Clarkey's Corner - Recent Articles
Clarkey's match review Saturday May 3rd v Dersingham
Posted on Monday, 5th May 2008
Having just got back into the country on Friday the brain was a little frazzled after 24 hours of travel, involving 2 flights, 3 taxi rides, 2 hotel stays, covering some 4500 miles. However having spent 3 weeks in India which was a fantastic experience, I was glad to be back home and ret...
Hempnall v Wroxham away Tuesday 8th April 2008
Posted on Wednesday, 9th April 2008
May I be one of the first to congratulate Wilkie and the Wroxham Reserve squad who, after beating us on Tuesday, will now surely be crowned Champions. I know Cromer can still catch them mathematically, but it’s a very unlikely scenario, and in my view the young Yachtsmen are worth...
First team v Hindringham Away 5th April 2008
Posted on Sunday, 6th April 2008
With both sides on a good run of form something had to give in our visit to Hindringham, and unfortunately for us, it was our poor away form that returned to haunt us. With Adam Solley suspended, and Mark Way unavailable, Tom Halliwell returned to the starting line up, with Danny Shanks ...
First team v Brandon 29th March 2008
Posted on Sunday, 30th March 2008
Brandon arrived at Hempnall with many of their first choice team absent, and opted to play into the strong wind after winning the toss. We took full advantage of these factors, racing to a 2 goal lead inside the first 20 minutes when, first Browne and then Flint converted well. Th...
First team away to Blofield 15th March 2008
Posted on Sunday, 16th March 2008
For the first time this season, we were able to announce an unchanged starting line up which was good news after the excellent 5 -1 performance against Acle the previous week. A more attacking bench with Way, Flint and Cracknell was announced, with Lydka, Solley and Webb sent with the re...
First team v Norwich Union Sat March 1st 2008
Posted on Sunday, 2nd March 2008
The highs of the previous week quickly came down to earth for many at the club with the realisation that the Cup final was on Easter Monday Morning. For the likes of Ben Player, Tom Halliwell, Rob Connelly and I, what should have been an event to look forward to and not seen by Hempnall ...
Cup semi-final v Dersingham 23rd February 2008
Posted on Tuesday, 26th February 2008
Every now and again you get one of those weeks when everything goes right, and you realise why you enjoy football so much. It started on a good note when Bob Briggs introduced a new session at training, around the power of positive thinking in sport. For many it was a session they reall...
Clarkey's Corner, 26th January
Posted on Wednesday, 30th January 2008
<!-- @page { margin: 2cm } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } --> What with two games lost to the weather, you would think it would have helped our club injury situation, but not so. Rob Connelly, in trying to assist the Reserves cause and his own match fitness, unfortunately tore his ha...
Clarkey's Corner, 6th January
Posted on Saturday, 12th January 2008
Norwich Utd Game So the Carrow Road dream is over for another year, after a 2-1 (aet) defeat against a side 2 divisions above us. On paper this looks, and was, a creditable performance, and in truth we couldn’t have worked any harder. However, I did leave the ground with an element of d...
Clarkey's Corner, 29th December
Posted on Thursday, 3rd January 2008
What’s that old saying, ‘the sum is greater than the parts’, well for me that statement typifies our performances at the moment. That may sound like a back handed pop at the ability of our players, but to the contrary, it is intended as a compliment, they are currently a pleas...
Clarkey's Corner, 22nd December
Posted on Monday, 24th December 2007
Me and my big mouth or should it be pen! Last week I wrote how the squad was returning to full strength, with one or two getting match fitness in the Reserves, only to lose two players that very same morning to injury, and a third “Red carded”!The damaged Simon Cracknell should only be o...
Clarkey's Corner, 15th December
Posted on Sunday, 16th December 2007
It was always going to be a tough game what with a side riding high in Division 1, unbeaten since August and with a winning habit. Our concerns were all around the mentality and focus of our boys, this had ‘banana skin’ written all over it! However, our fears were unfounded ...
Clarkey's Corner, 1st December
Posted on Sunday, 9th December 2007
The football interest started early this week when all ears were tuned into Radio Norfolk on Friday night to hear the County Cup Draw and goal scoring hero (cough cough!!) Paul Franklin’s comments. The outcome a ‘home tie’ which was all we wished for, this time against Ridgeon...
Clarkey's Corner, 24th November
Posted on Friday, 30th November 2007
Our Jekyll & Hyde form of late continued as we bounced back from the 5 - 1 defeat at Dersingham the previous week to produce a brilliantly disciplined performance from all to secure a 2 - 1 victory over Ridgeons Division one high flyers Downham Town. The formation was again disrupted, when la...
Clarkey's Corner - 17th November
Posted on Tuesday, 20th November 2007
When we arrived back in Hempnall after the long trip to Dersingham with a 5 - 1 defeat under our belts, I think some people were surprised to see me still smiling (wry the smile may have been!) and upbeat. However, I think I have been around long enough to know and accept that some days are just ...
Clarkey's Corner, 10th November
Posted on Thursday, 15th November 2007
With both sides missing four or five key players, it was going to be a case of which squad adapted best to the changes. In truth it was very close with a very competitive game only being decided by a late Rob Browne goal. Both sides had great chances with us hitting the bar and Carter for the visit...
Clarkey's Corner, 3rd November
Posted on Tuesday, 6th November 2007
What’s that old saying - "Goals change games"? Well, never a truer word spoken as far as last Saturday‘s game is concerned. When Lowestoft scored right on the stroke of half time it was as if someone had turned the light off as far as were concerned, the contrast before an after...
Clarkeys Corner, 27th October
Posted on Tuesday, 30th October 2007
Having entered the Premier division with a squad that contained a large element of young un-blooded players, we always knew there would be days when we would have to stand back and look at what went wrong and the lessons to be learnt. Last Saturday was one of those days, or more accurately the firs...
Clarkeys Corner, North Walsham Match
Posted on Monday, 8th October 2007
A very satisfying performance made all the more pleasing knowing it was obtained without four of our more experienced players who were unavailable with BP (holiday), Barnsey, Ships and Sparky all injured. The shuffling of the squad saw Martin Addison slot into the centre half position for a very...
Clarkeys Corner, 29th September
Posted on Monday, 1st October 2007
Our first defeat away from home since 11th November 2006 came at Sheringham where we eventually lost 3 - 2 to a side who‘s lowly league position belies their ability and everybody expects them to climb the table and finish some where in the top six. Without some of their more renowned players...
Lowestoft Match
Posted on Sunday, 23rd September 2007
The switch of fixture from Pinebanks to Lowestoft meant we entered this game without our normal background information on the opposition, having previously sent ‘chief scout‘ Stu Vincent to watch Norwich Union the week before! This didn’t, however, impact on our decision making h...
Transfer News
Posted on Sunday, 16th September 2007
TRANSFER NEWS The club received a big boost on Tuesday night when two new players placed pen to paper and a further declared himself available again. Martin Addison (EX Norwich Union ) - Martin is an experienced utility player with good knowledge of the premier division and should give us muc...
Clarkey's Corner, 15th September
Posted on Saturday, 15th September 2007
Clarkey’s Corner The Hindringham game - Not our greatest performance of the campaign, but the points were all the more pleasing when other results came through, and saw it had taken us to the top, at least we can say we have been there once this season. With the unavailable list up to eigh...
Clarkey's Corner, 8th September
Posted on Saturday, 8th September 2007
A lot seems to have happened in a short space of time, as games have come thick and fast. As the dust begins to settle and we have time to take stock, we have to be overjoyed with the start. Between the First and Reserve teams, we have won eight out of the nine competitive games played, and this ...
Tim Clarke's Pre-Season Update
Posted on Thursday, 2nd August 2007
Having just returned from holiday its good to see the well oiled coaching machine at Hempnall has been running with its normal efficiency. Bob Briggs & his new assistant Owen Southgate have been placing players old and new through a high energy fitness program as the club prepares for its 1st...