2022 has been a year like no other. Not only have we seen a World Cup more divisive than any that has gone before, but we have also seen a true legend of the game leave us.

From the very outset, the 2022 World Cup caused controversy. The rigged voting for the host nation, the human rights issues in building the stadiums for the events, the time of year for the event to take place, the cultural differences that saw alcohol banned from grounds and fan behaviour restricted because of the beliefs of the hosts. These were all issues that were in the public eye and led many to boycott the world cup…

And what a world cup they would have missed. In what would be the final swansong of several of the worlds’ best players in Luca Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, This was billed as the world cup that could cement these players’ place in history were they to win the tournament.

England, with all of the expectation now placed on them due to previous near misses in the last world cup in 2018 and the Euros last summer, were among the favourites. Having progressed through the groups and further dominated a strong Senegal side, hopes were high. The French, and the referee in the quarter finals had something to say about these hopes. Dodgy decisions and missed penalties were the headlines and not the fact that England had dominated the world cup holders and more than deserved to progress. Sadly, a poor second penalty by Harry Kane in the dying minutes of normal time sent our boys home.

Cristiano Ronaldo managed to tarnish his reputation further after his previous indiscretions with Piers Morgan and Manchester United as he threw his toys out of the pram after being dropped by Portugal, and further pushed the situation as they were knocked out and he left the pitch rather than congratulating the opposition or supporting his teammates as their captain should. He has since retired from professional football to take money from the Saudis for the next two years.

Onto the final. Billed as Messi vs Mbappe. This is exactly as it was. With Messi scoring twice and becoming the first player to score in every round of a world cup in its current format, and Mbappe becoming only the second player to score a hat trick in a world cup final. It came down to penalties. The cool heads of the Argentine takers, and the abject housery by their goalkeeper were enough to take the Argentines through and see Messi effectively complete football, entering the history books and cementing his place with icons such as Maradonna and the great Pele.

We’ve also seen players sadly leave us this year. From the England World Cup winner, George Cohen to Serbian legend Siniša Mihajlović, to arguably the best player of all time in Pele. This brings us to a subject closer to home.

Finley Bowen of our neighbours, Mickleover FC sadly lost his life this year. Our thoughts and prayers go to everyone involved at Mickleover FC, along with Finley’s family and friends at this time. Mickleover FC are doing some fantastic charity work in Fins memory and have been helped out by hundreds of clubs across the UK in donating football kits or goalkeeper gloves in aid of an auction for charity. Please take the time to follow Mickleover FC on social media to keep up with this great cause.

Onto Ourselves

2022 for Mickleover RBL has been eventful to say the very least.

The tail end of the 2021-22 season saw both of our under 18’s teams fold due to lack of players. This was not for the want of trying, and the great work of the managers and their teams should not be forgotten.

In May 2022, Fran Hales and Lucy Meakin started up our very own Lion Cubs sessions. These sessions offered children of 5-7 years of age the chance to start playing football, learning and developing their skills, teamwork, and enjoyment from the game that will possibly last them a lifetime.

Our senior teams went from strength to strength, with both finishing third in their respective leagues, with the firsts also finishing as runners up in the Buckingham Insurance League Challenge Cup, losing in the final to Linby Colliery Welfare.

The juniors section saw the under 16’s (Sunday) win the Burton Junior Football League Cup and the under 11’s win the Derby Junior Football League Cup. The under 15’s Golds were champions of the Derby City League Division 3. The under 10’s were runners up in the Derby Junior Football League Cup as well as the Jaguars and this seasons under 12’s finishing runners up in their divisions in the Young Elizabethan League.

The club also hosted the Derby Junior Football League cup finals at the Legion on Poppyfields Drive and were hugely successful, drawing compliments across the board from the league, teams and spectators alike.

With all of the success on and off the pitch across all age groups, a huge well done has to go to all of the players, managers, coaches and volunteers involved with the club and a huge thank you goes to parents for your support.

The end of season presentation day was a roaring success, with the help of some stunning English summer weather. A superb attendance from teams and brilliant work in presenting trophies by the managers and coaches.

A club fireworks night in November proved to be a fantastic family event. Great work from Mr Paul Gray in running the event without setting fire to any of the neighbours houses.

Finally, we now have a Veo camera, which is used for recording home matches for the first team, under 17’s and under 16’s Lions and Panthers. Huge thanks go to D & M Resin Driveways for purchasing this for the club.

Read on for a team by team breakdown

First team

2021-22 season

The first team started the year in a strong position in the league, having an eleven match unbeaten run stretching back to August 2021. However, their first match brought them down to earth with a bump as they lost 5-1 to Long Eaton United Community. A cup win against Cromford & Wirksworth Town followed, but the next three league matches were al defeats, leaving them with an uphill task if they were to catch the top teams. From then on, their only defeat came on penalties in the cup final against Linby Colliery Welfare, as they finished the season on an eighteen match unbeaten run (in normal time). A fantastic first season for the first team, as the club had seniors teams for the first time in several years.

Well done chaps

2022-23 season

After going so close last season, the firsts were hoping to pick up where they left off. Two wins from two gave them high hopes, only to be given a wake up call by Clay Cross Town with a 3-2 away defeat. Since then the team have won every match apart from a cup game against Newhall United and an away league match against Cromford & Wirksworth Town. They end the year in fifth spot in the league, eleven points behind top spot, with four games in hand. Having been in a similar position last season, manager Garry Smith is keen to impress on the lads the need to hit 2023 running.

Good luck boys. Thank you for your efforts so far.

Reserves

2021-22 season

The reserves came into existence a little late into last season, resulting in them securing a place in the Midlands Regional Alliance League. A late start saw them playing just four league matches, winning three, and two in the cup, seeing them knocked out before Christmas. The first two months of 2022 saw the reserves take to the field just three times, losing all three and seeing themselves out of another cup. A ten match unbeaten run followed, seeing them in the unlikely position of being able to catch the teams at the top. Three more victories in the last five matches saw the boys finish in third spot, losing only to the top two teams as the season drew to a close. A great finish after a late and shaky start. Of their six league defeats of the season, the top two beat them twice each, with another loss coming through not being able to field a team. To lose only one against all of the teams below them shows they finished third on merit. Well done lads.

2022-23 season

Now that the team was established, the club were able to enter them into the Central Midlands League Division 1 West, keeping both teams in the same league.

A mixed bag of results sees the Lions end the year in mid-table in the league but through to the semi finals of the Derbyshire FA county cup. With plenty still to play for, the boys can look forward to 2023.

Good luck, and again, thank you for your efforts so far.

Under 11’s (Saturday)

This season, the under 11’s expanded from purely Sundays to Saturdays in the Burton Junior Football League. Despite being hampered by the weather in recent months, the lads have gone on to win more than half of their fixtures so far this season and have settled into playing matches on both Saturdays and Sundays.

Under 16's Lions

2021-22 season

Last seasons under 15’s Lions went into 2022 after a mixed bag of results in the Midland Junior Premier League. The mere nature of the league means that all but the top sides will win and lose roughly as many games throughout the season, which is how things had gone so far after an horrendously tough start to the season. Having lost their first five matches, the Lions won the next seven, and finished 2021 with two more defeats. The 2022 part of the season saw the team play a further ten matches, winning five and losing five, finishing 23rd out of 64, with eleven wins and losses from their 22 matches and a cup run of three matches.

2022-23 season

The under 16’s Lions continued in the Midland Junior Premier League this season, starting with a very tough away fixture against one of the top sides in the midlands in Telford, followed by a narrow home defeat to Boldmere St Michaels. Since those first two matches, the boys have gone unbeaten, winning five out of eight matches, which, combined with their Sunday team form, see’s a magnificent run and a huge step in their development since last season. With tougher matches on the horizon, 2023 will be a great test for the boys. Well done.

Under 17's Lion (Saturday)

2021-22 season

Last seasons under 16’s Lions began 2022 by extending their three match unbeaten run from 2021 in which they won six out of their twelve matches so far. After a great start to 2022 in the league, a follow up defeat saw them out of the cup in the first round. The lads recovered and lost just twice in their remaining eight matches of the season. Finishing in the top fifteen of the MJPL last season was a great achievement, with the lads scoring sixty three goals from twenty three matches.

2022-23 season

Moving into the new season, the under 17’s found themselves in a combined under 18’s division in the MJPL. As daunting as that seems, the boys have thrived on it and have won seven out of their eleven matches, seeing themselves in the top seven spots to end the year, having faced under 18’s teams in the majority of their matches so far. As with the way the MJPL works, the boys have earned themselves the right to be pitted against the top teams in the division in the new year. Additionally, several of the players have gone on to represent the first and reserve senior teams this season. On every occasion, the lads have proved themselves more than capable of the task and have performed brilliantly whenever they have stepped up.

Under 8's

The under 8’s are the first of our new Sunday teams for this season, having been set up in the summer and placed in the Derby Junior Football League, with matches being played at Lees Brook school. Having played ten non competitive league matches, the boys have scored 57 goals and won their fair share of games. Their only cup match so far ended in a 5-5 draw, with the young Lions winning on penalties. Unfortunately, we are not able to publish any information about any matches other than the cup performance. A great start to their life as players for RBL and a team to keep an eye on in the cup for 2023 as they continue to enjoy their time with the club.

Under 9’s

The under 9’s are the second of our new Sunday teams for this season, again, being set up in the summer and placed in the Derby Junior Football League. With the management team filling in a lot of free weeks with friendly matches, the lads have gone on to win all twelve of their games this season, scoring over 75 goals in the process. Unfortunately, we are not able to publish any information about any matches other than the cup, which is still to come. 2023 will be an exciting year for them in continuing their development with RBL. Well done.

Under 11's

2021-22 season

Last seasons’ under 10’s took part in the Derby Junior Football League. A great run of results saw them play in the cup final hosted “at home” at the Legion. They were runners up, in what is a fantastic achievement from our youngest team of last season. Unfortunately, we are not able to publish any information about any matches other than the cup performance. But all in all, a fantastic season for the lads. Well done.

2022-23 season

As the boys started in the Burton league on a Saturday, they have continued in the Derby Junior Football League on a Sunday. With the league remaining non-competitive, results are still not published until cup matches begin next weekend. However, the lads managed to play eight matches in the first half of the season, winning their fair share. With the cup coming along soon, the lads will get their first competitive football of the season as they continue to focus on their development in the other weeks of 2023 as they look towards the competitive under 12’s age group next season. An exciting time for a very promising bunch of players who will only benefit from playing both days at the weekend.

Under 12's

2021-22 season

Last season’s under 11’s went on a fantastic run in the Derby Junior League Cup, which saw them eventually win the trophy at the legion, where the final was hosted. A brilliant achievement from a very very good team.

2022-23 season

The under 12’s this season entered the Young Elizabethan League, which is divided into a winter season, followed by a spring season. The 2022 winter season saw them entered into division one, which is the second tier in the YEL. A stunning performance saw them finish runners up in the winter season, booking them a place at the Royal concert hall in Nottingham for a league runners up trophy presentation and promotion to the 2023 Spring Premier Division. Their only league defeat came against eventual winners, Heanor Town. They sadly went out of the cup in the first round, losing against the Premier division champions in a great match. 2023 will see the lads performing in the highest division in the YEL. A brilliant testament to the hard work they’ve put in. Well done.

Under 14’s Tigers

2021-22 season

Last seasons under 13’s put in a brilliant performance in their first season of 11-a-side football. With the majority of their season already played in 2021, Just four league matches and a cup match were left in 2022. Losing to Chesapeake Apaches in both the league and the cup semi final were the only losses as they went on to a brilliant third place finish in the league.

2022-23 season

So far this season, the Tigers have played 10 matches, including a fantastic run in the cup so far which sees them in the upcoming semi final in mid January. With seven league matches remaining, the boys will be looking to move up the table and emulate their cup form so far. Having scored 49 times so far this season, the free flowing goals will surely be a high point of the remaining eight or nine matches of the season. Well done so far boys.

Under 15's Jaguars

2021-22 season

Last seasons under 14’s saw them play their final half season in the YEL as they sat in division one for the final time. A brilliant performance saw the boy finish runners up in the league, losing just twice. What a way to sign off from the YEL. Well done boys

2022-23 season

This season, the boys progressed into the Notts Youth League, where they were placed in the top division. A tough start against the league's top teams has seen them have to learn quickly. However, with seven games left, they have a great chance to stay in the division as five of those matches are against the teams immediately around them. Good luck boys, you can do it.

Under 16's Golds

2021-22 season

The Golds put in a fabulous performance last season, seeing them finish the season with a 100% record in the Derby City League division 3 and running away with the league title. They smashed in 76 goals in 14 matches, conceding just 11 as they dominated the division. Only Littleover Dazzlers from division 1, and eventual cup winners were able to stop the Golds in the cup as well. A fantastic season and the team should be very proud of themselves.

2022-23 season

After their total dominance of division 3 the season before, the Golds were moved up two divisions and placed with the elite of the Derby City Football League. While the transition was hard work, the boys ended the year sitting comfortably in mid-table, with a couple of great wins along the way. 2023 brings them just five remaining league fixtures, with three against lower ranked teams. This run could be enough to see them remain at the top table for next season and would represent a fantastic progression in a very short space of time. Well done to all.

Under 16's Panthers

2021-22 season

The Panthers played their final season in the Derby City League division one as they went in search of pastures new and different opposition to face after being pitted against the same teams for years on end. Having been the only team to beat the eventual league champions, Littleover Dazzlers Ajax, three defeats to Littleover Dazzlers PSV cost the Panthers second spot in the league and a place in the cup final despite being the better side on all three occasions. The 2021-22 season was one of fantastic highs and devastating lows for the Panthers to end their journey with the Derby City League, and will be remembered well.

2022-23 season

The new season saw the Panthers join the Burton Junior Football League, which runs very much like the YEL in that there is a winter season and a spring season. The winter season pitted the boys against some new teams and offered a little of the unknown. The lads have risen to the challenge well and have dropped just two points so far this season in a home 0-0 draw and remained unbeaten all season. This run includes a stunning 3-0 victory over previously three year unbeaten, Edge Hill, to set up a single match that carried over into 2023 to win the winter league. With that, the spring league, and the cup to come in 2023, the next few months could be very exciting. Well done boys.

Under 17 Lions

2021-22 season

Last years’ under 16’s made the move to the Burton Junior Football League, having, like the Panthers, wanted a change after years in the Derby City League. A blip in March saw the boys lose matches to the top two sides, leaving them in third spot at the end of the season and wondering what could’ve been had they won those matches. However, an all conquering cup run saw them at Burton Albion’s Pirelli stadium, where they beat league champions Litchfield in the final, winning the cup in their first season in the league. A superb achievement boys.

2022-23 season

The boys have continued on from where they left off as they sit in a mixed under 18’s league as the only under 17’s team in the top division. A single defeat sees them on top of the table with a game left to play. A win could see them either win the league or go into a winners playoff depending on the results of third placed Ashby, who have a game in hand and three points to make up. Much like the Panthers, also have the spring league and the cup to come in 2023, as well as the potential winter league championship.

Well done boys

To round off

A great year for Mickleover RBL, which has seen the club go from strength to strength. Hopefully more to come in 2023….