Busy Time at Slimbridge

New arrivals and re-signings for the Swans.

It`s been a busy weekend at Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South club Slimbridge, with several new arrivals mixing with players committing from last season`s squad.

The new Swans are Ben Hands, Jack Holmes, Toby Lawrence, Will Davidson and Ben McLean.

Hands is a midfielder who re-joins Slimbridge from league rivals Cinderford Town.

He had left the Swans for Cirencester Town in August 2020 and then switched to Cinderford a month later for a second spell there.

He was previously with Gloucester City and Bishops Cleeve.

Defender Holmes joins the Swans from Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division side Brimscombe & Thrupp, where he was in his second spell.

Holmes started out at Cheltenham Town at the age of 8.

He remained with the Robins until under-15 level before joining Forest Green Rovers.

But he suffered a nasty injury in an FA Youth Cup match against Hungerford Town, cracking four vertebrae in his back after a heavy fall.

Having returned to full fitness and with senior first-team experience under his belt with Brimscombe, he moved to the United States in the summer of 2017 for a new challenge in Miami at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College.

He re-signed for Brimscombe & Thrupp upon his return to England.

Another defender, teenager Toby Lawrence, has also joined after being released by League Two play-off winners Cheltenham at the end of last season.

Lawrence was at Bristol Rovers from the age of 7 all the way through to under-16s.

However, he wasn`t offered a scholarship by the Gas and subsequently switched to Cheltenham in 2019.

Centre-back Will Davidson checks into Thornhill Park after being with league rivals Evesham United last season.

Davidson, who has previously been on the books of Redditch United, Forest Green Rovers, Highworth Town, Stratford Town and Studley, signed for Evesham during the summer of 2020 after a spell with Kidlington.

Midfielder Ben McLean is a 20-year-old former Birmingham City youngster who signed for Southern Premier Division Central club Alvechurch in September 2020 from rivals Redditch United, where he had been since the 2019 close season.

He spent an extended spell on loan with Slimbridge`s league rivals AFC Totton in 2018/19.

Re-signing for the Swans are Eddie Mbunga, Lewis Adams, Ben Deakin, Ben Prictor, Mike Ford, Myron Turner, Jamie Martin and Will Hawes.

Mbunga returned to Thornhill Park in September 2020 after playing for league rivals Highworth Town the previous season.

The attacking midfielder left for the Worthians in 2019 having spent almost two seasons with the Swans.

Originally with Championship side Birmingham City, he had a loan spell with Southern Premier Division Central outfit Stratford Town whilst on the books at St Andrews.

He then joined Gloucester City upon his release by the Blues and spells with Cinderford Town, Hednesford Town and Redditch United followed before he signed for Slimbridge in 2018.

Adams is a promising young 20-year-old goalkeeper who came through the youth ranks at Slimbridge and became a first-team regular in 2018/19.

Deakin is a midfielder who signed for the Swans originally in the summer of 2020.

He was previously with Brimscombe & Thrupp after starting out at Cirencester.

Prictor is another to have re-joined the Swans in August 2020.

He had been a 2018 summer signing for league rivals Paulton Rovers, who he joined from Shortwood United.

He has previously played for Evesham United, Cirencester, and Arlesey Town.

Another midfielder to commit is Mike Ford, who arrived initially in the summer of 2019 from Hellenic League side Bishops Cleeve.

A former Hartpury College student, he was at Peterborough United between the ages of 8 and 18 and signed for Cleeve in 2016.

Turner is a popular player with Swans` supporters.

The midfielder signed during the 2017/18 season from Hellenic League side Longlevens.

Another popular figure with fans is experienced 31-year-old striker Jamie Martin.

He is a regular goalscorer who joined the Swans in 2015 from Forest Green Rovers and has made around 120 appearances and scored over 25 goals.

He was also formerly with Shortwood United.

Hawes, 28, is a forward who joined Slimbridge in the summer of 2018 from Shortwood.

In his youth days, he cut his footballing teeth at Frampton & Wanswell and first joined Shortwood in 2012 before going `down under` in 2014 for two years.

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