ROYSTON TOWN vs NEEDHAM MARKET - MATCHDAY PROGRAMME - SATURDAY 28th JANUARY 2023

ROYSTON TOWN FC vs NEEDHAM

MARKET FC

Saturday 28th January 2023

Kick Off: 3pm

Royston Town FC would like to welcome this afternoon's opponents Needham Market FC 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 IS KINDLY SPONSORED BY

Royston Town Football Club Founded 1875

President

Chairman

Secretary

Treasurer

Welfare Officer

Fixture Secretary

Executive Board

Webmaster

Programme Editors

Official Photographer

Football Management Team

First Team Manager

First Team Asst Manager

U23 Manager

U18 Team Managers

Women's Team Manager

Vets Team Manager

Ground

Colours

Alan Barlow

Steve Jackson

Terry McKinnell

9 Valley Rise, Royston, Herts SG8 9EY

07772 086709

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, Neil MacLeod

Kevin Richards

Steve Castle

Chris Watters

Dan Evans

Dan Evans/Matt Campany

Lewis Endacott

Lee Wilkinson

Garden Walk, Royston, Herts SG8 7HP Telephone (01763) 241204

First XI

U23

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 Limited by Guarantee under the trading name of Royston Town FC Limited (Company Reg No 14261163)

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

Southern League Challenge Cup 2021/22

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 28th JANUARY 2023

Leiston v St Ives Town

Mickleover v Rushall Olympic

Nuneaton Borough v Stourbridge

Redditch United v Bromsgrove Sporting

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.

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 playoff 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 downfall 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 a 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 was playing at the highest level in its 142-year history!

Season 2017/18 saw The Crows exceed 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 eventual 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 where we played Borehamwood 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 what was then 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 18752012 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.

BRAND NEW DESIGN AVAILABLE NOW!

WHO'S WHO OF THE CROWS

mi Kyriatzis (Goalkeeper)

ecent addition to the Crows squad having joined us from Bedfont Sports Dimi's clubs include Brentford and Inter Leipzig

u-Adjaye (Defender)

defender who re-joined the Crows in 2019 after spending a season at Hayes ng Started his playing career at Luton Town and broke into the 1st team he 2008/9 season. In total he made 64 appearances for The Hatters before o Forest Green Rovers and then to Hemel Hempstead Town.

Murray (Defender)

ined us at the beginning of 2017/18, having spent the previous two seasons bridge City where he made 60 appearances He quickly settled into the squad proved to be a formidable addition for the Crows.

Henry (Defender)

or the Crows at the beginning of this season after spending a season at y Town Ronnie was a product of the Spurs youth system, before going on to 2 games for Stevenage (the club’s all-time record appearances) in two spells de of two seasons at Luton Town.

Nakatani-Brown(Defender)

s a 22 year old left-sided defender who has impressed during pre-season and joins rows for their 2022/23 Southern League Premier Central campaign Joel’s previous includeWestfield,FCRomania,CockfostersandWalthamstow

om Kettering Town, where viously played for Hemel ns Joined the Crows this Cockfosters, Colney Heath efender, Spyros re-joined ding, he previously played at Garden Walk.

his season Alfie joined the Hotspur and signed a his professional debut for 1, coming on as an 83rdn at Kings Langley, Hemel

FernandoBellToxtle(Midfield)

FernandostartedhiscareeratCambridgeUnitedandspenttimeonloanatStNeots Town.FollowinghisreleasefromCambridgeUnited,hejoinedAFCRushden&Diamonds inthesummerof2017.InNovember2017hemovedtoBasfordUnitedinorderto pursuehisuniversitystudiesinNottingham.HethenrejoinedAFCRushden&Diamonds andwasakeymemberoftheirsquadlastseason

IsaRotimi(Midfield)

YoungmidfielderwhosignedfortheCrowsatthebeginningofseason2019/20,Isa previouslyspenttwoseasonsatColneyHeath

NathanTshikuna(Midfield)

FeaturedanumberoftimesfortheCrowsinpre-seasonandhasimpressedenoughto joinSteveCastle’ssquadforthecomingseason.Nathan’spreviousclubsincludeBedford Town,KempstonRovers,BartonRoversandAFCRushden&Diamonds.Nathanscoredan impressive11goalsin44appearancesforRushden&Diamondslastseason

MattBateman(Forward)

Re-joineduslastseasonfromHemelHempstead,wherehespentaseasonaftermoving fromtheCrows.MattsignedfortheCrowsatthestartofseason2019/20andscoredan impressive24goalsin41gamesduringthatseasontoearnhismovetoHemel.Previous tothatMattplayedabigpartinBerkhamsted’spushforpromotionin2018/19wherehe netted43timesin54appearancesforTheComrades

ColeDaSilva(Defender)

Recentacquisition,signedfromHemelHempsteadTown.23-year-olddefenderjoinedthe TudorsfromOxfordCityCappedbyWalesatunder-15level,forEnglandatunder-16s andthenWalesagainatunder-17,19,20,andunder-21levelBegaatLutonTown’s academybeforemovingtoChelsea,making2appearancesintheEFLTrophyin2017 HejoinedBrentford’sBteamin2018andin2020spenttimewithLeicesterCityunder23s.SignedforCroatianFirstLeagueclubHNKSibenikin2021,beforejoiningtheOxford yattheendofthe2021/22season

nnorFurlong(Midfield)

nedearlierthisyearfromAFCRushden&DiamondsPreviousclubsinclude gleswadeTown,BedfordTown,StIvesTown,OxfordCity,AylesburyUnitedandMK ns

drewOsei-Bonsu(Midfield)

year-oldjoinedMKDonsacademyattheageof8andprogressedthroughtheirage upsmakinghisfirst-teamdebutintheEFLCupatNewportCountyinAugust2016 shadspellswithWealdstone,DunstableTown,Larne(NorthernIreland),StIvesTown (ce),BillericayTownandEastFife

Barnwell(Forward)

gningfromSouthernLeaguePremierSouthsideHanwellTownShamisatowering6′ ar-oldstrikerwhohaspreviouslyplayedforBowers&Pitsea,Dagenham&Redbridge, tortford,SolihullMoors,Barking,Brentwood,GraysAthleticandMaldon&Tiptree.

TODAY'S OPPONENTS NEEDHAM MARKET FC Club History

Needham Market Football Club was officially formed in 1919 although records do indicate that games were played in the late 1890’s in the town. The original home for the club was Young’s Meadow until a move to Crowley Park was the base until 1996 The club then moved and opened a new development called ‘Bloomfields’ With the passing away of former player Arthur Rodwell leaving the club some money and with obtaining a successful Lottery Grant, we purchased the land the club is now situated on. With a great deal of hard and prudent work by some very enthusiastic individuals, we now find ourselves situated in a facility that we totally own and the club is truly proud of. The complex is named after club stalwart Derrick Bloomfield who has given more than 70 years service to the club As well as being a player Derrick has held virtually every role in the club To recognise his service the club awarded him a testimonial match when Ipswich Town Football Club visited the ground in 2004. He was also presented with a long service award from The FA for his achievement.

When Needham Market Football Club first entered the Suffolk & Ipswich Football League, it was also the playing arena for Clacton Town, Harwich & Parkeston, Hadleigh United, Stowmarket Town, Sudbury Town, and Woodbridge Town.

Over the yeas the club has won many trophies with one of the most notable being crowned champions of the Senior Division of The Suffolk & Ipswich League in the 1995/96 season. This coincided with the opening of ‘Bloomfields’ and a new chapter in the clubs history, as we then applied for promotion to the Jewson League Division 1 which was duly accepted

Other honours won by the club include The Suffolk & Ipswich League Cup in the 1977/78 season and the 1979/80 season. The Suffolk FA Junior Cup was won in the season 1984/85 and a successful trip to Portman Road; saw the club victorious in The Suffolk FA Senior Cup in the season of 1989/90 and again in the season of 2004/05 The final was also reached in the seasons of 1970/71, 1979/80, 1998/ 99 and 1999/00, unfortunately having to settle for runners-up spot on each occasion

The Reserve Team won The Suffolk & Ipswich Football League Reserves Division in the seasons of 1970/71 and 1971/72, and also The Suffolk & Ipswich Football League Intermediate B Division in the season of 1993/94 Division Three of The Suffolk & Ipswich Football League was also won in the seasons of 1985/86 and 2003/04. After moving to the Essex & Suffolk Border League the Division Two title was won in the season of 1998/99, and a year later came runners up in the League Cup.

The Third Team or A Team as they were known, won The Suffolk & Ipswich League Division Eight Championship in the season 1983/84, and were also successful in winning the Orwell Cup in the seasons of 1992/93 and 1995/96. In the season of 1996/97 they won The Saul Charity Cup. On the subject of The Saul Charity Cup it is an honour to have been the inaugural winners of this competition when first held in the season of 1935/36 In the season of 2003/04 they won Division Three of The Suffolk & Ipswich Football League and followed this success up a year later by winning Division 2 of The Suffolk & Ipswich Football League. This side also became the first A Team to win The Suffolk FA Primary Cup in the season of 2004/05, and also became the highest placed A Team to reach Division One of The Suffolk & Ipswich Football League The club no longer runs an A Team as most of the clubs young players now start in the reserve team

After being in The Ridgeons League Division 1 for a number of seasons we finally finished as runners up in the season of 2004/05 This was a big thing for the club and to the Manager at that time Mark Morsley for all his efforts in getting the club promotion In the clubs inaugural season in the Ridgeons Premier Division they finished in 6th place, and had a good run in The FA Vase going out to eventual winners Nantwich Town. Manager Mark Morsley left the club at the end of the season after being appointed Manager of AFC Sudbury who had been newly promoted to The Ryman League

For season 2007/08 Danny Laws was sole Manager after Chris Tracey decided to return to AFC Sudbury. Finishing runners-up in the Ridgeons League Premier Division with a must win game on the last day of the season to first placed Soham Town Rangers needed Unfortunately the game resulted in a 4-0 defeat We were also losing semi-finalists in The FA Vase losing out to eventual winners Kirkham & Wesham. However Suffolk Football Association Premier Cup glory was achieved by beating Leiston. Silverware was not finished there as victory for the first time in the Ridgeons League Challenge Cup beating Gorleston 2-1 in the final.

OPPONENTS

NEEDHAM MARKET FC Club History contd.

Another good season in 2008/09 for the club as a third place finish in the Ridgeons League Premier was achieved. Consecutive Suffolk FA Premier Cup finals were achieved losing 3-2 to Lowestoft Town A great run in The FA Vase once again this time going out to the lottery of a penalty shoot out to Chalfont St Peter in the Quarter Finals

Season 2009/10 was the most successful in the clubs history The 1st Team not only won The Eastern Counties League Premier Division for the first time, but also The Eastern Counties League - League Challenge Cup. A third successive Suffolk FA Premier Cup Final was also achieved only to be defeated by Ipswich Town However the team did not disgrace themselves and came away with their heads held high. For the second consecutive season, the Quarter Finals of the FA Vase Competition were also reached only to once again be knocked out at this stage

The 2010/11 Season saw a new chapter in Needham Market's history as for the first time Step 4 Football awaited in the form of The Ryman League Division One North The anticipation and confidence was very high at the start of the season but no one was getting carried away as consolidation in the league was the priority Challenging at the top of the league for the whole season with East Thurrock United who would eventually go on and win the championship, but we would have another bite of the cherry as 2nd place was cemented in the league and a home semi-final play off Unfortunately we would go on to lose to Brentwood Town which was very difficult to take at the time especially as we finished 18 points ahead of them in the regular playing season. A fourth consecutive Final appearance in the Suffolk FA Premier Cup was also achieved but unfortunately a defeat would ensue to Bury Town

Season 2011/12 saw the club open a new venture as we introduced a full time Academy Programme for 16-18 year olds who would be studying for an NVQ in Sports Development half of the day and coached by Ex-Professional player Kevin Horlock the remainder of the day The scheme was a massive success with the lads on the scheme also forming our Reserve side who had an excellent season They finished runners up in the Ridgeons Reserve League North Division, Semi-Finalists in The Suffolk FA Senior Reserve Cup and reached the 3rd Qualifying Round of The FA Youth Cup The First Team once again challenged for The Ryman League Division One North Title up until Christmas when a run of bad results ended the automatic promotion route but the club remained in the play off positions. We were top scorers in the division with 104 goals and finished 4th Victory in the play off semi-final away at Tilbury set up a play off final 36 hours later at league runners up Enfield Town. In truth this was too short a turnaround and we were both physically and mentality drained unfortunately losing the game 1-0

Season 2012/13 was a very difficult one in that Needham had a long barren spell without recording a win att Bloomfields until the New Year The club did, following his resignation from Leiston, move quickly to get Mark Morsley in once more with Danny Laws. But with the lure of managing at a higher level Danny decided to take the vacant post at Leiston and Mark was forced to take on the responsibilities as Manager This did however give Mark the opportunity to assess the squad particularly the youngsters from the Academy. It is fair to say that he found the quality of the lads excellent and rewarded some of them with contracts with the 1st Team

Season 2013/14 saw Needham achieve a number of major achievements for the club most notably reaching the 4th Qualifying Round of The FA Cup for the first time where we lost 1-0 to Cambridge United in front of a record 1,784 spectators In the League we managed to clinch 5th place and a play off spot after winning 7-1 on the last day of the season However we unfortunately lost the semi-final 1-0 to Witham Town who were eventual play off winners

Season 2014/15 was another historic one for the club as the 1st Team became Ryman League Division 1 North Champions sealing promotion to The Ryman Premier for the first time. A season long battle ensued with Harlow Town but the club managed to win the league courtesy of a 5-0 victory away to Chatham Town on the final day of the season. A first for the club also saw our Reserve Side compete at Step 6 - finishing a respectable 16th. The Youth Team had a great run in The FA Youth Cup reaching the 1st Round Proper for the first time only to bow out to Stevenage They did however provide more silverware for the club as they won The Thurlow Nunn Youth Cup for the first time defeating Histon to cap off a brilliant season for the football club

Season 2015/16 saw the 1st Team competing at Step 3 for the first time in the Clubs history. Survival was the main aim and this was achieved finishing in 20th position The Reserve Team struggled in The Thurlow Nunn Division 1 League finishing bottom of the table with the Youth Team finishing in 3rd place in The Thurlow Nunn Youth League. Disappointingly both FA Competitions Cup & Trophy were exited at the first hurdle

The 1st Teams second Season at Step 3 Season 2016/17 saw them occupy a Play-Off Spot for virtually all of the season leading the table for several weeks along the way. However results towards the end of the season saw them drop out of contention finishing in 9th place The young Reserve Team found life tough again in The Thurlow Nunn Division 1 finishing third from bottom and the Under 18 Youth Teams both finished in 6th place in their respective leagues (Thurlow Nunn Central Division & Eastern Junior Alliance).

TODAY'S OPPONENTS NEEDHAM MARKET FC Club History contd.

Season 2017/18 was an indifferent year for the 1st Team with too many inconsistent results seeing the side in the bottom half of the table but always clear of the relegation area The ethos of the Reserve Team was to continue to play youngsters and despite struggling physically at times the football played was very good The midweek Under 18 Team finished in mid table but could not finish their league campaign due to such a backlog of fixtures caused by the wet weather The club increased its Youth section competing in the Eastern Junior Alliance League at U18, U16, U14 & U13 levels with a mixture of league and cup results.

S 2018/19 ll d b th d ff th it h f th l b Th 1 t T

truth this was always going to be an immensely difficult match, and so it proved to be a step too far as they ran out comfortable 3-0 winners but lost in the Semi-Final to Wrexham. A Final League position of 12th in The Southern League Premier Central must go down as a disappointing return, with the first League win coming at the tenth time of asking in Mid Oct 2021, and also recording the highest number of draws which left us for much of the season in the lower realms of the league The Season was finished off by retaining the Suffolk Premier Cup for a further year having beaten Leiston on penalties 5-4 just as we did in the 2007-08 final. The Reserve Team finished just below halfway in the Thurlow Nunn Division 1 North, with our U18 Team remaining unbeaten all season and comfortably winning The Thurlow Nunn Central Youth League by 9 points. The Women’s 1st Team comfortably won the Eastern Region Women’s Division One North by 7 points to gain promotion to the Premier Division

WHO ARE YA?

NEEDHAM MARKET FC Player Pen Pics

Kevin Horlock – Manager

Previous clubs played for: Swindon Town, Manchester City, West Ham United, Ipswich Town, Doncaster Rovers, Northern Ireland, Needham Market,

Previous clubs Managed: Chatham Town, Maldon & Tiptree, Colchester United U23’s

Kevin was appointed 1st Team Manager at the start of February 2020 and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge having played professionally for over 15 years. He combines this role as Academy Manager and has been the catalyst to the Reserve Team & U18 Teams excellent form over the last couple of seasons which has continued into the current season Throughout his own playing career he played at the highest possible level representing his country on 32 occasions with he’s wand of a left foot.

Tom Rothery – Joint Assistant Manager & Coach

Previous clubs: Rowhedge, Brightlingsea Regent

Tom re-joined the club in October 2019 having left his position as Brightlingsea Regent Manager. NMFC were quick to contact him to ask him to je-join the club where he had previously enjoyed success with the club back in 2016/2017. He possesses a UEFA B License and is an excellent coach.

Rebekah Easy – Sports Therapist

‘Bex’ is an important member of our Medical, Treatment and Rehabilitation team and has been with the club since July 2021 and is currently in the 3rd year of her Sports Therapy Degree Course at The University of Essex Bex is one of four therapists under the lead of Ian Jenkins and was promoted to her current position within the 1st Team set up in November 2021

Darran McCarrick – Goalkeeping Coach

‘Irish’ joined the club in the Summer of 2022 following the departure of Nathan Munson He started out at Celtic as a Youth Player but unfortunately got injured and went on to university to study psychology He played professional football is USA for Rhode Island Stingrays, also coaching the goalkeepers for the USA Olympic development project. He has been a Coach and Scout for Birmingham City and then West Bromwich Albion He also coached the goalkeepers for Derry City in the League of Ireland In 2014 he went to Bury and studied to become a mental health nurse whilst coaching Bury Town

Scott Crane – Kitman

Scott ensures the players have everything they possibly need and is meticulous with all pre-match planning and requirements Metaphorically speaking he is a ‘giant’ in the dressing room keeping the spirits in a good and upbeat mood, and is another great member of the 1st Teams Management Team

Patrick Brothers (32) – Defender / Midfield

Previous clubs: Colchester United, Leiston, Brantham Athletic

‘Patch’ as he is known to his fellow teammates signed for the club in Mid-January 2022 after leaving Brantham Athletic where he was a Player/Coach alongside Manager and his Brother Michael (who previously played for Needham). Patch is a versatile player who can play anywhere across midfield and also in defence He has a great deal of experience at Step 3 having played with Leiston for 9 years

Seth Chambers (18) – Forward

Seth is another product of the Clubs very successful Academy Scheme and was given regular first team opportunities last season following his impressive displays in the U18 and Reserve Teams respectively

Taylor Clark (18) – Midfield

Previous clubs: Ipswich Town

Having been released by Ipswich Town Taylor joined the club and has been putting in some excellent performances in the Reserves and his hard work in training has seen him involved regularly in the 1st Team which he has taken like a duck to water His mature displays have seen him put in some very good performances and is definitely one for the future.

Noah Collard (21) – Midfield

Noah is a product of the Clubs very successful Academy Scheme and is now a regular player in the team following impressive and consistent displays since moving on from the U18’s and Reserve Team. He is a very tenacious player who possesses bags of energy and is developing his game all the time and has the ability to go far in the game and is definitely one for the future

Ross Crane (20) – Attacking Midfield

Previous clubs: AFC Sudbury, Bury Town, Ipswich Town

Ross joined AFC Sudbury from the Colchester United Academy during season 2018/19 He then joined Bury Town in 2019 from AFC Sudbury Ross signed a 2 year contract with Ipswich Town on 1st July 2020 and made his debut for the club as an 82nd minute substitute in a 2-0 win over Gillingham in an EFL Trophy Group Stage on 6th Oct 2020. After his release from Ipswich Town in the summer of 2022 the club reacted swiftly to get Ross on board. He is a talented young player who fits into the Needham philosophy perfectly Ross is a technical winger who has impressed already with his direct play and fantastic work ethic

Hugh Cullum (18) – Defender

A product of the youth academy, Hugh has developed into a very good player following excellent performances in the U18 and Reserve Teams and was handed his first contract last season He works hard in training and has and put in some very good performances when given the opportunity in the team and is one for the future. He was also the only player from Suffolk to be selected for England U18 Schoolboys Squads throughout the 2021/22 season.

Jake Dye (24) – Defender

Jake is a product of the very successful Needham Market Academy Scheme and is now in his 9th season for the club closing in on 300 appearances for the 1st team and is only in his early 20’s. A natural defender Jake works hard to improve his game every season and has added goals to his repertoire and has a very bright future ahead of him

Thomas Fitzgerald (20) – Midfield

‘Fitzy’ is a product of the clubs Academy and he earned his contract with the First Team after his impressive performances in the U18’s and Reserves He is eager to learn and develop his game as her gets more experience in the squad He is a very tenacious player who possesses bags of energy and is developing his game all the time and has the ability to go far in the game and is definitely one for the future.

Christian Frimpong (23) – Midfield

Previous clubs: Braintree Town, Lewes, AFC Sudbury, Chelmsford City

Christian signed for the club in the summer of 2022 from National League South Side Chelmsford City. He started out playing for National League South Side Braintree Town and was a part of their 2017/18 promotion side winning the play-off final against Hampton & Richmond Borough The following season in the National League he was hampered by injuries and the Ghana-born defender left for the South Coast and joined Lewes FC before re-joining Braintree Town. The former Swindon Town Academy and Bristol City Academy player’s time back at Braintree was cut short and he ended up signing for fellow Suffolk side AFC Sudbury In December 2021 he then signed for Chelmsford City in the National League South When the club were made aware of his availability, we moved swiftly to capture his signature He is a commanding central midfield player bringing a wealth of experience to the squad from his time playing at a higher level. He brings a different element to the Needham midfield with his physicality and versatility and is an excellent addition to the squad. Christian is also the younger brother of Ex-Arsenal player Emmanuel Frimpong.

Marcus Garnham (34) – Goalkeeper

Previous clubs: Bury Town, AFC Sudbury, Lowestoft Town, Leiston

Marcus joined the club in the summer of 2019 having played the previous two seasons at Leiston. He is a top keeper arguably one of the best non-league keepers around With his experience he forms an excellent partnership behind his fellow defenders and with his charisma has added a lot to the side on and off the pitch. A top, top guy who made it a clean sweep last season at the end of season awards after a great campaign most notably during the clubs Record Breaking, History making FA Trophy cup run.

Kyle Hammond (27) – Defender / Midfield

Previous clubs: Ipswich Town, Maldon & Tiptree, Leiston

Kyle signed in June 2021 from fellow Southern League Central side Leiston. He played nearly 60 games whilst at Maldon & Tiptree having signed for them from Ipswich Town He then moved to Leiston in the 2017/18 season Kyle is no stranger to Manager Kev as he played at Maldon & Tiptree when he was their 1st Team Manager. A versatile Defender or Midfielder Kyle brings a wealth of experience to the team.

Luke Ingram (29) – Attacking Midfield/Forward

Previous clubs: AFC Sudbury, Bury Town

Ingers is the highest appearance maker in the current squad making over 400 appearances He is a fans favourite and a top bloke on and off the field, a great athlete and immensely talented and a certain match winner when firing on all cylinders. He can play in just about any position of the pitch, but on his day impossible to handle on the right of midfield or as an attacking midfielder/forward

Harry Knights (23) – Defender

Previous clubs: Leiston, Lowestoft Town

Harry signed in the summer of 2022 from Leiston having previously played for Lowestoft Town and has plenty of Step 3 experience with both clubs He is a commanding central defender and adds physicality and experience to the young Needham side whilst adding depth to the squads defensive options Harry also represented the English Universities Men’s Football Squad in 2020.

Byron Lawrence (26) – Midfield

Previous clubs: Ipswich Town, Colchester United, Bishop’s Stortford, Billericay Town, Dulwich Hamlet, Braintree Town, Leiston

Manager Kevin’s second summer signing of 2020 and a player the club was tracking for many seasons. Byron’s ability on the ball and eye for a pass in the centre of the park as a playmaker makes him an excellent signing for the team Very handy at set pieces too and his all round play makes the team tick Currently in recovery from a horrendous injury back in November 2021, and we look forward to seeing him back in Needham Red once fully recovered.

Jacob Lay (21) – Attacking Midfield

Previous clubs: Dereham Town, Felixstowe & Walton United, Whitton United, Ipswich Wanderers

Jacob becomes the fifth summer signing of 2022 after he signed a deal from Ipswich Wanderers following a short trial period Jacob didn’t actually start playing football until the age of 11 turning out for Rushmere Lions and Ipswich Thistle where he was spotted by Ipswich Town and joined their Youth Development Programme He played for Brantham Athletic whilst at Portman Road and had a spell training at West Ham United. Following a short spell at AFC Sudbury, Jacob was approached by Preston North End, AFC Wimbledon and Mansfield Town, choosing to join Preston ahead of the two other clubs. He was part of Ipswich Wanderers’ promotion winning side last season and is a skilful attack minded player, technically excellent with great feet and his attacking flair brings excitement to the squad

Jamie McGrath (24) – Forward

Previous clubs: Brantham Athletic, East Bergholt United Jamie was another 2022 Summer Signing after a successful trial period having scored 53 goals for East Bergholt United in the Suffolk & Ipswich Football League last season comfortably winning the Golden Boot. He showed during pre-season that his attitude and technical ability can be a real asset to the team.

Daniel Morphew (31) – Defender/Midfield

Previous clubs: Thetford Town, Haverhill Rovers, Dereham Town

Dr. Dan Morphew having completed his Doctorate must make him the most intelligent player in the team! He is 100% no nonsense player who is elegant on the ball yet rugged in the tackle and is also a threat at set pieces having scored 15 goals in his first two seasons from defence Despite what people think he is no relation to Keiran but together they have formed a solid partnership in the centre of defence.

Keiran Morphew (28) – Defender

Keiran is the first player to have come through the Clubs Academy to sign a contract with the first team He was given his chance in 2013 and since then has established himself as a fans favourite for his committed all action displays. He has drawn many admirers from the pro game and was very close to being offered a professional contract with Ipswich Town. He is a natural leader with his commanding performances and he is the longest serving player in the team now in his 11th season where he passed over 300 appearances for the club Previously was Club Vice-Captain but now holds the skippers armband permanently

Finlay Shorten (22) – Goalkeeper

Previous clubs: FC Clacton, Holland, Long Melford, Woodbridge Town Fin returned to the club in the Summer of 2022 three years after graduating from the clubs Academy He is a really good goalkeeper and has all the strengths of someone in his position. A great character to have around the club with a real passion for the game. He will play regularly for the U23’s and will provide excellent cover to Marco when called upon

Dylan Williams (25) – Midfield

Previous clubs: Cambridge United, Soham Town Rangers, Wealdstone, AFC Sudbury, St. Neots Town, Biggleswade Town, Lowestoft Town, St. Ives Town

Dylan joined The Marketmen mid-January 2023 from St Ives Town Williams was a Cambridge United youth graduate, and made his first team debut on 19 April 2016, coming on as a substitute in a 7–0 League Two win against Morecambe. Has had loan spells at Soham Town Rangers, Wealdstone & AFC Sudbury. After being released by Cambridge United at the end of the 2016–17 season, he signed for St Neots Town In January 2019 he signed for Biggleswade Town before joining Lowestoft Town From July 2020 Dylan was at St Ives Town operating as an attacking Central Midfielder

PLAYER SPONSORSHIP

Dimi Kyriatzis

Cooper McKinnell

Ed Asafu-Adjaye

Jake Easley

James Brighton

Kelshall Plastics

Ronnie Henry

David Gray

Kian Harness

Roy Smith & Simone Robinson

Isa Rotimi

AVAILABLE

Adam Murray

Jeff Gill

Jay Rolfe

Phil Thompson

PLAYER SPONSORSHIP

Matt Bateman

DFM

Matt Clowery

Spyros Mentis Mick & Enid Toovey

Steve Castle Kelshall Plastics

Cole Dasilva AVAILABLE

Nathan Tshikuna

Tentshare

Fernando Bell-Toxtle AVAILABLE

Lewis Williams

Digital Execs Recruitment

Joel Nakatani-Brown AVAILABLE

SQUADS

Saturday 28th January

Kick Off: 3PM

TODAY'S MATCH IS KINDLY SPONSORED BY

Dimi Kyriatzis (GK)

Ed Asafu-Adjaye

Joel Nakatani-Brown

Will Hall

Adam Murray (c)

Ronnie Henry

Nathan Tshikuna

Jay Rolfe

Kian Harness

Matt Bateman

Freddie Hinds

Sean Keane

Louis Chadwick (GK)

James Brighton

Fernando Bell Toxtle

Isa Rotimi

Cole DaSilva

Spyros Mentis

Connor Furlong

Ky Marsh-Brown

Archie Cane

Shomari Barnwell

TODAY'S OFFICIALS

Marcus Garnham (GK)

Patrick Brothers

Seth Chambers

Taylor Clark

Noah Collard

Ross Crane

Hugh Cullum

Jake Dye

Thomas Fitzgerald

Christian Frimpong

Kyle Hammond

Luke Ingram

Finlay Shorten (GK)

Harry Knights

Jacob Lay

Jamie McGrath

Daniel Morphew

Keiran Morphew (C)

Dylan Williams

REFEREE: Alan Cresswell ASSISTANTS: Rhys Taylor, Oliver Potter

Steve Castle / Chris Watters MANAGERS Kevin Horlock / Tom Rothery

Scott Taylor / James Smith SPORTS THERAPISTS Bex Easy