FRIDAY 09 MAY 2008

The annual presentation night for players and supporters is indeed being held tonight  (Friday 9th May) in Baramber, 7pm.

This date was arranged so not to coincide with our expected participation in the playoffs and tickets were given out in anticipation of a bumper crowd with us returning triumphantly after the final tonight.

However, things don't always turn out quite as planned!  Regardless, presentation night is always a good night and a enjoyable curtain call for the season - any ticketless fans who would like to attend should just turn up - everyone is welcome.

WEDNESDAY 07 MAY 2008

JOHN RELISH

Recent media reporting by speculation has led to several articles being produced on the inclusion of John Relish being an applicant for the vacant Manager's position with us.

In order to quash these unfounded reports, I wish to put it on record that at no time has John intimated that he could be considered for the present vacancy.

I last spoke to John on Monday 28th April,2008, the day after Peter Beadle's departure from the club. John and his wife Rosemary have been friends of mine for many years, and he answered the phone, when I called the Relish household to wish Rosemary a happy birthday on that day. At the time of our conversation, John stated that he had heard of Peter's departure the day before, and he wished us every success in the search for a suitable replacement. John continued by saying that he was very happy at Bath as their Manager.

He is currently under contract and indeed has encouraged almost a dozen players to sign contracts in preparation for the forthcoming season. Furthermore, John was now looking forward to a summer break and a well earned rest.

John went on to say that if at some future point in time, the Manager's job became vacant at the same time that he was not involved in a contract with another club, then a return to Newport would not be out of the question - but for now, it could not be a consideration.

This particular point was duplicated by conversation to reporters. During our conversation, I did not ask John to apply. As John is employed by the PFA, I did inform him that if he knew of anyone that wished to register their interest with us, then a CV should be forwarded to the Club as we would be advertising the vacancy with immediate effect. Since this conversation with John, I was surprised to hear that John was reported to be ' applying ' and ' in the running ' - certainly news to me, and as it seems - to John likewise.

The following day by a statement in another journal, quoting that John was definitely NOT applying - the latter being politically correct. When John stated that he would not rule out an interest in returning to Newport County at some future point in time - bearing in mind he had already quoted that he would not be applying on this occasion - leads me to believe that he meant exactly what he said - and certainly did not want it to be construed in any other manner.

I therefore sincerely hope that this statement will allay any idle speculation about John's intentions, and for me personally, that this will protect my friendship with the Relish family. Furthermore, as is the custom and wish of myself and the present Board of Directors, John and his family will always be considered as respected guests of our Club, should they ever choose to visit us - whether that be as representatives of another club being our adversaries on that day, or simply keeping in touch with a club at which he still has a great love and affection.

Chris Blight

TUESDAY 06 MAY 2008

DEESIDE COLLEGE 0  HARTRIDGE 9

Hartridge completed a remarkable sequence of honours by winning the Minute Maid Welsh SFA Under-19 Trophy for the fourth successive season with this crushing defeat of Deeside College.  The school, which provides the Newport County Youth team, has also won the Under-18 trophy in each of the last four seasons following their win against Syr Hugh Owen College at Newtown last month. 

Deeside could not handle the pace and power of the Hartridge trio of strikers Chris Hartland, Scott Armitage and Luke Prosser.  Hartland hit a first half hat-trick which included a penalty and added to his tally in the second half.  Armitage also struck three times including a second penalty and Prosser and Lewis Waite completed the scoring.

Line-up: David Pearce, Gary Colbourne, Lee Barry, Dan Harrison, Tom Davies, Lewis Waite (Luke Trezise), Ricky Manship, Ben Evans (Kane Amos), Scott Armitage, Luke Prosser (Declan Flanagan), Chris Hartland. 

                                                                                            Photos

TUESDAY 06 MAY 2008

Matt Smith had the results from his Scan last Tuesday, and sadly he has ruptured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

Unfortunately for Matt this is the same injury that he had just recovered from on his other leg.

As a result of this injury, Matt will be sidelined for over 9 months, and will be unable to work for a period of that time.

I am sure you would all like to wish Matt a speedy recovery and hope to see him playing in the Amber Colours once again.

On this note, The Club have kindly donated a Premier Cup Final shirt, signed by the whole team, for us to Auction to raise some money for Matt while he is off work.

I would be grateful if you could support this Auction and send bids to Duncan Jardine at duncanjardine@ncafc.fsnet.co.uk  closing date for bids is Midnight Sunday 12th of May 2008.
 

Ta
Tommy Cosh

TUESDAY 06 MAY 2008

I am pleased to confirm that Tommy Cosh has agreed to continue as Club Physio. Tommy is leaving shortly for a family holiday in Australia for the months of May and June, and is looking forward to returning refreshed and ready for the new season. He said ' I cant wait to get back into it '.

 
Sam O,Sullivan has signed for Merthyr. Sam needs to have weekly games and I'm sure he will offer Merthyr a high standard in their aspirations to get up into our League. I thanked Sam personally, and on behalf of us all, for his loyalty to the Club, and wished him every success for next season. We both agreed that if the time and circumstances were right in the future, then a return to us - the Club he loves - could always be a possibility. Sam wished to thank us all for the manner in which we have looked after him.
 
Hopefully, he'll be back one day.

Chris Blight

Saturday 03 May 2008

Please find the latest club news below:

WITH THE RECENT COMMENTS IN THE PRESS THE CLUB FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE FANS ARE GIVEN THE SAME COMMUNICATION AS THE PLAYERS REGARDING OUR CURRENT POSITION.

NEWSPAPERS AND WEBSITES WILL SPECULATE AND GIVE FALSE INFORMATION AND WE NEED YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT OUR REBUILDING PROCESS IS STRONG AND WELL PLANNED.

THE ATTACHED LETTER WAS SENT TO ALL PLAYERS AND BACK-ROOM STAFF YESTERDAY. IT GIVES THE ACCURATE AND CORRECT POSITION OF WHERE WE ARE AND HOW THE NEXT 10 - 14 DAYS WILL UNFOLD.

WE HAVE OVER 30 APPLICANTS ALREADY AND THE ADVERTISEMENT GOES IN ON SUNDAY.

THIS LETTER STATES THE ''FORMAL'' POSITION, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE CLUB ARE IN INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS AND CONTACT WITH OUR PLAYERS AND EVEN HAVE NEW PLAYERS COMMITTED TO PRE-SEASON TRAINING WHO WILL RAISE THE QUALITY. HOWEVER, IT WILL BE UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNFAIR TO COMMIT DEALS / CONTRACTS TO LARGE GROUPS OF PLAYERS, WHEN THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS FOR A NEW MANAGER IS TAKING PLACE.

AS ALWAYS WE WILL CONTINUE TO INFORM YOU OF DEVELOPMENTS THROUGH E-NEWS AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF A NEW MANAGER WILL BE MADE THROUGH E-NEWS FIRST.

SEE THE ATTACHED LETTER.............

Firstly, let me formally thank you for all your efforts this season. It has been a season of extreme 'highs' and 'lows' for staff, players and obviously fans.

I truly believe we witnessed 100% from players, however in the end we fell short and we must now plan for next year.

Our decision to release Peter was incredibly difficult, however we are in a 'results' industry and wrongly or rightly the Board felt that a new Manager, new approach and new ideas was perhaps needed.

We also feel it was probably the right time for Peter to have a change and gain new experience elsewhere as he looks to build his own managerial career.

Please understand that we desperately wanted Peter and this squad to succeed and be playing in the Conference next year, we feel the Club is now ready.

The difficult position we are now faced with over these few weeks was unavoidable. We obviously couldn't approach or discuss the manager's position with ANYONE before the end of the season, particularly as we were hoping that in season 08/09 Peter would be our manager in the tier above us.

We have nobody ''lined up'' as people have intimated and it was imperative that the Club stayed professional and confidential through the last week of the season. The hunt for a new manager started on Monday morning and has created the current scenario.

We are as uncomfortable with that ''scenario'' as you are, however the plain fact is that we will need a period of 10 to 14 days minimum to conduct a professional exercise to attract candidates, arrange interviews and arrive at agreement on a decision to employ a new manager that will take this Club to the Conference and hopefully beyond.

Comments in the Argus and other mediums obviously hurt myself and other directors because we know the effort and resources we put into this season. It was for this reason I wanted to put ' pen to paper ' and help you understand the logistics of the current situation and the fact that we have NOT put the club in jeopardy and although we want continuity through the playing staff, it is impossible to promise or commit new contracts or deals with players when we are only a matter of days from appointing a new Manager.

That manager will carry his own views and we need him to not only be part of that process but to be in control of it.

You have witnessed our ambitions this season and in particular over the last few months. The playing staff are aware of the financial commitment the board wanted to make to try and motivate the players for promotion. That ambition will carry on next season, and beyond. We will appoint an ambitious manager with a budget to match.

Once again we would ask you to be patient and understand our predicament. We are not naive enough to think our playing squad is not attractive to many other managers and are already aware that certain players have been approached or even made decisions for next season.

Advertisements are placed in the Non-League Paper this weekend, which is the earliest date we could advertise. First interviews will be held next week, second interviews the following week and hopefully an appointment made by Friday 16th May.

We propose to arrange a meeting immediately after that appointment to introduce players and staff, and afterwards volunteers and academy personnel. We need to be thorough and professional about the process and make sure we investigate every applicant correctly.

To date we have already had around THIRTY applications of various ages and levels of experience. (We obviously will not interview everybody!)

The Club is in great shape, a strong board of directors, a fantastic (and growing) fan base, incredible team of volunteers, an academy that punches above its weight and a stadium capable of hosting football and crowds comfortably at the next level.

We are ready, and with the correct appointment can build on the work and achievements of the last two years and really create a buzz around the city.

Thanks again for all your efforts in 07/08 and we will inform you of any developments as soon as is appropriate.

Yours sincerely

Chris Blight

Chairman

FRIDAY 02 MAY 2008

MARK KENDALL

Today we heard the desperately sad news that Mark Kendall, our former goalkeeper died last night at the age of 49.  We understand he had just returned from a 12-mile walk around his native Blackwood when he collapsed at home.   Mark was signed by Len Ashurst for a fee of £40,000 from Tottenham Hotspur after an initial loan spell in the autumn of 1980 and he was a fixture in the side for several years before joining Wolverhampton Wanderers.  He later played for Swansea City and briefly for Burnley and he signed for what was then Newport AFC in the summer of 1992. His return was short lived because he suffered an injury which forced his retirement, but Mark was much loved by all who met him.  Mark played 272 league games for the original club and made 471 league appearances in total.  He has later served with distinction in the police force and our sympathy goes to his wife Gaynor, daughter Lori and son Lee at this sad time.

WEDNESDAY 30 APRIL 2008

South West Counties League

NEWPORT COUNTY YOUTH (2) 3 CIRENCESTER ACADEMY (0) 2

Champions County ensured they would finish the season seven points clear of runners-up Filton Academy after this hard-fought win over Steve Lowndes’ Cirencester side.  Ben Evans gave County the lead which Gary Colbourne doubled.  In the second half Cirencester reduced the arrears and then converted a penalty to equalise.  Dan Harrison became the County second central defender to score when he headed the winner.   Anthony Waite who is unrelated to Lewis was able to make his first appearance after an injury suffered last August.  The coaching staff would like to thank the County directors for their support throughout the season.

Line-up: David Pearce, Corey Jenkins, Kane Amos (Anthony Waite), Dan Harrison, Gary Colbourne, Lewis Waite, Ricky Manship (Lewis Grant), Ben Evans, Scott Armitage, Luke Prosser (Declan Flanagan), Chris Hartland.

Monday 28 APRIL 2008

Please find the latest club news below:

"On behalf of the Board of Directors of Newport County AFC, Chairman Chris Blight this morning informed Peter Beadle that his services as manager were no longer required by the Club.

The manager's dismissal is with immediate effect now that the season is completed.

The Board will begin the process of recruiting a new manager without delay. Action is being taken to invite the players to be retained to discuss terms and recommit to the Club. Assistant Manager Scott Young has been invited by the Board to continue in a caretaking capacity. Peter Beadle is being invited to meet with the Board to discuss in greater detail the reasoning for the decision.

The Board will offer Peter every support and assistance to continue his career in football management. Further announcements will be made in due course."

 
Directors Newport County AFC

Sunday 27 APRIL 2008

Please find the latest club news below:

The heartbreak of the day before will surely see everyone associated with the club reflecting on what went so badly wrong with our season and there are many many questions that to be asked and answered and the post-mortem began immediately after the game and will last for several more days to come. We need to start the processes of rebuilding for next season

NOW. To this end, we can confirm that this Morning Peter Beadle was sacked. The search for a new manager will now begin.

Chris Blight & Directors Newport County AFC

SATURDay 26 APRIL 2008

Blue Square South

NEWPORT COUNTY (0) 1 FISHER ATHLETIC (1) 2

For the second successive season, County disappointed their largest crowd of the campaign in their final fixture and missed a promotion play-off place in the process.  Fisher also needed a win to be sure of reaching the top five and achieved their goal so we congratulate them and wish them well in their bid to reach Blue Square Premier.  They deserved their success at Spytty though County suffered the incredible double misfortune of having two players stretchered off in the first half.  Damon Searle appeared to suffer a hamstring tear making an excellent saving tackle in the 17th minute and his replacement Matt Smith sustained what was feared to be a cruciate ligament injury on the half hour.  Fisher withstood an early aerial bombardment to take the lead on 30 minutes from an Andre McCollin penalty, and the same player scored the second in the 52nd minute direct from a free-kick.  Andy Gurney scored to make in four goals in four games in injury time, but by then it was too late.

Match Report

FRIday 25 APRIL 2008

Thinking ahead

................to Saturday we thought it would be useful to outline in advance the arrangements for entry to BarAmber. With the anticipation of a larger than usual crowd, BarAmber has made arrangements to have an 'overflow' area at the rear of the Club House. BarAmber will open at 10.00am and food will be served between 10.00am and 12 noon only, last orders for food will be at 11.45am, this restricted period is due to significant health & safety concerns for our volunteers when trying to negotiate a full clubhouse to serve meals.

The Chelsea -v- Man United match (KO 12.45pm) will be shown on the big screen as usual.

The overflow area will open from 12.00pm and will close at 2.45pm (weather permitting), there will be no entry directly into the ground and all supporters will be asked to return to the main bar area at 2.45pm and make their way into the ground as usual. Last orders prior to Kick Off will be at 2.40pm. It is essential that all supporters are in the ground for kick off to ensure that there is as much noise as possible when the team runs out. The overflow area will not be open at half time and therefore it will be necessary to implement the Members Only rule for half time only, prior to and after the game depending on capacity at the time non-members will be admitted. The overflow area will open at the end of the game. Plastic glasses only will be permitted in the overflow area. We ask that supporters who smoke continue to use the designated smoking area at the front of BarAmber.

There is no function booked in BarAmber on Saturday night so we hope that many of you will stay for a drink after the game whatever the result and reflect on the trials, tribulations and triumphs of this season.

 
Baramber Team

Wednesday 23 APRIL 2008

Exiles

Was it the Boomtown Rats that didn't like Mondays'? Anyway Monday is history, its gone....

All we have to do is win a football game at home on Saturday, Our motto is football with a future so we as a club will now look forward to Saturdays game 100% behind our management and team.

IT IS STILL POSSIBLE that we can gain a play off spot, results in the league went in our favour last night and whilst we agree with supporters that we shouldn't be relying on other teams dropping points, in the words of Sir Terry Leahy 'every little helps'!

Peter, Scott and the team know what is required and expected on Saturday.

You, the supporters have delivered time and time again this season, you have been absolutely magnificent turning up in your 100's home and away. Our support is second to none in our league and we plead with you ALL to create an away atmosphere at home, with everyone positive and in fine voice, this really does make a difference, remember Bognor when the away support virtually 'sucked' in our first goal, this gave the lads confidence and the rest as they say is history!

Together we can get a play off spot, keep the faith!

Dates for your diary
Semi Finals
Tuesday Home 7.45 pm
Saturday Away 3.00 pm
Final at Stevenage Thursday 8th May KO TBC
See you there

 
Chris, Colin , Matt, John H, Jon C, John A ,Stewart & Steve

Tuesday 22 APRIL 2008

South West Counties League

NEW COLLEGE ACADEMY SWINDON (1) 1 NEWPORT COUNTY YOUTH (1) 1

Having secured the league championship, County fielded an experimental young side with three candidates for next year’s intake in goalkeeper Liam James, full-back Tom Mouncher and midfield player Matt O’Brien.  They gave a very good account of themselves against opponents managed on the night by former Welsh international Paul Bodin.  County took the lead with a fine volleyed effort from the golden boot of Declan Flanagan but New College equalised within three minutes.  The match was then evenly poised but neither side could find a winning goal.  On 23 April, a Gwent Schools Under-18 squad including 12 County players travelled to Newbury to take on Berkshire Schools in the English Schools FA South West Counties semi-final.  Gwent beat the home side 4-1.  Berkshire are coached by Alan Inns who played against the first team for Hampton & Richmond Borough.  Scorers at Newbury were Luke Prosser who netted a hat-trick and his prolific partner Scott Armitage and Gwent now await the winners of the other semi-final between Hampshire and Somerset.

Line-up: Liam James, Tom Mouncher (Jason Suter), Kane Amos, Tom James, Ben Evans, Josh Brown (Paul Nicholls), Corey Jenkins (Ryan Buckley), Matt O’Brien (John Foster), Lewis Grant, Luke Trezise, Declan Flanagan.

MONDAY 21 APRIL 2008

Blue Square South

NEWPORT COUNTY (0) 1 THURROCK (2) 4

County were outplayed by a slick moving Thurrock outfit for the second time this season and could have no complaints at the winning margin achieved by the visitors.  David Bryant scored the first via an upright following a throw-in after just four minutes and the lively striker punished defensive indecision for the second on 22 minutes.  County should have been thrown a lifeline when Fola Orilonishe raised his arm and parried the ball inside the penalty area but the offence was missed by the referee and his assistant, and Orilonishe then headed a superb third in the 61st minute before Thurrock were reduced to 10 men following an obscenity hurled at an official by captain Lee Flynn.  Matt Bodkin made light of the numerical disadvantage to score a fourth before Andy Gurney grabbed a late consolation that could yet have a bearing on County’s destiny when David Blackmore fumbled his free-kick into the net.

Match Report

SATURDAY 19 APRIL 2008

Blue Square South

NEWPORT COUNTY (1) 1 EASTBOURNE BOROUGH (0) 1

County had to settle for a point to keep the play-off pot boiling, but the main satisfaction after this tense draw was that results elsewhere were very favourable for County’s chances.  Eastbourne’s travelled with slender title hopes but they were rendered irrelevant by the victory for Lewes over Dorchester which clinched the Blue Square South title for the men from the Dripping Pan.  Andy Gurney once again produced the magic touch to fire County ahead in the 26th minute and four minutes later Ian Hillier was desperately close when his header bounced down on the line after hitting the bar.  Substitute Matt Crabb levelled for Eastbourne on 64 minutes with a well-directed header but County regained the initiative only to squander the chances to win the game.

Match Report

THURSDAY 17 APRIL 2008

Club Updates

Many clubs in our league thought the offer of FREE Travel to recent away games was either very generous or down right stupid! How wrong they were?

This great gesture by the board and their faith in 'the power of the 12th man' has seen the Team gain seven valuable points out of an available nine.

This has put our campaign right back on track.

Our run in, sees us with three home games, none of which are easy and your support will make all the difference as shown and proven time and time again. Starting on Saturday against Eastbourne is YOUR chance as supporters to repay the faith shown by previous and current board members and demonstrate that this City deserves a Football Team who can compete at a higher level and have ambition

It would be great if everyone who has taken advantage of the recent free Travel brought a family member or friend to the game on Saturday, this alone would see a crowd of 1,500 based on everyone who travelled to Braintree last Saturday, add those who can only attend home games and you reach 2,000+; that's 2,000+ in the Amber Army spurring the lads onto victory. Be proud to be Amber!

Also this Saturday, the chance to get your hands on the FAW Premier Cup.......... prior to our match with Eastbourne the FAW Premier Cup will be available for fans to view and have your photo taken - remember your camera. The Cup will be available in BarAmber between 10.00am and 12 noon only. Baramber will open at 10.00am and full Service will be available from opening onwards...so make a day of it!

See you all Saturday.

 
Directors Newport County AFC

TUESDAY 15 APRIL 2008

Blue Square South

CAMBRIDGE CITY (0) 0 NEWPORT COUNTY (1) 2

County completed the double over Cambridge City with an outstanding performance on a wet night at Milton Road.  The match attracted an attendance of 535, City’s largest gate of the season, thanks largely to the substantial numbers travelling across country to support County, and both sets of fans contributed to a terrific atmosphere in a match played and watched in good spirits.   Andy Gurney continues to look like a master signing by Peter Beadle and his presence and quality dominated this game.  It was his free-kick two minutes before the interval which gave Charlie Griffin the chance to head home County’s opener - his 20th goal of the season - and his strike on 71 minutes which put the game to bed was quite brilliant.

Match Report

Saturday 12 APRIL 2008

Blue Square South

BRAINTREE TOWN (0) 0 NEWPORT COUNTY (0) 0

County’s inspirational support played a full part in a battling performance which ended Braintree’s run of seven straight home wins.  The 500-strong travelling contingent could feel slightly disappointed that they did not have three points to celebrate as the home side were on the back foot for long periods of the game.  But Braintree were dangerous on the break and Glyn Thompson had to produce the standard of goalkeeping associated with him all season to ensure they did not snatch the three points.  A keenly contested but generally fair contest boiled over midway through the second half with an incident involving County substitute Craig Hughes and Braintree’s Andy Porter which almost required a UN peacekeeping force to calm down before referee Nigel Lugg showed red cards to both players.  County still have their play-off destiny in their own hands.

Match Report

Friday 11 APRIL 2008

Club Updates

Having consulted Essex Police regarding tomorrow's fixture the following arrangements have been set in place:-

The nearest public house to the ground is called the Orange Tree, two minute walk to the ground. The licensee has been contacted and he is more than happy for away supporters to use his establishment. He has put on extra staff to accommodate the anticipated numbers of travelling supporters.

All coaches travelling will park in the car park of the Orange Tree for the duration of the game and will then be escorted from the car park by local police at the end.

The clubhouse at Braintree is closing at 2.45pm and will not open for home or away supporters during the game.

Hope this assists those travelling tomorrow.

 
PC David Roberts Gwent Police.

Thursday 10 APRIL 2008

Segregation on Saturday 12th at Braintree 

I have discussed this with the Braintree Chairman, Lee Harding, today who rang me as soon as he was notified so that the arrangements could be publicised. This is an Essex Police decision. Officials at Braintree are in discussions with a view to providing an alternative to the clubhouse for our supporters – this will be publicised/advised as soon as we are informed.

Whilst segregation is not desirable we must comply with the Police’ decision. We have no doubt at all that the travelling ‘12th man’ will get fully behind the team and ensure that the day proceeds without incident, hopefully culminating in another big step towards the playoffs.

Mike Everett

Football Secretary

From Braintree website

Newport fans Cressing Road stand - Iron fans Main Stand side and both ends’

‘On Thursday morning Essex Police notified the Club of their decision to require segregation for Saturday's Blue Square South fixture at home to Newport County . As a result, the following restrictions will be put in place for Saturday's match. Newport County supporters will be allocated the Cressing Road side of the ground only and should enter the ground by turnstiles 2 and 3. The Cressing Road stand has a capacity for over 800 standing. The toilet facilities adjacent to the players tunnel will be restricted for Newport County supporters only. Braintree Town supporters will be allocated both the Quag End and Club End of the ground together with the Main Stand side of the ground. Braintree Town supporters should enter the ground via turnstiles 5 and 6. Braintree Town season ticket holders and guests should also enter the ground via gates 5 and 6. Access to the Clubhouse will be restricted to Braintree Town supporters only: before, during and after the match.’

thursday 10 APRIL 2008

Club Updates

Following last nights' 'snatch and grab' raid by Havant & Waterlooville, our match at Braintree on Saturday takes on a greater importance and we need as many fans as possible to travel and support the lads on the road to three points.

At this present time there are five full coaches making the journey, with many more fans travelling independently. For those fans still wishing to take advantage of the free travel please contact Jeff Challingsworth on 07960275329 or Bob Herrin on 01633 274440, final deadline for bookings is 8.00pm tonight. A plea to fans who may have booked and now for whatever reason cannot travel, please contact Jeff/Bob as above or The Mail to cancel your booking as there maybe people who will take your place, what we do not want is buses running half empty because people have booked and then not turned up. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

It is with regret that we have to report an incident in BarAmber last evening and appeal to anyone who may have information to come forward.  At approximately 7.20/7.30pm one of our members had his Sony Ericsson Cybershot mobile phone stolen. The phone contains some very personal irreplaceable photos/video footage of a sentimental nature. This incident has been reported to the Police who have viewed the club's CCTV footage. The fan in question is offering a £50 reward for information leading to the safe recovery and return of the phone, and the club will match this reward. If you have any information at all that could be relevant please contact Rob Santwris on 07989448692.

A date for your diary.......join Beads, Scott and the players at this Year's End of Season Presentation Evening will take place on Friday 9th May 2008, 7.30pm start at BarAmber. Entry will be free and the evening will comprise of the usual awards and music from our resident DJ. Food will be available to purchase on the night. We are sure that this will be an evening to remember, so ensure that you obtain your ticket to guarantee your entry, no ticket no entry. Tickets will be available from Saturday, please see Lisa at Braintree.

WEDNESDAY 09 APRIL 2008

Blue Square South

NEWPORT COUNTY (0) 0 HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE (1) 1

tuesDAY 08 APRIL 2008

Club Updates

Saturday's win saw us close the gap on other teams around us, this coupled with some good results around the league means that the playoffs are still within our reach.

This coming week is massive......Wednesday we take on Havant and Waterlooville at home with a KO 7.45pm. We anticipate a large crowd for this fixture and would encourage you to ensure you arrive in plenty of time.

BarAmber will open earlier than usual, doors will open at 4.30pm, with the kitchen opening at 5.00pm with a limited menu in operation.

Saturday sees us Travel to Braintree for our last Saturday away fixture of the season. I have said time and time again that your support is so valuable to the Team and I cannot reiterate it enough.

Once again the club are providing FREE Travel and as at the end of yesterday four coaches were full and bookings had commenced for coach Five. If you want to take advantage of this great gesture and be a part of my Travelling Amber Army you can still book onto the coaches by contacting.

Bob Herrin on 01633 274440 - answer phone facility.

Jeff Challingsworth on 07960275329.

Or Book at The Royal Mail pub or at the game on Wednesday.

Your support made a world of difference at Bognor last Saturday and again Saturday you were superb.

I look forward to seeing and hearing you all on Wednesday and at Braintree on Saturday, in the meantime rest those voices and keep the faith.

 
Beads

SATURDAY 05 APRIL 2008

SOUTH WEST COUNTIES LEAGUE

Newport County Youth (3) 3 Filton Academy (0) 2

County moved to the top and now need a single victory from their three remaining games to clinch The South West Counties League after a convincing performance saw off the previous leaders more easily than the score suggests.  County were without Welsh Schools internationals Dan Harrison and Chris Hartland who had both represented their country with credit the previous evening at Haverfordwest, and included central defender Dan Harvey and Tom Mouncher at left-back.  Both are candidates for next year's intake and both can be well pleased with their displays with Dan performing well alongside the outstanding Gary Colbourne while Tom, the brother of former Academy member Gareth, slotted in well in an infamiliar position.  Ben Evans was an outstanding presence in midfield and it almost goes without saying that Scott Armitage, with one, and Luke Prosser with two, were both in the goals.  Filton were three down at the interval but replied with a headed goal from a corner on 64 minutes and a scrambled effort from another corner deep into injury time.

Line-up: Pearce, Thomas, Mouncher, Harvey, Colbourne, Waite, Manship, Evans, Armitage, Prosser (Grant), Barry (Young).

SATURDAY 05 APRIL 2008

Blue Square South

NEWPORT COUNTY (2) 3  BROMLEY (1) 1

County produced a fluent performance against an enterprising Bromley side making their first football visit to the city to boost their play-off hopes and deal a mortal blow to those of their opponents.  It took just 65 seconds for Andy Gurney to head County in front after a flowing move involving Lee Fowler and Richard Evans whose pinpoint cross from the left was just begging for the finish that Gurney supplied.  Bromley caused problems with the wind at their backs however and Welsh Under-21 international Gareth A Williams opened up the defence and slotted the ball past Glyn Thompson on 18 minutes.  Play quickly switched from end to end and a lovely 39th minute move between Steve Jenkins and Jason Bowen created the opening for the mercurial winger to plant the ball on Charlie Griffin’s head.  The Bromley keeper, also named Gareth Williams, parried the attempt but Griffin followed up to score his 19th goal of the season.  There was no doubting County’s superiority after the break and they gained further reward when Evans and a rejuvenated Julian Alsop combined to set up Gurney’s second in the 73rd minute.

Match Report

Sadly we heard yesterday that Gary James had died peacefully following a massive heart attack.

He suffered a massive stroke back in January 2006, and even though he only regained very basic functions, was able later to communicate using modern computer techniques. He had been able to make a few visits from his hospital bed, both to the Tate Modern in London , which he had always visited regularly before his illness, and to the game at Sutton last April when he received a running commentary from some of his friends.

Gary was a founder member of the supporters group 'Over The Bridge Exiles' and set up the club's first Website and e-mail group, the latter of which he ran all through the years. The e-mail group has kept County supporters from around the world in touch with the news.

To my knowledge Gary had no previous connection with Newport , although he had family ties in South Wales , however he started supporting County during one of our crisis periods in the Football League.

When I first met him, County were playing in the Dr.Martens Midland Division, and couldn't believe how somebody living in London, using public transport and the occasional lift, could get to almost every game, home and away. He always had a few County shirts and scarves in his bag which he sold on behalf of the club.

As well as running the IT side of things, he was also the club's first match photographer, and his pictures still appear on the website. (See Archive Page)

Gary was a clever, knowledgeable and compassionate man, whose work involved the IT side of more than one charitable and humanitarian organisation.

In conclusion I can do no more than express our condolences to Gary 's parents.

Rest in peace Gary , you've been missed for two years already.

Roger Jones.

The last time I met Gary was at Sutton last season.

I spent many hours with Gary revamping the website and owe him much of what I know about using this computer.

His complete website can be found on the Archive pages.

Rest in peace Gary I will miss you.

Colin Jeremiah.

Saturday 29 MARCH 2008

Blue Square South

BOGNOR REGIS TOWN (0) 0 NEWPORT COUNTY (0) 2

Peter Beadle felt that his side had played as well in a losing cause five days previously at Havant, but as far as the fans were concerned, this visit to the Sussex seaside was a much more satisfying afternoon.  Sensible policing, courteous stewarding and a home side who always play football the right way all helped but the crucial ingredient for the Amber Army was the three point return.  An even first half gave no indication of the likely outcome but in the 51st minute Andy Pearson handled a Richard Evans cross to give Jason Bowen the opportunity to score from the penalty spot, and in the 65th minute a delightful move between Steve Jenkins, Craig Hughes and Lee Fowler set up as good a goal as anyone is likely to see at this level, scored by Fowler.

Match Report

Thursday 27 MARCH 2008

Club Updates

'Won't we all have a lovely time the day we go to Bognor'...........

Well we certainly hope we do and bring back three valuable points.......the FREE buses are filling quickly and to date we look on track to have at least four coaches.....that's 200 of the 12th man gang, without those who will travel independently, that is quite a crowd. Let's make this away game into a 'home' atmosphere and roar our boys to victory, let's fill the buses....we can do this!

In order to make the day enjoyable for all, Rob and Mike have been liasing with Bognor and East Sussex police. The bar at Bognor is quite small and therefore in order to ensure all supporters can get a drink arrangements have been made for ALL Newport fans to use the Bognor Sports Bar which is just a couple of yards from the ground. Admission will be all ticket and ALL buses will have an allocation of 50 passes. Fans will be able to use the bar inside the ground at half time subject to availability. There will NOT be drinking allowed on the terraces. After the game fans can use the Sports club bar.

However, the police have asked for fans to take note of the following information.

~ all buses will have a designated person in charge
~ any person who arrives at the bar or ground drunk or heavily under the influence of alcohol will not be permitted to the Bar or ground
~ this could lead to the person bring ejected and charged with an alcohol related offence under Section 27 of the Crime Reduction Act 2005, this means that any person charged will have to immediately leave the locality of Bognor Regis, failure to comply could lead to arrest, maximum Fine of £2,500 or imprisonment.

Let's have a good day, with lots of singing and good humour. We all hope that the day passes without any incident and we can prove to East Sussex police that we have the best fans in the league ~ a fact that we already know!!

Tuesday 25 MARCH 2008

Club Updates

Following a miserable week for The Club, Players, Manager, Fans and Directors we are in a position where the Play-Offs and Promotion are still very much a possibility. Although our position is perhaps not as strong as it was a week ago

we must still remember that a season is 42 games long and we must give everything to the cause to help Peter and the team through these last 8 games. A run of 4 or 5 straight wins and we will be right in the mix again.
 
The Directors have met with Peter a number of times over the past month regarding the squad, and Peter still has confidence that this group of players can deliver promotion. We must all believe this and get behind them.

We have a massive game at BOGNOR on Saturday . The Directors are desperately keen to support the push for promotion in any way they can and want THE TWELFTH MAN in the best possible voice at Bognor and indeed all games for the rest of the season.

The Club will pay for ALL coach away travel for the rest of the season, whilst we are in the hunt for promotion. Coach Travel will be booked by the club Please contact Jo Hubbard at the club 01633 662262, so if you can make the trip and take advantage of FREE coach travel, we would love to see you there.
The Supporters club and the Royal Mail should Book via their usual source and they too will enjoy FREE Travel.
All bookings need to be made by midday on Friday and define Pick up points for the club buses.....other buses will Pick up at their usual points.

This could make the difference, the players need confidence and we want to show this league what a big club we are.

We must all believe this is possible, and you can make the difference.

Spread the word, Free Coach travel on Saturday !! ' Everyone at the club from Directors, management and Players are as desperate for success as all of our supporters....let's stick together and make this Dream a reality

Up the county!!

Chris Blight, John Collingbourne, Matt Southall, Stewart Williams, Steve Baker, Rob Santwris, Colin Everett, John Hill, John Allison.

MONDAY 24 MARCH 2008

Blue Square South

HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE (0) 2 NEWPORT COUNTY (0) 0

In the space of six days, County have now lost three matches, with this defeat in Hampshire adding to the setbacks at home to Welling and Eastleigh to create a mood of pessimism around the camp.  The day started badly with Mark Dodds reporting a bereavement, while Paul Cochlin and Craig Hughes were suffering with knee pain that was to rule both out.  Add to that the further setback of Ian Hillier failing a fitness test and a travelling squad of 18 was reduced to the bare 11 plus three substitutes, including a goalkeeper!  Yet for an hour, County shaded the contest without producing much in the way of goal threat.  Then a defensive mix-up created a chance for Charlie Henry to score his fourth goal against County for three different teams in the last 11 months!  From that point County looked beaten and when Andy Gurney pulled back Rocky Baptiste six minutes later, referee Carl Berry had no alternative but to red card the County player and award the Hawks a penalty which Baptiste converted.  It was then a question of damage limitation and Havant could and should have added to their tally.

Match Report

SATURDAY 22 MARCH 2008

Blue Square South

NEWPORT COUNTY (1) 1  EASTLEIGH (1) 2

A second home defeat in four days has seriously hit County’s chances of making the promotion play-offs while the three points lifted the hopes of Eastleigh who turned the tables after losing at home to the Exiles in September.  There was plenty of controversy with a red card each and some extraordinary weather but Eastleigh deserved the points and County can have no complaints.  Mark Marshall gave the visitors a 20th minute lead, but County levelled through a Paul Cochlin header from a free-kick after Ashley Vickers had been harshly sent off for a foul on Jason Bowen.  The match became a 10-a-side contest in the 53rd minute when a defensive mix-up led to Scott James stopping a goalbound shot outside the area with his hands and from then on, Eastleigh, who used the wind advantage much better than County had before the break, were always the likelier winners.  The decisive goal came with 10 minutes remaining when substitute keeper Tony Pennock tried to keep the ball in play when stranded near the touchline and his attempted clearance was knocked in the empty net from distance by Paul Sales.

Match Report

WEDNESDAY 19 MARCH 2008

Blue Square South

NEWPORT COUNTY (0) 0 WELLING UNITED (0) 1

The euphoria of the FAW Premier Cup success now being a part of the club’s history, County turned to the real business of trying to book a place in the play-off places, facing opponents against whom they had enjoyed some good results recently.  Unfortunately for County relegation-threatened Welling had not read the script and they looked nothing like a side plagued with relegation fears all season, and produced a composed and organised display, hardly putting a foot wrong all night.  County were second best for most of a first half in which chances were few at either end, but Charlie Griffin was close to breaking the deadlock with a shot three minutes into the second half which thundered down off the crossbar, but could not have been confidently signalled as crossing the line without close inspection of video technology unavailable to the officials.  Seconds later Welling forced a corner at the other end and Sam Gargan delivered a sweetly struck header into the top corner of the net, giving Scott James no chance.  County sent on the cavalry for the closing stages, but playing five forwards rarely pays off and Welling held on comfortably for a well deserved win.

Match Report

wednesday 12 MARCH 2008

Club Updates

Congratulations to Beads, Scotty and boys on the first trophy of the season - a well deserved victory. Thank you all for your fantastic support last night. As usual your support was amazing on such an atrocious night.

There were times during the day when the game looked in serious doubt and the fact that the match went ahead at all is a superb testimony to Tony Gilbert 65, Paul (groundsman) and his assistants.

A special thank you to all our brilliant volunteers who worked their 'socks' off to ensure that the night went smoothly. The FAW Premier Cup Committee were very complimentary about the professionalism shown on and off the pitch.

The Fund Raising night scheduled for this coming Friday 14th March has been postponed and will now take place on Saturday 5th April following our match with Bromley. We apologise for this inconvenience but hope that you will put the new date in your diaries and help raise funds to enhance security at BarAmber -your club!

The weather forecast for the coming days is awful and we remind you that if there is any doubt on the game then news will be made available to you via e news, club website, South Wales Argus website, messageboards etc. Please do not ring club officials or the club office as we need to keep lines of communication open for official use in the event of a pitch inspection being required. Remember no news is good news!

tuesday 11 MARCH 2008

FAW Premier Cup Final

NEWPORT COUNTY (0) 1 LLANELLI (0) 0

County erased the painful memories of last season’s disappointing showing versus TNS to despatch Welsh Premier League-leaders Llanelli by a larger margin than the narrow score-line suggested.  Indeed, there was only one real winner on a bitterly cold evening at Spytty Park; an evening where quality football was severely hampered by gale-force wind conditions.  Cult-hero Craig Hughes’ 82nd minute strike – a true poacher’s effort – deservedly delivered Peter Beadle his first piece of silverware as Newport County boss.  Towering centre-back Lee Jarman met a Jason Bowen corner and Hughes added the finishing touch with his usual aplomb, situated almost on the goal line.  Welsh Premier League-leaders Llanelli offered little going forward, and can have no real complaints about the outcome.

Match Report