Deddington Under Sixty Team

 

 WHO ARE WE ?

Deddington Under Sixties Team (DUST) is a vets football team made up of local, over 40 year-old (& some over 50) (and some nearly 60!!) footballers in various states of decay.  The team is 'loosely' affiliated to Deddington Town FC with members from within the Club and outside  coming together to live the dream well past their sell by dates!

Throughout the football season (September – May) we play 11-a-side matches against other local vets sides from an unofficial friendly league. The games are competitive but within the constraints of realism & good spirit.

We also play 5 aside weekly all year at The Windmill Centre on the astro.

We try and play our home games at the Windmill centre, although this year, because of the weather, we were restricted to just two games in Deddington. Our season has been relatively successful having so far only lost once.

Despite being ‘finely tuned’ athletes we do find time for socializing, usually based around a fund raising event (sometimes not!!!).  This year we’re proud to say that we’ve made contributions to Katherine House Hospice, Help for Heroes and the Deddington Town Colts.

 

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Season 2015/2016

Sunday 13th September 2015

Deddy Vets 1-2 Kineton

 

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THE PAST.. bring back memories?????

Sunday 30th September 2012 - Our first Sunday game of the season...we lost 2-3 at home to Honnington.  Definite case of first game of season...really rusty and at times slow and lethargic. Whereas Honnington came with four games under their belts. It showed. At times we were chasing shadows as we tried to get out of our half .   No outstanding performances if I am honest but a noteable moment was Shep getting a direct hit in the bread basket towards the end of the game, lavishly portrayed by his over the top performance as he went down clutching said basket...!!!(MM1of season)

 Tongy scored a fluke goal from about 30 yards out  from a free kick in the first half to put Deddy one up. Those close by can vouch that the ball was lined up excellently by Tongy who on the whistle strode forward to take the kick. One yard from the ball he stumbled, shot out his right foot to steady himself when lucky for him his foot actually struck the ball. All stood transfixed as the ball found the top of the Honnigton net. Tongy meanwhile was  trying to put his boot back on and regain his composure and had to be told he had actually scored. (MM2 from the season).

*  MM -   Magic Moment!!!

NB Have a look at some of the action from the 30th plus a sneak look at some of the Old Gits in the DUST Gallery (drop down menu above)

Sunday 11th November 2012 - Deddy v Sibford...we lost!!!!

Match report ...the adventure continues....

The words, physical poetry come to mind as I sit here trying to describe the first half performance of Deddy Vets game on Sunday against Sibford.  Triangles to die for, sweet passing and majestic runs from all quarters of the pitch the norm for much of the half.  Craig, our crocked player manager had rightly espoused the need to do it all in the first half when he held court for the tactical team talk prior to the game. Sibford were a youthful looking vets side and therefore as energy levels and tiredness might well impact on the old Dusters in the second half, the more we did in the first half could prove decisive!!!

And so in glorious sunshine, for 45 minutes Deddy were imperious. Two goals the better within half an hour.  The second from Vaughan a wonder goal. Sat deep in the Sibford midfield, he unleashed a screamer that rocketed a good forty six and a half yards over the heads of everyone including their keeper (Kelly) into the back of the net.  (MM3 of the season). The defence looked solid with Shep and James fighting over clearing headers. Mick and Tongy in the middle linked well with Richard and Vaughan. It was all going swimmingly.  But just as we thought we had stunned the Sibford youth into submission a slight senior moment in defence saw them slip through and pull one back.

Within minutes of the commencement of the second half it became clear the Sibford strategy had changed.  They put three of their youngest players up front all attacking the Deddy left flank!  Robin, newly on was overun!! But he valiantly threw himself about as best he could often getting in the way superbly!  In fact Dom on the right for Deddy was seen having a kip a couple times so quiet was it on his side!!!  The tide became a tsunami as the Deddy midfield imploded.  Where had the triangles gone? Where had the holding play gone? Everytime Deddy hoofed it up front, the ball came back twice as fast!!!  Smeth up front had little service but did rattle the Sibford keeper a couple of times. Trouble is he was one of ours , we had loaned Mark to them to keep them at eleven players!  Mark had a stormer!!!!

In the final analysis, Sibford only did to us what we had done to them in the first half. But their sprinkling of youth amongst the team proved decisive. In the final seconds one of their younger players taunted Robin by holding the ball up in front of him. Such was his arrogance with the ball that in truth he was lucky to leave the pitch with his own in tact!  Prudently , the ref spotting another potential magic moment  blew the whistle for full time.

And so it was that Sibford had scored a couple more goals to pinch the game!!!   The pain of defeat was allieviated though by the glorious weather and the subsequent fine refreshments at the British Legion.  Onwards and upwards Dusters.

 

 

NB - More action shots in the DUST gallery slide show.

Sunday 9th December 2012

Match Report ....Once upon a time.....

 

On a glorious sunny Sunday morning, our intrepid band of dusters, travelled to the depths of Warwickshire, to play against Tiddington Vets.  The venue was at Stratford Town FC,  quite different to some of the ridge and furrow cow fields we have played on before.    

Already depleted of several players, we then lost another en route, due to work commitments, so we turn up with 10 brave souls!!  The opposition seeing our plight kindly agreed to field ten men.   Tiddington kicked off with a side that didn't look to have anyone over 40, and they looked quite at home, knocking the ball about with composure and flair. They took the lead after 10 or 15 minutes. It was obvious straight away, that we were in for a tough, and energy sapping game. They continued to dominate, and more often than not, our full back, Pete Mahon on the right was continuously bombarded by two or three attackers. This was Petes debut!!  But Pete, with his never say die attitude, was quick to put in some agricultural tackling. A few more minutes past, and Deddy conceded a free kick just inside their own half.Tiddington pumped and the ball high into the Deddy penalty box and with a big call from our keeper Wellstood, our defenders ducked, and unfortunately it went straight over his head too and into the net!

 So, 2-0 down, and under the cosh, we battled on. Soon after, Jamie Cox, who only stepped in at the last minute, unleashed a fierce drive, from 20yrds, against the crossbar, taking off more paint than a tin of nitromorse could. Shortly after a bit more defending and goal line clearances, we attacked down the left with pace from Robin Gardner, who finds Mike Nelson in space, who then in turn picks out Neil Skinner . Neil strikes it from the edge of the area and lobs it over the keeper  into the net. Tiddington were stunned, so were we!!!  (MM4 of the season)

 With renewed vigor, Robin continues to break down the left time and time again trying to force the play. Sadly though the opposition take control again and score 2 more goals before half time.

After an uplifting half time team talk by stand in manager Robin we take to the field again. James Ransom pulls Robin to one side and offers some words of advice. "Look Robin, if you keep bombing up and down that wing, you'll kill yourself." to which Robin replied "Oh well". We are again chasing shadows, and concede early on, and at times in defence it was like defending at the Alamo.

In attack, our lone striker Vaughan was being given the run around by a very slick and comfortable back four, but he kept plugging away like a true Trojan. Again and again they attack in droves, and if it wasn't for Mark in goal they could have easily had double figures.

As the game went on injuries started happening.  Mike Nelson , already crocked and verbally drained hurts his knee again and has to go off, leaving us with nine men.  Soon after, Keith Tong, who before the game tweaked a muscle in his back stretching had an altercation with an opponent, and tempers flared a tadge!! His back continually gave him problems which affected his normal aggressive and combative style of play. Jamie Cox, in midfield, starting his first full game for six years, flagged and became heavy legged, and was like a JCB that had run out of diesel!

And then as the game neared the end there was a moment of quick thinking that turned into sheer pantomime. Andy Shepherd, who during the game had been receiving the ball from quick throw outs from the keeper, called for it one more time.  Mark responded by rolling the ball to him , but with not a player within twenty yards of him he managed to get his legs tangled together, and in slow motion to everyone delight, (all of the other 19 players, daughters Georgia and Eden, and other spectators,) sent himself tumbling to the deck. They even heard it in Stratford town centre.(MM5 of the season)

Thankfully a few minutes later, the game finished with a defeat of 8-1, our heaviest EVER!!!

But spirits are far from dampened, and our band of merry men, are all ready looking forward to the next game.   UP THE DUST!!!