We are well and truly into the new season now and THE BULLS have started extremely well. New training wear and a new first team playing kit all go a long way to helping make THE BULL ARMY a very admirable side, WOOD GROUP had signed up again to supply first team kit and accessories and a new partnership was formed with CONSETT COMPUTERS who have supplied training wear and again the link with the sponsors is excellent with both companies taking an interest in what we are doing on and off the field. As always The Gaffa and his team work hard to make it work for all parties. We have added Alex Johnston as a part time coach and the addition of team medic Alan Gallagher adding the correct mix to a very well organised back room team.

We have played six games so far and reached the top of the Premier league winning four and losing one, we have two strikers topping the league goal scoring charts and another two lads leading the most man of the matches table for the league.

We have had a mini break down in between, regrouped and the whole place has the feel good factor.

But that aside things are going extremely well and long may that continue, in the early exchanges we have learned a lot from pre season and from the early part of the new season we have not only scored lots of goals, we also have kept four clean sheets and in the last County Cup game we only concede one, if the opposition cannot score we will be guaranteed something from every game if we can keep it that way.

Going through pre season and what that gave us with numbers really low you would have thought it would be easy to recruit new players a strong basis and plenty pluses about the group however after a slow start it was manic with telephone calls and text messages toing and froing we managed to get the rite people in not just on the field of play but off it, the main thing is the lads playing football are happy but equally important the people that bring them have to enjoy their experience too, and we believe we more or less have the balance rite.

As late as Wednesday The Gaffa is still receiving emails, texts and calls for players keen to join the impressive set up at Consett AFC BULLS. In fairness we have turned away some potentially quality additions and we keep faith with the extremely talented group we have. What the lads and The Gaffa and his coaching team need to remember is that football can be ruthless and unforgiving, we have seen both sides of that and the later very recently. If we keep smiling and keep enjoying doing the right things this season can be as successful as last time out, we aim to progress each year and so far we have managed that, it is going to be hard task to emulate anything from last season or the seasons previous but with what we have in place we certainly have the foundations in place to build some mighty dominant structure.

The new group of lads have settled in perfect although since pre season we are yet to have a full team to select from due to injuries weather that be short or long term, illness or being away on holiday. School football has played its part in disruption but we always encourage the lads to play for their Schools and we change our plans to make that possible.

We were ready to start the new season the fixtures were released and we were going into the new season excited to be in a league with the best in and around the North East of England, we knew it would be hard and that teams would be difficult to play against, and our first ever game in the top flight was just that.
The visiting manager was to request the game to be moved due to injuries and holidays The Gaffa looked up there team on the new Russel Foster League Website to find seventeen registered players without going into too much detail the game went ahead.

10:00am THE BULLS were looking good a missed chance just before the half time interval could have had the game put to bed but this was potentially the difference between the divisions below and the highest divisions if you don’t take your chances you would or could get punished, however a good but nervous start and THE BULLS run out 6 v 3 winners against Hebburn Town Hornets, the new lads had made their debuts and it was not the best performance ever in BULL ARMY history but it was a positive three points and we had some idea of what the league could have in store. A big plus was that there was six different scorers on the team sheet great for the competition in the team and overall some very good performances.

Next up Silksworth this is the game that has changed some things in THE BULLS camp, the match official arrived late and the preparation was poor from the Consett side the lads were ready to play but having to wait around just made everything seem wrong, I know it I the same for the home side but THE BULLS just never got going, they were not strong enough, the team seemed to lack direction and there was far too much finger pointing, little protection from the match official and rumblings on the sideline. Silksworth deserved there win take nothing away from them were they 5 v 1 better than us the score board says so we cannot argue with that. It was to be a major turning point in the very new BULLS season.

THE BULLS are not used to getting beat and every time it happens not that it was a regular occurrence, the coaching team get together and ask questions and find the answers. The Gaffa, Davie and Clarkie sat for hours discussion after discussion following this defeat it wasn’t so much the football on show we could put that right, it was time for a firmer hand and a few new rules to be implemented, this might sound hard and unnecessary in junior football but it was time to draw the line in the sand that people would not attempt to cross, the things that were changed were so simple yet have been so effective the difference in the team massive. BUT the thing is what we were doing in the past had worked we had been to the latter stages of the Cup competitions and won back to back League titles, what needed to be changed it was just the finer things and some things people won’t even see, but they were needed and they have certainly been effective.

A hat trick for Thomas two for Clemitson, two for Pyle and the odd one for Eglon and a wonder strike from Carr seen the new look BULLS hammer Whitburn and Cleadon 9 v 0 a compliment or a sarcastic comment who knows and who cares as the visiting team sheet signer asked if we had academy players playing. The Gaffa has never broken a rule on eligible players in all the years he has run the team he deems it pointless and unnecessary, it might help you win the game but all in all you are only cheating yourselves it is totally pointless. THE BULLS were back making positive statements just like they love to do.

With Lumley next up and a team we have played in cup competition whilst back in our 9 v 9 days Lumley were a division or two above us and we beat them on our cup run on penalties at one of our home grounds at Dipton a midweek fixture during the holiday period from School. THE BULLS knew it was going to be tough and still with players injured and one arriving late, The Gaffa went with the same team that won the week before so convincingly THE BULLS dominated proceedings and knocked a great 5 v 0 in the bag compliments from the home side were wonderful and things were certainly moving in the right direction,

Entertaining games is what we all like to see but only on the field of play surely, Kelloe promoted behind THE BULLS last season missing out on second spot on goal difference in the last weeks of the season, games were generally close between the two teams but since last season things have changed massively in both camps, but one thing was still the same the Kelloe side line were as excitable as ever and following a 9 v 0 drubbing it was more talk of the side line than the show of dominance from THE BULL ARMY.

The young referee appointed by the club maybe he needed a little more experience but he done all he could to keep a lid on a game that was only going to boil over because of the visiting side line not the lads on the field of play, Eglon hitting a BULL TRICK and Thomas a hat trick made up the scorers.

It was like chalk and cheese a week later at Langley Park a derby of sorts with both teams doing well in the league THE BULLS were trailing there hosts in third slot the hospitality was wonderful the mornings football was what grass roots football or in fact football in the main respect to everyone involved with both clubs and the football from both sides was a joy to watch THE BULLS were modest winners hitting another five in a 0 v 5 victory, there was plenty talk of all the goals that were getting scored but one of the biggest and most satisfying statistic was that THE BULLS had not conceded a goal in four games, a sort of new goal keeper a new partnership in the back four THE BULLS returned to top spot in the league and again there name was that of a very very talented team and rightly so.

The big County Cup competition THE BULLS have never had much success in it and getting a bye in the first preliminary round was as good as the BULL ARMY have ever progressed and having been drawn at home to last season’s beaten finalists what were there chances of progression, Darlington have some good players and are a very strong team THE BULLS are a team that will try all they can for themselves and of course their team mates, more aggressive side lines, a player sent off for violent conduct, two cautions and THE BULLS into the draw for the next round meeting Washington away following a fantastic 7 v 1 drubbing of the beaten finalists from last season and another seven different scorers.

It was game five on the unbeaten run scoring 40 goals and conceding only 1 what a fantastic record.

THE BULLS hopefully have got the Silksworth game out of the way and well and truly out of their system, however still playing games without the full allocation of players and still working our way to full throttle if THE BULL ARMY keep the same mentality the same drive and commitment who know where this season can take us. We need to concentrate one game at a time and that for us is away to Spennymoor who are yet to pick up a win but we need to make sure the first win they do get isn’t against us on Sunday, and with the same application we hopefully can come away with another here points.

It really is an exciting time for THE BULL ARMY and their followers, we give a massive thank you to WOOD GROUP and CONSETT COMPUTERS and hopefully in the next edition of FROM THE DUG OUT we are still talking about all the positives.

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