Calor League Division One Central Preview 2013/14
With the start of the Calor League Division One Central season just around the corner, here is our preview of the new campaign as we assess each of the 22 teams.
AFC Hayes Last season: 15/22
Leading Hayes to a 15th place finish represented a decent first season in charge for former Harefield United manager Ian Crane. Losing 28-goal Tony Mendy will be a blow to the club, but his strike partner Lawrie Shennan remains along with new forward signings Luke O'Malley and Ryan Kirkland. Hayes surprised a number of teams last season, including wins over Guildford and Godalming, but their form cooled in the second half of the season and they won only once in the last two months. With a more sustained season the Farm Park outfit could improve on their league placing.
Ashford Town (Mx) Last season: 10/22
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Now entering their fourth season back in the Southern League after being switched from the Isthmian in 2010, and a third season under the guidance of club legend Paul Burgess. A lack of notable signings might concern Tangerines fans looking for the club to push on from safe mid-table finishes of the last two years, but the squad contains plenty of quality already with Mark Bitmead and Kofi Lockhart-Adams both scoring well, and late signing Matt Baxter in good form at the end of the campaign.
Aylesbury FC Last season: 12/22
A settled squad complimented by some key additions, including several former Northwood players, gives supporters of the Moles reason to be optimistic. This will be former Wycombe striker Craig Faulconbridge's second season in charge having admitted to 'learning a lot' during his maiden year, and he'll be looking to better the club's best ever Southern League finish of 8th (2011/12) this time around. May still be a quality striker away from seriously challenging for the playoffs.
Aylesbury United Last season: 2/22 (Spartan South Midlands League)
Promoted back to the Calor League after three years away, manager Tony Joyce has retained all of last season's squad but been robbed of key players by injury in pre-season - some of them long term. Finding the right mix in the friendlies has proved hard, but some encouraging performances, good additions to the team and the promise of stars to return should equate to another decent campaign for the Ducks.
Barton Rovers Last season: 14/22
Under Dan Kennoy Rovers have gone from regular relegation battlers to finishing comfortably in mid-table in each of his three seasons in charge (12th-11th-14th). A clutch of new locally based signings will enhance Barton further, so long as the new faces gel quickly, as the club look to become more consistent. Scoring goals was Rovers biggest problem last season, with the lowest tally of any side outside the bottom six, so the re-signing of striker Nat Peacock will hopefully improve that area, whilst Keshi Anderson has shown good pre-season form.
Beaconsfield SYCOB Last season: 5/22 (Playoffs)
2011/12's surprise package (5th place) repeated the feat again last season with an identical finish, despite the upheaval of losing manager Byron Walton midway through the campaign. His replacement, James Pritchard, is well respected on the local scene but has been irked by player departures during the summer - most recently Ryan Upward and 23-goal Ryan Blake moving to Burnham (where Walton is now coaching). Beaconsfield still retain a strong squad however, including Yashwa Romeo who fired 21-goals last season, and have picked up a couple of former Slough Town players.
Chalfont St. Peter Last season: 16/22
The runaway Spartan South Midlands League winners of 2011, Chalfont are now firmly established as a Calor League outfit as manager Danny Edwards continues to work wonders going into his 10th season in charge. Last year's 16th place was something of a falsity, as Saints were deducted fifteen points from their tally. Losing key players such as Jerome Okimo, Adam Louth and Terrell Lewis will hit the team hard, whilst Chalfont need to find a regular goalscorer with nobody scoring 15 goals last season.
Chertsey Town Last season: 20/22
The Surrey side suffered a disappointing campaign, though still finished a healthy eight points clear of the relegation positions. Player/Manager David Johnston has made some positive signings over the summer, including Northern Ireland under-19 international defender Ryan Blake from Ebbsfleet United. Even so, with funds scarce, it looks like a big ask for Johnston to kick on in their third season in the Southern League.
Daventry Town Last season: 8/22
Manager Darran Foster's first full season in charge brought about a decent 8th placed finish for the 2010 United Counties League Champions. Former Aylesbury United midfielder Neil Champelovier is Foster's Assistant, whilst ex- Aylesbury loanee Liam Dolman and youth team product Neil King are also part of the squad. Losing Player of the Year Kyle Cartwright is a blow, but much of last season's squad remains, whilst supporters will be hoping young striker Deqwon Ebanks can hit the ground running having joined on loan from Tamworth.
Dunstable Town Last season: 1/22 (Spartan South Midlands League)
Dunstable Town often drew criticism for being 'big spenders' last season, but if true then they invested wisely, as the Blues romped to an unbeaten league championship to return to the Southern League after four years. Joint managers Darren Croft and Paul Reeves have added further high profile names to the squad that could see Town as a good outside bet for back to back promotions.
Egham Town Last season: 1/22 (Combined Counties League)
Last season's Combined Counties League Champions have plenty of experience at this level in the Isthmian League, but Egham will be hoping to fare better than their solitary Southern League campaign which saw them finish bottom of Division One West back in 2005. Pre-season results have been encouraging, including a 4-1 win over near neighbours Guildford City
Kettering Town Last season: 22/22 (Premier Division)
The beleaguered Northamptonshire club are finally free of the Imran Ladek regime which has seen them tumble from Conference Premier now down to Calor League Division One level, after finishing bottom of the Premier Division last season. A ten-point deduction didn't help matters, but neither did a total of eight league wins all season. The club do at least now have a base in Kettering, after spending the last campaign at Nene Park (formerly Rushden & Diamonds) and latterly Steel Park (Corby Town). Having lost many of their better players during the summer, manager John Beck faces another tough rebuilding task.
Leighton Town Last season: 21/22
Leighton hit troubled times last season as cashflow problems and managerial changes hit the club hard, resulting in some heavy defeats and an eventual finish in the relegation places (though reprieves have kept them in the Calor League). Bookies favourites for the drop this season, the club committee have pulled a shrewd moving in reappointing former boss Craig Wells - and under his leadership the Reds might do better than expected. With club stalwarts such as Enzo Silvestri and Ben Gallant onboard, and a number of other players signed on, it isn't all doom and gloom at Bell Close.
Marlow Last season: 1/19 (Hellenic League)
Manager Mark Bartley lead the Blues to the Hellenic League Championship in his first season in charge, having switched from Reading Town last summer after Marlow were relegated from the Southern League. Bartley has worked hard adding additional quality to his squad over the summer, and Marlow look set for another good season.
North Greenford United Last season: 19/22
Former Chelsea (and many others!) striker Neil Shipperley returned to Greenford for a second spell as manager just eight games into last season. Since winning promotion from the Combined Counties League three years ago, the club have never finished higher than 18th. That has to be the target for the new campaign, although, without some new faces of quality - of which news is sketchy - it looks a big ask for the West Londoners.
Northwood Last season: 13/22
Mark Burgess, who, with Jon Underwood of Slough, is one of two former Ducks managing in the division, took charge of the Woods partway into last season but was unable to repeat the 7th placed finish of the year before as inconsistency blighted their campaign. A number of players have chosen to move on during the off-season, including top-scorer Oliver Hawkins, but Burgess can at least now call the squad his own - a squad that will probably include his twin brother James Burgess.
Potters Bar Town Last season: 10/22 (Isthmian League Division One North)
Another unknown quantity, Potters Bar were switched from the Ryman League in the summer after seven years. Their 10th place finish was their highest ever at this level, having won the Spartan South Midlands League Championship in 2005. With a squad featuring plenty of experience, The Scholars could well continue their progress under manager Adam Lee.
Royston Town Last season: 7/22
Paul Attfield's side were just two points away from a playoff place in their first season in the Southern League last time out, and are hotly tipped by many to go one step further this season. Big signings over the summer make the Crows look strong in every department, and if hotshot Craig Hammond and his new strike partners Robbie Mason/Mitchell Bryant are on form then few teams will be able to handle them.
Rugby Town Last season: 2/22 (Playoffs)
Rugby lost out in the Playoff final last year to Biggleswade Town, but manager Dave Stringer is reportedly determined to improve and push his side on to the next level this time out. Rightly instilled as one of the pre-season title favourites, Rugby have strengthened a squad of already impressive quality and will be one of the teams to beat this campaign. Former Aylesbury man Lewis McBride is part of their team, whilst striker David Kolodynski, with 35 league goals last season, is the only one of division's top seven leading goalscorers still at the same club.
Slough Town Last season: 6/22
For a fourth year Steve Bateman was unable to guide Slough into the Premier Division, and he paid the price by being replaced over the summer by joint managers Neil Baker and former Aylesbury defender Jon Underwood. The duo lead newly promoted Godalming to a surprise 3rd place finish, and they have brought nearly their entire squad across with them in the hope they can repeat that achievement, with only five of last season's Slough squad remaining at the club. With the undoubted increase in pressure of the Rebels expectant supporters, it will be interesting to see whether they are as successful again.
St. Ives Town Last season: 2/21 (United Counties League)
Gaining promotion to the Calor League for the first time, and with early plans for a new stadium on the horizon, these appear to be exciting times for St. Ives. Top goalscorer Karl Gibbs has signed on for another season, whilst co manager Jez Hall was pleased with the addition of the versatile Dan Banister who reportedly chose to sign for the Saints ahead of a number of other clubs. A mid-table finish would be a huge success for St Ives this season.
Uxbridge Last season: 11/22
Tony Choules was left frustrated by his side's final league placing last season, blaming inconsistencies against so called 'lesser teams' for failing to repeat their playoff position finish of the previous season. This will be former Northwood manager Choules's fourth year in charge of the Honeycroft side, and he has made some choice additions, including Chris Drake from North Greenford. With all but one - Michael Murray - of the existing players returning for the new campaign, Uxbridge should be well set to improve their league placing.
