Club Announcement

Stuart Atkins is the new Jets First Team Manager.

We are pleased to announce that, with immediate effect, Stuart Atkins is the new Oxhey Jets First Team Manager.

We are delighted to welcome Stuart back to the Jets. Following a successful period with our Reserves, Stuart moved on to gain experience at a higher level and was successful with first-team football, also winning a Senior County cup. Stuart brings his experienced team of coaches and assistants and those already named are Chris Campbell (Assistant Manager), Chris Colman (Coach) and Dave Sells (Coach).

Stuart succeeds Tim O’Sullivan who has done a tremendous job for Jets since he became First Team Manager in April 2018, starting with helping us to avoid relegation with ‘a great escape’ in the final game of the season. Tim then led us to an 8th place finish in 2018-19 and then to 5th this season before football was shut down due to the Coronavirus. A tremendous achievement when you compare us with the big-budget teams in our league. We are certainly in a much better place thanks to Tim and his team of Pat Fallon, Mick Walsh and his coach James Hall, not forgetting last seasons input by Ryan Jackett.

It was always Tim’s intention to step down at the end of the season. It has been his intention since day one when he agreed to return to football, both as a former Jets man and a very personal favour and friend to me, to save the club from relegation. As a result, he has worked closely with us to identify his successor and allow Stuart to get involved with the team in recent months.

Also, although Tim is retiring from team management, we are looking for Tim to stay involved with the club in various ways to help move and prepare the club for the next era and to ensure a long future for the club.

Reserves discontinued and new Development team created

Our Reserve team has been hugely successful in the league and cups during the last two seasons under the leadership of Tom Bullock, Aaron Eales and Steve Booth. It has, however, meant that their promotion gave us two teams in the FA pyramid and, under FA rules, that they would not be eligible for any further advancement while our first team is at its current level.

This was frustrating for both the Reserve team management and players, and the Reserve team management said they would be looking to run as a first-team next season, wherever that may be. Jets desire was to keep the present first-team squad, superbly built by Tim, and insert a management team that could add a few names to the group of lads that have progressed the club so well. So, it was reluctantly decided the Reserves be discontinued at the end of this season. The Reserves management and players now have the chance to establish themselves as a first-team for another club, and we wish Tom, the staff and players all the success in whatever role they decide. This factor was essential to them and instrumental in making this decision.

Other factors in this decision were that the Reserves entering the pyramid had added massive extra costs for the club, and, also, it didn’t allow for the club to fully develop local youngsters coming through the Oxhey Jets Youth system.

As a result, with the closure of the Reserve team, we are now able to start a young Development team that will be managed by Steve Voss and will play in the Herts County League Division Two.

We see this as an excellent opportunity to bring local South Oxhey youth players through into Senior football, and Steve has the knowledge and leadership of these players to take on this role. These lads have played for the club since they were 12 under Steve as he was responsible for reinstating the youth set up that has grown so strongly now with many excellent managers, coaches and organisers. We must open a route for the players and staff to follow in future years, as younger people need to step forward and take the club on. We fully understand it will be a hard learning curve for the very young squad hence our request to drop down and allow them, almost like the original “pathfinder team” at Jets, to find its way and progress and evolve gradually.

Marc Ayres takes on Jets Vets management

After many years of service spanning decades, Tony Marren has decided to take a step back from the management of the Vets team. However, he will continue as a player, and he will manage a Sunday Vets Cup team, happily staying involved with Jets as we approach our 50th birthday.

Marc Ayres will take over the management of Jets Vets and will keep Tony’s management support With Will Brereton as match Secretary, and will announce his support staff when he sees what help he needs. Tony is on hand to give support, and these loyal Jets lads are programmed with many thousands of appearances between them. Marc is Oxhey Jets through and through, and we are delighted to have him lead the Vets and take up a management role.

Looking forward to Jets future

Although there is still a high level of uncertainty as to when we will able to train and play football again, we look forward to working with our new team leaders and wish them every success. We are also pleased that Phil Andrews, Dave Fuller and David Mason will all be continuing in their essential roles.

We would like to thanks Tim, Tom and Tony and all their support staff for everything they have done for the club, and the success they have brought at each level. We hope they all stay in touch with us at the Jets.

 

Jets Goals Of The Season

A shortlist of 6 of the best Jets first team goals this season. Big thanks to Dave Mason for putting this compilation together.

Great Jets Goalkeeping

Thanks again to Dave Mason for putting together this video of a number of great saves this year from Jets four 1st team keepers – Filip, Davis, Matty and …..Jamie!

Best Easter 🐣 story possible in Jets club‬

‪Gary Crossley has just been released from hospital having seen off this beast and is going home to fully recover. Thank you everyone for your messages and good wishes to him. Fantastic football family 👏👏‬

Thursday April 9th Update

The FA Council has today ratified the decision to conclude the 2019-20 season across Steps 3-7 of the National League System, Tiers 3 to 7 of the women’s football pyramid and the wider grassroots game.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been working collaboratively with the leagues within the National League System, the Women’s Football Board, the Women’s Football Conference and the wider grassroots game to identify the most appropriate way to conclude the 2019-20 season at each level.

The request to end the 2019-20 season was taken to the FA Council by the representatives of the relevant committees having been fully supported by the FA Board.

The FA Council’s vote today was overwhelmingly in favour of ratifying the decision.

2019/20 Season Expunged

The announcement today from the FA shown below details the decision to cancel the 2019/20 season for non league clubs steps 3-6 (The Spartan South Midlands Premier is Step 5), and for the results to be expunged from the record with no promotion or relegation taking place.

Jets All Time Senior Goalscorers List

No doubt who the Jets All-time leading goalscorer is – none other than “The Legend” Gary Page with a massive 400 Senior club goals.

Ian Holdom and Wayne Gladdy, both prolific scorers, make up the podium that has over 1000 goals between them.

It’s a start-studded list of Jets goalscorers – thanks for all those goals!

Jets All Time Senior Appearances List

Well, the top of the list couldn’t be tighter. Eddie O’Connor retains the All-time top spot, but only by one appearance now from Colin Jenkins, who is still appearing regularly for the Vets.

Marc Ayres moves onto the podium as he also continues to play for the Vets.

It’s a list full of memories – congrats to all these long time Jets!

Congratulation to Matty Evans – Jets Player of the Month

Congratulations to Matty Evans, our February player of the month. It was a tough choice with the team in good form, 4 wins and a scoreless draw in February, and there have been some excellent performances. Matty, though, with a series of important saves, 4 clean sheets and 3 Man of the Match Awards was the standout player of the month. Well done Matty!

Jets Top of the Form

Oxhey Jets 2 Tring Athletic 0
Spartan South Midlands Premier
7th March 2020

Jets stormed to a superb 2-0 home win over second-placed Tring Athletic to climb to the fringes of the (second place) promotion chase themselves. Five clean sheets in the last six matches have put Jets top of the present SSML form guide.

Jets had the changes to make as top scorer Reece Cameron fell foul of the dreaded Friday night virus and Andrew Brennan was nobbled in the pre-match warm-up by one of his own players !!

Jets were straight out the blocks when Nick Kerley unleashed a power shot and, not for the only time in the match, the excellent young Tring GK denied, but his saved looped up and came down with snow on it to the waiting Sean Giordmaina on the line waiting to nod home 1-0 ( 4 mins).

Jets had an edge on the possession but this young Tring side, thrown into action by incidents in their club, are doing their club proud and are no pushover, so it was a well refereed great battle on a wet, difficult pitch on the wings.

Jets had a very imaginative front three with Kerley, Giordmaina and Bircham unselfishly feeding each other in. All it needed was that final touch and a bit of luck to send Jets away. The middle today was incredible, as we’ve said the pitch wide was difficult, but Leigh Stevens, Luke Preedy who braved through the Friday virus and limping Andy Brennan took no prisoners and competed for every ball.

The backline today as the last often recently were tight and solid with Speer and Gibson springing many an attack leaving Bonner and Bell on rear patrol.

Tring had two penalty appeals turned down by the referee who was right close on the scene to judge then miss of the match fell to Sean Giordmaina who from a superb pinpoint ball looked to have headed into an open goal. Still, it hit the underside of the bar, bounced down and out, leaving the Malteser holding his head in disbelief.

Jets had to change Brennan with Harry Beaumont at the break but Jets carried on the same, but Tring then had their best period possession-wise and Jets needed to be defensively on top of the game.

Nick Kerley was then denied by the save of the match.

Both sides had a penalty shout, but both looked reasonable refusals. Then finally the killer goal as a pinpoint through ball by Nick Kerley was hunted down by Sean Giordmaina. Sean’s excellent shot was parried by the keeper but in many ways, unluckily for him but great for Jets, there was enough on the power to carry the ball into the net for really game over for buoyant Jets.

Man of the match was unanimous in favour of two-goal Sean Giordmaina who not only scored the two but led the line excellently with a mega work shift.

Jets boss a Tim O’Sullivan said “the lads did brilliantly against a tough Tring Athletic team and played some great football at times on a difficult surface after so much rain. It’s a fantastic tribute to them to top the SSML form guide, and now the pressure comes off the league point campaign and will rotate the squad for the St Mary’s cup game v Bovingdon on Tuesday weather permitting.

Post-match the changing room atmosphere was electric as another top-four side falls to the Jets in this excellent run.

The Vets continue the excellent run in the County league Beating Hinton 3-2.

The Jets top scorer in the previous big first team title push Wayne Gladdy banged in two, while 16-year-old Owen Ayres, playing alongside his…. well bit older dad, got the third in another excellent win, while Liam Arnold grabbed the Man of the Match award.

Reserves Roll On

Oxhey Jets Reserves 3 Cockfosters Reserves 2
Herts Senior County League Premier
3rd March 2020

Jets Reserves got a good win at the Boundary Stadium against a powerful Cockfosters side. The Cockfosters line-up had 177 first-team appearances in total, and half of the players appeared on the first team’s last teamsheet vs Hadley in the Essex Senior League Premier. So, despite the Jets reserve squad being at full strength with not a single first-team appearance between the team it was going to be a massive test for the side.

There is totally nothing wrong with this, of course, all fully within the rules, it’s what clubs run reserve sides for, if first-teamers need minutes or rehab time in the long wet winter they can have it, but I’m merely pointing out what an excellent result for our team it was.

It was a match territorially dominated in the early stages by Jets yet on the break Cockfosters hit the net first, but jets were spared by a linesman’s flag.

Jets took the lead with an excellent slot by Danny Johnson, pouncing onto an excellent Raune Searle through ball, his seventh goal in his sixteenth reserves match.

Cockfosters equalised with Jets waiting for a flag when William Healy was played clear to side foot into the net. The experienced player has 10 goals in his 23 first-team appearances and is the present first team top goal scorer and added to this on his reserve team debut.

Jets retook the lead with a stunning dipper from Danny Johnson adding his eighth of the season, a real stunning goal 2-1 Jets Reserves and it stayed there at the break.

Cockfosters levelled straight after the break. Ned Clarke, the former Jets and Wingate forward who has 4 premier goals in his 10 starts, was their scorer. 2-2 and very much game on.

It was an even and tight game with both sides making all their substitutions. Cockfosters used Karagozlu and first team boss Ryan Wade, both very experienced, while Jets added defender Jordan Gutteridge, Michael Vickers and Josh Lee.

Jets collected the full points right on the 90 minutes when a long period of ping pong around the goal was finally netted by young Josh Lee who came off the bench to grab the glory and the points much deserved for a determined Jets Reserve team who sit fourth in the table.

Man of the match was debatable. Danny Johnson scored two superb goals to set Jets up for the win, and defensively Jets were solid and always dangerous on the attack although often very much overdoing the individual contributions. The management nod for Jets Man of the Match went to Luke Peters in the Jets defence.