Post by Admin on Aug 21, 2024 15:07:15 GMT
Graham's Match Preview -
Wimborne Town vs Walton & Hersham
Southern League Premier South - Sat 24 August 2024 3pm
Between you and me, I've been looking forward to this first-ever meeting between the two clubs.
When I was younger, so much younger than today, Walton & Hersham was one of the big names in amateur football. They won the FA Amateur Cup at the old Wembley in 1973, and that season, and the following one, they reached the second round proper of the FA Cup.
Fast forward forty-five years, and The Swans were playing in the Combined Counties League Division One, which is Step 6 - that's the equivalent of Wessex League One, a single step above the Dorset Premier League in which our Reserves play.
Then, in the summer of 2019, Walton & Hersham was taken-over by seven student friends, and the club's subsequent rise has been nothing short of meteoric:
2019-20 - the season was expunged with The Swans playing at Step6;
2020-21 - the season was curtailed, but The Swans were promoted to Combined Counties Premier Division (Step 5) because of their record over the two non-completed seasons;
2021-22 - The Swans finished second and were promoted to Isthmian League Div One South Central (Step 4);
2022-23 - The Swans finished runners-up to Basingstoke, and were promoted to Southern Premier South (Step 3);
2023-24 - The Swans finished seventh, just three points short of a play-off spot.
There were thirteen new names on the team-sheet for Walton & Hersham's season opener at Totton, a tough encounter which they lost 0-1. On home territory, the Elmbridge Sports Hub which they used to share with the now defunct Walton Casuals, they beat Marlow 3-0 (att: 635), then, last Saturday, early league leaders Merthyr 5-2 (att:572) with Nana Owusu bagging a hat-trick. Centre-forward Dawid Rogalski, who looks a class act, scored in both those games. Another to keep an eye on is experienced central defender Joey Jones who has played full-time in the Football League and National League. The Swans are expected to be around the play-off positions come next April.
Wimborne, too, have six points from their opening three games. Cam Munn's goal gave us a first day win at New Cuthbury over Hanwell, then he bagged a hat-trick as we beat Winchester 4-2 at Basingstoke in mid-week, the irrepressible Billy Walker scoring the other from his customary two yards, before a 0-1 reverse at Gloucester City on Saturday. Tim's squad has been riddled with injuries, with latest dual-signing Joe Ryan making his debut off the bench on Saturday.
The Magpies will start as under-dogs on Saturday against the attractive football-playing visitors. With this game having all the ingredients for being a cracker, you won't want to miss it. After all, it's what Saturday afternoons were made for!
There's plenty of parking at the ground in Ainsley Road BH21 2FU, but if you do decide to park on the nearby streets, please do so respectfully to our neighbours.
The Morebus no.13 runs along Leigh Road from and to The Square in the town centre twice an hour with stops at the bottom of Parmiter Road.
The bike park has been re-installed to the left of the players' entrance.
Admission: adults £14, concessions £8, U18s £5, U13s £2. Season tickets are still available.
Printed programmes will be on sale.
Weather forecast: sunny intervals; 18oC; 20% chance of rain.
Wimborne Town vs Walton & Hersham
Southern League Premier South - Sat 24 August 2024 3pm
Between you and me, I've been looking forward to this first-ever meeting between the two clubs.
When I was younger, so much younger than today, Walton & Hersham was one of the big names in amateur football. They won the FA Amateur Cup at the old Wembley in 1973, and that season, and the following one, they reached the second round proper of the FA Cup.
Fast forward forty-five years, and The Swans were playing in the Combined Counties League Division One, which is Step 6 - that's the equivalent of Wessex League One, a single step above the Dorset Premier League in which our Reserves play.
Then, in the summer of 2019, Walton & Hersham was taken-over by seven student friends, and the club's subsequent rise has been nothing short of meteoric:
2019-20 - the season was expunged with The Swans playing at Step6;
2020-21 - the season was curtailed, but The Swans were promoted to Combined Counties Premier Division (Step 5) because of their record over the two non-completed seasons;
2021-22 - The Swans finished second and were promoted to Isthmian League Div One South Central (Step 4);
2022-23 - The Swans finished runners-up to Basingstoke, and were promoted to Southern Premier South (Step 3);
2023-24 - The Swans finished seventh, just three points short of a play-off spot.
There were thirteen new names on the team-sheet for Walton & Hersham's season opener at Totton, a tough encounter which they lost 0-1. On home territory, the Elmbridge Sports Hub which they used to share with the now defunct Walton Casuals, they beat Marlow 3-0 (att: 635), then, last Saturday, early league leaders Merthyr 5-2 (att:572) with Nana Owusu bagging a hat-trick. Centre-forward Dawid Rogalski, who looks a class act, scored in both those games. Another to keep an eye on is experienced central defender Joey Jones who has played full-time in the Football League and National League. The Swans are expected to be around the play-off positions come next April.
Wimborne, too, have six points from their opening three games. Cam Munn's goal gave us a first day win at New Cuthbury over Hanwell, then he bagged a hat-trick as we beat Winchester 4-2 at Basingstoke in mid-week, the irrepressible Billy Walker scoring the other from his customary two yards, before a 0-1 reverse at Gloucester City on Saturday. Tim's squad has been riddled with injuries, with latest dual-signing Joe Ryan making his debut off the bench on Saturday.
The Magpies will start as under-dogs on Saturday against the attractive football-playing visitors. With this game having all the ingredients for being a cracker, you won't want to miss it. After all, it's what Saturday afternoons were made for!
There's plenty of parking at the ground in Ainsley Road BH21 2FU, but if you do decide to park on the nearby streets, please do so respectfully to our neighbours.
The Morebus no.13 runs along Leigh Road from and to The Square in the town centre twice an hour with stops at the bottom of Parmiter Road.
The bike park has been re-installed to the left of the players' entrance.
Admission: adults £14, concessions £8, U18s £5, U13s £2. Season tickets are still available.
Printed programmes will be on sale.
Weather forecast: sunny intervals; 18oC; 20% chance of rain.
