This was a strange season that represented both the start and the end of eras in the history of Logica Football Club. had taken over the reins of Supremodom from , whilst a rapid decline in the quality of mandarinal administration encouraged us to make this our last season in the West End League. On the field, sensational scandals marked both the start and end of the campaign, but with not a great deal to cheer in between times.

By pure coincidence, these various milestones in the history of the club would be recorded for posterity via a new medium. October 1993 saw the publication of the first issue of a snazzy new club magazine. Exciting, amusing, and informative, not to mention sexy, the innovators of this good-looking paper-based journal had got their hands on a freeware DTP package and decided to name the resultant creation "If Selected...". was the multi-pound publishing baron behind the first volume, which boasted a full three issues, with regular contributions from and amongst others. Who could have dreamt then that "If Selected..." would go on to sell out six volumes before metamorphosing into one of the leading global webloids boasted by any amateur football side playing in a Wandsworth Sunday league.

After a relatively seamless transition, established himself as Supremo in quiet and efficient manner. The excellent organisational skills, subtle man-management techniques and loyal commitment to the club that would characterise his four year reign were immediately apparent. He led by example, and typically the new gaffer was an ever-present during his first season in charge. If the trials and tribulations of running a football club in the modern era were not enough, the kind of bad timing previously only seen in the great man’s tackling saw posted to Southend for two years within a month of his appointment as Logica Supremo. The monthly (then weekly) trips back to London for league meetings would only serve to underline ’s unbelievable commitment to our cause.

Managerially, he was helped by the inheritance of almost exactly the same squad of players that had fought the previous campaign. Indeed, there was only one of ’s charges who had departed, but that would be some loss. had played his last game for the club, although few believed the rumours that his retirement was down to the player’s belief that only could get the best out of him.

To counter-balance this single loss, made just one new signing. was a powerful, fast and skilful attacking left-sided player who would go on to give the club many years loyal service. ’s first season, however, was a veritable mare. In just his second appearance, the Geordie picked up a serious leg injury and did not reappear until the following season.

But there was still , adjudged by many to be the best goalkeeper in the club’s history. His outstanding talent was coupled with a loyal commitment to match that of the himself, and was similarly an ever-present. With the club struggling on the field, the Yorkshire glove-man put in a string of brilliant performances that earned precious victories or kept the score down to respectable levels. And he showed that there was plenty of talent in his boots as well as his gloves when he donned the number nine shirt in a late-season friendly to notch twice in a 4-1 win over Warwick Utd.

Elsewhere could still call on a sizable number of the Golden Lags, the all-conquering side who had claimed two Championships and a Cup in the late eighties. , and all made brief, if telling, contributions, although all would play a bigger part next season. and offered midfield quality in the majority of matches, whilst the legendary goal-scoring triumvirate of , and contributed two thirds of Logica’s goals during the season. This concentration of net bulging talent was in fact a bit of a concern, and with just one other player ( with 4) notching more than once, moved quickly at the end of the season to add more goal power with the signing of .

’s first year at the helm coincided with a significant decline in administrative competence at the West End (London) League, of which Logica had been a member since the mid-1980’s. The inconvenience of only arranging fixtures one month at a time had always been a pain in terms of booking pitches and securing player availability, but now some of the more basic administrative elements disintegrated. A dearth of referees, certainly ones who actually turned up on a Sunday morning, found Logica playing many games this season with one or other manager standing in with a whistle. At the same time, we seemed to come up against more and more ale-house sides who had just rolled out of the night-clubs, and who seemed more interested in kicking lumps out of their opponents than in playing football.

Many other teams were leaving the league, including Barron Casuals, a club with whom Logica had close links. Undeterred by a 9-2 pre-season pasting at the hands of Logica, the Casuals passed on recommendations about the Sportsmans League based around the Wandsworth area. acted quickly as the end of an increasingly disorganised West End season approached, and an application was soon in the post. It was immediately apparent that these Sportsmans chaps ran a tight ship, as an interview and grading game quickly followed.

Our application was duly accepted, and all at the club could look forward to the dawning of a new era. One side-effect of this transfer came about since the Sportmans’ League did not countenance artificial surfaces. Consequently Logica had to vacate their home of three years, the Battersea Park Astrodome and its flat Astroturf surfaces, probably with mixed feelings by most of their scabby-legged stars. Our last competitive match there saw us lose 2-1 to Ferndale, with scoring our last goal in front of the home supporters at the Prince of Wales Drive End.

This was one of seven league defeats suffered during the season, a disappointing record after a promising start. After a stunning pre-season that saw three impressive victories (including a 9-0 drubbing of Cardiff City), the league campaign opened with two draws against the Arms of Wilmington and Churchill. The opening league game of the season caused a sensation when made himself available, and was duly selected, for a match taking place the day after his marriage to long time Logica terrace hooligan Isobel Voyles.

And the newly-wed was in good form the morning after, getting on the end of a corner to claim Logica’s opening goal, a deflection off a defender taking the ball over the line. But whilst romance may have been in the air on the Saturday, there was little around on the Sunday. The Official Club Statistician of the time recorded the goal as an OG in the history books, and proved himself equally ruthless in his first competitive game in charge when he substituted just past the hour mark. The Scotsman had no complaints, staying to watch the rest of the match before heading off on his honeymoon. All a far cry from the pampered primadonnas of the modern game!

Early season optimism was delivered a stunning blow in Logica’s third match when Bajau thrashed them 7-0 at the Astrodome. The team bounced back with no little spirit in the first round of the Cup, when a still-drunk answered a desperate eleventh hour call from the . Turning up twenty minutes after kick-off with side-kick , this stout knight in shining armour duly scored the only goal of a famous victory. But selection problems continued, and a numerically deficient Logica side bowed out of the league cup the following week at the hands of Sheen Royals, and also lost their next two league games.

There were the traditional Christmas festivities, when a hat-trick swept aside Washington at the Astrodome in our last match of 1993, but the following year commenced with some disappointing, if entertaining, defeats. A 6-3 mauling at the hands of Warwick Utd was bad enough, but then an hat-trick and brace proved insufficient as Logica crashed 7-5 to Woodvale Rovers.

was facing his first on-field crisis and he responded authoritively. Some subtle changes of personnel appeared to do the trick, as Logica went on a three match unbeaten run that included a goal for youngster in the 3-1 Divisional Cup win over Wilmington Arms. But consistency proved an elusive trait, and Logica then went on to lose their next three games by the odd goal.

At least the seasonal pendulum ended on an upward swing. A double-header against old foes Shamrock Celtic saw two highly entertaining matches. ’s stunning Goal of the Season strike contributed to a 2-2 draw, before goals from the old triumvirate of (2), and won a valuable three points in a ding-dong 4-3 win. The team were gifted a further six points when their last two opponents turned up with less than the minimum number of players, and so Logica bowed out of the West End League with a mid-table finish that had looked beyond them at one stage.

But there was still time for some end-of-season drama. capped an impressive opening season as Supremo by scoring his first senior goal in the shadow of Ajax of Amsterdam’s stadium, inspiring the team to victory in what would be our last pre-World Cup touah. This was in the days before England sides were met by luxury coaches and interpreters at the airport, and the whole squad found themselves sharing just two hotel bedrooms and six bunk-beds. This is what Tier One Touah Organisation meant in reality. However, the accommodation could not have been all that bad, for defender plumped to spend all day in his bunk and thus failed to see the field of play.

And there was still time for a prestigious Cup Final, the Arthur Dann Memorial Shield (or the Arthur Dann Memorial Ruck as it became known to posterity). Despite being knocked out of both Cups in the second round, Logica were again invited to play in an end of season four-team tournament comprising those clubs in the ten-division league with the best disciplinary records. Somehow, we acquired a bye to the Final, and what should have been a celebration of the Corinthian spirit at Hendon’s non-league ground, veered dramatically in the opposite direction when a ‘slightly mis-timed’ tackle by gentleman, scholar and some-time stopper sparked a 21-man brawl.

Things eventually calmed down, much to the relief of the watching dignitaries and Mrs Dann herself, whose husband - a devout servant to the West End League for many of his ninety or so years - had died the previous year. Logica were fairly comprehensively beaten by higher division opponents in Pantheon, and were perhaps glad to put the West End behind them. There was one final duty to perform, however, when the league secretary asked Logica if they could give Mrs. Dann a lift back to South London. A gaggle of Logica stars, including were amongst the honoured escorts in the car, and the ugly scenes of earlier that morning seem to have been forgotten. The conversation was jogging along fairly jollily until inquired in all innocence: "...so where is Mr. Dann this morning?" It was time to move on.

SEASON AT A GLANCE:
Most Appearances: and (19 out of 19 games max)
Golden Boot: (10 goals in 17 games)
Players' Player of the Year:
Goal of the Season: Joint Winners - v Shamrock Celtic (h) and v Woodvale Rovers (a) (Trophy Rnd 1)
Biggest Victory: 4-2 v Washington (h)
Heaviest Defeat: 0-7 v Bajau (h)
Number of Players used: 23
Goals Scored: 36 goals in 19 games (average 1.89 per game)
Goals Conceded: 52 goals in 19 games (average 2.74 per game)
Clean Sheets: One in 19 games (average one every 19.00 games)