Do You Remember When……

Recalling snippets of interest over the years in the Southern Football League.

Keeper Swap

In 1994, Southern League Premier Division club Burton Albion faced a bill of £1,000 after the transfer swap of goalkeepers Nick Goodwin and Darren Acton after a tribunal decided the valuation of the two players.

Acton travelled to Burton for £7,500, while Goodwin moved in the opposite direction to Conference side Telford United for £6,500.

In 2007, Southern Premier club Team Bath`s midfielder Matt Townley won the prestigious player of the round award for scoring a 6-minute hat-trick in his side`s 8-1 victory in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup.

The 23-year-old, who went on to play for Weymouth and Bridgwater Town before going `down under` to work as a physiotherapist near Melbourne in 2012, scored on 50, 54 and 56 minutes of the students` emphatic victory over current Pitching In Southern Division One South club Moneyfields, then in the Wessex League.

Wrong Contract

Banbury United manager Ady Fuller, then 41, reportedly resigned in September 2013.

He later retracted that, according to owner Jed McCrory, as he wanted a settlement.

The Southern League sided with the manager on appeal, forcing Banbury to honour his and his assistant Paul Lamb`s £150-per week agreement.

The only problem was that the pair had signed players` contracts in the summer of 2013. So, McCrory treated them as such – with the unfit duo to report to training and on matchdays!

False Dawn

In 2002, former Southern League club Barry Town, but members of the Welsh Premier at the time, announced that former Wimbledon and England striker Joh Fashanu was to become their new chairman.

Fashanu, who has wide contacts throughout the football and business world, became a major shareholder in the club.

An original `Crazy Gang` member, Fashanu is a Nigerian sporting ambassador and players` agent and his arrival opened up the possibility of Barry benefitting from an influx of African players.

Fashanu was quick to promise the world. He lined up lucrative TV deals with networks in both China and Africa – the likes that still to this day have never been seen in Welsh football. He even promised a first-refusal option with Manchester United on their youth players.

In truth, Fashanu failed to deliver on any of his promises and when the club crashed out of Europe, he duly exited.

With Fashanu leaving the club, Barry entered administration with debts between £200,000 and £300,000.

Shepshed in Danger of Folding

Supporters of Southern Division One West club Shepshed Dynamo faced a bleak Christmas in 2002 when then-chairman Mick Voce declared that he would resign from the Southern League if an investment wasn`t forthcoming by December 31st.

Voce urged investors to back the club in a last-ditch attempt to save it from extinction.

In the end, Shepshed managed to soldier on, being switched to the Northern Premier League two years later before going down to Step 5 in 2012.

`Little Wembley`

In 1962, Southern Premier Division club Romford Borough were building one of the finest set-ups outside the Football League.

Their ground at Brooklands was one of the largest and most impressive in non-League football.

New floodlights costing £13,000 were installed in 1962 and a £30,000 stand was also erected and at the time Brooklands was being planned as a `Little Wembley` with room already for 25,000 and plenty of space for improvement.

Sadly, as time went on, Romford had to sell Brooklands in 1975 and resigned from Southern League just before the 1978/79 season began.

Margate Miss Out

In 1994, Southern League Southern Division club Margate missed out on a considerable sum of money when their former striker Martin Buglione left Scottish Premier Division side St Johnstone to return to Kent to join Southern Premier Division outfit Sittingbourne.

Buglione made just 7 appearances for the Perth side and following a couple of selections as substitute early in the 94/95 season, the player fell just short of earning Margate an `appearance` related fee.

The fee originally received by Gate for the striker was officially `undisclosed` but remains today a club record.

And when one considers that Sittingbourne had to pay £10,000 to sign him, suggests it was a considerable amount.

In February 1996, there were some strange goings on at VS Rugby.

Manager Stewart Robson, the former Arsenal, West Ham United and Coventry City midfielder, and his assistant Dave Whetton resigned only to do an about-turn just 10 days later.

Robson, who took over as boss at Butlin Road in October 1995, quit the club claiming that the Southern Premier Division strugglers lacked ambition and professionalism.

Mindful of the fact that money was in short supply, Robson and Whetton drew up a 16-point plan which included improving training facilities and medical care, introducing a new code of conduct, defining the roles of the committeemen and management staff and using a sports psychologist.

The committee decided to think over the ideas although a few members were obstructive and their `lack of professionalism` led to Robson and Whetton`s resignations.

However, following a meeting with chairman Peter Kilvert, the duo were persuaded to return after being guaranteed that their plans would be implemented.

Robson, more noted for his media work these days, stressed that his resignation had nothing to do with the club`s perilous league position, in fact he had even thought about buying the Warwickshire outfit himself.

The players were certainly delighted with the management team`s U-turn and they pulled off a vital 4-0 win over fellow strugglers Ilkeston Town in the next game to bring Valley to within a couple of points of the safety mark.

It wasn`t to last though as VS Rugby finished bottom, with Ilkeston 12 points above them in second-from-bottom spot and both were relegated – Robson did leave at the end of the campaign.

Islanders Safe

Southern Division One East club Newport Isle of Wight had their immediate future secured in 2002, thanks to the local council.

In November 2002 there were fears that the Islanders could go to the wall when they were put into voluntary receivership.

But the council signed a deal to buy Port`s training pitch for £750,000, giving Bill Manuel the financial flexibility to continue as chairman and majority shareholder.

Prolific Striker/Turned Keeper!

After returning to Southern Premier Division club Welling United in February 2003, the now veteran former Enfield, Barnet and England semi-professional international striker Gary Abbott made a dramatic return to the team.

Prior to a midweek Kent Senior Cup tie against Division One East outfit Folkestone Invicta, Welling`s regular goalkeeper, Glen Knight, suffered a painful reaction to a previous injury during the warm-up.

Without another custodian present eligible to play in the match, Abbott took over between the sticks.

The deputy `keeper conceded only one goal, while forward Paul Booth netted a hat-trick in the Wings` 6-1 win.

Bourne to Win!

In October 1994, Southern Premier Division club Sittingbourne called an extraordinary general meeting of its members.

The club`s motto is `Bourne to Win` but the club`s directors reported that, following an independent financial investigation, the company was indebted to its creditors to the tune of a staggering £1.14m, with assets immediately realisable amounting to £266,000.

A further appraisal revealed that the cost of completing work at their Central Park ground would be at an upper level of £685,000, although identified modified schemes could reduce that slightly.

The members resolved that the directors be instructed to appoint a qualified Insolvency Practitioner to consider a voluntary arrangement with the company`s creditors, to alter the rules of the club to enable the borrowing of sums considered necessary and available to ensure the company continues to trade lawfully and to direct the trustees to give the fullest consideration to all necessary steps to give effect to these resolutions.

They were particularly asked to look to change by way of mortgage or to sell the club` freehold assets that they consider appropriate, giving due regard to the protection of the interests of members and football in the area.

Understandably, with off-field problems like that, Sittingbourne had to drastically reduce the player wage budget and were subsequently relegated at the end of the 1994/95 season.

Although the team bounced back, winning the Southern Division title at the first attempt, they were relegated again in 1998 as the club hovered on the brink of being wound up completely.

A move out of Central Park and another drastic reduction in the playing budget saw the Brickies through their troubles, but they flirted with relegation back to the Kent League for a number of years, only finishing in the top half of the table on one occasion in the next eight seasons before being switched to the Isthmian League.

Good Luck Charm Ran Out of Steam

Southern Division One East club Rothwell Town`s physiotherapist Bob Brameh spent Christmas 2002 in India.

During his visit, Bob bought a Hindu good luck charm, a wooden elephant.

Before his first game back with the Cecil Street club, Bob presented the treasure to manager Nicky Platnauer.

The elephant was placed in the dressing room for home and away matches, taking great care is sat facing the door.

The Bones enjoyed a lengthy unbeaten run with the elephant at the door – sadly it didn`t last though and they finished up in third-from-bottom spot!

The Names the Same!

In February 1992, supporters of Southern Premier Division club Atherstone United could be forgiven for being a little confused!

Manager Joe Gallagher, the former Birmingham City centre-half, made Roy Green his latest signing from neighbours Tamworth.

The only trouble was it gave the Adders three forwards with the same name!

Roy joined Kim and Rob in the Sheepy Road attack, although Rob did improve the confusion slightly as he has an E on the end of his surname!

The 100 Club

In December 1993, Southern Premier Division club Trowbridge Town were probably in a unique position.

They were able to field a complete team of players who had passed the 100-game mark for the club.

Defender Mike Kilgour, who was in his second spell at Frome Road, became the latest member of the `100 club` when he completed his century of appearances in a Wiltshire Floodlight Cup match against Chippenham Town on December 15th, 1992.

And Kilgour celebrated with a goal as Trowbridge ran out 5-0 winners.

He joined fellow defenders Paul Rose (224), Toby Jackson (115) and Neil Reeves (108), midfielders Dave Dennison (102), Steve Lester (203) and Marcus Bray (352), forwards Mark Adams (133), John Freegard (160) and Adie Harris (177) plus goalkeeper Mark Teasdale (148) as members of the century brigade.

Locals Club Together to Bring Striker Back

In December 2002, businesses in Taunton helped to finance the £3,000 move of Tiverton Town striker Antony Lynch back to Taunton Town.

Taunton`s supporters` club promised £1,000 towards the fee, while other fans contributed around £500.

Lynch returned to renew his previously prolific partnership with Ellis Laight at Wordsworth Road which helped the club to win the FA Vase a couple of years before.