News
16/03/03
Fishponds Albion went to league leaders Bear & Rugged Staff today with a bare eleven and came away with heads held high after a gutsy 4-0 defeat. Bear were expecting a double figure score and had boasted of scoring double hat tricks but they had to be content with a scrappy win. The first goal was an excellent chip from the edge of the box on 15 mins and then the home side started to play with confidence. It was 4-0 at half time but Albion rallied and kept the game scoreless in the second half much to the frustration of the leaders. Pictures here.
15/03/03
On the eve of the match against league leaders Bear & Rugged Staff there is shock news of the departure of club captain Martin Shaddick. Shaddick will spend at least the rest of the season with Stockwood Lodge whose playing style better suits his advanced age. The upside of his resignation is that it brings our average age down. We wish him well with his new club, and we intend to mail his wife the dates of the season so he can spend all weekends when he isn't playing with his in-laws.
08/03/03
Fishponds enforced layoff continues with the cancellation of tomorrow's game against Woodland Rd for the second time due to a waterlogged pitch. So next week's game against Bear & Rugged Staff will be the first for a month, a good time to recharge and be rested for the important run-in.
02/03/03
Albion will be back in action this coming Sunday with the rescheduled match against Woodland Rd at Coombe Dingle. Following that Albion will welcome league leaders Bear & Rugged Staff to Fortress Eastville.
16/02/03
Albion played their first game since the impressive win against Sth Bristol but lost 4-1 to Golden Hill. The visitors started brilliantly after capitalising on a Stuart Pearce Vs San Marino-esque backpass which left debutante 'keeper Shieldy with litttle hope. In fact the poacher turned gamekeeper had a splendid game in goal and certainly had as much mud on him at the end of the game as he did in the whole of last season put together. Albion went in 2-0 down at the break but came out in much better form but despite holding Golden Hill for long periods they were much faster and stronger. A rasping shot from outside the box made it 3-0 but leading scorer Gary Bricker replied immediately with a long-range lob over the 'keeper. Golden Hill then rounded off the game with a fourth as Albion had attempted to push forward. Fishponds may have to wait 2 weeks now until the next game to continue the relegation struggle.
09/02/03
A late cancellation of today's visit to Deportivo La Swan deprived Albion of consecutive victories. Scared by our last result, and maybe because of waterlogging, the home side called off the match barely an hour and a quarter before kick off. The travelling Albion hordes were left with nothing to do so they smashed up the motorway services through frustration. Maybe.
06/02/03
With the publication of the updated league table, Albion have leapfrogged last week's vanquished South Bristol Wdrs. and now lie 3rd from bottom on goal difference. The inexorable rise of Fishponds Albion starts here.
03/02/02
Fishponds Albion's longest-serving player, veteran midfield dynamo Stephen Vowles has now made his move to Madrid permanent. Vowles is now living in Madrid and earning his wages in Euros although UEFA regulations say that Fishponds can retain his British Sunday registration. A retrospective of his Albion career to follow but we wish him great luck and hope he can teach those Spaniards a thing or two.
02/02/03
Fishponds Albion gloriously ended a 4 month spell without a win by hammering hapless South Bristol Wanderers 10-2. The visitors fielded an under-strength side but Albion took the game seriously and won efficiently with a hat-trick from leading scorer Gary Bricker and braces from last season's top scorer Shieldy and Captain for the day Dean Kuras. The other goals were provided by man of the match Craig Massey, Mark Purnell and an own goal. It is also the largest Albion score in living memory and it should provide much-needed confidence as Albion go into another 6-pointer against Deportivo La Swan next week.
26/01/03
Albion held Novers Park for 20 minutes in an evenly balanced game but then conceded six. No change there then. Fishponds now go into a vital period where we meet relegation rivals in short succession. An improvement in form is essential.
25/01/03
Tomorrow's game has been switched to Muller Rd, traditionally a lucky ground for the 'Albion so we look forward to all 3 points.
19.01.03
Albion finally kicked off into 2003 with a home defeat against Scaff Tech. Earlier in the season they had scored 8 past us at Longwell Green but today was a much better performance. Albion held their own for 30 mins until Scaff Tech scored from a corner with an unmarked header and the visitors then found their usual confidence. A one goal deficit at half time gave Albion hope but 10 mins into the second half Scaff Tech scored with a powerful long range shot which just eluded returning 'keeper Matt Addy. King of the penalty decision Dave Harris then contrived to give away a spot kick that was despatched with efficiency. A double substitution saw the debut of Mark Hymas in his second spell with the club after an 8 season gap and Albion pressed on with some good chances going awry. Special mention to Lloyd Minton who was given a succession of talks by the ref due to his filthy play and bad attitude, which was just what the pre-match instructions were. Next week sees Fishponds meet a much weaker side and a performance like this one would give 3 points.
10/01/03
Game's off this week too. Solid ground means that we won't play a game but we are stupid enough to train at The Netham at 10am.
04/01/03
Happy New Year and the 'Albion must wait to start 2003 with a win as the game against Bear & Rugged Staff has been cancelled due to inclement weather. The crunch top v bottom clash will be rescheduled. For the same reason there will be no training either.
29/12/02
Albion's first post-Xmas fixture resulted in the worst reverse of the season. A three-goal advantage for Shireway Sports at half-time flattered the home side but in the second half luck deserted Albion yet again and Shireway got another five. This was not a bad performance at all with many players acquitting themselves well but things are looking desperate now for survival in this division and next week we visit the league leaders, Bear & Rugged Staff.
19/12/02
This Sunday's game against league leaders Bear & Rugged Staff has been cancelled and therefore the next Albion game will be after Xmas on Sunday 29th December. Merry Xmas to you all and don't break training guidelines on food and alcohol, the 'Albion recommends a light pasta meal on Xmas day.
15/12/02
Albion moved pitches at Eastville to the top of the park so that the opposition could have more space to move the ball around. The carefully laid plan whereby we would hold the away side and look for breaks failed almost immediately as Albion conceded inside 5 minutes. Fishponds battled against the wind and a confident Shireway Sports as they took a 4 goal lead. The rout was postponed for a short while as Gary Bricker scored a brilliant individual goal, turning the defence and chipping the 'keeper. At half time Shireway lead 5-1 and were preparing for double figures but Albion came out for the second half and gave the visitors plenty to think about. Just one more goal from a corner showed that the first half score flattered Shireway and Albion salvaged some pride with a decent performance. Next week we have the league leaders and the week after we meet Shireway again at their ground.
08/12/02
Fishponds Albion's run of appalling luck continued today when a distinctly non-Russian linesman failed to give an equalising goal that was well over the line. Earlier Albion had dominated the first half but failed to score and escaped a few times with the aid of the post and some sterling defending. Playing with a lone striker formation Albion controlled the midfield but suffered some bad offside decisions, certainly looking the side more likely to win in the second half. However,after the break, Dave Harris unluckily scored an own goal and got punched for his favour, Rob Townley had an excellent game, unfortunately for the other side, and as Albion pushed up Novers Park scored a sucker goal. Without a doubt Albion deserved a point and the disallowed goal may well have given us the necessary impetus to go on and win the game. The team played much better than last week and everyone acquitted themselves well which augurs well for the next game.
01/12/02
Albion started the vital Xmas season with a home tie against Dutch Courage who began well and took the lead after 10 minutes. On a boggy Pitch 6 Fishponds managed to shake off the excesses of the previous night and battled back into the game with a classic poacher's goal from top-scorer Gary Bricker. Equity at half-time soon turned to an unexpected lead when the away 'keeper couldn't stop a fierce shot from player-manager Jonny Collins, who dedicated his goal to Allan Hodges, the man who invents strange boot-tieing rituals. Dutch Courage, surprised to find themselves down after 46 minutes, threw their centre-back to the front and he equalised after another 10 minutes. Extreme pressure resulted in an unstoppable finish past the excellent Mark Capel by his own captain, Martin Shaddick which heralded the most spectacular collapse since the Twin Towers. In a weird spell Albion conceded another 4 to an amazed Dutch Courage who must have thought Xmas had come early, to invoke a splendid football cliche. Albion must pick themselves up now for a festive season that has a lot of hard games in it.
26/11/02
This season's stats are online now though it has been difficult to piece together in retrospect. See the results here then e-mail if you dispute anything and we'll investigate.
25/11/02
Albion online is back! Hopefully from now on we'll be able to have regular updates, if there's anything you want to see on the site then let me know. Gradually I'll work on getting this season's stats ready then we should do a team photo for this year.
25/08/02
Albion are ready for the new season! Another training session at Eastville this morning showed some promising play and improvements in certain areas of our game. Next Sunday the season starts and all players need to contact Mark Capel on Thursday to let him know if they are available and check where the game will be played. Any player who hasn't signed will not be playing so you should get in touch quickly and get signed. Not sure whether you have signed yet? Here's the list of people who have signed so you can check to see if you're on it..
20/08/02
The 'Albion started pre-season in earnest this Sunday with a disappointing defeat away against Stockwood Lodge. Fielding a side including half a dozen debutantes, Albion held Stockwood for the best part of an hour with Mark Capel having a great game in goal and Martin Shaddick supreme at the back. However, changes weakened the side and when Stockwood finally scored after a rebound they gained confidence and eventually finished three goals to the good. But pre-season is about experimentation and some new players certainly look like they can benefit not only the squad but the first team as well.
05/08/02
You may be interested to know that today we received an e-mail from Plymouth Argyle F.C. who, it appears, are playing Forfar Athletic in a friendly match soon. It regards the sale of Ginsters Pasties and other such West Country fare and contains an attached letter from the managing director. Apparently Plymouth have a decent following in Scotland. Download the Word file and read it for yourself.
05/08/02
Player registration forms are now available and must be completed soon. It is your responsibility to make sure that you sign your own form so that the club has it in time to submit your registration before the league cut-off date. Fishponds Albion do not play unregistered players, get your form from Ian or Jon and do it soon. Here's the list of people who have signed so you can check to see if you're on it.
26/07/02
News for next season is our move to Pitch 6 at Eastville Park. It's at the M32 end of the ground and is significantly more level than our previous pitch. Also, dynamic midfield player, Lawence Billi, has picked up a pre-season ankle injury and is doubtful for the start of his first full season as an Albion player. This coming season, a league restructuring sees us in Division 3 although we haven't actually been relegated. The league have dispensed with the Senior Division so everyone moves down 1 number.
14/04/02
A quick perusal of the season's stats will see Shieldy is top scorer so congratulations to him. He also picked up most disciplinary points. The full table is:-
S.Shield 9
S.Booth 8
I.Ferris 7
T.Starmer 5
B.Bird 2
M.Purnell 2
K.Turner 2
R.Kingdon 1
R.Townley 1
J.Collins 1
14/04/02
Albion's season finished with another undeserved defeat away against Nationwide Sports. Conscious of the need for all three points, Goalkeeper and Player Of The Season, Matt Addy, ventured forward to attempt a Jimmy Glass-type rescue from a corner, but the ball broke to a home striker who ran the length of the pitch and slotted the ball into an unguarded net. That broke the deadlock in the 90th minute and Fishponds Albion are doomed to 3rd division football. It was a splendid performance against a side who think they're better than they actually are and we'd hope to get six points from them if we don't get relegated. It could be that other teams drop out and we will stay in Div.II for next season, and we would be confident of a much better season once we have important players back from injury.
12/04/02
Last game of the season on Sunday against Nationwide Sports and it is quite simple. Win and we stay up, anything else, we're relegated. It is certainly not beyond us.
07/04/02
The club AGM will take place after the last game of the season next week at The Rhubarb in Barton Hill. Many items to be discussed not least finding a replacement for Ian Ferris as club secretary and arranging a date for a night out. Attendance required or don't be surprised that you've been voted to wash the kit every week.
07/04/02
Fishponds Albion's penultimate game of the campaign finished in a 2-0 defeat giving Uplands Construction maximum points and a cup win over us this season. With a strong following wind, Albion looked comfortable in the first half and came close with a Mark Kingdon drive that clipped the bar but after the break Albion had to defend deep. On the hour Uplands scored from a corner but the game was far from finished until the home side got their second from an almost identical situation. At that point the Albion shape went and the game was effectively over with 10 minutes to go. A fairly even game which, as usual, Fishponds could have won with a little more application.
19/03/02
Fishponds Albion have announced details of the summer clear out as this season's disappointing campaign draws to a close. The first shock is that erstwhile right winger and workshy fop, Tom Starmer, is to go to Sittingbourne FC in Kent. Starmer has had a good season, when he has managed to remain injury-free, and it looked as though he had finally found his position. He intends to grow his hair, put on some weight and play in defence. There is still confusion around some other player's status. Loyal Albion servant Ralph Welsman has also gone to Kent, Dover to be precise, for the rest of the season but it is hoped he may return along with Stephen Vowles, currently with Madrid (see report from 16/03/02).
17/03/02
Plucky Albion went down to Longreach Athletic in a closely fought match that will do much to restore confidence to the relegation-troubled side. Longreach had triumphed 5-1 on the first day of the season against an inebriated Albion side so expected an easy game, but for the first half it was Fishponds that looked like they were challenging for the title. Goalless at half-time, Fishponds continued the pressure into the second half and it was an hour before a worried Longreach managed to break the deadlock. Midfield dynamo, Lawrence Billi then hit the bar and Stu Booth continued to terrorise the defence, however the visitors increased their lead against the run of play. Then Stu was attacked by the 'keeper in the box but the referee decided it was outside and that the 'keeper should stay on the pitch. Ian Ferris blasted the resultant free kick in to make the final 5 minutes interesting. Albion acquitted themselves with honour and were very unlucky not to get a point at least. There is a gap in the fixtures now for Albion but such a good performance, probably the best of this year, will mean that we can't wait to get back in action.
16/03/02
On the eve of another attempt to score our first league win of the year, comes a surprise report of Stephen Vowles, our contracted player who has been at Madrid on loan for most of the season. We were expecting veteran midfielder Vowles back for the relegation struggle but it appears he may be short of match practice and looks like he ate all the paella. Pictures here.
10/03/02
Fishponds Albion today suffered a second thrashing in a row at the collective boots and heads of KK Construction. With a high wind in their favour Albion scored on 10 minutes as Rob Townley opened his account with a rasping 30-yard drive which the 'keeper couldn't stop. It was vital to gain a good advantage in the first half with the wind but errors led to two goals by half time for the home side who handled the conditions much better. The second half saw a better start for Fishponds but a wind assisted shot flew past Mark Capel to make it 3-1 and all but killed Albion's chances. A couple more squirmed their way in until the scoring was completed by the returning former Albion captain Alan Hodges, who skillfully poked the ball past his own 'keeper to open his account for the season as well.
03/03/02
Albion suffered a heavy defeat against top of the table and champions elect AFC Bedminster today. Indeed it was a first, as the match kicked off early and so we were 1-0 down before the official kick off time. Albion then held the game at one goal for half an hour but went in 3-0 down, including one penalty given against Mark Capel. Fishponds were already struggliing with captain, Martin Shaddick, out injured when Ian Ferris left at half time to go to church. Then Matt Addy came off with a muscle strain and substitute 'keeper Mark Capel's first task was to get the ball from the back of the net. Bedminster are a good side but 7-0 certainly flattered them.
24/02/02
Fishponds Albion suffered a close defeat against long-term rivals, The Robins at Eastville today. Tom Starmer got his fourth goal of the season, and second in consecutive games,following a blunder by the away 'keeper on 12 minutes. A scrappy first half saw Albion in charge until the 39th minute when a lone striker managed to get between the seven defenders to head home from 6 yards. Level at half time the second half was again filled with poor quality football, except for a stunning save from Matt Addy. A triple substitution for Albion with 25 minutes to go saw some impetus and Fishponds attacked until The Robins broke out of their own half and a speculative shot that wasn't closed down found the back of the net with 8 minutes to go. The Robins inflicted their first defeat on us in five meetings and will be surprised that they actually came away with all three points, maybe a draw would have been fairer. Next week Albion travel to play the league leaders.
17/02/02
After a long lay off Fishponds Albion fielded a strong side against Marcliff at Eastville. Earlier in the season Albion had given their worst display against Marcliff and hoped to avenge a 3-0 defeat. We started well, Shieldy slotting home a pinpoint shot from the edge of the box on only 4 minutes. Albion were well in control of this match but couldn't seem to increase their fragile lead. On 39 minutes the referee saw an infringement from a corner and gave a penalty nobody even claimed. A confused Marcliff striker just managed to squeeze the ball past Matt Addy and the sides were level at half time. However, after the break Marcliff came out much stronger and took the lead. Albion threw everything at the home side eventually resulting in a deserved equaliser from Tom Starmer. Marcliff again took the lead and Fishponds committed to attack. Playing three up front Albion wasted chances by shooting wildly from long range. The referee then penalised Ralph Welsman for a rash challenge in the area but this time heroic 'keeper Matt Addy saved to his right. The final ball still wouldn't come and Marcliff increased their lead with the last kick from a corner. A very disappointing result from a side we really thought we should beat,
20/01/02
Atrocious conditions helped KK Construction back from a 2-0 deficit to claim a point at Eastville. Albion had scored through Ian Ferris and Stu Booth but, as the weather worsened, KK managed to claw back with the wind in their backs. First draw of the season for the 'Albion.
13/01/02
Albion lost their undefeated new year status crashing 3-1 at home to Nationwide Sports, a result that flattered the away side. Nationwide scored a soft goal in first half injury time after an even 45 minutes. A reshuffle after the break was forced by an injury to Mark Purnell but Albion equalised on 62 minutes, via the boot of Ian Ferris from a perfectly flighted free kick from Man 0f The Match, Martin Shaddick. A period of good Albion pressure followed and we definitely looked the most likely winners but poor defending led to another Nationwide goal with only 12 minutes left and as Albion pressed, an overhanging tree assisted with a third for the away side.
06/01/02
Fishponds Albion started the New Year with a bang scoring all 5 goals in a 4-1 win against Sth.Bristol Wanderers. Belying their reputation as a good home side, Sth.Bristol were behind after 20 minutes due to a classic Albion counter-attack finished with aplomb by in-form Stu Booth. The sides broke at 1-0 but Stu doubled his tally early in the 2nd half in much the same way. The home side then began to come into the game and pulled one back courtesy of the right boot of Mark Capel, who deflected a good cross past Matt Addy. The game was even for a while until super-sub Kev Turner chipped the keeper to restore the cushion, he then rounded off an excellent return to the side by scoring his 2nd and Albion's 4th. Three points for Fishponds as they climb toward possible European qualification in the only game of the day in Division 2.
05/01/02
The Albion are back online! There has been an hiatus in all things online because our ISP decided to upgrade servers without telling anyone. Hopefully that's all finished now. Albion expect to field a strong side tomorrow against Sth.Bristol Wanderers if the pitch isn't frozen.
16/12/01
An eventful Albion Xmas night out resulted in a depleted team for the Cup Quarter-final. A newly slimline Barry Bird was ready to return to the team after a lay-off due to bronchitis but he accidentally fell against the boots and fists of some bouncers and ended up with a broken ankle among other ailments. That left Albion playing with many injured team members, and the Xmas break came slightly too late for us. In truth, Fishponds blew it after 20 minutes. A terrible 15 minute spell in the first half saw Uplands take a 3-0 lead which was unassailable. After that shock, Albion dug in and were unlucky not to get a couple of goals, in fact the game was fairly even and were it not for the late start from Albion it could have been a really close game. Many acquitted themselves with honour and there was a welcome return for Mark Kingdon. So Albion exit the cup and will have to concentrate on the league if it's not to be another trophy-free season.
11/12/01
News reaches Albion HQ of a Xmas celebration arranged by our esteemed Treasurer and current top-scorer, Mr Shield and his companion Mr Ralph Welsman. Late notice but it's on Friday 15th at Toad (formerly 31 Corn Street) at around 7.30 - 8.00pm. Apparently.
Also, Abion injury crisis shocker. Currently we have four of last Sunday's team on the injured list with possible long lay-offs for Stu Booth and Lawrence Billi. If you are available this weekend it may be the right time to claim your first team place.
09/12/01
Plucky Fishponds succumbed to a second half onslaught from league leaders, AFC Bedminster this morning. The visitors took the lead on 20 minutes with a shot deflected into his own net by club captain Martin Shaddick. Albion equalised 15 minutes later with an own goal and the sides were equal at half time. However, Mark Purnell, Shieldy and Lawrence Billi had all picked up injuries in the first half. A changed Albion conceded an early goal and couldn't reply. Stu Booth and Ian Ferris then got injured and Lawrence went off so Albion finished the game with ten men as Bedminster took full advantage. Next week's cup quarter final will most likely see a much depleted team.
04/12/01
Albion have drawn Uplands Construction in the quarter-final of the Plate competition. The one meeting so far this season resulted in a 3-1 defeat at Monks Park but Albion are confident that this trophy is ours this season.
02/12/01
Fishponds Albion slammed five past woeful Sth.Bristol Wanderers in their third successive win. Back in maroon and back at Eastville, Albion started well with an exquisite Ian Ferris free kick and the first of two in an eventful day for Shieldy. Wanderers pulled one back after prolonged pressure achieving only a one goal deficit at half-time. The third goal took a while to arrive but erstwhile left midfielder Robbie Kingdon ghosted in at the far post to restore the two goal cushion. After that the game was effectively over, Shieldy added the fourth shortly after living up to his bad-boy of Bristol soccer reputation by picking up yet another booking. Tom Starmer finished the rout with a pinpoint volley into the top corner and Albion obtained their first five-goal scoreline in a very long time.
18/11/01
Albion took another step closer to cup glory by smashing Brislington 4-0 at home. Goals from Tom Starmer, Barry Bird, Stu Booth, and diminutive midfielder Mark Purnell sealed a fine and well deserved victory. This season, our name is on the plate.
11/11/01
The Fishponds league form returned today as they smashed bottom club, The Robins 3-2 at Ashton Park School. Albion reverted to 4-4-2 and gained a remarkably early goal through Shieldy and seemed totally in control of the game, but a long ball from the home keeper was headed in by an unmarked forward and The Robins suddenly felt like they might get their first point of the season. Shieldy bagged his second after some great approach work from Stu Booth but another unmarked striker immediately replied. In the second half Albion exerted great pressure and the home keeper kept his side in the game but eventually conceded another Ian Ferris headed goal from a set piece. Fishponds also welcomed back the maverick Mark Stickley after his painful operation, next week back in action in the cup.
04/11/01
Albion exited the GFA Cup today at the hands and feet of Shadwell Rangers. An embarrassing 8-1 scoreline flattered the home side but they capitalised on their second half dominance. Shadwell took the lead on 19 minutes and increased soon after. Mark Purnell got one back on the stroke of halftime after a brilliant run from Stu Booth. At 2-1 down Fishponds were in with a good chance. But in the second half the collapse happened after everything Shadwell did resulted in a goal, crosses went in, deflected shots went in and, at the same time, nothing Albion did worked. Worthy winners and we wish them well and look forward to getting back to our league campaign next week against rivals, The Robins.
28/10/01
A plucky Albion side fought hard against Uplands Construction but fell to a 3-1 defeat. The game was even for a long time with both sides feeling their way. Uplands attacked down their right flank very quickly and eventually one of their crosses was directed in after Matt Addy had pulled off a world-class save. The bulky custodian was let down by his defence again as the sides broke at 2-0 to Uplands. After the break Albion came more into the game spurning some good chances until Albion succumbed to intense pressure and conceded as Matt Addy was chipped. A late consolation goal from a corner headed in by Barry Bird saw Fishponds rally but the deficit was too great. A decent second half performance let down by a poor start. Next week Albion are back in the hunt for a cup this season.
14/10/01
A full strength Fishponds side put in one of the worst displays of recent times as they crashed to a 3-0 defeat against Marclif. Albion dominated the first half but the away side gained confidence as they managed to keep a clean sheet. 0-0 at half-time, Marclif scored a freak goal with a cross from the left that looped into the goal. Sadly, 'Albion had no response and two defensive mistakes made it seem easy for the away side. The two teams meet again next week in the return fixture and there will be changes for 'Albion.
07/10/01
Albion slipped quietly out of the Evening Post Cup and into the Plate competition today. Fielding a largely experimental side, Albion were pegged back during the first half and were 2-0 down at half-time. A second half reshuffle looked more positive however Albion conceded again to go three down. Then the 'Albion set-piece specialists took over and first Jonny Collins with an uncharacteristic header and then Ian Ferris scored from successive corners. Nailsea looked rocked and Albion pushed on until Mark Capel conceded this week's penalty and Matt Addy failed to repeat his goalkeeping heroics of last week.
05/10/01
News finally reaches us of the 'Albion cup heroics last Sunday. Playing their first game at the new stadium, Albion came back from a 2-1 deficit to win 4-2 thanks to an astounding hat-trick from 'Albion bad-boy, Shieldy, an unheralded penalty save from returning 'keeper Matt Addy and a goal from Tom Starmer. Undefeated in three, this week Fishponds head into another cup competition with all 3 trophies still in their sights.
26/09/01
An addition to the Albion injury list, Mark Stickley, is to be operated on this week. The club hopes that crack surgeons wll be able to sort out his problems quickly and get him back in action soon. Mark says he is confident that the tricky operation will be a success and that he trusts the surgeons implicitly. You can check out the details of his operation here.
23/09/01
Fishponds Albion continued their winning run with a typical performance away against Shireway Sports Reserves. Debutante keeper, Barry Bird, kept a rare clean sheet as Albion utilised a different formation to stifle a much-changed Shireway team. Veteran midfield player, Stephe Vowles, in his last game before his loan spell in Spain, played in front of a solid back three. There were no shots on target in the first half as Albion soaked up the pressure and restricted the home side to long-range efforts which the cat-like custodian dealt with easily. The second half followed the same pattern until Stu Booth hit them with the classic Albion counter attack. Undefeated in the new kit, Albion now look forward to an extended cup run. Pictures here.
13/09/01
A team photo from last Sunday is online now. Click here.
12/09/01
Sunday's cup game has been cancelled due to lack of available pitches. There will be training at Eastville Park at 10a.m. followed by an adjournment to The Rhubarb.
12/09/01
News has been leaked to the press of Stephe Vowles' big money move to Madrid. Fishponds Albion would like to deny that they have sold the veteran midfield player, but will confirm that he is to travel to Spain on a long term loan spell to sharpen up his game and to bring much-needed Albion tactical nous to the Spanish game. Albion have a number of Spaniards on the books in a reciprocal agreement. We fully expect Stephe to be back with us for the relegation struggle later in the season.
09/09/01
The first three points of the season for Fishponds Albion, playing in their capacious new yellow and black kit, came via a resounding 4-1 win over Shireway Sports Reserves. Ian Ferris started the scoring with a header from Shieldy's corner and then Stu Booth got his first for a 2-1 lead at half-time. After the break, Shireway reshuffled and exerted heavy pressure eventually getting a goal with 15 minutes to go. Albion handled the onslaught and Stu Booth got two late goals to complete his hat-trick and the win for Albion. Pictures here.
07/09/01
Sunday's first home game of the season has been moved to Pen Park School in Southmead, so Albion's debut at Eastville Park is delayed.
02/09/01
Seeking to emulate the previous night's result in Munich, Fishponds Albion scored first and lost 5-1. Any ideas that it will be easier this season were soon dispelled after Shieldy's pinpoint free kick was equalised by a deflected goal and then Albion fell behind to a headed goal and a penalty given away by club captain Martin Shaddick. 3-1 at half time, the second half was attritional until Albion conceded two late goals. A disappointing start to the season. Couple of photos here.
12/08/01
Fielding a largely experimental side, Albion suffered a 5-3 defeat against Stockwood Lodge of the Regional League in a pre-season friendly. Many of the goals conceded were avoidable but Albion should have scored at least a dozen themselves. Ralph Welsman opened his own goal account and the welcome return of Alan Hodges resulted inevitably in a penalty for the opposition.
08/08/01
You've probably seen it already, but there is a new club badge on the Home page. It has been prepared ready for the new club kit which has now been ordered. Albion are going back to one of the original colours of the club, yellow and black.
08/07/01
Fishponds Albion will be moving pitch next season. While we await the refurbishment of The Netham and the construction of our 30,000 all-seater stadium, we will play our home games at Eastville Park. This move takes us closer to our spiritual home, Fishponds, and we hope to attract local support to create that intimidating atmosphere that so unsettled the opposition at Fortress Netham. The first match of the season will be away on Sunday September 2nd with the first home game the following week.
