LOOKING BACK

KELLY 22, 32 HOOPER 45

The Street slipped to their third defeat of the season as they could not recover from going two goals down in the first half on the Island.

In bright sunshine the Andover New came close to taking the lead in the opening minute with Luke Hooper forcing a good save from Joe McCormack and the home side then retaliating with two corners in quick succession. Connor Kelly, who was to torment the Street left flank all afternoon, broke clear and his low cross took a deflection off a defender before hitting the post and being cleared to safety.

Newport wasted a free kick on the edge of the “D” – one of many strange decisions over the course of the afternoon – but broke the deadlock after twenty-three minutes when Kelly outpaced the defence on the right and slotted the ball past the advancing O‘Brien in the New Street goal.

Almost immediately the score was doubled as Kelly collected a through ball, this time on the left, the defence appealed vainly for an offside flag that was rightly not raised and the finish again was coolly executed.

Street came back into the game and after McCormack had brilliantly turned a close range shot from Adam Pearson over the bar Street reduced the deficit on the stroke of half time. An attack was stopped on the corner of the penalty area, the referee awarded yet another free kick, and Luke Hooper lifted the ball over the wall and high into the far corner of the net.

The Street battled hard in the second half but were indebted to O’Brien as he saved late on but despite plenty of the ball in the opposition half, the Street could not find the final pass to create an opportunity at goal and would leave the Island pointless.

HAVEN’T WE MET BEFORE? MOMENTS

LEAGUE POSITION 5

ATTENDANCE 98

STREET: O’Brien, Field, Scott, Pearson, Morris, Jeffery (Davis 5), Allen (sub Thatcher 68), Lawton, Lock, Hooper, Cook (sub Hine 25) SUBS NOT USED: Thompson

POSITION: DEFENDER | AGE: 29 STAUS: SIGNED AFTER LEAVING ANDOVER TOWN

HE SAID: “It’s a club I’ve been with since the age of 15, growing up in the reserves and then progressing into the first team. When I left last season I thought it was the right decision as I feel the time away has made me a better player. After speaking to John and Danny and seeing the calibre of signings coming in helped massively with my decision. ”

DANNY FIELD

POSITION: DEFENDER | AGE: 27 STAUS: SIGNED AFTER LEAVING BEMERTON HEATH HARLEQUINS

HE SAID: “I decided to return to New Street because it’s my local club and after a few seasons away I wanted to get back enjoying my football again. John and Danny have a good setup here and the club is certainly heading in the right direction.”

Are You A Street Fan? Then Come And Join Us!

Andover New Street Social Club Membership

Benefits include: Reduced Admission to First Team Home Matches Entry to ANS Swifts & ANS Ladies Home Matches Use of facilities at Foxcotte Park at Discounted Rates Reduced bar prices for drinks

Annual membership costs start from £15 For more information contact a club representative or email: andovernewstreetfc@hotmail.co.uk

Alex of Andover

HE’S ONE OF A SELECT GROUP OF PLAYERS THAT HAS PLAYED FOR BOTH STREET AND THE JAMBOYS. MIDFIELDER ALEX DOCKREE REFLECTS ON THE UPS AND DOWN DURING HIS TIME AT FOXCOTTE PARK AND THE LONGMEADOW

“Don’t worry I could talk about football all night,” says Alex Dockree as we usher our apologies for interrupting his Thursday evening.

“No, I think the uncertainty of the season not going the full distance played a key part, we were always wondering if the game we had next would be our last!” The Street would end the nightmare 2020-21 season with a hard fought 2-1 win over Downton, which would see Street miss out on promotion by 1 point on the points per game calculations made by the League over the last two curtailed seasons. It was probably one of the toughest seasons in Dockrees career. But more of that later – let’s start at the beginning.

Everyone likes a hometown boy done good. The same can be said of Alex, although he didn’t begin his career in football at one of the Andover sides.

“I started out playing men’s football for Whitchurch Reserves. I signed up in the New Year of 2008, as soon as I was eligible to play,” explains Dockree. “I had just turned 16 and wanted to step up away from youth football.

“I played just under a dozen games for the reserve side that season and even got one goal but can’t remember who it was against or what it was like.”

What he does remember was the following 2009-10 season as it marked his first team debut for Whitchurch, even though he played very few reserve matches that season.

“There is a very good explanation for that. I was playing for Basingstoke Town Academy U19’s that season but was also dual signed with Whitchurch so when Basingstoke’s season ended, I was able to play for the Jam Boys. I had a good season with Basingstoke, and it helped set me up for the future.”

Alex’s first appearance for Whitchurch was an important one too – “It was the Andover Open Cup Final against Otterborne. I can remember going into the changing room and some of the guys were like ‘who’s this kid?’ but Marc Rees stood up

As the phone call ticked around the hour mark Dockree has reminisced about his playing career, as the conversation wandered from his time as a youngster at Whitchurch United, to joining his hometown club – Andover Town to finally playing for Street during two Covid-19 hit seasons. “It’s been amazing to recall my playing career!” he says.

Dockree is excited, it’s the evening before the last day of term and Alex, who’s main profession when he isn’t playing football is a teacher, is already looking forward to the Christmas break.

The former Street midfielder reflected on last season’s disappointing early ending, and we asked if the team had a hangover from the 201920 seasons unscheduled finish with 10 games to go?

for me and said, ‘no he’s quality, we’ll be ok tonight with him in the side.’ Well, I came on and endorsed what Marc said, as I played well and even scored at the end of the game in the penalty shoot-out victory.

“I don’t know what it was, but I didn’t feel any pressure when I was younger taking a penalty. The game was played at the Portway, and I can remember placing the ball and looking at the goal and it looked massive, and I just didn’t care, which I know sounds awful, but I was young and very confident. Missing never entered my head. These days I’m a bag of nerves over a penalty kick!” he laughs.

Following that season Alex was furthering his education at Cardiff University. After partaking in pre-season training at Andover.

“I took part in the pre-season training at Andover but knew that I would be at Cardiff when the season started. I joined the Cardiff Met university side and we were training and playing twice a week, we were trained by Christian Edwards , who had played for Swansea, Notts Forest and Bristol Rovers so he was very experienced.

“University not only gave the qualifications to start me on my road to become a teacher, but it also helped my progression in regards my football career. It was a tough environment, but it stood me in good stead. These days I see a lot of young players have everything delivered to them on a plate. I think all young players need to learn discipline and the respect. Cleaning boots for the older pros is not a bad thing.”

The 2011-12 season would see Dockree return to Whitchurch, “I got a call from Jim Macey, and he wanted me to play. My mates at Uni were going home to play rugby, so I wasn’t missing out by going home and I was also getting paid. I could get a train home from Cardiff for £8 then and I would make the most of getting my washing done at home. I’d also did coach up at Andover Youth on a Saturday morning, so my weekends would be fairly busy with football.”

“Whitchurch were in a progression stage and building for the future, the aim was to get into the Wessex Premier. We had some talented players like Paul Coventry and Brett Denham in the squad, but we finished in 8th position.”

“The following season, I played just the one game for Whitchurch, which was in the FA Cup against Folland Sports. To be honest, I tried to please everybody and signed for both Cardiff Met and Whitchurch. In the end I had to make a call to Jim and say that I wasn’t coming back and that I would be playing in Wales. I know it made Jim cross with me and don’t get me wrong we are on good terms now, but I know he wasn’t best pleased with my decision. In the end it worked out well for both sides.”

“That season for Cardiff Met was unbelievable we won everything. It was like all the seasons before we were geared up for this one season. We won the Welsh League Division Two and had to play at some horrendous places. I was also playing up-front for the side and some of things that the centre backs use to do behind the refs back were shocking! But we just got on with it. We were miles better than the other sides in the league and fully deserved the title. Whitchurch also achieved promotion. Missing out on the title on goal difference to Brockenhurst.”

The following season was not so happy a time for Alex as he returned to Whitchurch for the challenge of Wessex Premier football. “Going up a division after having such a successful season the previous year was very tough, most of the players you come up against have played at a higher level and are either looking to return up the footballing ladder or looking for one last pay day until they give up playing.

Either way you’re playing against top quality opposition, week in, week out and it can be hard. I also wasn’t enjoying my football at the time.

Andover Town had just reformed and were going well in Division 1 and I really wanted to be a part of it. So, after 6 games I made the decision to move to Andover Town. The players they had at the time was unbelievable. Quality all over the pitch; Lewis Benson, Claudio Herbert, Lloyd Foot and

Michael Dixon.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to make but I needed a change of scene and I always wanted to play for my local side. That season was another good one in the end, although we ended up finishing second in the league to Petersfield Town by a point. We drew against them on the Easter Saturday and felt that as long as we kept winning, they wouldn’t be able to catch us, unfortunately on the Easter Monday we drew with Tadley Calleva, and Petersfield never looked back.”

Alex would also end the season missing out on silverware following injury in the Andover Open Cup against Otterbourne.

“I got knocked out during the final, so I wasn’t able to take a penalty in the shootout. Otterbourne were a good side at the time and were managed by Richard Luffman. Fortunately, I was able to play in the Hospital Cup Final against Bemerton. I remember scoring to make it 2-1 after Claudio equalised and Lloyd Foot got the winner late on. It was a great final.”

Dockree would continue to play at the Portway, although he remembers not always fitting into manager Neil Bensons plans.

“I was starting from the bench quite often and I was knocking on the managers door, demanding to know why I wasn’t starting matches. I then got a chance up front and started to find the back of the net. I was very much a confidence player. If I started well then, I would be consistent always through the game. I also often scored in batches and if I scored one, I would more than likely get a second in the same game.

It was at this time that Alex would receive recognition for reaching 100 appearances for the Town.

“I got a hat-trick that game,” he recalls. “We played Fareham Town and I was presented with my 100 appearances trophy and then went on to score a hat-trick in front of nearly 200 people for my hometown club. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

It would get better for both Andover sides in 2017-18 when both would finish as runners-up in their respective leagues. Although both sides would be kicking themselves for not actually winning the leagues.

“We were flying in the league, by this time we had Mike Gosney, Zach Glasspool, Jo Chamberlain, Joe Wright to name a few. We were about 15 points clear of Blackfield & Langley and bossing the league. We overcame losing to Blackfield at their place and we went to Hamworthy and came from a goal down to win 41 and went out in Bournemouth to celebrate.”

That is where Dockree’s season would come to abrupt end, when he was involved in an incident that so nearly ended his football career.

“I basically got hit on the night out and ended up fracturing my skull. I do not remember how it happened or who did it, but I was side-lined with the doctors telling me I could not play but I was desperate to finish the season. The most frustrating thing was I could not even go and watch the first three matches after the incident, so I was constantly refreshing Twitter to find out what was happening.

“I was finally allowed to go watch the side when they travelled to Horndean and we lost 3-2 despite Zach Glasspool scoring twice. I think the day I realised we were not going to win the league was when we drew 3-3 with Team Solent at home.

“We were 3-0 down and Solent were not exactly a great side and then with 20 minutes to go we started a comeback with Joe Wright and Zach Glasspool scoring. Then Zach got his second to equalise with 3 minutes left and then Mike Gosney struck the crossbar in injury time and if that had gone in then I think we would have won the league.

“Meanwhile, I had been working on my fitness to get myself back playing as soon as I could, and I penned in the Russell Coats Cup Final at the end of the season as the match I was aiming for.

“I was in the gym every day, desperate to be ready for that game as I had scored in the semifinal, and I was relieved that I made the bench. I did have to wear head protective gear like current Wolves striker Raul Jimenez.

People were concerned that I might do more damage to my head, but I wasn’t as the injury didn’t occur on the field playing. I never gave it a second thought. The final was frustrating to watch as Stoneham were bossing the midfield and I just wanted to get on the pitch to affect the game. And I was brought on at half-time and helped win the game 1-0. That would be my last game for Town as during the close season the club rejected promotion and the team disbanded.

“I joined Alresford Town, along with a few others from Andover but I didn’t get the best of starts as I broke my foot in the last pre-season friendly, when my foot got kicked by a defender clearing the ball and I knew straight away that it was broke. My wife was not best pleased as we have photos of our holiday and I’m wearing shorts and a massive Robocop style boot!

“I got back playing for Alresford, but again I wasn’t enjoying the long drives out for home games all the time and we were expecting our first child soon, so after 25 games I contacted the manager Richard Luffman and explained that things were not working out for me, and he was very understanding as long as I didn’t go straight back to Andover Town or New Street. I was honest with him, and he was fine with that.

The itch to get back playing was still there for Alex and at the start of the 2019-20 season it was announced that he had signed for Street.

“John Smith had always wanted to sign me, and a number of times made enquiries, but it just wasn’t the right time for me. When he came calling during the summer of 2019 it felt right.

“Again, I didn’t get off to the best of starts as I injured my knee in a pre-season friendly, playing on the Charlton Astro pitch, so my competitive debut didn’t happen until the end of August when we lost 2-1 to Alton in the FA Vase.

“After that though we went on an amazing run of results. We had a brilliant squad with the likes of Luke Hooper, Rafa, Jason Silver and Jazz Beavis and were eyeing promotion before Covid hit and put a stop to the season. It then seemed to take ages for us to get back training and we lost a couple of key players.

“It was a shame it didn’t work out for Danny Dolan as manager, as he is a great guy and a good technical manager, but JC and Smithy are doing a great job this season and I fully expect the squad they have at their disposal to be promoted at the end of the season.”

The most important question for Alex is, who will he be supporting this afternoon?

“New Street! It should be a really good game between two good sides and hopefully a big crowd. I’ve got many more friends at the club now compared to Whitchurch, so it has to be Green and Black!”

centre spot

Action from our previous meeting with Whitchurch at the start of the season. The Jam Boys came from behind to win 2-1, after Luke Hooper had given the Street a 1-0 lead. Here the Street go close late on as they put pressure on the Jam Boys defence.