That’s Pre Season over for another year give or take a training session or two and what a Pre Season it has been there has been lots of highs plenty of sweat and tears but most of all plenty of fun the main reason we do anything for.

We have acquired what I personally think is some of the best talent around the Consett area, and best of all the three new additions came looking to sign for us and when you see these lads play that gives me so much pride to say that they have been prepared to move teams in two cases to come and join the group of budding stars we have here.

The other playing for his School team was keen to link up with us and after watching him once the answer was always going to be yes, with the new additions there was always going to be players leave and after winning the league title we said thank you very much to number two goalkeeper Thompson and versatile utility man Marshall they thought it better to leave and get a chance at regular first team football elsewhere, Kelly was exit number three this was always going to happen with him deciding to stay and play his football with our little neighbours down the road in the team run by his Father and our best wishes go to them for the future.

With THE BULLS moving from a Saturday to a Sunday football and also from nine a side football to eleven a side format of the game, some of the lads had a decision to make as no fewer than seven players were playing both days and it was the pull of THE BULLS and the chance to play in a team that looks like it has nearer everything in terms of junior football. Firstly a multi million pound facility to train in and play on.

Two fantastic team sponsors in WOOD GROUP and Nigel Roe (TRANSPORT). A Manager and a Coaching team dedicated to helping the lads improve their game having loads of fun along the way and to help them on the rocky road in life to becoming respected and respectable gentlemen and we are sure this will be the case or play down the road for our neighbours mentioned before all but one stayed and this was the make or break decision that had to be made and hopefully it will be the right decision I have no reason to think any other.

With the decision made and now with everyone signed on that we expected it was down to business we needed to get to grips with the new format and quickly people might think that adding two players to your team can only make things easier but believe me it was never going to be that simple. Until you mention THE BULLS then things generally don’t take that long to sink in and the transition from one format to the other was made.

When the season ended it was decided not to have a break and to carry on training and try to get the best head start on the opposition as possible and that’s what happened. THE BULLS trained hard and having made such a positive impression during our Semi Final game at Ferryhill we were one of eight high profile teams to be invited to their first eleven a side tournament we had a mixture of old and new we also had trialist on show.

The plus side was we won our first ever game of eleven a side against Darlington Spriare and this gave the lads the confidence to show they could first handle the change in format and secondly adjust to the challenge of playing top quality opponents at this level.
Without going into too much detail yes there were players playing that were not going to be part of the team come the new season and also there was incidents in some of the games that really needed work on the training ground.

We now had a plan and something to focus our energy on to get these issues ironed out and yes looking back at the time it looked like there was going to be a lot to do during the break but the quality, the determination of the lads and the coaching team made hard work enjoyable and if you look at the team in the last game against Consett Fire u14 the transformation in the team is a nothing short of a wonderful achievement for all involved with Consett AFC BULLS.
We were training hard the lads were working on fitness and also positioning play in all areas of the field we had targeted the defence as the area we needed to start on then moving onto the midfield and onto the forward line linking sessions with all three sections until we blended it all into one and tried to get it to be a hit come match day, the goalkeeper was happy with his coaching and the player of the year has again surpassed any progress we thought he may achieve as he progresses at a considerable rate.

Yes there are times where we need to reign some of the lads back a little and also remember that they are still only eleven and twelve years old but the reason spectators and parents may think there older is because of the way they go about their business on the training ground and even more so come game day.

It was off the training ground and onto the field where we were to play our annual pre season friendly against Consett AFC Nitros u15s Yes under 15s, some of you may ask what is the point in this THE BULLS playing lads with facial hair and deep voices who would be expected to laugh off the likes of us at such a young age, but laugh at your peril as they were soon to find out. It was only a corner in the last 26 seconds of the game that saved there blushes and of course a height advantage that gave them a very luck draw, however this might have felt like a defeat to THE BULLS after long periods of possession and a week of playground banter off their older friends. But as we knew this side of the coaching team we knew we would give them a shock and this we certainly did.

Consett AFC Eagles u14s were next, again were they going to take THE BULLS for granted The Gaffa found it easy to motivate his team in the pre match warm up he said stop still look around at them up their hands in their pockets playing a round of sting arse and just letting the time pass as though in an hours’ time it would be another game done in pre season with little effort but how wrong were they THE BULLS motivated and hungry to hurt them not by kicking or playing underhand but playing the way that they know how that’s how the lads hurt teams playing with pride and passion and a freedom to express themselves 4 v 2 was the final score in favour of THE BULLS and the banter on the website, twitter and facebook feeds ended up being there motivation in the tournament that was hastily arranged later that morning.

The Peter Clark Memorial Trophy was next up THE BULLS were low in numbers and were governed by rules that made The Gaffa say we have enough in our team to play, lads were away and THE BULLS coped even though this was a double or quits kind of feeling, THE BULLS played some really excellent stuff and even though we went through the mini tournament without picking up a win there was a moral victory in there somewhere as again as all others outside of THE BULLS camp though it not possible for us to compete against these teams, there were certainly miss informed as THE BULLS played hard and never at any point where they overawed by in most cases there bigger older opponents, THE BULLS again had set a bench mark and with these high standards that they keep on setting their name in the junior footballing world is getting better and stronger as each week passes.

It was off to Ferryhill again for a little Round Robin tournament against two other young teams with big reputations THE BULLS had a bit of a hit miss morning The Gaffa looking at new formations as this was the intentions before the games commenced and the mini competition proved as tough as expected but also the old cliché of we learnt a lot about a lot of players during the days football was certainly ringing true.

Pre Season was going well and there was a break in the training sessions due to player and officials holidays the message from The Gaffa was don’t let what we have done go to waste remember to keep one step ahead of the rest when you are of relaxing try if possible to fit a run in but try and do something as when we return fitness will be key, the lads never failed and returned to a game that had been arranged for some time against our old friends Hetton Lyons.

THE BULLS had listened and were rampant THE BULLS scored fourteen goals and could of had more this team were in THE BULLS league last year and even though we won home and away we needed to get a game against a team our own age and this 14 v 0 showed the progress being made even though there was still improvements to be made.

Again this sounds harsh having just thumped a team 14 v 0 but we are going to get harder tests we know this and to get these little things ironed out now will go a long was to help win some honours in the season that is fast approaching, training was again fun but there was lots of stuff to take in and credit to the young lads for this the sessions were fun and enjoyable and this always helps.

A return to the training ground and a few extra sessions were laid on and in training we focused again on defending and attacking set pieces along with communication on the field of play this being evident during pre season and in the next game what we witness was astonishing things were happening that you would not associate with under thirteens football.

The next fixture was oddly against next seasons divisional opponents Marsden Juniors Blacks our final game of last season which ended with THE BULLS winning a hard fought 1 v 2 victory but after an unsavoury incident The Gaffa though let’s put this to bed and see just how these lads have matured since that game at the end of last season.

The FA Respect Cross Over Hand Shake took place and the game was under way again the numbers were low on the home bench but ability was uncountable, the organisation throughout the team was unbelievable the lads taking the training ground into a game and with The Gaffa and The Coaching Team sitting back and watching what unfolded was so rewarding as the team carried out the training ground sessions to a T and limited advice was given from the home dug out from the goalkeeper to the forward everyone was doing their job and THE BULLS were rewarded with a very clever 6 v 0 win.

Again comments from the side line were of such a high acclaim everyone buzzing with what has the potential to be again another classic season but again we need to be focused and not get carried away as it can quickly change in football I know this only too well, but what we have in this group is a team that don’t just want to succeed for themselves they don’t want to let their team mates down and that fight and hunger cannot be bought that’s engrained in them and the team unity and spirit in the group is something The Gaffa and his Coaching Team are proud to have helped install.

The lads were working well and training was of a very high standard again pushing the lads to the verge of adult learning and we would not be doing this if we thought that it would not help them. The discussions were now around you’re at an age to take criticism constructively not to hurt or knock anyone’s confidence and as The Gaffa always does there are always positives to round off on.

The lads have responded superbly well all over pre season and our final game of a busy schedule came against consett Fire u14s and helped along by some of Consett Nitros u15s. After a shaky start THE BULLS demolished there older friends with relative ease and after having a goal disallowed and some superb goalkeeping THE BULLS finished there pre season program 8 v 1 winners.

The plaudits were again ringing around Belle Vue Stadium and deservedly so after another convincing BULLS performance, The Gaffa openly admitted he had a problem for the following cup week as anyone who was not in the starting eleven would feel hard done to as all the lads have performed so well. THE BULLS had found a formation they were comfortable with and the style of football that is getting played was exceptional the organisation throughout the team was in terms of age and level of football was out of this world.
The Gaffa has entered THE BULLS into The County Cup and that’s where it all begins on September 6th 2015 away at Sunderland a first division team with plenty of their own talent it is a hard competition to play in and if there was any doubt that the lads were not up to the challenge they would never had been entered that is for sure.

With such a small squad in terms of player numbers it is hoped the lads can keep themselves injury free and fit this is always going to be hard especially the way they play the game. THE BULLS have two injury worries leading up to the season opener but it is hoped that they both will recover quickly enough in time to play on Sunday.
Win Lose or Draw we believe it is going to be another exciting season for THE BULL ARMY and there ever growing band of supporters, We all wish the lads well and let’s get this season of to a flyer just like our pre season.

Thanks also goes to

WOOD GROUP PSN and Nigel Roe (TRANSPORT)

for their continued and very valued support.

BULL BULL BULLABULL ARMY