ROYSTON TOWN vs COALVILLE TOWN - MATCHDAY PROGRAMME - SATURDAY 23rd OCTOBER 2021

SOUTHERN LEAGUE CHALLENGE CUP

ROYSTON TOWN FC vs COALVILLE TOWN FC Saturday 23rd October 2021 Kick Off: 3.00pm

Royston Town FC would like to welcome today's opponents Coalville Town for their visit to Garden Walk for this Pitching In Southern Football League Premier Division Central fixture.

We wish their Players, Officials and Supporters an enjoyable afternoon and hope that the match will be a keenly contested and entertaining game.

We also welcome today’s Match Officials and hope they too have an enjoyable game.

TODAY'S MATCH SPONSOR

STEVE TUCK

Royston Town Football Club President Chairman Secretary

Founded 1875 Alan Barlow Steve Jackson Terry McKinnell 9 Valley Rise, Royston, Herts SG8 9EY

07772 086709

Treasurer Welfare Officer Fixture Secretary Executive Board

Webmaster Programme Editor Official Photographer

email: secretary@roystontownfc.co.uk Jeff Gill Angela Baulk Steve Endacott (07971 512402) Trevor Burrows, Andy Toovey, Eric Joyce, David Baulk, Angela Baulk, Chris Coote, Duncan Easley, Giles Parnwell, Neil MacLeod, Matt Clowery Steve Endacott Angela Baulk Kevin Richards

Football Management Team First Team Manager First Team Asst Manager Reserve Team Manager U18 Team Managers Women's 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 Women's Vets

White/Black/White White/Black/White White/Black/Black White/Black/White White/Black/Black

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 Royston Town Football Club is an unincorporated association controlled by its members under the Constitution of RTFC

CLUB HONOURS 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

WHO'S GOT WHO? Today's other fixtures SATURDAY 23rd October 2021 AFC Rushden & Diamonds v Biggleswade Town Alvechurch v Barwell Bromsgrove Sporting v Peterborough Sports Hitchin Town v Stratford Town Needham Market v Rushall Olympic Redditch United v Nuneaton Borough St Ives Town v Hednesford Town Stourbridge v Lowestoft Town Tamworth v Leiston

SCORES ON THE DOORS! LEAGUE TABLE PITCHING IN SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER CENTRAL DIVISION

SO WHEN DID IT ALL BEGIN? The history of Royston Town FC 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 that 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 1st 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 the 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 sets 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 winning 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 playoff 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 playoff zone was given a severe jolt when Paul Attfield announced his resignation as first team manager due to ill health at the beginning of November. 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 playoff places.

SUPPLIERS OF PRIZES FOR THE FAMOUS ROYSTON TOWN FC MEAT RAFFLE

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 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 Castiglione 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 playoff 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.

Season 2019/20 will go down in the Club’s history as one of the most successful and exciting but ultimately one which ended in bitter disappointment.

Steve Castle was quick to ensure we had players who were proven goal scorers and the arrival of Matt Bateman, Brandon Adams and Claudio Ofosu did not disappoint. Perhaps the only sadness that our young and highly talented left wing-back Joe Newton had created so much interest from EFL Clubs that in the end, it was inevitable he would have to leave us and Joe was signed by Coventry City.

No Crows fans will ever forget the team's brilliant performances in both the FA Cup and FA Trophy and although our FA Cup run ended with defeat to the very talented Maldon and Tiptree in front of a record crowd for Garden Walk of 1152. The interest generated in the Crows both locally and beyond was immense and set the scene for what was to come in the FA Trophy. It all started with very comfortable wins against Brightlingsea Regent and Haywards Heath and then were drawn away at Step 2 table-topping Wealdstone which for many was one of the games of the season as Royston shot into a 2- 0 lead before Wealdstone hit back to pull the tie level 2-2. In spite of being under constant pressure, the Crows mounted a great counterattack down the left and the cross was despatched by Brandon Adams to give the Crow’s victory 3-2. What followed was truly historic with home wins against Step 2 teams Boreham Wood 2-0, Chester 3-0 and away at National League Ebbsfleet 2-0, to set up a quarter-final tie away at Concord Rangers. In the run-up to the game, the rain had been falling heavily but our opponents declared the pitch playable and the invasion of six coach loads of Royston supporters and a convoy of cars and mini-buses descended on Canvey Island. As we started arriving for the kick-off the match referee declared the pitch unplayable and with a sense of extreme disappointment and also a lot of anger we all returned home. The following Tuesday the game went ahead but it was not to be and we were defeated 2-1. There is no doubt the Clubs achievements in the FA Trophy marked a watershed in our history which will be remembered for a very long time.

Running alongside the cup success it was easy to forget that we had got ourselves in contention to win the League with a run of only two defeats in 20 league fixtures. With 3 games in hand and only 2 points behind Peterborough Sports and Tamworth and playing some of our best football, we looked nailed on to win the League. Then out of the blue, the Covid crisis hit all levels of football and with what many felt was indecent haste the League decided to null and void the whole season.

All our achievements were suddenly for nothing and the taste of bitter disappointment amongst all supporters of the Crows was very hard to swallow.

Season 2020/21: As the pandemic took hold it seemed like the chances of seeing a new season start were remote but by summer 2020 there had been a massive improvement and by July the lockdown ended albeit with a host of restrictions in place.

By the time we had assembled a squad, we were without key players such as Matt Bateman who moved to Hemel Hempstead and Claudio Ofosu who joined Hartlepool and with a lot of the momentum and energy generated by the now-defunct season now dissipated we were finding it hard to get going again. In the League, we seemed to slip into the habit of conceding goals when in a winning position and a string of draws meant we languished in the lower half of the division.

The FA cup again promised to provide excitement with wins against Newmarket, Wroxham and AFC Stamford before losing to our old rivals Bishops Stortford. We won our first two ties in the FA Trophy against Hythe Town and Tamworth before going out 3-2 away at Brackley by which time the League season was yet again declared null and void as the second wave of Covid took its stranglehold.

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 following more than five years of painstaking research and can be purchased via the Club.

WHO'S WHO OF THE CROWS 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.

Ed Asafu-Adjaye (Defender) Versatile defender who re-joined the Crows in 2019 after spending a season at Hayes & Yeading. 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.

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.

Ronnie Henry (Defender) Signed for the Crows at the beginning of this season after spending a season at Billericay Town. Ronnie was a product of the Spurs youth system, before going on to play 502 games for Stevenage (the club’s all-time record appearances) in two spells either side of two seasons at Luton Town.

Daniel Brathwaite (Defender) Club skipper, Dan joined the Crows from Chesham United for the start of 2015/16.

He is an experienced defender whose former clubs include Boreham Wood and Dover Athletic.

Dan Newton (Defender) Joined the Crows early into season 2020/21, Centre-Back Dan's previous clubs were Biggleswade FC and Northwood. He is a calm and confident defender and cousin of former Crow Joe Newton.

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.

Scott Bridges (Midfield) Scott re-joined the Crows in season 2020/21 after spending the previous season at Hayes & Yeading, having been a Crow for four years previously, scoring 71 goals in 194 appearances. Originally with Aston Villa until 2007, Scott then played most of his football at Banbury United.

Spyros Mentis (Midfield) Versatile, hard-working and tough-tackling midfielder or defender, Spyros re-joined 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 has impressed when called upon and has chipped in with some useful goals from midfield.

Isa Rotimi (Midfield) Young midfielder who signed for the Crows at the beginning of season 2019/20, Isa previously spent two seasons at Colney Heath.

Dan Green (Midfield) Joined us in December 2018 from Chesham United, Dan is an experienced midfielder whose other previous clubs include St Albans City and Dunstable Town.

Brandon Adams (Forward) Signed for the Crows in 2019, Brandon previously 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 in 2018/19 and bagged an impressive 23 league goals in 25 games.

Josh Williams (Forward) Signed for the Crows at the start of last season after spending the previous 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 last season. Whilst with The Canaries Isaac’s performances earned him an England ‘C’ call-up.

Matt Bateman (Forward) Re-joined us for the start this season from Hemel Hempstead, where he spent last season after moving from the Crows. Matt signed for the Crows at the start of season 2019/20 and scored an impressive 24 goals in 41 games during that season to earn his move to Hemel. Previous to that Matt played a big part in Berkhamsted’s push for promotion in 2018/19 where he netted 43 times in 54 appearances for The Comrades.

Harry Draper (Forward) Signed for the Crows on loan from Stevenage at the start of this season. Harry has been with Stevenage from the age of eight, he signed his first professional deal at Boro’ in summer 2019 and then spent that season on loan at Hitchin Town.

Finlay Titchmarsh (Defender) Young defender who signed for the Crows at the beginning of this season, Finlay was originally with Barnet before having spells with Staines Town and Ware.

COME ON

YOU

CROWS!

TODAY'S OPPONENTS Coalville Town FC Club History Coalville Town Football Club were formed in 1926 as Ravenstone Miners Athletic. They were the latest in a long line of association football clubs from the village of Ravenstone. The Ravens played most of their football in the nowdefunct Coalville & District Amateur League, winning numerous honours including the Division One title on five occasions and the Junior Cup Northern Section on two occasions. Perhaps their greatest triumph came in 1953 when they won the League Championship and the coveted Coalville & District Charity Cup. When the league folded in 1975, they made the move to the North Leicestershire League with equal success. In 1976/77 they were runners-up in both the Premier Division and Cobbin Trophy. They won the Junior Cup in 1985/86, the League Championship in 1989 and the double of Championship and Cobbin Trophy a year later.

The Ravens were rewarded for their success on the pitch with election to the Leicestershire Senior League in 1991.

They adapted well to the higher level of football and never finished outside the top half of the Division One table.

The ambitions of the village club far exceeded those of the parish council and, following the council's refusal to grant permission for floodlights, Glyn Rennocks was instrumental in moving the club to Owen Street, Coalville. A change of name followed to Coalville FC, with the club becoming the first senior side in the town since 1954.

The club commenced their first season as Coalville in 1995/96. Floodlights were installed prior to the 1996/97 season and, after a slow start to the campaign, the first XI went on to finish as runners up in Division One and gain promotion to the Premier Division.

The introduction of manager Lee Harriman for the 2001/2002 season heralded the most successful period in the club's history. Having led the side to back-to-back Senior League titles, Coalville finally made the step up to the Midland Football Alliance for the 2003/04 season. The 2002/03 season also saw the Under 18s, led by Dan Gallacher, clinching the FA County Youth Cup and finishing as runners up in the League Cup competition.

A new era, in a league as tough and prestigious as the MFA, may have seen many a team wilt at their first attempt.

However, with a great start, the Ravens hit the ground running and finished in a respectable 8th position.

With the emphasis for 2004/05 on finishing as high as possible in the league, with of course aspirations to clinch the title, the squad could have been forgiven for getting a little sidetracked by a certain cup competition - the FA Cup. With Coalville never being eligible for the competition before it was apparent that this would be an experience more than a challenge for the famous cup. However, try telling that to Lee Harriman and his squad. At their first attempt, the club reached the first round proper where they came up against Football League side Wycombe Wanderers, and only bowed out of the competition by a single goal. This was made all the more special as they started in the Extra Preliminary round and became only the second club in the entire history of the Cup to reach the first round proper from the very first stage. The cup run spurred the team on in the league and, helped by a 17 game unbeaten run, a highest ever finish of 3rd place was achieved.

Coalville began the 2005/06 season as many people's favourites for the MFA but an inconsistent campaign saw the Ravens eventually finish in 8th place. Away from the league Coalville enjoyed a memorable Westerby Cup run which only ended with a 3-2 defeat in the final against Leicester City at the Walkers Stadium.

October 2006 saw Lee Harriman bring to an end his five year association with the Ravens and former Nuneaton Borough boss Brendan Phillips was appointed in his place. A difficult season for "The Bear" and Coalville ended with a disappointing 18th place finish and saw Brendan step down from the manager's post in the close-season.

Former player and fans' favourite Adam Stevens was appointed as manager prior to the 2007/08 season and set about restoring the Ravens' fortunes. After leading Coalville to eighth, third and second, along with a narrow League Cup final defeat, Stevens made sure 2011 was a year that will live long in the memory of all Ravens fans.

Coalville opened the season with a run of eight victories to underline their status as title favourites but were pushed all the way by Tipton Town with both teams ending on 100 points. It was Coalville’s record-breaking goal-scoring record of 153 goals that made the difference as the Ravens clinched the title and promotion to the Northern Premier League. For most teams that alone would have been seen as a very successful season but Stevens had loftier ambitions and an outstanding run in the FA Vase saw Coalville book their place in the Wembley final with a 6-2 aggregate victory against Kings Lynn Town. Although Coalville were unfortunate 3-2 losers to Whitley Bay in the final the Ravens made many friends with their open, attacking football.

A season of consolidation followed in the Northern Premier League with a high turnover of players in 2011-12. The following season Coalville were top of the Evo-Stik Southern division for most of the season. This great form faltered toward the end of the season with results finishing mainly in draws and losses saw Coalville fall to second in the table behind Kings Lynn. Coalville went on to compete in the play off semi-final but lost at home to Chasetown.

Chasetown went on to lose against Stamford in the final. The Ravens did have some consolation after lifting the Westerby Cup beating Loughborough Dynamo 2-1 in the final at the King Power stadium.

Last following ended in the same way for Coalville but this time it was close all season with players coming impressing and being signed by clubs higher, manager Adam Stevens was really put to the test but continued to find the quality players to push Coalville to the top of the table. A home defeat to Gresley on Easter Monday handed pole position back to Halesowen who secured the title on the last day leaving again as runners up. This time Mickleover were the visitors to Owen Street for the players off and a 3-2 defeat left the raven following with that same feeling as the previous season, so near yet so far.... In the FA trophy Coalville had a memorable run beating several higher league teams such as Marine and Solihull Moors before drawing the previous seasons finalists Grimsby Town who were held to a draw at Owen Street before eventually winning through at Blundell park.

Manager Adam Stevens hoped to build on the positive aspects of the last two seasons but soon resigned as manger early on in the season, Jimmy Gray took over for a short spell in charge before Tommy Brookbanks joined from Loughborough with the task of steadying the ship. The Brookbanks era started off with a hard run of games and lots of injuries but the style of football Tommy was to bring to Coalville was soon evident and lifted the spirit of the Raven faithful. Off the pitch last season was a big year for Coalville as they continued to develop and improve as a club to match the progress of recent years on the pitch, the introduction of the youth development pathway and academy side will hopefully produce local talent for the first team in the near future. 2014-15 did see a county cup final where the Ravens lost out 2-1 to Barwell at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium.

The 2015-16 started off as one of great optimism at Owen St. Tommy Brookbanks had put a squad together capable of challenging for promotion and they got off to a solid start and were never out of the top 3 since September. Acknowledged as probably the best footballing side in the league they were in touch with leaders Stafford, but a wobble in February and March left The Ravens looking over their shoulder. However, an impressive run in saw Coalville win the promotion play off final at big spending Shaw Lane coming back from being a goal down at half time before running out 3-1 winners following a stunning second half performance.

Despite being many peoples favourites for relegation The Ravens more than held their own n their first season at Step 3 and finished a creditable 16th Place in heir first season in the league.

In the 2017/18 season Coalville had a tough start losing their opening three games but then went on to win the next 7 fixtures pushing them up 2nd in the league. Following that there were further runs of losses and victories but all in all was a disappointing league season with the club only just avoiding relegation. The Ravens did reach two cup finals where they defeated Loughborough Dynamo to win the Leicestershire Challenge Cup,but lost to Atherton Collieries in the final of the Integro League Cup. Following the season Manager Tommy Brookbanks left the club and he was replaced by Adam Stevens who joined for his second spell as Manager.

WHO ARE YA? Coalville Town FC Player Pen Pics Adam Stevens – Manager Adam returned to Coalville in May 2018 having previously managed them for 7 seasons until 2014 during the clubs most successful period. In 2011 he guided the club to promotion from the Midland Football Alliance having scored an impressive 150 goals in the league and also reached the FA Vase Final where the Ravens lost out to Whitley Bay at Wembley. Following his departure, he had three highly successful seasons at Grantham Town.

Danny Davidson – Assistant Manager Danny joined last summer as a first-team coach but has recently been appointed the new assistant manager. A former Ravens striker he brings a wealth of experience having played conference north for most of his career.

Saul Deeney – Goalkeeper Arrived from Basford United last summer. He made appearances in the football league with Notts County, Derby County and Burton Albion for whom he starred in a live televised game against Manchester United in the FA Cup where The Brewers took United to a replay and Saul Made a wonder save to deny former England captain Wayne Rooney. He is also a former Ireland U21 international and still coaches at Notts County’s academy.

Sean Bowles – Goalkeeper Bowlesy needs no introduction to the Ravens faithful having re-joined on the summer of 2019 as player/coach. He has made over 300 appearances for Coalville and was in goal at Wembley for the 2011 FA Vase final. He was also club captain when the club attained promotion via the 2106 playoffs. He has spent the last two years living in Shanghai , China but the club are delighted to welcome him back.

Austin Wood - Goalkeeper Teenage goalkeeper linked up with the squad this summer from Lincoln Railway, a talent for the future.

Tomasz Bukowsi -Goalkeeper A talented goalkeeper who is a great shot-stopper. Played for several non-league clubs in his native Poland and has also played for The Ravens Under 23 squad Chris Robertson - Defender Commanding central defender signed in the summer of 2020 from Grantham Town. Played pro most of his career with the likes of Torquay, Preston & Port Vale finally leaving the professional game after a spell at Swindon.

Kian Taylor - Defender This exciting young midfielder joined the Ravens on loan from Shrewsbury Town in September 2019. He is from Coalville and played for The Ravens junior sides before being picked up by Leicester City. He went through their academy system before being released and then joined The Shrews signing his first professional contract in the summer of 2019. Has now joined permanently on a free transfer in the summer of 2020.

Kyle Tomlin – Defender Joined Coalville in the summer of 2021 having left Mansfield Town where he had been captain of their youth team.

A technically gifted player who can operate in a number of positions in defence as well as Central Midfield.

Jake Eggleton - Defender Pacey young centre back signed from Loughborough University. A former pro at West Ham and also had spells in non-league at Hendon and Hampton & Richmond in the National League South.

Kalern Thomas – Defender Kalern joined from Kings Lynn Town in October 2018. Having previously played for Corby Town, Loughborough Dynamo and Solihull Moors. He is a solid defender who reads the game superbly and has plenty of pace. Can also operate in a more forward role.

Eliot Putman – Defender Joined the club from local rivals Barwell in September 2021. As a youngster he was on the books of Leicester City and has also played for Stamford.

Tom McGlinchey - Midfield Tom joined in the summer of 2017 from Midland League side Leicester Road FC. He is about to start his fourth season at Coalville having extended his contract in July 2021. He is equally at home playing wide or just off the main strikers. He was last season’s supporters and players player of the season.

Alex Dean - Midfield Alex is in his second spell at Coalville after leaving to play in the Conference North with Solihull Moors whom he impressed against during an FA Trophy game. Having re-joined the club in August 2014 he is now the longestserving player at Coalville and is a big favourite with the Ravens faithful and looks back to his best in the black and white shirt.

Joe Doyle-Charles - Midfield 2018 summer signing from Matlock Town whom he had starred for the last few seasons. A highly rated central midfielder with a good work rate and an excellent range of passing. Joe came through the academy at Burton Albion and has also had spells at Alfreton Town and Ilkeston.

Steve Towers - Midfield Signed in the summer of 2016, the Leicester born player has had a long and illustrious career in non-league football having played for Brackley Town and Corby in the National League. The tough-tackling midfielder also has an eye for goal and is the club's current captain.

Luke Shaw - Midfield 2018 summer signing from Grantham Town. Pacey winger with a real eye for goal. Had a spell with AFC Telford in the National League and then suffered a knee injury at Grantham. Has looked back to his best in pre-season.

Connor Smith - Midfielder Tall imposing number ten who came through the youth ranks at Nottingham Forest. Signed the summer of 2020 after being a long term target of Adam Stevens.

Herve Pepe Ngoma - Midfield Pep came through the ranks at Leicester City. He then left and had spells with Kettering and Boston United. Endured a difficult time with injuries but now looking to kick start his career again Billy Kee - Striker Huge coup for the club joining in February 2020 after a year out of football. Accrington Stanley hero and also hugely successful in the League with Burton Albion. Was the Golden Boot winner in the EFL League 2 as recently as 2018.

Also played for Leicester City, Torquay, Scunthorpe and Mansfield.

Tim Berridge - Striker Extremely talented striker who joined in 2018 from his local side Dunkirk. Got into double digits during his first season with the club and playing at step 3. Tim was at the top of the league goal scoring charts before the season was cancelled in November.

Dave Djalme Asunccao – Striker A tricky winger who caught the managers eye in a friendly when Coalville played Kirby Muxloe. Having spent preseason with the club he signed in August 2021 after some impressive performances in the friendlies.

Kyle Jardine - Striker Another local talent who has been playing for the Ravens Under 23 side. He is a natural goal scorer and has made some impressive contributions with goals and assists in pre-season. Signed a contract with the club in August 2021 Ronnie Morley - Striker Still only 16 And another product of the Ravens youth team. He has a real eye for goal and is learning all the time.

WINNING RUN BROKEN

BY GLASSBOYS! Stourbridge match report

by Duncan Easley

ROYSTON TOWN FC v STOURBRIDGE FC Saturday 16th October 2021 Fresh from locking horns with Virgil Van Dijk on Wednesday evening, Gibraltar international Reece Styche scored both goals to bring to an end Royston’s winning run.

It was the Crows who struck first, as Scott Bridges shot deflected in off a defender after a quick free-kick from Isaac Galliford released Brandon Adams, who pulled the ball back for Bridges to open the scoring.

Belying their league position, it was Stourbridge who took the game to Royston, and Joe Welch had to be alert to save from Montel Gibson. Stourbridge continued to dictate proceedings and deservedly equalised in the 32nd minute as the Crows defence failed to deal with a long freekick and Styche thumped the loose ball in from outside the area.

The second half was a different story though, as Royston took control of the game and forced Stourbridge onto the back foot. Despite prolonged spells of possession and a number of corners and free-kicks the home side failed to work away goalkeeper Charlie Price, as Harry Draper and Dan Newton headers along with a Scott Bridges free-kick all went just wide of goal.

The best chance fell to Scott Bridges whose well-struck shot looked destined for the net before Melis Bushaj appeared out of nowhere to deflect it away for a corner.

And so it was left for Styche to grab the headlines, as his 86th-minute free-kick deflected off the wall, leaving Welch with no chance, to give the Glassboys a much-needed victory.

Royston: 1-Welch, 7-Titchmarsh (6-Henry 76), 14-Brighton, 5-Murray A ©, 20-Newton, 4Bridges, 16-Rotimi (17-Williams 66), 2-Asafu-Adjaye, 9-Adams (8-Draper 31), 10-Bateman, 11-Galliford Unused: 3-Brathwaite, 12-Murray M MOTM – Scott Bridges

CROWDFUNDING ‘WALL OF THANKS’ INSTALLED The Chairman and Board of Royston Town FC are pleased to announce that the club has this week installed a ‘Wall of Thanks’ to all of those supporters and organisations that contributed so generously to the Crowdfunding campaign that the club launched in May 2020.

The crowdfunding campaign was launched with the aim of filling the gap in the Clubs revenues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many non-league clubs, we suddenly found ourselves losing pretty much all of our revenue streams almost overnight. As a result, we were looking at a shortfall in revenue in excess of £50K. The board of Royston Town and club volunteers put in place a number of measures to help support the club during this period of uncertainty, but with no indication of when we would play again or when we could reopen the clubhouse for functions, our income streams pretty much disappeared.

In response, the club took the difficult decision to reach out to our fans in the hope that they could help ‘Keep the Crows Flying‘. The Board set what it initially thought was an ambitious fundraising target of £20,000 to ensure that the club remained where it was before the tragic arrival of COVID-19. Eight weeks later and thanks to numerous donations, gifts and contributions from fans, businesses, the wider football community, Royston residents and various grant organisations we smashed our target! To date, the amount raised by the ‘Keep the Crows Flying‘ campaign stands at £25,475.

Club Chairman, Steve Jackson said “The amount that we raised via our crowdfunding campaign was way beyond our expectations and everyone at the Club was, and remains, truly touched by the generosity and goodwill shown by the fans, the Royston community and the wider football family! I and the Board recognise that many who donated to our campaign will have been struggling themselves and yet they still found a way to help support THEIR club. I’d, once again, like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who donated to our campaign – every single donation, no matter how big or small, helped to keep the Crows flying!”

He continued “After careful consideration and discussion regarding finding the right location for something to recognise the support we received, we are pleased to announce that the installation of our ‘Wall of Thanks’ in the Kewtech Stand is complete. Many of those fans and organisations that contributed to our cause are named on the board but I want to stress that there are a number of folks who donated that wished to remain anonymous. Although they are not named on the ‘Wall of Thanks’ we are, of course, equally grateful to them as well.”

PLAYER SPONSORSHIP

Joe Welch

Ryan Easley

Ed James Brighton Asafu-Adjaye

Kelshall Jake Easley Plastics

Ronnie Henry

David Grey

Daniel Brathwaite Katherine Thompson

Scott Bridges

Luke Easley

Adam Murray

Jeff Gill

Isa Rotimi

Martin Pendrick

PLAYER SPONSORSHIP

Matt Bateman Brandon Adams Spyros Mentis

Martin Pendrick DFM Mick & Enid Royston Matt Clowery Toovey Plastering

Dan Newton

Graham Haggar

Josh Williams Tom Newman

Trevor & Alison Clive Deards Middlemass

Isaac Galliford

Steve Tuck

Steve Castle

Garrett Pennery

SQUADS Saturday 23rd October 2021 Kick Off: 3.00PM

MATCH SPONSOR

STEVE TUCK TODAYS OFFICIALS REFEREE: Karl Sear ASSISTANTS: Jack Ridge / Ryan Smith

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Joe Welch Ed Asafu-Adjaye Daniel Brathwaite Scott Bridges Adam Murray Ronnie Henry Finley Titchmarsh Harry Draper Brandon Adams Matt Bateman Isaac Galliford Tom Newman James Brighton Fred Brown Isa Rotimi Josh Williams Dan Green Spyros Mentis Dan Newton Ryan Towner

Steve Castle / Chris Watters Scott Taylor / Amber Murray

MANAGERS SPORTS THERAPISTS

Saul Deeney (GK) 1 Chris Robertson 2 Kian Taylor 3 Kyle Tomlin 4 Jake Eggleton 5 Kalern Thomas 6 Eliot Putman 7 Tom McGlinchey 8 Alex Dean 9 Joe Doyle-Charles 10 Steve Towers 11 Sean Bowles (GK) 12 Luke Shaw 13 Connor Smith 14 Herve Pepe Ngoma 15 Billy Kee 16 Tim Berridge 17 Dave Djalme Asunccao 18 Kyle Jardine 19 Ronnie Morley 20

Adam Stevens / Danny Davidson Kirsty Moore / Andy Toal