LoopyCool

Kind of dropped on this thread - stroke of luck! I’m trying to do some research into the history of Waverley Lane where Middlewood Rovers play. Our current understanding is that it was used by Record Ridgeway prior to the club taking it on in the mid-80’s. Looking at some earlier posts that may be wrong or it may have been used by other sports clubs as well? Any information anyone can provide would be fantastic - we’d like to put together a proper history ultimately but anything will help. We’d also love to get hold any old photos of the ground anyone may be aware of as well! Many Thanks, Middlewood Rovers JFC.

MRJFC U13 Blue require a defensively minded player to complete their squad for the upcoming season. Please contact Rich on 07896 661 756 or PM me if interested. Thanks - LC

Hi, Most of the larger youth sides in Sheffield run Soccer School/Nursery Squad's for young children. Generally these tend to start from the summer that your son/daughter would be joining primary school. If you live around the Manor (I'm guessing from your SN by the way !) then get in touch with teams like Handsworth Boys, Middlewood Rovers & Birley JFC - I'm pretty sure that most of them run these squads or can point you in the right direction. A bit further afield I know that both Hillsborough Puma's and Dronfield Town have them as well. Puma's are a great club and their Nursery Squad is fantastic - I believe it's held on Monday nights at Hillsborough Arena, starting around 6pm. Hope that helps ! Cheers, -LC

Lee79 - you go running, therefore you're a runner !! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise either Just to echo an earlier poster, I've had terrible problems in my knees and a visit to a good physio uncovered an unresolved upper back injury that was forcing my lower back to over-compensate and in turn trapping my sciatic nerve. The knee pain was referring from all the way up between my shoulder blades !! Good luck with the future 5k - I'm getting back on the horse after 2 years out due to the aforementioned knee problems - mainly due to my own stupidity in refusing to see a physio for most of that time . . . . Cheers, -LC.

It is a bit of a tricky time of year to try and join a side as the league only allows registrations until the 31st Jan. Squads are then locked down until mid-late May (from memory). That being said there are teams out there that are already looking to bring in new players for next season. Age wise, think school years basically. The registration age runs from 1st September onwards so for example my son was born August 2004 and currently plays in an Under 9's squad. Next season he'll be Under 10's and so on. This is important for you because at Under 11 we move from mini-soccer to larger sided games and many of the clubs in our region run TWO sides in the same age group to retain all or as many of their players as they can - for example another poster has linked to the Hillsborough Puma's Orange squad. There will also be a Hillsborough Puma's Black squad at the same age-group. As a result there will be a number of teams looking for players to bolster their squads - and I can guarantee you that enthusiastic (let alone talented) goalkeepers are absoloute gold-dust in youth football !! The junleague website, as mentioned by another poster, is a great place to start but it looks like you already have an offer to train from one of the Puma's sides. If Hillsborough isn't too inconvenient for you then it's definitely worth going down and having a look around. If all else fails contact the Sheffield & Hallamshire FA and they'll point you in the right direction ! Hope that helps ?? -LC

I race go-karts - not sure how you'd make a film of that though

Hi sanman, Have a look on here: http://www.junleague.com/viewarticle.aspx?id=6874&leagueid=115 (http://www.junleague.com > News > Player Requests 2012/13) This is the official website for the biggest local league and some of the clubs are still advertising. Teams have until the turn of the year to register players for the rest of this season - once we get into 2013 registrations are locked until the new season. *edit - You should be looking for teams advertising vacancies in Under 8 ( u8 ) squads I believe. Hope that helps ! Cheers, LC.

Hi All, I wondered if anyone new of an Over 35's 5/6/7 a side league in our region ?? I'd be surprised if none of the centres around here ran one ! Cheers, LC.

Depends on what you're looking for tbh. If you're just looking for a birthday or stag type bash then the local, cheaper circuits would be fine. Personally not really a fan of Avago because it's too short, but Parkwood can be good fun - especially in the wet - although it's also a bit on the short side. The karts at Parkwood are well looked after and I often use it when I need seat time in preparation for a big race. A bit further afield, F1 Karting in Wakefield is a good run out, it looks a bit on the ratty side but the karts are well maintained and the marshalls are a good bunch. The circuit is twisty and pretty technical which makes overtaking a bit difficult but that's part of the fun. It is also good value for money and they recently remodelled it to make the circuit longer (I hold the lap record on the old layout which was a bit more suited to someone with my slightly larger build !). PPiK in Leeds is probably the best indoor circuit I've raced this side of the Pennines. The circuit is one of the longest indoors that I know of and they just released a new fleet of gas-powered karts onto the circuit last weekend so times are good and the karts are fantastic (although physical) to race - I'd definitely recommend this one if you want to staty indoors and don't mind a 30 minute drive. It's a very slick operation and the Circuit Manager there is a friend of mine and a very, very quick racer so it's run with your race experience in mind which is refreshing. PFI near Newark is actually used by all the big professional series as part of a number of European and World series so it's in fantastic condition. I haven't raced there since they opened the new over-under bridge section at the end of the pit straight. The karts are usually in really good nick and it's definitely an eye-opener if you're never raced twin engined before. The downside to PFI is that it's very pricey by comparison to all the others in terms of cost per lap - £50 will get you about 20 minutes in the kart which really isn't much. My ultimate recommendation though would be Teesside. It's an 80 minute drive away, and the clubman track is great fun to race but if you can get in the International layout it's a proper racing experience. They use the same type of twin engined kart as PFI but the circuit is 2.1 kilometers long and is used every year for the British 24 Hours kart race (which is when I first drove there !). It's also good value for money - the last time I did an Arrive & Drive you could get a 20 minute practice, 40 minute race and a Full English breakfast for about £50 !! So - like I say, depends on what you're looking for but I do have to say that Sheffield is a little under strength when it comes to a really great karting venue - for a better experience, you need to go further afield but it's worth it !! Cheers, LC.

Hi, We're a long running five a side team at Powerleague and are looking for a new keeper. We've been lucky for many years to have an outstanding keeper who's finally decided to hang up his gloves so we need someone of a pretty good standard. We play Monday nights at 8pm (with the occasional 7pm kick-off each season) and charge £6 subs - this covers match fee's, reg fee's and a new kit each year. We also usually have enough in the kitty for a night out around Christmas as well !! Our league is a decent level and the teams we play against are all decent lads - if you're interested please PM me for more details. Cheers, Rich.

As above - training for 10k is quite feasible in that time frame. As this is your first run a good thing to do is have a training goal - this isn't a death or glory world record attempt, more a point to aim for and to give you something to work on. If your goal is simply to finish your first race (this was mine by the way) then build your training up slowly. I trained for my first 10k in about the same time frame and was pleasantly surprised ! A couple of things I've learnt through bitter experience: Get the distance in your legs - If for no other reason than confidence on the day !! Running on Hot Days - Technically, it's summer time - there's a better than even chance we might actually see the sun again this year. Don't be frightened of running on a sunny day but heat injury is one of the biggest dangers even to experienced runners - plenty of fluids and take some with you on the run. If it really is a hot one, discretion really is the better part of valour. Overtraining - If each run is leaving you in bits and you're barely able to walk the next day then you're pushing your body too hard. It will get better but sometimes the best thing to do is drop back on pace or distance a little bit and run those a few more times before trying the longer/faster versions again. I overtrained last year and I'm still paying for it now with a recurring hamstring/knee injury so I can honestly say that pushing too hard will knacker your chances far quicker than taking it steady for a couple of weeks extra !! Finally, have a look at the stuff aimed at beginners on here: http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/training/ These guys really are the experts and the regulars on the forums there are really helpful. See you on Race Day ! - LC

Most important thing is that everyone's body is different in many ways except one - you'll be amazed by what it can do with a bit of encouragement. Sounds to me like you've got a great goal to help you increase your fitness levels, improve your general health, raise some money for a great cause and do something that's deeply important to you personally. The Couch to Run programes mentioned above are great to get you going, and once you're out there you'll begin to understand your own body better and learn when and how much you can push yourself that little bit further. These programs are as much about confidence as they are about fitness - don't be frightened to repeat a stage/week if you need to so you feel confident moving up to the next level. I would be wary of skipping ahead in the plan and ramping up too quick, especially if you've never really run before, even if you feel strong enough - you can overstress your body and undo all the good work if you go too far, too fast. Finally, and as someone wisely said in an earlier post, proper running trainers are a massive part of feeling comfortable during your run - and they really do help you to avoid common running injuries. There are a couple of really good running shops in Sheffield that can help you find a pair that suit your running style and won't break the bank. Good Luck ! - Loops PS. One word of warning - Running is INCREDIBLY moreish !!

Barnsley 10k isnt bad - a couple of hills but nothing as unfriendly as the end of the GYR. I started out much the same as you, started running in July last year training for the GYR then started training for the Sheffield Half Marathon this year (May - didn't run it in the end, bust my ribs falling over my son would you believe !!). I was 18 and a half stone and by March this year was just over 13. It definitely helps to have something to train for though - regular 10k's through the year are great for keeping you focussed but not so long or intense that you stop enjoying it ! Good luck with the running !!

Hillsborough Puma's train in Hillsborough Park on Saturdays at 10am - it's a good set-up and they're always glad to welcome new players. First session is a week tomorrow (9th April) as the coach is on his holidays but it runs through the summer after that. Hope that helps.

Yeah Teeside is good - just a bit further afield from sunny Sheff !! I'm driving in the British 24 Hours there in the summer - here's hoping the weather gets better !!