England Supporters Club

I wouldn't bother. Better off attending or playing in the Graham Taylor Memorial Cup between EnglandFans FC v Lusitânia Brazil at Bedfont and Feltham that has been arranged for weeks rather than being thrown together at last minute. 11:05 am KO due to the Armistice Day Commemorations before hand, free entry and a A4 full colour programme is available to buy. The trophy will be presented by Graham's widow Rita. For further info contact Garford on 07944 828527, garfordbeck@hotmail.com or take a look at this thread englandsupporters.thefa.com/.../12638.

The Jimmy Hill Memorial Cup was a superb affair last year against Tartan Army FC as was the return fixture in Glasgow in June.

To Team England, why would you arrange a game to coincide with a match already confirmed, at which the widow of Graham Taylor (one of your ex managers) is the guest of honour and where the Royal British Legion will be remembering and reading the names of a selected number of England footballers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our country in the Great War.

Surely you should be supporting such an event rather than hastily trying to arrange one of your own to compete with it?

Please note that this game was arranged several weeks ago and the usual group of players were contacted at that time.  We wanted to give all members the opportunity to take part which is why it has also been promoted on the website.  

"The match will take place at a central London location" - very mysterious...

"the usual players group of players were contacted" So basically not enough people to play, last minute scramble for bodies.

Otherwise the game would have happened in top secrecy.  Is it like the freemasons, some strange handshake must be known.

Firstly, thank you to CJ and Mr. Bower for posting their support and, in Mr. Bower's case, for putting a very pertinent question to the comically titled, 'Team England.' As Mr. Bower alludes, the ESTCs decision to put on a fans match in competition to our game is very divisive. But, as Oli Pearman and Mark Tighe have rightly pointed out, you can take 'Team England's' response with a pinch of salt. But, the cat's out the bag, now, because, as Mark Tighe rightly points out, it's a closed shop, you can only play in their fans match if you're one of their 'regulars', 'Team England's' reply said so. I agree with Mark when he says that the only reason they're advertising for players, now, at this late stage, is because they've either had a poor response and/or a number of drop outs. It happens. But the fact remains that, the first the wider membership knew of the ESTC fans match was this morning. EnglandFans FC are not like that, we're open and transparent every step of the way. Oli raises a point with his comment about the venue being shrouded in mystery. Why the big secret? Who cares? A central London venue sounds very grand, maybe they're playing the game on Hyde Park, that's central. Maybe if they announced the venue, a few fans might go along to watch and support the fans team. We always advertise the venue and have, as a result, had England fans come along to watch. One can only surmise that 'Team England' don't want you to witness one of their fan events, because we all know that their events are usually a byword for p*ss-poor organisation, especially if he-who-shall-not be named is involved. Our games are, of course, are a byword for organisation, par excellence, with brilliant guests and an occasion for all to remember. Our games are open to all, not just a few select 'regulars' and although the FA say you have to be an ESTC member in order to take part in their fans match, we're open to members and non-members, alike, as we feel the FA's position is both divisive and discriminatory. One final point, I did phone somebody at the FA, this afternoon, no names, no pack drill, and opined that the advertising of this fans match was highly provocative and this person agreed with me. Furthermore, this person agreed that the staging of fans matches in competition with each other was very divisive. This person knows what I do, knew I had my match planned in memory of Graham Taylor and was very sympathetic to my point of view. The other thing you should know is that, despite being poorly treated by the Official German fans club, previously, I e-mailed them, in a spirit of goodwill and asked them if they fancied another game, all on us, but got no reply. Mind you, I don't blame them really. Although in the blurb it says the teams have played each other three times, in fact there's another game we played against them, they one they don't want you to know about and the official German fan club have no record of it on their website. I can't think why, we were the perfect hosts and only beat them 9-2!  

Thought you might like to peruse the timetable for Friday's game. All welcome. Free admittance. Full colour, 28-page, A4-sized programme, dedicated to former England manager, Graham Taylor, on sale at the game.                                                                          

Matchday Timetable & Protocol

10.45am: Players enter the arena to the sound of 'Z' Cars.

10.47am: All guests introduced to players and match officials.

10.50am: National anthems, FIFA fair play handshake & team photographs.

10:56am: Reading of the citation and ‘Ode of Remembrance’ by Leading Seaman, Richard Moore, Royal Navy (Retired).

Citation Reads:

EnglandFans FC, Lusitânia Brazil FC, Bedfont & Feltham FC and all connected with today’s event remember the following England international footballers who were killed in action during the Great War:

Lieutenant Evelyn Henry Lintott - Woking, Plymouth Argyle, Queens Park Rangers, Bradford City, Leeds City, seven England caps - 15th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) - killed in action on the first day on the Somme, the opening day of the Battle of Albert, 1st July 1916.

Private James Conlin - Bradford City, Manchester City, Birmingham City, one England cap - 15th Battalion,Highland Light Infantry - killed in action while serving his country in Flanders prior to the Third Battle of Ypres, 23rd June 1917.

Gunner Edwin Gladstone Latheron - Blackburn Rovers, two England caps - 73rd Battery, 5th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery - killed in action at the Battle of Passchendaele, 14th October 1917.

For The Fallen

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

Laurence Binyon - Ode of Remembrance

10.59am: Playing of the The Last Post by Mr. John Holman, The Boys' Brigade & Royal British Legion.

11.00am: Two minutes silence to commemorate Armistice Day.

11.02am: Playing of the Reveille by Mr. John Holman, The Boys' Brigade & Royal British Legion.

11.04am: Coin Toss and exchange of pennants.

11.05am: Kick-off.

11.50am: Half-time.

12.05pm: Second half.

12.50pm: End of match. In the event of a draw, there will be no period of extra-time. The winners of ‘The Graham Taylor Memorial Cup’ will be decided by the taking of penalties, under normal FIFA rules.

c.1.30pm onwards in the clubhouse: Presentation of ‘The Graham Taylor Memorial Cup’ to the winning team by Mrs. Rita Taylor; man-of-the-match awards presented by Mr. Patrick Barclay; closing speeches.

Who is "he-who-shall-not be named"?