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Prior to the start of the 2006-07 season, the Under 11’s were seeded to play their first season as an 11-a-side team in Division 3 of the Surrey Primary League. Manager Keith Wake was confident that the team could make an impression in the Division by playing the same free-flowing possession football that they had done the previous season as a 7-a-side team. The team was joined by players from Byfleets’ other Under 10 7-a-side team and supplemented with players from the recently disbanded New Haw Boys’ team
The first match of the season was a tricky away fixture against locals Woking Town. Although there was a sense of nervousness of what to expect from the game, Keith, and his assistant
managers, Paul Cutler and Ian Clements watched as the U11’s played some excellent football from defence through to attack, quickly adapting to playing on a bigger pitch and winning impressively
4-2. The result proved to be the start of a fantastic season for the U11’s.
The next four fixtures during the month of October brought four wins with a goal ratio of 29 goals for and only 3 against. They had opened up a healthy gap at the top of the Division which they then held for the rest of the season.
The defence formation of Jack Clements, Sam Coyne, Tim
Richards, Charles Newman and David Tomkins were proving to be very difficult to break down in games as the October results showed. The low goals against total was testament also to the solid performances by Harry Cutler and Dilan Puzey who shared the goalkeeping duties. They were joined later in the season by Jonathan Robertson who quickly proved himself to be a valuable member of the team.
In the Surrey Primary League Cup, the U11’s performances were as impressive as their league form. They began with an away trip to Division 1 side Tooting & Mitcham and although they went a goal behind, they then overpowered their opponents to win 4-1. This was followed by a classic home tie against the then Division One leaders Abbey Rangers. The U11’s were 3-1 up at half-time but although the game went into extra-time, it was
Byfleet who triumphed when they added the winning goal. A home tie in the next round against Aldershot Town saw the U11’s again beat a higher placed league side but Byfleet’s run came to a disappointing end in the semi final match played in atrocious conditions away to Farncombe Trojans.
As the U11’s approached the end of 2006, they had only dropped two points in the league. In midfield Aiden Croall assisted by Patrick Hurl, Ben Haynes and Harry Richardson were consistently providing ammunition for the front men as well as picking up some important goals of their own. The direct play of Ryan Wake and Teddy Killingley as well as the resourceful Jamie Collett meant that Byfleet always looked dangerous going forward and likely to score.
In 2007 Byfleet put together a run of eight straight victories up to the end of the season. They went to fellow title chasers Knaphill Spitfires and overpowered them 6-2, reserving their best performance of the season ensuring that the title
belonged to Byfleet.
Keith, Ian and Paul would like to commend all the players for the hard effort that they put into the training sessions during the season which ultimately paid dividends when they completed their league season unbeaten in taking the Division 3 title. With the team expected to play in Division 2 next
season, the management team are again confident the players will raise their standards even higher and have another
successful season in front of their band of loyal supporters.
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