Season predictions

[Ian Pethick]

29 minutes ago, sportsman10 said:

Why do they need a Bodmin player ? I thought they had a link up with Penzance to use players ??

Wilson signing not been announced by Helston, so no idea if it's a dual signing with Bodmin or a permanent move. Harsh on another newcomer, Nat West, only making the bench. Would have thought that he was a banker to start ... (Sorry)

[mattelot]

4 hours ago, Way Of The Park said:

Wilson signing not been announced by Helston, so no idea if it's a dual signing with Bodmin or a permanent move. Harsh on another newcomer, Nat West, only making the bench. Would have thought that he was a banker to start ... (Sorry)

Sounds like he's been short changed .🤭

[Footy Detective]

On 30/07/2022 at 23:37, Way Of The Park said:

Barnstaple very much kept their powder dry over the summer, they only announced a retained list on Thursday and had not trumpeted any new signings on social media.  They have a manager who's been around the block many times, proven step 4/5 players in Matt Andrew, Billy Tucker and Stuart Bowker plus a group of exciting local youngsters. Shouldn't be too far away next May.

 

Lost away to Bridgewater last night who having thumped Helston four nothing on Saturday must be early favourites.

[SomersetObserver]

3 hours ago, Footy Detective said:

Lost away to Bridgewater last night who having thumped Helston four nothing on Saturday must be early favourites.

Very much a game of two halves. First half Bridgwater could have easily been 4 or 5 up and Barnstaple could have had no complaints as the very young Barnstaple back line was all over the place.  But as it was going into first half stoppage time they were only two down with the goals coming through a rather comedic own goal and another that looked as though in went straight in at the near post from a corner. Then in first half stoppage time Billy Tucker scored a lovely lob and second half Barnstaple were much the better team with Tucker controlling the game but bar one excellent save from a header from a corner they never managed to create a real clear cut chance against an as always very solid Bridgwater defence.  

From what I saw of Barnstaple last night I'd say top half side comfortably who maybe could push for top six as they will always have a chance with Tucker in the side who for me is the best player in the league but with the amount of youngsters they have in the side I'd say this season is probably about them learning and developing.

As for Bridgwater they have added some extra fire power in attack which they lacked at times last season and kept the same very solid back line they had last season, I'd be very surprised if they weren't there or thereabouts come the end of the season. 

[Ian Pethick]

Good report Somerset Observer. This forum, by its very nature, is focussed heavily on the Cornish clubs. Good to hear about the other contenders in the Western League.

[Easterfield]

Buckland v Welton was a bruising encounter settled by a cracking first-half goal from the home team. Lots of stoppage time; a fair amount of dissent and misbehaviour. And decent football at times.

Buckland will be fine. Impressed by the new signings and by the more established players. Pitch looking good after summer work.

Welton are a snarling, aggressive bunch and look set to be tough opponents if last night is anything to go by. The sort of team that sets out to dictate the mood of the game. And will often succeed.

A dollop of not at all relevant history here. Welton won the Western League three times on the trot in the mid-1960s at precisely the time I first noticed such things. They were getting ex-pros, with many games under their belt, up from places like Torquay in those days. That was the fag end of the Somerset coalfield and I suspect there was decent money coming through the social club. Ultimately, rather than Welton Rovers, it was Paulton Rovers who carried on the coalfield's footballing tradition.

That's history now. Wherever the boundary ends up - and however it floats - Welton will probably be on the other side. Could be one-off opponents for a few Cornish clubs this season. They may be particularly grumpy after a long trip.

[Footy Detective]

Aren’t Radstock Town known as “ The Miners “ ? 
Also another team from the Zummerzet coalfield although in division one at present.

[Buckland Jim]

35 minutes ago, Easterfield said:

Buckland v Welton was a bruising encounter settled by a cracking first-half goal from the home team. Lots of stoppage time; a fair amount of dissent and misbehaviour. And decent football at times.

Buckland will be fine. Impressed by the new signings and by the more established players. Pitch looking good after summer work.

Welton are a snarling, aggressive bunch and look set to be tough opponents if last night is anything to go by. The sort of team that sets out to dictate the mood of the game. And will often succeed.

A dollop of not at all relevant history here. Welton won the Western League three times on the trot in the mid-1960s at precisely the time I first noticed such things. They were getting ex-pros, with many games under their belt, up from places like Torquay in those days. That was the fag end of the Somerset coalfield and I suspect there was decent money coming through the social club. Ultimately, rather than Welton Rovers, it was Paulton Rovers who carried on the coalfield's footballing tradition.

That's history now. Wherever the boundary ends up - and however it floats - Welton will probably be on the other side. Could be one-off opponents for a few Cornish clubs this season. They may be particularly grumpy after a long trip.

Missed this last night due to working but by all accounts I missed a decent match. Can't ask for anything more than six points out of six, next stop, the FA Cup on Saturday v Exmouth. 

[Easterfield]

48 minutes ago, Footy Detective said:

Aren’t Radstock Town known as “ The Miners “ ? 
Also another team from the Zummerzet coalfield although in division one at present.

That's right. Hardly any distance between Radstock and Welton's ground in Midsomer Norton.

Clandown were another. Falmouth would have encountered them. Sloping ground, now long gone. As has the club.

Various Peasedown clubs over the years. Currently Peasedown Miners Welfare in the Somerset County League.

Suspect players are just as likely to come from Bath as Bristol.

Fascinating area. My father was a "commercial traveller" and dealt with the (then) many co-op shops in the area. We were baffled why there so many. But that would have been typical of a mining area.    

    

[Town Fan]

1 hour ago, Easterfield said:

That's right. Hardly any distance between Radstock and Welton's ground in Midsomer Norton.

Clandown were another. Falmouth would have encountered them. Sloping ground, now long gone. As has the club.

Various Peasedown clubs over the years. Currently Peasedown Miners Welfare in the Somerset County League.

Suspect players are just as likely to come from Bath as Bristol.

Fascinating area. My father was a "commercial traveller" and dealt with the (then) many co-op shops in the area. We were baffled why there so many. But that would have been typical of a mining area.    

    

Clandown were Falmouth Town's last opponents in the Western League some thirty-nine years ago (as mentioned elsewhere in the forum) before Falmouth withdrew from the league.

[sportsman10]

Parkway announced they have signed Reece shanley from helston. Bit of a blow to lose him I would imagine for helston. 

[Easterfield]

On 03/08/2022 at 19:07, Town Fan said:

Clandown were Falmouth Town's last opponents in the Western League some thirty-nine years ago (as mentioned elsewhere in the forum) before Falmouth withdrew from the league.

Clandown were strong then. Starting to think of them as a coalfield Bugle! 

[The Town Man]

2 hours ago, Easterfield said:

Clandown were strong then. Starting to think of them as a coalfield Bugle! 

Or maybe Bugle were a China Clay Clandown!

[Easterfield]

Two wins out of two - and an FA Cup draw against Ilfracombe - for Sherborne Town.

Don't know anything about them so won't make any predictions, grand or otherwise.

But there's theory. If they're "competitive" in the player market they couild have first pick of players living in the Yeovil area. That's a fair-sized town with a football mindset. That may be more true now Bridport have slipped.

But so might Street and even Shapton Mallet. In theory anyhow. Interesting to see how Sherborne's results match up against Shepton's and if they'll be part of the "awkward squad" from a Cornwall and Devon perspective.   

An odd one too in terms of future step 5 boundaries. I reckon that, depending on relegations/promotions with step 4, there could be two extremes varying over a period of time. One sees the Cornwall and Devon-dominated section being short of up to three clubs in some seasons. The other sees up to three Devon clubs spilling over into the other section on occasions. Those are extremes and we see any exchange being with Somerset. But, with respect to geography and roads, you might as well count Sherborne (Dorset) as being in Somerset.        

[Buckland Jim]

27 minutes ago, Easterfield said:

Two wins out of two - and an FA Cup draw against Ilfracombe - for Sherborne Town.

Don't know anything about them so won't make any predictions, grand or otherwise.

But there's theory. If they're "competitive" in the player market they couild have first pick of players living in the Yeovil area. That's a fair-sized town with a football mindset. That may be more true now Bridport have slipped.

But so might Street and even Shapton Mallet. In theory anyhow. Interesting to see how Sherborne's results match up against Shepton's and if they'll be part of the "awkward squad" from a Cornwall and Devon perspective.   

An odd one too in terms of future step 5 boundaries. I reckon that, depending on relegations/promotions with step 4, there could be two extremes varying over a period of time. One sees the Cornwall and Devon-dominated section being short of up to three clubs in some seasons. The other sees up to three Devon clubs spilling over into the other section on occasions. Those are extremes and we see any exchange being with Somerset. But, with respect to geography and roads, you might as well count Sherborne (Dorset) as being in Somerset.        

Sherborne Town could also have a pick of players from Bournemouth/Poole, OK its further away than Yeovil, but still feasible. 

[Ian Pethick]

2 hours ago, Buckland Jim said:

Sherborne Town could also have a pick of players from Bournemouth/Poole, OK its further away than Yeovil, but still feasible. 

Several established Southern League clubs in that area. Players seem to move between Salisbury, Poole. Dorchester and Wimborne with regularity.

Nearby Swanage had a spell in the Western League Prem at the end of the 80's. A long away trip from Cornwall, but a very scenic town to visit.

[Easterfield]

21 hours ago, Way Of The Park said:

Several established Southern League clubs in that area. Players seem to move between Salisbury, Poole. Dorchester and Wimborne with regularity.

Nearby Swanage had a spell in the Western League Prem at the end of the 80's. A long away trip from Cornwall, but a very scenic town to visit.

Shaftesbury did well in the Wessex League at step 5 last season. You'd suspect that was with more East Dorset and Wiltshire players than Sherborne may have been using in the Western. Anything's possible although it's an area of pretty slow roads in the main. 

[SomersetObserver]

57 minutes ago, Easterfield said:

Shaftesbury did well in the Wessex League at step 5 last season. You'd suspect that was with more East Dorset and Wiltshire players than Sherborne may have been using in the Western. Anything's possible although it's an area of pretty slow roads in the main. 

The majority of Sherborne's squad do come from the Yeovil area. 

[Easterfield]

30 minutes ago, SomersetObserver said:

The majority of Sherborne's squad do come from the Yeovil area. 

Yeovil's population is close on 50,000 - far larger than anywhere in Cornwall or many parts of the region. Other than Yeovil Town, its most senior team is Westland United in the Dorset Premier. That does suggest a decent pool of players.