It has now been six weeks since the youth team played a competitive match, due to a combination of a Christmas break and terrible weather conditions. Last weekend's match against Crystal Palace looked to be going ahead as temperatures began to rise, however, the thawing ice made the pitch waterlogged and completely unplayable.
As I write we are preparing to travel to Southampton on Saturday and we are hopeful that we will eventually have an opportunity to play a game of football.
Keeping the players' fitness levels up over this period has been important, as at any stage the players could be called into the first team squad. To help with this situation we arranged for a number of nine-a-side matches to take place in our Arena over the last few weeks.
We have played games against Cambridge United, Southend United and Peterborough United and I have to say the games were a big success. Playing quite competitive games on this slightly smaller pitch increases the tempo and intensity of the games and they were all very enjoyable to watch. It is end-to-end stuff with lots of shots at goal and the surface allows for some good football to be played.
Obviously the ball strikes the roof and the lighting on occasions, but we simply restart with an indirect free-kick to the opposition, which in a way, helps to promote nice football to be played.
All three clubs who visited us were very grateful of the invite and all showed an interest in similar matches should the cold snap strike again.
The one plus-point of having so few matches over the last two months is that our two long-term injury sufferers, Sam Habergham and Richard Brindley, will not have missed as many games as first feared. The rearranged fixtures will probably take place close to the end of the season and both players should be fully fit and able to play once again by this time.
As soon as the fixtures have been rearranged I will make you aware, which will ensure those of you who come along to Colney Training Centre on a Saturday morning to watch the under-18s will not miss out on any of the games.
Our next home fixture is against West Ham United on Saturday, February 6, with an 11am kick-off, it would be great to see some of you there for the game.
Ricky Martin
Academy Manager
