Author:
The Riddler
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Date Posted: 02:48:15 07/12/02 Fri
>Interesting thoughts there, Riddler. Must say it had
>also crossed my mind. One thing is pretty certain, I
>think the Barking Elite era of total domination is
>drawing to a close. As you rightly say its not even
>clear if there'll be a Barking Elite next year. Teams
>like that do have a tendancy to split completely as
>soon as the first cracks appear. I think Rob Hill's
>decision will be pivotal, although I've heard he's
>giving it up, I've heard that for at least the last
>three years and he's still there. If he continues then
>with Darren Collison,Gary Parsons, Keith Hannon, Jimmy
>Nichols, Paul Coleburn and Wayne Pardon you have 7 of
>your 9 required for a starting lineup, with young
>Danny Downes & James Shadimehr itching to fill regular
>slots, you've got 9. A team like that could I'm sure
>attract the 2/3 extra squad members needed, indeed
>when Andy Holland returns from self-imposed exile (As
>I'm sure he will)he could well be one or indeed the
>poaching of one or two of the more susceptable
>Phoenicians.
>
>However if Rob quits there could be a dominoe affect,
>would Darren and one or two others be prepared to
>carry on in a team that would then definately be
>considered outside chancers at Yarmouth, after being
>amongst the favourites for so long.
>
>Undoubtedly either way there will still be some
>members of the present Elite team who will want to
>carry on and the question will then be, do they
>attempt to recruit some new team-mates, and the
>obvious place to look would be the Phoenix team, or do
>they join or amalgamate with Phoenix to form one team.
>Without doubt such an amalgamated team would quite
>easily continue to dominate within Essex Interleague,
>and could have a reasonable chance at Yarmouth, given
>that Phoenix themselves recently reached the Quarters
>and were unlucky not to make at least the Semis.
>
>Its anybody's guess what will happen between now and
>team registration time next January/February, my gut
>feeling is that there will still be a Phoenix team,
>whether its the only team or not is open to conjecture.
Another point open to conjecture is; Would the pampered Elite players be willing to expose themselves to the rigourous selection procedure employed over at the Phoenicians. In the normal scheme of things they would rise to the top, as did our clog-wearing chum, but imagine the shame of having a run of bad luck and finding oneself consigned to the chilly and splinter-ridden bench.
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