Pictured: Joe Hankins Photo courtesy of Guy Wills Photography
OFFICIAL MATCH PROGRAMME Tuesday 19th March 2019 NORTH BEDS CHARITY CUP SEMI FINAL
BIGGLESWADE UNITED v BIGGLESWADE FC
What’s Inside • Welcome • The Players • Guillem Balague on Biggleswade United (as published Friday 15th March.) • Current League Standings • Results and Fixtures • The North Beds Charity Cup Draw • Up Next at Second Meadow • Our Results So Far • Biggleswade United Under 23s • Biggleswade United Ladies FC • Our Forthcoming Fixtures • Our Club History • Venue for Hire • Player Profiles • Team Photo
Welcome Welcome to Second Meadow Good evening and welcome to Second Meadow for tonight’s North Beds Charity Cup semi final tie. We extend a warm welcome to the players, officials and supporters of our visitors BIGGLESWADE FOOTBALL CLUB. We also welcome our three match officials and we hope that you enjoy your short stay with us. Three consecutive League wins has seen us arrest the poor February form that saw us suffer three consecutive defeats and we now look to push forward and secure that top four finish – and who knows a runners up place!! Our last three has seen us score 10 goals with only one goal conceded. Tonight’s semi final tie against our neighbours will be the fourth meeting of the season and the winners will meet Division One side Ampthill Town in the final with the date and venue to be determined after tonight’s result. In our previous meetings our opponents secured the 3 points at the start of the season with a convincing 4-1 win at Biggleswade Town’s ground. But we gained revenge with a 2-1 victory in the Beds Senior Cup in October and the teams then shared the points in October with a 2-2 draw at Second Meadow in the Xmas fixture. Tonight’s match must be played to a conclusion with a penalty shoot-out to follow should the tie finish all-square after 90 minutes. Up Next… On Saturday we entertain London Colney in a League fixture at Second Meadow. Kick Off 3pm. We then travel to Cockfosters on Saturday 30th March.
The Players..
Picture courtesy of GUY WILLS PHOTOGRAPHY
Pictured: Jaiden Irish
Balague on Biggleswade United GUILLEM BALAGUE Biggleswade United Chairman, Guillem Balague, provides this weekly column for The Biggleswade Chronicle.
With just seven games to play and a ten point lead over fifth place, a top four finish - our best ever - is looking more and more likely with each passing match.
But make no mistake, we fully intend to keep the pressure on them right up until the very last minute of the season as we go in search of the highest possible league finish.
But we can't even begin to contemplate taking our foot off the gas as we travel to North Greenford United tomorrow (Sat) looking to continue the form that has seen us win three matches in a row, scoring ten goals in the process.
Our Under 23 Development side were in a similar boat when they faced Shefford Town and Campton Reserves in the semi final of the East Bedfordshire Charity Cup on Wednesday night at Second Meadow in search of a place in the final to be played against Henlow at Langford on April 26.
And a win would certainly put us in the right frame of mind for our North Bedfordshire Charity Cup semi final match when local adversaries Biggleswade FC call into Second Meadow tonight.
Unfortunately on this occasion they came up short losing 3-1 although they will have hopefully learnt from the experience. Improved performances and the The chance to lift the trophy in the competitiveness shown by our Under final against Ampthill Town would be 23s throughout the season bodes well the icing on the cake after what has for all of us here at Biggleswade been a wonderful campaign for our United and are a tribute to the efforts first team. and commitment of both the players and their coach, Nyasha Segwete, It has certainly been an excellent who seems to have taken to the world season for Biggleswade FC and if they of coaching like the proverbial duck to continue the momentum that could water. see them go on to take the title, here at Biggleswade United we will be Continued Overleaf the first to offer our congratulations.
Balague on Biggleswade United GUILLEM BALAGUE Continued Our Development side is primarily a learning ground for many of its players who aspire to playing for the first team. Here at Biggleswade United we do not have the money available that will enable us to entice the top players at that level to Second Meadow and the fact is that, even if we did, I am not convinced that buying your way to success with the addition of those who play for lucre rather than for love is the way to go.
artisans or accountants, builders or barristers.
Come and join us; everyone is welcome.
See you there
Guillem Our preferred route is via an Academy and the younger sides that we have put in place with a view to building an infrastructure based on a solid foundations that can generate success on a basis that is as financially viable as it is organic and this will require time, patience, commitment and the efforts and support of everyone.
To that end I would ask the people out there - perhaps those recently retired who are looking for a project to become involved with - to consider joining us and helping to make a difference whatever talents they happen to be proficient in, be they
Current League Standings
Results and Fixtures
The North Beds Charity Cup 2018 2019 First Round A. Stotfold B. Biggleswade United C. Langford D. Biggleswade FC
2 2 1 5
3 1 2 0
Ampthill Town Barton Rovers Potton United Bedford FC
Semi Final 1. Biggleswade United v 2.
Potton United 4–4 Penalties 3-4
Biggleswade FC Ampthill Town
FINAL Ampthill Town v Biggleswade United or Biggleswade FC
Next Up at Second Meadow SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION SATURDAY 23RD MARCH 2019 KICK OFF 3pm
BIGGLESWADE UNITED V
LONDON COLNEY FC SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE DEVELOPMENT DIVISION SATURDAY 3OTH MARCH 2019 3pm
BIGGLESWADE UNITED U23 V
HOLMER GREEN FC
Our Results So Far
Biggleswade United Under 23
Biggleswade United Ladies
BEDFORDSHIRE & HERTFORDSHIRE WOMEN’S FOOTBALL LEAGUE CUP SUNDAY 24TH MARCH2019 KICK OFF 2pm
AFC DUNSTABLE LADIES RES. V
BIGGLESWADE UNITED LADIES
Our Forthcoming Fixtures
Our History 1959 - 1999 Biggleswade United Football Club was re-formed on the 16th July 1959. However, local history records indicate that there was a Biggleswade United side playing at Second Meadow as early as 1929. Our first season (1959/60) saw us competing in Division Three of the North Herts. League (NHL). After 10 successful years in the NHL the club made the step up to South Midlands League (SML) football. But towards the end of a 15-year association with the SML the club began to struggle and after three years of finishing in the bottom three of Division One we sought fresh fields. The club joined the Herts. Senior but club continued to find the going tough. In 1986 we elected to return to local League football, joining the Bedford and District Football League and began to build again.
The appointment of Brian Swords as first team manager in 87/88 proved to be the turning point in the club's fortunes. During the next ten years the club achieved a tremendous amount of success on and off the football pitch. Our record of League and Cup honours speak for themselves but aligned to this a great deal of work went on behind the scenes to match the on-field success. The club now boasts one of the best clubhouse and ground facilities in the Mid-Bedfordshire area. The success of the club has also attracted many new players as well as commanding a great deal of loyalty from those players who helped the club progress from Division Three of the Bedford and District League to County Senior Club status in just 15 years. The 1995/96 season was the most successful in the club's history - winning five major honours; the Beds Intermediate County Cup, Bedford and District League Championship, League Cup Championship and as the League's representatives the club won the Beds. FA Centenary Cup. Having won every major Bedford League honour the club felt it was time to move on and made the decision to make the step up once again and returned to Division One of the SML. In an exceptionally successful first season we celebrated a Division One "double" by winning the Championship and the Division One Cup. We also retained the Beds. FA Intermediate County Cup, only the second club in the competition's history to achieve this feat. To crown our success the club were awarded the SML Special Achievement Trophy in July 1997. In the season 1997/98 we finally achieved Senior status. This was achieved not only through the endeavours of the players on the field but ultimately as a result of an extremely hard working committee. With the help of the Biggleswade Town Council a new stand was erected and perimeter fencing installed. And two seasons later the club erected floodlights and on the evening of 26th October 1999 we played our first-ever floodlit game at Second Meadow, Ryman League side Leighton Town were the visitors in the Bedfordshire Premier Cup.
Our History 2000- 2018 The next eleven years saw the first team led by Steve "Snowy" Wright and under his management the club continued to enjoy a very high level of League and Cup success ultimately achieving promotion to the Molten Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division and with it the opportunity to compete in the FA Cup. And under Snowy the club made three Beds FA Senior Challenge Cup final appearances, winning two of the three with victories over Stotfold (4-1) and Leighton Town (1-0) but missed out in 2006/07 going down 2-0 to Dunstable Town. Snowy's other cup successes came in the form of the Hunts Premier Cup, North Beds Charity Cup, Hinchingbrooke Cup, the SML Division One Cup and the SML Special Achievement Award once again. The end of the 2006 2007 saw Snowy step down as manager with his assistant, Nick Burton taking over the first team reins. January 5th 2009 saw the club embark on further ambitious ground improvements. With financial backing from Biggleswade Town Council, Mid Beds District Council and the Football Foundation we installed a 260-seater stand, fully enclosed the ground with a double turnstile entrance and players' secure walkway, which raised the ground to Grade E status. After several years of stability in terms of first team managers the next six years saw a regular turnover of first team and reserve team managers with Nick Burton, Dave Elkin and Phil Childs all taking over the first team reins for a time. At the start of the 2013-2014 season we appointed Mick Reardon and Mark Royal as first team managers both of whom had enjoyed success as coaches at the higher levels of football. Their disciplined approach was quickly adhered to and responded to by the players and under their stewardship we achieved the highest Premier Division position in nine years and first silverware in seven years winning the North Beds Charity Cup for the first time in the club’s history. In November 2014 the club took a further positive step to realise our ambitions with the appointment of Sky Sports Presenter and renowned author, Guillem Balague as Biggleswade United’s Director of Football. Following Mick and Mark’s decision to step down at the end 2014 2015, Guillem was quick to act and recruited a new Head Coach in Cristian Colas Beccera. Cristian was assisted by former professional player, Stuart Bimson, and under their guidance the team finished in eighth spot in the Premier Division in 2017 2018 - the highest position in the club’s history. Having built a strong reputation for their outstanding coaching ability and playing philosophy Cristian and Stuart moved up to Step 3 level club, Staines Town, for the start of the 2018 2019 season. Guillem was again in search for a high quality coach and Jimmy Martin came highly recommended by his predecessor, Colas, who worked with Jimmy at Stevenage FC Academy. Jimmy was appointed Manager in May 2018 and will be assisted by a former United playing legend and well respected character in SML football, Dean Bull. Also on the coaching staff is Spanish coach Emilio Gutierrez. The club has certainly come a long way in relatively few years but we could not have done it without the help of a very supportive Town and District Council who clearly understands the benefits of having a community based club in Biggleswade. Our success is also very much down to a very hard working committee who throughout the year - not just the football season continue to volunteer their time and commitment to the club, to help it continue to thrive and be a source of enjoyment for our supporters and the Biggleswade community.
Biggleswade United FC Clubhouse is available to hire for every occasion – Birthdays*, Children’s parties, wedding parties, christenings, naming ceremonies and lots more… The clubhouse can accommodate up to 100. Hire charges are from £25 to £100. For more information contact Tracey James on 07714 661827 or 01767 316270
* We are unable to accommodate 18th birthday parties
Picture courtesy of GUY WILLS PHOTOGRAPHY
Pictured: James Smith
BIGGLESWADE UNITED PLAYER PROFILES Ollie Leslie – Goalkeeper Highly respected goalkeeper in the SML, Ollie joined United at the start of the season. Great shot stopper whose height adds to the all round ingredients needed for United’s number 1. James Cooper – Defender. Joined United in 2015 as a striker from local side Gamlingay United. “Coops” has made over 150 appearances for the club. Extremely fit player who combines the defensive full back / attacking wing back position to great effect. Kane Farrell – Defender Former player with Southend United Centre of Excellence who joined United in 2015. Kane has made almost 200 appearances. Highly committed player who rarely misses a training session. High technical ability and a complete allrounder who chips in with some stunning goals. Charlie Briggs – Defender Joined United in June 2018 having previously played at Stotfold. Impressed as an opponent and was very much on the United wanted list. A young, solid, no nonsense centre half who is growing in stature in every game he plays.
Joe Gauge – Defender 18 Year old Joe is having an amazing start to senior football and is already one of the fans’ favourites. Eager to learn and showing a great maturity in every game. Is certainly one to watch for the future. Is part of the Stevenage Elite Development Progarmme. James Smith – Defender “Snoops” joined United in 2017 and became an instant hit with the United fans with his never say die attitude. Beset by injury last season, he managed only 14 games but this season has already notched up 24 appearances and fingers crossed he’ll make it to 50 this season. Matt Clark – Defender Former Watford Academy player, Matt has bided his time as captain of the Development side but has recently broken in to the first team reckoning where his growing from game to game. Strong player who is quickly adapting to the United style of play.
BIGGLESWADE UNITED PLAYER PROFILES Jaiden Irish – Midfield United’s midfield powerhouse who recently made his 100th appearance for the club since joining in 2016. Don’t let his shy persona fool you, he is a terrier in the middle of the park and uses his high quality technical ability to great effect. Dylan Logan – Midfield Another young player who joined United from Stevenage at the start of the season. Highly skilfull player who has the ability to wreak havoc on unsuspecting defenders .
Liam Andrews – Midfield A player who has impressed since the very start of the season and is adapting superbly well in the midfield and in his first full season at senior level having spent his youth years at Stevenage. Excellent technical ability and superb engine. Rafe Goodman – Midfield – Another young player who was previously at Stevenage. Started the season with United but ventured in to Step 4 football with AFC Dunstable returning to United in January. A long pass technician who has also chipped in with the goals. Taz Andrews – Midfield – Began his playing career at United in the Under 11s before moving to the Stevenage Academy. Another technically gifted player who looks comfortable on the ball and despite his small stature proves difficult to shake off the ball. Ricky Christie – Midfield – Joined United at the start of last season having spent his young playing days in his native Scotland. Gritty hardworking player who takes no prisoners.
Ieaun Lewis – Midfield / Striker / Captain – Vastly experienced and highly respected player who has played at Step 3 and Step 4 with the likes of Hitchin Town and St Neots Town. Has been the Academy coach at Stevenage for many years and he is passing on his knowledge and experience to the younger players. A leader on and off the pitch.
BIGGLESWADE UNITED PLAYER PROFILES Dave Parkinson – Midfield / Striker Highly popular player within the League, “Bullet” is a renowned goal machine and probably the fastest frontman in the Premier Division. Currently the club’s leading goalscorer. Sam Holmes – Striker – Prolific goal scorer who was previously with Division One side Ampthill Town where he was leading goal scorer with 35 goals from 43 appearances. Hot on the heels of his United strike partners for the golden boot. Joe Hankins – Striker – Previously with Royston Town, Joe joined United in September and is a key player in United’s forward line. A creative wide man he has assisted in many of United’s goals this season. Will be looking to take his goal tally to double figures by the end of the season. Codi Spavins – Striker – Definitely a young player to watch out for, Codi enjoyed a highly successful season with the Under 18s last season and made the transition to senior football with regular appearances for the Under 23 and I November justifiably took his place in the first team squad. George Brinkman - Striker. A likeable rogue and the changing room joker, George is well known in football circles having played for many clubs at the higher level including Hitchin Town, Barton Rovers and Bedford Town. Sadly a broken ankle sidelined him for much of the season but celebrated his comeback with a wonder goal against Harpenden in February. Taylor Rhiney - Midfield Striker Returned to the United line up recently after a short spell at Bedford Town and has already made his mark with a brace at Leverstock Green.