Anyway, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the BHFC fans for their touchline support, kind posts and letters of encouragement. It may sound like a bit of a cliche, but me and the boys really couldn’t have done it without you! I had also better take this opportunity to thank all of the mums and dads that have helped to cart us all around and to our PE teachers for coaching us to victory!

Finally, if you’ve only followed BHFC online, you can get the detailed lowdown on the team’s performance on and off the pitch in the three BHFC books. You can buy them from all good bookshops or can order them online (via the link on this site) or from the usual online retail suspects.

This will be my final blog of the season, as I’ve got exams to swot up for (aaarrghh). Catch you all next season!

Best
Charlie

With the top spot and promotion in sight, Bridgewood gave everything they had in an explosive conclusion to the season.

The atmosphere was electric as the fired-up players of Bridgewood High and Stanford Park ran onto the pitch. With both teams at full strength, the match was guaranteed to be exciting and the tension was felt by both teams.

The first fifteen minutes was peppered with elementary mistakes due to nervousness, none of which led to either side conceding a goal. Captain Charlie Oakley was called upon by Mr Mansell to steady his side, which seemed to work, as Bridgewood became the first team to enjoy a spell of possession. Stanford could not get the ball back and several desperate tackles led to free kicks being awarded against them. An infringement on the edge of the eighteen-yard box meant that Salam Chalabi tried one of his curling free kicks, bending the ball around the wall. The keeper didn’t see it coming and Bridgewood took the lead, much to the delight of the cheering crowd.

Minutes later, George Lucas powered a twenty-five yard drive that crashed its way through the keeper’s hands. Just as Bridgewood were daring to dream about winning the league, the quality of Stanford Park shone through. A five-player move ended up with their striker, Jovan Maliqi, bringing the ball down on his chest and volleying into the top right hand corner.

Immediately after the goal, Maliqi left Houghton-Smith on his backside with a swift turn and gave Dominic Jasinski no chance with a clever tap-in. Bridgewood had squandered a two goal lead again.

During the second half, George Lucas was on fire. With ten minutes played, he was given a clear goal scoring opportunity when Duc Duong delivered an accurate pass to him just outside the eighteen-yard box. Lucas coolly connected with the ball on the half volley causing it to rocket past the rooted Stanford goalkeeper.

Bridgewood’s celebrations were short-lived. After the restart Stanford were awarded a free kick. A powerful header from a set piece move levelled the scores again.

With time running out, Angelo Del Paggio went on a solo run to the edge of the eighteen-yard box, where he put his foot on the ball and stopped. His marker slid to the ground and Del Paggio dug under the ball, causing it to rotate up and over the keeper’s outstretched arms and into the goal. The final whistle blew sharply, securing a 4–3 win and the title championship for an ecstatic Bridgewood High FC.

Mr Mansell reporting from Stanford Park Academy

• Harley Johnson from Greater Manchester
• Stuart Smith from London
• Louis Illingworth from Ashtead
• John Hollingsworth from Mansfield
• Kate Thomson from Birmingham

Each winner will have their design featured on this website and will also receive three fabulous books – congratulations!

The team would like to thank all of the people who submitted entries for this competition. All entries will be displayed on the Bridgewood High School noticeboard for the next two weeks.

Check the website again soon for more great competitions!

John Hollingsworth from Mansfield  

Louis Illingworth from Ashtead  

 

Harley Johnson from Greater Manchester  

   

Kate Thomson from Birmingham

 

Stuart Smith, London  

Bridgewood High nearly squandered their chance of a league title win in a nail-biting game against St John’s College.

‘Win this one, lads, and we are in with a big shout for the title. Give it your best shot,’ teacher Mr Cauldwell enthused as Bridgewood ran out onto their home pitch. The words of encouragement resounding in their ears, the team, in particular Dougie Butt and Angelo Del Paggio (who had been dropped in the last league game) played with their usual sense of urgency and confidence. Del Paggio ran rings around his opponents and Butt was on the scoresheet after ten minutes when he controlled a pass from Hamit Erbakan in midfield, flicked the ball up and volleyed it past the St John’s keeper.

Bridgewood’s next goal was gifted to them by the St John’s keeper, who rose above Johnny Cunningham to punch a corner over his bar, but instead parried the ball straight into his own net. Safe in the knowledge that they were two goals up, Bridgewood relaxed into the game. The midfielders took their foot off the pedal and twice allowed St John’s attacks to cascade through them and score, squandering the two goal advantage.

A half-time lecture from the teachers succeeded in giving the dishevelled Bridgewood players the boost they needed and they dominated the second half. Eager to atone for his first-half mistake, the St John’s goalkeeper made save after save as Duc Duong, Jack Mayhew and Timothy Houghton-Smith unleashed a volley of rasping shots, but to no avail.

With time running out, Del Paggio ran at the heart of St John’s defence, beating two players and nutmegging the St John’s keeper. The title is in sight for Bridgewood High.

Mr Mansell reporting from Goresbrook

For starters, we definitely deserved a penalty when Woodward was scythed to the ground. Second, St Paul’s winning goal was a mile offside! When you’re playing a team that is as good as St Paul’s you really need a bit of luck. Unfortunately, the only luck we got was of the bad variety!

Being knocked out of the cup has opened my eyes to how bad it must be for the pros when they get knocked out in the final stages of major competitions. Imagine going to Wembley to play in the FA Cup final and coming away with nothing! It’s also made me nervous about the boxing championship finals. I cannot imagine anything other than walking away with the belt. I need to keep my thoughts focused – if you get ‘the fear’ in the boxing game you’re stuffed!

Anyway, I hope that the climax to our league season will yield a bit of silverware to make up for the cup!

Catch y’all later.

Straight from kick-off, Bridgewood’s determination to reach the final of their first ever London Schools Cup Competition was apparent for all to see. Fifteen minutes into the game, a clever triangle of passes between Cork, Cunningham and Woodward created acres of space for a clear shot on goal. Maintaining his composure, Woodward skilfully slotted the ball into the back of the net, putting Bridgewood a goal up.

After the restart there was a tense period of St Paul’s possession. Thankfully, the pressure was alleviated when Jack Wilkins intercepted a sloppy pass and went on a hurtling run up the centre of the pitch, before chipping the ball into the opposition’s goal-mouth. A diving header by Johnny Cunningham screeched between the keeper’s legs, giving Bridgewood a two goal lead at half-time.

St Paul’s started the second half with five attacking players. It was an inspired move and within three minutes, St Paul’s had pulled a goal back. Their confidence restored, St Paul’s penetrated the Bridgewood defence time after time. For the next twenty minutes, the ball never travelled out of the Bridgewood end with Charlie Oakley, Sam Smith, Jack Mayhew and Timothy-Houghton Smith under constant siege. Their heroic resistance came to an end when a shot thundered in from one of St Paul’s best players, Wayne Mulroyd, skidding off Houghton-Smith’s knee and into the net.

With ten minutes to go, both teams were desperate to score, and the play became increasingly aggressive. An ill-timed tackle brought Woodward down in the St Paul’s penalty area, but was deemed fair by the referee. Urging themselves on for one last effort, both teams looked exhausted. With two minutes left on the clock, St Paul’s striker, Rushton Baynes, latched on to a pass that was a yard offside. Despite the foul, the linesman’s flag stayed down and Baynes went on to round Jasinski and tap the ball into the net.

There was not even time for the restart. Bridgewood had crashed out of the cup by the narrowest of margins.

Miss Cranson reporting from Goresbrook

Still, as Mr Mansell said, we have to pick ourselves up and concentrate on the league now. We are still in with a definite shout of winning the league and it would be awful if we failed to get something out of this season. Reaching the semis of the cup and being in a position to win the league would have seemed like a dream come true at Christmas. I just hope that we don’t stuff it up this time.

C

Keep checking to site over the next week. Mitzi is trying to persuade Mr Reeves to let her borrow some of the media kit so that she can produce a podcast of interviews with the players (very road to Wembley!). If she manages to blag the recording stuff there will be a podcast on the site in the next couple of days – just hope that we don’t lose!

Anyway, must dash as I have a pre-match training session to attend.

C

Anyway, even without my talents, the boys are doing incredibly well (starting to worry about my spot in the team!) and we are definitely in with a real chance of winning the league!

Come on Bridgewood!!!!!!!!! Divsion Two beckons!