BARTLE TALKS OF THE SQUAD SIZE & RECENT CUP RUNS 30/1/08

WE PUT SOME QUESTIONS TO PINE BOSS BOB BARTLE, WITH THE CLUB NOW IN THE SECOND DIVISION WE WANTED TO KNOW AT FALCON NEWS WHAT THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF THE CLUB WAS AND WAS BARTLE THE MAN TO TAKE THE CLUB FORWARD

BOB, YOU FORMED THE CLUB IN 1999 AND INSTALLED YOURSELF AS MANAGER BUT DO YOU STILL HAVE THE DRIVE YOU HAD BACK THEN ?

Yes of course i do, anybody that knows me will know that i want to build a legacy at Falcon Pine that sees us over the years become a very real force in Sunday League football.....we did get close to doing just that but it all blew up in our faces last season with a lot of change in players and the resulting relegation.

SO HOW DO YOU INTEND TO GET THE CLUB BACK INTO DIVISION 1, AND GO ON FROM THERE?.....I MEAN DO YOU REALLY FEEL YOU AND YOUR PLAYERS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Well i think we have already done the hard work in consolidating and then bringing in several new faces......Mathew Chapman, Craig Smith and Ben Orchard as well as Assad Quereshi are the key players that have come in this season but we have others that have bolstered the squad and we are hopeful of a late rally this season to push us up into the promotion area.

Having got back into division 1, i am sure we have the players to cope this time around as the team spirit is fantastic and morale sky high.

SOME PEOPLE THINK YOU ARE A BIT TOO MOUTHY BOB, YOU HAVE GOT THE TAG OF THE MOST HATED MAN IN THE SUNDAY LEAGUE.....WE KNOW ITS A BACK HANDED COMPLIMENT AND MAINLY NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY BUT HOW DO YOU FEEL BEING AT TIMES SUCH A CONROVERSAL FIGURE?

I don`t take that seriously, the hated tag came about from Aidy Quick who i used to play for Hx Rangers with.....i suppose i have ruffled a few feathers over the years but at the end of the day im just honest for the club on and off the pitch and if that gets me into hot water so be it.......i would rather speak my mind than say nothing and get walked all over by people.

And also, the hated thing is just from people that don`t really know me as i wouldnt have lasted so long as a manager if i didnt have some kind of popularity with my own players and there hasn`t been many ive fallen out with over the years.

YOU HAVE HAD A FANTASTIC WEST RIDING TROPHY CUP RUN THIS SEASON, ITS WELL OVERDUE BUT DID YOU THINK YOU COULD GET FURTHER AND HOW DO YOU RATE YOUR CHANCES IN THE SEMI FINAL OF THE SENIOR CUP ?

Yes we have gone out early in the last couple of seasons in all the cups but this season we have done very well, we did want to go into the 6th round and the last 8 but it wasnt to be and on the day we didnt perform and badly missed Matt Holroyd along with Ben Orchard getting injured after 10 minutes so Mike Jordan had to go in goal.....it was a bit of a bad day all round v Pudsey and with Scott Allinson blobbing on the day we all felt a bit let down before the game started and it did effect us.

Quite simply i cannot keep them all happy so i don`t try to !....it helps when we are winning as nobody out of the team can argue but the way i do it is to try pick a well balanced team each game and give the players that have not had many games a chance now and then....basically if a player comes in and does well he will keep his shirt as long as he maintains his performance.

It is very difficult however as its obvious we have some players way better than some squad men, but i try not to leave any player out and try to involve every player as they are all equally vital to our success.

Its a myth that i cause problems for refs, at the end of the day i am pine manager and i play centre midfield also so im next to the ref most of the time......i do question decisions a lot, if i think a ref has got it totally wrong ill tell him but not in a nasty way and i never swear at refs.

I also dont want to see our own players hassling refs etc, the vast majority of refs i get on fine with.