AFC Totton
| Nationality | British |
|---|---|
| Date signed | 10th Jan 2024 |
| Previous clubs | Reading, Boreham Wood (loan), Basingstoke Town, Port Vale, Welling United, Forest Green Rovers, Woking (loan), Sutton United, Welling United, Oxford City, Hemel Hempstead, AFC Totton, Totton & Eling (dual registration), Bashley |
| Sponsor | Home Kit: THE STAG'S VOICE; Away Kit: AVAILABLE TO SPONSOR; CUP Kit: AVAILABLE TO SPONSOR |
Defender Ben Jefford has returned to the Snows Stadium, signing on a permanent deal after having been with Bashley for six months.
An experienced and strong left-back, who can also operate as the left-sided centre-back in a three, Ben began his football career in Reading’s U18s in 2012, from where he was loaned out to Boreham Wood before joining Basingstoke Town on a free transfer.
In July 2013, he moved to Port Vale on another free transfer. He spent a month on loan at Southport, before signing for Welling United in the summer of 2014. He remained at Park View Road for a year-and-a-half before joining Forest Green Rovers. After a brief loan spell at Woking, he returned to Forest Green in time to play for them at Wembley Stadium in the 2016 National League Promotion Play-Off Final against Grimsby Town, alongside his future AFC Totton and Bashley teammate, Brett Williams.
A short stint at Sutton United was followed by a season with Welling United and more than a year at Oxford City. He signed for Hemel Hempstead in September 2020 but was on the move again a month later, when he returned to Basingstoke Town.
Ben originally signed for AFC Totton from Basingstoke Town in the summer of 2021, after impressing in the Hampshire Invitational Tournament. He captained the team on occasions but a combination of injuries and suspension curtailed his involvement towards the end of the 2021/22 season, causing him to sit out the Southampton Senior Cup Final. He made 10 first team starts during The Stags’ treble-winning 2022/23 season, while also playing a handful of matches for Totton & Eling as a dual-registered player.
His last appearance for AFC Totton before his summer move to Bashley was as a substitute in the SDFA Southampton Senior Cup Final victory over Sholing at St. Mary’s Stadium. He then moved to the GlenMex Stadium to play for The Bash in the Southern League Division One South, where he played alongside his former AFC Totton colleagues Ross Casey, Brett Williams, Conor Whiteley and Callum Baughan, who arrived via Winchester City.
He was a regular feature in a Bashley team that struggled for consistency throughout the first half of the 2023/24 season. When Jimmy Ball identified that he needed more steel among his defensive options, he made the decision to bring the popular defender back to the Snows Stadium on a permanent deal.
Ben Jefford, who recently became a father for the first time, featured as a late substitute during the 1-0 away win at title challengers Salisbury in January 2024.
