October 2020 – Tuffley Rovers AFC

Rovers looking to return miles better

After Tuffley Rovers’ Uhlsport Hellenic League, Premier Division season juddered to an abrupt halt after a positive Covid-19 test for one of their players, they finally look to return to action at Fairford Town on Saturday afternoon and will also be looking to improve on their early season results, with caretaker manager, Rich Cox, having taken advantage of their three-week sabbatical to add to is squad.

The most notable addition is the signing of Cheltenham Town Academy prospect, Felix Miles, and Cox is hoping that a young talent he knows well from his role at The Robins will help to kick-start Rovers’ league campaign.

“I’m really excited to have brought Felix to the club”, said Cox on the rising star, who has signed on a work experience arrangement. “I see how good he is, day in, day out and think he will be a great asset to Tuffley Rovers. He’s someone I think can really help improve our side.”

Cox was effusive in his praise of the attacking player but thinks Rovers have brought in a player who will add more than just talent, but also a healthy work-rate.

“He works hard and takes risks and that is exactly what we want in the final third. This is a good move for Tuffley Rovers and for Felix, as it is a chance for him to further stretch his game and demonstrate his massive potential.”

The youngster has recently celebrated his 17th birthday and has been part of the youth set-up at Town since he joined their U9s but will now be linking up with Rovers for his first taste of senior football. He had recently been an unused substitute for the first team squad in an EFL Trophy win over Plymouth Argyle and has been regularly training with the first team squad at Whaddon Road.

Miles will link up with fellow Cheltenham scholar, Toby Lawrence, at Glevum Park. Lawrence, a second year central defender, has been at Tuffley since the beginning of the season making four appearances so far.

Cox has also added to his squadby securing the registrations of Kieran Tracey and Will Higgins, both from County League side Hardwicke, although they are likely to be given some time with the club’s Development Squad in order to regain match fitness.

U18s hope to continue exceptional week

Tuffley Rovers U18s will be looking to pick-up where they left off, when they return to action on Thursday evening, in a Cheltenham Floodlit Youth League game against Chipping Sodbury Town.

The week started with a historic win, 4-2 away at Torquay United, as Michael Palmer’s squad booked a place in the First Round Proper of the FA Youth Cup for the first time in the club’s history. A well taken brace by Alex Roder, a fantastic free-kick from Ayomide Ajibola and a wonderful Rudi McKinnon goal, in a magnificent team performance that saw Rovers’ side knock-out their counterparts from a National League club, having already seen off Bitton, Bath City and Radstock Town in the previous rounds.

Rovers’ goalkeeper Louis Evans was fairly busy in the opening moments but once Roder had scored after 8 minutes, then added his second shortly after, before Ajibola’s free-kick on 23 minutes made it 3-0. A goal early in the second period brought the hosts back into the tie, but McKinnon scored from just inside the Torquay United half to make it 4-1. A few tense moments came when the arrears were reduced to 4-2 on71 minutes, but the young Rovers held out and recorded a famous victory, setting up a tie with Cheltenham Town in the next round.

We have a review of the tie, written by former Chairman Roy ‘Coke’ Craddock, at the end of this notice.

There is now a return to League business and Rovers will welcome Chipping Sobury to Glevum Park for a 7:30pm KO on Thursday evening. The game will be free admission and we’d urge spectators to come along and give the lads your support once again.

A terrific trip to Torquay…

Roy Craddock’s review:

On Monday night I travelled with the Tuffley Rovers FC U18’s to watch them play Torquay United FC U18’s in the FA Youth cup 3rd qualifying round.

Having beaten Bath City FC 4-1 at home in the 1st round, then Radstock Town in the 2nd round, it was a stiff task on a Monday evening in Devon.

In over 50 years involved in football at local level I can’t remember a performance of this magnitude and sheer dominance. From the KO we played football at an outstanding pace, with movement and passing at speed and accuracy.

We scored 3 great goals before HT from Alex (2) and a superb curling free kick from the edge of the penalty box by our No 10 ‘Yomi’.

The 2nd half started with Torquay Utd changing formation and tactics to put us under pressure, allowing their tall centre-forward to pull a goal back after 55 mins.

25mins in to the half Rudi scored a “Beckham” from just inside the opposition half; with the keeper off his line he chipped the ball over him. Dominance restored.

With a late goal to Torquay the game ended 4-2 to the “Rovers” and in to the next round.

Mike Palmer, Kenny, and all the coaches can feel real pride in this team. Let’s hope we can continue a bit longer in the competition.

Ladies lead the way during week of mixed results

The final game of a week that saw eight games played, ended with the most emphatic of scorelines, as the Ladies’ team recovered from their first defeat of the season the previous week (a 4-0 defeat against Ellwood) to record a 17-0 win over Bradley Stoke Vixens, in the Gloucestershire Women’s County League Division 3 fixture on Sunday.

Our calendar for the week saw the U18s kick-off proceedings on Thursday evening and they recorded a historic win – taking the club to the Third Qualifying Round of the FA Youth Cup for the first time ever – as they overcame Radstock Town 6-2 in front of a crowd of 109. Rudi McKinnon scored four times and Yomi Ajibola twice, in a superb performance that booked a trip to face Torquay United in the next stage of the competition.

The weekend then arrived, although not for the first team, who saw their Hellenic League, Premier Division fixture against Fairford Town postponed. The Development Squad (Reserves) made the trip to Herefordshire, to face Kington Town, but returned having lost 6-3 despite goals from Nathan Kay, Finley Kent and Yomi Ajibola.

In the Stroud League, there were victories for the Thirds and Fourths. The third team saw off Avonvale United 3-1, in Division 2, with the Fourths playing at Glevum Park and being inspired to come back from 2-0 down, as superb goals from Paul Jones and Jack Webb, coupled with a first goal for Tyerese Douglas, saw them overcome Minchinhampton Reserves. The third game of the day saw the Fifths go down to a 4-0 defeat against Old Richians Reserves.

Sunday saw three games, the first two ending in defeat as the Veterans First XI lost 2-1 to Shipton Oliffe, despite Rob Cook’s goal, shortly after the Reserves had lost 6-1 to Grays Athletic, despite Craig Williams’ goal.

Then came the resounding end to the weekend, as goals from Chloe Taylor (3), Ellie Carrington-Windo (3), Jess Dobbins (3) , Robyn Lee (2), Danielle Proctor (2), Katie Morrissey, Ellen Knight, Imogen Maguire and Laura Howell saw the Ladies’ side record their biggest ever win against the Vixens from Bradley Stoke. A nice way to end the weekend…

Game off, but there will still be action at Glevum Park tomorrow

Following advice from the Uhlsport Hellenic League, tomorrow afternoon’s Premier Division fixture against Fairford Town has been postponed. This follows the postponement of our previous league fixture (away at Bishops Cleeve on Tuesday evening) following a member of the first team squad testing positive for coronavirus (Covid-19).

We are pleased to say that the player, who displayed no symptoms before their own test, remains in good health at the present time.

It is hoped that the next scheduled first team fixture, at home to Swindon Supermarine Development in the Bluefin Sports Challenge Cup on Tuesday (7:30pm), will go ahead as scheduled.

In the meantime, we have decided to move our Fourths’ Stroud & District League, Division Four fixture to Glevum Park on Saturday, so we will still have some football for our supporters to watch, with kick-off at 2:30pm. It will be free admission but visitors will still need to either use the NHS QR Code on entry or provide their details for Test & Trace purposes.

Opportunity awaits Under 18s in FA Youth Cup

Tuffley Rovers U18s have the chance to secure a place in the Third Qualifying Round of the FA Youth Cup, for the first time in our history, when they host Radstock Town at Glevum Park on Thursday evening (7:45pm KO).

Radstock Town were not Rovers’ original scheduled opposition, but were reinstated in the FA Cup after Bridgwater Town were replaced following a breach of competition rules, and will arrive at Glevum Park equally hopeful of a place in the next round of the competition…just one step away from the First Round Proper and with a tie against Torquay United or Elburton Villa awaiting the winners of tomorrow’s tie.

Entry is £3 for Adults or £1 Concessions (U18s or O65s) and gates will open from 6:30pm. All visitors to the site are asked to read the full set of Covid-19 risk assessment and site management documents available via this link or our dedicated website page.

Please do try to come along to cheer the lads on – a historic opportunity awaits.

#uptherovers