No 15:44 merchants in the A team
Honest grafters, yes. A team standard-setters? Not quite. There's a place for development - it's called the B team.
The Petition
Add your name to the standards wall.
Leave a name and a comment, hit sign, and we'll thank you for backing the cause. Every signature is a stand for standards. Every comment is a call to action.
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The Case for Standards
We believe the A team should represent the sharp end of the club.
This would never have been tolerated in Simon Deakin’s day — lads turning up blasting Cascada off a boombox on a Tuesday session wouldn’t have got anywhere near the A team. Standards mattered. Keep him firmly in the B where he belongs.
No pink kit in the A team
This isn't a fashion runway. This is racing. Neutral colours, serious intent. If you look like a highlighter pen, you're sending the wrong message before the race even starts.
No treadmill dodgers
If it's "a bit wet" and you're indoors watching Netflix miles tick by, you've already removed yourself from A team contention. The A team trains in it, through it, and because of it.
What the A Team Should Be
A proper standard is simple enough to remember.
Consistent
Not heroic once. Reliable always.
Accountable
If the standard slips, someone says so.
Slightly unhinged
About standards, specifically.
Comfortable being uncomfortable
Rain, mud, pressure, effort. Good.
Why This Matters
When standards slip, everything slips.
The pack loses bite
Standards are what make the front end of a club feel dangerous. Without them, everyone settles.
The vest loses meaning
Selection should say something. If it says nothing, it is just fabric.
The role stops meaning anything at all
Suddenly, being "in the A team" is just admin. We're not here for that.
Our Position
Keep Butler in the B team.
Keep the standards high. Keep the A team what it's meant to be.
Because if we don't draw the line somewhere... we'll all end up in pink kit on a treadmill wondering where it went wrong.