Sunday Summary – 14th & 15th September….

Once again, this Sunday Summary is a look back at the past seven days and what a week it was….goals, goals, goals!!

The week started with a flurry of goals in a first team fixture, as Mark Pritchett’s side won their Banbury Litho Floodlit Cup tie 6-1 against Hellenic League, Division One (West) side Thornbury Town. Ross Langworthy and Jack Beardsell both had a brace within 24 minutes, before second half-goals from Pritchett and seventeen-year-old Niall Priday saw us to a comfortable win.

On Thursday, it felt a little like deja vu! Priday scored again (three times, in fact!) in a thumping 6-1 win for the U18s over Cinderford Town. The other goals came courtesy of Kai Jordan, Kyle Rogers and a sumptuous Charlie Holliday free-kick. A great start to the league season for our remodelled U18s squad.

The weekend’s action started with four games on Saturday and it was a generally disappointing day for the club. The Reserves’ good run came to an end, as Cam Bulldogs left Glevum Park with all three points, courtesy of a 3-2 win, after Mike Palmer’s squad had led 2-1 at the interval, thanks to goals from Priday (again!!) and a first Rovers goal for Xander Jones. That wasn’t the only disappointing result, as the Fourths lost 4-0, at home to North Nibley, and the Fifths succumbed to a 6-0 reverse at Chalford 3rds. The bright spot for Saturday came from the Thirds, who won 3-2 at home to Tibberton United – continuing their unbeaten start to the season – thanks to goals from Miracle Osabuohien, Alfie Fortey and Cory Anderson.

If Saturday was a little disappointing, Sunday was altogether different and full of goals!

The opening game on Sunday saw a first win for our new Veterans Reserves side, with Dave Cornock scoring four times in a 5-3 win over Grays Athletic. Debutant Chris Gooch got the other goal, as Rob Wordley’s side recovered from 3-1 down, with less than fifteen minutes remaining!

Chloe Taylor   Holly Kay

Our final game of the week/weekend saw a moment of history, with a first ever open-aged Women’s team playing under the Rovers banner…and what a way to start! The newest of all the Rovers teams travelled to Winchcombe Town and won 14-0 in a superb performance. Chloe Taylor and Holly Kay scored five apiece, whilst Jayne Papps got a brace, to go with goals from Jade Papps and Lizzie Barstow in a fantastic opening day victory. If that wasn’t a good way to end a goal-filled week, albeit one with mixed results, what more could you want? #uptherovers

 

Sunday Summary – 7th & 8th September 2019…or that was the week that was!

Various commitments have meant that we haven’t posted our usual summary over the past two weekends, so it seems right to spend a little time looking back at the last week, rather than simply confining this update to the weekend alone. Not a hugely successful week, but quite a few positives amidst all the positives!

A win, at last, for the first team on Tuesday evening, as a Ross Langworthy brace and a goal from Brett James proved enough to secure a 3-2 win over Shrivenham at Barrington Park. The game seemed to be going comfortably in Rovers’ favour, but a late Antonio Gerrish goal made it 3-2 and by the time the official’s whistle sounded, we were probably glad the game was over!

The Reserves then provided another positive on Wednesday evening, as the young squad held one of the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League title favourites, Chalford, to a 0-0 draw. Brad Newman made a couple of great saves, whilst debutant Xander Jones went close to scoring a winner.

Unfortunately, the U18s couldn’t keep the positive streak going and lost their FA Youth Cup tie 3-1. The hosts had led 2-0 but a late, late Niall Priday goal gave Rovers hope, before Cinderford Town scored in the dying seconds of the game.

When Saturday came, we had a real mixed bag of performances. The worst result of the day saw the Fifths thumped 5-0 by Minchinhampton Reserves, in Stroud League Division Five, although Will Cronshaw’s young team competed well after trailing 4-0 at half-time.

There were wins for the Fourths (Matt Stevens and Jake Anderson with the goals in a 2-1 victory at Alkerton Rangers) and the Reserves, with Ash Bird getting a GNSL hat-trick as Mike Palmer’s side triumphed 6-0 away at Taverners.

The other two Saturday games ended in a draw. Dan Boon’s third team led through Alfie Fortey’s first-half goal, before a late equaliser for hosts Wickwar Wanderers, but the real drama was at Glevum Park. The first team went 3-1 down after 81 minutes and their hopes of a result against Windsor looked dashed, until Tyreece Briscoe and Langworthy managed to conjure up goals in the 84th and 97th minute to make it 3-3.

With the Ladies’ game lost from Sunday’s schedule, after opponents Cribbs withdraw from the league, there was only one game on Sunday and it ended in a convincing win for Mark Patterson’s Veterans’ side, who beat Cheltenham Civil Service 4-1 at All Saints Academy.

Sunday Summary – 17th & 18th August 2019

02640200-97F7-4352-AB40-3AA376E73823

With just two competitive fixtures over the weekend, both played on Saturday, it was a relatively quiet weekend for The Rovers, but with both games resulting in 3-1 victories, there was some satisfaction to be taken from the day’s work.

The First XI made a not unfamiliar journey to play Hellenic League, Division Two (West) side Letcombe in the Challenge Cup and despite falling behind to Fabio Pinto’s 12th minute goal, they recovered to run out comfortable winners, despite some uncomfortable moments, thanks to goals from Lewis Bainbridge, Ellis Waugh and Jake Rhodes.

Our Reserves were the other team in action, hosting Berkeley Town at Glevum Park, and their win came despite playing 25 minutes with ten men and without a recognised keeper, after Brad Newman went off injured with all three substitutes already used. Kyle Rogers ably filled the gap between the posts, to ensure that the lead created prior to that – courtesy of goals from Ross Graham, Adam Harding and Charlie Holliday – was enough to secure a much needed win for the newly formed squad.

ECF83C93-7D91-4DBB-8A62-8AD8CB391273

All in all, not a bad weekend. #uptherovers

Thanks to Brian Rossiter, once again, for his photographs from the reserve team fixture. The full album can be viewed at https://www.flickr.com/photos/ross0005/albums/72157710376361942

Sunday Summary – 3rd & 4th August

A weekend of learning for youngsters, as the competitive season arrives…

It was a tale of new look squads for the three games played over the weekend, as Rovers completed the full set of results, with a win, a draw and a loss from three games (two competitive fixtures and a pre-season game).

The first team commenced their Uhlsport Hellenic League, Premier Division season with a 2-2 draw, away at Virginia Water, having trailed 2-0 at half-time. Goals from debutant Dec Earwaker and substitute Luke Troke saw Rovers mount a comeback that secured a vital point from a game that they looked set to lose.

A new look reserve team squad, comprised almost entirely of U18 players, put in a decent performance against Whitecroft in the Reg Davis Memorial Cup, but lost to a comprehensive 4-1 scoreline and exited the competition. Kyle Rogers scored for Rovers, but it proved only to be a consolation, with the visitors leading 4-0 at the time.

In the only pre-season fixture of the day Will Cronshaw’s fifth team won 4-3 against Renegades Reserves, despite fielding nine 16 year olds in the line-up. Interestingly, there were 4 father & son pairings, as Cronshaw, Sean Roberts, Adam Dodsworth and Andy Blackwell-Booth all appeared alongside their sons.

The 2019/20 competitive season begins! A guide to this weekend’s fixtures:

Competitive football returns

With their pre-season schedules complete, our Hellenic League & Gloucestershire Northern Senior League squads start their competitive seasons on Saturday, 3 August. The club’s fifth team are also in action, with a pre-season game, too.

This weekend’s fixtures:

Uhlsport Hellenic League, Premier Division (3pm)

Virginia Water v Tuffley Rovers

Gloucestershire Northern Senior League, Reg Davis Memorial Cup (3pm)

Tuffley Rovers Reserves v Whitecroft (at Glevum Park)

Pre-season fixture (1pm)

Renegades Reserves v Tuffley Rovers 5ths

Here is the preview of our first team’s visit to Virginia Water:

Tuffley Rovers will head into the first weekend of the 2019/20 competitive playing season with their uncertainty surrounding the availability of a number of their Hellenic League Premier Division squad.

With International Clearance pending for one player and a succession of injuries offering varying degrees of uncertainty about the availability of several others, there is one particularly noticeable absentee, with Pritchett himself definitely ruled out for the visit to Virginia Water.

Due to a long-standing commitment, Rovers’ Player/Manager Mark Pritchett will not be at the game, meaning his Assistant, Rich Cox, will take charge on the day.

With Kieran Alder, Joel White and Paul Carter having left the club over the summer, along with the end of the short-term arrangements for Will Dawes and Tyreece Briscoe, it is a much changed squad that will commence Rovers’ fifth consecutive season in Step 5 Non-League football.

The squad for Saturday’s visit to Stag Meadow will include six players in line for a Tuffley Rovers Hellenic League debut, whilst there is a return to the club for Courtney Hamilton, after he completed a transfer from Bishops Cleeve, having joined them at the start of pre-season. Jack Beardsell, signed after spending the last season at Fairford Town, is one player set to make his first start for the club.

Earlier in the week, Rovers looked to be facing a goalkeeping crisis, with first choice Luke Merchant suffering an injury that looks set to rule him out for a while, but Alex Avenell, who filled in whilst Merchant was away on holiday during pre-season, has been signed and will make his debut for the club, having previously appeared for Bishops Cleeve at the end of the 2018/19 Hellenic League season.

Having recorded one win and a draw against Virginia Water when the two clubs came together last season – the first time the clubs had ever met – the new look Rovers squad will go into the game with a sense of optimism, with Pritchett hoping that he’ll return from his break with a first opening day win since August 2016, and a much better result than 12 months ago, when his side were thumped by Royal Wootton Bassett Town.

Key to their hopes this season could be long-serving duo, Macaulay Herbert and Warren Mann, who have been appointed captain and vice-captain, respectively, following White’s move to Southern League side Slimbridge. Those two, along with other senior players like Sam Hill and Brett James, will be central figures for Rovers this season, as an otherwise very young squad look to avoid a repeat of their relegation battle last year.

Rovers squad: Alex Avenell; Sam Hill; Jai Maisey; Declan Earwaker; Macaulay Herbert; Luke Troke; Courtney Hamilton; Dominik Kent; Brett James; Warren Mann; Martin Smith; Jack Beardsell; Jake Rhodes; Ashley Bird; Adam Bloomfield; Ellis Waugh.

New beginnings, as Rovers turn their attention to clearing pathway for youth

Tuffley Rovers ended the 2018/19 season with their Uhlsport Hellenic League, Premier Division status secured for a fifth consecutive season, and with much of their first team squad indicating an intention to return in 2019/20, the club’s attention has turned to improving the pathway from their youth section to first team football.

“Although we’ve seen some really positive developments over the past few seasons, I’ve had a real sense that our first team has become increasingly separated, in terms of playing quality, from the rest of our squads”, said Chairman/Secretary Neil Spiller. “With that in mind, last season I asked Ken Blackburn to join the club, bringing with him a wealth of experience, both of the game in general, but also what it takes to ensure that player development becomes an integral part of a club’s plans.”

Ken Blackburn

A year after Blackburn’s appoint as Head of Football Development, Rovers are now beginning to transform the way in which their squads will operate, with a view to creating a very clear pathway for players to develop, most notably with the way in which Under 18s and reserve teams will operate.

“Despite our second team achieving a solid league position last season, I felt that we needed to shift the balance from one focused on results, to one where player development was our paramount concern”, Spiller confirmed.

Blackburn took the opportunity offered by Spiller 12 months ago and still feels he has a lot to contribute to local football.

“Having been with Gloucester city for 19 years, and having managed teams in over 700 games I felt I still had something to offer, and when Neil approached with the role he had in mind for me I was more than happy to come on board, and hopefully give them the benefit of my experience”, he confirmed.

With the departure of last season’s Reserves’ management team, Blackburn took the opportunity to accelerate changes, resulting in the appointment of a new Head Coach, alongside the Under 18s migrating from the control of the youth section, so that their affairs will be managed by the senior section.

The man charged with leading the coaching team will be former Cardiff City and Wales U19s player, Mike Palmer, who joins Rovers after spells coaching at Gloucester City and most recently at Cheltenham Town, an appointment Blackburn is delighted with.

Mike Palmer

“The backbone of any successful club is its youth and reserve teams, and with Tuffley Rovers already having a well-established youth section, we felt the need for the Under 18s to come under the main club umbrella helped create a clear pathway through to the first team”, he mused. “This will be a development squad incorporating both the Reserves and Under 18s players, so with this in mind I was able to bring some new coaches to the club, whom have the same mindset as what we are trying to achieve, developing young players. They are focused on improving players, rather than adding to their personal CV.”

“Mike is someone who I worked with at Gloucester City and he’s gone on to work in the USA and at Cheltenham Town’s Academy, where he coached a successful U15s squad. I think he’s the perfect fit, as we try to bring the Reserves and Under 18s together, with the view to using them as a development squad in the future. Our first step is to stop referring to the team as our ‘Reserves’ and focus on the young group as a Development Squad”, Blackburn added.

Palmer, who is UEFA B qualified, makes no secret of his ambition to be successful in the adult game, with an eye on managing at first team level, but he regards that as a long-term goal and is, for now, focused on continuing his success in developing young players.

“I want to offer something different to Tuffley Rovers, creating a squad that will be full of energy, playing an exciting brand of football. If I can offer a different style of coaching that will not only develop the group of players I’ll start working with, but help build better relationships with those coming through our youth section”, he confirmed. “My focus is 100% on developing the best players we can, so that they can become candidates for the first team.”

Palmer will be assisted in managing the Development Squad by Ash Evanson, who is also a UEFA B qualified coach with another impressive CV, having spent ten years coaching at clubs including Gloucester City, Cheltenham Town and Bristol Rovers. He got to know Palmer whilst they were both at Gloucester City and didn’t hesitate in taking the opportunity to link up with him again.

“I have known Mike since our time under Ken Blackburn at Gloucester City and when he offered me the chance to get involved at Tuffley, I saw it as a great opportunity to get involved in the adult game, although we want to promote youth and create a platform for players to develop at senior level”, Evanson confirmed. “Mike and I share a passion for possession based football, played at a high intensity and want our performances to be exciting to watch.”

It was the draw of working with Palmer and Blackburn that ultimately proved decisive for Evanson.

“Once I sat down with Mike and Ken, examining the finer detail of their plans, it was an easy decision to make and I am really looking forward to the challenge of developing young players, with a view to pushing them towards the first team, helping to create a legacy and future success for Tuffley Rovers.”

It isn’t all new faces at Rovers, though, with the new appointments focusing on management of the club’s Gloucestershire Northern Senior League squad, where they will be supported by current Under 18s manager, Jamie Hyett, with a view to creating a continuity between the two development sides that will support players in making the transition to adult football. Hyett, who will work with both teams, retains Chris Ravenhill to work alongside him, but they will be joined by Sam Hill, a Rovers first team player who is looking to move into coaching, alongside his first team commitments. All the changes have filled Hyett with enthusiasm ahead of a first season in the Gloucestershire Floodlit Youth League, after a move across from the Midland Floodlit Youth League.

Jamie Hyett

“I have to confess that this is the most excited I’ve been going into a new season”, enthused Hyett. “The chance to work with a new group of coaches is great for me personally, but we have a new group of players and I can’t wait to the fantastic squad we’ve assembled in action.”

Hill, who made 31 appearances for the club in the last Hellenic League season, is equally enthusiastic at the opportunity to start on his new role.

Sam Hill

“I personally can’t wait to get the season started. I helped with the Under 18s two years ago, but this is a different beast!”, he added. “We ooze professionalism this year and its exciting to be surrounded by so many motivated coaches and players. I intend to complete my Level 2 this year and sharpen up my non-league experience with a bit of quality coaching. A lot of our squad have been released from clubs and I know how that feels, so I want to help produce the future of non-league football.”

There is one further addition to the coaching set-up, with Craig Darkin joining as a goalkeeping coach and he is another new recruit who demonstrates the value of Blackburn’s appointment, having previously worked with him at City, too.

Blackburn was keen to reflect on Tuffley Rovers’ own continuing develop, as they have been confirmed as Gloucestershire County Women’s League participants for the first time, following the League AGM last week.

“We have also started a new women’s team, playing at the ground on Sunday afternoons, which has already attracted players to what has become one of the fastest growing sports. With the Women’s World Cup now underway this will potentially create even more interest in the game. I would like for Tuffley Rovers to be more than just a football club, but where people of all abilities can come and use the facilities, in a nice friendly safe atmosphere.”

That was the week that was….

…the last of the full, competitive 2018/19 season and we had a relatively decent week, as it happens!

The week started with the final Uhlsport Hellenic League, Premier Division fixture for the first team, and it was a great day for the club, as the GroundhopUK group made our game the 12th (or 13) of their groundhopping weekend. The consequence was that we had a crowd of 221 to watch us record an excellent 3-0 win over Fairford Town, not only a great way to end the competitive season, but also enough to secure a 15th place finish that looked incredibly unlikely earlier in the season. Kieran Alder netted his 13th of the season, after Adam Bloomfield had scored twice in the first half to put Pritch’s side in charge of the game.

We then saw the Reserves, Thirds and Fifths all end their seasons on Saturday, with one win, one draw and one defeat to show for the day’s endeavours.

Dan Gillespie, Russ Williams and Phil Ryder-Jones signed off their time with the Reserves with a disappointing result, albeit a 3-1 reverse away at title challengers Chalford. Will Emery’s sixth goal of the season wasn’t enough to secure any points, as the second team finished with three consecutive defeats, albeit after a string of good results that had taken the squad up the table, ultimately securing them a creditable fifth place finish.

The Thirds went better than that, finishing third in their division, as Dan Boon’s side came from behind to beat Upton St. Leonards Reserves 3-1. The visitors took a first half lead, before Andy Meek, Mark Pritchett (making a very rare Stroud League appearance) and Chris Giddy scored to make it a good end to the season.

A full set of results was complete when the Fifths got a point, courtesy of a 1-1 draw, away at Champions Cashes Green. Alfie Fortey’s goal, equalising after the hosts had taken the lead, meant that Will Cronshaw’s side finished fourth in Division Six, only a year after promotion.

On Sunday, the Vets completed their season, too, and they held title challengers Quedgeley Wanderers to a 3-3 draw, despite playing much of the second half with only ten players, after a threadbare squad lost a couple of players to injuries. A brace from Shayne Bradley and another from Gary Cornwall were enough to help secure a third place finish for Mark Patterson’s team.

Third team result the rose amongst some thorns!

A weekend that saw Tuffley Rovers’ sides playing four games ended with just one victory, with the third team’s convincing win in Stroud League, Division Three the highlight of a difficult day.

Dan Boon’s squad recorded a fine 5-1 win at Beaufort Playing fields – a result that secured third place in their division – courtesy of goals from Martin Kent, Iain Buckingham, Lee Brinkworth and a brace from Chris Giddy, with their second half performance decisive, after they held a slim 1-0 advantage at the break.

The First XI came back from their final Hellenic League away game of the season without any points, having lost 2-1 at Flackwell Heath, despite a decent performance. Flackwell Heath opened the scoring through Simeon Weekes, before Aaron Layne scored their second, eleven minutes after the interval. When Dominik Kent pulled a goal back 23 minutes from time, his eighth of the season, there were hopes of a comeback but a late Tyreece Briscoe free-kick which hit the post was the closest they came. The second half saw a debut for Jack Ellis, after a good season in the U18s and Reserves squads.

In Dan Gillespie’s final home game as reserve team manager, following his recent decision to stand-down at the end of the season, his side went down by the same 2-1 scoreline, despite leading early on. A much-changed side included several U18s players, with Kane Hyett and Ethan Ravenhill making full-debuts, had led through Ryan Dobbins’ goal but the opposition, Berkeley Town, scored twice in the second period to take the three points away from Glevum Park.

The other game of the day saw a 10-goal thriller, as the Fifths went down 6-4 away at Minchinhampton Reserves, with the hosts winning both halves 3-2! Will Cronshaw’s charges worked hard in their penultimate game of a solid season, but despite goals from Rudran Rutnanandan, James Hawley, Alfie Fortey and Jake Anderson, weren’t enough to secure any points, leaving the Thirds as the club’s most (and only) successful side on Saturday!

A look back: No first team game & no fifth team final, but otherwise…

…it was a good weekend!

Although the first team weren’t in action, they edged closer to Hellenic League Premier Division safety (courtesy of Reading City’s defeat at Bishops Cleeve) and barring a disaster over the last three games, they should have done enough to retain their place in the division for 2019/20.

On the field, the Reserves recorded an emphatic win over FC Barometrics, although the game was marred by an incident late on, which resulted in a melee and the dismissal of a Barometrics player. That aside, the performance was very positive and Dan Gillespie’s side recorded another victory that puts them within touching distance of a top four finish in the league. A late first half goal from Will Emery gave the second team a half-time advantage, after Barometrics had equalised Dom Kent’s early goal, but second half strikes from Luke Troke and a penalty from Ryan Dobbins made sure the three points stayed at Glevum Park.

Earlier in the afternoon, the fifth team lost in a cup semi-final for the second time in recent weeks, as they succumbed to a 3-0 defeat against Cotswold Rangers in a fixture played at Quedgeley Wanderers’ home, Waterwells.

There was better news from the day’s early kick-off (11am), with a solitary Andy Meek goal proving sufficient to see off the persistence of Thornbury Town Reserves.

So, the first team almost safe; the Reserves continuing their good run of results; and the Thirds getting three points and a clean sheet. Not too bad a weekend.

A good weekend. A very good weekend…

Celebration.v Binfield

Although our Hellenic League, Premier Division status for 2019/20 isn’t yet mathematically certain, a 2-1 win against Binfield on Saturday has taken Tuffley Rovers to the brink of safety.

When a Mark Pritchett foul, moments before the end of the first half, allowed Josh Howell to give Binfield a 1-0 lead from the penalty spot, things weren’t looking too good for Rovers, but Warren Mann’s goal, after his initial penalty had been saved, and a first Rovers goal for Will Dawes, proved enough to secure three points to take the first team to within touching distance of safety, after a campaign that started so badly.

Will Dawes goal.vBinfield

Alongside the Hellenic League result, the Reserves made it 11 games unbeaten, as they saw off Upton St. Leonards 3-1. The game was made all the more memorable because there were first ever Gloucestershire Northern Senior League goals for Under 18s players Niall Priday and Ryley Mace, with those goals added to a Will Emery effort. That result took Rovers’ reserves fourth in the Division One table, with the next game against title challengers Chalford, who sit one place higher.

Niall Priday goal.vUSLedit

Unfortunately, the worst result of the weekend came in the form of the Thirds’ 6-0 defeat at the hands of Kingsway Rovers, but the other Stroud League results were much better! First, the Fifths ran out comprehensive winners against Sharpness 3rds, with a brace apiece from Charlie Agg and Paul Bayliss taking Will Cronshaw’s side to a 4-0 win. In the other game, the Fourths came back from 3-1 down to salvage a point from their final game of the season; Scott Morgan netting a hat-trick in the 3-3 draw.

So, three wins, a draw and one defeat make for a pretty good weekend. A damn good weekend, as they go.