It started in September last year. Every Monday afternoon in our Simple Revolution team catch-ups, the team has waited with bated breath for my update on the result of the previous day’s match. Forget the Arsenal result. Forget the Liverpool one. What everyone has really wanted to know is how the Gravesham Borough Youth (GBY) U12s got on that weekend.

How’s the 2023/24 season gone?

It’s been a mixed season. Out of 20 league games, we won 6, drew 2 and lost 12. We also qualified for one cup quarter-final. We’ve had sunshine (not as much as we’d have liked), muddy pitches (lots of them), torrential rain and wind. 

But despite the hideous conditions, it’s been such an honour to share this with my Simple Revolution colleagues every week. They’ve felt the joys of the wins with me and the disappointment of the losses too. 

Onwards and upwards

At GBY, despite a tough season, we know that as a team you have to keep going and pushing forward. We are now looking to next season where there are some big changes ahead. We’ll be playing on a much bigger pitch, with bigger goals. We’ll also go from 9-aside to 11-aside. Oh, and not forgetting we’ll play for an additional five minutes per half! I don’t think these boys know what’s going to hit them…

… but actually they didn’t have to wait long. A week after our season ended (on a high with a 2-1 win!), we arranged a friendly with a local team’s U12s side. Now, this team is leagues above us so we didn’t have high expectations, but we thought it would be a great learning experience – with an added bonus that we got to play on the first team’s pitch (think flood lights, actual seating for spectators and a dug out !). 

We started strong. Our trainee goalkeeper was getting some real match experience and making some epic saves. The opposition was very organised and at points, we held our own. We kept them at bay for the first 20-25 minutes. But then the floodgates opened, fatigue kicked in and the goals kept coming – from them not us. 

What’s next? Looking to next season.

Next season we’ll be playing against teams at a similar level to us so now is the time to prepare. We’ll continue training weekly throughout the summer to get ready for the new season. 

On 1st June the club will be hosting its annual Football Presentation evening. This is the main event of the year. An opportunity for players and their families to get together for a fun evening to celebrate all the players at GBY and their achievements in the 2023/24 season.

Simple Revolution will continue to be the home kit sponsor for the upcoming 2024/25 season and we’re in talks about providing the team with some much-needed equipment and waterproof jackets (it rains a lot!). 

Thank you

A big thank you to all the parents, extended families and friends who come along each weekend to support the team. Without parents like these, we wouldn’t be able to run a football club. They help with putting up goals and taking them down, volunteering to run the line at matches and bringing half-time oranges to every game without fail.