Club News - 2004-05

Fri 11 Mar 2005 - More disco fund-raising success for Swifts
The latest Disco at the Rugby Club on Friday 11th March was again a success for the Ledbury Swifts Club Funds when over £650 pounds was raised on the night. A big thank you to all the helpers on the night who did a grand job in making the evening go by without any trouble.

Sun 13 Feb 2005 - Dates announced for Presentations, Fete and the Ken Long Trophy
Ledbury Swifts have announced dates for three important events in the club's social calendar - the annual fete, the club Presentation night and the Ken Long Trophy tournament for U9s, where this year's team will be defending the title, as well as a race night in association with Eastnor Cricket Club. The dates are:
Race Night Event - Saturday, April 9th at Ledbury Community Centre
Ken Long Trophy - Sunday, May 8th at the Ross Road playing fields
Presentation night - Friday, June 13th at the Rugby Club Pavilion
Swifts Annual Fete - Sunday, June 26th at the Ross Road playing fields
Any parents involved with their teams are asked to let coaches and managers know if they can help with any of these, especially the Fete. Each of the age groups has been asked to run a stall for the fete and any assistance with these will be gratefully received. 

Sun 13 Feb 2005 - Two more discos drive fundraising
Senior and junior discos held at the end of January and the start of February have raised a total of almost £800 between them, and Ledbury Swifts would like to thank all those who attended and helped out for making the events such a success. 

Sat 27 Nov 2004 - League warns clubs and parents about spectators' behaviour.
League officials say the future of the game in the county is "in jeopardy" because of what they describe as "the worsening behaviour of spectators". All clubs in the Herefordshire Junior Football League (HJFL) have been contacted by the Secretary to make the conduct of spectators a priority, and reminding club officials that they are responsible for pitch-side behaviour and could be fined if any incidents occur. In the letter, the HJFL say they already have some young referees who do not want to be appointed to Junior games, and that without new referees, the League's future could be bleak. The move comes just weeks after one of Ledbury Swifts regular regular referees, Malcolm Murray, abandoned an Under-13s game in Worcestershire because of verbal abuse from spectators. 

Sun 14 Nov 2004 - Success for first junior disco
Ledbury Swifts are looking to try and arrange more junior discos for youngsters aged between five and ten years old, after the success of the first event. Almost 60 children came to the Rugby Club Pavillion, and the organisers reported around £42 was raised on the night.
 
Sat 02 Oct 2004 - Swifts donate shirts to Tanzania
Young footballers in Tanzania have been helped by a donation of kit from Ledbury Swifts. John Mapunda has spent the last two weeks in the town during a visit organised in conjunction with St Michael's Church, and being a great football fan, asked to see the Swifts playing before he returned to his home in Mtwara on the South East coast of Tanzania. Mr Mapunda told the teams that there are a lot of young players in his town, but that teams can rarely afford full sets of playing kit, and the donation would help build interest in the game further in Mtwara. He also said that the church he represents has also been developing, such that they have outgrown their original building, and are now looking to extend to cope with the growing congregation. Handing over the donated kit, Club President Councillor Don Rule said: "The Under-9s put on an excellent performance and we hope that and this donation will encourage John and the young footballers he supports". Secretary Bob Barnes added that they had hoped to donate a second set of kit, but that luggage regulations meant Mr Mapunda was only able to take one set with him on the flight back to Tanzania. 

Sat 02 Oct 2004 - Call goes out to form girls’ football team.
Girls over the age of 10 are being invited to join Ledbury Swifts, so the club can form its first all-female team. Current FA rules prevent girls from playing in mixed teams with boys after the age of 11, but for those girls who currently play in teams below that age, there is no outlet for their talent in the town. In a new article charting the history of Ledbury Swifts, the club’s Secretary, Bob Barnes, has called on all female footballers aged 10 or over to come to newly-organised training sessions at the club’s Ross Road playing fields on Sunday mornings.

“We have a manager willing to coach a girls side, we just need the girls to turn up,” said Mr Barnes in the Ledbury Reporter article. “The girls should be over 10 years of age; anyone below the age of 10 can train and play with the boys in mixed teams, but FA rules forbid girls playing mixed 11-a-side football. So come on you girls get in touch and give it a go." The training sessions are held at 10:30am on Sunday mornings at the Ross Road Playing Fields. The full article charting the history of the Club can be found in our History section.

Sun 01 Oct 2004: Disco profit
The first Swifts disco of the season proved a great success, with a good attendance at the Pavilion on Ross Road. Around £800 was raised on the night.