Ladies Award Winners 2012/13

Friday evening saw the ladies team enjoy their presentation evening for the 2012/13 season with the following winners:

Manager's Player of the Year - Hannah Smith

Player's Player of the Year - Terri Harper

Top Goalscorer - Lucy Easton

Club Person of the Year - Karrin French-Wollen

Kate Cook presented awards to Dan Adamski and Larry Miller in appreciation for their help and support over the season whilst Sue Thorne, Phil Marshall and Stewart Cook each received something by way of thanks.

News from the AGM

Following the Club’s AGM on Thursday evening, two new directors have been appointed.  Firstly though, tributes were paid to Sue Cox who is standing down after doing an excellent job administering the finances over the past few seasons in conjunction with Phil Marshall, who will now take over as the Financial Director, relinquishing his role as Club Manager.  Sue will continue to run the refreshment bar.

There was a welcome return to the Club for Gareth Coates who will resume as General Secretary whilst there is new blood in the form of Kelvin Poulter.  Kelvin, as Chairman of the Junior Section, has stepped up and will take over as Club Manager also taking a lead role in future developments.  Also joining the Committee is wife Jackie, whose work with Sue Thorne to provide hot food on Sunday mornings made Ashford a good place to visit for junior clubs this last season.

The Annual Dinner & Presentation Evening takes place next Friday, 24 May, at Laleham Golf Club.  There are still one or two tickets left, if anyone would like to get in touch.

Paul Burgess outlined the playing progress through the season which had seen the 1^st Team acquire two more points than in the last campaign, to achieve a top half finish, and reach the Final of the Middlesex Senior Cup for the first time ever.  The Suburban League side under Mick Snowden had come within a point of their Divisional championship and can now anticipate promotion to the Premier B division next season.  The Under-18’s had performed creditably under firstly Mark Hughes and latterly Leon Turner, coming 4^th in a tough Ryman Youth League division.  The Ladies in their first season with Ashford and at a higher level, had done well to finish in 6^th place while several of the junior sides had enjoyed excellent seasons, especially the Under-12’s who had reached their County Final.

This Sunday, through the efforts of Tyrone Fernando, the Club will see a Sri Lankan day with football, cricket and other attractions.  Please come down and enjoy yourselves.  The day will be graced by the presence later on of the High Commissioner for Sri Lanka.

The Club’s major concern relates to the roof which is in need of urgent repair and Mr. Coates confirmed that a grant application had been made which would also allow for complete re-decoration and it is hoped that this will solve the problem.  There has also been an offer from a junior member to refurbish the toilets in the club house and this was gratefully accepted.

Training will start on Saturday 30 June at the ground when last season’s squad plus prospective new players will be warmly welcome.  There will be more details on this in due course.

FA announce League line-ups

The Football Association have today announced the provisional constitutions for the various Leagues at Steps 1-4 of the National League System. We will continue to play in the Central Division of the Southern League, but there are a number of changes to the list of clubs we will play.

A number of promoted clubs enter the division, specifically Aylesbury United and Dunstable Town from the Spartan South Midlands League, our old friends and rivals Egham Town, champions of the Combined Counties League, Hellenic League title-winners Marlow, whom we met a couple of seasons ago and St Ives Town, runners-up in the United Counties League, whom we have never met before. The other newcomers to our division whom we have never previously played are Kettering Town, relegated from the Southern League Premier Division. It will be interesting a club with such an illustrious history at the upper end of non-league football, particularly given that our club has been on a relatively rapid upward journey.

Also coming into the division are Potters Bar Town, transferred from Division One North of the Isthmian League. Four clubs transfer out of our division into the Southern League's South & West Division, specifically Fleet Town, Godalming Town, Guildford City and Thatcham Town. For the first three of these clubs, it can only be assumed that their proximity to the M3 has been a factor in the decision, while the Kingfishers were transferred out of the South & West Division 12 months ago. We wish all four the very best of luck in their new adventures, while also offering a warm welcome to our new opponents.

It should be noted that the allocations are provisional, and will remain subject to change until ratified at the Southern League AGM next month.

The current Central Division constitution is as follows:

AFC Hayes
Ashford Town (Middlesex)
Aylesbury
Aylesbury United
Barton Rovers
Beaconsfield SYCOB
Chalfont St Peter
Chertsey Town
Daventry Town
Dunstable Town
Egham Town
Kettering Town
Leighton Town
Marlow
North Greenford United
Northwood
Potters Bar Town
Royston Town
Rugby Town
St Ives Town
Slough Town
Uxbridge

Ladies Finish on a High

The ladies team finally completed their season yesterday with a double-header at the Beveree to meet Hampton & Richmond Borough.

Despite not being at our best in the first fixture some good character was shown to rescue a point thanks to Tash Lodder crashing in a drive from distance to equalise.  The team had chances to go on to win the game but were denied by the woodwork and eventually the clock in these 60 minute matches and had to settle for 1-1.

Thankfully the team started the second game with the same desire they finished the first and dominated proceedings.  Kee Kee Kobus opened the score with a smart finish from close range before Julie Newell, making her first start of the season, scored with a well taken header.  The team created chance after chance but found the Beavers keeper in fine form as she pulled off some stunning saves to keep the score at 2-0.

The results helped lift the team to a sixth placed finish in their first season at a higher level and of course their debut season as Ashford Town (Middlesex) so will be considered a success.