BURROUGHSPARK Great Wakering Rovers FC Vs. Felixstowe & Walton United Isthmian Senior North Division Official Matchday Programme Club Directory 2018/19 ““The Isthmian Football League President Roger Burroughs strongly supports the FA statement Chairman: David Patient that there should be a zero tolerance Vice Chairman: approach against racism and all forms Treasurer: Elaine Pitts of discrimination. Accordingly any Secretary: Dan Ellis form of discriminatory abuse whether it by reason of age, disability, Other Positions gender reassignment, race, religion Social Secretary: Elaine Pitts Fixtures Secretary: Dan Ellis and belief, marriage and civil Bar Manager: Elaine Pitts partnership, pregnancy and maternity, Press Officer: Jim Laird sex and sexual orientation or any other Programme Editor: Dan Ellis form of abuse will be reported to The Website: Dan Ellis Football Association for action by that Welfare Officer: Martin Spencer Association.” (The FA 0800 085 0508 / Kick it Out 020 7253 0162).The Committee Members Isthmian League and all Member Andrew Knight, Roy Kettridge, Maisie Hare, Jim Johnson Clubs in the League are committed to Management Team promoting equality by treating people Manager: Stephen Butterworth fairly and with respect, by recognising Coach: Craig Shipman that inequalities may exist, by taking Player/Coach: Martin Tuohy steps to address them and providing Physio: Emily Telford access and opportunities for all Kit Person: Josh Wiggins members of the community.” Trusties Great Wakering Rovers are a members club run Roger Burroughs, Elaine Pitts by a members committee and Trusties Welcome To Burroughs Park Good afternoon and welcome to Burroughs Park for today’s first game of the season between Great Wakering Rovers and Felixstowe & Walton United. We would like to wish our visiting players, Management, Committee Members and Supporters a very warm welcome and hope they enjoy the facilities on offer. We would also like to extend a warm welcome to our Match Officials visiting us today. In the middle we are pleased to have Mark Pond and his Assistants Daniel Baines & Andrew Crossley, we hope you enjoy your short stay with us. Today we host Felixstowe & Walton Utd, who we will be seeing next weekend at their place. last time the 2 clubs meet was on the opening day of last season with Rovers come out on top on away at The Goldstar Ground. Rovers scored 4 on the opening day last season in this fixture with goals coming from Brandon Diau, Billy Johnson and 2 from Jack Stevenson. Let’s hope today’s game is as entertaining as always and you all enjoy the game. Dan Ellis Club Secretary IF YOU’RE reading this, then it’s good news – you’re reading a football programme, an increasingly endangered species. Like many things post-coved and in this ‘new normal’ there are lots of things different at our Non-League grounds now. The National League have given their clubs the option of not running programmes this year and we’ve seen similar in the EFL. In this digital world an increasing number of clubs are looking at those avenues rather than the printed page. Everyone will have their views on this traditional aspect of football match going. But here we are, in a programme, talking about competitive Non-League football. Hopefully that is as good to read as it is good to write. For many months now we’ve not had much competitive football to write about in The NLP. Yes, we had some play-off games, but the return this month of competitive football starting with the FA Cup has been most welcome. Of course, everything around the game is different. We’re all getting used to the added things we have to do. Book a ticket online beforehand, fill out a test and trace form, sanitise our hands as we enter the ground, follow one-way systems. It’s very different to what we left in March when the 2019-20 season stopped in its tracks. Players are turning up in kit, staying out at half-time for team talks – the current weather helps – and sitting apart on the bench. But, when the whistle goes, it’s back to the football we’ve all missed so much. Crowds being allowed back in stadiums was a massive breakthrough. Hopefully Steps 2 and above will soon follow because all clubs need that money coming through the gate. From a reporters point of view, we’ve never covered such a fluid situation. Things changed literally by the hour. Sometimes even within ten minutes of being told one thing, another call would come through saying it was now something else. It’s been a challenge! Without crowds it would have been impossible to start the season. Then the fears for clubs as soon as the pandemic broke out would have been multiplied. I remember one week, way back in the summer, being told four different opinions on the start date for 2020-21. One said September/October, another ventured November, someone else thought January and another, informed person, feared not at all! Thankfully the first person’s guess was correct but we all are aware it’s a fine line with cases on the rise again. Already we’re getting used to clubs withdrawing from the FA Cup at the last minute because of positive tests and there will no doubt be late cancellations of games throughout the season. We can all play our part. Help clubs stick to the crucial social distancing rules that need to be adhered to. Fill out test and trace forms and throw a couple of extra quid into the coffers. Every little helps. Including buying this programme. Enjoy your football! This week’s NLP Programme Column was penned by Matt Badcock. Today’s Visitors Felixstowe & Walton United Football Club aka ‘The Seasiders’ were formed in 2000 following the merger of Felixstowe Town and Walton United. Formed in 1895, Walton United played at The Recreation ground in Recreation Way Walton while Felixstowe Town, formed five years earlier played at The Town Ground, Dellwood Avenue. The amalgamation in 2000 looked a good marriage for the right reasons. Walton United had just won the Suffolk Senior Cup and were on the up but with nowhere to go as the Recreation ground at Walton could not accommodate Eastern Counties League standard facilities. Felixstowe Town had been renamed Felixstowe Port & Town due to their sponsorship by the Port, but when that was withdrawn in 1999/2000 it left the Town club struggling to recover and maintain Eastern Counties League football. It looked and proved to be a good decision by both clubs that they therefore merged with Dellwood Avenue becoming their home Venue. It was a struggle in the early years after the merger with relegation coming in 2002, but it offered the chance for the club to regroup and focus on the future with a growing youth set up and getting the basics right off the pitch and the club regained Premier Division status in 2006 when they finished runners up in Division One. Tied by what can be done at their present home the club always found it difficult to compete with the top sides in the Premier Division with what was the unique task of raising and lowering of the floodlights before and after games and the restrictions placed on the club by the local authorities. The Seasiders remained positive throughout and now have the lights permanently erected during the football season and have an excellent youth set up including junior non-competitive youngsters at under 8 plus four girls sides and provide sporting facilities on The Peninsula from six through to adulthood. At the end of the 2016/17 season a new clubhouse opened up pitch side to replace the old one which has transformed the club and by the end of the 2017/18 season, the Seasiders gained promotion to the Isthmian North Division at Step 4 for the first time in the clubs history and finished a respectable mid-table position. MEET SOME OF THE AWAY BOY’S CALLUM ROBINSON DANIEL DAVIS Goalkeeper – Callum joined the club in the Centre Back - With over 300 appearances for the summer from Stowmarket Town. He club ‘Denzil’ is a powerful centre back with a no started his career at Colchester United before nonsense approach to the game. Great in the air playing for Wroxham, AFC and a strong tackler. Sudbury and spent time on loan at A very popular member of the squad, loved by Brantham Athletic last season. the fans and swept the floor winning all 3 senior player awards in 2019. Meet some of the boys STUART AINSLEY JAMAL WIGGINS Defender/Midfielder - Stuart joined the club for Midfielder - Joining the Seasiders from the SIL his second spell in the summer of 2014 from in 2015/16, ‘Jamma’ soon established himself as Lowestoft Town after their promotion to the a first team regular becoming an Football Conference due to work integral part of the squad. A technically commitments. A former youth player at talented footballer and very comfortable on the Ipswich Town Stuart has a sweet left foot and a ball. great work ethic. CURTIS HAYNES-BROWN JOSH KERRIDGE Centre Back – Curtis joined the club during Midfielder - Josh joined the club from AFC the summer, leading to much excitement from Sudbury four seasons ago. Comfortable on the the supporters. He has a fine Isthmian league ball, strong in the air, Josh likes to chip in with pedigree having started his career with AFC his share of the goals and was Sudbury before moving on to Lowestoft Town. recently announced as the new club Curtis was signed by then EFL club Yeovil Town captain.