FLEET TOWN v ASHFORD TOWN (MIDDX)

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. OFFICIAL DIGITAL PROGRAMME FLEET TOWN v ASHFORD

1 . OFFICIAL DIGITAL PROGRAMME FLEET TOWN v ASHFORD TOWN (MIDDX) SATURDAY 10 th MARCH P.M The Evo-Stik League South East Today s T Match is kindly sponsored by : Trades and Labour (UK) Ltd James Haworth MOM in our last home game Fleet Town Squad 2017/18 SPONSORED BY

3 WELCOME FROM OUR JOINT MANAGER STEVE DORMER Good afternoon and welcome to The Franki Foundation stadium for today s game, particularly to the players, supporters and Board members of our visitors Ashford Town. Their Manager Ben Murray and his assistant Mark Green have done a superb job since being promoted from The Combined Counties League. They have worked very hard to consolidate the squad since I first watched them a few years back, in fact it has hardly changed compared to other sides in our League. Just a couple of changes each season is the key at this level for me which is rather like our neighbours Hartley Wintney who only make them when needed. I have known Ben for some 12 years plus and he came through the Youth section all the way to first team football at Ashford, very few managers these days show the loyalty he has and this of course rubs off on his players. We have had some great battles over the years trying to outwit each other and my heaviest defeat as a player or manager happened this season on our away trip to Ashford back in October losing I thought I had the upper hand on Ben. defeating one of his sides 9-0 some time ago but he has the upper hand now and deservedly so. One of the most difficult things for me that night in October was walking into the bar at Ashford Town after that defeat, no one was hurting more than me that evening and going into to face my old friends from Ashford was tough. What I like about Ashford Town is the close knit association they have with their youth section something that s important and we at Fleet Town must try and achieve for future seasons if we want to compete with Club s like them. I would just like to give a special mention to Joe green and Mark Bitmead two players from Ashford Town who I know are currently recovering from what could have been career ending injuries, I hear they are doing well and again I wish them a quick return to football. On to this afternoon s game, we only have 5 players in our current squad of 19 who were involved back in October! Some changes had to be made because it s important we look forward not backwards and all learn from the mistakes made during the early part of the season. I am sure those players who are still with us remember how they felt that evening at Ashford and will put that extra effort in to today s game. We are not on the end of heavy defeats any more but our biggest issue is hitting the back of the net. Most teams sitting around mid-table and higher have one or two players hitting double figures, that s the difference I am afraid because our highest goal scorer is a lad who left us at Christmas. Our two last performances away to Beaconsfield and at home to Hanwell were frustrating as in both games we deserved to get more out of them than we did. The second half performance at Beaconsfield should at least have given us a point. We hit the woodworks 3 times and had 2 strong penalty appeals waved away. I don t often come away happy after a defeat but when you have opposition players & management apologising it certainly makes things easier. The draw at home to Hanwell felt like a defeat to me, all the players were down and really disappointed with the chances we missed. Our opponents were of course more than happy with the point they managed to hold on to. We have two cracking fixtures within the next 4 days with today s match and Tuesday evening we are at home to our neighbours Hartley Witney. Two games which if we play to our full potential I feel we can get something from. Last time we played Hanwell we went on a run of games losing just 4 in fourteen. Let s hope we finish doing the same and give our loyal supporters and volunteers something to smile about going into the final two months of the season. Come on you blues - STEVE CHAIRMAN: Alec Grant VICE CHAIRMAN: Richard Whittington COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Alec Grant, Richard Whittington, Chris Arnold, Harry Cannon, Darren Edwards and Nathan Cookson : FIRST TEAM MANAGERS : Steve Dormer and Andy Hunt FIRST TEAM COACH : Neil Woodyer KIT MANAGER : Ben Foster YOUTH TEAM MANAGER: Neil Selby WEBSITE MANAGER : Harry Cannon CHILD WELFARE OFFICER : Chris Arnold PROGRAMME EDITOR : Martin Griffiths TEA BAR : Maria GROUNDSMAN: Bryan Smith Fleet Town F.C. Crookham Road, Fleet, Hants, GU51 5FA Fleet Town is an unincorporated association, managed by a committee, currently comprising of the following individuals: Alec Grant, Richard Whittington, Chris Arnold, Harry Cannon, Darren Edwards and Nathan Cookson.

6 FIXTURES AND RESULTS 2017/18 Date Opponents H/A Competition Score Result Att. Sat Aug 12 AFC Dunstable A Evo-Stik League South East 4-0 L 121 Tue Aug 15 Chalfont St. Peter H Evo-Stik League South East 1-1 D 117 Sat Aug 19 AFC Totton H Emirates F.A. Cup Preliminary Round 1-1 D 130 Tue Aug 22 AFC Totton A Emirates F.A. Cup Preliminary Replay 5-0 L 195 Sat Aug 26 AFC Rushden & Diamonds A Evo-Stik League South East 7-1 L 540 Mon Aug 28 Moneyfields H Evo-Stik League South East 1-3 L 109 Sat Sep 9 Hayes & Yeading United A Evo-Stik League South East 3-0 L 149 Sat Sep 16 Arlesey Town H Evo-Stik League South East 0-2 L 109 Tue Sep 19 Farnborough H Hampshire Senior Cup 2nd Round 2-2 D 3-4 s/o 126 Sat Sep 23 Aylesbury United A Evo-Stik League South East 1-1 D 124 Tue Sep 26 Uxbridge H Evo-Stik League South East 6-0 W 75 Sat Sep 30 Beaconsfield Town H Evo-Stik League South East 0-2 L 104 Tue Oct 3 Basingstoke Town H The BigFreeBet.com Challenge Cup First Round 2-6 L 139 Sat Oct 7 Yate Town H Buildbase F.A. Trophy Preliminary Round 1-1 D 89 Tue Oct 10 Yate Town A Buildbase F.A. Trophy Preliminary Round Replay 2-1 L 112 Sat Oct 14 Hanwell Town A Evo-Stik League South East 2-0 L 105 Sat Oct 21 Marlow H Evo-Stik League South East 2-0 W 89 Tue Oct 24 Ashford Town (Middx) A Evo-Stik League South East 10-0 L 122 Sat Oct 28 Northwood A Evo-Stik League South East 2-1 L 74 Sat Nov 4 Cambridge City A Evo-Stik League South East 4-1 L 190 Sat Nov 11 Aylesbury H Evo-Stik League South East 2-0 W 78 Wed Nov 15 Liphook United H Hampshire F.A. Russell Cotes Cup Round D 3-1 s/o 56 Sat Nov 18 Barton Rovers H Evo-Stik League South East 1-0 W 105 Tue Nov 21 Frimley Green A Aldershot Senior Cup Round W 40 Tue Nov 28 Egham Town H Evo-Stik League South East 3-0 W 98 Sat Dec 2 Kempston Rovers H Evo-Stik League South East 2-2 D 91 Sat Dec 9 Thame United A Evo-Stik League South East 4-0 L 73 Sat Dec 23 AFC Dunstable H Evo-Stik League South East 2-2 D 98 Sat Dec 26 Moneyfields A Evo-Stik League South East 1-1 D 118 Sat Jan 6 Arlesey Town A Evo-Stik League South East 0-0 D 60 Tue Jan Chalfont St.Peter A Evo-Stik League South East 0-0 D 67 Sat Jan 13 AFC Rushden & Diamonds H Evo-Stik League South East 0-4 L 238 Tue Jan 16 AFC Totton H Hampshire F.A. Russell Cotes Cup Quarter Final 0-4 L 79 Tue Jan 23 Bedford Town H Evo-Stik League South East 0-1 L 101 Sat Jan 27 Cambridge City H Evo-Stik League South East 1-2 L 145 Sat Feb 3 Uxbridge A Evo-Stik League South East 3-2 L 87 Tue Feb 6 Aylesbury A Evo-Stik League South East 1-1 D 51 Sat Feb 10 Aylesbury United H Evo-Stik League South East 0-1 L 106 Sat Feb 17 Beaconsfield Town A Evo-Stik League South East 2-0 L 77 Tue Feb 20 Tadley Calleva Res. H North Hants Senior Cup Round W 58 Sat Feb 24 Hanwell Town H Evo-Stik League South East 0-0 D 125 Sat Mar 3 Marlow A Evo-Stik League South East match postponed to be rearranged Sat Mar 10 Ashford Town (Middx) H Evo-Stik League South East Tue Mar 13 Hartley Wintney H Evo-Stik League South East Sat Mar 17 Thame United H Evo-Stik League South East Sat Mar 24 Kempston Rovers A Evo-Stik League South East Sat Mar 31 Hayes & Yeading United H Evo-Stik League South East Mon Apr 2 Hartley Wintney A Evo-Stik League South East Sat Apr 7 Barton Rovers A Evo-Stik League South East Sat Apr 14 Northwood H Evo-Stik League South East Sat Apr 21 Egham Town A Evo-Stik League South East Sat Apr 28 Bedford Town A Evo-Stik League South East

THE OTHER MATCHES IN OUR LEAGUE TODAY AFC Dunstable v Aylesbury United Arlesey Town v Cambridge City Aylesbury v Beaconsfield Town Barton Rovers v AFC Rushden & Diamonds Chalfont St Peter v Uxbridge

7 THE OTHER MATCHES IN OUR LEAGUE TODAY AFC Dunstable v Aylesbury United Arlesey Town v Cambridge City Aylesbury v Beaconsfield Town Barton Rovers v AFC Rushden & Diamonds Chalfont St Peter v Uxbridge Egham Town v Moneyfields Hayes & Yeading United v Hartley Wintney Kempston Rovers v Bedford Town Northwood v Hanwell Town Thame United v Marlow 17. Aylesbury United Thame United Arlesey Town Aylesbury Fleet Town

8 THE HISTORY OF ASHFORD TOWN F.C. Until recently, it was assumed that Ashford Town Football Club was formed in However, new research has indicated the club was formed in 1958 as Ashford Albion and first competed in the Hounslow & District League. Albion won two consecutive promotions to reach the Premier Division of the Hounslow League and were still competing at this level when the club changed its name to Ashford Town in It was at this time that the club adopted its distinctive Tangerine & White colours. The club endured a difficult first campaign as the Town club and withdrew from the Premier Division, assuming the Reserve Team's place in Division Two.Having rebuilt the club with a very young team, Ashford Town rapidly advanced through the various divisions of that League, absorbing Staines Youth Club FC. on the way. Several individuals from that era have remained with the Club and now form the backbone of the Committee, including the Vice-Chairman and Secretary. The Club were elected to the Surrey Intermediate League (Western) in 1967 and were promoted at the end of their first season. The Ash Trees were League Cup finalists in and League runners-up in In , Ashford enjoyed their best season under the managership of ex-fulham player Frank Reid, winning the League by three points from perennial contenders Merrow. Although the championship eluded the Club in following seasons, it usually finished in the top four and prior to season an invitation was extended by Surrey County FA. to become founder members of the Surrey County Premier League. The invitation was readily accepted and Ashford played their first match in the new league on 4 September 1982, drawing 0-0 away to Farleigh Rovers. Almost from its foundation, the Club had aspirations to acquire its own ground and after one or two disappointments, this was achieved in August 1985, when a long lease was signed with Spelthorne Borough Council, enabling the Club to move to its present home at Short Lane, Stanwell. From what was nothing more than a field, the facilities were quickly developed, with the first match at Short Lane taking place in February 1986, following two postponements for snow. The Club now possesses a modern clubhouse and bar, kitchen facilities and boardroom. Floodlights were erected in September 1995, whilst the pitch is railed all round and partly walled, with standing covered accommodation, plus a purpose built 150-seater stand, built in 1998 (pictured). An additional 100 seats were installed on the opposite side of the ground to this stand in 2006, after the club won promotion to the Isthmian League Premier Division. For both geographical and historical reasons, Ashford affiliate to both Middlesex and Surrey F.As and in , their last season as an Intermediate Club, they reached the final of both Counties Premier Cup competitions, beating Farnham Town in the Surrey version but losing to Willesden Hawkeye in the Middlesex final. Runners-up spot in the League was also secured and with it the opportunity to enter senior football, as members of the Combined Counties League, senior status having been granted in May It was at this point that the club changed its name to Ashford Town (Middlesex) FC, to avoid confusion with the Kent club of the same name. During its ten year membership of the Combined Counties League, the Club never finished below sixth place, and after finishing 3rd and 2nd in seasons and 93-94, it went on to win the League Championship for four successive seasons. It was a relative disappointment to only come 4th in , even though the Club won the League Cup but a 5th championship in just six seasons was secured in 99-00, along with the Middlesex Charity Cup, the first ever senior county cup honour. With the ground up to the required standard, Ashford took their place in the Isthmian League for season and by finishing in 3rd place, secured promotion to Division 2 at the first attempt. The first season in Division Two did not the Club making sufficient progress and after a series of indifferent results, long serving manager Dave Kent left the Club on 28 March. His replacement was Nathan Wharf, an ex long serving player, who stepped up from Reserve Team management. Further major improvements were made to the ground to enable the Club to be granted a B-grade and to take its place in the newly regionalised Division One of the Ryman League. A poor start saw the Club in the bottom echelons of the table but a number of new signings saw a significant improvement and a 17 th place finish, which was an excellent performance after winning just one of the opening 16 league matches. Further progress was made in as the Club finished 12 th in Div 1 South. In the close season prior to , the pitch has been completely re-laid to include both irrigation and drainage systems, at a cost of around 50,000, mostly financed by the Football Stadia Improvement Fund. Further medium term plans include new changing accommodation adjacent to the pitch, which will allow enlargement of the present clubhouse, and a hard surface floodlit training area. The Club embarked upon new adventures in season in the Southern League for the first time, having been transferred over as a result of the FA Re-structure. The 4 th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup was reached for the first time and Mark Butler, renowned goal scorer in his day with Aldershot Town, Staines Town etc, was promoted from Assistant

9 Manager to Manager following the resignation of Nathan Wharf in December The play-offs were reached but resulted in a narrow defeat at Evesham United after extra time. In , Ashford went one better, finishing second in Division One West of the Southern League, to secure promotion to Step 3. This brought about a return to the Isthmian League for season and saw Ashford competing at their highest ever level. The season brought consolidation with the added bonus of reaching and winning the Westview (League) Cup Final when Ashford triumphed 4-1 over Dover Athletic at Bromley. The Reserves also lifted a trophy, securing the Middlesex Premier Cup. Ashford built on this success, rallying from the foot of the table in November 2007 to narrowly miss a place in the promotion play-offs at the end of the season, a campaign which saw all of the club's senior sides challenge for honours. The senior side reached the Final of the Southern Combination Cup, the Reserves reached the Finals of both the Middlesex Premier and Surrey Premier Cups, while the Under 18s, led by club stalwart, Mick Snowden were champions of the Southern Youth League. The season saw Ashford begin the campaign in electrifying form, winning their opening six matches to top the table. Mark Butler's side followed this up with a fantastic FA Cup run which saw them come agonisingly close to eliminating Forest Green Rovers in the Fourth Qualifying Round at Short Lane. Rovers won the replay and went on to run Derby County close in the Third Round. Ashford endured a difficult winter, which saw them flirt with relegation, before a late resurgence saw the side safely into mid-table. The cup competitions added much adventure to the season, as Ashford followed up their exploits in the FA Cup with runs to the semi-finals of both the Middlesex Senior and Isthmian League Cups and end their campaign by defeating Conference Premier outfit Woking 3-2 at Metropolitan Police to win the Surrey Senior Cup. The season saw Ashford make a reasonable start to the campaign, but the Ash Trees were shocked when manager Mark Butler tendered his resignation on Friday 23rd October, in order to take up the Manager's role at Margate FC, who were struggling at the foot of the table. Ashford appointed former Leicester City and Bradford City midfielder Jamie Lawrence as his replacement, and the Jamaican international immediately led his new charges on a twelve-match unbeaten run. However, issues off the pitch were causing problems for the club and a number of players, including leading goalscorer Byron Harrison left for Carshalton Athletic, where Mark Butler had accepted a coaching role after leaving Margate, where he had been in charge for just three months. Ashford found scoring a problem after Harrison left and a dreadful run of form saw them go from the fringe of the play-off zone to battling relegation. Ashford went into their final match knowing a win would almost guarantee survival, while a draw would see them finish fourth from bottom - technically a relegation place, but certain to receive a reprieve owing to the demise of various other clubs. Sadly, a heavy defeat for Ashford, coupled with wins for Carshalton and Margate saw the latter two clubs survive - Margate receiving the reprieve for finishing fourth from bottom. During the summer of 2010, the club were initially placed in the Central Division of the Southern League but were then offered the chance to remain at Step Three of the non-league pyramid. However, as this offer was as a direct replacement for defunct Southern League side Merthyr Tydfil, the decision was made that the vast increase in travelling would be too great a burden for the club and the club elected to remain in the Central Division. During this time, Bob Parker stepped down from his role as Chairman after twenty-eight years in the role. The club's home ground was renamed the Robert Parker Stadium in honour of Bob, who remains at the club as President. The club entered a new era in the Central Division of the Southern League with Jamie Lawrence at the helm and with a mixture of established local players and new faces but the season was a challenging one. The club played some sparkling football at times and enjoyed an exciting run in the FA Trophy, reaching the Last 32 in the competition before losing at home to Dartford. However, League form was patchy and the club finished 16 th. One bright spark was the club winning the Southern Combination Cup, defeating Hanworth Villa 1-0 in the Final. Jamie Lawrence resigned as Manager in June 2011 and the club immediately appointed his assistant, Paul Burgess, to take the helm after more than 21 years at the club, including 683 First Team appearances. Despite having little time to do it and few resources at his disposal, "Burgo" assembled a young and exciting team. Although any hopes of a tilt at the promotion play-offs were dashed by a dreadful run where the club failed to win at home for four months, Ashford finished the season strongly, winning two Cup Finals in 48 hours. In the Middlesex Charity Cup Final, the Ash Trees were 3-0 down to Northwood after 48 minutes before subsitute Kofi Lockhart-Adams scored four times to put his team ahead. The game finished 4-4, with Ashford winning the penalty shoot-out 4-2. Two days later, Ashford defeated Badshot Lea 3-1 to add the Aldershot Senior Cup to the cabinet, aided by a fine performance from Paul McCarthy, who had saved two penalties in the first Final. A memorable season was capped by the club being named winners of the Southern League Fair Play Award

ASHFORD TOWN PLAYERS AND MANAGEMENT PEN PICS Tyler Tobin : Just 22 years of age but Ashford s regular goalkeeper in recent seasons and his consistency is shown by having 183 matches under his belt at

He first joined in 2001 from Staines Town and has been a regular ever since, often helping out on the coaching side in recent seasons.

He had a short period with Walton & Hersham but in two spells with Ashford and at the start of this season he had already racked up 236 appearances.

10 ASHFORD TOWN PLAYERS AND MANAGEMENT PEN PICS Tyler Tobin : Just 22 years of age but Ashford s regular goalkeeper in recent seasons and his consistency is shown by having 183 matches under his belt at the start of this season Russell Canderton ; Ashford s most senior player with more than 600 appearances for the club. He first joined in 2001 from Staines Town and has been a regular ever since, often helping out on the coaching side in recent seasons. Samad Kazi : Samad is another player from the junior ranks who can play anywhere and has lightning pace. He had a short period with Walton & Hersham but in two spells with Ashford and at the start of this season he had already racked up 236 appearances. Tommy Brunton : Tommy came to Ashford from Egham Town and has now made 195 appearances. His strength is to pick out passes that would not be seen by some players and he has had a hand in an awful lot of Ashford goals in recent seasons. Scott Weight : After Russell Canderton, Scott is the next senior player, now aged 30. He also had a spell with Egham Town but he has racked up 204 appearances for Ashford. Touch tackling midfield plater who can also revert to central defender as and when needed James Cottee : New to the club this season, having joined from Westfield where he scored 20 plus last season, and has quickly made himself a favourite with his determined running and early goals Romario Jonas : Giant central defender who came to Ashford for the start of , having previously played for Maidenhead United. Extremely popular with his team mates, made 37 appearances last season.

Leo Decabo : Leo has made his way up through the ranks playing for the youth.

Manager Ben Murray : Ben was given the job three seasons ago at a very young age and even now is one of the youngest managers in

He promised promotion from the CCL in two seasons and achieved it.

with Ashford. He takes a full part in running the club and his energy and enthusiasm helps to make Ashford what it is.

11 Leo Decabo : Leo has made his way up through the ranks playing for the youth. He has made a number of appearances even although he is still only 16 Elliott Pooley : A young central defender who has come to us this season from Staines Town. He has shown himself to be strong at the back and clearly has a goal or two in him, especially when the ball is in the air. Manager Ben Murray : Ben was given the job three seasons ago at a very young age and even now is one of the youngest managers in the League. Likes to play in a certain style and coaches his teams accordingly. He promised promotion from the CCL in two seasons and achieved it. Last season s aim of a top half finish and a cup was also achieved and he is destined for good things as a manager, hopefully with Ashford. He takes a full part in running the club and his energy and enthusiasm helps to make Ashford what it is. Assistant Manager, Mark Green : Mark had a distinguished playing career and is now a clear foil for Ben Murray, with his knowledge of the game and his infectious good humour. Fleet Town s next away game is at Kempston Rovers on Saturday March 24th. They play at Hillgrounds Stadium.Hillgrounds Road,Kempston,Beds, MK42 8SZ Driving Distance 61.2 miles Sat/Nav. Driving Time 1 hour 32 minutes Come on you Blues

12 Earle Inspection Ltd Providing Prompt and Cost Efficient Inspections W ebsite: Mobile: Office: Fax: keithartley.earleinsp@gmail.com LOLER, PUW ER, and M inor PSSR Inspections FLEET TOWN F. C s MAIN SPONSORS 2017/18

Lloyd 7 Billy Oram 8 Matt Bunyan ( C ) 9 Graeme Purdy 10 Chris Wales 11 Bradley Wilson SUBS 12 Ryan Marklew 14 Danilo Cadete 15 Callum Abraham-Barlow 16 Toyosi Olusanya 17 Billy Stratford ASHFORD

14 T To SATURDAY 10th MARCH P.M THE EVO STIK LEAGUE SOUTH EAST FLEET TOWN JOINT MANAGERS: Steve Dormer & Andy Hunt Colours ; Blue/Navy/Blue 1 Liam Beach 2 Billy Stratford 3 James Haworth 4 Chris Musgrove 5 Owen Roberts 6 Ashley Lloyd 7 Billy Oram 8 Matt Bunyan ( C ) 9 Graeme Purdy 10 Chris Wales 11 Bradley Wilson SUBS 12 Ryan Marklew 14 Danilo Cadete 15 Callum Abraham-Barlow 16 Toyosi Olusanya 17 Billy Stratford ASHFORD TOWN (MIDDX) MANAGER : Ben Murray ASST. MANAGER : Mark Green Colours : Tangerine/Black/Tangerine 1 Tyler Tobin 2 Jack Beadle 3 Tommy Brunton 4 Russell Canderton ( C ) 5 James Cottee 6 Alex Fisher 7 Romario Jonas 8 Samad Kazi 9 Elliott Poley 10 Nathan Pooley 11 Max Webb SUBS 12 Scott Weight 14 Leo Decabo 15 Tom Howard 16 Connor Channon 17 Jake Tayor MATCH OFFICIALS Referee: Mike Desborough of Fareham, Hampshire Assistant Referees: Jacob Wright of Southsea, Hampshire Sean Phillips of Shanklin I.O.W.

FLEET TOWN v HANWELL TOWN

. OFFICIAL DIGITAL PROGRAMME FLEET TOWN v HANWELL TOWN SATURDAY 24 th FEBRUARY 2018 3.00 P.M The Evo-Stik League South East Today s Game is Sponsored by Easi Leaflets http://easi-leaflets.com Tel 07792