Northerners deserve a big pat on the back for landing their 29th Priaulx title and holding their nerve when the pressure was on, always a clear sign of a good team.
A fortnight ago their season was in danger of fizzing out in disappointment. At that point, they trailed Bels by three points and had let slip a five-point lead going into Christmas. The only silverware in the cupboard was the Stranger and without the Priaulx to show for their efforts of eight long months, North’s season bordered on relative failure.
Two good wins over Bels later and a nervous edging out of Rovers and Micky Le Prevost’s boys were home and dry.
Most impressively, they achieved it with largely home-grown and developed talent.
Of the side that got them over the finish line only striker Simon Tostevin has arrived at Northfield as a finished article and even then he can lay claim to a season in chocolate-and-blue as a spindly Youth Two.
North’s development programme is proven and an example to its competitors.
Other clubs do sterling work at minis and youth level, but North have the knack of not only holding on to their best players but filtering them through to the top.
They are elitist and it works.
The best, at whatever age, are tested at increasingly higher levels and if that means useful players of their own age-group need to make way for younger, better talent, so be it.
It’s just a shame the two men who laid the foundations for this winning formula are not at Northfield to see it.
More than a decade ago, Martyn Le Prevost and Geoff Tardif made a conscious effort for North to develop their own talent by way of bringing the cream to the top.
Sadly, former club secretary Le Prevost died too young to see his plan bear full fruition and, as for their former first-team coach, his timing was not quite right and, perhaps burned out by the combination of sheer effort, passion and disappointment, he stepped away from the game.
How long can North’s methodology be effective, only time will tell. But look down the age-group tables and everything seems to be going to plan. They may take some knocking off their perch as top club.
For now they are top team, too, and should enjoy what they have richly earned.
REST assured of two things when Manchester United and Liverpool walk out of the tunnel at Old Trafford today.
One: The referee leading them out will be one of a small band of elite whistlers that are trusted with the big Premiership games.
Two: The referee will be first out of the tunnel. Why? Can someone tell me please.
But point one first: Why do the biggest, most important Division One games locally, seem to be officiated by all and sundry?
On Tuesday, when North landed the title with the assistance of a hotly disputed goal, Colin Gontier was in the middle with George Jennings and Tony Sarre on the lines.
Gontier is one of our better refs and improving, but not among the top two which I think most footballers will agree are Brent Blondel and Ian Drillot with Matt Walsh and Mark Le Tissier – nowadays a little busy on the football admin front – knocking on the door.
But, sadly, we do not operate a hierarchal system which must be the best way to ensure the biggest games get the best officials?
I would have thought refs need to earn the right to the big games just as players need to earn their places in the top teams.
So back to my earlier point. Why do the authorities the world over insist that the officials lead out the teams.
The game is about the players and if there is any drama to be had from the performers’ entrance, then why do the supporting cast hit the public eye ahead of the real stars, the very people the crowd have come to see.
It has always seemed to me that the refs and officials should follow behind the players, or sneak out unheralded beforehand.
The modern trend only serves to boost the already huge egos of men such as Jeff Winter and Graham Poll.
Worthy North owe so much to two men
THE best team won, the best club triumphed.
Northerners deserve a big pat on the back for landing their 29th Priaulx title and holding their nerve when the pressure was on, always a clear sign of a good team.
A fortnight ago their season was in danger of fizzing out in disappointment. At that point, they trailed Bels by three points and had let slip a five-point lead going into Christmas. The only silverware in the cupboard was the Stranger and without the Priaulx to show for their efforts of eight long months, North’s season bordered on relative failure.
Two good wins over Bels later and a nervous edging out of Rovers and Micky Le Prevost’s boys were home and dry.
Most impressively, they achieved it with largely home-grown and developed talent.
Of the side that got them over the finish line only striker Simon Tostevin has arrived at Northfield as a finished article and even then he can lay claim to a season in chocolate-and-blue as a spindly Youth Two.
North’s development programme is proven and an example to its competitors.
Other clubs do sterling work at minis and youth level, but North have the knack of not only holding on to their best players but filtering them through to the top.
They are elitist and it works.
The best, at whatever age, are tested at increasingly higher levels and if that means useful players of their own age-group need to make way for younger, better talent, so be it.
It’s just a shame the two men who laid the foundations for this winning formula are not at Northfield to see it.
More than a decade ago, Martyn Le Prevost and Geoff Tardif made a conscious effort for North to develop their own talent by way of bringing the cream to the top.
Sadly, former club secretary Le Prevost died too young to see his plan bear full fruition and, as for their former first-team coach, his timing was not quite right and, perhaps burned out by the combination of sheer effort, passion and disappointment, he stepped away from the game.
How long can North’s methodology be effective, only time will tell. But look down the age-group tables and everything seems to be going to plan. They may take some knocking off their perch as top club.
For now they are top team, too, and should enjoy what they have richly earned.
REST assured of two things when Manchester United and Liverpool walk out of the tunnel at Old Trafford today.
One: The referee leading them out will be one of a small band of elite whistlers that are trusted with the big Premiership games.
Two: The referee will be first out of the tunnel. Why? Can someone tell me please.
But point one first: Why do the biggest, most important Division One games locally, seem to be officiated by all and sundry?
On Tuesday, when North landed the title with the assistance of a hotly disputed goal, Colin Gontier was in the middle with George Jennings and Tony Sarre on the lines.
Gontier is one of our better refs and improving, but not among the top two which I think most footballers will agree are Brent Blondel and Ian Drillot with Matt Walsh and Mark Le Tissier – nowadays a little busy on the football admin front – knocking on the door.
But, sadly, we do not operate a hierarchal system which must be the best way to ensure the biggest games get the best officials?
I would have thought refs need to earn the right to the big games just as players need to earn their places in the top teams.
So back to my earlier point. Why do the authorities the world over insist that the officials lead out the teams.
The game is about the players and if there is any drama to be had from the performers’ entrance, then why do the supporting cast hit the public eye ahead of the real stars, the very people the crowd have come to see.
It has always seemed to me that the refs and officials should follow behind the players, or sneak out unheralded beforehand.
The modern trend only serves to boost the already huge egos of men such as Jeff Winter and Graham Poll.
Article posted on 14th March, 2009 - 9.30am