BFC Update – 25/12/2023

It’s that end of year time where we look back on what’s been and look forward to what is to come.
Let’s get some of the tougher news out of the way.
Here’s the current league standings:

Yes, BFC are second from bottom and far from the title challengers that we saw last year.
If you take a look at the results you’ll see that starting with a bruising 6-1 defeat to Shane FC, the club went on a string of 5 games without a point. This doesn’t quite tell the whole story however, and the year actually ended with a sense of optimism.

There was a bit of papering over the cracks last year largely done by the introduction of star player Marco who was virtually good enough to win games single handedly. Away from that though was a Club still looking to rebuild and find confidence. A Club that was still trying to understand its identity and gain consistency. This proved true as we lost Marco at the end of the season and suffered a highly painful 5-0 loss to Guapo that cemented our fate in Division 3.
This year we have been doing things slightly differently and the short term pain will hopefully lead to a more stable future for firstly the team and then the Club.

Since the beginning of the ‘BFC revival’ we have spoken of Football, Community and Results as the magic triangle of beats that need to be hit for success. For the Club there was a plethora of football available with Futsal being hosted virtually every week. For the Club, there were events that brought people together to celebrate community milestones and achievements. For the Team that was actually representing BFC every other week however it seemed the focus was one of predominantly Results. This focus left us at the beginning of this season with a Club that actually remains slightly disconnected from the team and work still remains to be done to join the two back together. 

So in terms of the Team, this year is seeing an exchange of results in an attempt to build a new community on the field. The team is less ruthless and more loyal to consistent players with the onus falling on ‘management’ to suplement or organise players in such a way that can lead to the results we need.
This is not to disparage the players we have had or have discovered through the first nine games of the season. It’s to say that loyalty goes both ways and consistency brings camaraderie which leads to a more long-term stable success that brings the best out of individuals for the sake of the team.

So, looking at our last few results there’s actually been a sense that we’re starting to see a sniff of stability and that some of the decisions off the field are starting to translate on the field. The last 3 games saw a fighting spirit and real belief that the game was ours to win and that draw against BEFC Lions could potentially be looked back on as a moment of change for the season. 
A good pool of players has been built up and they’re raising their hands to play each week for the Team. Behind the scenes operations are (mostly) simpler, roles are (slightly) clearer and the Club appears financially stable.

To reiterate something that was said at the end-of-season party, it would be foolish to think this generation of BFC can force the kind of bond that is seen with the past Team members. It takes time. 

So we look to 2024 with positivity.
We continue to build strength in the Team so that we have the foundations to continue to build strength in the Club.

Happy Christmas and New Year to all of the BFC past and present.
Come on BFC!!