Notes from mid-season team meeting

Date: Friday 14 December 2007

Venue: Jarrod and Rawlins, Ampang

Present: around 16 - 17 members of the squad

Friday was the day of the testimonial match that never was.  The wet weather put paid to our friendly on Friday night so we all decided to just focus on drinking beer and whisky instead.  And drink we did.  But before we all got too inebriated, we did have a rather lengthy mid-season team meeting.  The notes of which I have attempted to recall and scribe below:

Discussion of Season So Far

After some steady improvement in the pre-season and very good performances in our first two league games (and the friendly sandwiched between them), the quality of our football has dropped.  We're not making as many good decisions with the ball, the quality of our passing and movement off the ball has dropped.  Additionally, we've been talking to the ref too much and having a go at our teammates.  This is not why we play football.  We play to win and also to enjoy it.  We appear to be trying a little to hard and putting too much pressure on ourselves.  In 2008, we should relax a little more, be confident that if we play our football we'll beat every team in the league.  Let's focus on enjoying our football and playing the passing game we excel at for the remainder of the season.  

Team Goal, Philosophy and Approach

Andy rightly requested a "remit" as he put in with which to coach the team.  We spent much of our time discussing points relevant to this.  It's clear - and frankly to be expected -  we're never going to reach a complete consensus on all the details of squad selection, recruitment, team selection, tactics, subs etc.  We had much discussion on these points and whilst many of us agreed on most things there was quite often one or two people that had a different view.  As such, complete agreement on all points was elusive.  We did though agree that - as the appointed coach, captain, vice captain and manager - Andy, Ian, Terry and I would run the team on behalf of the players and make decisions as we see fit.  We'll run the team in the way that we believe that the majority of our players want.  This is effectively a continuation of the approach and philosophy we have used to date.  To re-cap, our goal and approach is as follows:

Goal: Win each game we play

Squad selection: Approach to squad selection is as previously communicated. 

Match day team selection, tactics, and substitutions: will be done to maximize our chances of winning matches.  

We should all realize, not all the decisions we make will please everyone all the time.  Additionally, we're all human and whilst we'll always try and make good decisions we will sometimes get it wrong.  You can each reasonably expect to be unhappy with decisions we make at one time or another.  However, it is our belief that we can run the team in the way that agrees with the majority of people most of the time.  We agreed that if a significant number of people feel strongly against the way we're doing things, we can organize a meeting to discuss the problems and adapt our approach accordingly; or, if this is not done, the team has the option to change us.  

Having a go at the refs and our teammates

We all agreed that this had risen in recent weeks and does us no good whatsoever.  We re-iterated the point that was agreed in our pre-season AGM that anyone who has a go at the ref or a teammate can expect to taken off the field.  (See AGM notes: http://asterixreds.blogspot.com/2007/09/minutes-of-agm.html).  This was agreed because we consider it to be counterproductive to the team.  And as such, this agreement will be strongly enforced for the remainder of the season.

Appointment of Social Secretary

We all agreed on the need to do an increasing amount of social activity.  Nominations for a Social Secretary were requested.  Stuart Cavens was unanimously voted into as the inaugural Social Secretary for Asterix reds.  We all welcomed Stuart into this role and look forward to a healthy social calendar in 2008.   

Team Pre-Match T-Shirts

We discussed pre-match t-shirts.  Since club funds are insufficient to pay for them, if we are to have pre-match t-shirts, we have to pay for them ourselves.  We put this to vote and agreed that we should proceed to get pre-match t-shirts with each player contributing MYR60 to the cost.  Please pass your MYR60 to Mark Jones on the first game of 2008.  Aidil and I will try to source the t-shirts.

Departing players

We honored all three of our departing players with words from various team mates.   All three have been great servants to the club and we wish Alan, Stef and Tony well in their moves to Shanghai, Beijing and Queensland. 

With all that out of the way, we proceeded into town.  I won't attempt to recount any of the activities that occurred thereafter; I'll leave that to you boys.  Although I must say that I thought Alan was a veritable "rose among the thorns" whilst dancing amid the ladies on the bar.  

Happy Christmas and here's to a 2008 filled with success for the Asterix Reds!