They`ve Played for Your Club…..Thame United

Continuing the series on players who have represented the current clubs in the Southern Football League.

Thame United was formed in 1883 making it one of Oxfordshire`s oldest clubs.

Its early years were spent in Oxfordshire Leagues and in 1906, 1909 and 1910, Thame won the Oxfordshire Senior Cup and the Senior League in 1907, 1908,1910, 1930 and 1931.

A switch to the Hellenic League then brought further success culminating in the Hellenic League title in 1961/62 and 1969/70, as well as being runners-up in 1960/61, 1976/77 and 1980/81.

The Oxfordshire Senior Cup was won in both 1976 and 1981, but a poor spell in the mid-1980s preceded a crossing of the non-League Pyramid in 1988/89 to join the South Midlands League.

Thame finished runners-up in both 1988/89 and 1989/90 before eventually winning the title in 1990/91.

Thame received the green light to join the Isthmian League in 1991/92 and 1994/95 saw them win the Division Two championship.

In 1995/96, the club finished a creditable 13th in its first ever season in the Isthmian Division One. Andy Sinnott was appointed first-team manager in June 1997 and, with a dramatically reduced operating budget, the side were relegated into Division Two.

The club bounced straight back into Division One and reached the semi-finals of the FA Vase where they were paired with favourites Bedlington Terriers.

Sadly, for Thame, a 5-0 thrashing in the north-east gave them virtually no chance of reaching Wembley and a low-key 0-0 draw ensued in the second leg at home.

The following 1999/00 season saw Thame come within 2 points of achieving promotion to the Isthmian Premier Division and in 2000/01, the team lead the way for most of the season, putting together a club record of 12 consecutive wins, but a slump in form in the latter part of the season resulted in a fifth place.

A mid-table finish followed in the 2001/02 season, but the Oxfordshire Senior Cup was retained.

Former England semi-professional international striker Mark West was appointed player-manager when Sinnott left during the summer of 2003.

After a mid-table finish, the club moved to the newly formed Southern League Division One West and finished the season eleventh in the league.

West left to join Slough Town and defender Tony Joyce was appointed player-manager.

By July 2005, the club was in financial trouble and, following a visit from Bailiffs acting on behalf of HMRC, the landlord enforced a clause in the tenancy agreement and evicted the club from Windmill Road.

A ground share agreement was reached with neighbours Aylesbury United and, with the side struggling at the foot of the Southern Division One West, Joyce resigned in December 2005, with a new joint managerial partnership of Richard Searl and Alan Thorne appointed, but relegation to the Hellenic League was confirmed later in the season.

A ground share agreement was reached with AFC Wallingford for 2006/07 and Mark West returned to the club midway through the season but could not save them from relegation to the Hellenic League Division One East.

The 2007/08 season provided greater stability for the club, with West and new assistant, Frank Thompson, looking after first-team affairs.

A mid-table finish resulted, which was followed by a ninth-place finish in 2008/09 and the following season saw the club win the Division One East title by 6 points and reclaim their place in the Hellenic Premier Division.

The 2010/11 season was the most significant in the club’s recent history, with work on the new £3.1m ground at Meadow View Park commencing in March 2010.

So, United returned to Thame in December 2010, just over five years after their forced eviction from the town.

Boasting eight pitches, a floodlit 3G training pitch and an 8000 square foot clubhouse, United now have one of the best sporting facilities in the county.

The official opening, against Oxford United in January 2011 saw a record crowd of 1,382.

United finished the 2010/11 season in tenth place in the Premier Division.

West`s successful partnership with assistant Stuart Blaik eventually saw them lift the Hellenic Premier Division title – and a return to Southern League football in 2016/17.

The first season ended with a comfortable mid-table finish, with Dan West – son of the boss - securing the `golden boot` award.

United spent much of the season around the play-offs before eventually finishing eighth.

Since then, of course, the global pandemic has put paid to any further progress.

West was a former favourite and prolific marksman with neighbours Wycombe Wanderers where he played under Martin O'Neill.

He was a key player, scoring 171 goals in 381 appearances for the club including the winner in the 1991 FA Trophy Final against Kidderminster Harriers to give O'Neill his first trophy in management.

But West, who was also voted the Non-League Player of the Year in 1991, started his playing career with West Ham United and was an England Schoolboy international.

He went on to win caps at England semi-pro international level (now England C) and joined Wycombe from Reading in 1984 and also turned out for Slough Town and Farnborough before joining Thame.

Steve Mayhew was rated as the best non-League goalkeeper in Oxfordshire during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

He started out as a youngster with Oxford United and had spells with Wantage Town and Abingdon Town before signing for Thame in 1986.

He deservedly earned a testimonial match against Bristol Rovers in 1995 and remains as Thame`s leading appearance maker.

He eventually departed the club in 1997 and signed for Isthmian League Premier Division Chesham United.

He finally hung up his gloves at the end of the 1998/99 season when he played for Hellenic League side Carterton Town in the final of the Oxfordshire Senior Cup against Oxford City.

Tall defender Matt Hayward was a former junior with Aylesbury United.

He left without making a senior appearance for the Ducks but won successive South Midlands League titles with Pitstone & Ivinghoe in 1989/90 and then Thame in 1990/91, before re-signing for Aylesbury in 1993, having helped Thame to promotion from the Isthmian League Division Three.

After another spell away with Oxford City, he re-joined the Ducks for the 2003/04 season, regained his status as a popular player with the fans, and was voted player of the season in 2003/04 for the second time in his career - the first coming exactly ten years earlier.

The following season, despite disappointment for the club as a whole, was another good campaign for Hayward and he was rewarded with players` player of the year in 2005.

He made over 300 appearances for Aylesbury until 2006 when he departed for spells with Kidlington and Southern League sides Banbury United and Aylesbury FC.

Since his retirement, Haywards has had a stint in management with Kidlington, whilst also having coaching roles at Aylesbury FC and Tring Athletic.

Liam Herbert was a tricky, ball-playing midfielder who turned out for the majority of the senior clubs in Oxfordshire in his time.

He was a member of the Thame side that reached the FA Vase semi-final and also had spells with Bicester Town, Banbury United, Oxford City and Abingdon Town.

In the summer of 2000, Herbert left after his fourth spell with Abingdon Town to join then-Hellenic League Premier Division side Brackley Town, who were then being managed by former team-mate Terry Muckelberg and ex-boss Peter Foley.

Nigel Emsden started out as a part-time YTS with Oxford United in 1995, and a member of that season's winning Junior Floodlit Cup side in May 1996.

He was given a three-month contract but was released by the U`s in September 1997.

He signed for then-Isthmian Premier Division side Basingstoke Town and played left-back for them for a couple of seasons before returning to Oxford to play for City.

He also spent a season or so with Thame as well as Wantage Town and Didcot Town.

Striker Mick Swaysland first came to the fore with Evergreen he was South Midland League Premier Division when he finished as top scorer in 1995/96 with 29 goals having struck 49 goals in the Senior Division the previous season.

He signed for Aylesbury United in November 1996 after being with South Midlands League side London Colney and top-scored for United with 26 goals from 40 appearances in 1997/98.

He moved to Chesham United and then had his first spell with Thame in 2000/01.

Then came a successful stint with Wealdstone, where he scored 79 goals in 155 appearances before he returned to Windmill Road.

He spent five more seasons with Thame before moving on in 2006 to Ruislip Manor.

Spells with Leverstock Green, Beaconsfield SYCOB, Chalfont St Peter, Tring Corinthians and Tring Athletic followed before he finished playing in 2014/15 after a second period with Tring Corinthians.

Ronnie Joe was another of Thame`s heroes as they reached the FA Vase semi-final in 1999.

A winger or forward made his debut as a youngster with Aylesbury United in 1997 before moving to Windmill Road.

After his first stint with the Ducks ended in 1997, he returned in 2000 and was the club's top scorer in the Isthmian Division One with 15 goals, playing up front.

He was a big factor in the Ducks promotion-winning season, but found himself third choice in 2002/03, and left the club seeking more regular football at Chesham United.

He returned to Aylesbury at the tail end of that season, and stayed on under new manager Chris Boothe, but was released after failing to show up for a crucial FA Cup match.

A match-winner on his day his pace and skill were a delight to watch when at his peak, but as age and a series of hamstring injuries took their toll and he had to adapt his game and played more as a centre forward in his later career.

He went on to play for Staines Town, Oxford City, Hale Leys United and Winslow United, where he also had a spell as assistant manager.

Striker Jefferson Louis was, amazingly, still going strong in the Southern League with Premier Division South side Beaconsfield Town ahead of lockdown at the age of 42!

He started out with South Midlands League side Risborough Rangers, where his 20 goals in 50 games attracted attention.

He signed for then-Isthmian Division Two side Thame in 1998 and spent two successful seasons at Windmill Road.

He was signed by Aylesbury United in 2000, but despite some rare moments of excellence, was allowed to re-join local neighbours Thame, now in Division One of the Isthmian League, the following summer.

An upturn in his fortunes with Thame led to him being signed by Oxford United and turning professional.

He went on to make national headlines for his celebrations in front of BBC cameras when Oxford drew Arsenal in the FA Cup.

He also played League football with Mansfield Town and Bristol Rovers and represented Dominica in a World Cup qualifier in 2008.

The now veteran striker`s lengthy career has taken in stops of varying lengths with no less than 38 clubs!

More recently, he joined National League South side Hampton & Richmond Borough in September 2019 after leaving Chesham United having originally signed for the Generals in December 2017 from Banbury United and spent the rest of the 2017/18 season at Chesham before a short spell at Farnborough, re-joining Chesham in September 2018.

He moved to Hampton`s league rivals St Albans City just before Christmas 2019 and then joined Beaconsfield in September 2020.

Midfielder Ben Connelly progressed through youth football with Thame to make his Southern League debut back in the 2005/06 season.

He was a pacey player, capable of creating a goal from nothing.

He was still playing for the club in 2018 and made well in excess of 250 appearances for Thame.

Defender James Saulsbury was another who came through Thame`s youth policy to not only become a first-team regular for the club, but also played at Conference South level with Hayes.

He played in the senior side at Thame until 2000 when he moved to Marlow for a season.

He returned to Windmill Road until the end of the 2003/04 campaign when he moved to Slough Town.

He then spent the 2005/06 season in the Conference South with Hayes before having spells with Banbury United, Brackley Town, Oxford City, Aylesbury United and their neighbours Aylesbury FC before finishing his playing days back at Thame in the Hellenic League.

Centre-back Martin Brown started his playing days with Abingdon Town.

He went on to play for Oxford City before having his first spell with Thame, when he played an important part in the club`s most successful spell in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

He moved on to Brackley Town and then-Southern League Premier Division Didcot Town in 2008.

Brown re-joined Thame in May 2010 until 2014.

Thame United Web Site