From the Dugout (Camelford Home)

Our previous fixture this season was a cracking match, we went two goals up before Camelford fought back to deservedly earn a point. I don’t see anything other than an equally hard fought  game today.

Reg has managed to pull together another competitive team. Their 4-1 win over Newton Abbot Spurs last week is a sign of a team going in the right direction

There was plenty to like about our 4-2 reversal  at St Austell.

I’m never one to take too many positives out of a defeat, I think that’s a dangerous mindset to create, however there was a real determination in the lads and whilst we kept getting undone by individual errors, we didn’t allow that to affect our mindset and performance in general.

As a group, and when i speak in terms of the group, I include the management staff, we have to find a way to win more games we should. So often this season, we have been the better side, but not come away with maximum points. Whilst there can be some comfort to be taken from this, in that as a manager you feel you may not be far away, it’s incredibly frustrating and quite difficult to address.

It will be terrific to see some ex players at our reunion tonight, there have been some superb players and even better people at the club over the years, both locally and those that have travelled from further afield to represent the club. Certainly in my time, some of the very best ‘Bridgers’ on and off the pitch, have been from over the Tamar Bridge.

Some recent Bridgers will be wearing the blue and white of Camelford today. Tom Crowe, Ross Beare and Tom Mclachlan are three lads that epitomised everything I hope for in a Wadebridge player.

I’m hoping they’ll be able to stop behind for a beer or two, I might even get my wallet out!!

I hope the pitch thaws in time and we have a Bridgers win and a super evening.

Enjoy the Game

At today’s game we welcome past players and others who played a part in Wadebridge Town Football Club over the last 50 years or more.

The reunion is an opportunity to look back and remember the faces, the celebrations, the disappointment, sloping pitch, bad hair styles, and the stories of goals that get more spectacular over the years. We honour those who have helped make the club what it is now.

When we recognise the journey and the contribution made to where the club is today, we’re able to learn lessons and understand how we’ve become the club we see in 2023.

When we understand something of who we are and how we got to that person or community, we’re better able to see what we might become and how we can get there. Hopefully we also learn from the mistakes and know what to avoid as we seek future goals.

This weekend is also the beginning of Advent, for most that probably about the run up to Christmas and opening a daily calendar with chocolate in. What Advent is really about is preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus, looking back on arguably the most history changing event in human history. It is an event that has shaped humanity and our society for two centuries. For many the birth of Jesus gives their life meaning and provides hope and a vision for a better world.

The other part of Advent is about looking forward to a time when Christians believe Jesus will return. There are many interpretations of what this might mean either literally or symbolically. What we can say with confidence is that whatever situation we find ourselves in, and however we view the world there is a hope for the future.

Today we celebrate those who have helped build a football club and their contribution to the past and provide a foundation for the future. We can also draw on the symbolism of looking back on what God has done throughout the history of our world and find a hope for the future that is for everyone.