DECEMBER 2017

 

As 2017 draws to a close the Uxbridge Amblers continue to develop as a National Benchmark Walking Football Club .

Throughout our three year history, our Friday night sessions have enjoyed excellent numbers and with fifty, members 2018 will continue with more of the same. 

During the summer I trialled a 10 week Walking Futsal course at Uxbridge College which was well received for its high intensity and technical content. Watch this space for the next course.

January 2018 will also see a new Wednesday morning session start – 11am to 12pm at the Ambledome. We will continue our friendly programme, entering Tournaments and possibly a League next year.

Next year I'm looking at weekend tours to Weston Super Mare , Blackpool and Hereford and Tournament tour to Spain in October.

The Club sessions are structured to support the development of all players in Walking Football and its very satisfying when the FA  and Middx FA refer to us as a go to club of excellence.

The rules of Walking Football were issued by the FA early in the year and with the WFA having their own set of rules confusion still reigns amongst the Walking Football community. I was involved in the draft of the WFA’s rules and I am now in a position to give support in making changes with the FA – the outcome has to be one set of rules. The club continues to support our County FA and the FA and will not align  ourselves with the self appointed governing body the WFA unless in agreement with the FA.

Although the game of Walking Football is exploding nationally ,with over 8oo club / sessions taking place every week, we need to encourage the development of walking football referees as more matches are organised between clubs. I am pleased that the club has been chosen to host and support the delivery of the first Referees scheme in January.

The Club is recognised by others as a competitive club, I would disagree, we are a club of recreational players who enjoy to play competitively and with over 40 players representing the club this year my case rests.

On the field of play we completed our 200th competitive match added 4 trophies to the cabinet and with more over 60s matches on offer our development of an over 60s squad is underway.

Spring 2018 will also see a new surface at the Ambledome which will give us a state of the art pitch.

Another new outdoor facility will open at the new Middx FA headquarters at Rectory Park Northolt in Feb/March and I will arrange a session for us to experience the venue.

We are delighted to announce that the football centre operators PLAYfootball are sponsoring our shirts next year as we will develop a Walking Football Ambassador role with the Company.

We will also continue our partnership with QPR and are honoured that Andy Sinton will continue as club Patron.

I will be organising with Barry Morris a one day First Aid course in the New Year which will be free to all members . We will still continue to recommend Dawn Wilkinson as our consultant Physio who has given many of us excellent treatment this year.

With so much going on the Club wouldn’t be as successful without the support of the Committee , Pete Dean [Physio], Barry Morris [First Aid training], Andy Perren [Middx FA] , Anne and the club staff and all of you, our members who at the end of the day make us a great club.

So a massive thank you, Happy Christmas and a brilliant 2018.

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NOVEMBER 2017

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The past 3 years has seen the Uxbridge Amblers grow and achieve a  National reputation as an excellent Walking Football Club not only on the field of play but also within the Community through our charity work.

Our work in the Community has taken us to many disability groups of which dementia being the growing area of care.

Mick Harvey,John Handel and myself have taken advice and had training from Hillingdon Council and the Altzeiemers Society the enables us to deliver Reminiscence Sessions with Dementia groups.

We are delighted to say that after 2 very successful sessions with Hillingdon  Altzeiemers group we are launching the 'Silver Foxes Memories' group which will deliver and facilitate Memory group sessions at various centres around the Borough.

The sessions will be delivered by us on a voluntary basis and in the New Year we will hold a workshop for those who wish to be involved and support our Community Project.

Please let me know if you want to volunteer or indeed any family member who wants to get involved. 

This initiative has only happened through our focus on playing, promoting and developing Walking Football and Walking Football will always be what we are about .

Finally with £10,000 raised by the club and its members I do hope you ,family and friends can join  us on Saturday 2nd December at the club for our Christmas bash to celebrate our achievements. 

Kind regards 

Mick

 

 

 

OCTOBER 2017

 

Please note that next Fridays training is cancelled out if respect to Frank and his family on the day of Franks funeral.

The funeral is at Brakespear at 1.45pm and then back to the club .

We are supporting a Walking Football press launch in conjunction with the London FA and Playfootball on Thursday 26th October 9.45am to 12pm at Playfootball at Shepherds Bush next to the Rangers ground . If you are available to play please let me know.  

Please remember old pound coins will not be accepted for subs when we return to training on Friday 27th October. 

We are organising a First Aid course with Barry Morris before Christmas- those who took the one day course last year will need to retake the course as the qualification lasts only 12 months.

There is a Mick Harvey Quiz night on Sunday 19th November all proceeds are for the club funds so please support the night.

The Christmas party is on Saturday 2nd December at the club. The evening is free and open to friends and family. 

I am looking at next year's tours and I am organising overnighters a Hereford , Bideford and Blackpool.  The main tour will be Salou in Spain next October I will announce details in January. 

The magnificent effort by Dave Ball raising £2000 by cycling to Paris recently has taken the monies raised by the club and its members to over £10000 in 3 years - outstanding. 

The Club in the Community is taken us into so many different areas of charities in Hillingdon and one area , dementia is where we are going to support by delivering reminiscent sessions under the name of Silver Fox Memories.  John Handel and I have , with the support of Hillingdon Council, started a monthly session at Uxbridge Library which has been very successful.  I will be giving more details on the development of Silver Foxes Memories in due course. 

The feedback from the recent ClubTournament has been excellent and thanks to all club members for your support in continuing to make Uxbridge Amblers a club others want to follow.

 

Regards

 

Mick

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AUGUST 2017

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Walking football has established itself as the growth sector of the ‘Beautiful Game’.

Our first session, the first in Middx, had 16 players and fast forward almost 3 years the club has 30 members playing regularly on a Friday evening and across the County over 400 players now enjoy the game, a tremendous success story.

Our success story has been built on developing the game in line with the Middx FA strategy of encouraging players of 50+ years of age to exercise and socialise on a regular basis, by rolling back those footballing years.

Mick Harvey, the Committee and all the members have created a club atmosphere both on and off the pitch.

The support of Physio’s Pete Dean and Dawn Wilkinson is invaluable and the social hub of the Sports Club has enabled the forging of new friendships,

sporting and charitable partnerships.

Walking football has two distinct groups of players, Recreational and Performance which is reflected in our membership. But unlike most other clubs I have and will continue to structure our weekly sessions on player development and game management for all standards of players.

I am proud of the standards of play we have set ourselves in Friendlies and Tournaments alike, I'm equally proud that over 40 players have represented the club with distinction

With the explosion of the game fixtures are now easier to arrange and July saw our 200th competitive match during the Hereford friendly fixture, a fantastic milestone.

As the number of clubs and players increase so does the need for split aged matches, over 50s, 60s, 65s and on occasions over 70s.

Our membership reflects the need and to grab the opportunities to play in all age categories.

Uxbridge Amblers will continue to support the Middx FA in developing the game in line with the FA rules for Walking Football.

The next phase will be a Referees module, an area of the game that needs real focus and a session activators programme.

 

Walking Football is a great game and I look forward to enjoying continued success with all the Silver Foxes over the coming year.

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Yours in football,

Mick