Saras' Promotion Hopes Boosted - 30th April

Cheltenham Saracens are still on course to play in the Hellenic Premier Division football next term, despite missing out on automatic promotion.

A superb end-of-season run by Gerry Oldham's men in which they won eight of their last nine games secured third place in Hellenic League Division One West table.

wo teams go up automatically, but with champions Headington Amateurs not applying to go up, a promotion places has opened up in Saracens' favour. Whilst league rules don't grant them automatic passage into the Premier Division, they will be promoted providing their Petersfield Park ground is deemed suitable.

Hellenic League general manager Brian King met with club representatives on Tuesday and inspected the ground, and Saracens were happy with what he said. Secretary Bob Attwood has been given a detailed list of the improvements the club need to complete by the start of the new season, and he is confident that the side will take their Premier Division place.
"Brian King came down and inspected the ground and he has given a list of things that need doing," Attwood said. "He'll come back at the end of May and providing that we can show we're on the way, we should be able to take our place in the Premier Division. We have to install another stand for 60 people as well as extra covered standing and extending hard standing to a third side of the ground. We've applied for grants for the stand, but Mr King has already indicated that a temporary stand will be fine until the grant comes through."

he latest improvements are just the tip of the iceberg, considering that more than £150,000 has been spent on updating Petersfield Park in the past few years.

A new pitch and floodlights coupled with better facilities for players and supporters alike have all cost money, but ultimately have been worth it. Whilst grant money will pay for the improvements, Saracens won't have to look far for labour as, like any non-League side, they have a wealth of builders and scaffolders in their ranks.

Attwood said: "We've spent a lot of time and money improving the ground and ultimately it's all worthwhile as Gerry has built a team to get us up. We told the lads a few weeks ago that if they got promotion that they would be put to work making the ground good enough. They knew what the score was when we won on Monday and they all celebrated as a result as they knew they had got the job done."

By May 31 Saracens will have to have demonstrated how progress is being made to: 1 Extend the hard-standing from existing area to the covered standing area; 2 Provide extension to grandstand in order to provide a minimum of 50 seats; 3 Mark out the technical area correctly. Then by March 31, 2012: 1 Provide further covered seating places to a minimum of 100; 2 Extend the covered standing area to provide for minimum 100 persons.

Thaw Point - 10th December

Cheltenham Saracens are looking for help from above with their pitch, see image, which at midday Thursday 9th December, was a pristine white surface.

Whilst the sun is out, the frost seems to be holding solid as parts of the pitch are sheltered by tree's. Saracens are looking forward to their match on Saturday against Purton, they are presently two points ahead of their Wiltshire rivals though they have played more games than Purton.

The Sara's intend to inspect at 10.30AM on Saturday.

Standard - 17th September

Last weekend's 4-1 victory away at Clanfield set a standard for Cheltenham Saracens boss Gerry Oldham .

Among the title favourites in Hellenic League Division One West, Saracens have struggled to find their best form so far this season. But Oldham was able to take confidence from the performance of his charges ahead of another tricky trip to Bicester tomorrow. "We've played seven games now and played to the best of our ability in just two of those," said Oldham. "We did well at Trowbridge but we were superb at Clanfield and thoroughly deserved the victory. Clanfield are a tough side to beat at home and not many teams will go there and beat them like we did."

Saracens sit in third place in the Division One West table with ten points garnered from their five games to date. However, they are already five points adrift of early pacesetters Headington Amateurs, who have a perfect record from their five matches.

But Oldham remains confident that his side will be able to challenge for the title and promotion place if his squad maintains their best form. "I've perhaps been a bit tough on the lads, but it's because I know how much ability they have," he said. "The Clanfield performance set the standard for the season, if we can match that then we will be up there. What we need now is to go on a run of four or five wins to really get the confidence going. Bicester will be a tough test as they were relegated from the last season. They have only lost one game so far, but we have a fully-fit squad so we go there with confidence."

Midfielder Lorcan Sheehan returns to the squad after injury while defender Dan Shatford is back after missing the Clanfield trip due to illness.

Cheltenham Saracens: Betteridge, Rayson, Seabourne, Minett, Shatford, Harvey, Slender, Rhodes, Crosskey, Hammond, Finch, Burrows, Sheehan, Tovey, Griffiths, Slender, Donaghue.

Increase Workrate - 11th September

Saracens boss Gerry Oldham has called on his side to up their workrate after last weekend's FA Vase defeat to Hallen.

The Bristol-based side claimed a 2-1 victory at Petersfield Park to end Saracens and Oldham's hopes in the competition. Saracens have endured a stuttering start to the campaign, winning two, drawing one and losing one of their league games to date. In addition to their defeat in the Vase, a 2-1 defeat by Gloucestershire rivals Slimbridge in midweek ended their interest in the AM Print Hellenic League Cup.

Oldham takes his men to Clanfield in Oxfordshire today, where he will ask his charges to up the level of their performance. "We have to apply ourselves a lot more in matches and work much harder off the ball," he said. "I have faith with these players, but we just need to work harder in the games."

Midfielder Lorcan Sheehan is still a week away from full fitness but Joey Bermingham returns to the squad, as Saracens look to justify their tag as one of the pre-seasion title favourites. Oldham is also set to give a debut to former Bishop's Cleeve reserve Jorma Seabourne.

He is unconcerned by the indifferent form and insists his squad will come good. "It isn't happening for us at the moment for one reason or another," he said. "We made four or five additions to the squad in the summer and all of those will take time to bed in, once that happens I am certain we will hit form again."

Cheltenham Saracens: T Griffiths, Betteridge, Slender, Rayson, Rhodes, Minett, Tovey, Harvey, Hammond, C Griffiths, Finch, Seabourne, Shatford, J Bermingham, Crosskey, Donaghue

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