A QUICK WORD WITH......TONY IEVOLI

Many fans whom have looked at the Essex Senior League results recently will have seen a new name for the 2013/14 campaign in "Greenhouse London FC'. This is the new name for the club who were named 'Haringey and Waltham Development' over the past few seasons. They have always played decent football when TheColdEnd has seen them play so it was good to catch up with their manager Tony Ievoli to find out more about the club who currently ground-share at Haringey Borough's Coles Park.

WHAT IS YOUR FOOTBALL HISTORY/EXPERIENCE?

Youth management for local club in Hornchurch 1996-2004

Hornchurch Youth 2005-2008

Thurrock FC Assistant manager, Reserves July - Sept 2008

Waltham Forest FC manager Oct - Dec 2008

Leyton FC manager Jan - Sept 2009.

Brief Spell at Barkingside  as joint manager July - August 2010

Haringey & Waltham Development FC manager July 2011 until present.

WHAT DOES THE CLUB'S NAME MEAN?

For this season it has been renamed 'Greenhouse London' as the club has now been integrated into the Greenhouse Sports & Performing Arts Charity. (See website - here)

WHAT ARE THE AIMS OF GREENHOUSE LONDON THIS SEASON AND BEYOND? WHERE DO YOU SEE THE CLUB IN 5 YEARS TIME?

One of the main objectives for the club is to provide an opportunity for the younger teams players to progress towards Senior Football. The club have teams ranging from U7's through to U21's. As a team ourselves, it is to be as competitive as possible and in doing so improve on the previous season's achievements. Hopefully, the team's profile will continue to grow and in doing so become more recognisable within the football community.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PLAYERS WHO HAVE POTENTIAL TO PLAY AT A HIGHER LEVEL? HAVE ANY PLAYERS MOVED ONWARDS AND UPWARDS FROM GREENHOUSE/HAWD?

Yes. The squad is and always has been young, aged between 17 & 24, so players will obviously be allowed to develop as well as naturally progressing due to age. Several have moved on to the next level (steps 4 & 3) in my time at the club.

WHO ARE GREENHOUSE'S MAIN RIVALS?
As we ground-share with Haringey Borough I would say that there is obviously a kind of 'derby' feel to our games, but that may probably be just on our part! Other than that, as we are a club with no financial resources to attract players, I look at clubs that I believe are in a similar situation to us and look to compete with them.

WHO ARE THE BEST TEAM GREENHOUSE HAVE PLAYED THIS SEASON SO FAR ?

Other than Bedford Town in the FA Cup I would say Haringey Borough. Although, we didn't play to our potential, I thought that they were very professional in the way that they performed in all of the key areas. They did a very good job on us on the day.

WHO IS THE BEST PLAYER YOU'VE SEEN THIS SEASON?

In the league & based on just the five teams we've played, it would be either Dewayne Clark or Anthony McDonald of Haringey Borough, they both impressed me on the day.

WHAT WOULD BE CLASSED AS A SUCCESSFUL SEASON FOR YOUR CLUB?

It has always been to finish as high as possible in the league and last season we finished 8th in the league and that is a club record. Also we have won FA competition prize money in the last 3 successive seasons, something that the club had never done previously.

BEAUTIFUL FOOTBALL OR THE RESULT THAT COUNTS?

Both!
We all want to win football matches, that's the nature of the game at our level. However, I do like to try and play the game, in what I believe, is the right way. Unfortunately with a young side and many players having none or very little experience of senior football, mistakes will be made. However, I will always persist with our methods of playing and continue to support the players as long as they're trying to do what has been asked of them.

At this level of football, and in particular with the stature of our club, I find that the style we play does attract players and as a young player you would normally want to be part of a team who will try and play the game like a (poor man's) Barcelona, as opposed to perhaps, in the past few seasons, a Stoke City!

MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT REGARDING THE STATE OF GRASS-ROOTS FOOTBALL IN ENGLAND. HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE THE GAME?

There are probably hundreds of things that would make a difference. Loss of revenue in the winter months with matches being postponed is a big issue for many clubs. The disruption of this also causes many other problems too. As the 3/4G Artificial pitches have really moved on in the past 2/3 years, if every club had one it would solve these problems and tick a lot of other boxes too.

HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE THE ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE?

The League is run very well. However, it does have a few systems that can be brought into the twenty-first century. They should do everything possible to introduce a Step 6 league and then try to find a way to promote two clubs every season via the successful play-off method similar to what the Ryman League have.







Greenhouse London FC don't currently have a website but you can follow them if you use Twitter - @The_Hawds or get down to watch them play at Coles Park, White Hart Lane soon. They have struggled to attract supporters (average of 17.5 for their four league games so far) so an extra few people through the gate would help them out no end. Their scheduled fixture list for the next few games is below -

Saturday 28th September - Hullbridge Sports
Tuesday 1st October - Enfield 1893
Saturday 5th October - BARKING
Saturday 12th October - BOWERS AND PITSEA
Saturday 19th October - Sawbridgeworth Town
Wednesday 23rd October - Great Wakering Rovers
Saturday 26th October - LONDON APSA

Although they haven't won in the league to date they have beaten Wellingborough Town and Potters Bar Town in the FA Cup so are capable of beating any side on their day.

THE BEST OF LUCK TO THE HAWDS FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON!!!