Division One South Preview

It’s a new-look division for 2022/23 with Bashley, Bishops Cleeve, Exmouth Town, Tavistock AFC, Westbury United and Hamworthy United all being promoted.

However, starting as one of the pundits` main choice as promotion favourites are Wimborne Town, who were relegated from the Premier Division South.

The club have remained loyal to manager James Stokoe, who has undertaken something of an overhaul of his squad with several interesting signings, especially the experienced Luke Burbidge and Jordan Rose.

New Signings:

Harry Baker – Frome Town
Luke Burbidge - Shaftesbury
Oakley Hanger – Dorchester Town
Jack Hoey – AFC Totton
Tom Parker-Trott – AFC Stoneham
Aaron Roberts – AFC Bournemouth
Ben Rodwell - Bashley

Jordan Rose - Salisbury
Ben Satterley - Shaftesbury
Ashley Wells – Dorchester Town

Frome Town finished as runners-up to champions Plymouth Parkway and will also be expected to feature again.

The well-supported Somerset outfit have been relatively quiet in the summer to date, although Luke Hopper and Owen Humphries have been scoring goals in per-season.

New Signings:

Jamie Adams – Yate Town
Alfie Clarke – Paulton Rovers
Luke Hopper – Yate Town
Owen Humphries – Larkhall Athletic
Ben Withey – Paulton Rovers

Hampshire neighbours AFC Totton and Sholing should also be challenging again, having finished sixth and seventh respectively in 2021/22.

The Stags have the vastly experienced Scott Rendell now leading their attack and they have made some other decent-looking recruits.

New Signings:

Mike Carter – Gosport Borough
Michael Green – Lymington Town
Luke Hallett – Forest Green Rovers
Charlie Kennedy – Salisbury
Yemi Odubade – Dorchester Town
Scott Rendell – Havant & Waterlooville
Lloyd Thomas – Carshalton Athletic

The Boatmen have brought back fan favourite Lee Wort to add firepower to a team that struggled to score goals last season.

Otherwise, it’s very much `as you were` for Dave Diaper’s side.

New Signings:

Rob Flooks – AFC Totton
Dom Panesar-Dower – Blackfield & Langley
Lee Wort – AFC Portchester

Bristol Manor Farm pipped AFC Totton for fifth spot last season and obviously manager Lee Lashenko is happy with his lot as, to date, he has been amongst the least busy of the division’s bosses.

New Signings:

Marcus Day – Barry Town United
Evander Grubb – Huddersfield Town

The well-supported Melksham Town finished eighth last season but their loyal fans will want Richard Fey’s side to be promotion contenders this term.

New Signings:

Jack Camm – Larkhall Athletic
Dale Evans – Larkhall Athletic
James Guthrie – Highworth Town
Conor Thompson – Highworth Town
Jack Witcombe – Frome Town
Chris Zebroski – Wantage Town

Of the newcomers to the division, Bashley, back after six seasons in the Wessex League, will be expected to the strongest and some decent summer recruiting suggests they’ll be fine.

Billy Lowes from Dorchester Town is a good signing.

New Signings:

Sam Boon – Hythe & Dibden
Billy Lowes – Dorchester Town
Harry McGrath – Dorchester Town
Ronan Moore – Brockenhurst
Rafael Ramos – AFC Portchester
Lyle Simpson – Eastleigh (Season’s Loan)

Bishops Cleeve return to the Southern League after four seasons in the Uhlsport Hellenic League and they too look to have done some decent strengthening in the summer.

New Signings:

Shayne Anson – Cirencester Town
George Box – Bradford Town
Lewis Clayton – Evesham United
Isaac Pearce – Larkhall Athletic
Gowan Stares – Malvern Town

It will be interesting to see how Exmouth Town get on after spending only three seasons at Step 5 level in the Toolstation Western League following promotion from the South West Peninsula League.

A bit of an unknown quantity, although experienced striker Craig Veal knows his way around the league.

New Signings:

Jordan Casey - Wellington AFC
Dan Preece - Alphington
Sam Rawlings - Cullompton Rangers
Craig Veal - Plymouth Parkway
Harry Walford - Wellington AFC

Hamworthy United have come up from the Wessex League with Bashley having been there or thereabouts in the promotion race for a few years.

Attacking wide player Sam Griffin could prove to be a good Hammers signing.

New Signings:

George Calverley – Dorchester Town
Drew Eccott-Young - Eastleigh
Sam Griffin – AFC Totton
Aiden Shepherd – Wimborne Town
Rhys Taylor - Eastleigh
Curtis Young – Wimborne Town

Tavistock AFC won the Western League title in their first full campaign after coming up from the South West Peninsula League – the first two seasons being cancelled due to Covid.

They have made a terrific signing in striker Alex Battle, who has returned to the south west after two or three years as a pro.

New Signings:

Alex Battle – Crawley Town
Aamir Daniels – Exeter City (Season’s Loan)
Ben Fowles – Dorchester Town
Ed Harrison – Camelford
Adam MacPherson – Elburton Villa
Joe O’Connor – Exeter City (Season’s Loan)
Taylor Scarff – Liverpool

Being switched to the Hellenic League from the Western League obviously suited Westbury United as they won the title at the first attempt!

They have generally signed players from the level they have left, so it will be interesting to see how they adapt.

New Signings:

Emmanuel Adepitan – Odd Down
Aaron Cockerill – Warminster Town
Martin Johnson – Warminster Town
Conner McKay – Warminster Town
Charlie Walton – Bradford Town

Paulton Rovers ended up in ninth place last season but looked to be heading for a top five spot for a large part of the campaign.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if John Rendell’s side were up there again in 2022/23 and he has made some decent recruits.

New Signings:

Paulo Borges – Bishops Lydeard
Martin Lenihan – Frome Town
Charlie McLauchlan – Mangotsfield United
Chris Peck – Frome Town
Kyle Tooze – Melksham Town

Under the shrewd Mike Ford, many fancy Evesham United to do well this season.

The former Banbury United and Oxford City boss has made some decent signings and they could well give the top five a go.

New Signings:

Josh Aldridge – Cheltenham Town
Alfie Dunn – Easington Sports
Aaron Evans-Harriott – Coventry City
Owen James – Stratford Town
Chris Knowles – Weston-super-Mare
Michael O’Regan – Stratford Town
Jordan Stoddart – Worcester Raiders
Ben Whitehead – Cirencester Town
Charlie Wise – Bromsgrove Sporting

Cinderford Town struggled for the majority of 2021/22 and manager Alex Sykes hasn’t made that many changes to date.

But the experienced Mike Symons is a good recruit.

New Signings:

Jack Bartman – Brimscombe & Thrupp
Kristian Burnard – Broadwell Amateurs
Will Emery – Longlevens
Joey Haswell - Longlevens
Mike Symons – Evesham United

Larkhall Athletic finished mid-table last season and manager Ollie Price has made a number of changes to his squad.

Some loan signings have already come in and there could be one or two more before the big kick-off.

New Signings:

Jack Arthur – Exeter City (6-Month Loan)
Shea Bennington-Mannings – Bristol Manor Farm
Max Evans – Yeovil Town (Loan)
Andre Freckleton – Mangotsfield United
Rob Hobbs – Frome Town
Niall Lovelock – Bristol Rovers
Harley Prior – Paulton Rovers
Owen Taylor – Cinderford Town
Max Williams – Yate Town

Lymington Town finished nine points ahead of the relegation zone in their first season after promotion from the Wessex League.

It’s to their former league that manager Dave Lewis has headed for to add to his squad, with 42-year-old striker Craig McAllister keen to prove he can still score goals at this level after returning to the Linnets from Wessex Leaguers Baffins Milton Rovers, where he was top scorer.

New Signings:

Mitchell Byrne - Sholing
Owen Fee – Blackfield & Langley
Luke Gray – Blackfield & Langley
Nathan Hurst – AFC Totton

Craig McAllister – Baffins Milton Rovers
Karol Skoczen – Horndean
Amadeusz Skrzyniarz – AFC Totton
Callum Stratton – Grimsby Tow (Loan)
Nico Trojanowski – Folland Sports

Willand Rovers finished just a place above Lymington and have a new man at the helm following the departure of the long-serving Russell Jee.

But his replacement is equally well-known to Rovers` supporters and players as it’s Jee’s former assistant David Steele.

He has made quite a number of changes though, with the return of Dean Stamp especially welcome with fans.

New Signings:

Josh Baker – Wellington AFC
Ollie Bray – Holsworthy
Doug Camilo – Wellington AFC
Charlie Dack – Alphington
Ashton Hewitt – Barnstaple Town
Lewis Hill – Elmore
Adam Kelly – Paulton Rovers
George Richards – Colyton
Dean Stamp – Bristol Manor Farm
Lucas White – Elmore
Jack Winsor – Torquay United (6-Month Loan)

Slimbridge continue to compete well at Step 4 level and finished 14th last season without ever really looking in too much danger.

The majority of the squad have remained intact, and the Swans should be fine.

New Signings:

Brandon Barnes – Weston-super-Mare
Brad Bevan – Fairford Town
Ethan Dunbar – Longlevens
Levi Francis – Swindon Town
Jacob Geddes – Evesham United
Dylan Lewis – Slimbridge
Zak Mitchell – Chippenham Town (Dual Registration)
Joe Shutt – Tuffley Rovers

Bideford AFC ended up in 12th spot in 2021/22 after flirting with the bottom of the table with neighbours and fierce rivals Barnstaple Town for long periods of the campaign.

Barum have returned to the Western League now and Biddy have new west country derby games to look forward to against the likes of Tavistock and Exmouth.

The long-serving Sean Joyce has made some decent signings though, including Ethan Phillips from promoted Parkway and the vastly experienced former Gloucester City, Bath City and Truro City defender Ben Gerring.

New Signings:

Lewis Brooks – Torquay United (6-Month Loan)
Harry Ford – Buckland Athletic
Ben Gerring – Gloucester City
Adam Hill – Barnstaple Town
Ashley Mitchell – Barnstaple Town
Ethan Phillips – Plymouth Parkway
Archie Reay – Barnstaple Town