ChromaSport
United Counties Football League
Company Secretary: Wendy Newey, United Counties League, 4 Wulfric Square, Bretton, Peterborough PE3 8RF
Telephone: 01733 330056 Fax: 01733 330067 E mail:
web site: www.theucl.co.uk
Newsline telephone 09066 555 885
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE
NEWSLETTER NO. 312 SEPTEMBER 2016 PAGE 1
Sockett takes charge at Nirvana
Leicester Nirvana were the first club to make a managerial change during the current season when they parted company with Dave Williams just four matches into the 2016-17 campaign. Right hand man Owen Wright has also left the club.
Nirvana have replaced the one time Desborough boss with another manager of vast experience in Martin Sockett. He has spent most of his long managerial career at higher levels with clubs such as Rugby, Bedworth and Redditch. He has also been assistant manager at Rushall and had been appointed assistant manager at Midland League Coventry Sphinx in June. He began his coaching career with Daventry in the UCL in the 1990s.
The club has continued its policy of recruiting young players with midfielder Shaquille Master and midfielder or forward Alex Mushata both joining from Northampton Town and defender Philip Bilson signing from Mansfield where he played for the Stags’ under 21 side. Wide players signing are Abu Cisse who has been playing in Italy and Nuno Gomes from Gresley.
Andersen in role change
Harrowby manager Nick Andersen is stepping into a new role at the Environcom Stadium, taking up the position of vice chairman at the club and vacating the manager post.
The club is advertising the managerial vacancy but in the meantime assistant Jay Harrison will take caretaker charge of the team. He previously co-managed the club when they won promotion from Division One.
Recent additions to the Arrows squad are goalkeeper Taylor McMillan from Stamford and former Boston Town forward Ryan Parnell.
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE
NEWSLETTER NO. 312 SEPTEMBER 2016 PAGE 2
Collins in second Boston exit
Nathan Collins has resigned as Boston Town manager for the second time after the Poachers kicked off the new season with a five match losing run which saw them eliminated from the FA Cup at the first hurdle and slip to the bottom of the Premier Division table.
Collins rejoined Boston in May having previously held the reins during the opening months of the 2014-15 season, his first spell curtailed by a back injury which restricted his ability to drive from his north Lincolnshire home.
Assistants Daryl Clare and Jason Callaby have also left the Poachers.
Club stalwart, player and director Lori Borbely has taken caretaker charge assisted by under 17s manager Darren Bevan.
The Grimsby based players brought in by Collins over the summer have mostly moved on while more locally based additions to the squad are Boston United midfield youngster Jack Dykes who had a spell with the Poachers last term and Spilsby front runner Jordan Smith. Another arrival is striker Rees Longville-Daley from Spalding.
Eynesbury strengthen squad
Eynesbury manager Mark Ducket has remained active in the transfer market in the early weeks of the new season with several more players joining the Hall Road outfit.
Goalkeeper Olly Sutton, who left for Corby late last season, is back between the posts after starting the current campaign at St Ives while another ex-Westwood Road man, forward Allan Owen, has also linked up with Eynesbury.
Former St Neots midfielder Lewis Davis is another arrival while winger Danny Webb has stepped up from Potton after a free scoring start to the new season in Division One.
Chenecks the early season draw specialists
Newly promoted ON Chenecks enter September still searching for their first win of the new campaign, and boasting a newly acquired reputation as stalemate specialists.
Graham Cottle’s men started the season in the FA Cup, drawing twice with Harefield before losing the tie in a penalty shootout. They kicked off their league campaign with a 2-2 draw at Harrowby, Ben Foster scoring the club’s first top flight goal. A late fightback saw the spoils shared in a 3-3 draw at Oadby and the fifth successive stalemate was a scoreless affair at Newport Pagnell.
The run of draws ended on 27th August as Chenecks suffered their first Premier reverse, 6-4 at Desborough.
An experienced addition to the Chenecks squad is Bugbrooke full back Ryan Nash.
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE
NEWSLETTER NO. 312 SEPTEMBER 2016 PAGE 3
Talksport exposure for Yaxley
Yaxley’s 12-0 win over Huntingdon in the FA Cup on the season’s opening day had a further benefit with the club being chosen as the Talksport team to follow in the national competition. The radio station featured Yaxley on four occasions before they were eliminated by Dereham in a Preliminary Round replay. The Norfolk club now take over the slot although Holbeach have the chance to follow the Cuckoos into the limelight if they can succeed where Yaxley failed.
Yaxley summer recruit Charley Sanders has had an up and down start to his Cuckoos career. The ex-Spalding man has already scored five goals for his new club, including a hat trick at Rothwell Corinthians, but now faces a double suspension after being red carded at both Dereham and Bourne.
Cogenhoe switch for Collins
Former Cogenhoe manager Darren Collins is back at Compton Park in a coaching capacity having originally linked up with Wellingborough in a similar role.
Injuries have bitten deep into the Cogenhoe squad in the season’s early weeks with defender Dan Stevenson and striker Kieran Fitzgerald sidelined by hamstring injuries. Ryan Dove is two weeks away from returning from a calf problem, while Luke Emery will be available in early September after completing a lengthy suspension imposed last season.
Two more ex-Saints link up with Deeping
Deeping have added two more former St Neots players to their squad in the early weeks of the new season. Midfielder Dan Schiavi has joined Rangers after finishing last season with the Southern Premier club while winger Luis Vieira, who has also played for St Ives, is the latest addition to the Deeping squad.
Oadby add more new faces to squad
Oadby managerial duo Graham Chambers and Dave Clay have continued to introduce new faces to their young squad in the early weeks of the campaign.
Defensive captures are Lynas King who joins on dual registration from Gresley, Reuben Joseph-Walker from Saffron Dynamo and Drew Ricketts from the Mansfield Under 21 set up, while midfielder Mason Lopez joins from Anstey and Goncalo Santos has been snapped up from Aylestone Park who have also lost wide man Jacob Gill to the Poachers.
Two new recruits for Kirby
Kirby Muxloe have added a couple of new faces to their squad in recent weeks.
New Ratby Lane arrivals are central defender Leon Fray who enjoyed a goalscoring debut for Kirby in their Knockout Cup win at Stewarts & Lloyds and midfield man Liam Weekes, signed from Shelthorpe of the Leicestershire Senior League.
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE
NEWSLETTER NO. 312 SEPTEMBER 2016 PAGE 4
Club record win for Whittlesey
Division One newcomers Whittlesey set a club record in only their fifth match in the UCL. Their 15-0 win at Burton Park Wanderers on 20th August was the biggest win since the old Whittlesey United and Coates Athletic clubs merged in in 2014.
Liam Harrold, Jack Bates and sub Ian Bradbury all scored hat tricks at Latimer Park with Adam Piergianni scoring twice and a goal apiece from Ollie Gale, Louie Medwynter, Joe Butterworth and Danny French completing the tally.
The win was the biggest away from home in the league since Bugbrooke won 16-0 at Huntingdon United in Division One in November 1997!
The club is currently carrying out improvements to the Feldale Way facilities, with the installation of floodlights scheduled to be completed at the end of the week commencing 19th September.
Oakham management team pressed into action
Oakham have made an outstanding start to their second season of UCL football, but for all their success in the opening weeks, the Rutland club’s resources have been stretched to the limit at times by injuries and unavailability.
With numbers pushed to the limit the club was forced to field a bench made up of three members of the management team in the Knockout Cup visit to Woodford. Co-managers Seb Hayes and Wayne Oldaker, both 40, made brief cameo appearances with one time Peterborough United striker, assistant Darren Edey, making a rather longer appearance on the field at 44!
Thrapston make behind the scenes appointments
Thrapston’s recent Annual General Meeting saw former Town player and assistant manager Barry Carter step up to the chairman’s role, his latest in a lengthy association with the club which has also seen him act as fixture secretary for many years.
Jake Wesby was elected as vice chairman, even though he is at present registered as a player with rivals Raunds and played against Thrapston for the Shopmates second string on 26th August!
A departure from the playing squad is defender Carlos Lewis who is now studying at Portsmouth University.
Foundrymen give youth a chance
Stewarts & Lloyds are giving youth a chance this season with several promising players handed opportunities in senior football for the first time. Central defender Conor Bird and midfielder Jamie Muir have stepped up from associated club S&L Khalsa while another defender who has impressed so far is Ryan Hammett from Corby Ravens. Former Corby Town youth teamer Adam Witkowski and ex-Kettering Warriors man Kofii Bailey have added to S&L’s attacking strength.
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE
NEWSLETTER NO. 312 SEPTEMBER 2016 PAGE 5
Legends match to mark English contribution
On Sunday 4th September Lutterworth Athletic will be staging a legends match to mark manager and chairman Mick English’s contribution to the club since he was one of the founders 30 years ago.
Mick will select a team of Athletic players from his three decades to take on a team of Leicester City legends with Foxes favourites pencilled in including Steve Walsh, Muzzy Izzet, Carl Muggleton, Matt Piper, Jon Stevenson, Julian Joachim, Scott Oakes, Matt Elliott, Neil Lennon and Simon Grayson.
Start time at Hall Lane is 2 p,m, with admission £5 for adults and £2 juniors, proceeds to go the club.
The club’s introduction of the reserves to the UCL Reserve Division has proved a success so far with Lutterworth picking up four wins and 25 goals in their first five matches.
Whitworth add to squad
Whitworth manager James Mallows has continued to add new faces to his squad in recent weeks.
Midfielder Scott Liebscher and defender Theo Alcindor have crossed the fence with moves from Wellingborough, while further defensive additions to the Flourmen squad are full back Zac Williams from Cogenhoe and former Sileby central defender Max Payne.
Front runner Cavell Jarvis faces six weeks on the sidelines with a torn thigh muscle.
Goalkeepers sign on for Buckby
With regular custodian Jordan May sidelined with a broken foot just a handful of games into the season Long Buckby manager Richard Kay has been busy trying to fill the position between the sticks.
AFC Rushden & Diamonds man Joe Haynes has filled in but the Northern Premier League club has first call on his services, and now Tom Bryce has joined Buckby from Rugby.
Other arrivals at Station Road are Woodford skipper Mike Lorraine and attacking midfielder Hossein Khorami from Coventry United.
Stones hit by injuries
Blackstones’ disappointing start to the season has been compounded by injuries to key players will defensive pivot Calum Parker ruled out with a dislocated shoulder and goalkeeper Lee Crockett sidelined with a groin problem. Better news though is the imminent returns of Lewis Leckie and Steve Mastin to action.
Manager Phil Gadsby has moved to add experience to his squad. Veteran defender Danny Hussey was assistant manager at Northern Premier League Spalding last season, while midfield capture Scott Musgrove was a professional at Cheltenham and has seen service with higher level non league clubs including Stamford and Corby. Striker Dalton Harris has also returned to Lincoln Road after a brief spell with Stones midway through last season.
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE
NEWSLETTER NO. 312 SEPTEMBER 2016 PAGE 6
Burton working on new clubhouse
Burton Park are currently working on a new clubhouse at their Latimer Park ground. The main clubhouse is now being run by ground sharers Kettering Town and hard work by club members has seen an old school classroom building converted into an independent room for Burton’s use.
The club will be wearing the name of young fan Jay Brewer, who died last season, on their shirts for the remainder of the season.
Burton have signed two new goalkeepers in recent weeks. England under 19 futsal international Joe Payne has joined from Kettering FC but suffered a broken ankle on his debut against Long Buckby, enabling ex-Thrapston man Otto Eagle to reclaim his place between the sticks.
Striker Chris Clarke has rejoined Park Wanderers from Rothwell Corinthians.
Badgers snap up more young talent
Bugbrooke’s bright start to the season saw them end August in a top two position in Division One and manager Mitch Austin has continued to strengthen with the addition of some more exciting players from his Kettering Under 21 team of last season.
Wide players Ben Baker and Nathan Bobowicz and front man Silvano Obeng are the latest recruits to the Badgers cause.
Melton snap up two
Melton continue to introduce new blood to their squad as they settle into their new surroundings.
Experienced goalkeeper Richard Cragg has joined Town from neighbours Holwell Sports while another new face is wide man Jordan Cufflin-Stableford who signs from Allexton & News Parks.
Manager Tony Thorpe has also signed playing forms and made a brief appearance in the derby defeat by Oakham.
McGowan injury hits Daventry
A blow to Daventry’s prospects of a successful season is the loss of midfield dynamo Tom McGowan with a cruciate injury suffered against Blackstones on 20th August.
Daventry have signed a potential replacement in Lewis Leslie, who joins on a dual registration arrangement with AFC Rushden & Diamonds.