AFC Totton
THE VENUE:
Hardwicke Playing Field, Tytherington, South Gloucestershire GL12 8UU
The majority of the Stags returned from their holidays on Monday 20 June to be weighed and sprint-tested – and to receive their annual telling off for eating too much pizza!
Regular training sessions since have enabled the players to get back into the routine, while also providing the opportunity to integrate several new arrivals into the group. And the fitness regimen will be ramped up in earnest when the squad travels to Bristol on Friday 08 July for a pre-season training camp.
The following day, they will play the first of eight pre-season friendlies with a visit to Western League Division One outfit, Tytherington Rocks at the Hardwicke Playing Field in South Gloucestershire, kick-off at 3:00pm.
WORKING HARD NOW: The AFC Totton squad get ready to begin a training exercise.
The Rocks, who wear black and orange stripes, were formed in 1932. They have racked up a number of titles in the Bristol and Suburban League and associated cup competitions throughout their history.
The Hellenic Football League is the highest level of the English Football Pyramid they have ever reached, although they were relegated to the Western League at Non-League Step 5 in the 2017/18 season without picking up a single point.
In 2021, Tytherington were transferred to Division One of the Western League, finishing 12th among 21 teams last season with a record of 52 points from 40 league matches. The club was bolstered recently by the integration of North Bristol United FC, who now compete as Tytherington Rocks Reserves in the Premier Division of the Bristol and Suburban Association Football League.
More than half of the AFC Totton squad will be in line to make their unofficial Stags debuts throughout the eight-game pre-season campaign.
Goalkeeper Lloyd Thomas is likely to start as Lewis Noice continues to rebuild his fitness after a broken collarbone put him out of action at the end of last season. Charlie Kennedy, Luke Hallett and returning veteran left-back Michael Green will all be vying for positions in Jimmy Ball’s new-look defence.
The experienced Mike Carter will be seeking to establish his authority in the midfield, while Scott Rendell and Jireh Oyebamiji – two players at opposite ends of their playing careers – will aim to provide goals, alongside those Stags who remain from the 2021/22 campaign.
ONWARDS AND UPWARDS: Jireh Oyebamiji is among a host of new signings who will be looking to impress Jimmy Ball during the Stags' pre-season campaign.
Youngsters Diego Ramos and Brenno Narezzi have both been training with the first team squad after a successful campaign in Brett Williams’s PRO:Direct Academy title-winning side last season, while Jimmy Ball has also been running the rule over two trialists - about whom more will be revealed on this website in the coming days.
For their second pre-season fixture, the Stags will make the short trip to Claypits Lane to take on Wessex League Premier Division side Hythe & Dibden on Tuesday 12 July, kick-off at 7:45pm.
By Ben Rochey-Adams
Images courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
