Tring Athletic vs Saffron Walden Town

Official Programme

Tring Athletic v Saffron Walden Town Saturday 11th December 2021 3pm F.A. Vase—3rd Round Proper Match Sponsor— David Snelman & Ollie Elderfield

About Matilda’s Planet Some years ago Matilda, Social Entrepreneur David Evans MBE‘s five year old daughter, told him he should take more responsibility for the environment. Her words prompted him to establish Matilda’s Planet.

At Matilda’s Planet we are committed to finding solutions to our energy problems. The company’s values are to be socially responsible, sustainable – and to provide practical solutions to the real problem of keeping your house warm.

We have a solution that’s both practical and socially responsible. We all know that changing the way we consume energy is something we have to do – but actually doing anything about it is a challenge. Matilda’s Planet came from a little girl’s belief that it’s the job of the ‘grown-ups’ to make sure that the legacy we leave for our children is one both we, and they, can be proud of.

Grassroots Talk

Good afternoon & welcome to the Grass Roots Stadium for the visit of Saffron Walden Town in this 3rd round FA Vase tie. The winners will progress into the last 32 with the draw to be made on Monday lunchtime. We welcome their players, officials and supporters and wish them a safe journey home afterwards.

Our match sponsors this afternoon are Dave Snelman & Ollie Elderfield and we thank them for their ongoing support. We still have match sponsorship availability on future games (see page 16) including the upcoming local derbies against Leverstock Green and Aylesbury Vale Dynamos, so please speak to Graham Bright if you are interested.

If you are able to volunteer for the club on a regular basis or even just occasionally please speak to a committee member. We are always grateful for extra support. TAFC volunteers are also helping the Rennie Grove Santa Float around Silk Mill on Monday 13th December 6pm to 8pm. If you see us on your travels, please give generously to a worthy local charity.

The rollercoaster season in the league continues after the dominant win against MK Irish, we lost against Arlesey and Dunstable Town. You can watch George Bogdan’s highlights of the Arlesey game on page 8. We have been in good cup form and can only hope this continues today.

Thanks once again to Sports Shots for this afternoon’s match programme cover. See more of their work via the link below including 208 photos from our FA Vase win at Cockfosters.

Today’s programme

This is the second season of producing online only programmes and we hope to keep improving this offering as time goes on.

This is a work in progress so please let us know what you think. If you click on any of the logos or adverts it should direct you straight to our sponsors websites. This also means we can bring you features such as match highlights at the click of a button.

Today’s programme includes •

Pages 6 - A selection of items on show from our club shop

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Page 19— Today’s match squads

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Page 21—Upcoming social events

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Pages 31 & 32 —On this Day, we look at a 4-1 win against Letchworth Garden City Eagles from 2018.

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As always keep an eye on our website for all the latest information, fixtures and results.

TAFC—Club Shop Take a look at our new club shop in association with O’Neills. Click on any of the items below to take you to our page with branded leisurewear and accessories.

Chairman’s Chat Well it’s FA Vase 3rd Round day!

These days are really special and we must make the most of them and enjoy them to the full, whatever the result. That said, we hope for a great performance, and that little bit of cup magic, that will take us through to the next round. It won’t be easy as our opponents this afternoon, Saffron Walden FC, are in a good position in their league and playing well. We welcome their players, officials and supporters to the Grass Roots Stadium and hope they enjoy their time with us.

One of the joys of Vase games is playing new clubs and making new friends, and I particularly enjoy this aspect. Whilst we’ve enjoyed a good run in the FA Vase, our league form remains inconsistent and this is something we must address. With key players returning from injury, together with a few new faces, hopefully our league results will pick up.

I’ve said a number of times that there will be bumps in the road, and so it’s proving. We must keep the faith and give the lads all the support we can – which I’m sure we’ll do.

It’s not all about the First Team of course, and it was great to see both the Under 18’s and the Under 16’s notch up impressive victories in their respective cups. We really do have some great youth talent at the club which bodes well for the future. As a club we continue to strive to deliver our 5 key objectives, detailed in my previous notes and reviewed at the AGM on 29th November. One of those objectives is to continue to develop the infrastructure and facilities of the club, and I’m pleased to say we will shortly be submitting our planning application to install a 4G playing surface – this will transformational. Anyway, probably enough said for now – except to say I hope you enjoy the game, and hope you all have a great Christmas.

Onwards & Upwards Cheers Bob

Highlights & Social Media Watch highlights of the 1-0 defeat against Arlesey Town last week by clicking on the picture below

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The League

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Risborough Rangers Leighton Town New Salamis Harpenden Town Hadley Leverstock Green Arlesey Town Aylesbury Vale Dynamos Flackwell Heath London Colney Harefield United Broadfields United Milton Keynes Irish Oxhey Jets Dunstable Town Ardley United Holmer Green Tring Athletic Baldock Town Crawley Green

16 21 17 19 17 19 18 19 16 20 17 15 18 18 20 15 18 18 15 18

13 12 13 11 11 10 8 8 8 7 6 7 6 6 6 6 4 3 3 2

3 5 1 4 2 2 3 2 1 2 4 1 4 4 3 2 2 4 1 4

Table as at Friday 10th December 2021

0 4 3 4 4 7 7 9 7 11 7 7 8 8 11 7 12 11 11 12

38 29 31 10 11 15 -2 -2 9 -24 10 -3 -3 -16 -17 7 -37 -16 -15 -25

42 41 40 37 35 32 27 26 25 23 22 22 22 22 21 20 14 13 10 10

Officials Life President Life Vice Presidents

Mick Eldridge BEM David Evans MBE, Barry Johnson, Jean & Les Robins, Ralph Griffiths, Harry Bowden, Pete Stillwell, Alan Foskett, Pete Oakley, Keith Hamilton

Chairman Vice Chairman Hon. Secretary Hon. Treasurer Commercial Manager Match Secretary - South Midlands & Herts Snr Registration Secretary Club Welfare Officer First Team Manager First Team Assistant Manager First Team Coaches First Team Technical Advisor Goalkeeping coach Reserve Team Management EJA Under 18' Management EJA Under 16's Management Sports Physio Football Co-Ordinator Press Officer Website Social Media Programme Editor Groundsman Facilities Manager Membership Secretary Catering Bar Manager

Bob Winter Tony Stedman & Mark Weston David Blair Tony Stedman Graham Bright Tony Stedman Trevor Langley Kirstie McNeil Ryan Sturges Lee Groves Gareth Jackson Ian Richardson Gary Looker Michael Churchill, Ian Butler Michael Churchill, Iain Lorimar David Lawless Vacant Vacant Vacant Keith Eldridge / Colin Sturges Keith Eldridge , Terry Adams Keith Eldridge Darrell Bodimeade David Whicker Graham Bright Vacant Tash Young

Committee Members Bob Winter (Chairman) Tony Stedman, Ian Butler, Neil Foskett, Graham Bright, David Blair, Mark Weston, Keith Eldridge, Andy Ayres., David Whicker

Pendley Day Nursery is a brand-new nursery set in a unique setting in the heart of Tring, and provides quality childcare and development opportunities for children aged 6 months - 5 years.

We have created a premier nursery, which will provide a fantastic experience for your child to enable them to 'Grow, Learn & Develop'. Just read our TESTIMONALS page to see the lovely things parents are saying about us.

The nursery has both expansive indoor and outdoor space, and provides an ideal environment for children to learn and play in a safe and secure environment.

Pendley Day Nursery is led and managed by leading childcare practitioner Natasha Young, who is also part owner of the nursery.

Natasha is Level 6 qualified and she and her team will provide the highest of quality care and development opportunities for your child.

We will ensure that your child's best interest are at the heart of everything we do.

We have invested significantly in the setting and, with lots of brand new equipment and toys, we offer the highest of standards throughout.

Our excellent facilities include: • Fully trained, dedicated staff – many at level 3 and above • Fully equipped kitchen and trained cooks (hot lunch, tea and snacks) • Large play areas, inside and out • Large, safe front car park for easy drop off and collection • Open 8.00 – 18.00, Monday – Friday (51 weeks) • Flexible hours (mornings or afternoons) • Dedicated to children 6 months – 5 years The nursery is run by local owners who, through their team, are committed to providing stimulating activities in a caring environment, promoting all aspects of children’s development.

From The Dugout We are delighted to bring our second episode of hosted by Damon Wood.

From The Dugout aims to bring you interviews and news from our management teams, players and others around the club. Click on the image below to watch episode 2 which features a discussion with first team manager Ryan Sturges talking about our first league win of the season, a new kit and a presentation for Alfie Brittain.

Please comment, like and subscribe to our YouTube Channel so that you can tune in to future episodes

Match Sponsorship Why not support the Club by sponsoring a Match.

It only costs £50 and includes free entry for two, access to the boardroom for half-time refreshments and an acknowledgement in the match programme all season.

Contact Graham Bright on 07722 240963 or via email to tringathleticfc@hotmail.com

Saturday 7th August—Keynsham Town Tuesday 31st August—Holmer Green Saturday 4th September—Harpenden Town Saturday 18th October—Leighton Town Tuesday 21st October—Dunstable Town Saturday 9th October—London Colney Saturday 16th October—Flackwell Heath Tuesday 19th October—Broadfields United Saturday 6th November—Baldock Town Tuesday 23rd November—Hitchin Town Saturday 27th November—Milton Keynes Irish Tuesday 30th November—Arlesey Town Saturday 11th December—Saffron Walden Town Tuesday 28th December—Leverstock Green Saturday 8th January—Aylesbury Vale Dynamos Saturday 15th January—Harefield United Saturday 5th February—Hadley Saturday 12th March—New Salamis Saturday 2nd April—Ardley United Tuesday 19th April—Risborough Rangers Saturday 30th April—Crawley Green TBC

Oxhey Jets

The Cook Partnership Heygates Ralph Griffiths Tony Stedman & Dave Snelman Dick Lovelace Brian Lovell / The Samaritans The Cook Partnership Pendley Day Nursery Richard & Tim Solk Mick Eldridge & Ray Brimson Neil & David Foskett Pendley Day Nursery Dave Snelman & Ollie Elderfield Available Available Available Available Available Available Available Available Available

Fixture List Tue 3 Aug Sat 7 Aug Sat 21 Aug Tue 31 Aug Sat 4 Sep Sat 11 Sep Tue 14 Sep Sat 18 Sep Tue 21 Sep Sat 25 Sep Sat 2 Oct Sat 9 Oct Tue 12 Oct Sat 16 Oct Tue 19 Oct Sat 23 Oct Sat 30 Oct Sat 6 Nov Sat 13 Nov Tue 16 Nov Sat 20 Nov Tue 23 Nov Sat 27 Nov Tue 30 Nov Sat 4 Dec Sat 11 Dec Sat 18 Dec Tue 28 Dec Mon 3 Jan Sat 8 Jan Sat 15 Jan Sat 29 Jan Sat 5 Feb Tues 8 Feb Sat 12 Feb Tue 1 Mar Sat 5 Mar Sat 12 Mar Sat 19 Mar Sat 26 Mar Sat 2 Apr Sat 9 Apr Sat 16 Apr Tue 19 Apr Sat 23 Apr Sat 30 Apr

D 1-1 W 3-0 L 2-0 L 1-2 D1-1 W2-2 L4-0 L0-4 L0-1 W1-4 D3-3 W1-0 D2-2 L1-2 7.45pm W1-1 L3-2 W2-1 L3-0 L2-1 W0-4 L0-4 w3-0 L0-1 L3-0 3pm 2pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 7.45pm 3pm 7.45pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 7.45pm 3pm 3pm

Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Away Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division 2-4 pens FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division 3-4 pens FA Vase 1st Round Proper Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away FA Vase 2st Round Proper Home Herts Senior Challenge Cup Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home FA Vase 3rd Round Proper Away Challenge Trophy Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Away Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Home Spartan South Midlands Premier Division

Oxhey Jets Keynsham Town Bishops Cleeve Holmer Green Harpenden Town Long Buckby Harefield United Leighton Town Dunstable Town FC Deportivo Galicia Crawley Green London Colney Hadley Flackwell Heath Broadfields United Ardley United Milton Keynes Irish Baldock Town Ardley United Aylesbury Vale Dynamos Cockfosters Hitchin Town Milton Keynes Irish Arlesey Town Dunstable Town Saffron Walden Town Bovingdon Leverstock Green Risborough Rangers Aylesbury Vale Dynamos Harefield United Holmer Green Hadley New Salamis Flackwell Heath Oxhey Jets Leighton Town New Salamis Harpenden Town London Colney Ardley United Arlesey Town Leverstock Green Risborough Rangers Broadfields United Crawley Green

Today’s- Squads

Tring Athletic FC

David Saunders Jonny Pitts Ben Johnson James Ferguson Harrison Cornick Oliver Butler Scott Bonner George Carbery Frankie Hercules Tommy Twelves Kieran Turner Adam Sawyer Chris Blunden Cameron Brooks John Smith Emmanuel Gbejuade Evans Lamboh Ali Mohiuddin Luke Peerless Manager - Ryan Sturges

Saffron Walden Town James Young Scott Pethers Jake Noble James Crane Craig Calver Jamie Riley George Pullen Gavin Cockman Charlie Smith James Solkhon Scott Piggott Matt Hurley Michael Toner Khris Oti Tom Skelton Ollie Emsden Joe Pullen Ruemu Abutoh Stan Leech Olly Miles Matt Baxter Ross Kochan Jamie Speller

Asst Manager- Lee Groves

Coach—Gareth Jackson Technical coach—Ian Richardson GK Coach - Gary Looker

Manager: Jason Maher Asst Manager: Mark Hawkes Coach: Kevin Hunter

Next Up

Leverstock Green Tuesday 28th December Kick off 3pm

FREE £7.00 £7.00 FREE £4.00

TAFC Socials Saturday 11th December— Pre Match Members Lunch.

Ahead of the FA Vase game £20 per person increases a main meal, desert & two drinks. Contact Ian Butler on 07889 203609 to reserve your place.

Saturday 11th December—Club Christmas Party. From 7pm. All welcome.

Friday 17th December— TAFC Veterans vs Berkhamsted.

Kick off 7.45pm

Saturday 15th January —Presidents Dinner.

Details to follow on the website

Our opponents Honours:

Essex Senior League champions 1973-74, 1999-2001 Eastern Counties League champions 1982-83 Best FA Cup run: 2nd qualifying round, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1987-88, 1999-2000 Best FA Vase run: 5th round, 1990-91

The club was established as Saffron Walden in 1872, and are the oldest senior football club in Essex still in existence, and the 19th oldest in the world. They entered the FA Cup in 1876-77, but withdrew after being drawn against holders Wanderers, as they could not afford to travel. Two years later they made their first appearance, losing 5-0 to Upton Park in the first round.

In 1882 the club were founder members of the Essex County Football Association. In 1890 club secretary Arthur Smith, the headmaster of the local Boys’ National School, negotiated an annual fee of £3 with Lord Braybrooke for the use of a piece of land in Catons Lane which became known as The Meadow; previously the club had played on the town common, but had been unable to charge spectators an entrance fee.

“The Bloods”, as they are known because of the red in the club colours, reached the final of the Essex Junior Cup in 1894-95, but lost 3-0 to Barking Excelsior. In 1896-97 they reached the final again, beating Leytonstone 6-1 in a replay.

In 1899 they entered the Haverhill and District League, and played their first ever league match at Halstead Town. They won this league in 1908-09, 1922-23, 1923-24, 1928-29, 1929-30 and 1933-34. The club also entered the Stansted and District League, the Cambridgeshire League and the Hertfordshire and Essex Border League during the same era, winning the Stansted and District League on seven occasions and the Border League once. In 1926 the club reached the final of the Essex Junior Cup, where a record crowd of 6,000 saw them lose 2-1 to Rainham Athletic.

The club moved to the Essex and Suffolk Border League and the North Essex League, before joining the Spartan League in 1933. In 1936-37 they won Division Two. After World War Two, the club moved to the Parthenon League in 1953, and after a single season, left to join the Hertfordshire County League. They had no success in this period until finishing runners-up in the Premier Division of the Herts County League in 1969.

In 1971, with nine other clubs, Saffron Walden Town were founder members of the Essex Senior League. After winning the league in 1973-74, they switched to the Eastern Counties League.

In October 1979 they were able to pay for a set of floodlights. Norwich City were the visitors for the first match played under the new lights.

They won the Eastern Counties League in 1982-83, under manager John Ryan. After finishing sixth the following season, the club were elected to Division Two North of the Isthmian League, a new division formed as part of the reorganised “pyramid” system.

Saffron Walden Town After several strong pushes for promotion to Division One of the Isthmian League, a bombshell was delivered in 1996, when the Isthmian League introduced a rule change regarding the sloping pitch at Catons Lane, deeming it to have “excessive undulations”. After twelve years in the competition, Walden had to resign from the League or face massive fines, and were effectively demoted two divisions in the pyramid when they were accepted into the Essex Senior League.

With the loss of the manager and almost the entire playing squad, it took the return of local player Stuart Wardley from Bishops Stortford FC in 1998 to help turn things around. That season they came third in the league and won the Harry Fisher Trophy and Uttlesford Charity Cup. Stuart Wardley was sold to QPR at the end of the season, where he went on to become their top scorer and Supporters’ Player of the Year in his first season.

The Bloods had their best season ever in 1999-2000, winning five trophies including the league title. But despite the great success, the club was unable to progress in the pyramid because of the sloping pitch. In August 2000 work began on reducing the slope.

In 2000-01, the club finished second in the league, despite having to play away from home the whole season, and although qualifying for promotion, were unable to do so as the ground work was incomplete.

By 2001 the loss of income and massive debts meant the club were in financial trouble, and tough measures were needed to get the club back on a sound footing.

The 2003-04 season saw no competitive league football for the Bloods, just friendlies, as they had to sit out a year before being granted their wish for a transfer from the Essex Senior League to the Ridgeons (Eastern Counties) League. The 2004-05 season saw SWTFC back in Division One of the Ridgeons competition after an absence of 20 years, and after a slow start, the club finished in 15th place. They improved on this in 2005-06, finishing 12th. The following season saw success in the South Midlands Floodlight Cup, as well as reaching the final of the Ridgeons League Division One Cup. 2011 was an eventful year for Saffron Walden Town FC. Following a decision to withdraw from the Eastern Counties League for financial reasons, football activities at the club in 2011-12 focused on the youth teams. In March 2012 a public meeting in the town, which saw around a hundred people attend, agreed to form a new committee, and set in motion a huge amount of activity to bring senior football back to Saffron Walden. The new committee was chaired by Cliff Treadwell, with Paul Daw appointed as club president. With advice and support from the Essex FA, representatives from the new SWTFC committee delivered a solid case for a return to senior football at a meeting with the Football Association at their Wembley headquarters. This culminated in a return to Division One of the Eastern Counties League for 2012-13, where the team had a solid season and were in promotion contention for much of the season.

Saffron Walden Town In July 2012, members voted to convert the club into a Community Benefit Society. This change in legal status was completed in August 2013 and means that the club is owned by its members.

The return of some familiar faces strengthened the squad for 2014-15, and with Stuart Wardley in the manager’s seat, it was a memorable season, reaching the last 32 of the FA Vase, and winning promotion to the Premier Division on the last day of the season, in front of a club record league attendance of 762.

Despite the poor start to the 2015-16 season which saw the Bloods fail to win at home in the league before Christmas, solid results in the latter part of the season saw them finish in the top half of the table.

2016-17 saw another season of solid performances and good attendances. The team once more finished in the top half of the table, while off the field the club sadly lost their president and historian Paul Daw, who passed away in 2017 and is sorely missed.

The club were in the Eastern Counties Premier for three seasons, before a lateral move to the Essex Senior League for the 2018-19 season.

Jason Maher has been first team manager since autumn 2018, having previously been assistant manager.

Stuart Vant was elected as chairman in June 2019. The clubhouse franchise has been taken back in-house, and this has generated funds for improvements, such as the refurbishment of the home dressing room, and the state-of-the-art pitch sprinklers installed in summer 2021.

Saffron Walden Town Scott Pethers Defender - Club captain: joined Walden from Great Wakering Rovers in 2019, and quickly established himself in the first team. Has also played for Burnham Ramblers, Bowers & Pitsea, and Witham Town.

Jake Noble Midfield - Vice-captain: played for our reserves and then the first team in 2014-15. After spells with Haverhill Rovers and St Neots Town, he rejoined us in 2019 and has now made over 180 appearances.

James Crane Full back/Winger - quick, a strong shot with either foot, can play on the left or right side. First played for the Bloods in 2013 and has now made over 240 appearances.

Craig Calver Winger - in his third spell at SWTFC. He was part of the promotion squad in 2014-15 and was the top goalscorer that season. Has made well over 200 appearances for the Bloods.

Jamie Riley Defender - made his first team debut in 2018, and re-joined us at the start of the 2020-21 season after a spell with Witham Town.

George Pullen Midfield - age 24, joined in 2019 from Takeley, also played at Tilbury, Cheshunt and Sawbridgeworth Town.

Gavin Cockman Striker - a powerful frontman who joined us from Bishops Stortford Swifts two seasons ago, Gavin has hardly missed a game, and has an impressive goals tally. Has also played for Bowers & Pitsea and Takeley.

Charlie Smith Midfield - progressed through the club’s U18 and reserves system, now returns as a member of the first team squad.

James Solkhon Defender - long serving player with nearly 300 appearances including the promotion season 2014-15, has returned to the club after a two-year absence.

James Young Goalkeeper - age 19, joined us from Haverhill Borough at the start of this season. Lives in the town and played a lot of his youth football for Saffron Walden.

Scott Piggott Striker - joins us this season, previously with Letchworth GC and Baldock Town. One of the leading scorers in the Essex Senior League this season.

Matt Hurley Defender - age 25, had three years with Sawbridgeworth Town then five with Takeley, and joined us at the start of this season.

Michael Toner Midfield - joined this season. Vastly experienced, he has played for Chelmsford City, Grays Athletic, Heybridge Swifts, Tring Athletic and most recently Walthamstow.

Saffron Walden Town Khris Oti Striker - joined us in September, previously with Coggeshall Town, Brackley Town and Brightlingsea Regent.

Tom Skelton Full back - 26 years old, joined at the start of the 2019-20 season from Gt Wakering Rovers. Previously with Dulwich Hamlet, Sittingbourne and Sevenoaks Town.

Ollie Emsden Midfield - an experienced centre midfield player who first joined the club in 2017 and played 61 times before departing for Histon and Witham Town, returning this season. He has also played for Greenock Morton, Maldon & Tiptree and Cambridge City.

Joe Pullen Midfield - age 20, brother of George, signed last season from Takeley.

Ruemu Abutoh Striker/Attacking midfield - age 24, new signing this season, has previously played for Tilbury Town, Sileby Rangers and Bugbrooke St Michael.

Stan Leech Striker - started playing for Saffron Walden at under 14 level, played for our under 18s and reserves in the last three seasons, and this season has progressed to the first team.

Olly Miles Striker - age 20, joined us from Enfield in November, and has also played for Bishops Stortford. His father Damon Miles played for the Bloods in the 2000s.

Matt Baxter Midfield - signed this season, previous clubs include Braintree, Grays Athletic, and Cambridge City.

Ross Kochan Striker - made his Bloods debut in December 2020 after previously playing in the Essex Olympian League. A pacey hardworking striker who has scored goals at every level.

Jamie Speller Full back/Midfield - joined Dec 2020 after moving to the area from Norfolk. Jamie has won the Thurlow Nunn League twice, with Norwich Utd and Wroxham, and brings experience and a winning mentality.

Jason Maher Manager - came to the club in 2013 as first team coach when Stuart Wardley was manager, departed for a spell at Bowers and Pitsea, returned in 2017, and was appointed as manager when Wardley left in autumn 2018. Jason has been part of the management team for over 350 games and has now been manager for over three years.

Mark Hawkes Assistant Manager - has plenty of experience in football management, previously with Heybridge Swifts, Chelmsford City and Bishops Stortford.

Today’s Officials Referee

Adam Jackson

Assistant Referee Assistant Referee

Simon Parbery Kyfer Mayhew

The TAFC 1

Club

Support Tring Athletic, Join our 100 Club. This is one of the most popular fund raising activities in the UK, probably the easiest to enter, and the size of the weekly/monthly prize will depend upon the number of people participating. The more people the larger the prize. 50% of all takings go in cash prizes.

At the current time we have a weekly CASH prize of £20 and a Monthly 1st prize of £100 and 2nd prize of £50. It costs just £1 per week. Ask a committee member for details.

October winners The monthly 100 draw was undertaken at half time during the Baldock Town game. The lucky winners were: £100 Alan Dumpleton £50 Georgina Webb £20 Lorraine Humphreys £20 Marion Griffiths £20 Andy Simmons Once again winnings will be paid directly to the winners bank accounts.

THE INANE RAMBLINGS FROM UP NORFF “NOWT SO QUEER AS YORKSHIRE FOLK’ BY KAREN BROWNE PREMIER DIVISION

Risborough Rangers returned to the top of the table following Saturday’s fixtures, Rangers defeating Milton Keynes Irish 2-1 at home while morning leaders Leighton Town were beaten by third placed New Salamis (more on this one later in the ramblings). At the bottom it’s as you were with the bottom four all being defeated, London Colney winning 4-1 at bottom club Crawley Green while Baldock Town fell to a solitary goal defeat at Oxhey Jets to remain in the second of the relegation places.

Tring Athletic were beaten 0-3 at the hands of improving Dunstable Town and Holmer Green were thumped at Aylesbury Vale Dynamos in a drama packed game that saw two lengthy stoppages, the result being the hosts biggest SSML win. Elsewhere Flackwell Heath enjoyed a 2-0 success at Ardley United while Harpenden Town dropped two points in their promotion bid with a 1-1 draw at Arlesey Town, the hosts now under new management. The day’s other action saw Broadfields United defeating their previous landlords Harefield United 4-1 while Hadley edged out hosts Leverstock Green by the odd goal in three.

DIVISION ONE

With leaders Stotfold involved in County Cup action second placed Winslow United took full advantage to close the gap to three points with a 4-1 home success against struggling Burton Park Wanderers while Buckingham Athletic lost ground after a 2-3 defeat at Bedford, the hosts moving into fifth place as a result of their win. At the other end of the table bottom club Irchester United picked up their fifth point of the campaign with a 2-2 draw with visiting Penn & Tylers Green while Amersham Town also picked up a useful point after their goalless draw with visiting Kidlington Reserves. Elsewhere Northampton Sileby Rangers thumped London Tigers 5-0 and Letchworth Garden City Eagles enjoyed an odd goal in three over visiting Raunds Town. The day’s other action saw Long Crendon held to a goalless draw at home against Thame United Reserves in front of a crowd of 125.

BEDS SENIOR TROPHY Quarter Finals

It was 3-0 to the SSML against the Beds County League Premier Division in the Beds Senior Trophy Quarter Finals as Stotford, Langford and Shefford Town & Campton all progressed to ensure at least one SSML side will contest this season’s Final. Stotford defeated visiting Cranfield United 2-0, Langford overcame Riseley Sports 3-1 at home while Shefford Town & Campton secured a solitary goal success at Crawley Green Reserves.

DIVISION TWO

Bovingdon made it six wins from their last six games with a 5-1 success at Buckingham United and as a result climbed to second place in the standings while Milton Keynes College Football Academy recorded their third successive league win with a 3-1 success at home against The 61FC (Luton), a result that moved them up to third place. Old Bradwell United continue to top the table following a 4-0 success against visiting Risborough Rangers Development. At the other end of the table Tring Corinthians AFC remain rooted at the bottom after going down 0-5 at Pitstone & Ivinghoe.

Elsewhere Totternhoe dropped to fifth following a 0-2 defeat at Eynesbury United while Aston Clinton defeated visiting Berkhamsted Raiders 5-1. The day’s other action saw Sarratt claim a valuable point after a goalless draw at New Bradwell.

The Views Expressed Are Solely My Own, Are Written Tongue In Cheek And Should Be Taken With A Pinch Of Salt A weekly column courtesy of the SSML Fixture Secretary

COMMITTEE AWAYDAYS SSMFL Board & Committee member Bob Flight was at Leighton Town on Saturday and sends this report – A crowd of over 300 watched the top of the table fixture between hosts Leighton Town and visitors New Salamis. In an entertaining hard fought match, it was Salamis who edged a narrow win to dent the title ambitions of the hosts. This was the proverbial game of two halves as the home team squandered numerous first half changes to score, including two one on ones with the Salamis goalkeeper who made crucial saves on both occasions. There was also a goal line clearance which somehow enabled Salamis to keep a clean sheet at half time, Little was seen of the Salamis attack in the first half but it sprang into life in only minutes after the restart when Leighton lost the ball in defence and a swift cross field pass found George Lutaaya free to score from inside the penalty area, Another Salamis effort was well saved by the home keeper and he provided another great save from a free kick. Leighton tried to respond and they did have a couple of chances, one cleared off the line and another hitting the top of the crossbar.

As the game drifted towards the final quarter, Leighton seemed to lose their composure and despite winning a free kick, Leon Lobjoit talked himself into the referee’s book and also into the sin bin and for a crucial ten minutes Leighton were reduced to ten men. It did not end there as when Lobjoit returned to the pitch, shortly after, home player Tom Silford received a second yellow card and once again Leighton were reduced to ten men for the final few minutes of the game. The general impression of the game was that Leighton should have been out of sight in the first half whilst Salamis kept their composure and managed the game well to seal a vital win.

AND FINALLY The Oxhey Jets jinx has struck again, for the third time this season there has been a management casualty after playing Oxhey Jets, the latest being Baldock Town where Rob Bates departed soon after being beaten at Jets. So management beware playing Oxhey Jets can seriously damage your career.

Best Tweet of the Day goes to Aylesbury Vale Dynamos following the match referee pulling a fetlock – Play suspended again as a Dynamos committee member is getting boots on to run the line …!

On This Day—11th December 2018 Our first ever visit to and game against Letchworth Garden City Eagles ended with a morale boosting win after a disappointing run of results over the previous 6 games. This win takes us into the semi-final of Herts Charity Shield, a competition we have won 3 times, where we will play either London Colney or Berkhamsted away. Ashton Campbell and Jack Read did the damage with the dynamic duo getting 2 goals a piece after we had to play for well over an hour following Sam Joliffe's red card. It seemed a bit harsh but Sam did foul the home player as he was about to run through on goal so on the basis that he was the last defender the decision was probably technically correct.

The Eagles play at Pixmore Pitches, which is quite near the Herts FA County ground where we have appeared many times in county cup finals. They play in the Premier Division of the Herts County Senior League but have evidently applied to join our league which shouldn't be a problem as they have good facilities which includes a very modern clubhouse. The Eagles are having a very impressive season with 12 wins, 1 draw and just 1 defeat from 14 games.

They are 3rd in the League just 3 points off leaders Bushey Sports Club but have 2 games in hand so they will go top if they continue they current form. They also have a commendable scoring and defensive record having found the net 48 times in those 14 games whilst conceding just 11 goals. The Eagles disposed of 2 South Midlands Division 1 sides in the earlier rounds namely Codicote 3-1 away and then they thrashed Broxbourne Boro (who are 5th in the table) 8-0 at home. They have also beat Chipperfield Corinthians twice in the league and once in a cup and of course Chipperfield recently knocked us out of the St Marys Cup. So a hard game was in prospect bearing in mind their outstanding form and the recent dip in our results. We put out a reasonably strong side with 6 players from Saturday's starting line up plus we gave a debut to Dave Saunders in goal, who only turned 16 the day before. Our young keeper is a local lad from Pitstone and was previously playing for MK Dons U18s. He played with remarkable confidence for one so young and was literally just seconds away from keeping a clean sheet. The first quarter of the match was a nightmare for defensive coaches as both sides missed a host of scoring chances. The home centre forward Scott Piggott has been banging the goals in this season with 16 from 12 games but he will have sleepless nights wondering how he missed 2 absolute sitters. But he was not alone as we were just as culpable and in the end I got fed up of writing down all the chances that were spurned by both teams. Then in the 24th minute Sam got his marching orders and the game changed. We had to reshuffle the side around with Jack Read playing as the lone forward with Ashton Campbell moving out to the left wing where he caused mayhem and gave the right side of the home defence a roasting particularly in the second half. From then on we started to play much better and dominate the game. After all the missed opportunities it was a relief to open the scoring in the 36th minute when a defensive mistake allowed Jack Read to run through on goal where he coolly slotted the ball home, and we took that slim 10 lead into the break. HT Score 0-1.

Letchworth Garden City Eagles 1-4 TAFC A second goal 3 minutes after the restart put us in control and what a cracker it was. Kieran Turner's super pass down the left sent Ashton away and from a tight angle he smashed a shot into the far corner of the net. Score 0-2. Goal number 3 arrived 10 minutes later when Kieran Turner's shot was deflected to Jack Read who clipped the ball past the keeper for his 8th goal for the First Team to add to the 10 he has bagged for the Reserves. There is no doubt Readie knows where the goal is although later he had the chance to claim a hat trick when the keeper spilled a shot from Kieran Turner and he will wonder how he put the ball over from 6 yards. Score 0-3. We added goal number 4 in the 78th minute and again it was another cracker from Ash. From fully 25 yards out he fired an unstoppable shot past the keeper for his 19th goal of the season. Score 0-4.

Our hosts to their credit kept playing some nice football and enjoyed a lot of possession but we were much tighter at the back now and they were unable to create the sorts of chances they did during the opening 25 minutes. Sub Liam Huckle lobbed a shot just wide and Joe Tyler was just off target with a header from a corner but right on time the latter stuck away a fine finish which gave Dave Saunders no chance. Straight away the Ref blew for time. FT Score 1-4.

Perhaps a bit of a harsh score line on the Eagles who created some great openings and missed some very good chances during the opening stages but once we got ourselves organised after going down to 10 players we looked a better side. We wish the Eagles all the best for the rest of the season and look forward to them joining us in the South Midlands next season. Finally there was an interesting moment in the second half when we brought on 2 subs and a League Rep standing nearby said "I see you are bringing on 2 youngsters". One was 19 year old Teddy Paul the other one was Roy Byron who is 33! Roy must have found the elixir for youth!

Team 1 Dave Saunders 2 Joe Fitzgerald 3 Connor Church (12 Scott Henderson 53) 4 Tommy Twelves 5 Chris Crook 6 George Ironton (15 Roy Byron 67) 7 Lee Stobbs (14 Teddy Paul 67) 8 Sam Joliffe (Capt) 9 Ashton Campbell 10 Kieran Turner 11 Jack Read.

TA:

Jack Read (36, 58), Ashton Campbell (48, 78)

Crowd:

40

TAFC Reserves TAFC 0-0 Old Parmitarians—Match abandoned Click on the image below to see brief match highlights

Our reserves are sponsored by NP Electrics

Sponsored by NP Electrics Herts Senior County League - Division One POS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Results

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Hertford Heath First Hinton First Oracle Components First Buntingford Town First Aldenham FC First Evergreen First Hertford United FC First Harpenden Town Reserves Bovingdon Reserves Tring Athletic Reserves Knebworth First Standon & Puckeridge FC None Hatfield United First Oxhey First Old Parmiterians First Wheathampstead Wanderers First

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35 29 23 24 -7 0 4 2 -3 -12 -21 0 -6 -27 -41 0

PTS

40 37 33 32 23 22 21 21 19 12 11 10 10 8 5 0

Sat 13th November Hatfield United 3-1 TAFC Sat 20th November TAFC A-A Old Parmitarians Sat 27th November Evergreen 2-1 TAFC

Next up

Sat 11 December

Hertford Heath (A) 2pm KO

Sat 18 December

Knebworth (H) 2pm KO

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U18s Eastern Junior Alliance League - U18s Blue POS

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1 Ware FC Academy U18 EJA

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Results

Next up

St Albans City FC Academy U18 London Lions U18 EJA BSC FC Youth U18 EJA London Colney Youth U18 EJA Leighton Town Youth U18 Baldock Town U18 EJA Tring Athletic U18 EJA

Sun 7th November

TAFC 1-4 London Colney

League

Sun 14th November

Billericay Town 4-0 TAFC

Cup

Sun 5th December

TAFC 5-1 Borehamwood

Cup

Sun 12th December

St Albans City (A)

League

U16s Eastern Junior Alliance League - U16 Green POS

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1 Ryan (Youth) U16 Red EJA

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2 Enfield Borough (Youth) U16 Leopards 3 Cockfosters (Youth) U16

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4 Hemel Hempstead Town Youth U16 Blacks 5 Edgware Town U16 6 London Colney Youth U16 EJA

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7 Berkhamsted FC Youth U16 EJA

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8 Tring Athletic U16 EJA

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9 Hadley Youth U16 EJA

8

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-70

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Results

Next up

Sun 21st November

TAFC 0-1 Cockfosters

League

Sun 28th November

Ryan Youth 2-2 (1-3 pens)

Cup

Sun 19th December

Hemel (A)

League

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