End of Season Drama

By the time you read this everything will have been sorted out but in our last game of the season there was controversy and tension to match the Premiership. None of it was reflected in the match itself which saw us lose tamely although nothing was lost or gained in the encounter.

HEN DOM MATT I MATT C DAVE DOUGIE IAIN 1 (4) KEVIN 1 (5)

We lost 5 - 2 although the website claims we only got one goal but in truth it could have been worse. We were quickly one down and despite equalising through a goal off the post from me, the other side were well ahead early in the second half. The marking was a little lax and the effort of the last few weeks just didn't seem to be there. That led to some advice being exchanged particularly from Kev toward Dave which is quite a well established routine. The post match chat came to a consensus in which it was acknowledged that the shouting usually happens like that but this week it went further with Dougie joining the disapproval of Dave's marking/cover. This was seemingly too much to take and Dave stalked off without a word and was not in attendance at the pub either.

The top scorer's postion went to Kevin who struck with the last kick of the game following a save from my shot which fell to him in front of an open goal.

The real highlight was Matt's penalty which was saved by the keeper and sees Kev the only penalty taker yet to miss a spot kick. That may be due to his thirty yard run up while everyone else has to take one step.

Will Dave return? Will he ever watch Matt run about in his shorts on a Monday night again? Will Dave ever mark someone closely rather than stand a few yards off them? Is he trying to be the new me? I had to listen to Paul telling me to chase back/tackle/pass/come off/try for over ten years. I'm not sure I can say I ever actually did any of those things but it was all in good fun.

Iscape in crisis. Will we lose our sponsor?

The new season starts next Monday and all will be revealed.

Iscape Finish Fifth (out of 12)

With a game to go, Iscape have secured a UEFA Cup place, or would do if we were in the top division and there were European leagues affiliated, but it sounds quite impressive after the start we made to the season. We can't catch the team above and the team below can't catch us after a cracking 4 - 1 win against the bottom placed side who haven't picked up a point all season.

Despite the lowly position they occupy, they started well and it was honestly a good performance unless you're Dom in which case it was a reflection of their lack of ability that gave us a good win. We actually fell behind to an early goal but from thereon it was virtually one way traffic and we created lots of other opportunities as well as the four goals.

Our first came from a shot, kind of by me, which was flying wide but either was skilfully deflected in or just hit Matt and sneaked in at the near post. It depends on your point of view. The other team certainly felt there was a degree of good fortune but perhaps sub-consciously I'd picked Matt out and he quickly summed up the situation and got a vital touch. Kev quickly added a second from close range before Matt I slammed home from a tight angle following a flowing move taking us the length of the pitch in mere seconds. Dave finished the scoring with a scorcher in the second half and there were plenty of adept touches and passing at other times. It looked like total football with the defenders getting forward while cover was provided, mainly by Matt C, and Dom was unlucky to see a fine shot tipped wide.

Hen, Matt I 1 (1), Dom, Matt C 1 (2), Dave 1 (3), Iain (3), Kev 1 (4)

Kev is now top scorer and is looking fitter with every match although his shooting is still as unpredictable as an enraged bull with belly ache on the streets of Pamplona which I mention as it's in Spain and might cheer Dave up if Matt is ever away again.

Cracking game of cup football.

It's been a bit quite on the Sunday football front for Glen of late, at least in terms of match reports because they've simply been beaten so comprehensively of late that there isn't a great deal to say other than they really do need a decent keeper. Despite the cascade of goals which you can't blame on the keeper, there have been soooooo many they've conceeded looking like a blind man with no hands or sense of direction trying to catch a bar of specially greased soap.

However, the cup has been a different matter. The second round saw Rossgarth take on Weymouth and last week's game ended in a 3 - 3 draw after extra time. The tie swung several times and a draw was definitely a fair outcome. Yesterday brought a replay at Weymouth and a blustery wind on a pitch with a marked slope. They played with that slope to begin with and turned round 2 - 0 up although Rossgarth had a couple of good chances. The second half was a complete reversal with our dodgy keeper totally unoccupied for the entirity but Rossgarth could only score 2 goals leading to extra time once more.

The first period of extra time resulted in Rossgarth playing up the slope and they took the lead after a few minutes, the first time eaither team had scored kicking up the hill and into the wind. That seemed to deflate Weymouth, their heads dropped noticeably and it was no surprise when the game ended in a 5 - 2 victory for Rossgarth which, having been two down, was a fine achievement.

Next week they play the team bottom of the first division for the honour of seeing just who is the worst team. Neither side has a point but Rossgarth have conceeded fewer goals.

Fight Club

Despite the rather flippant header to this entry, the fight at school was a pretty frightening experience. A week last Friday a group of lads came onto the school site. I say lads, they were young men aged between 17 and 21 and were very threatening. The previous Tuesday, Bonfire Night, one of our boys had been jumped and left with a broken nose. The threat of further violence was made clear and on Thursday lunchtime the lad with the broken nose was confronted by one of the gang who came to the school on his own. He got a smack in the face and was then cornered and given a few more thumps for being so 'cheeky' in coming into school on his own.

That evening after school a group of young men were gathered at the school gates but could not get at our student who was kept in for his own safety before being collected by his father.

The following lunchtime there were 10 youths on site and I had to get myself between them and our students, you can imagine the crowd that had gathered to see what was happening. Initially there was a marked absence of adults about but to my surprise, they actually did as I told them and left the school grounds making their way over the road. They were hooded up with these neck mufflers on to conceal their identity and were very threatening but it looked like things were going to ok. I thought the police had been called by this time but it turned out they hadn't.

Following them I saw a couple climb over the school gates and go through the bushes. They were soon joined by the rest and instead of making sure the students they were after had been completely removed from the scene as I'd requested, they'd been able to hang around which was the cue for an almighty fight involving the youths from outside the school and effectively three of our Year 11s. There were teachers hanging on and trying to stop them fighting but they seemed completely ineffectual. I had to dive right in and grabbed one of the lads pinning his arms behind him, all the while waiting for him to jerk his head back and headbutt me but he didn't. I was able to get the three boys into the sports hall and out of harms way and spent the rest of the afternoon sorting out the mess because there was every likelihood of further trouble later.

Unsurprisingly the gang was back at the end of school, this time with a staffordshire bull terrier in attendance but myself and one of the PE teachers escorted them away from the school. This time a 999 call had gone out and they turned up as the group walked off. So I got to spend the next couple of hours going through CCTV and being interviewed about the whole thing and advised to use discretion in the future which I guess is the whole point of this. We were so lucky none of them had knives or similar and that they hadn't actually hit any of the staff. The incident could have been a great deal worse and I felt pretty shocked afterwards especially in thinking about stepping between the two groups initially and then piling in to grab the young men off our students.

That weekend the gang put a school leaver from the summer in hospital and they've been around the school since in drib and drabs but the police have been up on patrol each lunch and after school.

The whole thing stems from the fact that they are from a different area to our lads and that's enough excuse for a fight. I've never experienced anything like that in my life, people from outside school coming onto site and being completely set on achieving their goal of violence no matter what anyone did to prevent it.

School news

Oaklands is to close!

There are too few students in Southampton with too many school places available alongside too many parents, dissatisfied with education in the city, sending their children to schools in Hampshire such as Eastleigh, Romsey and Winchester. As a result the city council have embarked upon a consultation which put forward a number of proposals including the possible closure of four schools.

After the consultation Oaklands was to have remained open and absorbed the other local school, Millbrook. This came as something of a surprise to everyone because it was an option that hadn't even been put forward. Consequently the whole process was repeated and this time the decision taken means 4 schools, including Oaklands and Millbrook, will close with a new school to be built on the Oaklands site. The longer term will see a new school built a few hundred yards away in the form of a learning campus. That means a lot of uncertainty for all staff over the next few months and a lot depends on who is appointed Head.

It's a good thing I'm doing my Headteacher qualification!

Actually, my job's ring-fenced apparently although I don't know why.

Despite that the school's going fine although we have had some pretty frightening scenes over the past 10 days or so. More news to follow.