Welcome to Team Talk.  This section is for you tell us about your team - how you started, how you're connected to your team mates (maybe you all live or work in the same place), and how your team has developed.

Our first Team Talk is about Rosneath AFC, who are from a small village in Argyll & Bute and play in the West of Scotland AFL.  Chris Hackett, Club Secretary and Centre Half sent in this about Rosneath:




G: Tell me about your team history – when and how did the team get started?

C: Details are a bit sketchy but from asking around I believe a group of the village boys decided to try running a team in the early 80s and has continued to this day

G: Tell me more about your team – what colours do you play in and why?  What does your club badge represent?  Do you have a team nickname and why?

C: We play in all grey, though no real reason for this, previously played in yellow and blue.  Our badge has no relevance really, in fact I just made it up this year for this site.  Our club nickname is “the Neath” for obvious reasons.

G: Tell me who is involved in your team – who are they and why do they do it you think?

C: The club is run really by a group of friends who continue to run the club and play for it simply for their love of kicking a ball on a Saturday afternoon.

G: Tell me about your community – what kind of place does your team come from?

C: Rosneath is a very small village in Argyll and Bute across the loch from Helensburgh.  Its population is only 931 according to Wikipedia.  It only has a handful of shops and not even a pub, so surprising that club has survived as long as it has.

G: Tell me who are your local supporters and sponsors – why are they behind you?

C: The local supporters are friends and family of the players and also the local community.  The club is sponsored by Grants Vehicle Repairs in Garelochhead a neighbouring village along the coast. 

G: Tell me about your highs – what’s been the main highlights for your team?

C: Long before I was a player, Rosneath used to compete in the Premier division of the WOS AFL, and although not the most glamorous of leagues or highest level of amateur football still an achievement for such a small village.

G: Tell me about your lows – what’s been the lowest points for your team?

C: The club almost ceased to exist a couple of seasons ago when the then manager and club officials quit, until the players rallied round to install new officials and secure much needed funds.

G: Tell me about how you fund your team – what do you do to raise funds?

C: The usual, canvas local businesses for sponsorship, run race nights and a membership fee for the players.  A lottery bingo game has also been successful for the club bringing in a little cash to fund referee fees and put towards the hiring of the parks.  Furthermore there is always the old faithful of the football squares.

G: Tell me about your local ground – what are the pitches and facilities like and who owns them?

C: Howie Park in Rosneath is owned by Argyll & Bute council.  Unfortunately this year the drainage under the park is damaged causing wide spread flooding across the park meaning we have only played a handful of games at home this year.  The changing facilities are a bit of a disgrace.  They are extremely small and more fitted to a boys 5 a side team than having a squad of 16 men in there.  Showers are hit and miss with the heating and there has even been occasions when there was no lighting!

G: Tell me your ‘team view’ – what would make amateur football better for your team?

C: For us personally it would be better facilities, we find it very hard to get our council to address the problems with the pitch and changing facilities and seem to just get fobbed of by them.

G: Tell me something I’ve not asked – what other thing would you like to say?

C: As debated on the SAFA forums I would like to see the introduction of regionalised super leagues in the amateur game, although unlikely my club would ever be involved, I think it would be good for the game at our level raising the profile nationwide.

G: Tell me briefly, what words best summarise your team?

C: Team spirit.  Its not always easy playing for a small village side and in the past we were the wiping boys of our league regularly getting gubbed 8-0 etc.  However the boys have never given up and at time of writing we are unbeaten in our league



Thanks very much for taking part in Team Talk, Chris.