Weston receive their shield
Weston won their division last midweek after beating Hendon 4-1 in front of a terrific crowd of 1,490, with a hat-trick from Marlon Jackson sandwiched between a Jason Pope effort.
After the game, Southern League Chairman Anthony Hughes presented the giant shield and individual medals to the Seagulls.
Scott Bartlett’s side had been in the top four for the majority of the season.
They began the 2022/23 season with a 2-2 draw at a Bracknell Town side who were going to prove to be their biggest rivals in the end.
Successive victories against Gosport Borough, Yate Town, Poole Town, Harrow Borough, who were hammered 7-0 at the Optima Stadium, and then Plymouth Parkway followed before Weston beat the new Isthmian League South Central Division champions Basingstoke Town 4-2 away in the Emirates FA Cup.
A 0-0 draw at Truro City, another side to be a title challenger for the majority of the campaign, was followed by another FA Cup win, although Toolstation Western League Premier Division outfit Shepton Mallet gave them a tough test at the Optima before Weston ran out 1-0 winners in the Second Qualifying Round.
Two more league wins followed against last season’s play-off finalists Hayes & Yeading United and Swindon Supermarine followed before a Rueben Reid hat-trick helped the Seagulls through in the FA Cup 7-2 at home to another Western League Premier Division side, Helston Athletic.
Progress was then made in the Isuzu FA Trophy at Yate before Dorchester Town were beaten 3-0 at the Avenue Stadium.
However, Weston’s first set-back of the season came on October 15th when they were beaten 3-0 at The Hive by National League side Barnet.
How would the Seagulls react to a first defeat of the campaign?
Well, the answer was not great in their next game as they suffered their home loss of the season when Chesham United took a 3-1 win back to Buckinghamshire.
However, Bartlett’s side recovered well in a run of five successive home matches.
Hanwell Town’s first ever visit to the Optima Stadium saw the Seagulls triumph 3-0 and it was the same scoreline three days later when another new visitor, North Leigh, made the journey from Oxfordshire.
But Weston bowed out of the Trophy the following Saturday when Isthmian Premier Division side Bognor Regis Town edged a 2-1 win at the Optima, thanks to a Nathan Odokonyero brace.
Once again though, Bartlett’s men shook off that disappointment to achieve league wins against Salisbury and Poole at home and Merthyr Town and Yate away.
But a second league defeat came on Saturday, November 26th when Beaconsfield Town snatched a 1-0 Holloways Park victory.
Wins followed though at home to Hartley Wintney and away at Tiverton Town on Boxing Day before Plymouth Parkway were beaten 1-0 at the Optima on January 2nd in front of a crowd of 1,234.
Harrow suffered a second hammering at Weston’s hands, this time 5-1 on their own Earlsmead patch, but Truro, who had held the Seagulls to a 0-0 draw earlier in the season, came to the Optima and secured a 1-0 win in front of another big crowd of 1,314.
However, Weston went unbeaten throughout February, dropping just 4 points after draws away at Swindon Supermarine and Metropolitan Police.
The crucial March period saw the `double` achieved on Weston’s first visit to the Powerday Stadium against Hanwell but Beaconsfield then held the Seagulls at the Optima before, after a 1-0 win at Winchester City, Bracknell, left with a horrendous backlog of fixtures due to their cup exploits, achieved a big 3-1 win at Weston to put the pressure on Bartlett’s side.
That pressure increased when Weston were held at home by the Met Police in their next game, relegation battling North Leigh secured a terrific 2-0 win at Eynsham Park and then a 1-1 draw at play-off chasing Chesham followed.
The `double` over Winchester eased Weston’s nerves somewhat, but then a surprise 0-0 draw at relegation threatened Hartley Wintney threatened to cause more pressure.
However, three successive home wins against Tiverton, Merthyr and then Hendon followed to achieve the dream of winning their place back in the National League South, having suffered relegation at the end of the 2018/19 season, when they finished bottom of the table – it was Weston’s first relegation in their 137-year history.
Marc McGregor’s tenure as manager came to an end in March 2019 and Scott Bartlett returned as their new boss – he had a spell as caretaker manager in 2016/17 – ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.
The Seagulls` first two seasons back in the Southern League were abandoned prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the 2021/22 season saw Weston finish the season in fifth place, qualifying for the end of season play-offs but they lost their semi-final 2–1 against Hayes & Yeading.
Tamworth had to wait until the final day of the regular season to seal the Premier Division Central title.
Tamworth celebrate their title success
The Lambs had to beat Redditch United at the Trico Stadium and hope second-placed Coalville Town didn’t hammer Stourbridge by a considerable margin at the Mander Cruickshank Solicitors Stadium.
In the end, Andy Peaks` side won 3-0 in front of a terrific crowd of 1,942, boosted by a big number of Lambs fans, with Ty Deacon, Kyle Finn and Jamie Jellis on target.
Adam Stevens` Coalville side did their best in front of another big crowd – 1,710 – and won 3-1 with a quickfire Tim Berridge opener followed by George Wilson and Billy Kee efforts.
But the Lambs sealed the title on a better goal difference of just 3.
Having achieved a remarkable turnaround when surprising many by leaving a then-high-flying AFC Rushden & Diamonds side in February 2022 after eight years in charge to join a relegation-threatened Tamworth, he guided the side to a very creditable 10th finishing position.
Peaks turned to some familiar faces in former Diamonds` favourites Liam Dolman, Alex Collard, Ty Deacon and Luke Fairlamb to bolster his squad.
But it’s been the goals of Dan Creaney and Eoin McKeown that have helped keep the Staffordshire outfit at the summit for the majority of the season.
The 2022/23 campaign started with two successive 1-1 draws at home to the newly-switched Ilkeston Town and then at the War Memorial Athletic Ground against Stourbridge.
Rushall Olympic were beaten 3-1 at home and then a struggling Bedford Town side were hammered 8-1 at The Eyrie, with Creaney bagging four.
However, the Lambs first defeat came at home seven days later when Coalville enjoyed a surprisingly comfortable 4-1 success.
August ended with a 3-1 win at Alvechurch before Northern Premier League Division Midlands side Boldmere St Michaels were on the wrong end of a 6-0 battering at the CR Mot Centre Community Stadium in the First Qualifying Round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Another newcomer from the Northern Premier League, Basford United, were seen off 2-1 at home the next week, but National League North side Kidderminster Harriers secured a 1-0 Aggborough victory in the FA Cup four days later.
The remainder of September saw Tamworth win at home to Kings Langley and away at the third team switched from the NPL, Mickleover, before Peaks` side enjoyed an excellent October.
There were league wins at home to Barwell, Hitchin Town and Royston Town, Peaks` former club Diamonds were beaten at Hayden Road in the Third Qualifying Round of the Isuzu FA Trophy and two away wins in the league at Bromsgrove Sporting and Hednesford Town were followed by another Trophy win, this time at NPL Premier Division strugglers Liversedge.
The Lambs began November by being held to a goalless draw at home by Redditch United and then came successive away defeats at Needham Market and a Leiston side who would go on to prove to be a real threat for the title.
The disappointing month was slightly brightened by a penalty shoot-out victory at home to National League North side Boston United after a 1-1 draw in normal time, but successive away draws at Rushall and Nuneaton Borough ended a month in which the Lambs picked up only 3 points.
December didn’t start much better. In fact Tamworth fans were beginning to question their title hopes after a Bedford side, hammered away earlier in the season, held the Lambs to a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture.
But the remainder of December saw Peaks` side enjoy another victory against his former club at Hayden Road and further league wins at Ilkeston and Stratford Town on Boxing Day as well as a good 2-1 success in the Trophy against another National League North side, Leamington.
The New Year began with a comfortable 3-0 home win against Alvechurch, but five days later, their nearest rivals Coalville sneaked a 1-0 win at the Mander Cruickshank Solicitors Stadium to put the pressure on Tamworth.
That was followed by a Trophy exit at National League South side Hungerford Town and a response was required.
And how they responded!
The Lambs inflicted a humiliating 9-1 hammering on struggling Hednesford at home, with McKeown netting a hat-trick and Creaney and Ty Deacon braces.
Wins followed at Basford and then at home to St Ives Town and Mickleover before their was a home slip up as Stourbridge achieved a 3-0 success.
A draw at Kings Langley and a win at Barwell followed before the home game against Nuneaton had to be abandoned due to crowd issues.
Tamworth had led the table for the majority of the season, but after wins against Bromsgrove and Hitchin, Needham Market achieved the `double` over the Lambs at the CR MOT.
Peaks` side recovered to win at Royston Town in their final match of March but a third game against Diamonds saw the bosses` former side hold on for a 2-2 draw.
And when St Ives beat Tamworth 2-0 at the Westwood Stadium, Coalville and Leiston were back in the mix.
However, the Lambs responded superbly to enjoy successive home wins against Stratford, crucially against Leiston to virtually knock them out of the equation, and then Nuneaton, before their final day win at Redditch clinched a return to the National League North after being relegated at the end of the 2017/18 season.
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