Everyone seems to be reflecting upon the last ten years.....so the following are some thoughts on the period from the Taverners’ angle.......

The first team began the new millennium in a familiar situation - midway through a promotion season after having been relegated from the top division the previous year!

The series of yo-yoing between Division 1 (to become the Premier Division in 2002) and Division 2 continued for the following few years - at least it meant that there was rarely a dull moment for the Tavs as we either sought promotion or were fighting relegation.

The promotion season of 1999/2000 saw the Tavs play their first competitive game under floodlights (at Stowmarket Town FC against Debenham). On the playing front, Daren Stevens, Andy Spivey, Bevan Burgess and Andy Glover all made their 300th appearances for the Club while Matt Parker played his 200th game.

Our visit to Trojans clinched promotion but Trevor Hollinsworth was also able to celebrate his 100th goal for Taverners - scored in only 111 appearances!

Gary Cunningham also hit the headlines in overtaking Pat Elvin as the Club’s all-time top goalscorer with his 172nd goal for the Tavs.....Gary’s celebrations included pulling up his shirt to reveal an appropriate comment on his tee-shirt underneath!

The reserves were finding it tough playing first teams most weeks but spirits remained good and a highlight of season 2000/01 was an extraordinary 11-10 penalty shoot-out victory in a League Reserve Cup tie against Stow Pickerel reserves; Pat Elvin scored the vital spot-kick on a dramatic morning.

That season saw James Bullamore play his 200th game for the Club while Tim Howard reached 450 games.

We were honoured to be the only Sunday league club invited to the reception held for local football representatives by Mayor Don Edwards and at the League’s AGM we were revealed as runners-up in the Suffolk County FA’s ’Fairplay Awards’ for the season.

Season 2001/02 might have been described as one of ’mid-table endeavour’ at the time but it had its highlights: Andy Glover scored his 100th goal for the Club, our 35th season of playing competitive Sunday football was rounded off by a superb presentation/reunion night and then both our teams won the Fairplay Award for their respective divisions…..perhaps a unique achievement.

The reserve team’s goalkeeping position had been a problem for a while and six players took on the job during 2001/02 - Kevin Cole, Pat Elvin, Alan Goodyear, Simon Markwell, Daren Stevens and Graham Pateman.

On the managerial front, Gary Pilkington and Tom Walker each did a year’s stint in the reserve team’s ‘hot seat.’

Promotion back to the Premier Division was secured by a tremendous seven-game unbeaten run during a 2002/03 season which saw the 1st team also achieve a new Club scoring record in beating Ipswich Hospitals 12-0 - ironically while the manager was away in the USA!

Although the reserves only just avoided relegation, they again reached the final of the Reserve Cup - only to be beaten in the most heart-breaking fashion. Having battled so hard almost to the end of extra time, the softest penalty possible was conceded and opponents Bourne Vale reserves netted the winner from a rebound after Gary Cox had saved the spot-kick itself. Gary Cunningham was back in the manager’s role after Matt Parker had run the side for much of the season.

Duncan Southgate played his 200th game for the Club and Tim Howard reached 500 but they were topped by Pat Elvin making his 700th Taverners appearance.

The ‘downside of the yo-yo’ saw the first relegated to Division 1 in 2004 after a brave fight; our fate was decided by a defeat in our last game against Kesgrave Athletic after we had led at half-time. We had the consolation of winning the Divisional Fairplay award. The reserves made another appearance in the Reserve Cup Final but, this time, were very much second-best, losing 3-0 to the holders Bourne Vale reserves.

More ‘milestones’ were achieved. Bevan Burgess, Daren Stevens and Gary Cunningham each made their 400th appearances for the Club while Gary made it a double by scoring his 200th goal for the Club.

The 2004/05 season began with a game between a current Tavs squad Xl and a ‘mature Xl’ to celebrate the achievements of Bevan Burgess, Gary Cunningham, Daren Stevens and Andy Spivey in playing their 400th games for the Club; Andy had made his 400th appearance in the season’s opening game.

It was tremendous that Pat Elvin (721 appearances), Tim Howard (530) and Trevor Hedges (414) also took part under the Ipswich Wanderers’ floodlights.

An exciting season ended with the first team grabbing the runners-up spot in Division 1 - so it was back to the Premier once more!

The early part of the season saw too many goals being conceded and we had to rely on some fight backs - notably from 3-0 down to beat Trimley Rangers 5-4, from two goals behind to beat Bourne Vale 3-2 (both in the Sunday Cup) and from 3-1 down to beat Kelsale SC 4-3 in a league game.

In addition to our league success, the first team reached the quarter final stage of both the County Sunday Cup and the League Senior Cup.

The 1st team’s 5-4 win away to Worlingworth saw Andy Spivey net a penaly. Nothing remarkable about this…….until you realise that this was Andy’s 27th successful spot-kick for Taverners!

Certainly a record for the Club and possibly a total unbeaten in local football?

Julien Holmes was appointed reserve team player-manager in 2004 and his first season in charge was one of mid-table consolidation. The early part of the season was a little unsteady but the Tavs finished with a run of seven games which only contained one defeat.

During the season, both Mike Cura and Trevor Hollinsworth notched up their 200th appearances for the Tavs.

The first team managed to hold onto Premier Division status in season 2005/06 as a result of a turn-round of fortunes from March onwards - after not managing any league wins at all before Christmas! The highlights were two away wins (one in the Senior Cup) over Belstead Arms.

The reserves just managed to escape relegation which, as often in the past, was enough to see them promoted - to Division 1.

The season saw Gary Pilkington play his 200th game for the Club while James Bullamore reached 300 appearances.

And we come to 2006/07 - the Club’s 40th season of competitive Sunday football. While we were delighted to have reached this significant milestone, it was clear from the beginning that neither of our teams would have an easy season.

In fact, it turned out to be one of the most difficult in the Club’s history and, unfortunately, both teams suffered relegation. It must be said that we were playing at the highest level in Sunday football - any mistakes or weaknesses are severely punished.

At least we battled on, the reserves maintaining their spirits despite some heavy defeats while the first team fought ‘the drop’ to the very end and picked up a number of good results in the new year including taking four points from Championship contenders Wickham Market and beating AFC Woodbridge and Kelsale Sports Club.

During the season, the Tavs broke new ground by becoming the first Sunday club to participate in the Saul Charity Cup. On the ‘milestone front’ Duncan Southgate collected a memento for playing his 300th game for the Club.

The year was rounded off by a superb Reunion and Presentation Night held at the Legends Bar at Portman Road.

As well as the normal annual awards ceremony, a selection of photographs covering the Club’s 40 year history were on display and tribute was paid to those present who had won ‘Player of the Year’ awards in previous years and those who had amassed impressive appearance totals - evidence of the loyalty which had been enabled Taverners to continue and thrive for 40 years.

The 2007/08 season produced thrilling games, lots of goals and some fine displays but the first team ended ‘so near and yet so far’ from promotion. Third place was not enough to reach the play-off. The team also had two good cup runs - reaching their first semi-final in the League Senior Cup - but missed out on a final appearance by the odd goal.

The reserves - under the new management of Trevor Hollingsworth - reached the semi-final of the Reserve Cup and managed to stave off relegation with a late flurry.

Jason Riley hit the headlines with 27 first team goals from 26 games - the best total for over 30 years - while Bevan Burgess and Daren Stevens each played their 500th game for the Club and Daren scored his 100th goal.

The club had a generally successful season in 2008/09, both teams finishing in third position in their respective divisions – the reserves’ climbing to that level through a flurry of good late results after a campaign fighting relegation!

Trevor Hollinsworth played his 300th match for the club while Gary Cunningham made it to 500. The recent achievements of Gary, Bevan Burgess and Daren Stevens in reaching five-centuries were celebrated in a special match under the Ipswich Wanderers FC lights. Frank Fleming had decided to step aside as club secretary – after 42 years service – and his efforts were also saluted in the presentation match; a special Taverners evening. Frank also received a presentation from the Ipswich Sunday Football League.

As well as momentoes, the ‘famous-four’ were presented with bound match programmes, including Warren Page’s superb colour section; Elvin King, as usual, did us proud with coverage in his Evening Star column.

The league structure meant that the reserves’ third position in RM Division 2 gave them automatic promotion to RM 1 but the first team had to wait until mid-August before a club-withdrawal in the Premier Division allowed them to step up.

As the noughties’ decade draws to a close, the first team have managed a promising position in the Premier while the reserve team have much to do to hold onto Division 1 status.

However, the 2009/10 season so far has seen Gary Pilkington reach his 300th appearance for the club; another fine achievement.

The opening years of the new century have seen stability - both our teams have continued to enjoy the superb facilities at Greshams Sports Club for games on Sundays and training has been maintained on a regular weekly basis at Copleston Sports Centre. In fact, midweek training has been enjoyed by Taverners’ members uninterrupted since its introduction in 1972!

The club has continued to make Easter trips to Brussels for the Royal Brussels British FC tournament but with less frequency than before; it’s hoped that this will pick up again – perhaps starting in 2010?

The ‘noughties’ saw the re-introduction of the Club’s ‘Penalty Ace’ competition and the winners have been James Bullamore, Tom Blake and Tom Brooks.

Trevor Hollinsworth’s continuing valuable support maintained the Club’s smart image on the field of play and various kits have been worn: black & white, navy/sky quarters, ‘Chelsea’ all-blue, sky & white, red & white, ‘Roma’ maroon, yellow and navy and ‘Real Madrid’ all-white.

A major change has been the introduction of the club website – www.tavernersfc.org.uk – and we are so very grateful to Bevan Burgess for his work in establishing and designing it – and for his promptness and ingenuity in keeping it up-to-date and entertaining.

It should be noted that a full club history appears on the Tavs website, as above.

A further ‘move with the times’ is the publication of an ‘e-version’ Taverners News & Review and this has been well-received.