Getting Started with My Own “Community Shield”
So, I got this idea, right? I wanted to run a football match, something special, like those one-off trophy games. You know, like the Community Shield. Not a whole league, just one big game to kick things off or cap a season for our local guys. It sounded simple enough in my head at the start, but let me tell you, it wasn’t just a walk in the park.
First thing, finding the teams. This was tougher than I thought. You’d think everyone wants to play, but schedules, man. Schedules are a complete mess. I had a couple of local amateur teams in mind. Let’s call them Team A, they won our little summer kickabout league. And Team B, they were the runners-up but did pretty well in some local cup thing we heard about.
- I rang up the captain of Team A. He was up for it. Said his lads were itching for a proper match, something with a bit of spice.
- Team B’s manager, though, he was a bit more cautious. Started talking about players getting injured before their real season kicked off. You know how it is.
Anyway, after a bit of back and forth, I got them both to agree. I promised them a good laugh, some decent competition, and of course, bragging rights. The “Shield” itself? I actually went and got a cheap plaque made up at a local shop. Looked half-decent, to be fair, for what it cost.
The Nitty-Gritty: Making it Happen
Okay, teams sorted. Next on the list, the pitch. Our usual spot in the park was, well, it was a park pitch. Mostly mud, lines you could barely see. Not exactly the grand stage for a “Shield” final, was it? So, I started calling around. Found a local school that rented out their astroturf pitch. It cost a bit of money, more than I wanted to spend, but it was way better than a bog. Had to book it weeks in advance; those places get snapped up fast.
Then, the ref. You can’t have a proper game without someone in black, can you? Otherwise, it’s just a free-for-all. I asked a mate who does some refereeing for the local Sunday leagues. He said yeah, he’d do it for a couple of pints after the game. Seemed like a good deal to me. He knew his stuff, mostly. Only a couple of dodgy calls.
Rules? Kept it pretty standard, really. Kind of like the real Community Shield – if it’s a draw after 90 minutes, no mucking about with replays, straight to penalties. I thought that would add a bit of drama. I even tried to make a little “matchday programme.” Just a single sheet of A4 paper with the team names and the fancy name I’d given our trophy. A bit of fun, that’s all.
Match Day and What I Learned
The day of the game? It was chaos, but mostly good chaos, if that makes sense. A few people actually turned up to watch, which was a surprise. Not loads, maybe 30 or 40 folks, mostly friends and family of the players. The game itself was pretty good! Team A went ahead, then Team B pulled it back. And guess what? It went to penalties, just like I’d hoped (not really planned, but it made it exciting!). Team B ended up winning it on penalties. They were properly chuffed with that plaque, lifting it like it was the World Cup.
So, what did I learn from all this?
Well, for starters, putting together even a single match is a heck of a lot more work than just turning up to play.
- People are unreliable. Had a couple of players just not show up on the day. No call, nothing.
- You’ve got to keep on top of everyone. Constant texts, calls, reminders. It’s like herding cats.
- And don’t expect everything to be perfect. It’s for a bit of fun, not the Premier League.
The biggest thing, though, was just seeing everyone enjoy it. Even the team that lost stuck around for a bit afterwards. Would I go through all that hassle again? Yeah, I probably would. Maybe I’d try and get a slightly shinier plaque next time. It was a good laugh, trying to put on our own little version of a Community Shield on a shoestring budget. It wasn’t exactly Wembley, but our local school’s astroturf did the job just fine for us that day. Sometimes the simple stuff is the best.