Ascension : Ascension Island Football Association
Submitted by The Islander (Islander Editors) 25.04.2013 (Article Archived on 09.05.2013)

The new season is almost upon us and with more player movements than in previous years here are the team updates and gossip before it all kicks off!

Ascension Island Football Association

The new season is almost upon us and with more player
movements than in previous years here are the team updates and gossip before it
all kicks off!

Team: Inbetweeners              Team Colours:
Orange/Black Captain: Richard ‘Crocky’ Thomas

This will be the Inbetweeners 2^ndseason in the
league, this year under the new captaincy of Crocky. The Inbetweeners are known
for allowing the up and coming youth players of the island the chance to break
into senior football,providing them with a mix of experienced players to guide
them through the 90mins. This year that experience will be provided by Crocky
himself along with a player who has done it all in Ascension football, Nicky ‘Rings’
and others such as Greggy Lawrence and the energetic ‘Sue’. The players they
have lost this year are players who have left the island for college and Billy
Minto who has joined another team. They have made a new signing, Ianie Lawrence
who will also provide experience for the youngsters and Scott Duncan will be
making his senior football debut. Although an insider has said that Crocky is
possibly lining up a few more signings before their first game of the season.
We should also watch out for Callum John, this will be his second season in senior
football and seems to have the makings of a quality forward.

Match of the Day pundit Alan Hanson once said ‘you can never win anything with kids’referring
to the Man Unitedfledglings of the 90’s and he was made to eat his words, maybe
the same thing could happen again here on Ascension almost 20 years later?With
so much youth in the team, Inbetweeners will probably be one of the fittest in
the league so anything is possible, we’ll have to wait and see!

Team: Raiders                                        Team Colours: Blue/White                     Captain: Ashley Clingham

Another fairly new team to the league, this will be only
their 3^rd season. Their 1^st season was a washout although
last season saw themjust miss out on 2^nd place in the league and
came runners-up in the knockout competition. There have been many changes in personnel
over their short history, with this season seeing them with a new captain,
Ashley Clingham. They have lost several key players, most notably their first
choice defensive pairing of Antonio ‘Pedro’ and Kurt ‘Bubba’ and last year’s
Goalkeeper of the Season Robert‘Puck 3’. However it looks as though not only
Cable & Wireless were taken over this year, it seems Raiders have as well
as they have been very busy in the transfer window making arguably the shock
signing of the closed season, in Martin ‘Moodas’Bagley a long term member of
his former team. They have also made several other signings includingWilliam
Johnson, Corey Anthony, Tyler Benjamin and Simeon ‘Tiddy Bum’ to name a few.
They are also rumoured to be attempting to make two more big signings, Jeremy
‘Consey’ and Mario ‘ Peaches’ but they are both currently off the island, we’ll
have to wait and see if they sign or stay with their current teams.

It is hard to predict how Raiders will progress this season,
on paper they should be right up there challenging for silverware but with so
many new players it all depends on how quickly the team gels together.

Team: Retards                                        Team Colours: Blue/Yellow                    Captain: Eugene Bennett

For the past 5 or more years the once dominant force in Ascension
football, last season the Retards were without two of their most influential
players and despite a few new signings and a new captain they struggled early
in the season and only started to look near their best towards the end. This
season they have another new captain in Eugene Bennett, who has also been in
the market making several signings, including Kurt ‘Bubba’ and Antonio ‘Pedro’
who will definitely strengthen the team and Chris O’Rourkean overseas signing
who has a proven track record here on Ascension.They have also managed to
resign Steve ‘Roadie’ who was once a prolific forward for them.But there are
rumours they are losing another key long term player, midfield engine Jeremy
‘Consey’. Tyler Benjamin also leaves to return to the team where he first made
his senior debut. They do still have about 8 of their players from a few
seasons ago who will be passing their winning mentality on to their new team
mates.

If Retards pick up where they left off at the end of last
season they will be up there fighting for the top spot, but with the
uncertainty of ‘Consey’ there may be a hole that needs filling in the heart of
midfield, perhaps one of the new signings could do that? They will be desperate
to recapture their glory years and give their fans something to cheer about,
which will make them serious contenders this season.

Team: Two Boats Rowdies    Team
Colours: Amber/Black                  Captain: Johnny Stroud

The once happy-go-lucky team of yesteryear have in recent
seasons started to pick up silverware and climb the table to League Runners-up
last season and Knock-out Champions. This is down to a few reasons, one is due
to their midfield general that is Colin ‘Shoe’, one of the best midfielders in
the league, he makes this team tick and along with his midfield partner Mario ‘Peaches’
(who is rumoured to be leaving the Rowdies this season) they form one of the
best partnerships in the league. Rumour also has it that they were bidding for Shoe’s
son Tylerthis year who would’ve injected youth and speed into the side, perhaps
giving them a slightly different edge to seasons gone by, but was eventually outbidby
another team. They have however resigned Billy Minto, who was once a member of
their squad.Rowdies also owe a bigpart of their success to the UK signings that
they have managed to make over the past few seasons, they have made 4 more this
year who will slot alongside the Rowdies core experienced players of captain Johnny
Stroud, Bluey, Chris George, Colin Duncan andMelvyn Moycewho between them have
around 50 or more seasons experience of Ascension Football.

Rowdies’ season will be the hardest to predict because of
their overseas signings and not knowing their playing quality, our researches
and scouts have been searching YouTube for clips of these players to help aid
our prediction but there was no footage to be found. Soit all remains to be
seen how Two Boats Rowdies will get on this season and if they can continue
building on their recent success.

Team: VC Milan                                      Team Colours: Red/Yellow                     Captain: Errol Thomas

The current League Champions and made up of a group of
players that have been together for over 5 years,although this season will see
more changes than usual.They will be without their midfield trio from last
season, Neil ‘Dicker Boy’ and Mario Anthony (out through injury) and Martin
Whitey will miss the start of the season (granted permission by the club to
return home). A bigger shock is they have lost their goalkeeper and one of the
team originals in Martin ‘Moodas’ and Corey Anthony also leaves, it is not
clear from our sources if these moves are permanent or season long loans- we’ll
have to wait and see.Milan have made several signings of their own, Michael Yon
and Miles ‘Brim’ brings youth and pace to the side, Ally Stu a hard working
utility player can slot in almost anywhere and the resigning of Bryn ‘The
Fireman’ who was a big part of their team a few seasons ago. There are also
rumours that they have managed to sign another overseas player but we’ll have
to see if it’s true and where he’ll fit into the team.

There is no doubt Milan will be playing to regain their title
but with the loss of their goalkeeper and a new midfield it is not a done deal.
But they do have the core team still available, which boasts the meanest
defence last year and in Ashley ‘Dutch’ last year’s Player of the Season and
the unofficial scorer of last year’s  Goal of the Season anything is possible.

That is the 2013 football season teamround up, everything is
all set for the first match on the 27^thApril, 4pm at Long Beach
Football Ground. The ground has facilities for sitting, standing and drive-in
with capacity for the whole island, so why not come on down in your favourite
teams colours and show your support!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

We would also like to remind team captains to ensure their
players obey the rules and wear the correct team colours/kits. There will be
photographers at every game, photographs can be found on our Facebook page,
search Ascension Island Football.

This
Weekend: