it's a pity Barry and Paul had to go but it wasn't really a suprise was it going on the poor results up to date, the club now needs to appoint a manager who can get this club back up to where we once were, i dont think Mr Bellas is the one to do that, we are falliing behind the other 2 local premier teams and Northbank are fast catching up
We had our first training session on a Saturday after game was called off in the morning, something that had not happened so far this season. There was over 20 players there and at least ten missing through other commitments. Not a bad start for New Manager lets see how many we get down this Tuesday & Thursday and get some fitness back through these lay offs. Now we have competition for places it can only push us forward. Remember we were in the lower division the last time a Goalkeeper took control and within two seasons we were in Alliance Cup finals and setting the bar for other local sides like we had done in the mid-seventies. Don't knock it till you see where we go.
I would like to publically thank Paul and Barry for their efforts this season, they are both really good blokes who I hope will take up alternative positions at Carlisle City FC in the near future.
So far as Steve Bellas is concerned it is unfair to judge him now, he should be given the opportunity to put his 'mark' on the team, give him a chance and judge him at the end of the season.
I have known Steve since he came training with our sunday morning team as a 15 year old and know him to be a very straight forward, honest, organised, sometimes opinionated, no nonsense type of person, who tells it the way he sees it. He will no doubt make mistakes, but if you have ever ran a football team, at any level, I doubt there is a man or woman out there who can say they have never made mistakes.
As Dougie said he held his first training session on Saturday and there was a healthy turn out with a real competitive edge to it. Already he has made new signings, Carl Armstrong, Scott Priest, Guiseppe Amato, Graeme Lupton, Andrew Griffiths and Mike Holliday, with one or two more considering it.
Having previously managed our Alliance team I know how difficult it can be to put the team out that you would like, so I say good luck to Steve.
The Alliance league this season is probably at its most competitive for at least ten seasons. You could throw a blanket over virtually the whole division.
I don't think there's any great quality in the league, but equally there are no awful sides either. Every point will have to be worked for.
All teams are going to have the problem of finishing the season with huge numbers of midweek games, and that could well decide issues at both ends of the league table.