This weekend's biggest match will be huge and as is often the case it comes from Manchester. No you silly people, nothing to do with Manchester United vs Arsenal- it's all about a match that will take place on Sunday morning, not far from Old Trafford actually.
Yes ladies and gents, it's time for the MJSL to kick off its season. There in the picture is where it will all take place, underneath the lovely skyline of Beetham tower is the hallowed turf of Frederick Road, Salford. Beautiful isn't it. Actually I've been slightly lying to you, the picture shows pitch 3 and the most important match will be on pitch 2!
The team I've been telling you all about for months finally get their first taste of football since April. First up is a friendly on Wednesday. Sporting JLGB (that's us) take on Crumpsall. This is an annual friendly that Sporting usually win only to lose during the season to Crumpsall. I suppose I should fill any of those who don't know in on the details.
Only a few years ago Crumpsall FC were the worst team in the league, maybe second ahead of the 16 year olds in Maccabi 6th. They played bad football and had bad players. But suddenly they became good, much adulation goes to Zevi Saunders, their manager. Crumpsall's style of play isn't always pretty but it is effective (I realise Sunday league football isn't usually pretty but still). Now with better players and an effective way of playing Crumpsall have become a very dangerous side, reached several finals and picked up silverware. Unfortunately for the team, they have lost several players from last season and will line up on Wednesday with an almost unknown starting 11. No matter the outcome the rematch comes just over a week later. To be precise it's Crumpsall vs Sporting JLGB in the league 8 days after the friendly, don't be surprised to hear two completely different results.
After the friendly and before the league game against Crumpsall, Sporting start their league season against South Manchester Maccabi. Once again Freddy Road hosts this one with Sporting hoping to kick off their season in style. South Manchester are a slight unknown quantity. A team who change quite a few players every season, firstly some of their players will be off to university around the country and secondly rumours abound that they have picked up several ex Crumpsall players, though this could be true of several teams in the MJSL, just not Sporting. Our matches against South Manchester are often eventful, although to be honest there isn't often an uneventful match with us. Last season though we only manager to play one match against them as the second match was cancelled because they couldn't get enough players together, that's how scary an opposition we are.
Now I guess I should tell you about us a little bit more. Sporting JLGB are about fun and winning, although the winning is sometimes harder to come by. Led by our manager Gavin Sharpe the boys enjoy nothing more than getting out onto the pitch on a Sunday morning and giving it their all, often in a vain attempt to win. On paper we're a much better side but we let ourselves down with the odd implosive performance, argument on the pitch- comes with all being friends, and our general fitness is generally awful! Having said that we also play some really attractive football, as far as Sunday League goes anyway. As mentioned some weeks ago this season we have a kit sponsor and this will help us survive, so thank you to CliveAnthony Residential Lettings (http://www.cliveanthony.co.uk/) (01617961000). I know it's a shameless link but I don't care. The guys there are really nice and care a lot about the project at Sporting JLGB, they don't imagine for one minute that we'll generate millions for them by being on the front of our shirts but they care about us and that's what matters.
The MJSL is where we ply our trade. It's of course not the most glamorous league in the world, it's not even the most glamorous Sunday league in Manchester but we love it. The MJSL houses just 11 teams but it's a fun league to play in and it cares about its teams. We only hope this season we can win some silverware and end the team's run of forever.
Normally I like to do a comparison between the Premiership, or whatever I've written about, to our Sunday League side, and this week I'd like to do the opposite, but I think this would take away from the message I'd like to convey. There is no comparison, for the boys who play this is of course the closest we'll ever get to the Premiership, a referee, an official competition. But as much as it is the closest, it is also, fortunately, nothing like real football. Down in the MJSL, at Frederick Road playing fields, not many people care what's going on, and in a weird way we're quite happy about that because we care, we know the magic that takes place. So here's to Sporting JLGB and a wonderful season ahead.... SPORTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!!!!!!!
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