retired_aurie

February 2007
Owain Whittaker has been selected for the Welsh national team, I hope he'll get a chance to play for them, as his recent performances for us have certainly lifted his profile somewhat and of course lifted his confidence no end. In other news, Greg Evans and Eamonn Lindsay have been chosen for the Welsh U-21 and Irish U-21 teams respectively.

Cefn Druids v. Grange Quins Welsh Premier League
What a performance!! I was quite apprehensive before the game, because my players had been rather unstable lately. Troy Hayder decided to blow my worries away after 3 minutes when he blasted the ball into the Harlequins' net after Connolly had missed his interception. 10 minutes later Connolly was in the thick of it again. Stephen Kelly blasted the ball and it looked like it was going very wide of the goal. Unfortunately for poor Connolly, he touched the ball too hard and sent it past his wrong footed goalkeeper. In the second half Vick managed to penetrate the Quins' box and then sent a swerving cross towards Whittaker, who was positioned about 25 yards away from the goal. He didn't hesitate, but went for the instant volley and saw the ball nestle in the top right corner. A brilliant goal by a brilliant player. Finally Stephen Kelly scored from a penalty, after McGill had pushed Graydon over in the box.
Final Score: 4-0
Goals: Troy Hayder (4), David Connolly (13 og), Owain Whittaker (48), Stephen Kelly (84 pen)
MOM: Alec Stacey
Current League Position: 2nd

After the match, I told the lads to make time to come over to my house, as I wanted to show them the recording of the game. As usual I had Aled record the game, so we could have a look at the things we did right and also the things we did wrong. Everything to improve of course. A fantastic result, as usual when we win. The problem is when we start drawing game after game.

Llanwern v. Cefn Druids Welsh Premier League
Not much to say about this game. It was basically a walk in the park and the two goals by Hayder really were the only noticeable things about the game. We never needed to get out of first gear and a win under the circumstances is good.
Final Score: 0-2
Goals: Troy Hayder (21, 87)
MOM: Troy Hayder
Current League Position: 2nd

I told the lads that they'd done well and they should go home and rest now. There's plenty of games left and if we want to win the title, we'll have to rely on a lot of mistakes by TNS. They're 5 points ahead of us now and I don't really see them losing enough games or points for us to catch up. We'll push them to the end though, as we should.

The League table with 10 games left to play

As can be seen from the table, my team can score a lot of goals, but the problem is that those goals come against the small teams and I've been drawing and losing the odd game due to some seriously bad defensive work. If there's one area in the team that really needs improvement, it's in defence. I've already taken steps towards that, but it's hard to keep a momentum going when everybody is whining about not getting enough games.

I decided to apply for the vacant manager job at Sutton United. I have no idea if it will be successful or not, but I don't really care. It's all about getting noticed

As I suspected, my application for the Sutton job fell on deaf ears, so I'll be staying here in the land of the sheep for the time being

Sunday 18th February 2007
Alec Stacey managed to injure himself in training today. Quite silly really, because he miskicked a ball and conjured up a thigh strain. Bloody annoying, but this will give others a chance to prove their worth. Alec could be out for up to a month, but I'll be crossing my fingers and hoping it will be less.

When I felt like offering Liam Cattermole the opportunity to step in at left back for Alec, he managed to injure himself too. A dislocated shoulder will keep him out of action for up to two months.

Cefn Druids v. Rhyl Welsh Premier League
Total Football, is what we played in the game against the poor Lilywhites. Troy got a first half hattrick, Taylor bagged a brace and Lindsay got a goal for himself. The downside to the game was that Tom Ramasut suffered fractured ribs after a rather nasty challenge by Liam Osbourne. The ref didn't notice a thing though, the blind git that he is.
Final Score: 6-0
Goals: Troy Hayder (21, 35, 39), Eamonn Lindsay (69), Marcus Taylor (83, 90)
MOM: Troy Hayder
Current League Position: 2nd

I kept the lads in the dressing room for up to an hour after the game. First and foremost to get their take on the performance and also as a sign of support for Tom, who did get badly injured. Then the morning after a reporter came to me and asked me about the influence that Tom's injury might have on the team. I told him that Tom is an important member of the team, but we'd have decent cover for him until his return.
The next day my assistant manager, Stephen Kelly (who also happens to play for the team), reported that Tom had been in buoyant mood over the past day or so. It seems that my answer to the reporter went down well. That's excellent news, as I need all the players ready to give their health for the team in the fight for the title.

And after the game we had yet another international break. Those things are so annoying, as they tend to hit after we hit a nice winning run. I just hope it won't break our stride, but on the other hand, it allows the lads to rest a bit, which should make them happy.

Seven of our players have been chosen for the Team of the Month for February:
Aneurin Evans, Mark Hobson, Owain Whittaker, Stephen Kelly, Tom Ramasut, Troy Hayder and Marcus Taylor.
They all deserve it, for all of their hard work and brilliant performances this month. Long may it continue.
For a change, I was chosen Manager of the Month, with the TNS boss coming second and Newtown boss third.
Finally Owain Whittaker was Player of the Month, with James Macintosh (Airbus UK) second and our very own Troy Hayder third.

The club is constantly losing money, so it's fortunate that I managed to sell off a lot of players in the first couple of seasons and also getting that selling on clause activated on one of the players who got on to a big club. So we're over £300k in the black, but still losing money to the extent of about £8k per month. If this continues, it won't take long before the chairman will be forced to take a loan to run the club, unless one of our current stars gets sold for a massive amount of money, which I doubt will happen. We rarely get real money for our players out here in the middle of nowhere.

retired_aurie

March 2007
Nothing much happened during the first 10 days of March. We used the time to work on a few things in training and help build team morale. I called the entire team up and told them that the same thing applied for this season as the last one. Those who perform well enough will be rewarded with professional contracts, but I won't be tolerating any whining to the press. Those who believe they should be part of the first team, should come to me directly and give me a reason why they should start ahead of whoever I chose for any given game. Some of the players didn't like my speech, but I don't give a damn. The team won't get anywhere unless we work together as a unit. I have the feeling that I might have to cut down on personnel, but that could see us in trouble if injuries hit us again.

Cefn Druids v. Port Talbot Welsh Premier League
A simple statement will sum up the game. We controlled the game from start to finish and scored 4 goals without ever looking like conceding, except in one attack by the visitors. But that's when Greg Evans stood up and repaid me the confidence in him. 3 impossible saves in about 15 seconds and he was very happy when I allowed Louis Mackin to enter the fray after about 55 minutes. I don't want my main goalkeeper to get injured in a game where we've run away with the victory. I have to say though that Owain's goal was a contender for the goal of the season. A massive thunderbolt from about 25 yards and it ended up in the goalkeeper's top left corner. The poor guy never stood a chance of reaching that one.
Final Score: 4-0
Goals: Troy Hayder (34, 40, 50), Owain Whittaker (68)
MOM: Troy Hayder
Current League Position: 2nd

I praised everybody to high heaven after the game, telling them how sensational this victory was. I also pointed out to them that TNS had just snatched a draw at home against the Harlequins and now we only have 3 points to make up on them. The lads were dumbfounded by that news. TNS losing points at a crazy rate might mean they're having a hard time concentrating on their game and we actually might stand a chance after all. I told them to stop thinking about that. There would be plenty of that when the title was planted on the floor in our dressing room on the final day of the season. To this I received a rapturous applause and the lads had a load lifted off their chests.

As a result of Port Talbot losing the game against us, Wayne Davies was handed his P45 after the game. I can't say that I feel too down for him. If he'd been up to the job, he'd never have had this problem in the first place. Yes I know that I'm an arrogant git, but when guys like that rub you the wrong way, it's hard to feel any sympathy for them when they get shown the door.

Yet another player has been sidelined by an injury. Lee Phillips sprained his ankle when he slipped and fell awkwardly during a training session. I wonder if the lads have started showing up in training wearing rollerskates, this is hard to handle really. He'll be out for a few weeks, but since we already have quite capable players in central defence, then we won't be too worried.

Caernarfon Town v. Cefn Druids Welsh Premier League
I claim another scalp after this game. Wayne Phillips, the now ex-Canaries manager, was handed his P45 after the game. It was a scrappy affair and it wasn't until the 72nd minute that we finally managed to score the deciding goal. We lacked composure in front of the goal and finally Eamonn Lindsay managed to breach their defence and score the decider.
Final Score: 0-1
Goal: Eamonn Lindsay (72)
MOM: Mark Hobson
Current League Position: 2nd

I told the lads that they'd done well against a team desperate for a result. As a precaution, I substituted both Troy and Marcus, since we had another game the next day. I'd love to get my hands on the throat of the brain dead idiot who organises the fixture list. Back to back match days shouldn't be in the books, ever.

Connah's Quay Nomads v. Cefn Druids Welsh Premier League
As expected, this derby game lived up to it's name in a grand manner. The Nomads took the lead in the 7th minute after some really poor defensive work by my backline. Troy then took matters into his own hands and scored twice within 10 minutes, to help us take the lead. Then in the 42nd minute it went from bad to worse for the Nomads. Jamie Holmes got himself sent off after having received a yellow card mere minute earlier. In the second half, Michael Donnellan got himself sent off, much to the dismay of his manager and supporters and only 9 minutes later, Marcus managed to score a great goal on the counter attack, ably assisted by Paul Mazzarella. After that we were coasting and didn't really try much more to increase the scoreline. All we want is to get some rest now.
Final Score: 1-3
Goals: Troy Hayder (21, 30), Marcus Taylor (66)
MOM: Mark Hobson
Current League Position: 2nd

We're still trying to catch up with TNS, but it's proving to be quite a hard thing to do. But as long as we keep winning, I can't ask for anything more. We have to hope for a TNS slip, but I'm not expecting them to do us any favours in the final few games.

After the game against the Nomads I called up Alfie Carter.
“So Alfie, how would you like to become our next fulltime professional?”
“Boss, are you f***ing with me?? Are you really serious?”
“I sure am my lad. You've been doing a great job filling in for Tom on the wing and I was even thinking about adding some right wing training to your schedule. We need somebody who's equally as comfortable on the right wing as on the left and you seem to be the guy who's best suited for the job. Are you interested?”
“Hell yeah, when is the paperwork going to be finalised then?”
“As soon as you're ready, mate.”
Alfie thanked me and hung up the phone. I collected the paperwork and put it in my meagre briefcase. Better not forget those papers, the poor lad would be devastated.

Alfie was very enthusiastic about signing the new contract and on Friday it was finalised. Now he's a fulltime professional and won't be attending the till at the local grocery store anymore.
The local business people are nothing if not angry with me lately. Especially with me raiding their staff to make them into "bloody fulltime footballers". I told them to calm down and look at it from the players' perspective. It's every footballer's dream to be able to do his hobby for a living and those lads are no different than the fans in that regard. "So take a chill pill and thank me for helping reducing the unemployment rate in this town."

Cefn Druids v. Porthmadog Welsh Premier League
The lads were extremely lethargic in this match. At halftime I gave them an encouraging speech and for some reason it didn't seem to make a bit of difference. Nothing happened until the final minute of the match, when Troy finally broke the ice and scored the goal we'd been searching for. We almost gave it away at the end though, when a poor clearance was put right into the path of one of the opponent players. Fortunately he was too surprised to cause us any embarrassment and blasted the shot miles over the goal.
Final Score: 1-0
Goal: Troy Hayder (90)
MOM: Richard Harvey (Porthmadog goalkeeper)
Current League Position: 1st (on goal difference)

I have to admit that I was absolutely fuming by the end of the game. But when Troy put that little chip away, then I was beside myself with joy. When I finally touched the ground again, I went into the dressing room and had a word with the lads. I warned them about getting complacent in the final few games of the season, as that would ruin all our hard work until this game. Then I told them the news of TNS losing to Rhyl at home, due to a couple of own goals, and that meant we were top of the league on goal difference. We have a goal difference of 58 goals and TNS have a goal difference of 28 goals. So as long as we match them for results, we should be champions come the end of season.

In the run up to the game against Wrexham I decided to go on the warpath against Denis Smith, their manager. I told a local reporter that I was happy to test our skills against the League One side and I fully expected our lads to prove to be too much for them. Now I know that it's probably going to be anything but a victory, but I want my lads to know that I believe in their abilities to cause a massive upset. Whether it works remains to be seen, at least I've tried to get them all worked up for the game. Getting anything from it will prove to be quite a hard task, but we've got nothing to lose. We've already progressed much further in this competition than we ever could have hoped for.

Cefn Druids v. Wrexham FAW Premier Cup SemiFinals
Our long winning streak came to an end against Wrexham in this match. We scored in the very first minute of the game, but the lads let their guard down and conceded two goals before halftime. Early in the second half we conceded another goal and that was it for our cup endeavours this year.
Final Score: 1-3
Goal: Troy Hayder (1)
MOM: Nathan Dyer (Wrexham)

I couldn't really have a go at the lads after the game. I had tried to motivate them by telling them that they were totally clueless at halftime, but the opposition proved to be too strong and I told them that it was a good effort after all. We can't really expect to win against the Welsh superpowers. That's a bit much to ask of a team like ours. I congratulated them on making it this far in the competition and told them that the next day was resting day. We need that after this lesson in professional football.

Before the game, Eamonn Lindsay and Greg Evans were called up to the Irish U-21 and Welsh U-21 teams respectively. Then after the match, I got a word that Owain Whittaker had been called up again for the full Welsh national team. I really hope that he gets a match this time around. He's worked so hard at his game and should really be given a chance to shine.

We're having yet another stupid break in our season. A break that could have been used to play the fixtures that had so stupidly been placed on consecutive days throughout the season, instead of allowing the teams at least a couple of days rest between the games. It's a diabolical fixture plan and I hope that the person who thought it up will be eaten by his pets. We're going to keep working on our deficiencies and also our strong points until the next match, which will be played on the final day of the month. We really need another win to boost morale, since it took a bit of a hit after the loss against Wrexham.

I've started seeing a therapist to help me cope with the loss of Tonya. I never thought I'd be so attached to another person, but this time I was absolutely wrecked over her. Troy pointed me towards the therapist, since he'd gone through quite a lot of mental troubles after his divorce a few years back and he couldn't recommend this therapist highly enough. I decided to give it a go because my mental condition has started to affect my job efficiency.

Cwmbran Town v. Cefn Druids Welsh Premier League
A decidedly one sided game and one that the Cwmbran players might want to forget about. In the end, the scoreline did nothing to reflect the total superiority that we showed. Not even the injury to Owain Whittaker managed to stop us in our stride so this game was basically over by halftime.
Final Score: 1-4
Goals: Troy Hayder (3, 44, 45), Marcus Taylor (21)
MOM: Troy Hayder
Current League Position: 1st

When we returned to the dressing room, Brian Mackie was waiting for us, applauding our effort. It turned out that TNS had lost to Connah's Quay despite the latter team having a player sent off in the 10th minute. This is turning out to be some sort of a Cinderella story for us here. Every time we do something right, everybody else does something fittingly wrong. Is it time for me to wake up and smell the beans then or is this real? Only time will tell. I told the lads that they'd been in a sensational form and with this kind of approach to the games we have left, the title should be within our grasp.

After we got back to Cefn Mawr, the club physio came to me and reported on the injuries we had in the game against Cwmbran. Both Kelly and Whittaker are expected to be on the sidelines for up to 2 weeks, so we'll have to start playing lads who haven't had much experience. That's ok, as long as they do the job.

Again we have seven representatives in the Team of the Month.
Aneurin Evans, Mark Hobson, Owain Whittaker, Tom Ramasut, Stephen Kelly, Marcus Taylor and Troy Hayder.
I was chosen Manager of the Month and Marcus Taylor was Player of the Month, with Mark Hobson in second place and Chris Gethin (Porthmadog) in third.

A great month for us, with all 5 league games won and the only defeat coming at the hands of a vastly superior Wrexham side in the Premier Cup. I reckon that the players deserved all the praise I've been heaping on them lately.

retired_aurie

April 2007
Troy has breached the “50 league goals per season” barrier and I'll be very surprised if he's still here come next season. But my asking price of 5 million quid might prove to be a stumbling block for other teams that might want to try signing him. A guy who scores so freely surely has to start attracting attention and it's basically only a matter of time until somebody notices him.

I just secured the services of a young striker from UWIC Inter Cardiff. Martyn Shaw will join us at the end of season. I've also got it confirmed that Rhys Edwards, a young fullback/wingback/winger from Caerleon, will sign a contract that takes him our way at the end of season as well. I'm also sending my scout to check other players, but unfortunately little seems to come out of it. None of the players seem to have any desire to join us.

Carmarthen Town v. Cefn Druids Welsh Premier League
Carmarthen must have regretted leaving home after this game, as they met a one man demolition squad in the first half, namely Troy Hayder! He hammered 4 goals past them and the last one was a sublime chip after he wrong footed their goalkeeper with an audacious fake move. Eamonn Lindsay then wrapped up the victory in the second half, after Alfie Carter twisted half the Carmarthen defence out of their boots before laying a perfect pass for him to smash home.
Final Score: 0-5
Goals: Troy Hayder (7, 26, 40, 45), Eamonn Lindsay (75)
MOM: Troy Hayder and a special mention goes out to Mark Hobson for his sensational play at the back.
Current League Position: 1st

What an awesome game. Everybody performed great, including the lads who are usually on the fringes of the first team. Now I have to hope that they will take their time to settle better, because fighting them can only cause unnecessary friction within the squad.

I just received a call from Troy and he told me that he'd been approached by a reporter who claimed that he'd be in line for the Premier Player of the Year award. In fact, he was most likely the front runner for it. I congratulated Troy and asked him to put the award on the backburner until after we'd secured the title, because I needed all his best offerings for the final few games of the season. He was definitely my player of the year, with his deadly instincts near the goal and the way he attracted every defender in sight to him, leaving the rest of the lads free to carve out openings for him. He was a bit choked when he said his goodbyes and I decided to have a quiet word with him in training the next morning.

I've just completed the three part raid of scouts from other teams in my division. I need to have good people around me to check up on the options we are looking for in the near future. Especially given that my team has been raided by other clubs already.

We're in yet another 2 week stoppage in the fixture list and it's yet another reason for us to complain about having to play back-to-back matches on consecutive days. I've started working out now, with the focus on boxing. I want to be in top shape if I come across the idiot who decides on the fixtures being set up like they are now.

Friday 13th April 2007
Louis Mackin got himself injured in the weight lifting room and must learn to train more sensibly. Don't overexert yourself and you won't get injured. That's the morale of the story and I hope the rest of the lads will take a more sensible approach to training from now on. Louis is out for up to a month, so it looks like he'll miss every game we have left. A bit sad for him, but he's done well when called upon. As a result, Marc Porter will be the backup goalie for Evans.

A few days later I managed to steal 3 more scouts from various teams around the UK, after they applied for the job I advertised open for applications. That should give us better chances of finding good players in the long run. Another good thing that happened is that the team captain, Marcus Taylor, gave a rallying cry for the rest of his team mates and challenged them to win the remaining games of the season. Now that's the kind of thing I'm looking for in a captain, he's undoubtedly going to get the lads quite worked up and as a result, he's doing the teamtalk at the start of the game. I'll only emphasise it at halftime and also after the game.

Cefn Druids v. Llanelli Welsh Premier League
Embarrassment is the only word I have for this game. We totally dominated the game, but got punished for some really poor defending and I really ripped into the team at halftime. Nothing changed after the halfway point, so I let them know what I thought of their so called effort. A total embarrassment and there's no chance that I'll be letting them get away with another performance like that.
Final Score: 0-1
MOM: Gareth Davies (Llanelli)
Current League Position: 1st

When I came home after the match, I found out that we'd been very unlucky. TNS had won their game at home to relegation battlers Caerleon. We're still in the driver's seat for the title, but we have to play host to the aforementioned Caerleon in our next match. The lads had better work hard in that game, because I'll start fining people if they mess up again.

Cefn Druids v. Caerleon Welsh Premier League
We had a fine start to the game, when the captain himself got on the end of a fine cross from Carter and blasted the ball into his left corner, from near the penalty spot. Then it was Troy's time as he racked up one more hattrick and the game was over. [b]Caerleon's[b] Donovan Simmonds really hurt his team when he got himself sent off for what is more a professional boxing move than anything to do with football. He swung his right hand and then landed his fist on Whittaker's jaw and almost knocked him out. The ref was very quick to send him off and managed to avoid the mêlée that might have happened.
Final Score: 4-0
Goals: Marcus Taylor (4), Troy Hayder (30, 37, 49)
MOM: Troy Hayder
League Position with one game left: 1st

After the game I told the guys that it was a good result and we'd have to be at our very best to finish off the last game of the season. So the next day was a day for resting and then it's back to the serious stuff. TNS won their game against Porthmadog, so we'll have to win the final game to secure the title.

As has become the norm lately, we have seven players in the Team of the Month for April.
Aneurin Evans, Jon Routledge, Mark Hobson, Stephen Kelly, Owain Whittaker, Troy Hayder and Marcus Taylor.
This time around I was nowhere to be seen in the MotM was handed out, which is quite alright with me. I like to give the team the positives and not claim glory for myself anyway.
Troy Hayder then walked away with the Player of the Month award, with Mark Hobson second and Airbus UK's [b]James Macintosh[b] grabbing third place.

We're in the driver's seat for the final game of the season, I only hope that the players are up to the challenge.

retired_aurie

May 2007
It's time for the final match of the season. I've been involved in a bit of a verbal tussle with Deryn Brace, who manages Haverfordwest. Following my verbal assault on his team, Owain Whittaker has now decided to do his bit of rallying the troops. I'm really proud of my lads. They're really relishing this chance of making history.

Haverfordwest v. Cefn Druids Welsh Premier League
Now I have no fingernails left and my nervous system is a complete wreck. We knew that our opposition would be totally up for the game and nothing we'd do would be easy. Alfie Carter got us off the mark with a fine goal in the 17th minute and then, in the 34th minute, Greg Evans showed us how good a goalkeeper he is when he saved a penalty kick from Wyn Thomas and that's how it stayed at halftime. Alex Davies then became the unlikely hero of the day, when he scored a screamer from 25 yards, his first ever senior goal, after picking up the rebound from the Bluebirds' goalkeeper after Troy had been sent through. We had to make a couple of changes at that point, because Alfie and Troy were playing with injuries and I didn't want to aggravate them any further. Then a little later Greg Evans had a smallish knock and I decided that it was the best policy to substitute him as well, to save him from getting a villain status by conceding goals due to injuries. Lee John got a goal back for Haverfordwest in the 68th minute, but we held firm until the end and not even an injury to Paul Mazzarella could stop us from winning this game.
Final Score: 1-2
Goals: Alfie Carter (17), Alex Davies (52)
MOM: Greg Evans
Final League Position: 1st

Well, what can I say? WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ahem, sorry about that, but I just had to let off some steam. Yes indeed, we managed to win the title on the final day of the season. Winning that last match turned out to be absolutely vital, because TNS won their game and would have been fully deserving of being champions had we faltered. Fortunately we held on and grabbed that final victory. The lads are getting a full week off from training and then we'll try to do some physical workouts, because I want them in top shape next year.

The press approached me and asked me if they could expect us to defend the title next year. I told them truthfully that I'd love to be able to, but it wouldn't be an easy task and all the players knew that. Without a doubt we'll try our best, but whether that's good enough remains to be seen.
Brian Mackie was also in the news. He told them that my leadership qualities had lead them through the difficult season but I must admit that I had some excellent help from the best players of the squad. Their rallying cries towards the end of season really brought out the best in everybody and without them we never would have finished so strongly.

The final standings of the season

It's been a good season for the team as a whole. I'd have loved to progress further in some of the cup competitions, but it wasn't to be and fortunately we could focus on the league in the end and secure the first ever title for The Ancients. Roll on summer vacation.

retired_aurie

End of season
Troy Hayder was voted Welsh Premier Player of the Year, with Jamie Morris (Aberystwyth) surprisingly in second and our very own Mark Hobson in third place.
Troy was also the leading scorer of the Welsh Premier League with an amazing 57 goals to his name, with Jamie Morris (Aberystwyth) second and veteran Gary McSwegan (Caerleon) in third place.
I was voted Manager of the Year, with David Burrows of Aberystwyth Town coming second and Ken McKenna of TNS in third place.
We had 7 players in the Welsh Premier Team of the Season:
Aneurin Evans, Mark Hobson, Stephen Kelly, Owain Whittaker, Tom Ramasut, Marcus Taylor and Troy Hayder were all in the starting line-up and we had nobody on the bench.

Quite an impressive haul of awards for us this season and it will be quite difficult to do better next year. We'll give it our best shot of course, as we've already laid down the challenge for ourselves.

retired_aurie

Off Season
I decided to apply for the vacant manager positions of Leeds United, Charlton Athletic, Bradford City and Boston United in order to get a greater challenge for the future. I'll probably be on the lookout for every single available job in sight during the summer. I don't think there's much to do in Wales really, except maybe leading a local team to win the Premier Cup, but with the old superpowers playing a role there, it's not a likely thing to happen.

Saturday 19th May 2007
I've received an answer from Charlton and it turns out that my application for their manager role was unsuccessful. Well, I didn't expect anything else really, so I can't say that I'm totally shocked
I really expect the other applications to be unsuccessful too, so I'm not going to lose sleep over them. If I get them then great, if not well the earth will keep on turning.

The board offered me a couple of different budgets to work with for next season and I was quick to jump for the one that gives me a higher salary cap. Whether that will prove to be enough remains to be seen, but I'm optimistic for the future. I've already brought in a couple of players, youngsters who were released by Liverpool. I fully expect them to challenge for the first team, though it remains to be seen how they fare in the competition with the other players.

Sunday 3rd June 2007
I've just handed in my application for the job as the Modena manager. I guess I better start working on my Italian, in case they decide that I'm a worthy enough candidate. I doubt that they'll be impressed, but one can never tell in advance

Tuesday 5th June 2007
It's just been announced that Troy Hayder was the winner of the European Golden Boot award with his 57 goals this season. In an interview he gave me a lot of credit, but I have to say that if he hadn't been so keen on working on his game, my motivation and influence wouldn't have mattered a whole lot. We decided to throw him a massive party on the weekend, everything to show our appreciation for this great goalscorer.

Wednesday 6th June 2007
I just got a letter from the Bradford City board of directors. In it they said that they thanked me for applying for the manager's role of their club, but they decided to hire somebody else. The application will be announced shortly. Well, that's it then. Another job that I'm not getting, as if I'm not horribly familiar with that already.

Tuesday 12th June 2007
The Leeds job is now out of my reach, after that dreaded rejection letter landed in my mailbox. I'm not too worried though, as all applications have been done to see where I stand in the football world. I guess I'll have to wait and see for a few seasons and then try again for the fat jobs.

Thursday 21st June 2007
Jon Routledge has just signed his first full professional contract. His improved performances at the end of season persuaded me to improve his status in that regard.

I decided in a moment of madness to apply for the job of Roma manager, but later that day it was announced that Carlo Ancelotti had taken the job. I was relieved really, as going there and try to do something is not really something I was looking forward to. I also applied for the vacant Crewe Alexandra and [/b]Basingstoke[/b] jobs, but it remains to be seen if those applications will be successful.

Then we had the draw for the first qualifying round of the European Champions League. We were drawn to face Sheriff Tiraspol from Moldova. I have no idea what this team is like, so it's basically diving into darkness for us in that regard. I just hope we'll get some money out of the competition, because that's one thing we need a lot of.

After the first round draw they decided to draw the second round as well. The winner of our match will have to face Hajduk Split from Croatia and that means we'll be out before we start. Or that's what one would assume beforehand. Now I'll have to muster up the confidence of the lads, because they're the ones that need to play the games.

So to round up the summer, here are the players who I brought in after the season ended proper and until July 1st.

Craig Lindfield and Josh Mimms on free transfer, after both had been released by Liverpool
Rhys Edwards from Caerleon for free (they'll get 30% of the sale if he's sold on)
Stuart McCluskey from Rhyl for £2000
Martyn Shaw from UWIC Inter Cardiff for free
Gerard Doherty from TNS for free

None have left the club in the summer, but if I get decent offers for some players, I'll sell them on.
Aled Rowlands has retired from playing, but will keep on as a coach, which is good as the players respect him for his work here.

I've applied for the manager job at some national federations, including Italy, Brazil, Czech Republic, Morocco and Greece, but it would be a major miracle if I land any of them I'm an optimistic guy though, so I keep on making myself known around the world. Whether my boss will find out remains to be seen, but he ought to be happy if I land a national job. That will increase my reputation and possibly make more good players want to join us.

retired_jessicabraden

Great Read and your having fun in Wales. Good luck with the job hunting

retired_aurie

Thanks Leo, it's a rather moot thing to do really, because I've got obscure reputation and I'm bound to get rejected everywhere

That doesn't stop me from trying, mainly because I'm a stubborn git

retired_aurie

PreSeason and thensome
Tuesday 3rd July 2007
I've just signed Jamie Wood on a free transfer after he was released by TNS. He'll add depth to our striking options and fortunately seems to be a good penalty taker, something we desperately need.
I also applied for the Scotland job, which has just come available and then a few days later for the Slovakia job. I'm basically hoping to get out of Wales, because everything just reminds me too much of Tonya. The pain is too much to bear, so if someone comes in for me, I'll be happy to oblige.

***Breaking News***
Well, strike me dead gentlemen. No sooner did I expect my applications to be totally unsuccessful, than the Scottish FA came to me and offered me the job of the National Team Manager. I'm totally stumped and very happy What they see in me is anybody's guess, but I'll be sure to try my hardest.
Now the next thing to do is find a way to make them do something that's worth bragging about

Wednesday 11th July 2007
It's time for the season to start now. We're about to embark on what might be a very short European trek. However it goes, we'll be happy to be there.

Sheriff Tiraspol v. Cefn Druids European Champions Cup Qual. Round 1, Leg 1
The lads were extremely nervous for the first half and it showed in the performance. The home team put us under the kosh throughout the half and it was nothing more than they deserved when they went in at halftime with a 2 goal lead and to be honest, we would have deserved to be as much as 5 goals down. We were much better after the halfway point, but not enough and had to suffer the consequences of the poor first half.
Final Score: 2-0
MOM: Andrei Bogdan Epureanu (Sheriff Tiraspol)

We have a lot of work to do and I hope the lads won't be so starstruck at home, because I believe that we can cause an upset in this tie.

Cefn Druids v. Sheriff Tiraspol European Champions Cup Qual. Round 1, Leg 2
We came flying out of the blocks in this match and really deserved more than we got out of it. Troy Hayder managed to steal the ball from the Sheriff goalkeeper, when he was dallying with it outside his own area, and scored a nice goal from there. We really hammered their goal after that, but just couldn't break through, no matter how much we tried. Greg Evans had to be alert on a couple of occasions but was rarely troubled throughout the match.
Final Score: 1-0 (1-2 agg)
Goal: Troy Hayder (10)
MOM: Troy Hayder

I was very happy with the effort today and with a little bit of luck we might have stolen through. Unfortunately for us we couldn't create enough for Troy or the other forwards and have to suffer the consequences. I told the lads that this was a good effort, but it just wasn't our day. If we can keep on performing like that in the Premier League this season, then I have no worries.

At the end of July I decided to take matters into my own hands. My assistant manager couldn't arrange a single pre-season friendly, so I decided to set up 3 games; two against our reserves and one against our U-19 team. That was basically to give my prospective starting line-up a good run-out and see if I needed to tweak much. In the second of the three matches, Aaron Broaders got injured and will be out for a couple of weeks. He won't be alone in the treatment chamber, as Louis Mackin is keeping him company for at least some part of the treatment time. It's only one week until the season starts proper and we'll be keen to see how we fare against our competition this year.

retired_aurie

August 2007
I've sold two more players to lower the wage burden. Kevin Walsh and Tom Matthews have been sold to Linfield and Redditch, respectively. I brought in a couple of players as well; Lee Cattermole was brought in from Llanwern on a free transfer and Jordan Holmes was brought in on a free transfer, after being released by Liverpool.

Additionally, I've offered Alex Davies a professional contract and I'll also offer extended contracts to Aneurin Evans and Aaron Broaders, as their contracts will run out at the end of season.

Caersws v. Cefn Druids Welsh Premier League
This was too easy really. Troy took it upon himself to sink The Bluebirds with three expertly taken goals. I subbed him after about 55 minutes, because it's a long season and I'd like to keep him as fresh as possible throughout the season.
Final Score: 0-3
Goals: Troy Hayder (21, 40, 44)
MOM: Troy Hayder
Current League Position: 2nd

I told the lads that this was a good result and a good start to the season. We can't afford to become complacent though, because that's the surest way of getting slaughtered in the games that follow. We have a good base that we can work on, now let's reap the rewards.

The bookies seem to be quite intent on us and TNS being the two teams that will be slugging it out for the title, come end of season. They've valued both of us at 4-5 odds, with Aberystwyth at 7-4, Connah's Quay 3-1, Haverfordwest 16-1 and Airbus 20-1. They're dead certain that we'll be near the top when end of season draws near, so we'll have to work our socks of until then to make it happen.

MK Dons decided to raid our scouting team, stealing Craig McKenzie for the meagre compensation of £2000. I'm absolutely fuming now and if I get the chance to join their division, I'll go after them with a vengeance.

Before our next game we had a bit of a shocker. Marcus Taylor came down with a nasty injury in training, when he twisted his knee. He could be out for up to 4 weeks recovering.

Cefn Druids v. Caernarfon Welsh Premier League
Quite simply a horribly poor performance. Troy's goal was the only one that separated the teams, but that was the only positive thing about the game. I didn't mollycoddle the lads after the game either. I told them just how I saw it and want them to stay focused on the job at hand.
Final Score: 1-0
Goal: Troy Hayder (52)
MOM: Alec Stacey
Current League Position: 3rd

In the following week, we kept on working on the things that went wrong in the game against Caernarfon and I really put the lads through the paces. Alfie Carter started complaining about wanting to play as a forward, but I just took him to the side and asked him if he thought he could do a better job than Troy. He blushed at that and then I told him that if I need him on the wing, he could easily get into a scoring position from there. It's all a matter of timing. He nodded at that, but didn't look very happy anyway. Bloody spoilsport he is turning out to be. I reckon I might want to train one of the defensive lads to start focusing on playing up front.

Porthmadog v. Cefn Druids Welsh Premier League
This game was never going to be exciting in the least. It did take us 38 minutes to break down their stubborn defence, but then 7 minutes later we added another goal and effectively ended their struggle. [/b]Troy[/b] scored first for us and sealed his League Century of goals for us, 7 minutes later he put Alfie through and he thundered it across goal and Aaron Broaders was on hand to thunder a diving header into the net. Good work by enthusiastic players.
Final Score: 0-2
Goals: Troy Hayder (38), Aaron Broaders (45)
MOM: Troy Hayder
Current League Position: 1st

I told the lads to go home and relax, since it was time to give them a little rest on the following Sunday. Well done and enjoy the win, we've got hard work ahead and don't want to be too distracted by other things.

On the Scottish National Team front, I got rid of Rainer Bonhof, the U-21 coach. He disputed every little thing I proposed and was so full of himself that I saw I couldn't work with him in any capacity. I called up the chairman of the SFA and told him that I couldn't work with a guy who wasn't willing to listen and work on a future gameplan. He called up Mr. Bonhof and told him that he'd have to empty the drawers of his desk and move his butt back to Germany. His compensation of £350k was paid and he got the first available flight out. I have the feeling that he actually wanted this to happen. My assistant manager, Tommy Burns, will be the caretaker manager of the U-21 and U-19 teams, but I've been trying to get him to take over the U-21 full time. He hasn't been too keen on that, but I'm stubborn and hope he'll change his mind about it.

I've been scouring the player histories in the last few weeks and have been searching for players who have a Scottish heritage and not yet played a game for another national team. I've already added a huge list of names into the National Team Pool, so the guys in charge of the youth teams can have a greater variety of players sitting in waiting for a call-up to the squad.

Cefn Druids v. Airbus UK Welsh Challenge Cup, Round 1, Leg 1
We did OK'ish in the first half, leading one to nil at the break. In the second half the lads totally forgot how to play ball and conceded two extremely soft goals. In the end the result was exactly what we deserved and I told the lads so in the dressing room. Absolutely horrible performance and one that I expect them to improve on many times over. It was an utter embarrassment and those who played in the team will have to think twice before I think of selecting them again.
Final Score: 1-2
Goal: Steve Hughes (o.g. 29)
MOM: Robert Craig (Airbus UK)

I had to call the carpenter to fix yet another dressing room door, after I punched through the door. Then I had to go to the hospital to have my broken hand put back together. I guess it was only a matter of time before I broke it, because I'd been applying a whole lot of power into those punches. Damn useless gits. This is the last time I put out a complete reserve team in a cup game. And some of those guys are going to end up on the transfer list.

Two of our players have been called up to the Welsh National Team Squad. Greg Evans and Owain Whittaker were called up by manager Jose Uribe. I hope he'll give them a chance to play, because they've certainly earned the accolade.

I've just selected my first Scottish national team and the following players made the grade for the game against Sweden:

Goalkeepers:
Craig Gordon (Middlesboro), David Marshall (Celtic) and Allan McGregor (Leeds)

Defenders:
Kirk Broadfoot (Rangers), Alan Hutton (Rangers), John Kennedy (Celtic), James McEveley (Blackburn), Kevin McNaughton (Celtic), Adam Virgo (Celtic), Andy Webster (Bolton) and Lee Wilkie (Motherwell)

Midfielders:
Scott Brown (Charlton Athletic), Barry Ferguson (Rangers), Paul Hartley (Southampton), Ian Murray (Rangers), Stephen Pearson (Tottenham Hotspur), Nigel Quashie (Southampton), Scott Severin (West Ham Utd), Kevin Thomson (On loan to Bolton from Rangers) and Mark Wilson (Dundee Utd).

Forwards:
Craig Beattie (Celtic), Paul Gallagher (Blackburn), James McFadden (Everton), Colin Nish (Kilmarnock), Gary O'Connor (Rangers) and Derek Riordan (Manchester City)

It will be interesting to see how the lads will do and the starting team will not be announced until the final moment.

The team captain has already been decided, Craig Beattie will captain the side against the Swedes and I trust him to perform his duties admirably.

We had four players in this month's Team of the Month:
Owain Whittaker, Mark Hobson, Alex Davies and Troy Hayder.
I was chosen as Manager of the Month, with Martin Clark of Rhyl second and Gareth Owen of Airbus UK third.
Alex Davies won the Player of the Month award, with Troy Hayder second and Jason Taylor (TNS) third.