2000-2003 ... Into the new Millennium

INTO THE NEW MILLENNIUM:

2000-01

Alan Putman's team of the previous season disbanded following a breakaway by a former coach to set up a new club but an UNDER 18's youth team, including some returning founder players, managed by Stuart Anning was introduced as the club entered the South Bucks Youth League (SBYL) for the first time, they found life difficult against established sides and struggled for most of the season to finish bottom with 9 points.

Mick Carlton's UNDER 11's (see photo) also moved into league football joining the WSBML division 2 and although playing some attractive football finished second from bottom to become the first TFC team to be relegated.

Another new team saw Ray Farmer take an UNDER 8's into the SBMSC to join Jamie Stone's UNDER 10's.

Off the field, Ian Mitchell became our 3rd treasurer taking over from Kevin Dawson while the club formed a new event's sub-committee to look after the many increasingly important social and fund raising events now being held throughout the season.

Special mention must be made to Clare Stapleton who joined the committee along with Mick back in 1998 and threw herself whole heartily into helping with organsing the clubs events over many years, I think the highlight though must be when she got all the committee to dress up as the seven dwarfs prancing around to 'hi-ho' behind her dressed as Snow White while handing out sweets at the Christmas disco - such fun!

By April the club again found itself strapped for cash and hastily arranged a fun-day to raise some much needed money. Highlight of this event was the 'Cake-in-the-face' where players and their parents could pay to vote for the committee member most deserving of a gooey chocolate cake in the mush. As soon as the voting started it was obvious there was only ever going to be one winner with all bets pouring in on a particular candidate. Mick Carlton seemed to take just a little too much pleasure in shoving a mound of slop into the face of poor chocolate (e)Claire!

2001-02

Five teams took to the field with the arrival of 'larger than life' Mick Pearce and his UNDER 15's, who after a slow start (6 games before their first win) improved steadily as the season progressed to claim a comfortable mid-table position and the Aston Clinton 6-a-side subsidiary plate.

Top honours however went to Jamie Stone and his UNDER 11's who in their first season of league football won promotion after finishing joint top of division 4, forcing the championship into a play-off game which was lost 2-3 to a strong Downley Albion side on a rock-hard Loudwater pitch. By way as a consolation, the UNDER 11's did pick up the club's second Fairplay award.

Mick Carlton's UNDER 12's settled in division 3 holding a comfortable mid-table position while the UNDER 9's continued their progress playing mini-football and split mid-season to form a new UNDER 8's team under Danny Whitelock, they were joined by another new age group in the UNDER 10's managed by the club's first female coach, Trina Goldie. Trina stepped in to save the team when the original manager departed early in the season and she will be fondly remembered for her loud bellowing "Come on Totteridge!" on cold and frosty morning's at Hatters Lane.

2002-03

What a season! .... Where to begin?

The season is really epitomized by the UNDER 11's who had a change in management with Ray taking over from Trina. For the first half of the season they won just one game but with the help from the returning Alan Putman together they turned the team around to such an extent that all the remaining 11 games were won! To add to this they also became the first mini team to win the SBMSC Fairplay Shild for both halves of the season.

This was topped by the UNDER 16's and Mick Pearce who were snapping at the heels of Wingrave Juniors for the championship all season only to miss out when a controversial defeat away to Marlow Youth forced them into the runners-up spot 3 points behind Wingrave. To ease this disappointment, the Aston Clinton Colts and Chiltern Athletic 6-a-sides were won.

The goals were flying in (at both ends of the pitch) for Mick Carlton's team as the UNDER 13's became the first TFC team to score over 100 league goals in a season before the withdrawal of Aylesbury Saints Youth cost them 21 goals to finish with a creditable 87 from 18 games, again the team really picked up after the Christmas break culminating in an 8 game winning run including an excellent away victory over the eventual runners-up Widmer End United to finish 4th in division 3, again this form was taken into the summer where the Risborogh Colts 6-a-side was won.

Not to be outdone, the UNDER 12's challenged for the division 3 title all season only to fall away at the end  of a long season as the fixtures began to stack up and the season extended into mid May.

Trina, with support from Danny Whitelock, introduced a new UNDER 9's as an off shoot from Ray's team of the previous season; she steadily 'grew' her squad by recruiting most of Highworth School as the team established themselves in the SBMSC. 

It is a notable coincidence that the upturn in playing fortunes coincided with the launch of the 'official' club web site in Jan 2003 at the start of an unprecedented run of success over the next few years. It was also a record year as far as the club finances were concerned with just under £7,300.00 passing through the club's accounts. 

Following some very successful fund raising the club offered all the players, and some parents, rain jackets screen printed with the club name at a greatly reduced price, in all some 70 jackets were distributed around the club at a total order value of £1330.00 and this greatly enhanced the image of the club.


to be continued