| Season Review 2006/07 - Police Disappoint in a Season of Struggle |
Back in July optimism was at a high as the Police squad got together for what was hoped to be a successful season.
Ron Harvey and Rob Sutton once again took charge of team affairs with Steve Clements in the role of team coach.
The team was re-inforced by many new signings. However, the amount of players used was to be a major issue in the performances that were to follow.
Paul Halfpenny, Damien O'Sullivan, Dan Ebbutt, Ewan Davidson and Paul de Groot joined an already strong side featuring Tom Smith, Simon Williams, Pete Lee, Danny Bates and Dan Jarrett.
The season got underway with a 1-1 draw away at Heather, Dan Ebbutt scoring on his debut but most pleasing was the commitment put in the leicestershire sunshine.
As always with Police teams changes were bound to be enforced most weeks. This was evident as the Police went on a run of four games without a win. A 4-1 defeat to Mile Oak at Tally Ho was the most notable faux pas in the early weeks of the season.
Kevin Bunn a former player of Norwich City joined from Earlswood and brought some well needed professionalism to the training regime in the absence of Steve Clements who was unavailable at this time.
However, results were still eluding the side and now performance levels were dropping and the team spirit so evident at the start was slowly disappating. A 2-2 draw away at a poor Kenilworth side culminated in much soul searching and disagreements with management and the playing squad. This led to Dan Ebbutt and Paul de Groot leaving the club.
Tom Smith had returned from injury to take his place in the side away at Stockingford. The best performance of the season so far arrived with Smith firing home a 25 yard winner. After a miserable few weeks there was a belief that the side could kick on from here.
The Police exited three cups in late September/October in the first round. Meek displays against Brocton, Stockingford and Birmingham Uni coupled with poor league form at this stage meant that silverware was unlikely to be coming to Tally Ho.
Kevin Bunn left to take charge of Earlswood but that was offset by the return of Clements.
The best spell of the season so far came at the end of the October as back to back victories were recorded against Burntwood and Mile Oak. The outstanding performances of Paul Halfpenny were catching the eye.
Unfortunatley after a crude challenge that went unpunished in the home win against Newhall by possibly the worse referee seen at this level, Halfpenny's season was to end due to knee ligament damage.
Earlier in the month the Police headed out of the final Cup competiton against Champions elect Bartley Green, the manner of the close defeat was pleasing but the injury the following week to Paul Halfpenny seemed to make the sides quality drain away as a result.
Coupled with the fitness problems of Dan Jarrett, the side were to be without arguably there two most creative players for a while.
The Royal Hussars arrived to contest the bi-annual Hyderabad Trophy. The home side were victors by 3-2 with Danny Bates picking up the club's first trophy of the year.
Dayle Speed returned to the side to add some much needed steel and Jake Harvey left to Pilkington. Some real quality performances were shown by Jake but his temperament on the pitch was having a major effect on team morale. It was one of the seasons mysteries that Jake was to end with only one red card.
December began with a 2-0 victory at local rivals Thimblemill. Tom Smith adding a brace with a side stretched to its limits as only the hardcore members from pre-season being available. A fresh impetus was required if the side could move on for the second part of the season.
Dave Scriven and assistant manager Bob Sutton were turning out more than anticipated in their forties but their experience in certain games were vital to the team.
Damien O'Sullivan after a consistent start to his Police career went on holiday to Australia for 6 weeks and was replaced by Chris Bradbury whose quality was to be hoped would continue the decent run in the autumn months. He was joined by Tommy Reynolds who re-joined from Racing Club Warwick.
Scotsman Ewan Davidson left the club due to continuing injury problems.
Out of all cups and constant changing of the side, the Police went on a winless run of six in the league. Heavy defeats home and away to Bartley Green and then a hammering at home to Fairfield sapped any kind of confidence that was left in the side. The only positive note were the consistent performances of Rory Juss, Pete Lee and captain Danny Bates.
Tom Wakeley was also brought in after some impressive performances in training.
Somehow after a 5-1 mauling to Fairfield, the Police with further new recruits in Scott Wood and Marcus George pulled out a 4-0 hammering and a league double to Stockingford. You would think this would kick on the side wouldn't you?
It didn't.
The side changed time and time again for one reason or another and a vital game away at Leamington Hibs resulted in a stormy 1-0 defeat with Ian Griffiths being shown red for the 2nd time of the season.
Goals were now becoming hard to come by with Tom Smith having a difficult spell in front of goal and also not having much help with the art of goalscoring from the rest of the side.
In March, Heather left Tally Ho with a 3-0 victory. This was now the 8th home league defeat of the season on a surface that is conjusive to passing football. It was to every away's side glee that the pitch they were to play on was of such a high quality which overall was a detriment to the Police as their away form was that much better.
In March the Police with a very elderly line-up went over to Paderborn in Germany and retained the Hyderabad trophy with a 1-0 victory.
Stretching into April and relegation hovering over the club, an away defeat to Littleton made it 7 games without a win.
A double header against local rivals Northfield Town culminated in two more winless games but after a 4-2 reverse at home an improved and extremely commited performance three days later resulted in a 1-1 draw and severely denting their opponents title hopes.
That draw was to serve an upturn in results as the side put together an unbeaten run of 4 games in April/May and again dented the title chances of one of the league frontrunners, this time in the shape of Fairfield Villa after a 1-1 draw. However, surely a club record of missed chances were in evidence away at Cup winners Archdale in another draw.
Zac Berry's workrate and top class performances from Chris Bradbury were key to this improved form by the team.
The final game of the season and a basement battle against Ettington and the Police finished off with a 3-0 away victory and guaranteed 14th place. Custodian Simon Williams was to finish with 4 clean sheets for the season. It was also to mark Chris Bradbury's first victory since joining in December.
That paragraph alone summed up the clubs season, plenty of quality in the side but time and time again the finishing touch and concentration was missing. However, the 8 or 9 regulars who turned up week and week out deserved credit for the way they battled on till the end.
48 players were somehow used in 2006/07 - a fact that has to be addressed for next season by the new incoming management. |
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| Midland Combination Division 1 |
|
| Team |
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
GD |
Pts |
| Bartley Green |
30
|
20
|
1
|
9
|
73
|
31
|
42 |
61
|
| Northfield Town |
30
|
19
|
3
|
8
|
60
|
34
|
26 |
60
|
| Stockingford A.A |
30
|
17
|
5
|
8
|
57
|
36
|
21 |
56
|
| Fairfield Villa |
30
|
16
|
4
|
10
|
61
|
53
|
8 |
52
|
| University of Birmingham |
30
|
13
|
8
|
9
|
65
|
36
|
29 |
47
|
| Heather Athletic |
30
|
13
|
7
|
10
|
53
|
36
|
17 |
46
|
| Mile Oak Rovers |
30
|
13
|
6
|
11
|
56
|
45
|
11 |
45
|
| Knowle |
30
|
13
|
6
|
11
|
50
|
39
|
11 |
45
|
| Littleton |
30
|
13
|
6
|
11
|
55
|
45
|
10 |
45
|
| Thimblemill R.E.C |
30
|
12
|
9
|
9
|
43
|
39
|
4 |
42
|
| Archdale '73 |
30
|
11
|
6
|
13
|
53
|
61
|
-8 |
39
|
| Newhall United |
30
|
11
|
6
|
13
|
49
|
61
|
-12 |
39
|
| Leamington Hibernian |
30
|
7
|
9
|
14
|
31
|
51
|
-20 |
30
|
| West Midlands Police FC |
30
|
7
|
7
|
16
|
36
|
58
|
-22 |
28
|
| Ettington |
30
|
7
|
3
|
20
|
32
|
82
|
-50 |
24
|
| Burntwood Town |
30
|
4
|
2
|
24
|
22
|
89
|
-67 |
14
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TEAM CREST
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Top Goal Scorer
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| Name: Tom Smith |
| Goals: 12 |
| MOM's: 1 |
| Average: - |
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Most 'Player of the Match' Awards
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| Name: Rory Juss |
| Goals: 0 |
| MOM's: 3 |
| Average: - |
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Most Consistent
Player
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| Name: |
| Goals: |
| MOM's: |
| Average: |
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