Taela Walters - The Legend

Get Well Soon Eduardo

 The mighty Dutch Lions F.C. wish Eduardo a speedy recovery. We will wait and celebrate your come back goal for the Arsenal very soon

What sort of Team Mate would wear these?

Presentation Night Results + Photos

Players Player & Top Goal Scorer awarded to Paulo Ramalho

Dutch Lions 3 Gwalia 0

The league results are out from Sunday and the Lions are now the only team to take maximum points from their opening game. Gwalia were always going to be “Physical” but their number nine took it to a new dimension. The game started with Gwalia poking the outside of the post after a moment of madness from out defense & midfield. It simply took an age for us to get into this game and with us not getting our foot in at the right times we allowed Gwalia to play. To be fair, They did stretch us but we continued to work hard with Carlos, Jabor and Paulo  working the channels. We got our act together and Carlos made some great space for himself to cross a beauty over the entire defence to the far post for Hamzeh to side foot in. won nil going into half time.

Second half kicked off with Gwalia coming out like mad dogs and trust me, they wanted blood, we rolled with it but never got involved, I think that was key in this result. I believe they became their own worse enemy. Some of the baiting from the Away sides following on the sides lines was a OTT (this is well documented) and with such intimidation present it’s no wonder we struggle to get enough referee’s. Big Andy from Gwalia did his best to keep everyone in check. I really believe if this team could start using there energy in a more positive manner they might achieve something.

Gwalia threw everything at us second half but with some good defensive performances from all we kept them out. Arran made a great save with his feet to deny Gwalia an equaliser and O’keeffe cleared one off the line to keep our one goal lead in tact. Clark fouled one of Gwalia’s dangerous subs just outside the box but nothing came of there pressure. Paulo came so very close with almost two identical efforts which both whizzed low past the keepers left hand post. With 15 minutes left Yasser D. made his first appearance and within minutes worked really well to carve out a shot which (with pace) went over the out-coming keeper and into the back of net, 2-0 and now I started to smell victory. With Gwalia pushing forward we worked hard on the counter and Paulo put the game to bed with his second of the season with a low shot into the near post.

In summary, A well deserved victory however 3-o probably flattered us. 

Next week, The Impressive, Unbeaten, League leaders Colindale Athletic. Our objective is simply,  We win and we could go top, Need I say more.

Division Three Is Decided…..

BIG News, No North London Tara But plenty fresh teams.

Click Here for the table

Any Comments boys……..

Presentation Night Set for the 6th Oct.

At Hayes Goals, Saturday 7 till Late and not to be missed. More details PLUS Timids wonderful ticket coming soon.

Friendly - Dutch Lions V John Lewis 3 -2

With the season coming to an end and the outstanding form of the Lions as of late, a friendly was organised to keep the lions focused and sharp for the remaining fixtures of the season.  The lions entertained John Lewis for a match which was anything but a friendly. A recent fixture between the two teams ended up as a draw, a game the lions felt they should have won and the manager made sure that everyone remembered that and got the right result this time round. The lions had a healthy squad of 16 players and lots of competition for places. The starting team was Skinny, Oli, Grant, Pete, Noel, Jules, Pedro, Timid, Hamzeh (b.t.w. this is how you spelt it), Yasser and Ahmed. With Jabor, Mo, Paulo, Macca and Carlos who made his debut for the club in fine fashion, on the bench.

The game started slowly with both teams reluctant to push forward with numbers as they were both trying to get a grip of the game and keep possession of the ball. The pitch was very hard and bouncy that at times made it difficult to play the style of football that we enjoy playing. Not much happened in the first half but players had been noticed such as Yasser who didn’t stop running and fighting for every ball and showed his commitment on the pitch. With the inclusion of Carlos and Jabor as substitutes at the end of the first half, they sprung straight into action with a first touch through ball played by Carlos to Jabor whilst he was making his run through the heart of the Lewis defence, with a shot on his first touch it narrowly passed the post. With seconds left in the first half Carlos won possession in the Lewis half and ran towards goal before lobbing the keeper from a tight angle and scoring his first goal for the lions on his debut. 

At half time Carlos was asked about his goal and he was quoted as saying “The size of the goal is too big man” no comment needed. In the second half further changes took place as Paulo came on. It was a totally different game to the first, the lions looked dominant and very comfortable with the ball, pushing more number up for attack. With good work and good feet from Paulo he crossed the ball to Jabor in good space, only to miss the target with a header but he makes up for it later. With the inclusion of Macca after a long absence from the team he linked up well with Pedro with a smart one-two which released Pedro into space to cross the ball in for Jabor, who this time instead of opting for a header decided to do things in style and attempt an over head kick, he connected with the ball well and the keeper had no chance as the ball flew past him. 2- 0 and the score line started to show the lions dominance. Lewis were still not able to play and only being restricted to long ball that the defence dealt with easily. Half way into the half Grant won possession in the middle of the park then laid  the ball off to Pedro who had one touch and played an remarkable through ball to a running Carlos, where again he showed great finishing and a good eye for goal as he lobbed the keeper again from and extremely tight angle.

With the score at 3-0 complacency crept into the side, the lions started to lose the 50:50 challenges and lost there fight, with a poor clearance from defense a JL striker had the opportunity to creep into the box, and finish into the right hand corner. It’s a shame because the defence did play well and deserved their clean sheet, but it wasn’t to be. With Mo’s inclusion onto the pitch he was played a pass in front of him with only the keeper to beat, as he was taking his strides towards the ball he started to move more slowly as if it wore in slow motion, and the defender was able to catch up and win possession, but it was seconds later when Mo dropped to the ground in dramatic style it was known that he had pulled his hamstring and had to be taken off.

With the resulting lose of possession and the players’ worry for Mo health; JL had scored again with good work from their striker. In the dying stages of the match Hamzeh was through on goal and was fouled in the box and a penalty was awarded.  Yasser had stepped up to take the penalty in confidence and was on the brink of his first goal for the Lions, after a long delay because the referee had forgotten to blow his whistle for the penalty to be taken, Yasser ran up to the ball, and struck it, only for the ball to trickle straight down the middle of the goal for the keeper to clear it out. The match ended 3-2 and it was a good victory for the lions against a strong team in the league. 

Written by Hamzeh (After being forced by his own brother)

A side claiming to be Dutch Lions lose 1-0

Match Report by Arran McMahon

What can I say? After the heroic performance the Lions put in against Sals Bar spirits were high amongst the team. We believed that we could take on any team in the league and that Hanwell Celtic was no exception.

The referees whistle blew for the beginning of the match, and it seemed that the Lions were in control of the game for the first ten minutes, bar a few chances by Hanwell. It was after this though that it all went horribly wrong. The lions failed to maintain their structure or discipline when Hanwell Celtic called every tackle as a foul, every handball as theirs, and every throw-in as going their way. It was somewhat annoying as the ref seemed to fall for their tactics. But what was worse is that we seemed to be affected by it. And this was the difference between the Dutch Lions of the previous five games and that which turned up today. We fell apart and the other team didn’t even have to play good football to break us.

We had a couple of chances in the first half, with Hamzeh, and Ahmed going close but the wind was a major factor in this match, as was the extremely poor condition of the pitch (not detracting from the fact the other team had the same conditions to play in). It was in the first half that Hanwell went 1-0 up. Playing the long ball forward, their striker, closely followed by Olly latched onto the ball. The lions keeper ran out to claim it and quickly realised not only that he wasn’t going to make it, but that he was also stranded in no mans land. The ball gets lifted over him and into the net. What a mug he is.

This seemed to depress the team even further. Which again was something we hadn’t seen happen to us in the previous games we won. The rest of the half followed suit, as did much of the second, although we did seem to have a couple of chances with Timed going close. The lion’s goal keeper makes two unbelievable saves, seriously you couldn’t script it. I was amazing. Although, I did fail to hold onto them and some quality follow up play by my back four came to the rescue. But honestly I can’t believe how good I am. In the final moments of the game, Noel makes a horrendous challenge on the goal keeper. His shoulder actually came into contact with the keepers… disgusting and uncharacteristic of Noel, to actually come into contact with another player. I expected more. But the keeper stays down because apparently he’s hurt. I think he’s been taking tips from Jens Lehmann or at least he has some Italian blood in him somewhere. But anyways, the match finishes, we lost, although I wouldn’t say we were beaten by a better team by any means. All we can hope is that the old Lions team turns up against N. London Tara. For Queen and country boys.

When is a card red or yellow?

The different fouls that make the ref get out the red or yellow card.

There are seven different offences that can get you a yellow card:

Anything that can be deemed as unsporting behaviour
Dissent by word or action

Lions Thrash NLO One Nil

MATCH REPORT NLO 0 – 1 Dutch Lions
by Peter Clark

The Lions continued their post Christmas winning streak, making it four on the bounce with a narrow away win over NLO.

In truth, the winning margin should have been far greater, but the NLO keeper was in inspired form, making at least half a dozen saves from one-on-one situations. However, three points are three points, and the climb up the table continues.

The Lions made one change from their last match, with Ahmed dropping back into midfield to replace the unavailable Julian, and Jabba partnering Paulo up front.

The Lions started off positively, with Pedro and Ahmed soon in control in midfield, while Timid, Jabba and Paulo’s movement was obviously going to pose the somewhat ponderous NLO defence a few problems. Several chances went begging, while the referee pulled back Timid for a free kick when he was right through, with no advantage allowed.NLO threatened sporadically, without threatening Aaron, whose concentration proved spot on when he made a magnificent save from a free kick in NLO’s only shot on target in the first half.

All the pressure and the football was from the Lions though, and they were duly rewarded when Paulo scored. Despite the neat football, this goal was strictly route 1. A long free kick from Grant was allowed to run through to the alert Paulo, who calmly tucked the ball past the keeper into the onion bag.

Further chances went begging, and the Lions were denied a clear cut penalty when Paulo again latched onto Peter’s searching fifty yard pass to race clear. In the act of shooting, his heels here kicked, and unbelievably, the ref waved play on.

Turning round at 1-0, NLO came more into the game. Their right winger began to find a bit of space and their midfield started to win a few challenges. Despite this, chances still came and went at the other end, with the NLO keeper making numerous blocks and saves, including one point-blank effort from Ahmed. Taila and Yasser came on for Timid and Jabba as the Lions reasserted themselves, and with numerous stoppages for injuries to NLO players, the game drew to a stuttering close without further goals.

So, nothing spectacular, and it should have been more than 1-0, but still a good solid performance.

Aaron exuded his usual confidence from the goal, while Ollie and Grant were imperious in the middle of defence, and Noel’s pace and skill proved again to be too much for the opposition’s right wing. Good to see another clean sheet.

Hamzeh worked the right wing, skinning their right back n a couple of occasions, while Pedro and Ahmed were working as hard at the end as the beginning.

For once, Timid found himself up against a full back that matched him for pace, yet still caused the opposition’s defence all sort of problems. Up front, Jabba and Paulo worked the line, and Paulo’s ability to get shots on target means he will score a good few more goals before the end of the season.

The top half of the table beckons, with fourth place at least surely now a realistic target.

Nuff Said..

Real Madrid striker Robinho says he will not be going to Tottenham because he will only move to “another big club”. (Daily Mirror). 

10,000 Hits So Far..

Thanks for hitting us people. I am amazed with this figure and really proud of what we have. I think the guest match day reporter thing is working out well too. Ahmed, Grant and Noel appear to be enjoying the whole reporter ting of late. Cheers also to Timid for the great new banner above.

Some of my personal highlights in the past 5 months would have to include our first Real post getting the club off the ground, Our first League win, The John & Timid Show, The exchange of Wrestling moves with Gwalia and Junior Pony Treking in Hertfordshire. Tell us what yours was?

Make www.dutchlionsfc.co.uk your homepage now!

Lions Winning Streak Continues in the Cup

Highgate Albion 1 Dutch Lions 2 
Match Report by Grant 

Today the Dutch Lions faced arguably their toughest match to date as they took on a team in the league above in the cup. Morale was high on the back of two straight wins for the Lions after a productive team meeting at the pub.

An ominous sign was the Robin Red Breast spotted by gaffer Donald at the John Lyon  car park and from then on hopes were high, (some of you may remember the sighting prior to our win against NLO) the scene was once again set for a Dutch Lions domination.

Dutch Lions are devoted Bird Watchers

After a long and hard journey up the A1 we arrived at the opposition car park. I must admit seeing Arran still High from the previous night’s antics didn’t give me the up most confidence but even a high Arran is better than most.

There was an air of confidence around the Lions changing rooms you could smell it in the air, or was that Mo? Anyway we got changed and began warming up, after an inspirational team talk from Don, Pedro and The Lions own Jose Mourinho AKA John Ramalho we were ready.

The opposition started brightly and came at us strong, the Lions held out carving out a few chances of our own only to be denied by some good stops from the Highgate Keeper. Then came the opposition’s goal created by a nippy winger cutting inside and laying the ball through to an ozzy who scored. Rubbish goal.

The Lions response was equal to QPR drawing with Port Vale 4 – 4 after being 4 – 1 down with 10 minutes to go. We pulled together as a team and were determined not to be beaten, soon after, a chance to pull level was created with the keeper caught in no mans land after a good ball over the top to Paulo whose shot was cleared of the Line by a Highgate defender.

The Lions felt there time was now and began to put the Highgate defence under some serious pressure which paid off with Tim Head breaking down the line and slotting a passed shot to the left of the keeper. The lions fans (Hamzeh’s kid brother) were sent into raptures and the assistant struggled to hold them back.

Further Lions domination led us in for the half time team talk when we re-capped on the points talked about prior to the match. After a brief chat we were ready to kick some arse.

What came next was magical, Tim Head showed excellent skill to beat three men in the middle of the park and dink a ball over the top to in form stirker Paulo Ramalho. Paulo took the ball down and unselfishly layed the ball square to Buzzy Ajjour who blasted the ball past a despairing HighGate goalkeeper his 3rd in two games. Great Goal, that’s how football should be played.  
 
From then on Highgate were out to win and threw everything at us however we stayed strong with Julian and Pedro taking the pressure of the two centre backs and Peter Clark, Noel, Hamzeh (replaced by Macca) and Tim Head dominating the wing play. The Lions got what their performance deserved and our in the hat for the next round. The match was only tarnished by some harsh words from the HighGate “AV IT” winger who received a red card for his efforts, well done that man!
Finally I would like to make a special mention to Ollie, my right hand man, who has been in outstanding form of late.  Julian who remains resilient in the middle allowing Pedro a bit more room to attack, Paulo who never stops nibbling heels and Ahmed who is just simply scoring his chances.

Timid as usual showed us why he doesn’t always pass with some excellent skill and final balls forward to the front two. Arran was excellent in goal and saved the defence on more than one occasion.

And finally the team in general (especially Grant) was fantastic. If we can keep this form going there is no reason why we can’t beat who ever the League put in front of us. Let’s win this cup.

Leave Arsenal At Your Peril

Here’s My Theory
Bobby Pires - Cruciate ligament in his left knee, Eduardo César Gaspar AKA Edu - knee ligament damage also, Overmars - Persistent knee injury forced early retirement, Anelka - Just Plain toilet after Wenger, Pascal Cygan - Arrested for impersonating a football player & Now Ashley Cole with knee ligament damage. Strange but true.

The Funniest Section of Ashley Cole’s Book “When I heard Jonathan (Barnett) repeat the figure of £55k, I nearly swerved off the road. “He is taking the piss, Jonathan!” I yelled down the phone. I was so incensed. I was trembling with anger”

The New Apple iPhone - Your Life In Your Pocket

A Video ipod 4Gb, Camera, Google maps, Traffic, Email, Touchscreen, WiFi, Bluetooth, Internet device. Trust me, you will want one.
Out In The Uk In The 4th Quarter Costing Apx. £270/$499
It is so cool. Watch at www.apple.com/iphone/phone/

FREE GUINNESS…!!

Have one on me. Click on the link below for a free Guinness,
No Catch, Honest.

Click Here For Free Guinness

Best Goal On The Road To Wembley

Nature at its best

Dutch Lions Christmas Night Out 2006

Started at Yates’s Harrow & Ended three days later in Watford. Pictures of the night can be seen by clicking on the link below:

Cheers Minty for the lift home. It was a good crack. What happened to Biggles at half time? How many birds did Timid pull? When we going back?