ð—©ð—²ð—¿ð˜€ð—®ð˜ð—¶ð—¹ð—² ð—ºð—¶ð—±ð—³ð—¶ð—²ð—¹ð—±ð—²ð—¿ ð—§ð—µð—¼ð—ºð—®ð˜€ ð——ð—¼ð—±ð—±ð˜€ ð—»ð—²ð—²ð—±ð˜€ ð—»ð—¼ ð—¶ð—»ð˜ð—¿ð—¼ð—±ð˜‚ð—°ð˜ð—¶ð—¼ð—» ð˜ð—¼ ð˜ð—µð—² ð—šð˜‚ð—²ð—¿ð—»ð˜€ð—²ð˜† ð—™ð—– ð—³ð—®ð—¶ð˜ð—µð—³ð˜‚ð—¹, ð—µð—®ð˜ƒð—¶ð—»ð—´ ð—´ð—¿ð—¼ð˜„ð—» ð˜‚ð—½ ð—®ð—¹ð—¼ð—»ð—´ ð˜„ð—¶ð˜ð—µ ð˜ð—µð—² ð—°ð—¹ð˜‚ð—¯ ð—®ð—»ð—± ð˜€ð—²ð—®ð—ºð—¹ð—²ð˜€ð˜€ð—¹ð˜† ð—ºð—®ð—±ð—² ð˜ð—µð—² ð˜ð—¿ð—®ð—»ð˜€ð—¶ð˜ð—¶ð—¼ð—» ð—³ð—¿ð—¼ð—º ð—³ð—®ð—» ð˜ð—¼ ð˜€ð—¾ð˜‚ð—®ð—± ð˜€ð˜ð—®ð—¹ð˜„ð—®ð—¿ð˜. ð—§ð—¼ð—º ð—°ð˜‚ð—¿ð—¿ð—²ð—»ð˜ð—¹ð˜† ð—µð—¼ð—¹ð—±ð˜€ ð˜ð—µð—² ð—¿ð—²ð—°ð—¼ð—¿ð—± ð—³ð—¼ð—¿ ð—ºð—¼ð˜€ð˜ ð—²ð—»ð—± ð—¼ð—³ ð˜€ð—²ð—®ð˜€ð—¼ð—» ð—®ð˜„ð—®ð—¿ð—±ð˜€ ð˜„ð—¼ð—» ð—¶ð—» ð—® ð˜€ð—¶ð—»ð—´ð—¹ð—² ð˜€ð˜„ð—¼ð—¼ð—½.
ð—˜ð—®ð—¿ð—¹ð—¶ð—²ð—¿ ð˜ð—µð—¶ð˜€ ð—ºð—¼ð—»ð˜ð—µ, ð˜„ð—² ð—®ð˜€ð—¸ð—²ð—± ð—µð—¶ð—º ð˜ð—¼ ð˜€ð—µð—®ð—¿ð—² ð—µð—¶ð˜€ ð˜ð—µð—¼ð˜‚ð—´ð—µð˜ð˜€ ð—®ð—µð—²ð—®ð—± ð—¼ð—³ ð—¼ð˜‚ð—¿ ð—¹ð—¼ð—»ð—´-ð—®ð˜„ð—®ð—¶ð˜ð—²ð—± ð—¿ð—²ð˜ð˜‚ð—¿ð—» ð˜ð—¼ ð—¹ð—²ð—®ð—´ð˜‚ð—² ð—®ð—°ð˜ð—¶ð—¼ð—».
“It feels a little surreal to be on the verge of our first game at last, having not played in the league for over 18 months. It’s been such a long time! It’s great to be back in training, and especially since we’ve known there’s finally a game coming soon. I think everyone’s really missed it. I know I’ve missed not playing for GFC over the past couple of years and I think we’re all excited to get started.
“We looked at some video analysis of Sutton Common Rovers at training recently. Obviously as well as the extended break we’re playing in a different league now this year that we know nothing about. Although that could make us nervous, I actually think the new challenge is quite exciting. I’d say a lot of the lads are looking forward to the fact that we have so many new teams to face now for the first time. It definitely adds to the challenge too though, as you don’t know the players you’re playing against. Are they quick? Are they strong? How will they approach the game? In this league it’s a given that they are all talented players, so at our level you have to learn pretty quickly, size up the situation and adapt accordingly.
“It also means that we’ll be going to a lot of new grounds this season. It’s always good to travel away together; it’s nice to go and play at different grounds especially if there are decent facilities and a good surface to play on. I know I enjoy playing over here at Footes Lane because of the standard of the pitch and facilities, but then again taking things as you find them elsewhere is all part of the experience. It’s good to get out of your comfort zone too sometimes and play on different pitches under different conditions.
“The early starts when we’re off on the red-eye are another challenge we’ve not had to face for a while, but again I’m looking forward to that too in many ways. When you’re playing locally over here, you just get ready before the game and head on down, but I think the discipline of an away day is quite good because it brings everyone together. The team spirit over the past few seasons we’ve played has been really good, especially with all the away days.
“Getting back up and running as a squad again is a challenge and a discipline which affects your life in lots of ways. You have to prepare right because you can’t not prepare right in this league and get away with it. You’ve got to do and eat the right things, for example, and be as ready as you can, mentally and physically, to compete.
“It’s a very different squad to two years ago. We still have experienced players involved like Kez and Ross, but also some new faces like Ben Acey. On reflection though, I feel that whether you’ve played 100 times, 200 times, or you’re just making your debut, the way you play and the way you act on the pitch is what matters most, because that’s what everyone can pick up on and follow too.
“What that means is, from a personal point of view I don’t look on my role as having changed too much, despite having been involved as a player for some years now, because every time I go out there, I want to put in 100%. That’s the first and most important thing that you can do, and hope everyone follows with that.
“Undeniably though, the experience I’ve been gaining over the years with managing games and so on is very useful in our league, and it’s knowledge that you can pass on, so while I don’t feel my personal role has changed too much, I do definitely feel you’ve got to pass on what you can and help your team mates.
“During the break which COVID forced upon us all, I played football locally for Manzur, but I personally want to be playing at the highest level I can all the time, so not having competed for GFC for almost 2 years has been very difficult. I had just come off the back of a few ankle injuries not long before COVID started though, so while it was annoying not to get back into it, with hindsight it probably did give me that chance to make sure I had fully rehabbed. From that point of view it may have helped a little bit, however I think most people here just love playing football, love playing for GFC, and can’t wait to get started again.
“It’s obviously going to be a challenging season, especially at the start, because we’re playing catch-up effectively. I think most other teams are 6 or 7 games in, plus preseason, and they’ve obviously had a few more games over the last couple of years, so it is going to be tough. Additionally we’ve got a new group of players that we’ve got to gel together, but I think we’re a good group, with a good strong team spirit. We’ve got a lot of talent, and I think you’ve just got to see where you are after the first few months of the season. Hopefully we can push up towards the play-offs like we were before COVID struck, and I think anywhere mid-table upwards would constitute a really good season for us.”
