Just when we had hoped that some football would break out and relieve us all from the monotony of board room politics at the Wessex Stadium. Jack Frost (not the one of telly played by Del Boy) comes along and kills our fun.

If you are by any chance reading this in York before setting off towards the south coast. Don't bother the match is off. Rubbish!

What this does do is give me a bit of time to launch the latest (and greatest) TerrasBlog competition.

As mentioned on the blog yesterday, the TerrasBlog online store is celebrating its relaunch by offering you, the readers, a chance to design a product for sale.

TerrasBlog has always been famous for selling Steve Claridge boxer shorts a few years ago but the undies we want in the store now could be your design.

Have a look at the image above and using MS paint or any other design software, come up with a Jpeg to fit on the bottom half of one side of the shorts. About 8cm square (or 3 inches for the oldies)

Once you have it designed, sent it over to jimmythecuckoo@hotmail.com with you name and address and you will be entered in the competition.

Prize will be the first crisp new pair of white pants off the production line.

I am giving you a bit of time to get your thinking caps on (but remember you can't use copyrighted material) so the closing date is the end of January.

Good luck and may the best pants win!

Isn't 2009 flying by so far !!!

5 days in, two players down with more in the pipeline to head out of the Wessex Stadium. A couple of correspondents have contacted me saying that they definitely saw "Super" Lee Phillips in the environs of the Wessex Stadium over the weekend.

If it is true that Lee is on his way back to the club he made his name at, it would certainly soften the blow of losing Stuart Beavon (as looks likely). It is clear that to keep our heads above the relegation waters we will need a regular and consistent source of goals. Lee, along with Chris McPhee (if he stays) would be an ideal partnership for me.

In not announcing any signing I feel that the club is doing it usual trick of keeping a load of news together to release at the same time. In politics and spin it is called the "s*** sandwich". I am putting 2 and 2 together and getting the following annoucements...

1. The takeover has been concluded.
2. Lee Phillips has joined (on loan possibly) from Rushden & Diamonds.
3. Stuart Beavon and (possibly) Anton Robinson have been sold.

...I have been know to be wrong many times before. But if it is true remember where you heard it first!

No blogcast today, I am going to record it later in the week (when we will have played a match).

The other news is that the TerrasBlog online store is open for business. A donation from every product sold will be made to Save our Club.

The first product (t-shirt) is available by clicking here.

So the good news is in and Alan Lewer is going to continue as full time Weymouth Manager. It's great news for my brilliant Lewer song and X-Factor winner and Terras fan Alexandra Burke will probably be crying (make a change wouldn't it) with joy at the news.

There is a downside in the fact that Marcus Browning will be assisting and playing again. Despite all of the things said in the press by Lewer about how much of an asset Brownings experience will be, I remain to be convinced. 

A player who can see his club suffering whilst not playing because of something to do with his contract is not a club man for me. He was also pretty poor when turning out last season, and has a lot to do before I give him any praise. 

Let's hope his attitude is right and his performances increase because now that Josh Webb has gone we are even thinner on the ground for bodies. 

Webbs departure was no surprise and had probably been coming since the lad from Cambridge came in on loan. If you are a midfielder at a club with hardly any midfielders and a new signing comes in then you must know your time is up. 

He joins the growing contingent of Terras at ambitious Farnborough, led by Richard Barnard. 

After a bit of boom and bust management (on a similar scale to ours) has left Farnborough below us in the pyramid but they have shown their ambition by coming back to the Wessex Stadium and trying to take Scott Doe off us. 

Doe is one of the players who has been on the transfer list since September and you would assume one of the few players that could command a fee. It says a lot about his ambition as a player that he would rather stay at Weymouth and battle for our club until the right opening comes up, than chase what money there is left in the game at 'Borough.

The smart money is on Stuart Beavon, our star player, leaving for Torquay or Rushden & Diamonds in the next few days. I think it is obvious that Beaver is going to move on in this transfer window. Bournemouth have been long suitors of his services, and you suspect that he would fancy a crack at the football league. But their management upheaveal would appear to rule them out. 

I would bet on it being Torquay that make the deal, just because they are in the best position to give him league football. 

As for where the goals are going to come from, a Northants local paper has reported that former Terras legend Lee Phillips will be leaving Rushden to return to the Wessex. No official confirmation on that one, but you know what its like with clubs. They are never to quick off the mark with their statements. 

A very happy new year to all of our readers and a warm welcome to 2009 TerrasBlog.

This website has come a very long way since its inception back in 2003 and through a variety of web hosts and guises. During the period of turbulence between Ian Ridley and Martyn Harrison we took a back seat before re-emerging towards the end of the 2007/2008 season.

Using some contacts we got this shiny new home on OleOle.com and have never looked back since then. Despite a tricky time for Weymouth FC as a whole, TerrasBlog has been there running a successful fans competition and at the start of this season launching a weekly podcast (internet radio show) on the club. A first (and remaining only) podcast for the Blue Square Premiership.

As 2008 came to a close we launched our new logo...

... and our new range of t-shirts and other TerrasBlog merchandise is imminent in our new look online store.

What can you expect from TerrasBlog in 2009? More of the same I hope, with the blog, podcast and an all new competition coming soon. Regular readers and listeners will know that it comes with a prize that money can't buy.

You never know I might yet get my elusive guest on the podcast too!!.

Sadly, the future is still uncertain for Weymouth FC and with the sale of Cameron Mawer and release of Joshua Webb it looks like it will continue to get worse before it gets better for the Terras.

This website continues to support the club and hopes that a takeover can be completed as soon as possible enabling us all to move on from Malcolm Curtis and get back to supportnig a football club and not a soap opera.

With no game this weekend there is little of any great detail to talk about, so with a bit of luck the t-shirt launch will come tomorrow.

Until then.

Morning readers, a very happy new year to you all. I hope it is filled with Terras related joy and plenty of three point hauls.

I want to focuse this morning with more news of football clubs enduring the recession. Just a few weeks after reaching their hands in their pockets for Weymouth FC's "Save our club" appeal, Yaxley FC (my local side) has released the following statement regarding their 2008/09 budget. 

Yaxley FC - NEWS/PRESS RELEASE

 

9.15pm - Tuesday 30th December 2008

 

Recession hits the Cuckoos and players rally to the call ....

 

The Yaxley FC management committee met with senior players and coaches
at the club this evening (Tuesday 30th December) evening to address the
impact on the club of the current global economic downturn.

 

The club informed players and management of the 1st, Reserve and under
18 teams that the playing expenses budget has had to be slashed by more
than 50% for the remainder of the 08/09 season - and it's a move that
other clubs may likely be considering.

 

President Jeff Lenton explained to the meeting that common sense must
rule in light of the impact of the current recession. "We have already
experienced a significant reduction in sponsorship and other income
generated throughout the club and I don't think we will be alone.

 

Like most non-league clubs, we survive on 3 main sources of income i.e.
sponsorship, match day receipts and general fund raising from social
events within the membership and local community.

 

The gap between incomings and outgoings is just getting bigger and we
all need to accept that it's not going to get any better for a
considerable period of time. There's less money around and what money
there is, is being spent cautiously if spent at all - we are not immune
from this and nor I suspect, will other clubs."

 

Christmas and New Year is the traditional time when clubs across the
land review spending and it's not unusual to see budgets cut and players
moving on to other clubs. But the committee at Yaxley say that the
recession is making this year different - this year, whilst it's likely
that there will be more players thinking about moving on to greener
pastures, there is less money around, clubs won't want to take on
players and pay to have them sitting on the bench and therefore more
players will probably stay put.

 

"It's a fact of life that there will always be some players that follow
the cash but I think this year, as more clubs hunker down for survival
there won't be many looking to increase their spend on players -
probably just the opposite - unless of course they have very deep
pockets.

 

 And the club says it's not just players expenses that are under
scrutiny" Three match officials for a home game can now cost us more
than the whole team ... this is out of proportion and it's difficult to
see how it can continue. It's not the league's fault, it's just happened
over time. The financial means to maintain the current levels are
disappearing so we have to react else face the consequences sooner or
later.

 

We have the opportunity to use the recessionary environment to bring
costs back towards reasonable levels - get something positive out of it
- it's not all negative.  I have spoken to other clubs that are equally
as concerned and considering approaching the United Counties League to
help reduce the financial burden on clubs for match day fees together
with the impact of funding mandatory ground improvements that are due by
the end of March 09."

 

The club says that 1st team manager Gary Clipston has been a key
contributor and absolute rock both in helping to plan a way through the
challenging times and implementing the plans.

 

Citing Clipston as a shining example of what a clubman really is the
club committee said. "Clippo's attitude is always "can do" even if he
sometimes he's not sure if he can. His relationship with most of his
players is special and their loyalty is regularly demonstrated
especially when the going gets tough and uncomfortable."

 

Lenton said that at the meeting, much respected Andy Lodge and Hamish
Curtiss had joined Gary Clipston in a touching call on all the players
from the senior club to rally to the cause and stay united in the
challenge of finishing the league in as higher position as possible. "It
was a very special moment when Andy and Hamish both stepped up and
addressed the meeting so positively, it meant a lot to everyone there
and especially me."

 

 

Yaxley FC has a history of more than 100 years and the whole management
committee is committed to ensuring  that the club survives the
recession. The plans for the new facilities were put on hold 3 years ago
when a protracted legal dispute over access threatened the whole project
and delayed things to the point that the main developer withdrew his
commercial offer. Since then the club has moved into more temporary
style building to allow the old buildings to be demolished, making way
for the new ones.

 

"We have a considerable asset base at Leading Drove that by design, is
ripe for development. We have planning permission to construct the
facility AND we have the membership numbers to operate a profitable
business AND there's plenty of scope for further expansion," said
Lenton.

 

"I need to find a handful of like minded business people to join our
holding company as shareholders and/or Directors and participate in
reworking the commercial proposition to build and operate the new
facilities that the football club uses. It's an exciting and worthwhile
project and an odds-on profitable investment."

 

The club's management committee sees the next 12-24 months as an
opportunity to re-plan and respond to the commercial realities of a
recession. "To ensure our survival, we need the club as a whole to live
and operate within its means. The days of beneficiaries with bottomless
pockets have probably disappeared for at least a couple of years."

 

 

Further information available from Jeff Lenton   (0788 7722 105)

I am sure you will join me in wishing the club all the best in getting Leading Drove sorted. 

A busy Christmas time shows no sign of slowing down in the Cuckoo household. Thanks to everyone for all the emails of congratulation. We are very much obliged to you all for your good wishes.

On to this weeks BlogCast and a review of what has been a stressful year for the club.

Click here to listen online or download. 

Speak soon. 

Morning all, and welcome to a cold frosty Cambridgeshire. It has been a busy Christmas in the TerrasBlog household punctuated with me getting engaged to a Newcastle United fan !!!

So the first TerrasBlog wedding now needs organising :0) !!!! Good times.

On the footballing front, there still seems to be some confusion surrounding the takeover of the football club and what that means for us supporters. I am happy to trust those doing the negotiations to get the best possible deal for the club and in giving it the best possible opportunity to continue in as near a current guise as possible. 

On the field it was a tense Boxing Day family meal as I kept nipping out to check Teletext and the internet on my mobile (looking forward to the bill coming in for that!). And whilst it was not a great result, the crowd was encouraging enough to show that the club still has a future when the deal is fully signed. Torquay are a decent outfit under 'Bucks' and you wonder what would have happened if his caretaker spell at the Wessex had grown into something more.

I am already budgeting for a trip down in January (as I am in Manchester for the weekend of the Histon match) to the Northwich match and am planning on bringing the BlogCast outside broadcast equipment with me... so have your opinions ready!

In other TerrasBlogCast news, look out for the review of the year coming early next week. Hopefully iy will compliment the one Brummie Terra has completed for his excellent site (and it might even include the new theme music he has been working on for me!). 

Right I am off to plan a stag do... any ideas where it should take place?

Finally, you can keep up with what TerrasBlog is up to in between blogs on my Twitter page by clicking here. 

Welcome to the final TerrasBlogCast before Christmas. Launched on the day TerrasBlog got a new logo..

...and on the day a new consortium took over at the Wessex Stadium. 

Enjoy the podcast by clicking here and hearing an exclusive from one of the consortium.

The only other thing for me to say is Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers and listeners :0)

Could Weymouth FC be on the verge of its 6^th owner in the last 8 years?

Quotes from the club CEO Gary Calder to the Dorset Evening Echo today seem to indicate that a change in the Wessex stadium boardroom was likely in the near future.

He mentioned that negotiations were at an advanced stage with a new supremo and that things could move shortly. “Watch this space” was the message.

People were beginning to think that something was afoot after club captain Anton Robinson let slip to Radio Solent that player movement in January would be dictated by the budget set by the “new Chairman”. The England C international was speaking after his clubs heartbreaking last minute defeat to Mansfield Town on Saturday.

The smart money remains on Dave Higson fronting up a consortium to take power from Malcolm Curtis, with the remaining sticking point still thought to be ownership of the Wessex Stadium.

More from TerrasBlog as it happens and reaction and comment on tomorrow’s Christmas blogcast.

Ho! ho! holy shit we got beat at the death...

Yep Weymouth snatched defeat out of the jaws of a point at Mansfield in the Blue Square Premier yesterday. The Terras had led through star striker Stuart Beavon before the Stags (under new management) staged a Christmas comeback. And well done them. They seem to be turning their season around, and you don't hear so much about off the field dramas too. Let's hope we can replicate that bit before too long.

And it would appear that there is a possibility Weymouth could be under new owners before Santa drops. The smart money is of course on Dave Higson and his local business consortium. The one thing that still looks likely even with this change at the top will be the trimming down of the players come January. And that makes sense. 

Even if it means a relegation battle, we have to now start living within our means, and if that means average crowds of less than a thousand and part time players and staff, I would take that. 

It's time we stopped using our geography as an excuse to have to pay over the top for players. It's about time we stopped messing local companies around and started to win their trust back. 

But most of all it is time to for the club to start paying back those fans who have stuck with the Terras through thin and thinner recently. 

Would I accept the club asking to move down to Conf South is a question posed in an email the other day to the blog. Absolutely. Even though my travelling costs would increase, the clubs would go down... I don't want to give up the clubs Conference position but I would rather us play in a league we can afford to play in.

Is there a chance of good news tomorrow? Let's hope so. It will make for a very Merry Christmas for me and many others.

:0)