League Cup Final - U16 Pride

Kingston Juniors claim the League Cup beating our U16 Pride in a very tight game at Carsholton Athletic on Tuesday evening.

Sheen conceded an early goal when a good cross in from the left allowed an easy header. The game remained tight from then on with few chances at either end until Kingston scored again with almost the last kick of the game to win the cup 0-2.

A full match report will follow.

Sheen Photos from the Game

Kingston Photos

Kingston Juniors
Score Early

U15 Surrey Cup Final - Match Report

U15 Surrey Cup Final - Sunday, 29 April 2012

Sheen Lions v. Sutton United

Full Match Report: Sheen Lions stage sensational come-back from 4-0 down but lose 5-4 to a Sutton goal in the dying seconds of injury time.

This was not only a greatly anticipated football match by all at Sheen Lions FC but also the first County Cup final appearance by a Sheen team since the then U14 Lions won the Middlesex County Cup back in 1998.

The U15 Lions’ road to the final couldn’t have been any better: Five wins, 18 goals for and nil against. Perfect. And good reason for quiet optimism. This Sheen team have been knocking on the door for a while. Last year they lost the SYL League Cup final to AFC Wimbledon (the undefeated English U14 champions and also Surrey County Cup winners).

For those spectators brave enough to battle the atrocious weather the reward was a spectacular nine-goal thriller decided in the end by a scrambled Sutton goal in the 5th minute of added injury time.

But let’s take a deep breath here: Sutton’s front men demonstrated pace and close control in abundance and ruthlessly exploited Sheen’s early defensive wobbles. On balance, given the number of high-quality chances and attempts, Sutton probably shaded it on the day. But only by the thinnest of margins. So many congratulations to Sutton United for winning the U15 County Cup!

No less congratulations to our Sheen boys for representing us so well and demonstrating massive character and verve in clawing their way back into the game after finding themselves in an abyss after 34 minutes when Sutton had put their fourth unanswered goal on the scoreboard. Above all Sheen played a beautiful passing game from start to finish. Impressive stuff.


Sheen Lions formation: (4-4-2 when attacking; 4-5-1 when defending)

Due to an earlier U14 County Cup final going to extra time our game was pushed back half an hour. Thankfully the Chipstead FC club house provided cosy shelter from the elements. This reporter took the opportunity to sample the football grub on offer and I have to agree with the girl behind the counter that the Chipstead burger is “pretty good” indeed. (Which reminds me that the worst ‘football burger’ I have ever sampled was at Loftus Road a couple of years ago. I trust that our recent affiliation to QPR has not been based on their culinary offering...). Anyway, let’s thank Chipstead FC for their hospitality as well as everyone else staging this event.

The late start turned out to be a blessing as the rain had virtually stopped when the referee, Steve Worsley, opened proceedings at 12.59 with Sheen kicking off into a gusty wind blowing along the pitch. Steve and his fellow match officials put in a good performance on the day.

Straight out of the gate Sutton started in a higher gear with their wingers probing the Sheen defence. On 5 minutes, with the Sheen back four trying to hold their line high up the pitch, Sutton floated a ball in behind the Sheen defence in the right channel for one of Sutton’s speed merchants to latch onto. He duly placed the ball in the bottom right corner leaving George no chance. One nil, Sutton.

Sutton continued to press and on 7 minutes Sheen failed to clear the ball properly. It landed at the feet of an unmarked Sutton midfielder who let rip from just outside the area pumping the ball, boosted by the wind, into the top right corner. Again George had no chance and one sensed that he was not overly happy with his defence. Two nil, Sutton.


Definitely not the start we all had hoped for but Sheen kept their cool and started to gain more possession, passing the ball on the deck. After a quarter of an hour Sheen started to create more and on 18 minutes Sheen fed the ball down the outside right channel. The ensuing low cross eluded the Sutton defence as did it the two Sheen players sprinting into the box. A great opportunity to get on the board. But the boys were starting to show creativity and testing the Sutton defence. Promising.

Sheen continued to work hard and on 27 minutes Charlie had a long range pop from outside the area but the ball blasted over the bar. The Sutton keeper was not the tallest player on the pitch and one would think that Sheen had the intention of testing his ability to deal with high balls as part of the tactical plan. But Sutton hadn’t allowed Sheen much room to maneuver in the final third up to this point. Hitherto the Sheen formation had been 4-5-1 with Ben H as the lone striker as a result of the Sutton dominance.

With half an hour gone and Sheen looking good in possession and quick to close down Sutton’s midfielders the Sheen defence, under no particular pressure, gave away another ball on the edge. A Sutton player gladly took possession and resolutely sent the ball sailing in under the crossbar. Again leaving George no chance. Full credit to Sutton for taking their chances with poise. Three nil, Sutton.

Arguably proceedings so far had not materialised according to the script but as a Sheen supporter you have to give full credit to our U15s for not getting ‘verbal’ with each other let alone dropping their heads. In truth one or two Sheen supporter heads in the main stand had started to drop around where I was sitting (in the ‘away directors’ seats...very posh). But the boys? No!

On 34 minutes the first corner of the match was awarded to Sutton. The ball landed on the edge of the six-yard box and following an almighty scramble with the ball pinballing around a Sutton player managed to knock it over the line. Four nil, Sutton.


At three nil down you are on the edge of the abyss. At four nil down you are IN the abyss. Truth be told, at that moment this reporter could see no realistic prospect of a recovery. None whatsoever. I mean, the Liverpool v Milan miracle in Istanbul in 2005 surely can only happen once in a lifetime? But that’s because I didn’t know much about the resolve of Ben H, the team captain and leader of the line. One minute later I were to learn!

Within a minute of the restart, on 35 minutes, Max made an over-weighted pass down the right for Ben H to chase diagonally into the channel. The moment the pass was made it looked like a lost cause to everyone. In a split second Ben H managed to grimace slightly at Max but carried on pursuing the ball at full throttle regardless. Simultaneously the Sutton keeper came galloping out of the box to his left to intervene. The Sutton defender, who initially had two yards on Ben H, relaxed (big mistake) as the Sutton keeper was shielding the ball to let it run out for a goal kick. But our captain was having none of that. He kept going and powerfully dispossessed the keeper literally on the byline, turned the keeper, dribbled around three Sutton players and whipped in a perfect low cross which Luke H first-timed into the open net from six yards even though he was sandwiched between two Sutton defenders. A fantastic move and goal. And a fantastic captain’s effort. Four one, Sutton. Could there be hope?

The goal had clearly released any remaining nervous energy and Sheen were now playing higher up the pitch. On 38 minutes Ben H drove the ball into the Sutton box but was tackled by an opposition player who brought down our number 9. Murmurings calling for a penalty were heard.

Sutton were not sitting back enjoying their big lead and on 40 minutes another attack down the Sutton right, involving their excellent and dangerous number 10, resulted in a cross to the far post but to Sheen’s relief the Sutton forward headed the ball into the side netting. Half time.


Half time score: Sutton 4 - 1 Sheen.

You are down 4-1 at half time and have all of two attempts to show for your efforts over forty minutes (believe me, I can count all the way up to two). Although one such did result in a beautiful goal. Anyway, what do you do? Deliver the team talk of the century, of course. So that’s what everyone in the stand hoped Michael would do.

In the ‘away director seats’ all Sheen supporters (including our own UEFA qualified coach and Fulham manager in waiting, Trevor) spent the fourteen minute break going into game analysis overdrive. The conclusion was unanimous: We have to close down Sutton’s number 10. Plain and simple.

Michael and Mark kept the boys in the dugout on the far side during the break whereas Sutton took to the changing room. The brain wave from the spectator stand must have registered on the management radar because Michael switched Max from right midfield to left back to mark the Sutton number 10. Also, during the break Sean and Ethan were coming off and Aodan and Jay coming on. If nothing else, Michael’s half time adjustments briefly gave rise to a few self congratulatory remarks and made everyone in the ‘away director seats’ feel like, err, directors.

At 13.55 Sutton kicked off the second half and immediately hit the groove: On 44 minutes Sutton had a shot off target; on 46 minutes a low Sutton cross from deep left was deflected by Sheen over their own bar; on 48 minutes a Sutton free kick floated into the area with a Sutton forward first to the ball but heading over the bar. In short, Sutton were on top for the first ten minutes of the half. But Sheen didn’t look shaky or rattled at all.

On 50 minutes a Sheen midfielder delivered a cute pass splitting the Sutton central defence and Luke H managed to outpace the defenders chasing the ball but the Sutton keeper was quick to come out and grab the ball at his feet.

On 53 minutes a Sutton cross from the left deep in the Sheen final third flew over George attempting a leap to catch the ball but the Sheen defense cleared the ball. The ball dropped to a Sutton player but his shot went wide.

The next ten minutes offered little in the way of great excitement at either end but on 63 minutes a Sutton free kick from deep right sent the ball into the Sheen box where, yet again, a Sutton player is first to head it. But this time into the arms of George. So far so good in terms of composure but Michael’s half time pep talk had yet to boost the Sheen attacking play. Exactly sixty seconds later that all changed.

With 64 minutes on the clock and Sheen trailing by three goals Michael’s half time tonic finally reached the parts other team talks could not reach. Sheen were awarded a free kick on the left touchline deep in the Sutton half. Our number 9, Ben H, went out to take the kick with plenty of Sheen players lining up in the goal area. Ben H made the perfect curler which (with a tinsy winsy bit of help from the wind) floated beautifully into the top right corner. Goal! Everybody anticipated a ball for our tall guys to try to latch onto. But Ben H instead decided to test the Sutton keeper. And he came up short. Literally. Perfect. Four two, Sutton.

During the next ten-minute spell Sheen were flying as if on broomsticks in a Quidditch match. On 66 minutes Sheen’s first and only corner of the match was headed wide. Immediately following that Ben H was almost through but got tackled cleanly in the Sutton penalty box.

Sheen kept the pedal to the metal and on 67 minutes, with Sutton under pressure deep in their own half, a clearance by Sutton resulted in the ball landing at the feet of of Harry on the edge of the 18-yard box (in pretty much the same fashion as the Sheen clearance leading to Sutton’s second goal on 7 minutes). Without hesitation Harry unleashed a dipping shot escaping the Sutton keeper who at full stretch couldn’t prevent the ball bulging the Sutton net just inside the right hand post. Jubilation. Four three, Sutton.

At this point you could probably have heard the Sheen crowd on the M25. Our dear Club Sec was now jumping up and down whilst cheering loudly. In the stand no one was sitting down. The rain had completely ceased and Sheen were all buzzing like a swarm of navy hooped wasps.

A few moments later, on 69 minutes, with Sutton still under siege Sheen stung again. Luke H picked up the ball in the outside left channel and jetted down the wing leaving the Sutton fullback in his wake. Simultaneously Charlie (Sheen’s uncompromising number 4 holding midfielder, think Makelele) made a rare dash into the Sutton box. Instead of sending the ball over the top Luke H exocet’ed the ball low toward the near post where Charlie popped up with perfect timing to jam in the ball, leaving the Sutton keeper no chance. Textbook stuff elevated to poetry. Goooooaaaaaaal! Four four, Sutton AND Sheen.

The Sheen crowd was in a frenzy and could now be heard all the way to Dover. Are we watching Istanbul in 2005 all over again, but just better?

During the following minutes Sheen continued to probe but Sutton were defending deep with everyone except a lone forward hanging up front. Gradually Sutton started to shake off the shock of what had been a Sheen onslaught. On 72 minutes Claas came on for Luke H who had scored Sheen’s important first goal and created the all-important equaliser. A huge performance.

On 77 minutes Sutton were awarded a corner but the ball was kicked behind the byline. Immediately after, on 78 minutes, Claas fired off a 30-yarder but unfortunately straight at the Sutton keeper.

At the end of regulation, on 80 minutes, Sutton managed to build an attack down their right (though we hadn’t seen many of those in the second half) resulting in a Sutton player wriggling his way through traffic into the box and firing off a hard shot straight at the top right corner. George was equal to the task and at full stretch managed to palm the ball to a corner. A close shave. Sheen cleared the corner. Harry went down injured/with cramp and was substituted for Ben M. Having delivered a splendid performance Harry was clapped off the pitch by everyone in the stand.

Not knowing how many minutes of added time the referee had decided upon, both teams were competing ceaselessly for every ball. Sutton were throwing everyone forward in an attempt to clinch the Cup in normal time whereas Sheen, who had to soak up the pressure, were holding on for the match to go to extra time.

On 80+4 minutes with Sutton attacking Alex attempted to tackle the ball carrier in the Sutton left channel but was a touch late and a free kick was awarded to Sutton. Unfortunately Alex was cautioned for the foul.

While the referee was booking Alex the Sutton players were flooding the Sheen box for what could be the last chance to score in regulation. On 80+5 minutes the ball was duly floated into the box and with a dozen players competing for the ball it was somehow scrambled over the line. This reporter couldn’t see how the ball crossed the line but a good goal was given to Sutton. After the final whistle it was claimed by some who were watching from a position on the sideline closer to the goal line that (dare we whisper it) a Sutton handball went undetected by the referee. Heartbreak. Five four, Sutton. Game over.

A few seconds after the restart the referee blew for the final whistle. Sheen heads dropped and their dejection was palpable. Clear proof, if any was needed, that they are great competitors.

Final score: Sutton 5 - 4 Sheen.

Let’s leave the ifs and buts and could’ve and should’ve discussions for another occasion and just round off by concluding that no matter which team you supported in this Cup final, this encounter was epic, extremely entertaining and sensational value at £3 entry. Again, congratulations to both Sutton United and Sheen Lions.

Looking to the future one would hope that these U15 Lions can stick together and continue on their upward trajectory. Geoff has always said that winning the Premier Elite division title is a very big ask, so the dream is to win one of the big cups. Having watched Geoff build this team into the Club’s most consistent contenders during the last eight seasons I’d say there’s every chance that we are going to see these boys lift a major cup one day soon. And with Geoff present. I for one will be looking forward to it.

Henrik, Webmaster
(photographs courtesy of Gordon)


Lots More Photos

Match Stats:

Sheen Lions team sheet: Starters: 1-George 14-Alex 15-Bertie 5-Luke S 3-Sean (40: Jay) 4-Charlie 2-Max 16-Harry (80: Ben M) 7-Ethan (40: Aodan) 19-Luke H (72: Claas) 9-Ben H Bench: 8-Aodan (40: Ethan) 11-Jay (40: Sean) 12-Claas (72: Luke H) 18-Ben M (80: Harry) 10-Luke P (not used) Sheen MOMs: George, Max.

Sutton goals, mins.: 5, 7, 30, 34, 80+5 Sheen goals, mins. (scorer/assist): 35 (Luke H/Ben H) 64 (Ben H/-), 67 (Harry/-) 69 (Charlie/Luke H) Sutton attempts, on target: 10 Sheen attempts, on target: 6 Sutton attempts, off target: 7 Sheen attempts, off target: 2 Sutton fouls committed: 17 Sheen fouls committed: 10 Sutton corners gained: 4 Sheen corners gained: 1 Sutton offside against: 1 Sheen offside against: Nil Sutton bookings: Nil Sheen bookings: 1 yellow

Last Minute Drama In The Rain

The rain effected all the football in Surrey today with over half the scheduled games being called off including our U12 Lions, only one of our two teams scheduled managed to play today.

The other game was of course the Surrey U15 County Cup Final and it is great credit to the Chipstead ground staff that there were able to host the U14 and U15 finals today though unfortunately the U16 final to be played last was cancelled.

U15 County Cup
at Chipstead FC

For the record in the U14 Final Guilford Saints beat Carshalton Athletic 1-0 in extra time in heavy rain. Everyone though the winner was a wild shot going way over but the intense head wind almost stopped the ball and it dropped into the goal.

The U15 final was remarkable and must have been the best football entertainment in England today. There is now a detailed report but briefly:

Sutton were very sharp up front in the first half, scored two in the first 10 mins. Sheen at last settled down and had a good twenty minutes but Sutton exploded again, scored another two for a 0-4 lead. Ben H gave Sheen an outside chance when he chased down a hopeful long ball and nicked it from the Sutton keeper who was trying to see it out, some quick footwork and a cross allowed Luke H to make it 1-4  before half time.

Sheen competed well in a far more even second half and with around 20 minutes left it became remarkable. Ben H scored from a free kick out on the left touchline, then Harry scored from outside the 18 yard box. Could this happen! Five minutes left and Charlie P levelled it at 4-4 from close in. As the game went in to time added on Sutton were denied three or four chances by the excellent George in goal; but in the 6th minute a free kick cross came in and they scrambled the winner from close in to take the Cup 4-5.

Afterwards our U15 Manger Michael Morgan said:



Wow what a day.

Firstly I would like to thank the team for a spirited performance and an almost unforgettable come back.
YOU DID GEOFF, THE CLUB AND MOST IMPORTANTLY YOURSELVES PROUD.
As a manager/coach it was so nice to hear that lots of people thought we were the better team and played the better football. Even though the result went against us "THAT'S FOOTBALL".

MAN OF THE MATCH GEORGE AND MAX.

Secondly to all the parents' and supporters for braving the weather, my god you are a rowdy lot aren't especially when we scored the third and fourth goal, if anything lifted the boys to produce what they did it was certainly the noise you made so THANK YOU for your support.

Sheen Make it 4-4

U7 Will be 5v5 For Season 2012-13

The Surrey Youth League will be playing a 5 v 5 format for the U7 age group in season 2012-13.


The new proposals are as follows:

• 5 v 5 players on the pitch at any one time
• Maximum of 2 roll on roll off substitutes may be used for the match
• Maximum Squad of 10 registered players
• Size 3 Ball
• Flexible playing time not to exceed 40 minutes i.e. a match will be 2 x 20 mins half’s or 4 x 10 minute quarters agreeable by the competing managers and finally decided by the home team. 
• Standard Mini Soccer Goals.
• All current Mini Soccer Rules Apply except where stated.
• Flexible pitch size: Recommended 20 wide x 30 yards long. 

You can read the Surrey Youth League's full details here. 

Under 18's secure Runners Up Slot

A late result on Sunday:  the Under 18s beat SCR arrows 3-2 to secure Sheen Lions second set of medals for the season.

John's U18's will finish up runners up in the Surrey Youth League  Div 1 Under 18 .

WELL DONE to John and the squad

U18 Lions
Runners Up Div 1 2011-12

Undefeated On A Sunny Day

A quiet weekend but a beautiful sunny day. Only 5 games played and we won 4 and drew one. In addition Jason and Julian's Under 8's played their last non competitive game and can look forward to next season's competitions with great confidence.

In the big game, unfortunately the Easter holiday kicked in and Trevor's U 14 Lions could only raise ten boys and that proved decisive in a 2-2 draw with Kew Association Colts. Whilst they finish their season in top place, the game after the Easter break between Junior Bees and Hanworth will decide whether SL U14 Lions finish 2nd or 3rd in the league. It is that close.

Ricks U14 Pride went one better and won their last game 3-1 against Manorcroft to finish a credible 4th in their league, a great improvement from the previous season.

Michael and Mark's U15 repeated their County Cup Semi final win over Farnborough Town, this time with a narrow but excellent 1-0 win.

Both Under 16's won. Matt's U16 Pride did well to get a side out and completed a 3-1 victory over Hook and Brian's U16's had a good win over Barnes Eagles Colts  2-0.  As they both won, I will make the two U16's TEAMS OF THE WEEK.

Enjoy your break for Easter. The posts may come down after 15th April but there are still big games and two massive Cup Finals to come.

U16 Lions
Joint Team of The Week

U16 Pride
Joint Team Of The Week

Under 12's set up exciting finale

Only 2 wins and 2 draws amongst 9 games today, although still awaiting thev U18 result. Yet there was still a large number of very tight games. Terry's Under 13s finished their season with a credible 4-2 defeat at Div 2 Champions Carshalton Athletic. Brian's U16 Lions also faced top of the league, this time Molesey Juniors and lost 4-1 with the unusual art of two SL own goals. Michael and Marks U15 Lions also faced pending U15 Premier Elite Champions in the shape of Leatherhead and despite U15 Lions being 3-0 down at half time, Leatherhead left Palewell Park sweating on a narrow 3-2 victory. Dean and Sam's U15 Pride also suffered a narrow defeat losing 1-0 at Wandgas Colts, whilst Jon and Alastairs U11 Lion kept up this unfortunate trend losing 3-2 at Corinthians.

However, it wasn't all doom and gloom. Rick's U14 Pride faced an Esher side that had beaten them 12-1 a few weeks ago and a brave performance left both teams with one point after an exciting 3-3 draw, with Esher equalising very late in the game. Michael and Martin's U10 Lions also drew, 1-1 with Esher.

Trevor's U14 Lions went into their penultimate game knowing only a victory would be good enough to keep them in contention for honours. A 2-0 away win at Mitcham Park was an important win which leaves them top of the league with one game to play. However, with 3 teams dominating the U14 Div 2 league it is still possible for Trevor's U14's to finish first, second or third in the league.

The most exciting finale is the U12 Championship. Mel's U12s had to win to stay in the running and a last minute goal secured a critical 1-0 victory over Barnes Eagles Colts. As results went today Mel knows three victories in the last 3 games will be enough to make them U12's Champions and join the U9 Lions on the podium. However, there is a long way still to go. TEAM OF THE WEEK is therefore Mel's U12 Lions. They had a bare 11 players today but kept fighting to the very end and can now look forward to an exciting climax to the season.

U12 Lions
Team of the Week

Only a few more weeks to go and this week will be the last 'official' training sessions at BOE or Palewell Park.

The football highlight of the weekend was maybe Peter Crouch's goal v Man City. I don't know about goal of the season, it cannot be far off goal of the century!

WELL DONE ALL

Mum's The Word - Respect

It was a great honour today for Sheen Lions to welcome members of the Surrey FA and WSYL officials to Palewell Park to host their Respect Awareness Day. It demonstrates that all the hard work Sheen Lions puts in to apply the right principles in staging matches is increasingly being recognised. Asking boys to shake hands, making sure that spectators are on the correct side of the pitch and behind the spectators lines and above all that the upmost respect is given BY ALL to match officials and opponents IS ALL PART of running a successful football club. Sheen Lions has been positioned as a benchmark in Surrey for best practice. Sarah has driven these principles for many years and deserves great credit and WE just need to keep ensuring we continue to deliver the highest standards possible.

It was also a day where respect had a different meaning - MOTHERS DAY. A day where we can all appreciate the tolerance and support we all get at home whether it be muddy boots and kit, lifts to matches, passionate love and support for our every move. A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THE MUMS and WIVES. Happy Mothers Day from Sheen Lions.

On the pitch the football continued. 5 wins, 6 losses and 2 draws excluding our younger groups. Simon's Under 7's played their second consecutive game and delivered an outstanding performance against Barnes Eagles. Both Julian and Eric's U8's also had impressive and successful days.

In the leagues three teams - Mel's U12's Lions, Trevors U14 Lions and John's U18 Lions have very good chances to win medals in their leagues. Martin and Michael's U10 Lions in addition have a mathmatical chance, although it looks to be a very long shot. As such, todays results were crucial.

Mel's U12's had a very exciting game winning 4-3 at Carshalton with the prolific Nils R scoring another hat-trick. This keeps the pressure up on Ascot their rivals for 2nd place. Trevor's U14 Lions faced the unbeaten Junior Bees and came away with a very important 2-2 draw. Three teams in the U14 Div 2 are neck and neck well ahead of the pack and a draw was a good result to keep the U14's in line for 2nd place. John's U18 had an excellent 4-2 win at Corinthians helped by a Matthew H hat-trick which means 4 points in their last two games will be enough for medals as Runners Up.

Bernie's U12 Pride faced a tough Ballers side in their last game. Unfortunately a 5-0 defeat was not the result they were looking for BUT must take great credit for finishing 3rd in the league. A massive improvement from last season. David L's U10 Pride also finished the season in style moving into the top half of the league with a 3-0 win over Ashford. Another example of a team that has really stepped up this year. WELL DONE to Bernie and David and their respective coaches TREVOR and FREDDY.

After the success of last weeks County Cup semi final victory, Michael and Mark's U15 Lions had another outstanding win against a top 3 PE team winning 3-1 v Kingswood Falcons. Dean and Sam's U15 Pride shared the spoils with Chertsey in a double header winning the first game 1-0 and then losing the 2nd game 3-0. Three points a piece was a good reward for the day and better than two draws!

Rick's U14 Pride had one of the best results of the day holding the run away leaders in their U14 Div 3 league Whitton, who had beaten them twice before, to a 3-3 draw. Other teams faced table toppers today had slightly less success. Jon and Alastairs U11 Lions lost 4-1 at home to Staines and Brian's U16 Lions went down 3-1 to Eagles. Nick and Gavin's Under 9 Pride finished their season with a 3-1 defeat to table toppers Surrey Predators. In their first competitive season, Nick and Gavin also deserve great credit as the team have played with great spirit and the boys have improved considerably. A number of narrow defeats have not gone in their favour. Remember this is season 1 of perhaps 10 seasons so I'm sure they will gain from the experience and develop significantly next season.

Terry's U13 Lions lost a very tight game 3-2 to AFC Walcountians but still can get a top half finish albeit the last game is against this years U13 Div 2 Champions Carshalton Athletic. Terry's team play football with great spirit and quality so it is a chance to go out, enjoy themselves and finish the season in style.

TEAM OF THE DAY - Tough this week. I will give it to the two U14 sides Rick and Trevor - Lions and Pride for two draws that were either impressive or important for different reasons. WELL DONE TO THEM.

U14 Pride
Joint Team of The Week

U14 Lions
Joint Team of The Week

Finally, football was put in perspective with the tragic case of Fabrice Muamba. A young man with incredible talent, passion and commitment. Everyone at Sheen Lions prays for your recovery.

FA and League Representatives Visiting Palewell

On Sunday 18th March Sheen Lions welcome senior representatives from the FA and the Surrey Youth League to Palewell as part of a Respect Awareness Day.

Sheen Lions Celebrates Fantastic Success At Palewell

A wonderful sunny day at Palewell Park and much to celebrate for quite a few boys and supporters that provided some of the biggest crowds of the season.

For the record, 6 wins today, 4 defeats and 1 draw excluding two notable additional wins for Bernie's U12's and Ricks U14 Pride in scheduled friendlies. However, within the wins there were a couple of games that will live in the memory for a long time.

Nidal and Richard's Under 9's faced a 'winner takes all' battle against a strong Meadow Sports side. Whoever won would be Champions of Div 1. A tense first half saw Sheen Lions take control but a late goal from Meadow Sports made it 1-1 at half time. Sheen continued their excellent form in the 2nd half and a 2nd goal from Sammi gave them the 2-1 victory that they deserved. So they are CHAMPIONS, in their first competitive season for this squad, having achieved 32 points from the last 36 available. WELL DONE to all the boys in the squad, Richard and Nidal and also particular credit to Trevor who has done a great job coaching them and also Jack who has helped Trevor this season. FANTASTIC, you won it playing great football but also in a wonderful spirit that has made the club very proud.

That was not the end of the excitement. Michael and Mark's U15 Lions faced a very strong Farnborough Elite in the Surrey County Cup semi Final. A tournament that started with the best 74 sides across Surrey and North Hampshire, and a tournament that we have never managed to get any age group team to the final in our history. However a sensational first half with two outstanding goals from Charlie P. and Bertie L. gave Sheen a 2-0 lead. It became a lead that they were determined not to lose. In the end a 2-0 victory was enough to put Sheen Lions into the final on the 29th April 12 against Sutton United who are top of the Tandridge League. WELL DONE to Michael and Mark and everyone in the squad. Some pictures from the match can be seen here.

The Headmaster Scores The Lions Second

It has been quite a week for the U15's with 7 boys from Sheen Lions U15s also becoming English Schools (ISFA) Champions late on Thursday night this week at Burton Albion' Stadium v Bolton. You wait for a Cup Final all season and two come along at the same time!!

In the leagues there were a number of very notable victories. Mel's U12 had a great day with results going there way to set up an exciting climax to the U12 season. Mel's U12's did their bit with a good and important 3-0 victory over Carshalton. Jon and Alastair's U11's kept up the trend v Carshalton beating them 4-1 away to give them 3 more important points.

Trevor's U14 Lions were the highest scorers of the day. A Rory J hat-trick put them on the way to an 8-0 victory v Barnes Eagles and results elsewhere has kept the U14's in contention for the honours. Brian's U16's also faced Barnes Eagles and produced a good 2-0 victory to keep them in the top half of the league.

A Jake D hat-trick helped Terry's U13's secure a high scoring 4-4 draw with Corinthian Casuals.

I.m pleased to say that Simon's U7's played their first competitive game today and to quote the opposition manager. That was the best performance we have faced from another club this season by a mile. With c 18 Under 7 boys training regularly with Sam and Dean things are looking bright. The number of Under 6's is also growing week by week and we have a great new coach on board Frank Wilson from Fulham FC.

REMEMBER OPEN DAY FOR ALL YR 1 (under 6) and YR 2 (under 7) EVERY SATURDAY IN MARCH from 10.15 - 11.45. ALL WELCOME.

Julian and Jason's Under 8's continued their excellent form and Eric's U 8 Pride is showing much promise. Things are looking very bright for the future of Sheen Lions.

David's U10P had a very narrow 3-2 defeat v Whitton. John's U18 had a disappointing 4-1 reverse at Junior Bees and Dean and Sam's U15 Pride lost to FC Byfleet.

 Matt's U16 Pride had a 2-0 defeat v a strong Kingston Juniors side. However, they will learn from this and come back stronger on May 1st when they play them again in our 2nd Cup Final of the season, the U16 League Cup Final.

HOWEVER, quite a day. TEAMS OF THE DAY have to be jointly both the victorious Under 9 Lions and the impressive Under 15's.

U15 Lions after their semi final win

U9 Lions
Surrey League Division 1 Champions 2012

I would just bring your attention to a couple of further initiatives:

(1) BOOTS FOR AFRICA Firstly BOOTS FOR AFRICA. Thanks to Sarah and Maia Dickson we are looking for all unused boots for our AFRICA APPEAL. As MANAGERS PLEASE PLEASE make an effort to notify all parents. All you have to do is organise a collection point for your team and then deliver all boots to Sarah or Maia. Details on Sheen Lions web site. Also with the kind help of Jon Darlison we will shortly kick off shirts for Africa.

(2) SHEEN LIONS NEWS Secondly, thanks to all the efforts of our great WEB Managers - Gordon Campbell and Henrik Woergaard we now have our own Sheen Lions Facebook, RSS (if you are more up to speed ) and Twitter feeds.

We issue a SHEEN LIONS NEWS BULLETIN every week and you can choose one of the links below so you can keep up to date with all the Club news.

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National Cup Success For Sheen Lions Boys

Sheen Lions' Harry S. Captains Hampton School To A National Cup Win
With Six Other Lions In The Team

A big congratulations to the Hampton School U15 team who won the Investec National ISFA U15 Cup on Thursday evening at Burton Albion.

Hampton led by a single goal after an even first half and should have made the game safe controlling the second half. They had three opportunities to establish a good lead but they paid the price 10 minutes from time when Bolton equalised. Both sides were battling cramp on a big pitch and the match finished 1-1 after extra time. Hampton held their nerve and converting all 4 spot kicks to win 4-2. An exciting end to a campaign that started back in September at the lovely setting of Lancing College on the South Coast.

Sheen Lions have fourteen boys from Hampton in our U15 squads and no less than seven of Hampton's winning squad play for Sheen Lions U15s.

Under 16's Both Score 6 For Convincing Wins

Probably (no definitely!) the wettest day of the season with pitches turning into muddy pits. As we get towards the climax of the season, we expect an increasing number of critical games and today was no exception. I always like to win more than we lose and today we managed 7 wins, 1 draw and unfortunately 6 defeats.

The two biggest games of the day were games that would strongly influence the eventual league winners. Nidal and Richards U9's went to Claygate knowing that a win would set up a 'winner takes all' title showdown with Meadow Sports next Sunday at Palewell Park. I am delighted to say they managed a narrow 2-1 win which is enough to put them top with their last game next week. Whoever wins will be Champions. A draw will favor Meadow Sports who have two games to play. Lets get lots of support behind the team next week!

The second 'game of the day' was Trevors U14 Lions away at Hanworth. A win for either team would put them in pole position for the Championship but unfortunately a very narrow 1-0 defeat for Trevor elevates Hanworth as favorites to win the league.

Both U16's had big wins. Brian's U16 Lions had an excllent 6-2 win v Claygate with a Jonathon H hat-trick and Matts U16 Pride warmed up nicely for their forthcoming Cup Final with a solid 6-3 win at Tooting. Jesse W also managed a hat-trick in this game.

It was a day of contrasting results. The U10's had slightly mixed fortunes. Last weeks team of the week, David's U10P carried on their form with a good 2-1 win v Hampton Youth. Martin and Michael's U10 Lions did everything but win v Carshalton Athletic but had to settle for a 1-1 draw. The runners up position is still a possibility but the two points lost might be costly.

The U12's also had contrasting results. Mel's U12 Lions were missing some key players but eventually lost 2-0 to a strong Ascot Utd team. Bernie's U12 Pride may have left it a bit too late for runners up but had a good 4-2 win at Esher Colts. Saying that, a key game v Ballers next week can keep them in the mix.

The U13 also ended up with a win and a defeat. Terry's U13 lions beat a good Kew Association side 5-3, whilst Matthew and Russell's U13 Pride team were pipped 2-1 by Elm Grove.

With Trevor U14 L losing, Ricks U14 Pride provided good news for the U14's with an excellent 3-1 win away at Manorcroft Utd.

John 's U18's lost 4-0 against table toppers Barnes Eagles and it wasn't the best day for the U11's with David's U11 Pride finding table topping Chipstead a bit too strong and with Jon and Alastair's U11 Lions going down 3-1 at Sutton.

TEAM OF THE WEEK have to be Richard and Nidal's U9 Lions for creating such an exciting end to their season next week.

U9 Lions
Team Of The Week

We are looking for lots of support at Palewell Park next week with two massive games. The U9's attempt to win the league for the first time and at mid day Michael and Marks U15 Lions face Farnborough Elite in the semi final of the Surrey County Cup and attempt to get the first Sheen Lions team into a Surrey CC Final.

We have had great success from our U7 (YR 2) and Under 6 (YR1) Open days and now have a very strong U7 infrastructure and we are still looking for more Year 1 boys with potential. If you know any year 1 boys that you think would be right please send me contact details as we are running an U6 and U7 development squad EVERY SATURDAY 10.15 to 11.45 during MARCH at Palewell Park.

Putting all games aside THE BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT of the week is Sheen Lions nomination for the National Respect and Fair Play Awards. This is a FA National competition and is fantastic reflection of all the great work Sarah, you the Managers and Coaches and all the boys have done. WELL DONE TO YOU ALL

Sheen Lions Nominated For National Respect and Fair Play Award

Frank Thompson, General Secretary of the Surrey Youth League has nominated Sheen Lions for an FA Respect and Fair Play Award. FA staff will assess the nominations and winners will be presented with an award at the FA Cup final on 5th May.

The FA remains committed to driving up standards of behaviour in football and the Respect Awards allow them to celebrate those leagues, clubs and individuals that have been exceptional in tackling difficult problems and ensuring that football is played in a fair, decent and enjoyable environment.

Sheen Lions are delighted to receive the nomination from the Surrey Youth League. Our Club Secretary Sarah Street said:

"I am absolutely thrilled that the club has been nominated for the National Respect and Fair Play Award. Whether we win, or not, it is a great testament to all our managers and coaches  for their effort and determination to make the game of football what it should be."

Absolute vintage: The Club Sec gracing Palewell.

In his citation Frank Thompson said:

"Sheen Lions are a model club in terms of all that is good about the respect programme and are an example to others of how to behave towards, opponents and officials. They have a very strong Club Secretary and Committee that endorse best practice behaviour and who implement the respect codes throughout parents, management coaches and players alike."


"They have been seen to act swiftly with any misconduct that may arise and can be relied upon to always act in the best interests of the game."


"They have consistently over the last five years been in the top five of 150 league clubs (600 Teams) in the league respect marks system. They have won the league divisional respect awards in different ages over the past few years. They will be the Focus Club of the league's respect day later this month."

Under 9 Lions Set Up Exciting Season's Climax

A mixed bag of results today with 6 wins, 1 draw and 6 defeats. Unfortunately, one of the defeats included Trevor's U14 invitation Cup semi final, where they found Abbey Rangers their opponents from a higher division just a bit too good for them. A 3-0 defeat may have been disappointing but all credit to them for reaching the semi final. They still have an opportunity to win their league. Ricks U14 Pride rebounded from a heavy defeat last week to record a good 4-2 win in a local derby v KPR to keep them a respectable 4th in their league.

The best age group was the Under 15's with Dean and Sam's U15 Pride continuing their good season coming from 0-2 down for a 3-2 win over Wandgas Colts. Michael and Marks U15 Lions came back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at Mitcham Park Juniors.

Nidal and Richard 's U9's had a crucial 3-2 win at Tooting, which is enough to guarantee them a medal and a win next week at Claygate would mean they would face their final game at Palewell Park in two weeks knowing a victory would secure the title. What an exciting climax to the season. We wish them luck.

Mel's U12 also face an exciting finish following their 6-3 win over Staines. A Nils R hat-trick was one of two Sheen Lions hat-tricks of the day.

John's U18's responded to their County Cup QF defeat last week with an important 2-0 win at Wolves Fisherlona and look forward to an exciting local derby with table topping Barnes Eagles next week

The most impressive win of the day was David's U10 Pride who beat our friendly rivals Rocks Lane 7-4. It was the most goals they have ever scored in a match and Samuel C's hat-trick was the first for the team.WELL DONE. Unfortunately Martin and Michael U10 Lions lost again 3-0 at Carshalton and the curse of going top of the league a few weeks ago has back fired on them a bit.

The 11's unfortunately both lost. Alastair and Jon's U11 L losing 4-2 at a good Oxshott team and David's U11 Pride losing at Ewell. Terry's U13 also lost very narrowly 1-0 at Junior Bees. Brians U16's lost 4-2 at Molesey Juniors.

The U8's both delivered good performances today.

Team Of The Week
U10 Pride

TEAM OF THE WEEK has to be David's U10 Pride. Last year was a baptism of fire in their first year together but they have worked hard and steadily improved and today they fully deserved their moment of glory. WELL DONE TO THEM

Under 15's Progress To Semi Final of Surrey County Cup

Football returned to the Surrey Youth League this weekend after two weeks of snow. However, the two match of the days involved the Under 18s and Under 15s in their respective Surrey County Cup Quarter Finals. A good crowd turned up at Palewell Park to see John OB's Sheen Lions U18 in their quarter final v Premier Elite opponents Oxshott. Unfortunately, the crowd may have turned up but SL didn't quite turn up for the day and a 3-1 deficit was a disappointing result. However, the reverse was true for Michael and Marks U15's. Goals from Luke H-S and a late strike from Charlie P secured an impressive 2-0 victory against Premier Elite Guilford City, a team that had beaten SL in the league last month.

Only seven league games today but a mixed bag of results. Trevor's U14 Lions faced a Lyne Elite team at home which is the only team to have beaten them this season in the reverse fixture. Fortunately on this occasion the U14's delivered a 5-1 victory which secures their place at the top of the league but it remains very close. It is worth noting that the U14's have only conceded 7 goals all season. Unfortunately Ricks U14 Pride had a day they will wish to forget against Esher, a team they beat earlier in the season.

Martin and Michael's U10's secured a 3-3 draw in their top of the table clash with Sutton, which means that there is all to play for in the remaining games. David L scored the only Sheen Lions hat-trick of the day. Mel's U12's also secured a 3-3 draw this time with Whitton in a game that they would have hoped to have won. Jon and Alastair's U11's and Dean and Sam's U15 Pride were unfortunate to lose very narrowly, 3-2 v Links and 1-0 v Epsom respectively. Terry's U13 Lions lost 3-1 at home to Carshalton Athletic, a team that would now be favorites to win their league.

The open days for U6 to U10 took place two weeks ago on the ice but it was a great turnout and particularly for U6 to U9 there was a lot of new talent. We will run a new U6/7 training session for 4 weeks effective 4 March 2012.

U15 Lions
Team of The Week

TEAM OF THE DAY have to be Michael and Marks U15 Lions. It is extremely rare to get a Sheen Lions team into a County Cup Semi Final and it would be a first if they were to reach the U15 Surrey County Final. Let's wish them the best of luck for their Semi Final, which will be against SYL PE team Farnborough. 

Geoff

Football Back Next Weekend

Cup Fever - Under 16's Reach Final

The big game of the day was the Under 16 League Cup semi final, which saw Matt's Sheen Lion Pride secure their place in the U16 League Cup Final with a fantastic 2-0 victory over Sandgate. A draw against Sandgate a few weeks ago meant it would be a close game but Sandgate started as favourites based on a much higher Premier Elite position. However, two goals from Jesse W from two assists by Fredrik W late in the game were enough to book their place in the final against Farnborough or Kingston Juniors on the evening of Tuesday 1st May. A date for your diaries!

U16 Pride
League Cup Finalists 2012

It was a much better week today with nine victories versus six defeats. The Under 12's led the way with two victories. Mel's U12 Lions had a very important 2-1 win against local rivals Barnes Eagles Colts whilst Bernie's U12 Pride were the big hotshots of the day with an impressive 12- 0 victory over Whitton, with both Gerald N and Jack N getting 5 goals a piece. Jon and Alastair 's U11 Lions had one of the best results of the day and gained revenge on Ewell Saxons with an excellent 2-1 victory.

It was mixed results for the Under 14's, Under 15's, Under 13's with one win apiece. Trevor's U14 Lions have gone clear at the top of their league with a 6-0 win against Tooting and Mitcham whilst Rick's U14 Pride lost at Corinthian Casuals. Terry's Under 13 Lions made sure Corinthian Casuals did not have it all their own way with an important 7-3 win against the same club. Joe R represented the outstanding individual performance of the day. Having had a tragic personal loss this week , he turned out for his U13 Lions team and scored a magnificent hat-trick as well as earning the Man of the Match award from his team mates. Everyone in the club sends their condolences to Joe and his family.

Russell and Matthew U13 Pride had the burden of last weeks 'team of the week' title to face and lost 2-0 against local rivals Barnes Eagles. However, last weeks joint team of the week, Dean and Sam's U 15 Pride made amends and continued their run of good form with a 4-2 win at Kingstonian. Michael and Mark's U15 Lions lost 3-0 at Kingswood Falcons.

It was a disappointing day for the Under 10's with Michael and Martin's high flying U10 Lions losing a really close encounter with Links 2-1. The U10 Pride similarly lost this time at Kew Association. The most exciting game of the day was undoubtably Richard and Nidal's U9 Lions who won 4-3 in an important game v SCR Colts and kept up their chances for a place in the top two of their league but Gavin and Nick's U9 Pride lost 3-1 to KPR. Finally, the Under 18's had a very good 3-1 win over Manorcroft Utd.

TEAM OF THE DAY have to be Matt's Under 16 Pride. The League Cup is a tough competition with 22 Premier Elite and Premier sides across five rounds, so having Sheen Lions in the final is brilliant news. WELL DONE to Matt, Clive, Henrik and all the boys - we look forward to 1st May 2012 at the Molesey Jnrs ground.

As the end of the season starts to illuminate over the horizon, the battle for honours really begins. The U15 Lions and U18 Lions play in important Quarter Finals of the Surrey County Cup next week. The Under 14's have their invitation cup semi final in two weeks to see if they can match the success of the Under 16 Pride. In the leagues there is all to play for with 9 teams - the U9 Lions, Under 10 Lions, U11 Pride, Under 12 Lions and Pride, Under 13 Lions, Under 14 Lions, Under 16 Lions and Under 18's all in contention for league medals this season. Alongside, these teams ALL age group teams have much to play for to ensure we complete this outstanding season with much pride.

PLEASE REMEMBER IT IS THE SHEEN LIONS OPEN DAY NEXT SATURDAY (4th Feb), WITH ALL DETAILS HERE ON THE WEB SITE.

Under 14's score their 50th goal of the season

A weekend with less highlights than we would have hoped for. Four seems to be the magic number, as we went three weeks pre Christmas losing only four games but now we have done two weeks on the trot, unfortunately winning only four games.

Let's start with the Under 14's. Trevor's Lions got back to their scoring ways with a 11-0 victory over Kew Association Colts with both Oskar H, and Alex G securing hat-tricks. It became their 50th goal scored in the league this season but, more impressively they have only conceded six league goals. Saying that, their League title remains very open with four good teams in contention. Rick's U14 Pride lost their 2nd v 3rd battle 3-1 due to two late goals from Hampton Youth.

The Under 9's were unbeaten at the weekend with two draws. Richard and Nidal's U9 Lions managed a 1-1 draw with Raynes Park in a very tight Div 1 league and Nick and Gavin's U9 Pride achieved their first clean sheet of the season in a 0-0 draw with Rocks Lane. David's Under 10 Pride found top of the table KPR too strong in a 4-0 defeat.

It was not a great day for the Under 11's with two very narrow defeats. Jon and Alastair's U11 Lions lost 1-0 at Ewell, whilst David's U11 Pride were very unlucky to lose their Div 1 top of the table clash with Moormead 2-1. In the Under 12's, Mel's Lions run of victories came to an end and were surprise 2-1 losers to Molesey Juniors, but Bernie's U12 Pride had a good day with a 4-0 win over Esher to keep up the pressure on the top two in the league.

It was however a good day for the U13's. Terry's U13 Lions remain in contention for league honours in another very tight league and a 2-2 draw against a strong Whitton team means for the 2nd week they fell just narrowly short of the victory that they are striving for. Russell and Matthew U13 Pride had a very impessive 3-1 win over 2nd placed Staines.

The 15's had mixed results with Michael and Mark U15 Lions losing 3-0 to Kingston Juniors which has become their bogey side this season having beaten them three times but Dean and Sam's U15 Pride gained revenge over Elm Grove and hung on to win 1-0.

It was a very good week for many of the U15 Lions and Pride boys with Hampton School  reaching the English National Schools final (ISFA) where they will play either Bolton or Repton on March 8th at Burton Albions Ground.  The squad includes seven boys from Sheen Lions which represents exactly half the team. WELL DONE to them.

Matt's Under 16 Pride and John's U18 Lions both had very tough games against strong opposition and unfortunately both lost narrowly 2-1 v Grayshott and 2-1 v Links respectively.

TEAMS OF THE DAY have to be the two Pride teams that defied league rankings. Matthew and Russell's U13 PRIDE victory over Staines was outstanding and Dean and Sam's U15 PRIDE will be delighted with their 1-0 victory over Elm Grove, who had beaten them earlier in the season. WELL DONE to them.

Joint Team of The Week
U13 Pride

Joint Team of The Week
U15 Pride

The Pitches Eventually Defrosted

.......... but unfortunately we froze in many of the games.

A very untypical Sunday with 7 defeats in 14 games and just the 4 victories. 3 were drawn but these included a couple of very encouraging results.

Matt's Under 16 Pride are becoming the draw specialists with their sixth draw of the season in 12 games but this time against a very strong Sandgate side. The U15s lost two tough games with Dean and Sam's Pride losing 5-2 to table topping Farnborough and Michael and Mark's U15 Lions losing a tight game 2-1 to Guilford City. They will face Guilford again in a few weeks in the Quarter Final of the Surrey County Cup. Terry's Under 13's showed there is very little difference between mid table and top of the league with a good 3-3 draw against top of the table Kew Association, whilst Matthew and Russell's U13 Pride found Surrey Predators a bit too strong going down 4-0.

Ricks Under 14 Pride maintained their impressive winning streak with a 4-1 victory over Barnes Eagles to keep in contention for a place in the top two of their league. The Under 12's also maintained their good form. Bernie's U13P may feel a bit disappointed with a 3-3 draw at Old Isleworth Whites but Mel's U12 Lions go marching on in the Championship with a great 2-0 win over Esher. Old Isleworth in fact proved to our bogey team on the day as their U11 beat David's table topping U11 Pride side 1-0 and also their Under 10's beat Martin and Michael's high flying Under 10 Lions 4-0 in the Premier League. David's Under 10 Pride also lost this time to Hampton.

 Nidal and Richard's Under 9 Lions had one of the best results of the day a good 2-0 win over Staines to consolidate their position in second place in the league but unfortunately Nick and Gavin's U9 Pride found Esher a little bit too strong going down 3-0.

TEAM OF THE DAY undoubtably this week were John's Under 18's who beat Claygate 1-0 at Palewell to reach the Quarter Final of the U18 Surrey County Cup. Claygate are in a division higher with boys pretty much all under 18 versus Johns U17 squad. The U18s will now play Premier League table topping Oxshott in the Quarter Final. WELL DONE to John, Freddy their coach and the boys.

U18
Team of The Week

Remember to remind your parent group of the OPEN DAY for min soccer on Feb 4th 2012.