club to fear falling off deep into the underleagues of English football, he had put two years of hard-work and passion into the club and he couldn't bare the thought of being relegated. His number one priority would be to avoid the drop as it had been the last few seasons.

But with the arrivals in the off-season of veterans like Scott Corbett, the arrival of fan favorite players like Kevin Doyle last season, with players that possessed great skill like Matty Warner, and the leadership of their captain Lee Hook, Michael Hall felt a little more confident coming into the next season.

The squad didn't look much like they had when he first arrived. The remaining players from before Hall were now only a few, players like Yemi Odubade, Kevin Hemsley, and Stuart Tuck still played huge roles for the squad, but former Eastbourne favorites like Matt Crabb and Danny Marney were long gone. This had now become Michael Hall's squad, and with all the players he had hand picked, he had a self pressure to prove that he had brought in the right players.

Relegation, avoid the drop, dog fight at the bottom were all the predictions Eastbourne heard in the previous season and again heard before the start of the next season in the Conference South, but none of those words now concerned Michael Hall. Only one word filled Michael Hall's mind. The impossible, the improbable, the thought that had never entered the thoughts of Eastbourne Borough in years and years.

Promotion.