Basingstoke Saturday league President and Press Officer Peter Raynbird Previews the new season ahead

With the decision made to suspend The Premier Division for a season, there will be nine clubs competing in Division One and eleven clubs competing in Division Two of The Basingstoke & District Saturday Football League this season.

With the Premier Division Champions Basingstoke Royals FC moving over to the Sunday League, it looks like last season’s Runners Up Hook FC will be clear favorites to take the title. Besides coming second in the Premier Division last season, Hook FC also won both the Basingstoke Junior ‘A’ Cup and The Peter Raynbird Cup. They will have a new First Team Manager this season; with Humphrey Sims standing down from the position and Nathan Kill taking over. The impressive Basingstoke Royals FC 20 goal scorer ‘Steven Price’ is one of the new faces at the club, although most of the squad from last season will stay unchanged. One exception is Peter Pike who is retiring.

So where is the opposition coming from?

Sherborne St John FC after finishing third last season, should have been in the running this season; but manager Trevor Livingstone has lost several key players, which could knock his chances. Dec Shuttleworth is having a go with Wessex League side Alton Town FC; last season he notched 30 goals, which will be difficult to find elsewhere. Also missing will be Dave Poynton, Dan Hamblin and Peter Dixon who have all departed and Sam Hylton who has been with the club for 14 years, is traveling abroad from October. “It is going to be a season of rebuilding, but I am hoping that we can compete. Only time will tell” said Trevor, who will not have a Reserve team to call upon this season, as they have withdrawn from the league.

Tadley Calleva FC ‘A’ will be looking to improve this season. Bradley Nash is still in charge and apart from his keeper Tom Monger moving on, he has the same squad as last season. The experienced Darren Maunder will be in goal this season and Peter White has also moved down from the Reserve Side to play up front alongside the league’s current top scorer Kye Theordore; who netted 47 goals last season. With this strike force they should be a threat. Bradley is optimistic after his pre season campaign, including a 3-1 win against a useful looking Overton United FC ‘A’ team. Nash will however miss his hard working midfield man Stephen ‘Stumpy’ Burgess for the opening part of the campaign; who has a six match ban to serve after being sent off against Sherborne St John FC in the last match of last season.

Basingstoke Athletic FC won Division Two in style last season and may prove strong enough to do well after promotion. They still have their four ex New Inn FC players, Dale Bristow, Matt Button, Ryan Evans and Tobie Hyde amongst their ranks and have added a further two experienced players in Ex New Inn FC player Kieran Challis and Craig Gorka who was in the Welly Old Boys FC successful squad two years ago. Aiden Fitzsimmons, who is from Ireland and Chris Sawyer who has moved recently from Brighton are also new additions and both have impressed in friendlies against Hampshire Irons FC and Herriard Sports FC. Barry Pullen is still manager of the First Team with Chris Chaplin continuing as secretary and Assistant Manager. They are confident of a top half finish.

Twentyten FC finished second in Division One last season, only three points adrift of the title. Although manager Alan Spacagna has lost Adam Elsegood who has gone to University and Alex Gonzales who can not committed to playing regularly, he has two adequate replacements in Ryan Lupton and Jack Clark, both who tried their luck with Hartley Wintney FC last season and have now both returned. Nick Osborne will continue as Alan’s assistant.

DJS Telecoms FC. Danny Stafford ends his spell as manager, after bringing the Division Two Championship and the Basingstoke Junior ‘B’ Cup to the club during his spell in charge. Due to work commitments, his position is being taken over by former goalkeeper Chris McKenzie. The new manager is pleased with the performances in the four pre-season matches played; in which the club have won all four. The good news is that key central midfielder Allan Morgan is continuing for another season and Chris Hobson will takeover in goal.

Basingstoke Labour Club FC finished as surprise Runners Up in Division Two last season and therefore were promoted. Manager Dan Poulter has his main goal scorer Cameron White resigned, but he must wait for his other striker Matt Kelly to get clearance to play, after he signed for two clubs. It is understood that Wayne Barlow who figured strongly in last season’s success, has thrown his lot in with Graham Jenkins’ TDI Group FC. Proven Defender James McCallion has signed from Overton United FC’s First Team. Poulter has also signed two Winklebury Wizards FC players, Josh Dickens and Matt Lowe. Barney Powell looks to have left for Tron FC.

Overton United FC ‘A’ finished as Division One Champions last season, but a repeat performance will be a difficult task this time around. With Preston Candover FC folding at the end of last season, Overton manager Danny Smith has taken full advantage signing several of their players, including top goal scorer Kyle Buckland, Michael Fuller, Richard Spiers and Tom Green.

Hampshire Irons FC. This club look to have the same squad as last season, but no official team news was received from the club at the time of writing.