"Rising Ballers is the biggest Gen Z football brand in the UK. We’re followed by footballers across the UK, and with that we have formed unparalleled relationships. This allows us to tell some of the most exciting and exclusive stories in football, leading us to have one of the most engaged, authentic communities out there."
I don't know what that means exactly, but they have a very large social media following.
Beaconsfield Town won 1-0 at Plymouth Parkway tonight, in the Southern Premier South. That's a hell of a midweek trip. Joel Rollinson scored in the first half. Parkway were unbeaten in nine league games.
Good to see Beaconsfield putting some form together as it looked like they were on a slow march to the drop a few weeks ago. A bit like, ahem, another team we know…
This coming Tuesday (Feb 6th) there’s a very big game in the Southern League Premier South as top-of-the-table Chesham United take on fourth place Merthyr Town at the Meadow. K.o. 7.45 - should be a good one.
This was Westy's leaving statement, TFP being the owners Thame Football Partnership. A cut in budget is sometimes the reason a successful manager leaves, with no job to go to, but who knows.
It seems like a changing of the guard there. The whole management team & chairman/director all going at the same time.
Either the club's budgets were cut / changed with little or no warning or new members came into the TFP and wanted to make their mark and made it very difficult for Mark et al. to stay.
Yes sounds like somethings gone on with newcomers, a little while back Craig Faulconbridge started to get involved and I had heard whispers that some on the youth development side were not too happy with changes.
Will probably only do 1-2 more of these 'bigger' updates before the end of the season. Tempus fugit and all that. Deep breath...here's a check on how things are shaping up for (some of) our local teams as we approach the final third of the season...
⚽️ National League
They're packed in like sardines in the top-tier of non-league football, with Maidenhead United sitting 16th and four points above the drop-zone. A run of 1 win in 6 (3D, 2L) shouldn't give too much cause for concern and the Magpies do have a couple of games in hand on the bottom dwellers.
Oxford City (I know, not exactly 'local'), replete with their many ex-Wanderers, sit bottom of the NL but they're not completely down and out just yet.
In the NL South, Scott Davies' Slough Town are now unbeaten in 16 at home following a 2-0 win over Weston-super-Mare. The Rebels had looked in trouble a few months ago but they've raced away from the danger zone faster than their player-manager's hairline (low blow?!). Jokes aside, S. Davies has done a terrific job for the old enemy. They probably won't make the play-offs but should secure a respectable finish.
⚽️ Southern League
Surely this is Chesham United's year?! The Southern League Prem South title looks theirs to lose now that the Generals have opened up a four-point gap over Salisbury, while enjoying two games in hand. What an achievement it would be following so many near misses. The Chesh could soon (out)rightly call themselves our fair county's second-best team...
Beaconsfield Town are still looking over their shoulder but a squad many had deemed 'too good to go down' has certainly picked up in recent weeks. The Rams are 15th but only two points from the relegation places with some of their nearest rivals enjoying games in hand. A hard-fought point away at Sholing last time out made it five unbeaten.
In the Southern League Div 1 Central, Aylesbury United parted ways with outspoken manager Jack Wells but still find themselves in deep duck poo. Our county cousins are a point above the two-team drop zone but each of the sides around them - Kidlington, Thame United and Kempston Rovers - have at least two games in hand. The Ducks have placed former Wanderers loanee Dave Tuttle in interim charge until the end of the season.
⚽️ Spartan South Mids
Aylesbury Vale Dynamos continue to have a pretty humdrum season, not helped by postponements owing to the shocking drainage at Haywood Way (they also suffered some recent vandalism if someone else can confirm?!). They lie in 14th spot in the SSM Prem, albeit only four points behind Tring Athletic in seventh. Milton Keynes Irish have games to make up on leaders Real Bedford but bridging an eight-point gap looks a tough ask.
⚽️ Isthmian League
Everyone's favourite non-league forward, Dave Tarpey, has bagged 12 goals for Marlow in the Isthmian South Central, having only joined the club in November. With 'Tarps' and league top scorer, Dawid Rogalski, firing on all cylinders the Blues are sitting handy in fourth spot, six points inside the play-offs. Marlow travel to lowly Chipstead this Tuesday night hoping for more points and more goals.
⚽️ Combined Counties League
It looks like Flackwell Heath's recent 3-1 home reverse to table toppers Rayners Lane has put paid to their CCL Prem North title bid. Probably even more galling considering that the visitors fielded a number of the Heathens' former best players. They're still chipping away though and have games in hand. Burnham occupy the final play-off spot while both Risborough Rangers and Holyport are having fairly safe but forgettable campaigns.
Chalfont St. Peter looked to have turned a corner but another downturn has put them back in trouble, with only three points separating them and the division's one and only relegation spot.
⚽️ Step 6 and beyond,..
Even the arrival of Keith Scott hasn't done much to change Holmer Green's fortunes in the CCL Div 1. It looks like it's going to be another miserable relegation (unless there's some kind of reprieve?!) for a once proud Step 5 club with last Saturday's 3-0 loss at Langley their 19th in 27th league games. The Greens are seven points adrift having played three games more than London Colney.
Amersham Town have been much covered in this thread. Suffice to say they're going to romp to the title, helped by young J. Tabor. Penn and Tylers Green remain stuck in mid-table mud.
In the even murkier depths of Step 7 and the Thames Valley Premier League, the new new Windsor & Eton are having a decent first season, sitting third having played around half their games.
Berks County did the league double over Amersham last Saturday, with Tabor scoring in the 3-1 defeat. That was the Magpies' first league defeat since 9th September, and leaves Berks County in second place, 13 points behind with two games in hand. Before that, Amersham lost 5-0 to Tadley Calleva, a division higher, in a league cup game.
In the Combined Counties Premier South, Farnham Town currently sit top - 21 played, 21 wins, 72 goal difference…
They apparently have a wealthy owner and have a squad of players capable of playing higher up the pyramid. I noticed they have a few ex-pros in there, including Tanner, Kinsella and Wellard.
Oh, I should add, they have 2 games in hand on 2nd and 4 on 3rd, with a 13 point advantage before playing those games.
Tadley Calleva who hammered Jake Tabors Amersham 5-0 were beaten 6-0 by Farnham (Level 9) in a league game just before Christmas.
Tadley are a decent outfit and will finish high mid table this season. Farnham are having huge sums pumped in to the club and squad and would not look out of place in the National League South (Level 6)
Problem is, what happens when the money dries up, or the owner decides to call it a day. Staines Town are a recent example of how quickly things can go south when a wealthy owner steps away, although granted they had other issues too.
Watched Chesham United yesterday. Maybe the seventh or eighth time I’ve been to The Meadow this season. Great second half fight back against a very capable Merthyr side (currently 3rd). Ricardo German continues to rip up the league with 28 goals in 26 starts (in all comps). Certainly ready for the league above and could maybe even be part of a Vanarama National squad. 500+ attendance in the pouring rain on a Tuesday night is an excellent crowd size. Chesham are now seven points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand. Keep Ricardo fit and they will almost certainly go up.
I played a cup final at Chesham once - 11-year-old me got so upset by my goalkeeping howler that I had to come off at half-time. We went on to win in extra time. Hallowed ground.
Comments
Rising Ballers Kensington? Surely you get points deducted for that sort of thing.
"Rising Ballers is the biggest Gen Z football brand in the UK. We’re followed by footballers across the UK, and with that we have formed unparalleled relationships. This allows us to tell some of the most exciting and exclusive stories in football, leading us to have one of the most engaged, authentic communities out there."
I don't know what that means exactly, but they have a very large social media following.
More about them here.
I hate them already
Beaconsfield Town won 1-0 at Plymouth Parkway tonight, in the Southern Premier South. That's a hell of a midweek trip. Joel Rollinson scored in the first half. Parkway were unbeaten in nine league games.
I can’t believe you made me read that!
Good to see Beaconsfield putting some form together as it looked like they were on a slow march to the drop a few weeks ago. A bit like, ahem, another team we know…
Presumably they have a bit of beef with Hashtag United? Pass me the sick bucket and my slippers…
That’s a great result.
Good result for Marlow last night; winning 4-1 against Northwood meaning they move up to 3rd with 2 games in hand compared to 1st and 2nd.
Tarpey scored a brace, which means he scored 8 in the last 4 games.
This coming Tuesday (Feb 6th) there’s a very big game in the Southern League Premier South as top-of-the-table Chesham United take on fourth place Merthyr Town at the Meadow. K.o. 7.45 - should be a good one.
On the topic of local teams, was there any particular reason anyone knows of for Mark West leaving Thame? He had been there a long time when he left.
This was Westy's leaving statement, TFP being the owners Thame Football Partnership. A cut in budget is sometimes the reason a successful manager leaves, with no job to go to, but who knows.
It seems like a changing of the guard there. The whole management team & chairman/director all going at the same time.
Either the club's budgets were cut / changed with little or no warning or new members came into the TFP and wanted to make their mark and made it very difficult for Mark et al. to stay.
Yes sounds like somethings gone on with newcomers, a little while back Craig Faulconbridge started to get involved and I had heard whispers that some on the youth development side were not too happy with changes.
Will probably only do 1-2 more of these 'bigger' updates before the end of the season. Tempus fugit and all that. Deep breath...here's a check on how things are shaping up for (some of) our local teams as we approach the final third of the season...
⚽️ National League
They're packed in like sardines in the top-tier of non-league football, with Maidenhead United sitting 16th and four points above the drop-zone. A run of 1 win in 6 (3D, 2L) shouldn't give too much cause for concern and the Magpies do have a couple of games in hand on the bottom dwellers.
Oxford City (I know, not exactly 'local'), replete with their many ex-Wanderers, sit bottom of the NL but they're not completely down and out just yet.
In the NL South, Scott Davies' Slough Town are now unbeaten in 16 at home following a 2-0 win over Weston-super-Mare. The Rebels had looked in trouble a few months ago but they've raced away from the danger zone faster than their player-manager's hairline (low blow?!). Jokes aside, S. Davies has done a terrific job for the old enemy. They probably won't make the play-offs but should secure a respectable finish.
⚽️ Southern League
Surely this is Chesham United's year?! The Southern League Prem South title looks theirs to lose now that the Generals have opened up a four-point gap over Salisbury, while enjoying two games in hand. What an achievement it would be following so many near misses. The Chesh could soon (out)rightly call themselves our fair county's second-best team...
Beaconsfield Town are still looking over their shoulder but a squad many had deemed 'too good to go down' has certainly picked up in recent weeks. The Rams are 15th but only two points from the relegation places with some of their nearest rivals enjoying games in hand. A hard-fought point away at Sholing last time out made it five unbeaten.
In the Southern League Div 1 Central, Aylesbury United parted ways with outspoken manager Jack Wells but still find themselves in deep duck poo. Our county cousins are a point above the two-team drop zone but each of the sides around them - Kidlington, Thame United and Kempston Rovers - have at least two games in hand. The Ducks have placed former Wanderers loanee Dave Tuttle in interim charge until the end of the season.
⚽️ Spartan South Mids
Aylesbury Vale Dynamos continue to have a pretty humdrum season, not helped by postponements owing to the shocking drainage at Haywood Way (they also suffered some recent vandalism if someone else can confirm?!). They lie in 14th spot in the SSM Prem, albeit only four points behind Tring Athletic in seventh. Milton Keynes Irish have games to make up on leaders Real Bedford but bridging an eight-point gap looks a tough ask.
⚽️ Isthmian League
Everyone's favourite non-league forward, Dave Tarpey, has bagged 12 goals for Marlow in the Isthmian South Central, having only joined the club in November. With 'Tarps' and league top scorer, Dawid Rogalski, firing on all cylinders the Blues are sitting handy in fourth spot, six points inside the play-offs. Marlow travel to lowly Chipstead this Tuesday night hoping for more points and more goals.
⚽️ Combined Counties League
It looks like Flackwell Heath's recent 3-1 home reverse to table toppers Rayners Lane has put paid to their CCL Prem North title bid. Probably even more galling considering that the visitors fielded a number of the Heathens' former best players. They're still chipping away though and have games in hand. Burnham occupy the final play-off spot while both Risborough Rangers and Holyport are having fairly safe but forgettable campaigns.
Chalfont St. Peter looked to have turned a corner but another downturn has put them back in trouble, with only three points separating them and the division's one and only relegation spot.
⚽️ Step 6 and beyond,..
Even the arrival of Keith Scott hasn't done much to change Holmer Green's fortunes in the CCL Div 1. It looks like it's going to be another miserable relegation (unless there's some kind of reprieve?!) for a once proud Step 5 club with last Saturday's 3-0 loss at Langley their 19th in 27th league games. The Greens are seven points adrift having played three games more than London Colney.
Amersham Town have been much covered in this thread. Suffice to say they're going to romp to the title, helped by young J. Tabor. Penn and Tylers Green remain stuck in mid-table mud.
In the even murkier depths of Step 7 and the Thames Valley Premier League, the new new Windsor & Eton are having a decent first season, sitting third having played around half their games.
Until next time...
David Tuttle was never one for saving clubs from relegation
Nick Hornby was ever one for being from Kent
Berks County did the league double over Amersham last Saturday, with Tabor scoring in the 3-1 defeat. That was the Magpies' first league defeat since 9th September, and leaves Berks County in second place, 13 points behind with two games in hand. Before that, Amersham lost 5-0 to Tadley Calleva, a division higher, in a league cup game.
Chesham beat Merthyr 2-1. Another big three points for them.
In the Combined Counties Premier South, Farnham Town currently sit top - 21 played, 21 wins, 72 goal difference…
They apparently have a wealthy owner and have a squad of players capable of playing higher up the pyramid. I noticed they have a few ex-pros in there, including Tanner, Kinsella and Wellard.
Oh, I should add, they have 2 games in hand on 2nd and 4 on 3rd, with a 13 point advantage before playing those games.
Tadley Calleva who hammered Jake Tabors Amersham 5-0 were beaten 6-0 by Farnham (Level 9) in a league game just before Christmas.
Tadley are a decent outfit and will finish high mid table this season. Farnham are having huge sums pumped in to the club and squad and would not look out of place in the National League South (Level 6)
Problem is, what happens when the money dries up, or the owner decides to call it a day. Staines Town are a recent example of how quickly things can go south when a wealthy owner steps away, although granted they had other issues too.
Another win (and goal for Tarpey) for Marlow last night. Back up to 3rd
Totally agree but nearly all clubs from Level 2 down are run at a loss and funded by the owner.
Watched Chesham United yesterday. Maybe the seventh or eighth time I’ve been to The Meadow this season. Great second half fight back against a very capable Merthyr side (currently 3rd). Ricardo German continues to rip up the league with 28 goals in 26 starts (in all comps). Certainly ready for the league above and could maybe even be part of a Vanarama National squad. 500+ attendance in the pouring rain on a Tuesday night is an excellent crowd size. Chesham are now seven points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand. Keep Ricardo fit and they will almost certainly go up.
Does their ground meet the standards if promoted? I seem to remember the last time they won the league it didn't, so they couldn't go up.
I just flicked between threads and genuinely thought this was about Oxford for a moment!
I did the same.
Surely it's up to National League South standard? It's a lovely place to watch football!
Were they once denied promotion to the GMVC for the same issue? In the very early nineties?
I played a cup final at Chesham once - 11-year-old me got so upset by my goalkeeping howler that I had to come off at half-time. We went on to win in extra time. Hallowed ground.