Football Focus 050

FOOTBALLFOCUS ISSUE 50 / £6.95 / WWW.FOOTBALLFOCUS.BIZ COVENTRY CITY LED BY MANAGER STEVEN PRESSLEYBASINGSTOKE TOWN BODMIN TOWN A SUPERBLY RUN COMMUNITYCURRENTLY TOP OF THE CONFERENCE SOUTH LEAGUE ESTABLISHMENTWYTHENSHAWE AMATEURSBENEFITTING FROM THE BUDWEISER CLUBFUTURES PROGRAMMEPAULTON ROVERSLOOKING TO BUILD ON LAST YEAR’S PROMOTIONALSO FEATURING STANWAY ROVERS : BUILDING AROUND RESPECT FOR PLAYERS, FANS AND STAFF ALIKE

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PUBLISHED BY ISSUE 50 CONTENTSPROCESS PUBLISHING LTDSUITE 1, SAVILLE EXTCHANGE, FOOTBALLFOCUSHOWARD STREET, NORTHSHIELDS, NORTH 04 SOUTH SHIELDS 28 SUTTON UNITED 53 BARNETTYNESIDE, NE30 1SE 07 DUNDONALD BLUEBELL 30 STONE OLD ALLEYNIANS 54 Immingham Pilgrims 09 COVENTRY CITY 32 Anstey Nomads 55 BISHOPS LYDEARDWWW.FOOTBALLFOCUS.BIZ 11 BLACKFIELD AND LANGLEY 34 SCOLE UNITED 57 STAFFORD RANGERS 14 COVE 36 DENABY UNITED 58 CAISTERCOMMERCIAL 16 Scarborough Athletic 38 GARDEN VILLAGE 60 CONSETT 18 GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 40 WITTON ALBION 64 RICHMOND TOWNHEAD OF PRODUCTION 20 PAULTON ROVERS 42 Broadbridge Heath 66 KNIGHTON TOWNGary Hoosan 23 LANCASTER CITY 43 TILBURY 68 WYTHENSHAWE AMATEURST: 0191 597 6078 24 STANWAY ROVERS 44 BODMIN TOWN 70 teversalE: [email protected] 26 FOREST GREEN ROVERS 48 BASINGSTOKE TOWN 72 RISCA UNITEDCOMMERCIAL DIRECTORIan FinlayT: 0191 597 8080E: [email protected] DIRECTORSDave LockerT: 0191 447 3737E: [email protected] AnthonyT: 0191 447 2376E: [email protected] GillenT: 0191 447 6996E: [email protected] OphieldT: 0191 340 0622E: [email protected] LengT: 0191 447 6161E: [email protected] IN CHIEFJamie SeymourT: 0191 435 7878E: [email protected] GoldsmithT: 0191 597 6078E:[email protected] MurphyT: 0191 597 6078E: [email protected] ADMINISTRATORKane RobinsonT: +44 7527 993727E: [email protected] THANKS - Ashleigh Goldthorpe, BillEdgar, Josh Guthrie, Paul Mckellar.FOLLOW US ONLINE www.footballfocus.biz 3TWITTER.COM/FOOTYFOCUSMAG©PROCESS PUBLISHING ALL RIGHTSRESERVEDNo part of this publication may bereproduced or transmitted in any format byany means, or stored in a retrieval systemwithout prior written premission, exceptas permitted under the copyright designsand permissions act 1998. Applications forpermission for use of copyright materialshall be made to the publishers.

South ShieldsSouth ShieldsSOUTH Shields Football Club has a long, storied It is a far from ideal situation, but the tight-knit committeeand at times chequered history. The club was first has worked tirelessly over recent years to secure aformed in 1888, although it has since been forced new ground in South Shields, and continues to holdto reform on a number of occasions. Nicknamed talks with South Tyneside Council over the issue.‘The Mariners’, Shields have enjoyed success overthe last 126 years. That is the major challenge for Chairman Gary Crutwell and the committee, who are tasked with keeping theA former Football League club, they finished in sixth club competitive in Northern League Division Two,place in the second tier in 1922, finishing above the despite a significant drop in attendances, revenue andlikes of Leeds United, Leicester City, Derby County and sponsorship.Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, there is hope that better times lie ahead forHowever, the club was forced to reform in 1974 when the Mariners, and that they could perhaps recaptureit lost its stadium, and it moved to Gateshead and re- past glories.emerged as Gateshead United. Their move away from South Shields in 2013 coincidedJust four years earlier, Shields had played Queens with a relegation from Northern League Division One,Park Rangers at Loftus Road in an FA Cup third round and the 2013-14 season was one of some struggle.fixture, but they found themselves in a situation where Manager Jon King and his squad were set the objectivethey had to rebuild. of remaining in the division, and they did just that, despite some difficult moments.That they did, but real challenges lay ahead, culminatingin history repeating itself in 2013 when the club lost Now, though, the positivity surrounding the club isits Filtrona Park home – a stadium they had played at telling, and there is also hope an announcement couldsince 1992. be made soon regarding a return to South Shields.Now, the club is temporarily based at Eden Lane, in King, and his new assistant Lee Bell, have put togetherPeterlee – some 20 miles away from South Shields. a young, united and hungry set of players, and they have started their 2014-15 season in positive fashion.4 Issue 50

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South ShieldsThey were at one stage third in the table after a run of That will be the major challenge the club faces in thesix wins in a row, despite the fact the main objective this next year or so, with the new stadium seen as a priority.season was again to finish comfortably in mid-table. If the Mariners can return to Shields, in their preferred location, they will then be in a better position to assessThe number of fans at games may have dropped over their ambitions, but promotion back to Division One ofthe last year or so due to the move out of the town, but the Northern League is likely to be top of the agenda inthose who have attended matches this season have the shorter-term.done so with a smile on their face. As with most Northern League clubs, South ShieldsThe team, too, seems happy, and 29-year-old relies on a small committee who work tirelessly out ofdefender Chris Locke remarked in September that the sheer love for the game, and of course the club itself.atmosphere in the dressing room was the best he had Without them, the club would already have ceasedever experienced. to exist, but they are still battling, whatever the future challenges which may lie ahead.Another positive aspect of the club at the moment is itsthriving youth set-up, spearheaded by head coaches South Shields is an unpredictable club which has had toKevin Bolam and Martin Urwin. overcome a number of challenges to survive – and, at times, rebuild – over the last 126 years, so they will feelLast season, the club’s Under-16s side won the treble, confident of getting through their latest tricky period.and they have now stepped up to Under-18 level. The Mariners are almost ready to sail forward again.They have started the season in stunning form in ahigher standard league, against teams which are, onaverage, aged a year older than them.Shields are committed to bringing through youngplayers and playing a positive role in the community,with the first-team’s return to the town seen as thecatalyst for future progress.6 Issue 50

Dundonald BluebellDundonald BluebellDundonald Bluebell have re-organised their club in recent years and are starting to see the benefits now.Football Focus Magazine caught up with the club’s General Manager Allan Halliday to find out more about thegood work that they’ve been doing.Re-Structure ProgressionHe started by telling us about the part he plays at the “However we felt in the long run this would be the bestclub, saying, “The most challenging aspect of the role course of direction for the club. Archie took his firstwas around two main areas, on the football side the pre-season training session after this with 2 playersclub was positioned in the lowest tier of Junior Football attending. Luckily for us Archie has one of the best trackin the East Region and off the park we required changes records in junior football having taken both Thorntonto the structure and culture in how the club was being Hibs and Glenrothes Juniors to the Superleague andrun at that time. won various cups and honours in his time in the game.Difficult decisions were made on the football side, when He worked his socks off to assemble a squad for thehaving not long arrived at the club a decision was taking forthcoming season and come the end of the yearto change the then management team and bring in a we unfortunately missed out on promotion by onemanager we had previously enjoyed success with at point. The culture within the club was one of apathy,Glenrothes Juniors, Archie Wyse. This did not go down we needed to generate income by making ourselveswell with the players at the time who were extremely more attractive to potential sponsors, changing andclose to the then management team. However, we enhancing sources of income to the club, engagingtook a stance that if players were not happy with the more with the local community and establishing a youthdecision and wished to play there football elsewhere development programme.we would allow them to do so. We didn’t expect mostlyall of the squad to wish to leave on the back of this Time was a major challenge in us achieving all theseand in allowing them to do this we had a few sleepless set goals as everyone at the club takes up various rolesnights.” in a voluntary capacity. Rewards for all involved are 3 points on a Saturday and seeing the club develop both on and off the park going forward.” www.footballfocus.biz 7

Dundonald BluebellAtmosphere Facilities“Having gained promotion last season to the 2nd tier “Over the last 2 years we have, with funding assistanceof East Region JFA the Premier Division where we from Fife Council and other local businesses,currently sit top of the table and having made history by redeveloped our changing room facilities, cateringbeing the first ever Dundonald Bluebell team to make facilities, social club area and built a hospitality/the quarter final of the Scottish Junior Cup last season sponsors lounge which has transformed what wasthere is a very positive vibe around the club currently.” previously available. We have further plans to develop spectator facilities and changing room areas but this2014/15 will depend largely on available funding.”“We have a 2 year plan to hopefully challenge for Challenges/Ambitionspromotion and get the club playing for the first timeever in the top tier of junior football in the area, the “As always, obtaining sponsorship and making yourselfSuperleague. We have made a positive start this attractive to any potential sponsor is key to drivingseason and currently, although early days, sit top of the club forward, there have been a lot of changesthe league. This year our main aim at the start of the at the club in a relatively short period of time and thisseason was to avoid relegation and this is still the goal. would not have been possible without the support ofHowever, if we can finish in a higher position we would sponsors, an extremely hard working committee andbe delighted with that.” the local community. We need to ensure we continue to do the good things that maintain the involvement ofCommunity all these people.“Over the last 2 seasons we have established Under On the park our ambitions are to play and establish17 and Under 19 youth teams as part of our youth ourselves at the top level of East Region Juniordevelopment policy with both clubs winning their Football, the Superleague and hopefully bring somerespective leagues last season. This is seen as key kind of silverware to Dundonald Bluebell. Off the parkto developing Dundonald Bluebell players of the future we want to develop as a community club and ensureand ensuring local children have the opportunity to play we develop as a club for the local community to befootball. proud off.”We hope to increase the number of teams playing THE VILLAGE INNunder the Dundonald Bluebell umbrella going forward.We are striving to be a community club by making our LOUNGE & PUBLIC BARfacilities available to local groups, engaging with localschools and organising various events throughout theyear for the local community.” Function Room For Party’s & Live Entertainment OPENING TIMES Monday 10:00 AM - 12:00 AM Tuesday 10:00 AM - 12:00 AM Wednesday 10:00 AM - 12:00 AM Thursday 10:00 AM - 12:00 AM Friday 10:00 AM - 01:00 AM Saturday 10:00 AM - 01:00 AM Sunday 10:00 AM - 12:00 AM THE VILLAGE INN, CARDENDEN, 5 – 7 MAIN ROAD, DUNDONALD, LOCHGELLY, FIFE KY5 0DJ8 Issue 50

Coventry cITYCoventry cityThe Sky Blues, nicknamed due to the traditional Coventry City to return to the Ricoh in early Septembercolour of their home kits, were founded in 1883 2014; a 1-0 win against Gillingham, thanks to a goalunder the name Singers F.C., and changed their from Frank Nouble, marking their first fixture back onname to Coventry City Football Club sixteen years home soil.later. They first joined the Football League in 1919,and have remained there ever since. A 34-year Staffstay in the top flight of English football ended withrelegation in 2001, and the club have since moved Former Scotland international Steven Pressley wasbetween the Championship and League 1, which appointed as the Sky Blues manager in March 2013.they entered after another relegation season in He has managed to overcome many hurdles during his2012. More recently, the club has been primarily tenure including the aforementioned stadium issues,concerned with ownership and financial issues, two 10-point deductions in consecutive seasons duewhich seemed to have been rectified somewhat by to the club entering administration almost immediatelythe early stages of the 2014/15 season. after he was appointed, and a high turnover of playing staff. Despite these challenges, Pressley has a steadyFacilities win percentage of 35% in the league, and was rewarded by the club with a long-term contract in SeptemberCoventry City left Highfield Road in 2005, after a 2014, taking him through until the end of the 2017/18106-year stay. They moved to the brand new Ricoh season. Their return to the Ricoh Arena should allowArena, which seats over 32,000 fans and contains a Pressley to deliver a season of consolidation, withhotel, a casino, state of the art hospitality enclosures designs on attacking a play-off position.and a leisure club. However, problems began tosurface in late 2012, when the club entered a dispute Highs and Lowswith the stadium owners over an alleged lack of rentpayments. This culminated in the team having to play Whilst their 2012 demotion to League 1 wasseveral matches at Northampton’s Sixfields Stadium undoubtedly a low point in the recent history of thein 2014 whilst the two parties came to an agreement. club, they were an established Premier League clubEventually, such an agreement was reached in time for for almost ten years and enjoyed some success. They www.footballfocus.biz 9

Coventry cITY beat Tottenham Hotspur in the 1987 FA Cup final, their only major trophy to date. Dion Dublin earned the Premier League top scorer award whilst playing for Coventry in 1998, and they achieved an all-time high finish since the Premier League’s formation of 11th place in that same year. The club is often thought of as a ‘sleeping giant’, as the team’s history and potential of the stadium and fan base could help sustain a surge back up the divisions. Coventry City will be hoping to put their recent financial troubles behind them, and return to the second tier of English football as soon as possible. Whilst most fans will be glad to see their club simply operating in its home stadium once again, they will also be longing for an eventual return to the Premier League.10 Issue 50

Blackfield and LangleyBlackfieldand LangleyBlackfield and Langley FC is a community orientatedclub committed to providing as many people aspossible from the local area with a chance to playthe game. Football Focus Magazine caught up withtheir Chairman Owen Lightfoot to find out more.He told us, “I was first involved with the club in 1966as a player aged 16. At that time Blackfield were a“I have been the chairmanHampshire 4 side and were the highest graded teamin the area.for the last few years. ItI have been the chairman for the last few years. Itis challenging having tois challenging having to keep the ground up to therequired ground grading, carrying out repairs to thekeep the ground up to theground after the storms in the early part of this year. Attimes you have to act like a politician and when thingsrequired ground grading,all come together it is very rewarding.carrying out repairs to theHaving had what the club regard as a poor seasonin 2013/14 the introduction of a new manager, John“ground after the storms inRobson, towards the end of last season, had an upliftingeffect. This followed on to the start of the season and allthe early part of this year.”involved with the club were looking forward to the newcampaign.The start of pre-season training went well with gamesset up with Salisbury City and Gosport Borough.Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances bothgames had to be cancelled and this had an effect onour build up. The season started off ok and then wewere hit with a few injuries to key players and at thistime they are just coming back.The Manager and Director of Football Sam Davies areaiming to win the league. We are also hoping for asuccessful run in the cups, FA vase and FA cup thisyear. In the past we have run U16 and U18 sidesalthough at times this has proved difficult as it has beenhard to get managers to run them. This season we arerunning a U21/Reserve side. The U21’s will be playingin the new National U21 League in the Southamptonarea.Unfortunately there are only 5 teams in this leagueso we are waiting to see how this will work. We havealso entered the side into the Wyvern League to makesure that the players have enough games. One of thepeople running this side has connections with footballin the Philippines. If a player is interested he may be www.footballfocus.biz 11

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“ Blackfield and Langley “I think the biggest challenge for us is the same as most clubs at our level of football; raising funds to cover the ever increasing costs of running a“football team.” able to go there to play. To ensure a smooth transition into the senior game, all of the players have the opportunity to train with the first team. Players that show they have ability and enthusiasm, have the opportunity to go along with the first team, a few already have been chosen to play and be substitutes. I think the biggest challenge for us is the same as most clubs at our level of football; raising funds to cover the ever increasing costs of running a football team. Also trying to find new people to come and help out on the committee, as new faces being in new ideas. The clubs ambitions are to carry on being successful on and off the field and win promotion to the highest level we can achieve.” www.footballfocus.biz 13

cOVEcOVE First established in 1897, Cove FC play their home games at the Oak Farm Stadium on Squirrel Lane in Farnborough and their first team currently competes in the Premier Division of the Combined Counties League. They are led by the team of President Frank Kenton and Chairman Mathew Hutton and the club has made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance. Their first team has enjoyed a superb start to the current campaign having compiled a record of 11 wins and 2 draws from their 13 matches. This has seen them race to the top of the table with 35 points on the board. This should provide them with the perfect platform from which to build as they look ahead towards the rest of the campaign. So long as they are able to keep up their recent level of performance they will have a great chance of claiming the league title. It all started when my dad had his sony DSLR camera; Trips to the zoo, sea side and walks where I overtook the possession of his hobby. This new found passion of mine ended up with me doing a two year course at Basingstoke College. (Level 3 Art and Design Extended diploma) where i came out with three distinctions. I have now been specialising in photo-shoots for over 4 years, gaining endless and amazing experience from photographers in a wide range of background areas, allowing me to open up my own business. Photo-shoots range from indoor to out which includes an option of me bringing my portable studio to your home. Over the past couple of years i have branched to wedding photography, as well as event photography which has just made my passion grow with photography even more. I progressed even further, and fell into football photography after my partner (then at Cove FC) encouraged a link between my business and the club. After we finalised becoming First Team Kit Sponsor and taking the official club photographs for the start of the season I began my firm link with Cove FC. I cemented further my link with Cove FC after committing to a new Away kit for the 2014/15 Season and whilst my partner has moved on to a new club he encouraged my link with Cove for them to continue to improve the media side of the club. This has now also opened up the door to a club in a higher league and again increase my knowledge of Photography in sport.14 Issue 50

cOVEOne of the standout features of the team’s performances “coaching staff involved with thehas been the attacking brand of football that they have side are confident that they’vemanaged to produce. This has been reflected by the a number of players with thefact that they have racked up 31 goals in the leaguealone at a rate of more than 2 per match. potential to go on and represent the first team.”This has certainly meant that any supporters attendingtheir fixtures have been well entertained and shouldencourage more of the local community to get behindthem in the future. This in turn has the potential toprovide the club with a valuable source of additionalrevenue.One of the keys for any club wishing to be successfulis to be able to produce their own talent and with this inmind Cove have an U18 side running. This team looks“to provide young players from the local area with anopportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyableenvironment whilst helping them to reach their fullpotential.It will certainly be exciting to see how their youngstersare able to develop over the coming years and coachingstaff involved with the side are confident that they’vea number of players with the potential to go on andrepresent the first team.Cove’s superb start to the season reflects the hard workthat has been put in behind the scenes to make theclub a success. Hopefully they will be able to keep upthe good work for many years to come and everyone atFootball Focus Magazine would like to wish them thebest of luck for the rest of the season. www.footballfocus.biz 15

Scarborough AthleticScarboroughAthletic ““Since their promotion in 2013,Walking along Seamer Road in the seaside town the club have never looked back.of Scarborough, you’d expect the McCain Stadium Securing an astounding 99 pointsto come into view, home of league stalwarts in their promotion season clearlyScarborough Football Club. But it’s gone. Now showed that the Seadogs werea building site for a proposed Sports & leisure ready for the next step.”Village, the stadium was demolished in 2011following the liquidation of the town football teamin 2007. Failure to pay off the debt for the stadiumwas the final nail in the coffin for the 128 year oldfootball team. However, like a Phoenix from theashes the club was reborn. A new and invigoratedScarborough Athletic FC carries on the proudfootballing traditions in these parts.Well I say these parts, actually 17 miles down the coast.Nicknamed ‘The Seadogs’, the club adopted the samebadge, motto and prestigious red kit and moved tonearby Bridlington to play their home games, sharing16 Issue 50

Scarborough Athleticthe 3,000 capacity Queensgate ground with Bridlington Keen to maintain their status as a community-basedTown. Rising from the North Premier East League, the football club, the new Athletic have a rich interest inteam are currently battling in the Northern Premier the local area with squads ranging from reserve levelLeague Division 1 North. They have been on the to U12s. Their aim is to focus on future local footballingrise ever since their resurrection and are comfortably prospects. Managed by Gary Simm, the reserve teamplaced in the 8th tier of English football. was formed in 2008 providing a springboard for players making the step up to the first team. Desperate to getSince their promotion in 2013, the club have never back to their roots, A Back2Boro scheme was createdlooked back. Securing an astounding 99 points in their in 2009, aiming to raise awareness of Scarboroughpromotion season clearly showed that the Seadogs Athletics lack of a home and to raise funds to helpwere ready for the next step. Since entering the North finance a return home from their current BridlingtonPremier League, they have certainly shown a real base.sign of intent. Finishing the first season in a creditable7th, the team were quick to establish their name and So it’s all go for Scarborough. Achieving the status of areputation at this higher level. well run, sustainable and successful team has not only helped the club move in the right direction, but createdStarting the 2014/15 season with five wins and three a real sense of local pride. They are on the up and withlosses, the Seadogs show encouraging style. Top a strong performance both on and off the pitch; theyscorer and local lad, Jimmy Beadle has contributed five are becoming the success story of the lower divisions.goals to help the team maintain this impressive leagueform. But there’s an international feel to this new club,Romanian manager, Rudy Funk, has establishedhimself as a popular figurehead of the team’s success,managing 170 games over a three-year period. Leadinghis team to a win ratio of 54%, Funk has transformedthe team comfortably suited to the North PremierLeague. Chairman David Holland is sure to be morethan happy with the clubs recent direction. Boost your income by over £2,000 per year All the renewable energy installations from Life’s Energy provide a great way of making a guaranteed income over the next 20 years. Here’s how: • Install solar panels on your roof = £873 per year • Install an immerSUN switch in your water tank, linked to your solar panels = £200 per year • Install a Biomass Boiler = £960 per year Extra income = £2,033 per year The projected savings and earnings that renewables can deliver represents an investment whose speed of growth cannot be currently matched by any high street ISA or savings account. Plus you are significantly reducing your reliance on fossil fuels. Read the full article, with detailed calculations, on our website at www.lifesenergy.co.uk/news www.footballfocus.biz 17

Glenafton AthleticGlenaftonAthletic18 Issue 50

Glenafton AthleticGlenafton Athletic Football Club was founded in Facilities1930. They are based in the New Cumnock regionof Ayrshire in Scotland, and are known to their fans Glenafton currently play at Loch Park, which they movedas “The Glens” or “The Afton”. They currently play to in 1960 from their previous ground (Connel Park).in the West Region of the Scottish Junior Football The club changed their colours from black and whiteAssociation, and are a club steeped in tradition, due to red and white for the occasion. Loch Park providesto their long-standing roots within the community; a wide range of hot and cold food and beverages totheir old ground was a colliery owned pitch right in home and away fans alike inside Campbell Hall, theirthe middle of the local miners rows. catering building which is named after former club president, the late Hugh Campbell. The club haveRecent form installed a widescreen television and extra seating in order to accommodate as many fans as possible.The Glens occupy 8th place in their 12-team division at Matchday sponsors can also enjoy refreshments inthe time of writing, although the 2014/15 season is only the club’s Hunter Suite. The club website states thatthree or four fixtures old for each team. They will be Glenafton are committed to providing the best possiblehoping to climb the table as the season progresses in matchday experience for all fans, and judging by theirorder to improve on last season’s respectable 6th place impressive facilities, it is difficult to argue with such afinish. With only 27 goals scored in 2013/14, the joint- statement.lowest in the division, Glenafton supporters will hope tosee their team hit the back of the net more regularly this Stafftime of asking. Manager Tommy Bryce will be hopingthat striker Patrick Walker, a summer signing from Current manager Tommy Bryce has been in chargeAlbion Rovers, will help fire the team up the league of The Glens since July 2013. He had a brief spell astable. Daniel Orsi, a midfielder from Annan Athletic Partick Thistle player/manager in the late 1990’s andwho boasts Scottish Football League experience with played over 650 games as a centre forward in theQueen of the South, should also prove to be a good Scottish Football League, including three separateacquisition. spells at Queen of the South. He is assisted in his role at the club by Mark Howie (assistant manager/coach) and Ainsley Kelly (physio). Having played the game for over 20 years, it is fair to say that Bryce knows a thing or two about Scottish football, and following a steady 2013/14 season under his leadership, he will be optimistic about attacking the top two or three positions in the division having reshaped his squad over the summer. Glenafton have an excellent reputation as a well looked after football club. Important foundations such as their loyal fanbase, excellent ground, modern facilities and good links with the local community should serve them well in the future, and allow them to fully focus on matters on the pitch. www.footballfocus.biz 19

Paulton RoversPaulton RoversFirst established in 1881, Paulton Rovers FC Dan had a testimonial against Bristol Rovers (whereplays their home games at The Athletic Ground on he began his career) three years ago. In addition hisWinterfield Road in Bristol and currently compete replacement as captain, Scott Brice, had to sit outin the Premier Division of the Southern League. several matches following an eye injury. We’ve nowAndy Harris, the club’s Secretary took the time to played 15 matches including friendlies and leaguetell us more about the club. games and with other injuries (our new left back Connor Clifford was taken off to hospital with another injury 30Atmosphere minutes into his second game!) and suspensions, I don’t think the same back 5 have started successiveHe told us, “Everything is very positive at the moment two games!”following last season’s promotion. We’ve never playedat this level before and are determined to enjoy it for Planshowever long it may last. Having taken 6 points fromour opening 7 matches I can say we’ve competed well “We’ve signed some new players with experiencein every game and not lost by more than 1 goal and of playing at the higher level and with one or twocould easily have had more points with a little more luck. exceptions have been able to retain the players weWe have enjoyed record sponsorship and the social wanted from last season. This year is all about survivalclub continues to provide a range of entertainment that and consolidation with hopefully one or more good cupgenerates much needed income for the club.” runs.”Preparation Youth“Our management team described our pre-season as “We now only run an under 18 side (there are numerousthe worst ever! We lost our club captain, Dan Cleverley, other clubs in the area who look after the youngerto a cruciate ligament injury in the first training session children) but they are integral to the club’s development.and he looks certain to miss most, if not all, of this Three of the regular first team have come through theseason with an operation scheduled for the 2nd of system and our most famous player, Ashley Barnes,October. Dan has been with the club for 10 years and has just reached the Premiership with Burnley.had the distinction of scoring a hat trick on his debutagainst eventual champions Bideford.20 Issue 50

Paulton Rovers PRESS RELEASE FOR BLADERUNNER AT ARSENAL TRAINING GROUND TOP PERFORMANCEArsenal’s Training Centre in Colney, Hertfordshire boasts ten full size pitches, an indoor facility and a medical & rehabilitationcentre. The Training Centre has to withstand the onslaught of testosterone fuelled youngsters eager to prove their footballingprowess.Over 225m² of robust eco-friendly safety flooring was called for to improve facilities in the indoor facility. Nick Bunyard, who isnow heading up Jaymart’s new Sports & Leisure division, asserted that “Jaymart’s heavy duty performance rubber flooring Blade-runner in Black/Red was chosen for this project because it performs in all the key areas”.Bladerunner has also been chosen for:St George’s ParkBrighton & Hove Albion training groundTottenham Hotspur training groundSports & Leisure are also forging ahead with a new Supply & Fit option through their specialist in-house team, and this is nowsuccessfully being used by customers.Nick Bunyard has expanded his sales force and is growing his product portfolio in order to offer an enhanced packageand improved customer service for the sports & leisure arena. CrossFit boxes are now benefiting from Jaymart’s new Xfitweightlifting mats – these provide great force reduction on bumpers and offer secure footing. Shockpad Underlays andtemporary lifting platforms are also available. Line/logo marking and supply & fit are offered for sports and leisure installations.Included in the increasing, versatile range are roll and interlocking solutions, high-impact acoustic/force reduction rubber tiles,throw-down sports mats, several indoor and outdoor sprint track solutions, artificial grass lanes, stretch mats, foam jigsaw mattingand much more! For example, Jaymart’s logo mats for sportingbet were recently used on Wolves’ home ground.For more information on Jaymart’s Sports & Leisure range contact [email protected] or T: 01985 854007 Check out the full Jaymart range at www.jaymart.co.ukwww.footballfocus.biz 21

Paulton RoversWe no longer run a Reserve team as the league below the smoking ban, cheap supermarket alcohol and theus does not accept Reserve teams so there would now seemingly never ending growth of televised football.be a minimum gap of 4 divisions between the teams, When you see how much money is spent in the transferwhich is simply not practical. Therefore we identify window one can only dream of the difference it wouldwhich of the players we believe have the potential to make if only a small fraction was disseminated to grassplay at our 1st team level and invite them along to roots football.training with the 1st team and to accompany the teamon away trips to gain experience. We will look to place The other major issue is if you look around the clubsthem with clubs just under us in the Pyramid on dual most of the people running them are in the olderregistration and will monitor their development.” bracket, perhaps because of the fact they have more free time to devote but it is a concern that we needCommunity to have younger people getting involved. I genuinely think the average age of the non-league supporter is“We are very much at the heart of the wider community increasing as for the younger generation it sometimeswith our two function rooms (one holds 350 and the feels as though football ends with the Championship!”other 110) which are used for cabarets, weddingreceptions, charity and training events, plus the main Ambitionsbar is open 7 days a week. “Following promotion it is initially about survival,We and our members have been involved in raising consolidation and then hopefully pushing forward. Tofunds in the last 12 months for the local hospice, achieve this we need to maintain and improve levelsDorothy House, Paulton Community Hospital, Breast of sponsorship (we have an excellent relationship withCancer Care and next Saturday Swallow (South a number of key supporters but we cannot afford toWest Action for Learning and Living Our Way) will be be complacent). Of course another cup run to rival ourbringing clients and staff as our guests to our game 2009 achievements would be very welcome!”against Dunstable Town (Non-League Day) where theywill present the man of the match award and will holda collection. We have also invited local Primary, JuniorSchools and Youth teams to attend, hopefully wearingtheir team kits with free admission for their coaches/parents etc.”Challenges“Like most clubs our major concern is one of finance.Whilst we are more fortunate than most in terms ofwe own our own ground and have some wonderful,mortgage free, facilities income has dropped due to22 Issue 50

Lancaster Citylancaster cITyLancaster City FC play their home games at theGiant Axe on West Road in Lancashire and theirfirst team currently competes in the First DivisionNorth of the Evo-Stik League Northern Premier.They are led by the team of Chairman StuartHoughton and President David Needham and theclub has made a considerable amount of progressunder their guidance.In the second qualifying round of the FA Cup, Lancasterclaimed a superb 1-0 victory against FC United ofManchester and remain on top of their game as theylook to turn their victories into a good run of form.The game hinged on two moments of brilliance, both“It’s a struggle for clubs atprovided by City players. The Dolly Blues came intothis level to get money inthis fixture having scored twelve goals in their last threematches, losing only one in the last six, whereas FCand The FA Cup is vital toUnited of Manchester had lost only one all season, atFrickley less than a fortnight ago, further emphasisingclubs like ours.”the magnitude of this victory.Needless to say Dolly Blue supporters are over themoon with the results for even the second qualifyingmatch. This sets Lancaster in good stead as the early“stages of The FACup proceed.According to manager Darren Peacock, the earlystages of The FA Cup can be crucial for the survival ofclubs such as Lancaster City. Peacock, former QPR,Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers defender,took the position of manager at the Lancashire club inApril 2013 – and in his first full season in charge hasguided his side to the Third Round Qualifying of TheCup.“It really is a lifeline for a lot of clubs at this level,”Peacock says, “It’s a struggle for clubs at this level toget money in and The FA Cup is vital to clubs like ours.”Peacock also said that while top level teamsmay prioritise the Premier League and Europeancompetitions – it is the opposite for Lancaster. Due towork commitments of its players, it is hard to organiseteams in advance which means that the outcome cannever be one that is predictable or tactical.As the matches proceed, it is hard to predict where theteam will end up, but as it is set so far, they are in highspirits from their wins and have hope that their victorieswill keep coming. Football Focus Magazine would liketo take this opportunity to wish them the best of luck forthe rest of the season.www.footballfocus.biz 23

Stanway RoversStanway RoversBased at The Hawthorns on New Farm Road in DAVID JONESEssex, Stanway Rovers FC currently competes inthe Premier Division of the Turlow Nunn Eastern CARPET & FLOORING SPECIALISTSCounties League. They have enjoyed a positivestart to the current campaign compiling a record of FOR ALL YOUR5 wins, 3 draws and 2 defeats from their 10 matches. CARPET, VINYLS &This sees them sitting in the top half of the table and LAMINATE FLOORINGa good run of form in their upcoming fixtures will seethem challenging for the top positions in the league. REQUIREMENTSFootball Focus Magazine caught up with the club’s DOMESTIC AND CONTRACTManager Angelo Harrop to find out more. He told us, TELEPHONE:“I have now been at the club for 8 months, I used tobe a player at the club about 8 years ago and had a 01206 768673successful time with the club. 07850 973908The most challenging role for me would be dealing PROUND TO SPONSOR STANWAY ROVERS FCwith the players, with them being part time their workcommitments can sometimes get in the way especiallyduring the midweek games, sometimes making itdifficult with team selection. The rewarding part of beingmanager is seeing your hard work off the pitch workingwell on it and seeing the boys pick up the important3points each week.24 Issue 50

Stanway RoversThe mood in the camp is very good at the minute withthe club currently in third position in the league anddoing very well in the cup competitions. The off seasonwas very important for me to make sure the conditioningof the players was right and with us bringing in lots ofnew players into the club, making sure they all feltwelcomed and fitted in with the way we do things atStanway.Our aim for the season is to be as successful aspossible, to be competitive in every game and whoknows we may get promotion which would be a massiveachievement considering we finished 16th last season.The youth system here is very important to us, we relyon the youth boys coming through into our first team,so far this season we have had 4 players under the ageof 21 starting in our first team. The club is always tryingto get the community involved with different functionsthat are open to the public to attend, we are alwayslooking for fans to come and enjoy our games at theHawthorns.The big challenges that the club will face in the yearsto come will be to try and keep our top players at theclub, including the younger players being scouted bythe higher divisions. We believe if we do things rightand show respect to the players, fans and staff we willenjoy many years of success at Stanway Rovers FC.” NOW ON! Up to 25% OFF FurniturePeartree Road, Stanway,Colchester, Essex CO3 0LAwww.hatfields.com 01206 765444 www.footballfocus.biz 25

Forest Green RoversForest GreenRoversForest Green Rovers FC is a club based in entry all season this term, in celebration of their 125thNailsworth, Gloucestershire and play at their 5,147 anniversary, and these great goodwill gestures arecapacity stadium, The New Lawn. They secured constantly building strong relationships with boththeir best ever league position in 2007-08, finishing fans and the local community, helping the club move8th in the Football Conference but things could be forward.about to get better after finishing 10th in the pasttwo seasons and making some ambitious signings Established 125 years ago, this club has now reachedin 2014. the highest level of it’s long history and are eyeing up a promotion to the Football League for the very first time,A more solid start to the current campaign could not they are proof of a club moving in the right direction andhave been possible after starting the season with 3 everybody at Football Focus Magazine wish the clubsuccessive wins and the Gloucestershire outfit now sit and their fans a very exciting and successful push forin 12th position with 12 games played. The quality they promotion in 2014-15.possess highlight their potential of landing a top 5 finishand they will be looking to challenge the high fliers thistime round.Two of the current top 5 clubs have already taken onRovers and failed to win as Adrian Pennock’s sidebegan the season with more ‘steel’ this term. Theirdetermination to grind out results has been visible intheir performances and Pennock will be looking forhis revamped side to get more and more creative asthe season goes on after bringing in 10 new faces thissummer.The acquisition of ex £5million man, Lee Hughes andthe imposing 6ft 4 inch frame of Preston old boy, JonParkin, has really taken the pressure off their mainstriker, James Norwood, providing quality options upfront. Fan’s player of the year, Markus Kelly, extendedhis stay at the club until summer 2015 and with thesupply he and the newly bolstered midfield can provideForest Green Rovers could be in contention for theplay-off places come May 2015.Rovers teamed up with several local businesses in2011 to form the ‘goingreen’ project, in which they allplayed their part in delivering education and training onenergy, health and waste to members of the community.The local unemployed, aged 16-25, benefited fromtheir actions last year with the opportunity of takingpart in a football course, providing the chance to gainthe skills and qualifications required to work towardsa career in the footballing industry. Rovers are alsoallowing children under the age of 10 years old free26 Issue 50

Forest Green Roverswww.footballfocus.biz 27

Sutton UnitedSutton UnitedSutton United Football Club take the lead in running about emphasis, for fully sighted people, what it is likeevents to bring the community closer together and for blind people playing sport. During the day, a chequeprovide entertainment for all as well as fundraising of £1,000 was presented to Sutton’s Mencap from theto improve the club. FA Community Shield.They recently held the second fun day of the The Disability Awareness Day was the first event toseason, which attracted 1552 people, brought about have been run by the club’s new Community Outreachentertainment in football with the underlying message Team, appointed recently with support from the Footballof creating a safer neighbourhood. Many festivities Conference Foundation. Club Chairman Bruce Elliottwere enjoyed such as penalty shoot out’s, face painting was full of praise for the way the event had gone,and, the most important event of the day, the U’s match saying, “I think everyone who came had a great day,”against Hastings United. adding, “I think that it shows that the club is very much on the right track and that we are about so much moreThe Metropolitan Police Sutton Safer Neighbourhood than football.”team of officers were also on hand to talk to thecommunity and gave those attending the opportunity Shortly, Sutton United will be celebrating its annualto see the workings of the Police mobile CCTV camera ‘Multicultural day’ to celebrate the clubs diverse ethnicityunit. To ensure the party atmosphere continued, Jenny of players and supporters who have been with the clubthe Giraffe, the club’s mascot, was present along with over the years. Last year ‘United with the Community’blow horns and other free gifts. campaign joined with their opponents for the day, Staines Town, to promote ‘Kick Out Racism’ and toSutton United Football Club is also keen to bring promoted Sutton’s Black History Month. Guests suchequality to all. This year they have staged their second as Sutton Black History Group and their chair, Veronicaannual Disability Awareness Day to promote the Fritzon, were there to display various ethnic items andservices, support and opportunities that they offer to books to bring awareness to different cultures.people with disabilities and to those who care for them.The highlight of the day included “taster” sessions of Sutton has long established multicultural links, such asblind football as well as a game between Sutton Eagles the established link in Lamin, home to Sutton Unitedand a Chelsea FC disability team. FC (Gambia). The club aims to bring equality to those in and around the community with their ethnic diversity,As well as this, there was a showcase of sports clubs disability awareness and fun days.who provide facilities for those with disabilities. Thesedemonstrations include the Paralympic sport Boccia,as well as football and cricket. The day also brought28 Issue 50

Bo9otkhinSgsEwPNeTlEEcWoMmBTeEEaRtRaMtllotSim2T0eAstRhthTDrSoEuCghEoMutBthEeRterm THE SPORTS VILLAGE St. Helier ST. HELIER AVE A297 as part of The Sports Village B278 BISHAO2P17SFORD ROAD GREEN WRYTHEBL2A7N8E Available to boys and girls aged 3-11 at all levels.Courses run during the week and on weekends, all year round. LANE We also run Holiday Camps during ROSE HILL Easter, Summer and the Half-Term breaks. AVENUE REIGATE A217 To secure a place in one of our courses B2230 SUTTON ROSE HILL CALL 020 8641 6611 B279 or email [email protected] COMMON Rose Hill Park, Rose Hill, Sutton, Surrey SM1 3HH RD ANGEL HILL www.suttonfootballacademy.com Sutton SUTTON Common StnSutton Football Academy opened in April 2014 and currently offers a range of courses and activities for playersaged 11 and under. Courses operate on a quarterly basis with 11 to 13 week programmes with a number ofoptions available to suit all levels and requirements, including mixed gender, girls-only and boys-only squats.Coaching programmes currently run on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and evenings and Saturday morning.The excellent facilities on offer at Sutton Football Academy include a specially-designed mini soccer pitch witha playing area of 42 x 33 metres, and a 2 metre run-off area throughout. This area can also be used as twosmaller pitches with dimensions of 33 x 17 metres, which is a normal five-a-side size and suitable for a traininggroup of 12 players. The facilities are run by an enthusiastic team of four fully-qualified FA coaches who havegained their coaching experience while working with some local football clubs and leagues.The facilities are available for school use as well as football birthday parties on the weekends. In September, apartnership was formed with Chelsea FC Foundation. A Foundation Development Centre will run on Tuesdayevenings (6.15-7.45pm) for selected 9 and under players. This is by invitation only, but players who are part ofSutton Football Academy squads may be nominated for inclusion if they demonstrate the right levels of talentand commitment. A partnership is also being formed with Sutton United.Sutton Football Academy is located in Rose Hill Park and is a part of The Sports Village. This centre offersa range of sports facilities to adults and children of all abilities, with other activities on offer including tennis,gymnastics, dance and more. The Sports Village is focused on supporting the sporting and educationaldevelopment of young people. It aims to create a sound basis for a healthy, active lifestyle and to allow youngpeople to fulfil their sporting potential.On site is one of the top tennis academies in the United Kingdom, specialising in preparing young athletesfor elite level through full-time training and tournament involvement. Facilities include not only fantastic tenniscourts but access to fitness equipment, specialist strength and conditioning coaches and a sports injury clinic.A general gym facility called The Zone is on site, which provides 100 fitness classes per week, as well as anathlete-specific strength and conditioning gym. There is also a state-of-the-art Gymnastics Academy, brand newdance studios, a day nursery and soft play area. www.footballfocus.biz 29

Stone Old AlleyniansStone OldAlleyniansFirst established in 1962 by Dave Bonnet, Stone Football Focus Magazine caught up with theirOld Alleynians FC is committed to providing senior Chairman, David Mardling, to find out more about theSaturday football for their community. They are club. He told us, “I have been involved with the club forrunning two adult teams this season with the 1st 51 years and have many good memories, especiallyteam competing in the 1st Division of the West during the 1970’s when I was playing and we won 3Midland Regional League whilst their 2nds play in championships and many cups. The biggest challengethe Staffs County Senior League Division 2. of my current role is the everyday running of the club and raising finances. I do benefit though from a lot ofThe club plays their home games at Wellbeing Park help from the rest of the committee, management teamand have a superb stadium for 1st team matches with and players.an excellent playing surface and an outside pitch forthe 2nd team. The mood down here is excellent at the moment. We are aiming to get promoted from Div 1 to the PremiershipTheir first team has put together a record of 4 wins and and have some good cup runs, especially the FA Vase.3 defeats from their first 7 matches this season whichleaves them with 12 points on the board. They currentlysit in a safe mid-table position and a good run of resultswould quickly see them climb the table. This shouldprovide them with a good platform upon which to buildover the remainder of the season and it will certainly beexciting to see how they are able to progress.One of the highlights of the team’s performances so farhas been the goalscoring form of Carl Dibden who hasalready netted 7 goals in 6 matches. Dan Heard, BillyThorley and Matt Thomas have also shown that theyare capable of chipping in with goals. Sam Wilson andLuke Askey have performed consistently well to helpthe team get some early wins on the board. CONGRATULATIONS TO STONE OLD ALLEYNIANS FROM ALL AT HAFFNER MURAT LTD Haffner Murat Ltd are committed to achieving the highest possible standards in the supply of new and used machinery Call Us: 01785 222421 The Accolade Building, Common Road, Stafford, ST16 3EQ30 Issue 50

Stone OldAlleyniansWe do not have a youth team, but there are some localteams and we run a second team for young playersas well as those more senior. Recently several of theyoung players have progressed to the first elevenwhich is something we are very pleased with. Wealways welcome any new personnel, especially local,who wish to get involved with the club.Our biggest challenges moving forwards will befinancial and attracting new personnel to work behindthe scenes. We want to continue to progress and attractmore spectators, as we are the only senior SaturdayClub left in Stone.”There is much to admire about the strong set upthat Stone Old Alleynians currently has in place andhopefully they will be able to keep up the good work.Everyone at Football Focus Magazine would like towish them the best of luck for the rest of the season. K Cabs is Stones’ leading taxi company, we cater for all jobs whether it be long or short distance. We can provide you with airport transport at very reasonable prices. We can do advanced bookings 24 hours a day. • Exclusive Non Shared Transport • Modern Reliable Vehicle • For Up To 11 Adults & Luggage • Door To Door Service 24/7 • Airport & Seaport • All Long & Short Distance Travel 01785 288999 6 Wesley Drive, Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 8FQ 01785 818456 Single Rooms £55 including Breakfast Double Rooms £65 per couple including Breakfast OUR CANCELATION POLICY IS 72 HOURS1 Mill Street, Stone, Staffordshire, UK.ST15 8BA G.J Mardling & Sons LTD A family run business providing excellent service throughtout Staffordshire.• JCB 3CX Sitemaster & Breakers• 360 ExcovatorsTel: 01785 813 142 Mob: 07976 691 414 20 Heathfield Ave Stone, Staffordshire ST15 0HD Please contect us for a full description of our tailored services.www.footballfocus.biz 31

Anstey NomadsAnstey NomadsFounded in 1947, The Nomads played in both the as an “umbrella organisation, which will be calledLeicestershire Senior League and the Central Anstey Sports. This is to enable funding from the FAAlliance before joining the East Midlands Counties and other national bodies so we can secure fundingLeague in 2009. The club has enjoyed success, for new changing rooms and a new club house.” Whilstwinning two league titles in the early 1950s and an the benefits for the Nomads in being part of such aastonishing four trophies in the 2008/09 season. partnership are obvious, it is also refreshing to see anHowever, since that quadruple haul, The Nomads established football club enter an arrangement whichhave been in a period of transition, and have been will also benefit a local junior team just as much, if notvery much occupied with keeping themselves in even more.the East Midlands Counties League. At the time ofwriting, they occupy 17th position in their 20 team A sustainable futureleague, and will hope to repeat the trick of the lastfew seasons by remaining in the division. Grogan goes on to speak about how important the Nomads believe the concept of youth football andLinks in the community developing young talent can be. He said, “We have a policy of not having a large budget to pay players, as weNomads vice-chairman Ian Grogan is excited about have seen other clubs come unstuck by living beyondthe new partnership that his club are in the midst of their means; something that happens at every leveldeveloping. Local junior side Anstey Swifts have been in football. We aim to get loyalty by growing our ownworking with the Nomads to form what he describes talent, making them feel valued, and looking after them32 Issue 50

Anstey Nomadsin providing first class playing facilities & equipment.” committee of the new partnership. Funnily enough, thisThis concept will ensure that regardless of the Nomads’ notion somewhat mirrors the way in which the Nomadsfortunes on the pitch that they need not worry about bring through their playing staff, showing that at everyfinances or sustainability and are safe in the knowledge level, the club believes in progression and buildingthat the club is being well-ran from behind the scenes. from the bottom up.Reputation Despite a slightly difficult past couple of years on the pitch for the Nomads, it is easy to forget that theyAnstey Nomads are pleased to be a club which has completed an unprecedented cup quadruple only fivean excellent standing in the local area and is known years ago. The club will almost certainly make stridesto be friendly, welcoming and wholesome within forwards and prosper in the years to come, as thefootballing circles. Ian Grogan mentioned that the club off-pitch operation seems to be in the hands of somehave previously won “league website forum awards” to very capable footballing people. A solid foundation suchcommemorate their fantastic reputation. He unselfishly as the partnership with Anstey Swifts provides a goodattributes this success to the number of hard-working cause for optimism for the supporters and patrons ofvolunteers who put in a great deal of effort to help the Nomads.operate and expand the club as much as possible.Ensuring that the club are well-thought of and ableto forge effective partnerships with local businessand other teams in the local area is something whichGrogan feels is essential to the successful operation ofthe football club.The FutureA rather common issue within grassroots football is thatof committee succession. Often, the key members of aclub’s committee are approaching retirement orsemi-retirement age, and as a result they need tostart to consider a process which determines the bestpossible people can take over in order to continuetheir good work. Anstey Nomads are no different inthis respect. Fortunately for them, their partnershipwith Anstey Swifts somewhat solves this problem asthey have a committee with a much younger averageage, enabling the Nomads to ensure that experiencedand talented people make a smooth transition onto the www.footballfocus.biz 33

scole unitedscole unitedArticle provided by Club Chairman Christian PartridgeI first became involved with Scole United in 2008, I was approached by one of my footballing friends whoasked if I would be interested in managing a new veterans team. At that point, the club existed as two separateentities, the adult side and the youth side.Many of the youth coaches had once played football for Being Chairman is a big responsibility, having to dealScole, veterans football had just got started in the area with all 20 teams, public complaints, finances and theand many were keen to start playing again. However, general running of the largest football club in Southnone of them wanted to take on the running of another Norfolk. Keeping all parties involved happy and goingteam, so I was approached as a friend. At that time, I in the same direction, developing the club is the biggestwas not old enough to play, but the intention was for me challenge. The rewards are definitely seen on the pitchto start as soon as I reached 35 the following season. with young, emerging adult sides and successful youth teams, especially the under 16s and under 10s lastScole United had enjoyed a spell of great success in season.the 1990s and was a little in decline, having droppeddown the divisions of the Anglian Combination into The general mood in the club is very positive at thejunior football. The club had the basis of a good moment, having enjoyed several successes last year.infrastructure, having access to a pavilion and bar This of course provides its own challenges of trying towith changing facilities for two teams and officials. The maintain that momentum and keep the emerging youthyouth section was very strong, with all age ranges and footballers at the club. Our plans for this year are toa girl catered for, and was very well run. strengthen the adult reserve side, to provide strength in depth so that the first team are ably supported inAfter a managerial change three years ago, the adult maintaining senior status.first team have clawed their way back into seniorfootball, finishing top of their division and as County We also see the emerging youth players as the futureCup runners-up last season. The Veterans also of the club, giving the older groups opportunities to trainfinished County Cup runners up and were promoted with the adult teams. This year we have started a thirdto the Premier Division of the NSVFL. In the past 2 adult team and an Under 19s academy side in orderyears, both sections of the club have merged to form to mix youth and experience, and to keep the olderone club, attaining FA Charter Standard status and youth players at the club. This will hopefully result inbeing awarded community club of the year in 2012/13. a smooth transition of players up to the first team, alsoWe are also one of a select group of Nike Partnership playing with those they have known throughout theirclubs for the next three years. I am now chairman of youth football careers.the whole club.34 Issue 50

scole unitedMost of the players come from the local area, we are in Over the next 5 years I hope that the first team maintaincompetition with other local clubs, but have the support senior status and that the reserves rise up the leagues toof many local businesses, Norfolk County FA and now provide the support that that squad of players requires.Nike. We have pitches in nearby villages and in the I hope that we maintain the transition of youth to adultlocal town of Diss, as we only have 1 pitch at Scole. football, and see the third team and academy sides asWe are very much the main users of the pavilion at key to this. I am hoping also that we might attract someScole, and are a big community attraction. funding to expand and improve our playing facilities to match those ambitions with a ground to be proud of.Our playing facilities do need updating; this sees one ofour big challenges in that they are all under the controlof playing field associations. As mentioned above, weonly have one pitch at Scole and had been workingover the last 5 years with several local developmentideas to help enlarge the playing facilities, as yet withno success.There are current plans to enlarge the changing roomsand bar, including a Futsal hall, these are going throughplanning applications at present. These are two ofthe biggest challenges over the next 5 years. We arealso in a position where we still rely on membershipsubscriptions and match fees to be paid to keep theclub afloat. This is an area of great contention inamateur football, as our Saturday teams regularly playagainst sides that either charge no match fees, or evenpay them to the players.It is a credit to the management of the club that weare able to retain so many players. I believe that thesocial aspect of the club and that many have playedtogether for a Scole team are the main reasons for this.The club’s success in the past few seasons has alsocreated an interest, though not so popular with the localpress unfortunately. In that respect, we still seem to bein the shadow of Diss Town FC, but I believe we havemuch to offer. www.footballfocus.biz 35

Denaby UnitedDenaby UnitedDenaby United FC is a great example of a club that This should provide the club with the perfect platformis committed to playing an important role in their from which to build as they look ahead to the rest of thelocal community. They are based on Old Road in season. They should be able to push on up the tableConisbrough in South Yorkshire and they currently as they adapt to their new league and will be keen tocompete in Division Two of the Sheffield and ensure that they claim as high a finish as possible.Hallamshire County Senior Football League. Denaby United is not a club that focuses solely uponThe club has a history of which they have every right to their senior section however as they also have a numberbe proud and were resurrected for the 2011/12 season. of youth sides in place. These teams look to provideThis was after they had folded in 2002 after being youngsters from the local area with an opportunity toevicted from their ground in 2002. play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.When they were re-established the team wasted notime building their reputation as they won the Doncaster It is vital for any club looking to be successful to be able& District Senior League at the first attempt. They went to produce their own talent, particularly in the currenton to win the Premier Division two years running which financial climate and this is an area that they appearsaw them promoted again and the current team will be to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see howkeen to add to their recent impressive record. their juniors are able to develop over the coming years.Their first team has made a positive start to the new In order to help their youngsters to make the sometimescampaign, compiling a record of 3 wins, 3 draws and 1 difficult transition into the senior game they also rundefeat from their first 7 matches. This sees them sitting a reserve team. This allows them to give playersin the top half of the table with 12 points on the board. experience of adult level football even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process.36 Issue 50

Denaby United Another benefit of having so many sides is that it allows “ the first XI to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Denaby United have experienced a considerable amount of success since being reformed and this is thanks to all of the hard work that has been put into the club. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come and everyone at Football Focus Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the future.““Their first team has made a positive start to the new campaign, compiling a record of 3 wins, 3 draws and 1 defeat from their first 7 matches.” “Everything I need to know – at my fingertips.” The Wilo Assistant app supports you in your daily tasks when it comes to installing a pump. Quick information on the go: fault signal assistant, replacement guide, product data and savings calculator to name but a few. Even when you‘re offline. Comprehensive information on various pumps all in one app? Wilo makes it easy! Go to www.wilo.co.uk/installer for the full story. T: +44 (0) 1283 523000 E:[email protected] The Wilo Assistant app, the convincing one: ƒ The fault signal assistant provides information on fault signal remedies ƒ Interactive replacement guide for heating and domestic hot water pumps ƒ Online catalogue with quick and easy access to all product information ƒ Savings calculator for potential savings in terms of energy costs and CO2 emissions ƒ Pump configuration with recommendations for suitable Wilo pumps Just scan the code and www.f2o2o.0t9b.2a0l1lf4oc1u4:s4.6b:3i0z 37 walk into the world of Wilo!0000001460.indd 1

Garden villageGARDen village Based on Victoria Road in Swansea, Garden Village FC currently competes in the 1st Division of the Welsh Football League. They are led by Chairman Lyn Jones who is supported by Treasurer Brian Matthews and they are looking to progress under their guidance. Their first team has put together a steady campaign, having compiled a record of 2 wins, 4 draws and 3 defeats from their first 9 matches. This sees them sitting in a safe mid table position with 10 points on the board. This should provide them with a solid platform upon which to build as they look ahead towards the rest of the campaign. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will have a good chance of pushing on further up the table. Garden Village is not a club that focuses solely upon senior level football as they also have a number of youth sides in place. These teams look to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.38 Issue 50

Garden villageIt is important for any side that is looking to be successfulto be able to produce their own talent, particularly in thecurrent financial climate and this is an area they appearto have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see howtheir juniors are able to develop over the coming years.In order to help their youngsters to make the sometimesdifficult transition into the senior game they also run anumber of additional sides. This allows them to giveplayers experience of adult level football even if theyare not yet considered ready for first team action.Another benefit of having more than one side is that itallows the first XI to benefit from far greater strength indepth. If they are ever left short on numbers throughinjury or suspension this gives them the option ofcalling players up with a limited amount of disruption.There is much to admire about the set-up that GardenVillage currently has in place and this is thanks to allof the hard work that is put into the club behind thescenes. This should enable them to look forwards to a www.footballfocus.biz 39

Witton AlbionWitton AlbionWitton Albion FC plays their home games at AtmosphereWincham Park on Chapel Street and their first teamcurrently competes in Division 1 of the Sussex “The atmosphere is really positive here. We’ve hadCounty Football League. Club Representative Jamie a change in manager 4 games in which could haveThompson took the time to tell Football Focus derailed our season, however since then we haveMagazine more about their set up. remained unbeaten. There’s a feel good factor back at the club again after a difficult season last year whereInvolvement we flirted with relegation.”“I’ve always been a football fan but had little experience 2014/15of non-league. I was introduced to Witton Albion by thethen player/manager Brian Pritchard who invited me “My heart says we should be looking for a promotiondown to watch a game in 2010. push as I believe we have a squad good enough to win this league! However the plans are to get our offI got chatting to the Chairman afterwards and in the the field activities up and running. We launched ablink of an eye I was the programme editor! Since then new community arm of the club this season with firstI have fallen in love with the club and non-league as a team player Alex Titchiner heading that project. It is anwhole.” excellent opportunity for us to engage with the local area, especially at junior level. My hopes are that weThe Role can use this season to build that up.”“The most challenging aspect is always battling to getthe work done that is needed. As with most non-leagueclubs we rely heavily on volunteers and sometimesthere are not enough of us. I’ve often found myself satup at 3am doing Witton related work!”40 Issue 50

Witton AlbionYouth of Northwich deserve a club they can be proud of. A lot of time, money and energy is invested in this project“Youth football is vital to us. We have youth teams and it will be a success for us.”in all age categories and we often see the juniors atthe first team games as guests. The club host junior Challengestournaments on the pitch and support those teams inevery way we can. These are our players, supporters “The biggest challenges for us are finance andand possibly volunteers of the future and we believe in volunteers. It gets harder and harder to competemaking them feel part of the Witton family as early as every season with teams paying some huge wagespossible.” for players. Non-league seems to have become about throwing money at it to achieve the mythical dreamIntegration of league football. In reality very few clubs actually achieve it and a lot fall by the wayside trying which is“As said above we have junior teams at all age levels not fair on the fans.which gives players the opportunity to come throughwearing the red and white stripes. We also have a Bills and wages go up every year for us and we relyreserve team and manger Paul Jones’ brief is simple – heavily on the same band of fans putting their handdevelop young players so they can be pushing for the in their pocket. Witton Albion will not be a club thatfirst team. There is a huge amount of non-league clubs spends beyond their means. We also need to keepin the North West all fishing in the same pool for talent. finding those wonderful people who give up their timeWe are not a club that can afford to pay vast wages so to work at the club as without them we would cease todeveloping our own stock of players is vital to us.” exist.”Community Ambitions“We are absolutely a community club. As mentioned, “I would our ambitions are about continuing to buildfirst team striker Alex Titchiner runs ‘Witton Albion in both on and off the field. We have some excitingthe Community’ and he is engaging with local schools projects underway right now and we do punch aboveand businesses. As a club we believe that football our weight at times. However a club that stands stillshould be at the heart of the community and the people goes backwards and we must never rest on our laurels.” With over 18 years experience, CG Services are a family run, friendly and professional business offering a wide range of services ranging from all aspects of landscaping and groundwork to installation of bespoke play equipment, building of purpose built structures, equestrian and agricultural services together with car valeting. We undertake any domestic, commercial or agricultural project no matter the size and consistently offer a reliable, competent and affordable service with a keen focus on customer satisfaction and maintaining high standards, one of the many reasons we achieve a high rate of returning customers. 07872 908784 / 01606 41308 E-mail: [email protected] CG Services are based in Northwich, Cheshire however operate throughout Cheshire, Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Liverpool and are more than happy to travel further afield. www.footballfocus.biz 41

Broadbridge HeathBroadbridgeHeathBroadbridge Heath FC plays their home games They will now be looking to ensure that they are ableat the Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre on to improve their home form as this would give themWickhurst Lane in West Sussex and they currently the opportunity to challenge the teams at the topcompete in Division 1 of the Sussex County of the table. Putting in good performances at yourFootball League. They are led by Chairman Keith own ground is always very important as it can helpSoane who is supported by Secretary Andrew to encourage more of the local community to getCrisp and the club is looking to progress under behind a team which in turn can provide a club with atheir guidance. valuable source of additional revenue. There is much to admire about the set up thatThe club has put together a history of which they have Broadbridge Heath FC currently has in place.every right to be proud having first been established in Hopefully they will be able to keep up the good work1919 by local members of the armed forces who had that they have been doing for many years to comejust returned from the Great War. and everyone at Football Focus Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.They wasted no time building a reputation forthemselves either as they managed to claim the For any query please phoneHorsham and District Championship and ChallengeCup in their first season of competitive football. Their 01903 744352current group of players will be keen to add to theirhistory over the coming years. Subcontract Machining Company Quality Precision ComponentsThis season their first team has enjoyed a steady startto their league campaign, having compiled a record of Epal Engineering offer a complete subcontract machining4 wins, 3 draws and 4 defeats from their 11 matches. service throughout the UK. Our specialist area is wire erosionThis sees them sitting in a safe mid table position with machining or wire EDM machining of precision components,15 points on the board. complex moulds and tools.This should provide them with a solid platform upon We offer a full subcontract machining service which includes:which to build as the season progresses. So long as CNC turning, CNC milling, wire erosion (wire EDM), sparkthey are able to retain their current group of playersand perhaps make one or two quality additions they erosion, assembly and finishing services.will be well positioned to enjoy a successful season. 19B Robell Way, Water Lane, Storrington, West Sussex, RH20 3DWUnusually, most of the teams good results so farhave come away from home and they are currentlyunbeaten on the road. Being able to win away gamesshows that the team possesses strong characterwhich should stand them in good stead for the rest ofthe campaign.42 Issue 50

TilburyTilburyTilbury FC is based at Chadfields on St ChadsRoad in Thurrock and their first team currentlycompete in the Ryman Football League. They areled by Chairman Daniel Nash who is supported bySecretary Anthony Mercer and the club is lookingto progress under their guidance.They have put together a history of which they haveevery right to be proud and enjoyed a particularlyproductive season in 2008-09. They managed tocomplete a memorable double as they won both theEast Anglian Cup and the Isthmian League Cup whichwas a superb achievement.Since the turn of the Millennium they have alsomanaged to win promotion from the Essex SeniorLeague and the Isthmian 3rd Division. Their currentgroup of players will be keen to add to these successesover the coming years.So far this season it would be fair to say that they havenot got off to the start to the campaign that they wouldhave liked, having compiled a record of 3 wins, 4 drawsand 9 defeats from their first 16 matches. This has leftthem sitting in the bottom half of the table with 13 pointson the board.There is still plenty of the season left to play howeverand a couple of good results would quickly see themclimb the table. So long as they are able to retain theircurrent group of players and perhaps make one or twoquality additions they can still put together a successfulcampaign.One of the highlights of the Tilbury set up is the superbyouth section that they have in place. This part of theclub looks to provide young players from the local areawith an opportunity to play the game in a safe andenjoyable environment whilst helping them to reachtheir full potential.It is important for any side to be able to produce theirown talent, particularly in the current financial climateand this is an area that they appear to have covered.It will certainly be exciting to see how their youngstersare able to progress over the coming years.Tilbury’s disappointing start to the season should nottake away from the good work that has been gettingdone at the club. If they are able to continue in the samemanner off the pitch they are sure to be rewarded withbetter results on it. Football Focus Magazine wishesthem the best of luck. www.footballfocus.biz 43

bodmin townBodmin town Bodmin Town FC is a superbly run community establishment that plays a vital role in their local area and they’ve made a great start to the new campaign. Club Chairman James Chapman took the time tell us more about the fantastic set-up they have in place. Involvement He told us, “I’ve been involved for getting on for 2 years now. Bodmin is a bit like the Manchester United of Cornish football – they’ve won everything but were struggling a little bit off the pitch. I was approached to come on board and help them with the running of the club off the pitch and getting a closer link with the Bodmin youth which was lacking unfortunately and that was a challenge I accepted and it’s going very well now.” Atmosphere “The mood here is very positive at the moment. The Committee have backed me as Chairman and supported my ideas and the club is one of the most progressive44 Issue 50

bodmin townin Cornwall now. We’ve got nearly 350 children in the Facilitiesyouth bracket and they are very supportive of the linksbetween the senior and the youth section so the whole “We are looking to make some improvements to ourmood here is one of optimism and excitement.” facilities here. We’ve got some fantastic changing and stand facilities but it’s getting on for 60/70 years old2014-15 and we’re looking to enclose the whole ground with a perimeter fence and update everything that we have. We“We’re very happy with the start we’ve made to the want to add an 8 a-side pitch as well so there’s an awfulcurrent campaign, only losing one game so far which lot that is going to be happening and we receive fantasticwas in the FA Cup but drawing one and winning the rest support from our local council which is excellent.”of our league games is pleasing. The 2nd team hasstarted well and are holding their own in their league soit’s going very well at the moment.For the first team we are looking for a top four finish,we’d like to win it but there are some strong teams in “Youth football is a massivethe league that we have to compete with. We’d also liketo have a good run in the FA Vase, reaching the 4th or priority for the club. We’ve got5th round would be excellent.” teams running up to U16 levelYouth and now have an U19 team“Youth football is a massive priority for the club. We’ve player in the floodlit leaguegot teams running up to U16 level and now have an which starts in October.U19 team player in the floodlit league which starts inOctober. We have everything set up now and they’vehad a few friendlies. It is quite a young team with a few“local additions and is looking good. We’re committed toplaying football the right way and that approach is putacross all the way through our set-up.” www.footballfocus.biz 45

bodmin townChallenges The Accommodation Bureau are proud supporters of football in Bodmin. Indeed, from sponsoring a single Bodmin Youth team kit 4“The biggest challenge for us is financial and we’re years ago, they are now the Bodmin Youth FC’s largest supporter.always looking for more sponsors. There are schemesthat we are on such as the Football Foundation and The Accommodation Bureau is a family-owned business, keen tothe Lottery and we’re exploring those avenues to make support organisations with a focus either on sport or local youngsure that the club has the best facilities possible moving people. So their willingness to help support a club that brings footballforwards.” coaching to over 200 children from the town and surrounding villages is only natural.Ambitions “The Club has developed rapidly over the last few years,” said“We want to maintain the thriving youth section and Managing Director and BYFC Club Chairman Lee Morford, “andwould like to see some young player’s progress into the we have been delighted to play a big part in supporting thatsenior set up. From the first team’s perspective we’d development.”certainly like to be moving towards being a Step 4 club.We’ve got the facilities in place to make the step up “There is a huge team of volunteers that run the club and deserveand the town’s certainly big enough to accommodate all the accolades they get. Being a committee member, or indeedStep 4/Step 3 football. Basically we want to climb as sponsor, is one thing. But it’s the coaches who are out on the traininghigh up the ladder as possible whilst remaining stable pitch come rain or shine, that deserve the most praise,” Lee said. “Itfinancially.” was for them that without doubt my proudest moment since being involved with the Club so far, was to walk along Wembley Way to see the words Bodmin Youth up in lights on the side of our national stadium in August, when we received the Charter Standard Club of the Year Award!”46 Issue 50

bodmin townBodmin Youth FC - MacDonald’sCommunity Awards NominationBodmin Youth FC formed in 2006, is based in the Having until this season been a club that offered onlyformer North Cornwall county town of Bodmin mixed football, we launched our u10s and 12s girls(population circa 15,000), providing weekly football teams in October 2013. This now sees 27 girls trainingcoaching for all age groups from 5 to 16 and regularly as well as playing football festivals as muchcurrently has over 200 members. as we can. Our u12s girls team has also reached the County Cup & League Cup Finals this year – somethingDuring the 2013/14 season, with new committee we are very proud to have achieved in such a shortmembers on board, volunteers worked tremendously time! This season we have also launched our first girlshard to develop their club as one to be proud of. We u14s squad, which will play friendlies and festivals forhave particularly been proactive in ensuring that we are the first season, with the aim of building the team readyoffering a safe environment to the children we serve, for more structured football next season.whilst ensuring that our coaches are suitably qualifiedto gain greater understanding of the coaching skills And last but by no means least, at the end of lastneeded to effectively teach children’s football. Bodmin season, we received the highest standards in CharteredYouth have 20 teams now, growing from 11 the previous Standard Football, achieving the status of Communityseason and all teams have at least one FA qualified Chartered Standard Club, which was achieved bycoach, with many holding level 2 coaching badges and growing the number of teams we have, launchingyouth modules. These are all additional qualifications into girls football and building the relationships andthat enable our coaches to be more effective and pathway with our local affiliate adult club, Bodmin Townensure that they are pitching their methods at the right FC. This was a 2 step jump on the ladder of charteredlevel. Standard level for both clubs which was testimony to the commitment that volunteers put in last season.Last season, we saw the launch of an additional threesuccessful teams with a further five launched this All of these efforts for the youth section, meant that wemonth. We have developed a second u11s team last went through a number of local, regional and nationalyear due to having an excess of players in this age- stages to actually win Chartered Standard Club of thegroup as well as a VERY successful launch into girls Year last season, which saw Bodmin Youth FC’s namesfootball for u10s and 12s. This season sees the first u7s in light at Wembley last month at the Community Shieldteams for Bodmin Youth meaning that we are offering Cup game. This is something we are very proud as afootball to children from an even younger age than we club and reflects what we achieved last season andhave previously been able to do, which is great news plan to sustain this for future years.for local kids and Bodmin Youth www.footballfocus.biz 47

Basingstoke TownBasingstoke TownBasingstoke Town is a club that is making in-store Atmospheretremendous progress at present and is a greatexample of what a Football Club can achieve both “Basingstoke Town FC is currently on the crest ofon and off the field. Marketing Director Simon Hood a wave - sitting pretty at the top of the Conferencetook the time to tell us more about the good work League South and looking forward to the prospect of athat they have been doing. new stadium and a bright future. The club’s most recentInvolvement fortunes are the result of extreme efforts by the team and back room staff - none more so than managerHe told us, “I am life-long supporter of Wimbledon, and Jason Bristow.now season ticket holder of AFC Wimbledon. In 2009I moved to Basingstoke, but had very little interest in The Dragons’ link up with Sky Sports’ Soccer has alsoBasingstoke Town FC, which I put down to the great helped create a buzz across the town and within thesuccess AFCW were experiencing. dressing room. It’s been a great help, getting recognition on television - and the confidence that comes from thatIn 2013 I was named Young Business person of the makes a real difference. The players feel it, and theyYear in North Hampshire, following this success I was can sense it when they’re out and about in the town. It’sapproached by a supporter - Jack Miller, who sold me been fantastic for the club in terms of football and alsothe culture of the club and was keen to get involved. I increasing the number of commercial opportunitiesmet with a couple of the Directors, and it was a quick available to us.decision as the culture was very much like a fan’sowned culture that Wimbledon process. wickes.co.ukEveryone is out to achieve the same thing – success forthe club both on the pitch and within the community. Iwas also attracted by the fact that I saw a lot of potentialfor the club – they just needed help at waving the flagand reminding the community (or world following theRonaldinho PR) that we exist.” 0330Football Club 1234123 Basingstoke Town in-storeProuosuaodtisunbditngoatglsosltsusCoptuoklppuekopbFPBreoTPtroraoorTtoBosuowuaddFtiwnnbso0t3to3i0gnooan12s3tgls4usb1l2sp3tuaCtoplpoloklkprCwutieecoklebusT.rcTotb.oukowwn nin03-3s0to1r2e34123Proud to support wickes.co.uk wickes.co.ukBasFooootball Club 0330 123 4123 in-store 0330 123 4123 wickes.co.uk in-store48 Issue 50

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Basingstoke TownAnd the prospect of a new stadium is incredibly exciting. step in the right direction. Basingstoke Town have aThe players are aware of it and regularly ask how great reputation in Hampshire and nearby counties andthings are progressing. We’re getting a lot of support we hope as they grow, we can benefit each other tofrom people across Basingstoke - and I think it will be give players the chance to be professional footballers.”another huge boost for both the football club and forthe town.” Challenges/Ambitions2014-15 Simon went on to talk about the club’s challenges and their ambitions for the future, saying, “Our biggest“We’re having an amazing start to the season, but we challenges include competing with higher budgets inare all keeping our feet firmly on the ground. Keeping the league and retaining talent– this year we have seenclean sheets is important and we did a lot of that last a number of players choose to play non-league footballseason - but now we’re scoring plenty of goals too. And because it’s just as profitable for them.that’s making all the difference. But we need to push onnow and continue to get good results against the teams Another challenge is retaining supporters – we aren’taround us at the top of the table. just competing with other clubs locally – Reading FC, Southampton, Portsmouth, but being only 45 minutesOur manager Jason has been careful to build on from London we are competing with the likes ofthe local feel of the club - by making sure a large Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal too. Not to mention withproportion of their players are from Basingstoke and everyday activities like the cinema. I think the footballthe surrounding area. I think it helps a great deal if the industry needs to support each other more especiallycore of our team understand the area and have an non-league, although we are competitors on the pitch,existing affiliation with the club. I know the manager off the pitch we need to strengthen the networks.”has also thought about this when adding to the club.” In terms of our football. I don’t like to look too far ahead,Links but we’re seeing big improvements on last season. And I can only see us getting better as we move on“BTFC have a partnership with AFC Wimbeldon’s through our fixtures. It’s all about confidence - but notacademy. The partnership witnessed Basingstoke complacency. We need the players to continue to playTowns Academy squads play matches against their as a strong unit and we’ll be a match for any club inAFC Wimbledon counterparts as well as receiving both league and cup. I hope this success on the pitchadditional professional coaching. AFC Wimbledon will continues to reignite the town’s passion for football. Inalso offer a player pathway for talented footballers the next 5 years I hope that our following continues tofrom Basingstoke and support Basingstoke Town with grow, we have a new stadium and dare to dream thatplayers via an exit strategy.” we are in the Conference national challenging for the play offs.”Adam Clark, Basingstoke Town Football Club Head ofCoaching said of the partnership, “We at BasingstokeTown FC are rightly proud of the structure we have setup in our first year of teams within the Junior PremierLeague and our Centre for Elite Development. Thepartnership with AFC Wimbledon, and working withhead of Talent ID Karl Sharman, was an offer too goodto turn down having seen first-hand the professionalismand set up at the AFC Wimbledon Academy. Theirmantra of Home Grown and Hungry echoes the ethoswe are looking to promote at our club and will offergreat opportunities for our players to play and learnagainst, and with, top young players”.Karl Sharman, Head of Talent ID for AFC Wimbledoncommented, “I am very pleased to start the partnershipwith Basingstoke Town, and hope we can help eachother build for the future. We both have high hopes forthe link, as well as pushing young players into the firstteam at both clubs. I have witnessed Basingstoke playthrough all ages and have been impressed with theircoaching and playing ability.We are always forward thinking at AFC Wimbledon, andlooking to enhance what we do, and this will be another50 Issue 50