Beccles Town FC - 1 - 2023

CONTRIBUTORS: Mathew Humby, Gavin Tipple, Bernice De’Ath, Graham Lewis, Paul Barford, Paul Honeywood, Phil Woolnough, Gordon McKenzie, Richard Neal, Shaun ‘Solly’ Soloman, Chris Brown, Andrew Hirst

ADVERTISING SALES

David Burns 01502 725 837 david.burns@micropress.co.uk

Karen Taylor 01502 725 836 karen.taylor@micropress.co.uk

Kasey Turner 01502 725 801 kasey.turner@micropress.co.uk

Published by COUNTRYWIDE PUBLICATIONS

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TERMS & CONDITIONS

Hello Everyone, and

Welcome to the very exciting new Beccles Town Football Club magazine, issue 1. This is a fantastic way forward to promote what is a very special football club and showcase all of the amazing teams, coaches, managers... and of course our players; from the men’s senior team all the way down to our very youngest members. Over the coming issues it will not only promote the Football Club, but also highlight what we have to offer; including the undeniably fantastic facility’s we have and award wining floodlight pitch at College Meadow.

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

Andrew Hirst 01502 725860 andrew.hirst@micropress.co.uk

Mark Shreeve 01502 725839 mark.shreeve@micropress.co.uk

Polly Coleman 01502 725800 polly.coleman@micropress.co.uk

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Why do we need a magazine? At the football club its all about being part of the family and we would like to let everyone know what a fantastic club we have. A club which not only gives enjoyment in sport to all age groups, but is helping to promote Beccles Town. Inside this inaugural issue you will find plenty of information about our teams, the members, the history of the club, and how to get involved whether as a volunteer. Maybe you have a business and would like to promote at one of our amazing pitches, such as the Senior side at College Meadow, the Nest, or 3G? Running any football club is not free. We rely on grants from Suffolk FA, but at least 85% needs to come from other funding such as membership fees and business advertising which is the key to a stronger foundation. I would like to thank each and every one of the businesses that have already sponsored a team or provided an advertising board; we still have plenty of spaces to fill. But this incredibly important source of funding is helping to shape the future of the club for all to enjoy for many years to come. We have some big ideas for the club moving forward and we want to keep improving the facilities and what we have to offer.

My last note is to thank the amazing volunteers at the club, the list is very long, but without them we simply cannot run a club; they are the backbone of the football club. I also want to give a very big thank you to Rob Cross, Jackie Potter, Andrew Hirst, David Burns and all the team at Micropress as without them this magazine would not be possible. Thank you and enjoy, from a very proud chairman!

Matt Humby - Chairman Beccles Town Football Club

Wishing BECCLES TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB all the best for the 2023/24 season!

BECCLE’S HAS REAL SIX APPEAL AS NEW SEASON KICKS OFF...

IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OF OWN IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OF OWN

SIX ADULT SIDES TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS SEASON BECCLES TOWN 1ST TEAM Anglian Combination Prem league

As a club we have looked at a number of things over the summer and with the 1st team the aim is to achieve promotion to the Thurlow Nunn North league. With such amazing facilities we are a step ahead of many clubs who are already at that level. We have an excellent group of players from around the Beccles area, with a number of them coming up through the club’s excellent youth section.

With our training and dedication we strive to provide the Beccles town with a 1st team they can be proud of. If you have never been along to College Meadow then you are missing out; an thrilling family afternoon out awaits, filled with the excitement of live football with a welcoming atmosphere.

Paul Storey has now stepped aside from the 1st team management and the club extends their thanks and gratitude him and his family for all of the hard work and dedication over the last four years.

Graham Lewis has now stepped into the managerial boots will now look to lead the side to achieving this seasons goals and beyond.

Paul Holmes, Club Physio, is such an important person for the club; especially with his clinics and match-day work. Paul has such great knowledge and provides the team with an outstanding service which all the players appreciate. Home fixtures at Collage Meadow are mainly on a Saturday, with occasional Tuesday evenings. If you fancy watching a great game of football, we would love to see you there. The support the crowd gives to the players is paramount and really gives them a boost on the pitch. So why not head along and enjoy a cuppa and a match.

BECCLES RESERVES

Anglian Combination Division 2

Under the guidance of Charlie Bowen and Callum Hind the reserve team had an outstanding last season. After being promoted they finished mid-table and unfortunately lost in the Suffolk Senior Reserve Cup final by only 1 goal to Hadleigh Reserves. The Reserve group have been together now for a while and it’s pleasing to see how many have stepped up to also play in the 1st team which shows the progression the club has in place for players to be promoted when playing well.

Once again home fixtures are on a Saturday at Collage Meadow, so why not come down and cheer on the lads.

BECCLES TOWN LADIES

Norfolk Women’s & Girls Football League, Division 2

We are very excited to get started with the new Beccles Town FC Ladies Development team in which will be our first season. We will be playing in Division 2 of the Norfolk Women and Girls Football League, with our games being played on Sunday afternoons. The team is jointly managed by Gary Elder and Konner Carter, with assistance from coaches Chris Leggitt and Richard Carter, each bringing a wealth of experience and different ideas. The squad mainly consists of the last 2 seasons Under 16’s girls teams with an average age in the team of 17. For most of the squad this season this will be their first

time playing Adult football. Some of the squad got a taste of adult football when they played seven aside football last season.

We have four players from last seasons Beccles Ladies team that have happily agreed to join the Development team. They will bring with them their knowledge and experience which will help everyone to settle into the adult league.

Training is on Thursday evenings on the superb 3G pitch in Beccles from 7-8:30pm.

If anyone is interested in joining the team please contact

GARY ELDER

07899 567882

garyelder66@btinternet .com

KONNER CARTER

07900 680624

konnercarter@becclestownfc.org.uk

BECCLES A TEAM

Lowestoft league division 2

Jordan Sharman and Jack BarrettKnowles have done a fantastic job each week last season. The excellent training and progression routes the club shows can be clearly seen here with the addition of some of the clubs u18s last season. Training numbers have increased

with the A team over last season which is great to see and will reap the rewards for this coming season. The club wishes Jordan all the best as he steps away due to other commitments and Chris Playford will step up this season to lead the side with Jack.

NEW TEAM

BECCLES DEVELOPMENT

Lowestoft league division 3

This season sees the formation of this new team. As a club we identified from the youth section that we had two under 16 sides finishing their youth football and with the numbers the adult section currently carries we needed to have somewhere for these talented young players to continue with their footballing journey with us as a club. With the U18 side regularly having 30 plus players training it made sense to create a new team for these players to play matches, especially with the A-team already boosting good numbers.

Mark Baldry kindly came forward to manage the side and will be supported by Simon Colbridge, along with support from the u18s management team.

The club wishes Mark, Simon and the squad all the best for the coming season. Any players that would be interested in playing for our development team please contact the club.

BECCLES TOWN U18

Thurlow Nunn U18 East league

Continuing under the guidance of Victor, Theo & John, last season was a big transition with the U18’s with a complete revamp that we hope will now see them able thrive and improve from previous seasons. The

league in which they play is tough and last season’s side was mainly made up of U16 players to give them early exposure to now have 2 seasons to progress as a group while also setting good foundations for the clubs future U16 players to come through and be a part of when they are ready.

Alongside this as already mentioned some of the u18s will now also play on a saturday to aid their development with the introduction of the development team that will work closely with the u18 group. We wish them the best for this season, Thursday evenings under the lights at college meadow are always a good evening so if you fancy a night out look out for there fixtures as I’m sure these lads would appreciate people from the town supporting them.

SAFE HANDS SAFE HANDS

STARTING THEM YOUNG TO ENSURE A BRIGHT FUTURE

Beccles Town have a youth team to suit all ages. For more information: info@becclestownfc.org.uk

LITTLE STINGERS (SATURDAY CLUB)

Great opportunity for reception and school year one children to get their first taste of football in a safe and controlled environment.

Coach: Phil Woolnough 07837 619038

philwoolnough@btinternet.com

U7 HORNETS

Coach: James Smith

U7 WASPS

Manager: Russell Fairs

U8 WASPS

Any players who would be interested in training or playing please contact the club

@BecclesFC

@BecclesTownFootballClub

www.becclestownfc.org.uk

Managers: Lisa Farrington / James Gower

U8 GIRLS

Manager: Ash Henderson

U9 HORNETS

Manager: Gavin Oddy

U9 WASPS

Managers: Ian Smith / Craig Carman

U9 GIRLS

Manager: Ash Henderson

U10 BEES

Manager: Andrew Hirst

U10 HORNETS

Manager: Kris O’Neil

U10 WASPS

Manager: Brendan Saunders

U10 GIRLS

Manager: Karl Olley

U11 BEES

Manager: Andy Buck

U11 WASPS

Manager: Adam Prentice

U12 BEES

Manager: Phil Worlledge

U12 WASPS

Manager: Rob Payne

U12 GIRLS

Managers:

Gaven Tipple & Laura Carman

U13 BEES

Manager: Rob Hills

U13 HORNETS

Manager: Kevin Squires

U13 WASPS

Manager: Ian Smith

U14 BEES

Manager: Ricci Wilson

U14 GIRLS

Managers:

Lee Naseby / Anna De’Ath

U15 BEES

Manager: Nathan Wilkinson

U15 DRAGONFLIES

Manager: Jason Newon

U15 NCYFL

Manager: Gaven Tipple

U15 WASPS

Manager: Karl Olley

U15 GIRLS

Manager: Craig Carman

U16 WASPS

Manager: Paul Mounser

U16 GIRLS

Manager: Konner Carter

FOOTBALL FORALL FOOTBALL FORALL

WALKING FOOTBALL A GENTLE KICK TO BETTER HEALTH AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

In recent years, walking football has emerged as a popular sport attracting people of all ages and fitness levels. This modified version of the game has gained significant attention for its health benefits.

Walking football is a non-contact version of the beautiful game, specifically designed for older adults and those who may have physical limitations that prevent them from playing regular football.

The rules are simple: players must always have one foot on the ground, which means no running or jogging is allowed. Instead, participants walk or trot to maintain the flow of the game with an emphasises

on skill, technique and teamwork rather than physical prowess. Our walking football teams meet on a Sunday morning from 9-10am at The Nest 3G pitch. The teams compete in at least 4-5 tournaments per year and have been very successful too. If you are interested in joining this growing section of our club please contact

JON BLANKLEY 07523 034 244 jonblankley@btinternet.com

PAN DISABILITY TEAM

The PAN Disability team train on Saturdays 9-10am at the 3G Nest. The main aim of every session is to enjoy playing football and meet up with each other.

There is no pressure to join in every exercise, you can choose what you want to do and when to join in. We always finish with a game which everyone enjoys and have plenty of laughs.

We have just secured funding from The Beccles Feoffees for the next year to make these sessions free. This was achieved by the players that have turned up and played in the last 12 months

For the very first time this year the team attended the end of season presentation and all players were presented with their season trophy.

Safeguarding sports for a brighter future

In 2016,British football was shaken by the brave testimonies of survivors of child sexual abuse in the sport. Out of these revelations, the Offside Trust emerged as an organisation founded and led by survivors, with a mission to create a safer environment for children in all sports.

The Offside Trust’s primary goals are threefold; first, to raise awareness of safeguarding’s importance across all sports and levels; second, to provide survivors with advice, guidance, and resources to aid their healing journey; and third, to campaign for legal and regulatory changes that will improve safeguarding measures in the world of sports.

As a not-for-profit organisation, the Offside Trust channels all raised funds directly into their aims and objectives, allowing them the freedom to lobby politicians and advocate for legal changes. Their independence enables them to work alongside clubs, organisations and charities to bring about the greatest impact where it

is most needed.

At the core of the Offside Trust are dedicated individuals, including former professional footballer Steve Walters, who serves as the organization’s director. They proudly collaborate with fellow survivors, among them former youth team players Gary Cliffe and Dion Raitt, as well as other influential figures like Alan Arber, Callum Hancock, and the late Billy Seymour, who left a lasting impact before passing away in 2019.

Their objectives range from securing partnerships with sports clubs at all levels to providing support networks and professional guidance for survivors. The Offside Trust also aims to influence legal changes, such as ending “Double Jeopardy” exemptions for child sexual abuse cases and implementing “Mandatory Reporting” in UK law.

The support for the Offside Trust has been immense, not limited to football but encompassing various sports like cricket, rugby, golf,

GET YOUR CLUB TO SUPPORT

Football clubs like Crystal Palace, Wolves, Everton, Bristol City and Portsmouth have hosted groups of survivors and raised awareness among their players, officials and fans. A number of junior clubs have our logo on their kit and teams including Northwich Victoria and New Mills AFC made us their main shirt sponsor this year while Barnton FC have renamed their ground ‘The Offside Trust Stadium’ in our honour!

One way that clubs at all levels can help is to put up an Offside Trust pitchside board or banner. We simply supply the logo and clubs then cover the cost of having a board or banner made to display at their ground. Clubs can message on Twitter @O sideTrust

and boxing. Their collaboration with governing bodies, charities, and safeguarding organisations has resulted in significant accomplishments. They have supported over 100 survivors confidentially, put safeguarding at the forefront of national and international sports agendas, and identified shortcomings while working towards practical solutions.

The Offside Trust has engaged with the media to break the stigma surrounding abuse. Their advocacy led to enhanced investigations and better record-keeping practices.

To strengthen their mission, the Offside Trust has met with Premier League and Championship clubs to share best safeguarding practices and called for full independent inquiries into past abuse cases. Engaging with parliamentarians and grassroots sporting entities, they are leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of creating a safer sporting environment.

With a rapidly growing social media presence and over 18,000 followers, the Offside Trust’s impact continues to expand. Their commitment to safeguarding children in sports is unwavering, and as they work alongside various stakeholders, they aim to build a future where all sports are safe havens for children to thrive, free from the shadows of abuse.