STRANGE BLUE NEWS

Practice Structure and Open Squad Announcement

Posted: 25.JAN.2007

All,

This mail includes the open squad selection as well as important info on practices, which everyone should please read.

Practices

Fridays
As of this Friday, the 6pm astroturf session will be invitation only. This is to enable us to make the most of the facility we pay for. In fact, squad members will be invited to two out of every three sessions in order to manage the large squad. However, to kick things off, all squad members should attend this Friday (26 Jan) ready to play at 6pm, Leys School astroturf (http://tinyurl.com/yc3fc9). More info on when to attend future sessions will follow in due course. There is also space for some of the women's team at these sessions - you'll be contacted separately about this.

Sundays
From this Sunday, the 11am practice will run as a parallel session, with the same drills being run by both squad and non-squad players. The women's team will also have a separate session. There will then be parallel, focused games before a more casual game open to all from approx 1pm. All squad members should attend this session (booted and ready to play at 11am) and everyone else is strongly encouraged to attend too - this is the main practice for squad and non-squad alike.

The location of Sunday practice will be something of a moveable feast given our need to protect Jesus Green - so please check your emails for announcements as well as our fantastic new website: www.strangeblue.org

Squad

Thanks again to everyone who turned out for trials this past weekend - we had a great couple of sessions and it was really encourging to see so many people and so much potential.

Jon, Aidan and I have now selected the initial open squad. We've picked quite a large number as we wanted to accommodate as many people as we could. Before I list the names though, I'd just like to reiterate that this squad is not fixed. In fact there were several people who only just missed selection this time around and have every chance of getting themselves into the squad in future - remember Sundays (11am) will be parallel sessions and so non-squad members will have a chance to learn from the squad and demonstrate commitment and improvement every week. In addition, squad members will have to work hard to keep their place. If people are keen we can also look at sending a B team to Tour events as well - in which case more people would be involved.

Ok, so here's the squad (no particular order):

Myself
Jon
Aidan
Chris Rowlands
Tido
Pedro
Nick Wong
Chris Stewart
James Strachan
Jez
Paul Robustelli
Berry Mulligan
Ryan Woodward
James Kermode
Alex Smout
Danny Cole
Rob Davies
Mark Ioffe
Tom Cope
Paul Hunter
Nick Colam
Martin Mottram
Mike Fletcher
Rob Schumacher
Adam Booth
Matt Altman
Tom Cock
Roger Burton
Dave Aylmer
Mark Stevens
James Nicoll
Sam Hole

Congratulations to those who have been selected! I am really looking forward to seeing the squad develop, including those who are pushing hard for a place. We have the opportunity to do very well at a number of tournaments this year.

Finally, please do keep checking your emails for info and let me know if you have any questions.
(email opencaptainstrangeblue.org)

Dave