syston_fox

That's the Thurmaston one isn't it? I know there's quite a few higher level teams in there and one team that's full of academy players so already written off any chance of winning that. I think they were struggling to fill it so have then opened it up to all which is a bit annoying as we entered it on the expectations that it was for our levels. The gap between level 1 and us at 4 is massive though. I just hope that there is enough level 1 and 2 teams to make sure that they all come in top 2 of every group and can go off to do their higher level knock outs and leave the rest of us to our own.

Dodgy team in our tournament at the weekend. They entered the lower level (3-5) tournament rather than the higher (level 1 and 2). They battered everyone in their group and we ended up with them in the knockouts. Spoke to their coaches before the game and asked what level they play at. They didn't have a level because they had handpicked the best players from two Saturday league teams and didn't know how they would do so went into the lower one. Absolute joke. They would have won the higher level one let alone ours. They knew what they were doing and it just meant we were playing for second place.

We do: Coaches player Parents player Players player Most improved Golden boot We're gonna ditch golden boot and have "goal contributions" or something like that next season so assists get rewarded as much as goals. I'm actually glad we're doing golden boot this year though as our top scorer has 56 goals so deserves some recognition as 37 goals more than anyone else including some absolutely stunning goals to claw us back into games when we've been dead and buried. We've tweaked the parents player award in the end and then one player will take two awards, and then three others will take the rest.

End of season awards: Main awards are managers player, parents player and players player.... We're an under 9 team and same player has won both parents and players vote. We were going to give him managers player but feels wrong that one person is taking all three at this age especially as there is a good mix of talent in our squad. Politics looming!

Can't wait for the 10 year anniversary 3/1 game in 2037

That's what I was expecting. Like the team that played at Anstey in the charity game last year!

Are you the Tigers or Panthers? We've drawn the Tigers in the group stage of that tournament. (I'm with Queniborough)

Potentially! Which side are you with? It's our first season and so started at level 5 and coasted through that. Got promoted to 4A and think we finished with something like 5 wins, 5 defeats and 2 draws. We try to play level 3 teams in friendlies and always been competitive, winning more than we've lost. I think the only difference between level 3 and 4 is the consistency really of doing it every week. What are people's thoughts on game time during tournaments? So hard to get a balance right when you have such mixed abilities! We try to make it fair in the group stages but then once knockout starts, it's really hard to change something when a game is on a knife edge. A squad of 10 in a 6-a-side tournament was an absolute killer.

I'm still not over the final defeat on Saturday . Think it's just because of how proud of them we were to get there and to then see their faces when the final whistle went. Tournaments are brutal on the kids as the parents all really get into it (which is great and creates a fantastic atmosphere) but then creates the painful low for them. Character building and all that. We had a penalty shoot out in the semi final and never been so nervous watching my lad step up to take one (especially as we had missed our first.) Last season he was a goalkeeper and penalty shoot outs were his chance to shine, not so much fun when he's taking the shot! We've got Groby, Thurmaston and Riverside tournaments still to go!

I thought I spotted you as we were driving off. I take it you lot played that Benfica side? We spotted their results and was clear they had entered the wrong level. (I know the organisers and they will be gutted that that happened.... The coaches of that side would have known what they were doing when they entered into that though! ) We were in the u9 group. Had a rough group stage and then came to life in the knockouts. Got to our final and lost 2-1. The heartbreaking thing is that the winner came from an error. Ball played back to our defender and he trod on the ball and fell which let their striker in on goal. Horrible way to lose as had been a great performance and even game. Well run tournament throughout. Only gripe is that we played one team who were a disgrace and should have been kicked out. Had a player removed for swearing at the referee, their team kicked out at some of our lads and one player went through our defender. Got warned and then 30 seconds later he put in an even worse challenge - studs up into his leg. Aggressive and intentional. Magically their coach "didn't see it" and "he must have slipped" . Thankfully they got knocked out very quickly as were crap at football and relied on bullying

I want to get one for my kid but have to do it via phone - has anyone had any joy calling them today? Constantly says, they are too busy to even put me in the queue!

We bizarrely have one lad who is very good at taking corners and gets a lot of praise for his deliveries. I noticed during Sunday's match that he was actively stopping and delaying crossing the ball in so that the defenders tackled him and he got a corner. (We don't score from corners by the way). The team we play on Sunday have only lost one since Christmas and that was against us in probably our best performance of the season. They moaned constantly about the pitch (it was played in January so wet and muddy) and every strong tackle was greeted with cries of "REF!" and rolling on the floor. They even said to us at the end that they wanted a rematch on a 3g pitch and would beat us on that. The scenes if we win..... Entered into many tournaments?

What level are you at the moment mate as we're u9s as well. We were on a decent run at level 4 but then managed to lose three in a row. Yesterday was so frustrating - missed so many clear cut chances and ended up losing 1-0. My lad is our striker and usually really reliable but he had one of those days yesterday - hit the crossbar twice, then went through on goal and a horrible bobble as he went to shoot so shanked it wide. Finally then hit one over the bar when the keeper dropped the ball at his feet and a gaping goal. Not sure what has happened in the last few games but suddenly everyone seems to be playing for themself. When we work as a team, we play some lovely football and score some cracking goals. When the kids turn selfish, the whole thing goes to pot and cannot figure out what's caused it - I have a feeling it's goal bonuses but then not the easiest conversation to have!

Wasted enough time and effort on these lot so I'll be staying at home. First time I've been free for a league match and not gone since December 2002.

Most be the high demand for tomorrow's game after Monday's master class.

Did you find a way round this mate? Going to apply for my son to get one and link doesnt work still.

Finished the new Resident Evil yesterday. Grace missions - Great Leon missions - dull and he's too overpowered Final boss fight was incredibly easy and genuinely was expecting that to be phase one of defeating him

Team I'm a coach with is £20 and pay same as everyone else. Other kid is with a different club and their subs are £30

Agree with Snoopy87 - if they're levelled correctly then they can be a great day and lots of fun. What you will find is that lots of teams will have ringers in to help push them forward. Last summer we came across the same player in 3 tournaments all for different teams. Lower level ones are much more fun and less prone to cheating I find. Tournament football is very hard though - much harder than normal games. You have to be on it from minute one and attack from the start. I recall one tournament with a younger team - 4 matches, three finished 0-0 and one was a 1-0 win. Unbeaten but went out on goal difference because we just couldn't get into an attacking mode quickly enough in 10 minutes. Expecting to see the same this year to be honest with my new team. We're a good level 4 team but we're not free scoring and most of our games are relatively low scoring 2-1, 3-2 type of scores.

Got pissed off as the game just started to feel like it was bordering on the unfair with some of the later bosses. Ended up dropping difficulty level and cruising through as wanted to see how the story progressed

48. Missed two current longstanding premier league teams as well

Playing through Ex 33 and hit a right block fighting Renoir in the monolith. I'm clinging on by the time he gets to his rage stage and then i'm toast shortly afterwards. Might have to abort and go and build the characters up a bit. My issue is that I only concentrate on three characters - the other two are just there for the sake of it it seems and can't get the hang of using them. They're so bad that I don't even bother sending the reserve party in as just looking at them will kill them off. Determined to not lower the difficulty just yet though!

According to John Percy. Got away with that I'd say!

Really frustrating game today. At u13s you expect to be appointed a (semi) neutral referee. Today's was the son of someone at the club (around 20 so not a kid) and he allowed a clearly wrong first goal and looked smugly at me when i pointed out why it shouldn't have counted. Then just shrugged when one of our players complained to him at being called a "ginger c***" repeatedly. Also refused to stop the game when one of my players went down with a head injury, only stopping it because I went on the pitch and took matters into my own hands to check on him. Had the linesman giving me lip constantly too and was ready to lamp him one. We were shit and deserved to lose (and heavily) but the opposition were frankly embarrassing and just grateful that don't have to play them again this season!

I coach an u13 team which my son used to play in (but he quit last season and stupidly I carried on) and now also coach an u9 team that my youngest is in. The older team are at that age when it's really hard to get a team together each week. Squad of 15 but going into a game tomorrow with one sub and training this morning just has 7. Makes you wonder why you bother. No help from parents with setting up etc so matchday is 4 hour slog. The younger team are a joy. Always a full house and come the final whistle, the pitch floods with parents all chipping in. Coaching your own kid is very hard. For the older team, he was a weaker player and didn't always put effort in so he got a hard time from me and we clashed. Learned my lesson though and much calmer with my younger. He played as a keeper last season for another team and they went all the way to Division 1 and won tournaments galore but it wasn't fun because of the pressure. He's now dropped down to level 5 with a brand new team but playing as a striker and we did worry he would be playing catch up after a season of pure goalkeeping but so far, top scorer with 17 goals and playing with a smile. There is no doubt that sometimes it's a chore but it's very rewarding at the same time (when it goes well)