There are only two sessions left of the Saturday morning kick around at Wentworth Park in Glebe (10am-12noon, Field No 1 - closest to Wattle St). Coach Nick Vince has been putting attendees through some preliminary fitness drills, followed by a game that tends to grow from six-a-side to nine or ten as the morning progresses. New players continue to join us, some of whom are interested in playing for us in the winter season. If all goes well, the end of these sessions will coincide with the start of evening pre-season training - probably at Cohen Park in Annandale (see maps on the website for location). It's not the greatest park in town, but it has lighting (which may be improved this year), it's reasonably convenient and it hasn't suffered some of the summer damage of other parks.

There are now about 50 players on our email list - these are people who played last year or have expressed in playing this year. There would certainly seem to be enough for three Balmain Rovers teams this year, but the question remains: where do we put a third team? The three options canvassed in the last newsletter remain (team up with another Balmain team, enter a team in the All Ages comp if it's still around, enter a team in the Over 35s comp), but another structural upheaval may be on the cards, which might bring one or more new options to light.

One thing seems sure about this year's competition - it definitely won't be cheaper. What with insurance costs increasing as the result of the HIH debacle, a proposed levy on each player to subsidise Soccer Australia's next attempt to qualify for the World Cup and the general tendency for things to get more expensive, registration costs are likely to increase this season. More on that when it's known.

While the last attempt to organise a barbie at the Annandale Hotel fell victim to a lack of support, people are now asking when it will happen. We'll have another shot at in a few weeks, by which time more should be known about the upcoming season.

In the meantime, we want more photos for the website. The latest additions to the gallery include shots of David Birds' holiday pilgrimage to Highbury to catch Arsenal in action - and a very nice background the Gunners make to a Rovers shirt. Nik Hopkins should deliver a shot or two of a Rovers shirt in front of the Pyramids soon, and Adam Freeman will be taking a shirt to Seattle later this month. More please.

If you want any further info on any of the above, contact Ricky or phone on 0408 210 127.