While we are going to be strenuously looking for players at 1st and 2nd team level our most urgent requirement right now is for someone to take control of the organisation of our 3rd team.

Last season Grove 3rds were booted out of their league for crying off too many fixtures and the same thing has happened again this season with our 3rds already having reneged on 5 out of 7 fixtures. This is the worst playing situation I can remember for our 3rd team in the nearly 30 years that I’ve been with the club.

Do we really want Grove 3rds to die? I hope not and I’m sure there are many more people in our club who would agree with me. However, if we don’t get our act together and find someone to grab the 3rd team fixtures and our 3rd team players by the scruff of the neck and do something about it that’s just what is going to happen.

For many years Wayne Latimer has done a splendid job looking after the 3rds but he has now risen to the lofty heights of 1st team manager and this has left a terrible void at our club. Someone must fill that void!

Nobody will pretend that it’s going to be an easy task but whoever does step up to the mark will be supported by the rest of the club, the Board, Club Captain and coaching staff in particular.

It may be necessary to make dozens of phone calls in a given week to get a team out but the cost of these will be reimbursed by the club as necessary and the satisfaction of then actually getting a team together and seeing them play is truly rewarding.

Whoever does the job does not have to be a great player, in fact they don’t have to be a player at all. Many years ago I remember Sharon Sherwood captaining our 4th team from the touchline. Yes, we used to have a 4th team and with a lady captain! The 4th team was in existence for 10 years! When I was captain of the 4th’s (for 3 years) we used to play more than 20 games a season and sometimes it was a bloody nightmare getting 15 players out on the park, especially when the higher teams kept pinching your players.

Be that as it may the challenge is there so come on guys and gals there must be someone out there who can pick this up?

Remember we can still play all the remaining fixtures as ‘friendlies’ so with no league pressure to win.

Who is going to be the Hero of the Club in 2014 / 15 and get our 3rds up and running again, ready for league action next year? After my first season running the 4th’s I was awarded “Club Person of the Year”. Can someone else match it????

If this appeal hasn’t put you off completely please contact me on 07796190400 or 01235-771154 or email me at john@first-classtravel.co.uk
Alternatively get in touch with Club Captain Mark Head at mark_head@unipart.co.uk

If I was younger I’d do the job myself.

John Sevier
Grove RFC Ltd. - Marketing Director