The Moonraker Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League Weekly Bulletin
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The Moonraker Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League Weekly Bulletin Season 2021-22 Issue No. 1 Saturday 14 August 2021 1 Corsham Print INTRODUCTION Wiltshire Senior League Welcome to what is the first of a weekly bulletin that we will issue this coming season. The bulletin will be published on a Saturday morning Wiltshire Senior Football League Limited Registered Company No 13134006 ahead of our games in the Premier Division that week. Board of Directors The dust has barely settled on the interrupted 20/21 season, pre-season J R Gingell, B L Busson, A Cripps, friendlies are well underway and 21/22 is upon us already. League P M Cook, R Cook, M Smedley, J T Thorn, Mrs M Withers, S Withers Officers haven’t had a break at all, much like several clubs, especially the Vets who completed their season towards the end of July. Behind the scenes, fixtures have been compiled, players registered, Referees Official Website: www.wiltshireseniorleague.co.uk registered, handbooks completed and the website and social media constantly updated. I think we’re all hoping for a Covid free season but, Facebook: www.facebook.com/ groups/276875335809043 judging by the number of pre-season friendlies that I’ve seen postponed, we could well be in for a tricky few months yet. Twitter: @WiltsLeague President: Vacant Unfortunately, the annual problems with Whole Game System and Full- Time haven’t gone away. At the time of writing, the number of Secretary / Chairman: J R Gingell Manager details in Full-Time is in single figures and, out of 48 teams, Vice Chairman: S Withers that’s not good. I do believe it’s a system problem and not down to the Hon. Secretary: J T Thorn (07860 520046) clubs. When the systems work, they’re very good and save a lot of time [email protected] but, when they don’t, we’re all wishing for a return to pen and paper. I’ve Hon. Treasurer : R Cook raised the problem with the FA and hope they can resolve it very quickly. Hon. Fixture Secretary: P M Cook On the playing side, we’re bucking the national trend and increasing in Hon. Registration Secretary : B L Busson number. As you’re aware, we lost Cricklade Town and Lambourn Sports from the original constitution of the Premier Division, but have since Hon. Referees’ Appointments Secretary: A Cripps elected Salisbury FC Development who, along with Calne Town Res are the two new teams in a 17 strong Division. From what I’ve seen on social Assistant Referees’ Appointments Secretary: C Nunn media and results of pre-season friendlies, it looks like being another very competitive season. I won’t name names but, I suspect that there could be Hon. Discipline Secretary: Mrs M Withers at least half a dozen teams who could be in with a chance of the title and Hon. League Welfare Officer: R Cook the opportunity for promotion to Step 6. Hon. League Media Officer: M Smedley We kick off the U.18 Floodlight Division in September with 10 teams in Management Committee the Division and welcome AFC Aldermaston to their first season with us, P Boyles, Mrs J Kuczynski, R Austen, J Calne Town after a one year absence plus Devizes Town after an absence Sheldrake, P Avenell of over 7 years. Clubs voted to restart the season after the second Club Representatives: lockdown ended and, with great co-operation of clubs, the season concluded at the end of May, though honours weren’t decided until the Premier Div. - Craig Kent (Melksham Town Res); U18 Div. - P Avenell (Calne last game. The U.18 Division is always difficult to predict with younger Town); Veterans’ Divisions - Terry players coming in and older players moving on. It will be interesting to McCosh (Chippenham Town Yard see how this Division develops. Dogs) The Veterans Divisions have grown in number again. Our inaugural Life Members season in 2019/20 had 8 teams, but was unable to complete because of M G Benson, P M Cook, J R Gingell, D Covid. 2020/21 saw us more than double to 17 teams in two regionalised C Kilford, A M Pickett, R J M Wirdnam Divisions and we’ve increased again for 21/22. We welcome Cricklade Vice Presidents Town, Priory Vale, South Cerney Rangers and Swindon Old Boys plus a M W E Farrow, Mrs C Hill, P R Mundy, second team from Amesbury Junior to the league. Again, with great co- D Perry, D Picter, C Plaister, D E C operation from clubs, we were able to complete season 20/21 and some Walker teams have set the standard very high. The other teams now know what Season 2021-22 they’ve got to do to challenge for honours and I suspect that the two Issue Number: 01 regionalised Divisions will be very competitive. Date: 14 August 2021 In conclusion, I wish all an enjoyable, successful and Covid free season. I Cover Photo: Taken by John Cuthberston. hope to see most of you at some point during the season. Corsham Town Res v Odd Down Res in the Fountain Trophies Cup last season. Jim Thorn Hon. General Secretary Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League 2 PREMIER DIVISION PREVIEW FRIDAY 13TH & SATURDAY 14TH AUGUST 2021 The opening game at Melksham on Friday sees one of the new managers, Melksham’s Craig Kent, who made the move from Cricklade Town in the summer, take on one of the managers who is the joint longest serving within the Premier Division in Troy Prentice. Prentice will be hoping his side can repeat last season’s impressive opening day 3-1 win at the InfiLED. Their record at Melksham, however, is not a good one. That win last season was the only one they have secured in the eleven league meetings that have taken place between the two sides in the past ten seasons. A number of Cricklade Town players have followed manager Craig Kent to Melksham, including forwards Will Backhouse and Jason Tatum, and it will be interesting to see how quickly Kent’s new side gel. Malmesbury have also made some astute signings in the summer with the former Purton trio of Jack Duckers, Joe Dorey and Callum Hall all making the move to Malmesbury but Melksham, who sat second in the table when last season was brought to an early end, will start as pre-game favourites. Footnote Result : Melksham Town Reserves 3 Malmesbury Victoria Dev 1 (HT 1-1) An early goal from Elliott Corp put the home side ahead early on but a stunning strike from Jack Duckers put Malmesbury level on 15 minutes and it remained 1-1 at the break with the visitors just about shading the first half after a shaky first ten minutes. Will Backhouse put Melksham back in front and Alex Baker then added a third after good link- up play. Melksham then had substitute Jason Tatum sent off, picking up two yellow cards but held out to secure the opening day win and the three points. 3 PREMIER DIVISION PREVIEW FRIDAY 13TH & SATURDAY 14TH AUGUST 2021 One of the teams who have had a good pre-season are newly promoted side Calne Town Reserves, who are being tipped by many as possible title contenders based on their form in pre-season and some of the friendlies they played at the back end of last season. Calne were champions of the Premier Division back in Season 2012-13 when playing as Wilts Calne Town and having gone unbeaten in the Trowbridge & District League last season will be looking to maintain that winning feeing in competitive fixtures when they open up against Shrewton United on Saturday. Calne’s record against Shrewton in the league is not a good one with Shrewton having won six of the last eight league meetings between the sides. Whilst Shrewton’s results in pre-season do not match those of their opponents, Calne would be foolish to underestimate one of the sides who always do well when the league season comes around and Shrewton manager Joe Sheldrake will go into the new season in a confident mood with the added bonus of having no suspensions hanging over from the previous season, which has been an issue in previous years. 4 PREMIER DIVISION PREVIEW FRIDAY 13TH & SATURDAY 14TH AUGUST 2021 Frome Collegians were having an excellent second season when matters were brought to an early end in the league and sat in fifth place in the table having won more than half of their games played. They also had the Premier Division’s leading scorer Jake Wright who scored 19 goals in league and cup matches. They open their season with a home game against Corsham Town Development, who remain without a manager following the departure of Jamie Moss in the summer. The two sides met in both the league and Fountain Trophies Cup last season, Frome securing an impressive 5-0 away win in the league and then the two sides drawing 1-1 in the Fountain Trophies Cup group game. Frome have lost a couple of key players in the summer but retained the majority of the side that has done so well for them in recent seasons. Corsham, as they were for much of the Fountain Trophies Senior Cup where they made it through to the final, are expected to field a young side this coming season but have retained all of the squad from last season. 5 PREMIER DIVISION PREVIEW FRIDAY 13TH & SATURDAY 14TH AUGUST 2021 Odd Down Reserves received many plaudits from those that played and watched them last season and demonstrated in the Fountain Trophies Cup that they are a team to be reckoned with this coming season.