Buildbase FA Trophy: 3rd Round Qualifying
Royston Town FC Vs Hythe Town FC Saturday 31st October 2020 Kick Off 3.00pm Royston Town FC would like to welcome this afternoon’s opponents Hythe Town FC for their visit to Garden Walk for the Buildbase FA Trophy 3rd Round Qualifying fixture. We wish their Players, Officials and Supporters an enjoyable afternoon and hope the match will be a keenly contested and entertaining game. We also welcome this afternoon’s Match Officials and hope they have an enjoyable game.
Today’s Match
Royston Town Football Club President Chairman Secretary
Founded 1875
Alan Barlow Steve Jackson Terry McKinnell 9 Valley Rise, Royston, Herts SG8 9EY 07772 086709 email terry.mckinnell@talktalk.net
Treasurer Welfare Officer Fixture Secretary Executive Board
Angela Baulk Steve Endacott (07971 512402) Trevor Burrows, Andy Toovey, Eric Joyce, David Baulk, Angela Baulk, Chris Coote, Duncan Easley, Giles Parnwell Neil MacLeod
Webmaster Programme Editor Official Photographer
Steve Endacott Angela Baulk Kevin Richards
Football Management Team First Team Manager First Team Asst Manager Reserve Team Manager U18 Team Managers Womens Team Manager Vets Team Manager
Steve Castle Chris Watters Lewis Endacott Dan Evans/Matt Campany Lewis Endacott Lee Wilkinson
Ground
Garden Walk, Royston, Herts SG8 7HP Telephone (01763) 241204
Colours
First XI Reserves U18 Ladies Vets
Members of: The Hertfordshire Football Association Southern League Premier Division The Herts Senior County League Thurlow Nunn Youth League Eastern Region Women’s Football League The Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Ladies League
White/Black/White White/Black/White White/Black/Black White/Black/White White/Black/Black
Royston Town Football Club is an unincorporated association controlled by its members under the Constitution of RTFC
CLUB HONOURS
Today’s Match Sponsor: Winners Herts County League (Div I) 1969-70, 1972-73 Herts County League (Premier Div) 1976-1977 South Midlands League (Div I) 1977-1978 South Midlands Reserve League (Div II) 1978-1979 South Midlands Reserve League (Div I) 1979-1980 North Herts (Div IV) League Cup, 1978-79, 1979-1980 Herts Charity Shield, 1981-82, 1989-90, 1996-1997 Herts Intermediate Cup, 1988-1989 Chiltern Youth League (Div I) 1989-1990 South Combinations Reserve Floodlight Cup, 1992-1993 Chiltern Youth League Cup, 1992-1993 South Midlands Challenge Trophy, 1995-1996 Eastern Region Women’s League (Div II) 1998-1999 Eastern Counties Youth League Cup, 2001-2002 South Midlands Reserve Challenge Cup 2004-2005 KB Tyres Division III Champions 2006-2007 South Midlands League (Div I) 2008-2009 South Midlands League Cup (Div I) 2008-2009 South Midlands Floodlit Cup 1994-1995 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012 South Midlands Reserve League (Div II East) 2008-2009 South Midlands Reserve Challenge Cup 2008-2009 KB Tyres Division I League Cup 2009-2010 South Midlands Reserve Floodlit Cup 2009-2010 BIS Cambs League Division 2A 2010/2011 BIS Cambs League Divisional Champions 2010/2011 Veterans Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup 2010/2011 South Midlands Premier League 2011/2012 South Midlands Premier League Cup 2011/2012 Suburban League North Division 2012/2013, 2013/2014 Joint Winners of the Hinchingbrooke Cup 2013 Eastern Region Women’s League Plate 2013/2014, 2014/15 Suburban Premier League 2015-16 Eastern Region Women’s League Division 1 West 2015/16 Southern League Div 1 Central 2016/17
Runners-Up
South Midlands Challenge Cup, 1978-1979 Herts Charity Shield, 1978-79, 1998-99, 2004-05, 2008-2009 South Midlands League (Premier Div) 1979-1980 North Herts (Div IV) 1979-1980 North Herts (Div III) 1981-1982 North Herts (Div II) 1982-1983 South Midlands Res Section Trophy, 1982-1983 Chiltern Youth League Cup, 1986-87, 1988-1989 Herts Intermediate Cup, 1989-1990 Herts County Youth Cup, 1992-1993 North Herts (Div I), 1993-1994 South Midlands Floodlit Cup, 1995-1996 Herts F.A. Women’s Cup, 1998-99, 2001-2002 2013/14 Eastern Region Women’s League (Div I) 1999-2000, 2013/2014 2014/15 Eastern Junior Plate, 2001-2002 KB Tyres Division I 2008-2009, 2009-2010 South Midlands Reserve Challenge Trophy 2009-2010 South Midlands Reserves Floodlit Cup 2010/2011 Hertfordshire Women’s County Cup 2013/2014 Eastern Region Women’s League, League Cup 2014/15 Southern League Division 1 Central 2014/15 2015/16
Royston Town FC Club History
So when did it all begin? After some intensive research the evidence is that the club came into existence in 1875 making Royston the third oldest Club in Hertfordshire after Hitchin and Bishop Stortford. The Club’s very first honour came in 1911/12 when they won the Creake Charity Shield beating Wisbech 1-0 in extra time. The Club’s first major honour in more recent times came in the guise of promotion to the Herts County Premier League in 1969/70 and they went on to be champions in 1972/73 and 1976/77. In 1978 we rejoined the South Midlands League and won the Division One title at the first time of asking. Success continued with a final appearance in the Herts Charity Shield for the first time in 1979 and runners up spot in the South Midlands League Premier Division in 1980. The Herts Charity Shield was won in 1981/82 and two years later the Club joined the Isthmian League Division Two North where we remained for 10 seasons before returning to the South Midlands League in 1994. After a period in the doldrums which culminated in relegation from the South Midlands League Premier Division at the end of 2006/07, Paul Attfield was appointed manager with ex Spurs favourite Tony Galvin returning to Garden Walk as 1 st Team Coach in November 2007. Paul immediately set about building a new 1st Team squad and a run of 17 games undefeated saw the Club move from bottom of the table to finish in 5th place in the League. The foundations had been laid for the 2008/09 season and the first team took the South Midlands Division One League title with one of the best set of stats for any Step 6 Club in the country W33, D4, L3, GF138, GA30, GD+108, PTS 103. The 2011/2012 season will be seen as a watershed in our history with the winning of the South Midlands Premier Division title and promotion to Step 4 in the shape of the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One Central. In our first season back at Step 4 after an absence of 19 years it was hard to know what to expect and how we would perform. Most of our supporters felt a mid-table position would be an acceptable target for the season, but we quickly found ourselves exceeding all expectations as our performances propelled us towards the top of the table. Four straight wins in the first four games set the tone and a run of nine wins with just one defeat between October and December saw us maintain a play-off position. In the very last game of the season a play-off was still a possibility and having gone 2-1 up away at AFC Hayes with just a few minutes of the game left it looked a near certainty. But it was not to be as Hayes scored an 87 minute equaliser and our play-off place was lost. In our second season at this level our steady progress to claim a place in the play off zone was given a severe jolt when, at the beginning of November, Paul Attfield announced his resignation as first team manager due to ill health. The search for his replacement began almost immediately and we were inundated with applications from some very well know and successful managers. After an exhaustive selection process the Board appointed Steve Castle at the end of November and on Boxing Day Steve officially took over securing a 0 – 0 draw against the League’s form team and eventual champions Dunstable Town. Our 2014/15 season opener was at home against one of the promotion favourites Rugby Town but an impressive team display ensured their threat was stifled and we ran out winners 2 -1. That victory really did set things buzzing but we were quickly brought back down to earth when on the following Tuesday night Bedworth United were the visitors winning the game 3 – 1. As we all know consistency in performances provides the key to long term success and although the early stages of the season produced good results against the likes of Daventry Town and Beaconsfield these were punctuated by dismal performances against the likes of Aylesbury and Egham Town. From mid November to mid December We really lost our way with six defeats in seven games but our rollercoaster ride saw an incredible run of form over the Christmas period and into the New Year with five straight wins which helped us maintain a position in the play off places. On a miserable Tuesday evening in February we travelled to lowly AFC Hayes and after an abject performance we lost the game 2 – 0. This prompted our Chairman to tell Steve Castle that he had given up on this team making the play – offs and said that we should start preparing instead for next season. That message was conveyed to players and we witnessed a most remarkable transformation in our results with a 14 game unbeaten run during which we scored 29 goals and conceded just seven resulting in us achieving the runners up spot to league champions Kettering Town and securing our place in the play- off semi final where we met local rivals Barton Rovers. After an incident packed 90 minutes and extra time the game ended in a goalless draw but
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it was not to be our night and we lost the shoot out 4-5 and had to suffer the agony of all the emotions which go with being defeated in this way. We started the 2015/16 season strongly and between the end of December and the end of March we produced a rich vein of form with only one defeat in 14 games and this ensured we were sitting on top of the league with just 7 games to go and with the expectation that we could win promotion outright ran high throughout the whole club. However three games in succession proved our down fall when we could only draw 0 – 0 with Bedford and lost to Egham away 3- 1 and Godalming at home 1- 0 and once again we ended up in the play offs against AFC Rushden but we failed to turn up and went out tamely to our opponents 2 - 1. Having finished runners up for two years in succession Steve Castle was determined to make it third time lucky and began to recruit some experienced new blood in the shape of John Frendo and Adam Murray whilst at the same time giving youngsters Gus Scott Morris and Josh C extended runs in the first team. However the season didn’t start well and after four games we’d only mustered five points whilst promotion rivals Farnborough just couldn’t stop winning. Although results did improve, defeat in the FA Cup to Heybridge Swifts 4 – 1 and a thrashing by Barton Rovers at home 6 – 3 at the end of September didn’t do a great of good for our confidence. Things took a dramatic turn thereafter with 12 successive league wins which ended with defeat 2-1 at Kidlington in early January 2017, interspersed by a magnificent run in the FA Trophy including victory against Step 2 outfit Hampton and Richmond Borough before in the replay against Dulwich Hamlet we eventually went down 1 -0. With cup football out of the way the team put together an incredible run of 16 league games undefeated including a 5 – 0 thrashing of closest rivals Farnborough which saw us maintain the top spot until the end of the season by a margin of 12 points and the highest number of goals scored, 120, across all three Evostik Leagues. Promotion to the Southern Premier League means that the Club will be playing at its highest level in its 142 year history! Season 2017/18 saw The Crows exceeded all expectations in our first season at Step 3. Throughout the season we managed to maintain our hopes of a play-off place until they were finally put to bed with two successive defeats against the eventually play-off winners Slough Town and we had to be satisfied with a seventh place finish. The signing of Adam Marriott, a proven goal scorer who had played for Lincoln City, Stevenage and Cambridge United was without a doubt a real coup and he was to play a key role in the progress made by the Club by becoming our leading marksman with 31 goals. A good run in the FA Trophy with wins against Enfield Town and Leatherhead came to an end against Eastbourne Borough when having managed to draw at their place we lost the replay on penalties. We managed to get to the final of the Herts Senior Cup were we played Boreham Wood from Step 2 and in spite of a brave performance we never really had the power to compete and lost 2 – 1. Given where we had started from we definitely exceeded our own and many other peoples’ expectations and this has provided us with the building blocks to face this season in the newly constituted Southern Premier Central League. Season 2018/19 saw us finishing in a respectable 9th position in what proved to be a very strong Premier Division Central. During February/March we recorded six wins out of seven league games to give us a faint hope of a play-off spot, but three straight defeats in April put paid to our chances. We suffered another early at AFC Sudbury in the FA Cup and in the FA Trophy we progressed through two rounds before being beaten in a replay at Needham Market. A comprehensive history of the Club can be found in The History of Royston Town FC 1875 - 2012 first published in 2013. The book was written by the Club’s President, Alan Barlow after over five years of painstaking research and can be purchase via the Club on by visiting www.avbarlow.com.
CROWS REMEMBER BERNIE
Players and supporters impeccably observed a minutes silence in memory of Bernard Brown ahead of the 2-1 victory over Hednesford Town Picture courtesy of Kevin Richards
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Royston Town FC Player Pen Pics
Joe Welch (Goalkeeper) Joined us from Chelmsford City in 2016/17, Joe started his career at Southend United before joining Histon where he played over 50 games and earned a loan deal at Stevenage. Joe’s other clubs include Ebbsfleet, Bromley and St Albans City. Harry Smart (Goalkeeper) After joining the Crows in season 2018/19, Harry has proved to be a more than capable understudy to Joe Welch when called upon. Gus Scott-Morriss (Defender) Full-back who made his Crows first-team debut in season 2014/15, Gus was a member of our successful Under 18s team that season and has gone on to establish himself as a First Team regular with over 200 appearances to date. Ed Asafu-Adjaye (Defender) Rejoined the Crows last season after spending a season at Hayes & Yeading, Ed started his playing career at Luton Town and broke into the 1st team during the 2008/9 season. In total he made 64 appearances for The Hatters before moving to Forest Green Rovers and then to Hemel Hempstead Town, Ed is a versatile defender who can anywhere across the back four. Adam Murray (Defender) Adam joined us at the beginning of 2017/18, having spent the previous two seasons at Cambridge City where he made 60 appearances. He quickly settled into the squad and has proved to be a formidable addition for the Crows. Daniel Brathwaite (Defender) Joined the Crows from Chesham United for the start of 2015/16, Daniel is an experienced defender whose former clubs include Boreham Wood and Dover Athletic. Dan Newton (Defender) Joined us at the start of this season, Centre-Back Dan spent last season at Biggleswade FC after previously playing for Northwood. Taylor Parr (Defender) Centre-Back who re-joined The Crows in February 2019 from St Neots Town. Taylor made 59 appearances for us between 20122014 and spent three seasons at St Neots Town, making 126 appearances for The Saints. James Brighton (Defender) Experienced full-back who joined us in November 2019 from Kettering Town, where he had spent a successful four seasons. James has previously played for Hemel Hempstead Town, Cambridge City & Cambridge United. Josh Castiglione (Midfield) Midfielder who was a member of our successful Under 18 team in season 2014/15 and made the step up to the First Team the following season, Josh is approaching 200 appearances & has chipped in with 30+ goals. Scott Bridges (Midfield) Scott rejoined the Crows last season after spending last season at Hayes & Yeading, having previously been a Crow for four years, scoring 71 goals in 194 appearances. Originally he was with Aston Villa until 2007, Scott then played most of his football at Banbury United. Scott was made Club Captain in 2016. Spyros Mentis (Midfield) Versatile hard-working midfielder or defender, Spyros rejoined The Crows in 2018/19 after a season away at Hayes & Yeading, he previously played just under 100 games for us from 2013 during his first spell at Garden Walk.
Tom Newman (Midfield) Joined The Crows at the start of 2018/19, Tom impressed when called upon and chipped in with some useful goals from midfield. Adam Watkins (Midfield) Re-joined us last season after a couple of seasons away at Chesham United & Cambridge City. Adam started his career as a 17 year old at Luton Town and in his 5 years there played 42 games for the Hatters before moving to Eastleigh and then Dunstable Town, where he scored 19 goals in 127 appearances. Danny Green (Midfield) Joined us in December 2018 from Chesham United, Danny is an experienced midfielder whose other previous clubs include St Albans City and Dunstable Town. Jonny Edwards (Forward) Joined the Crows at the beginning of this season and made an immediate impact with four goals in the first competitive game of the season. After leaving the Stevenage Academy Jonny impressed within the Peterborough United youth set-up to earn himself a professional contract, making his First Team debut in 2015. He then spent time at Accrington Stanley, Woking, Halifax Town and Maidstone United after leaving Peterborough. Brandon Adams (Forward) Brandon spent four years at Queens Park Rangers which included loan deals at Malaysian club Perlis and Linfield in Northern Ireland. After leaving the R’s in 2018 Brandon dropped into non-league hoping to catch the eye of pro clubs and has certainty impressed. After a short stint at Enfield Town he moved to Ware last season and bagged an impressive 23 league goals in 25 games. Josh Williams (Forward) Signed for the Crows this season after spending last season at Ware, where he scored 17 goals in 30 appearances, Josh previously played for FC Romania. Isaac Galliford (Forward) Previously with Hitchin Town, St Neots Town & Hemel Hempstead after starting out with Luton Town. Isaac signed for us for the beginning of this season. Whilst with The Canaries Isaac’s performances earned him an England ‘C’ call-up. Duncan Culley (Forward) Duncan Culley has recently joined from Isthmian League South Central Division side Tooting & Mitcham United. Duncan is a proven goalscorer in non-league football as shown during his time with, amongst others, Bromley, Hampton & Richmond Borough and Hayes & Yeading United – where he scored an impressive 37 in 59 games.
Today’s Opponents – Hythe Town FC Club History
Hythe Town Football Club was formed in August 1910 although football in Hythe can be traced back into the previous century. The club joined the Folkestone and District Leagues and after the First World War had some success, four championships and only once outside the top three in fourteen seasons. They moved up into the Kent Amateur League in 1936 and were promoted into Division One before the Second World War intervened. The 50s and 60s saw little league success but that changed in the early 70s with three successive league titles and a Kent Junior Cup win. Hythe were granted senior status and elected into the Kent League in 1977, playing at the newly acquired Reachfields, an old army sports ground on the edge of the town’s firing ranges. The club were runners-up in the Kent League on three occasions but it was not until property developer Tony Walton took over Hythe Town in February 1988 that things really started to happen. That summer saw the ground developed to Southern League standard with seats and a social club, with viewing balconies, above new dressing rooms. Standing cover extended behind one goal and for the whole of the far side, and floodlights were installed. The ground capacity still remains at 3,000 with the majority under cover. The chairman proved to be a high-profile character who attracted much media attention with his high spending on the ground and team. Town won the 1988-9 Kent League title by 14 points and set a league record of 133 goals. The club gained promotion to the Southern League. The next season saw another promotion as the main aim, but the club’s great run to the FA Vase semi-finals handicapped their league ambitions, with four games a week at times, and a sixth place finish. Hythe lost out to the eventual Vase winners Yeading, winning the home leg 3-2 in front of the club’s record attendance of 2,147, but cruelly losing the second leg 2-0 with the crucial goal coming from a big deflection. They did win the Eastern Professional Floodlight Cup at their first attempt. The following season was very similar, topping the table in November but runs in four cups again caused fixture congestion and a final placing of eighth. Hythe lost out to Trowbridge Town in a Vase quarter-final second replay, lost to Chelmsford City over two legs in the Southern League Cup final, but won the Kent Senior Trophy and retained the Eastern Professional Floodlight Cup. The club played 40 league games and 33 cup ties. In 1991/2 Hythe again topped the table in the early months but the money was beginning to run out. With little cup success, the exit from the Vase at Evesham United in February saw many of the team sold and their replacements could only finish thirteenth. the club did reach the final of the Kent Senior Cup, losing in extra-time to Bromley at Gillingham’s Priestfield Stadium. That match proved to be Walton’s last game, and he put the club into liquidation soon after. Supporters rallied round and entered a scratch side, as Hythe United, into the following season’s Kent County League and negotiated continued use of Reachfields Stadium. After three seasons the club regained senior status and in 1995 were elected back into the Kent League but the club would struggle for a number of seasons in the wrong half of the table. In 2001 Hythe dropped the “United” suffix, reverting to “Town” and in November 2002 appointed Paul Fisk as Manager. This proved a turning point and Hythe became a top six club. There was one exception, in 2005/6, when again the Vase was a distraction, winning five ties before going out to Winchester City in the fourth round, in front of 441 spectators at Reachfields. In season 2007/8 Hythe forced themselves to the top of the table in March and were considered to be favourites for the title. Disappointment was acute therefore when form was lost in the final weeks and the side not only slipped to fourth place, but also lost in the final of the League Cup. The highlight was a fantastic FA Cup win over Andy Hessenthaler’s Dover Athletic before a crowd of 1,109 at Reachfields, and achieving the important Ryman League ground grading. The club achieved runners-up spot the following season and then Scott Porter, who had been Paul Fisk’s assistant manager, took over as manager for the 2009/10 season with Clive Cook as his assistant. There were many good results but too many dropped points saw Hythe finish in third position. Town also progressed through three rounds of the FA Cup to be drawn against the full-time professionals of Woking who were relieved to escape with a replay after an exciting 2-2 draw at Reachfields. The replay was another tight match until the last few minutes when Woking scored three times to go through 51.
The 2010/11 season was possibly the most successful in the history of the club, with Scott Porter and leading the side to the Kent League Championship for the first time in over twenty years, and with it promotion to the Ryman League. After a 22match unbeaten run in the new-year, dropped points over Easter took the championship to the wire and the league was clinched in dramatic style on the last day of the season through a last-minute equaliser at Tunbridge Wells. This amazing achievement was coupled with the club’s best ever F.A. Cup run, and the best for any Kent League side in over 50 years. Hythe negotiated their way through six rounds, including memorable wins over higher league opposition at Concord Rangers of the Ryman Premier and at home to Staines Town of the Blue Square Bet South. The prize was an away draw in the First Round Proper to League Two side Hereford United. It was one round too far on the pitch, the hosts comfortably winning 5-1 with Gary Mickelborough getting the Hythe goal. During the 2011/2 season the club maintained their progress and finished in eighth place in Ryman Division One South. Hythe were also able to get their hands on some silverware as wins over Ebbsfleet United and Dover Athletic were followed by a single goal victory in the final at Dartford to win the Kent Senior Cup. The following season ended with a 17-match unbeaten run and a fourth-place finish. This brought about the club’s first play-off appearance, unfortunately losing at Faversham Town in the semi-final. After another eighth-place finish Scott Porter and Clive Cook left the club at the end of 2013/4 and Tim Dixon was appointed as manager in May 2014. It was a disappointing season that saw the club finish in 16th position and after a poor start to 20156 the club decided to part company with Dixon in September. Clive Cook returned to take over, this time as manager and led a remarkable turnaround from 22nd place to fourth as the club qualified for the Ryman South play-offs for a second time. Defeat followed at Worthing in the semi-final. The club ended just outside the play-off zone the following season. The club parted company with manager Clive Cook in January 2018 as ex-Herne Bay manager Sam Denly arrived to take his place. Again, we ended up just outside the play off places in 2018/2019. However, a poor start to 2019/2020 led to the departure of Sam Denly to be replaced by former Margate manager Steve Watt. Ground details - Capacity 3,000 (2,400 under cover) - Record attendance: 2,147 (March 1990, versus Yeading, F.A. Vase semifinal) Hythe Town FC Honours Board Kent League Champions – 1988/89, 2010/11 Kent League Runners-Up – 1978/79, 1982/ 83, 1984/ 85, 2008/09 Kent League Cup Runners-Up – 1987/88, 2007/08, 2010/11 Southern League Cup Runners-Up – 1990/91 Kent Senior Cup Winners - 2011/12 Kent Senior Cup Runners-Up – 1991/92 Kent Senior Trophy Winners – 1990/91 Kent Senior Trophy Runners-Up – 2003/04 Eastern Professional Cup Winners - 1989/90, 1990/91 F.A. Cup - First Round Proper - 2010/11 F.A. Vase - Semi-final - 1989/90 Ryman League Division One South Play-Offs – 2012/13, 2015/16
Today’s Opponents – Hythe Town FC Player Pen Pics Will Godmon – Goalkeeper Age 24 Will is an experienced keeper who is his second spell with the Cannons. He started his career in the Chelsea Youth set up before moving to Maidstone United where he had loan spells at Lewes and Faversham Town where he then signed permanently before moving for a short spell at Leatherhead before returning to Salters Lane. He then joined Hythe for his first spell making 50 appearances. He then joined Thamesmead Town before returning to Faversham and then onto Ramsgate before joining us in September 2019. Dean Beckwith – Defender Age 37 Experienced central defender, Dean joined us in September from Havant & Waterlooville. He has had an illustrious career starting with Tonbridge Angels before moving on to Gillingham where he had loan spells with Dagenham & Redbridge and Margate. He continued his league career with Hereford United, Luton Town and Northampton Town. He has also played for Eastleigh, Sutton United and Maidstone United. Tom Wynter – Defender Age 30 A highly experienced defender who joined us from Ramsgate in December. Tom started his career with Gillingham where he made eight first team appearances before he had spells at Dover Athletic, Dartford & Margate. Liam Smith – Defender Age 20 Full Back, Liam joined us from Tonbridge Angels at the start of this season where he came up through the Youth System. He spent a short period of time on loan at Sevenoaks Town last season. Nathan Gordon – Defender Age 27 Former AFC Wimbledon Academy player, Nathan is a 27-year old left back who joined us from Sevenoaks Town. He has previously turned out for Merstham and Walton & Hersham. James Rogers – Midfield Age 35 A highly experienced strong defender who started his career at Dartford before moving onto Dover Athletic. He spent three years at Maidstone United before joining Margate. He joined Hythe in October 2019. Darren Oldaker – Midfield Age 21 Darren was originally with us on loan from Gillingham two seasons ago when he played 14 games for the Cannons before returning to Priestfield. He went into the Gillingham first team for a short while before leaving for Billericay Town. Charlie Webster – Midfielder Age 24 Former Gillingham youth player, Charlie joined Tonbridge Angels following a short loan spell after being released by the Gills. He joined Hythe in the summer of 2016 and is now starting his third year with the Cannons and had now been appointed Club Captain. Alex Brown – Midfielder Age 27 Alex started his career at Gillingham. During that time, he had loan spells with Whitstable Town, Corby Town and Maidstone United. He was then to sign permanently with the Stones. He then went on loan to Leatherhead and made the move permanent in January 2016. He then joined Dartford before joining Margate at the start of last season. Morgan Williamson – Midfielder Age 16 Youngster, Morgan joined us from the Maidstone United youth set up during the Summer. He is a player with a lot of potential for the future. Bradley Ihionvien – Midfielder Age 16 Another youngster who came from Maidstone United. He has a bright future in the game.
Jarred Trespaderne – Midfield Age 21 Young exciting midfielder who joined in October 2019. He has also played for Folkestone Invicta, Herne Bay, Tunbridge Wells, Corinthian and East Grinstead Town. Tom Walmsley – Striker Age 19 Local lad, Tom is a midfielder who started his senior career at Folkestone Invicta before moving to Whitstable Town. He moved to Hythe in the latter part of last season. Frannie Collin – Striker Age 33 Experienced striker, Frannie Collin joined us from Margate. He started his career with Gillingham where he made nine first team appearances before moving onto Dover Athletic. He has also had spells with Tonbridge Angels, Maidstone United, Leatherhead and Hastings United. Ross Ibbertson – Midfield Age 23 Ross came through the youth set up at Gillingham He has also played for Hollands & Blair and East Grinstead Town. Alex Flisher – Striker Age 28 Alex Flisher joined us from Dartford in October 2019 having played most of his career with Maidstone United and Margate. He is a very dangerous winger who causes headaches for defenders. Kaka Dembele – Striker Age 24 Kaka signed in November following his return from Australia where is was playing for Seaford Rangers in the South Australia State League One. He has latterly been playing as a striker but has also played in defence or midfield. He has also turned out for Dartford, Thamesmead Town, Welling United and Greenwich Borough. Kane Phillip – Striker Age 21 Kane is in his second spell with Hythe originally in February 2019 before leaving for Sittingbourne. He rejoined just before lockdown earlier this year. He is a winger who opened his scoring account with a double against Burgess Hill earlier in the season. He has also played for Herne Bay, Dover Athletic Nick Dembele – Striker Age 23 Nick joined the club in September having played for Cambridge City last season. He plays mainly on the left-hand side. He has also had spells playing in Gibraltar and for Lingfield, Metropolitan Police, Maidenhead United and Brimsdown.
KNIBBS BUTCHERS SUPPLIERS OF THE FAMOUS ROYSTON TOWN FC MEAT RAFFLE
First Team League Table Pitchin In Southern League 2020/21 Premier Division Central Team Coalville Town Needham Market Stratford Town Rushall Olympic Tamworth Redditch United Stourbridge Royston Town Kings Langley Hitchin Town St Ives Town Peterborough Sports AFC Rushden & Diamonds Lowestoft Town Alvechurch Biggleswade Town Banbury United Bromsgrove Sporting Hednesford Town Nuneaton Town Barwell Leiston
P 7 7 8 8 7 8 8 8 8 7 6 6 7 7 8 8 7 8 8 7 7 7
W 5 5 5 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 -
D 2 2 4 3 3 5 5 5 1 1 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 2
L 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 2 1 2 2 4 4 3 4 5 4 5 5
F 21 17 17 14 13 14 10 12 11 12 11 10 14 8 12 13 9 9 12 12 6 10
A 5 7 16 12 8 11 7 11 10 14 13 5 11 9 14 17 13 17 16 13 17 21
Diff 16 10 1 2 5 3 3 1 1 -2 -2 5 3 -1 -2 -4 -4 -8 -4 -1 -9 -11
-Pts -
Pts 17 17 15 13 12 12 11 11 11 10 10 9 9 9 8 8 8 8 7 5 4 2
Forthcoming League Fixtures 2020/21
Team
Date
1st Team
Saturday 31st October
Reserves
Saturday 31st October
Women’s 1
st
Women’s Dev st
1 Team U18’s st
Kick Off
st
Opponent
Competition
Venue
3.00
Hythe Town
Buildbase FA Trophy: 3rd Qualifying Round
Home
3.00
Welwyn Garden City U23’s
League
Away rd
Sunday 1 November
2.00
Harlow Town
Vitality FA Cup: 3 Qualifying Round
Away
Sunday 1st November
2.00
Hitchin Belles
League
Away
rd
Tuesday 3 November
7.45
St Ives
League
Home
th
Thursday 5 November
7.45
Walsham le Willows
League
Home
th
1 Team
Saturday 7 November
3.00
Stratford Town
League
Away
Women’s 1st
Sunday 8th November
2.00
Peterborough North Star Ladies
League
Away
Women’s Dev
Sunday 8th November
2.00
Wootton Blue Cross Lionesses
League
Home
U18’s
Thursday 12th November
7.45
Ely City
League
Home
th
st
1 Team Women’s 1
Saturday 14 November st
Women’s Dev
3.00
Nuneaton Borough
League
Home
th
Sunday 15 November
2.00
Bowers & Pitsea
League
Away
th
2.00
Houghton Athletic Ladies
League
Away
Sunday 15 November
Royston Town FC v Hednesford Town FC Southern League Premier Division Central Saturday 24th October 2020 Result: 2-1 Team: Welch, Asafu-Adjaye, Brighton, Bridges, Murray, Parr Š (Newton 37), Scott-Morris, Galliford (Rotimi 65), Edwards (Culley 70), Adams, Williams Unused Subs: Green, Newman MOM: Welch The Crows recorded their first league win of the season, but were made to work hard for the points by a determined Hednesford side. The damage was done by the home side in the first half as the Crows attacked with real fluency. As early as the 9th minute Jonny Edwards was denied down low, as Cameron Gregory saved after good work from Josh Williams. It was Royston who opened the scoring shortly afterwards after a good move involving Ed Asafu-Adjaye, Isaac Galliford and Brandon Adams ended with Josh Williams slotting home from close range. The Pitmen thought they had equalised in the 18th minute, but an outstanding point-blank save from Joe Welch denied Taylor Allen. Just 5 minutes later though they were level, as Daniel Turner slotted home a penalty after he had been fouled, although there was no contact, the referee deemed there was enough intent. Royston’s reply was instant as they were awarded a penalty of their own after Adams was bundled over. Edwards calmly despatched, sending Gregory the wrong way. The home side continued to press with Adams and Edwards both denied by excellent defending, as despite their dominance they were unable to extend their lead going into the break. The second half was completely different as Hednesford did most of the pressing putting the Crows on the defensive as they struggled to maintain any sort of possession. Despite their dominance the Pitmen struggled to create any clear sites of goal, although Royston were grateful for a James Brighton goal line clearance and another excellent Welch save, this time from a Turner free kick destined for the top corner. With time running out Hednesford had a big shout for a penalty, but the referee waved away the appeals and Royston hung on for the three points. ROYSTON TOWN 7 1 3
EFFORTS ON TARGET EFFORTS OFF TARGET BLOCKED SHOTS
HEDNESFORD TOWN 6 4 0
9 2 2 0
FREE KICKS AWARDED CORNERS YELLOW CARDS RED CARDS
17 10 2 0
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JOSH'S JOY
Josh Williams wheels away after scoring the opening goal for the Crows in the 2-1 victory over Hednesford Town
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Picture courtesy of Kevin Richards
To view more pics and to purchase (prices start from ÂŁ3) visit www.rtfc.smugmug.com
Player Sponsorship 2020/21
Player: Dan Brathwaite Sponsored by: Katherine Thompson
Player: Ed Asafu-Adjaye Sponsored by: Jake Easley
Player: Adam Murray Sponsored by: Jeff Gil
Player: Josh Castiglione Sponsored by: Scott, Ryan-Lewis, Jacob, Lillie-Rose, Stanley Clowery, Lexie Tuck & Timothy Hutchinson
Player: Joe Welch Sponsored by: Ryan Easley
Player: Taylor Parr Sponsored by: Cambs Roofing
Player: Gus Scott-Morriss Sponsored: Luke Easley
Player: Jonny Edwards Sponsored by: Billy Baulk
Player: Adam Watkins Sponsored by: Toby Pendrick
Player: Spyros Mentis Sponsored by: Graham Hagger
Player: Isaac Galliford Sponsored by: Graham Hagger
Brandon Adams Sponsored by: Matt Clowery
Anyone interested in sponsoring a player please contact Alan Barlow on matchdays. ÂŁ150 per player Players available: James Brighton Scott Bridges Isa Rotimi Tom Newman Josh Williams Dan Green Dan Newton Duncan Culley
Hitchin Town FC v Royston Town FC Southern League Premier Division Central Monday 26th October 2020 Result: 2-0 Team: Welch, Newton, Murray, Asafu-Adjaye, Scott-Morriss, Green (Castiglione 70), Rotimi (Newman 91), Galliford, Brighton, Edwards (Williams 76), Adams Unused Subs: Culley, Yates (GK) MOM: Isa Rotimi Royston made it two wins in three days as they eventually overpowered a dogged Hitchin side. An eagerly anticipated clash, confirmed by the match being a sell-out, failed to live up to expectations, as both sides cancelled each other out for the first hour of the contest. Bar a stinging shot from the home side’s Lewis Barker, that was tipped over by Joe Welsh in the 35 th minute, the first half was largely forgettable as both sides defences were well on top, and when openings did appear the decision making of the attacking players left a little bit to be desired. A tactical change by the Crows in the second half, moving the impressive Dan Newton from his centre half role into a midfield one, gave the Crows a greater territorial advantage and they gradually got on top as the half wore on. Having seen a shot saved early on in the second half, Isa Rotimi created the first goal in the 66th minute, as his cross was expertly turned in by Brandon Adams, through the legs of home stopper Charlie Horlock. Things got even better for the Crows in the 75th minute as Rotimi turned goalscorer, seizing onto a loose ball in the Canaries penalty area, as they failed to clear a James Brighton free kick, and firing high past Horlock. By now the Crows were well in control, denying Hitchin any clear sights of goal, with the only threat on Welch coming from a Callum Stead effort from outside the box that he was able to watch clear his crossbar. A game that took a long time to spring into life, but crucially one that Royston eventually grabbed by the scruff of the neck, to record the victory and jump above Hitchin into 7th place in a tightly congested table. ROYSTON TOWN 5 7 4
EFFORTS ON TARGET EFFORTS OFF TARGET BLOCKED SHOTS
HITCHIN TOWN 2 1 2
7 1 1 0
FREE KICKS AWARDED CORNERS YELLOW CARDS RED CARDS
14 4 1 0
Match Reports Kindly Sponsored by Lounge India
ROYSTON TOWN FC RESERVES - 2020/21
35
www.roystontownfc.co.uk
ROYSTON TOWN FC U18’S – 2020/21
ROYSTON TOWN FC WOMENS – 2020/21
ROYSTON TOWN FC VETS – 2020/21
Royston Town Fixtures & Results 2020/21 Date
Kick Off
Opponents
Competition
12th September 2020
3.00
Newmarket Town
19th September 2020 22nd September 2020 26th September 2020 29th September 2020 4th October 2020
3.00 7.45 3.00 7.45 3.00
Banbury United Wroxham Alvechurch Needham Market Stamford AFC
Emirates FA Cup: Preliminary Round League Emirates FA Cup: 1st Qual Round League League Emirates FA Cup: 2nd Qual Round
6th October 2020 10th October 2020 14th October 2020 17th October 2020 24th October 2020 27th October 2020 31st October 2020
7.30 3.00 7.45 3.00 3.00 7.45 3.00
Biggleswade Town Stourbridge Bishops Stortford Tamworth Hednesford Town Hitchin Town Hythe Town
3rd November 2020 7th November 2020 14th November 2020 17th November 2020 21st November 2020 24th November 2020 28th November 2020 5th December 2020 8th December 2020 12th December 2020 19th December 2020 26th December 2020 2nd January 2021 9th January 2021 16th January 2021
7.45 3.00 3.00 7.45 3.00 7.45 3.00 3.00 7.45 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00
St Ives Town Stratford Town Nuneaton Borough Leiston Redditch United Barwell Bromsgrove Sporting Peterborough Sports Biggleswade Town AFC Rushden & Diamonds Rushall Olympic Kings Langley Lowestoft Town Tamworth Stourbridge
League League Emirates FA Cup: 3rd Qual Round League League League Buildbase FA Trophy: 3rd Qual Round League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League
Venue
Result
Score
Royston Scorers
Home
Won
6-0
Edwards (4), Galliford, Mentis
Home Home Away Away Home
Drew Won Drew Lost Won
Castiglione, Adams Edwards, Galliford Adams (2) Edwards Adams (2)
Home Home Away Away Home Away Home
Drew Drew Lost Drew Won Won
2-2 2-0 2-2 3-1 4-2 (aft Pens) 1-1 1-1 3-0 1-1 2-1 0-2
Home Away Home Away Away Home Home Away Away Home Away Home Away Home Away
Watkins Edwards Adams Williams, Edwards (Pen) Adams, Rotimi
Date
Kick Off
Opponents
Competition
23rd January 2021 30th January 2021 6th February 2021 13th February 2021 20th February 2021 27th February 2021 2nd March 2021 6th March 2021 13th March 2021 20th March 2021 27th March 2021 3rd April 2021 5th April 2021 10th April 2021 17th April 2021 24th April 2021 1st May 2021 3rd May 2021 8th May 2021
3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 7.45 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00
Hitchin Town Hednesford Town Stratford Town St Ives Town Bromsgrove Sporting Peterborough Sports Needham Market Banbury United Alvechurch AFC Rushden & Diamonds Rushall Olympic Coalville Town Kings Langley Leiston Nuneaton Borough Redditch United Barwell Lowestoft Town Coalville Town
League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League
Venue Home Away Home Away Away Home Home Away Home Away Home Home Away Home Away Home Away Home Away
Result
Score
Royston Scorers
CROWS WEEKLY DRAW
The Crows Weekly Draw (previously known as the Royston Town FC Development Fund) was set up many years ago as a way of providing a regular source of income to help the Club improve facilities both on and off the pitch. Recently the funds generated have helped pay for new clubhouse furniture, admissions hut/turnstiles, pitch weed killing and fertiliser and renovation of the boardroom including a new boiler. It only costs £1 per week to join. As the name suggests, the draw takes place on a weekly basis. The holder of the winning number will receive £25 with £10 being added to the “Rollover Fund” each week. The “Rollover Fund” will be won when the Blue Ball is drawn, with the next number taking the accumulated prize. You can become a member & have a chance of winning a weekly prize or the Rollover – you must pay for at least 26 weeks (i.e. £26) upfront to be eligible for the Rollover Prize. Why not join today – simply download the standing order form by downloading from the Royston Town FC Website – listed under Crows Weekly Draw and return it to our fund organiser Trevor Burrows or leave it at the club – or contact Trevor and he will register you as a member.
Trevor’s Contact Details: Telephone: 07813 327786 Email:burrowsbuildingservice@hotmail.co.uk Rollover stands at £2295 as at 19 th October 2020
Latest Prize Winners – each winning £25 Stuart Jackson Angela Baulk Cheryl Jackson Dave Cooper Nigel Willimer Graham Ingrey Charlie Pinner J R Scott Kevin Richards.
CROWS BLOG: 3 POINTS! 25/10/2020 Well, we did it! A win in the League at last! We’ve played a hell of a lot better than we did yesterday and drawn games but in these present circumstances, we’ll take it all day long. Some sympathies for our opponents Hednesford Town, they, in my opinion, were the better team in the second half and probably deserved something out of the match but overall, we exploited them in the first half and got the goals we needed to win! As already said though, we’ll take it. Hopefully, with this win under our belts, we can start to grow in confidence, relax a bit and begin to enjoy the season rather than the frustration we’ve all been feeling recently. And now we quickly move on to Monday and another match, this time away to Hitchin Town. Obviously it’s got the added spice of being a local derby and bragging rights are at stake. Hitchin have had a good start to this season but struggled last year so they probably go into the game as favourites. They know all about us and we know all about them. For me as long as we keep progressing and gain belief, I can live with that. Obviously, a win is the end goal but small steps at the moment. Finally, a quick mention regarding our under 18’s FA Youth Cup run. I went with a few other ‘nutters’ to the other side of the M25 to Dorking to watch our lads take on their U18’s. The Dorking goalkeeper pulled off some fantastic saves to deny us and they clinically took their chances when asked! Finding ourselves 3-0 down with 30 mins to go this very resilient groups of lads got themselves 2 goals back and could have possibly equalised! A great effort regardless! Cheers for now! Steve C
CROWS BLOG: THAT’S BETTER 27/10/2020 Good morning! We’re getting there!! A good win against a very good team last night and very satisfying in so many ways! We had a few missing last night and had to adjust accordingly. Hitchin would have been very aware of how we generally play formation wise and I’m pretty sure they would have thought that we’d line up as we did on Saturday in a 4-4-2 formation. We tried to surprise them by changing that and went with wing-backs in a 3-5-2 formation. In fairness to them, they had the upper hand in the first half, with us adjusting to our change in formation but at the same time, we were quite solid and looking to catch them on the break. So 0-0 at half time, a couple of chances for both teams but generally a stalemate. To a degree it suited us but always wanting to win the game we reverted to our more familiar shape and really took the game to them. At this point, I must praise all the players fully. They took the change on the chin, were very positive in the approach and in my opinion, we got the win we deserved. As I said, we were missing players a few of the more experienced lads and we had to rely on a few of our younger members and boy did they do well! Dan Newton moved from right centre back in the first half into midfield for the second half and was superb. Also, Isa Rotimi coming into the midfield and in the second half, playing higher up, he got himself on the score sheet which he thoroughly deserved too! But I don’t want to leave any lads out – ALL of them that were out there last night contributed to the win.
Hopefully, this victory can now spur us on. It hasn’t been easy recently – the expectancy and the standards we’d set previously have all been a bit of a weight on our shoulders but now I hope we can play with a bit more freedom and show what a good team we are. On to Saturday now and the FA Trophy. We have a home tie against Hythe Town and I’m sure that none of you needs reminding of our exploits in the Trophy last year. If we can get close to those accomplishments then we would be happy. But as ever I’m greedy for more and I’m gonna ask us to not only match it but push again! It’s a big ask I know but who would have thought we could do what we did last year! The great thing for me last year was not only the cup run but also the form in between, we just seemed to get better and better. I’m sure we would all like that but let’s not get too carried away – win this one and see where we can go! Confidence is paramount in sport and that is what we need to grow, winning games does that as well as good solid performances. We had both last night so let’s push on from here Finally, I want to say a big thank you from the entire squad and staff to all the Crows who travelled to Hitchin last night – a relatively short journey I know but your support is very appreciated and it was great to see and hear a sizeable Royston contingent in the sell-out crowd of 600. Cheers! Steve C
TRAVELLERS TALES 8 By Brian Buck 29th game of the season. (Match 13,288) Friday 11th September 2020. Barton Rovers 1 Biggleswade Town 3 (FA Youth Cup Preliminary Round) att 140 approx. Tonight we got there slightly early, to make sure that we got a seat and by coincidence I managed to sit roughly where I usually do when I come here. This seat turned out to be in the ‘girls’ section and their unrelated male counterparts, lots of them as well, congregated in the other half of the stand. As I’ve stated quite a few times in the past this is a rather scenic ground in daylight, but in the dark it’s not quite so great and the floodlights don’t shine evenly on the pitch. The match wasn’t quite as good as the two FA Youth Cup matches I’d seen earlier in the week and it took a bit of time to get going. For the first 25 minutes it seemed that the game might end up goalless as neither side seemed likely to score. Biggleswade looked the technically better side though and so it was no real surprise when they took the lead on 26 minutes. Then when they scored again on 36 minutes it seemed that the game was already won. My feelings about this were further endorsed when the third goal arrived on 40 minutes. This coming from a header from a free kick which had generated the first booking of the match. Then at half time something strange happened as the ref blew his whistle for the break. All the girls around us suddenly stood up and without even looking at the pitch they rushed off to wherever they went to. Although they had spent the first half not watching the football but either looking at their phones or talking to their mates, they all knew what a half time whistle sounded like! The second half saw the hosts try much harder as the Waders generally played much the same. They were rewarded on 58 minutes when they pulled a goal back, the goalscorer being watched by his grandfather sitting near me and had they played like this in the first period then they might have got more out of the match. At one point in this period I thought that my luck might have changed when one of the aforementioned girls, sitting directly in front of me, clambered over me so she could sit next to me to talk to her mate. Social distancing was suddenly non-existent! Overall, not a great game, but the presence of a large crowd made it seem better than it was. 30. (13,289) (3,650th ‘new’ ground) Saturday 12th September 2020. Fleckney Athletic 0 Sileby Town 2 (Everards Brewery Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division) att 65 approx. Today we had an easier than it looked journey to our chosen game. Fleckney can be found a few miles west of the A6, roughly halfway between Market Harborough and Leicester. On our arrival at the ground, just under an hour before kick off, it looked as though we might have a problem. As we drove into the car park the pitch, where we thought that the game was going to take place, next to the dressing rooms, was marked out, but without any other football furniture being in place. Then we were directed, past a cricket match in progress through a gap in a hedge, to find the landscaped pitch down below us. It was on a partial plateau, with banking on two sides, with the other two sides dropping away. Then, certain that the game was on, we headed to the nearest watering hole where we were served by a lovely smiling barmaid who looked just as good wearing her see-though plastic face shield. We were back well in time for the start of the game. I think that this might have been the first time I’ve ever seen a Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division game not played out on a railed off pitch, but being a Step 7 division, they don’t need to rail it off and so instead it was roped off on one side was the occasional barriers on the dugout side. Viewing was supposed to be on the roped off side only and generally this was adhered to, although a few people strayed from this from time to time. Nonetheless this was a scenic ground and being in a dip behind some trees on a pleasant afternoon there was a good rural feel to the place. Newly promoted Fleckney weren’t quite at the races in this match and going two goals down, both scored in the last 15 minutes of the first half was about right. The hosts made at least two subs at the break and I doubt if one of them saw either of the goals scored as he only turned up for the game just before half time. The second half saw Fleckney play better, but Sileby easily held on to take home all the points. This was a decent enough afternoon’s football and it was good to see some friends here whom I only seem to see occasionally.
31. (13,290) Tuesday 15th September 2020. Potton United 4 Eynesbury Rovers 1 (Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division) att 109. Imagine my surprise when I tuned into watch Pointless earlier in the evening only to find that Phil Pateman, chairman of Stotfold FC and his wife were contestants. I hope that actually being on ‘Pointless’ and getting knocked out in the ‘second round’ aren’t going to be omens for the forthcoming season! Meanwhile back at the Hollow it was pretty much business as usual, although perhaps because of the coronavirus situation the attendance wasn’t quite as high as it usually might be for this encounter between a couple of clubs who get on very well with each other. Potton should have been awarded an obvious spot kick on 2 minutes but the ref thought otherwise. But they didn’t have to wait too long to open their account and on 13 minutes they took the lead, immediately after Rovers had a goal disallowed for offside. My friend had no chance of winning the golden goal prize as he had ticket number 523! Rovers were level on 28 minutes after a cross from the left was finished off, allegedly by a James Hatch, who started his career at Potton aged 18, but some felt that it was a Potton defender who stuck his foot out. By now Rovers manager and former Potton manager and player, Steve Khune was in full flight and the ref had words with him. Potton regained the lead on 40 minutes after a player ran on to score. He found the net again on the stroke of half time when he seemed to exchange passes with several Rovers defenders, including their keeper before the slightest of touches saw the ball cross the line. The game wasn’t dead and buried yet though as had Rovers scored the next goal then it might have rattled Potton a bit, but it was after McArdle scored the hosts fourth goal on 72 minutes. We mused as to if we’d seen his father play before, but we confused him with a singer of the same name. Had it been him then this would have been a ‘Matt’ finish! Overall a good night for Potton, helped by the fact that the visitors were gracious losers, apart from Mr Khune perhaps! 32. (13,291) Wednesday 16th September 2020. Hitchin Town U19 Pro-Direct 6 Whitstable Town U18 Academy 1 (SCL Development League East Division) (Played at The Arena, Norton Road, Baldock) (1.30pm kick off) att 3. This was a game I latched on to an hour or so before kick off, as it didn’t seem to be on the fixtures list when I checked a few days earlier. I got in OK and the other spectators were the father of one of the home players and some bloke who turned up halfway through the first half. I couldn’t sit quite where I normally do, because it was right behind where the visiting contingent were housed. But I heard their coach tell his players before the start, “We haven’t come all this way to lose.” By the end of the game I was tempted to ask him, “Where do you normally go then!” But he did have a novel plan immediately before kick off when it was discovered that they had twelve players on the pitch! Turned out that one of them thought that he was starting. Meanwhile, I remembered the visitors club lino, a Millwall fan, who in last season’s match here thought that he was one of their coaches. Nearly right. Turned out that he was actually their coach driver. To be fair to him he was a very honest lino today. Anyway, after taking my seat I noticed a sign which said ‘One way toilets’. But what would I do if I wanted to go the other way! The game turned out to be one of those one sided games that does nobody any good. The opposition were not strong enough to give Hitchin a good test and from the visitors point of view, it will have frustrated them that they couldn’t do much against the rampant hosts, who were 3-0 up at the break. But to be fair to Whitstable, they kept trying and this was a no-friction match. As for Hitchin, they have several excellent players, but they must know that tougher tests than this await them.
Photo courtesy of Royston Crow
From ÂŁ150 to incl bar staff
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Southern Premier League Central Club Directory Club
Address
Postcode
Phone
Return Mileage
Hayden Road Sports Ground, Hayden Road, Rushden
NN10 0HX
01933 359206
91
53 Redditch Road, Alvechurch
B48 7RS
0121 445 2929
227
The Banbury Plant Hire Community Stadium, Station Approach, Banbury
OX16 5AD
01295 263354
140
Kirkby Road Sports Ground, Kirkby Road, Barwell, Leicester
LE9 8FQ
01455 843067
184
Langford Road, Biggleswade, Beds
SG18 9JT
01767 318802
30
The Victoria Ground, Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove, Worcs
B61 0DR
01527 876949
244
Coalville Town
Owen St Sports Ground, Owen Street, Coalville, Leics
LE67 3DA
07496 792650
197
Hednesford Town
Keys Park, Keys Park Road, Hednesford Cannock, Staffordshire
WS12 2DZ
01543 422870
240
Hitchin Town
Top Field, Fishponds Road, Hitchin
SG5 1NU
01462 459028
34
Kings Langley
Gaywood Park, Hempstead Road, Kings Langley, Herts
WD4 8BS
07730 410330
72
Victory Road, Leiston, Suffolk
IP16 4DQ
01728 830308
167
Crown Meadow (Amber Dew Events Stadium), Love Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk
NR32 2PA
01502 573818
205
Needham Market
Bloomfields, Quinton Road, Needham Market, Suffolk
IP6 8DA
01449 721000
117
Nuneaton Borough
Liberty Way, Nuneaton, Warwicks
CV11 6BB
02476 349690
178
The Bee Arena, Peterborough Sports & Leisure, 651 Lincoln Road, Peterborough, Cambs
PE1 3HA
01733 567835
94
Redditch United
The Trico Stadium, Bromsgrove Road, Redditch
B97 4RN
01527 67450
228
Rushall Olympic
Dales Lane, Rushall, Walsall, West Midlands
WS4 1LJ
07909 560407
226
St Ives Town
Pro Edge Stadium, Westwood Road, St Ives
PE27 6DT
01480 463207
46
Stourbridge
War Memorial Athletic Ground, High Street, Amblecote, Stourbridge, W Mids
DY8 4HN
01384 394040
250
The DCS Stadium, Knights Lane, Tiddington, Stratford-Upon-Avon
CV37 7BZ
01789 261037
194
The Lamb Ground, Kettlebrook Road, Tamworth, Staffs
B77 1AA
01827 65798
217
AFC Rushden & Diamonds Alvechurch Banbury United Barwell Biggleswade Town Bromsgrove Sporting
Leiston Lowestoft Town
Peterborough Sports
Stratford Town Tamworth
Saturday 31st October 2020 3.00pm Kick off
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 14 17 19 20 22
Royston Town FC
Today’s Match Officials:
White & Black Shirts Black Shorts White Socks Goalkeeper: All Yellow
Referee: Neil Bailey Assistant Referees: Gavin Jolley/Richard May
Scott Taylor/ Arron Benstead
White Shirts Blue Shorts Blue Socks
Nathan HARVEY(GK) Liam SMITH Nathan GORDON James ROGERS Tom WYNTER Kaka DEMBELE Alex BROWN Darren OLDAKER Tom WALMSLEY Frannie COLLIN Kane PHILLIP Ryan BOTLEY (GK) Charles WEBSTER Nick DEMBELE Jarred TRESPADERNE Morgan WILLIAMSON Bradley IHIONVIEN Alex FLISHER
Joe WELCH (GK) Ed ASAFU-ADJAYE Dan BRATHWAITE (C) Scott BRIDGES Adam MURRAY Taylor PARR Josh CASTIGLIONE Adam WATKINS Brandon ADAMS Johnny EDWARDS Isaac GALLIFORD James BRIGHTON Josh WILLIAMS Spyros MENTIS Dan NEWTON Gus SCOTT-MORRISS Harry SMART (GK) Tom NEWMAN Duncan CULLEY
Steve Castle/Chris Watters
Hythe Town FC
Managers/Coaches Sports Therapist(s)
Steve Watt/Nathan Elder/ Paul Booth Shannon McEvoy
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22