They’ve Played for Your Club….Barwell

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

The club played for the first time in the Midland Combination under the name of Barwell FC in the 1992/3 season when Hinckley FC joined forces with Barwell Athletic from the Leicestershire Senior League.

Barwell became one of the founder members of the Midland Alliance on its formation in 1994/95.

The Sports complex with its bowling, cricket, and football facilities and sports club is situated just out of the centre of the village making it an ideal venue for local residents.

The facilities of the complex include a cricket pitch - which was used for two Leicestershire County Championship matches just after the Second World War - is a current venue for some Leicestershire 2nd XI and youth team matches. There is an outdoor bowling green and a magnificent indoor bowls centre complete with bar and restaurant serving a wide range of drinks and meals at prices to suit all pockets.

Floodlights were installed prior to the 1992/93 season and have been updated to comply with current FA lighting regulations. A new cantilever stand to seat 500 spectators was built prior to 1996/97 season and during the 1997/98 close season the ground was enclosed, an important step in our quest for higher status.

Towards the end of 2000/01 season a new cantilever stand was erected at Kirkby Road, and officially opened by former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland on 31st July 2001 - a Barwell lad.

Barwell reached the last sixteen of the FA Vase in 1995/6 losing 3-1 away at Flixton.

In 2009/10 they reached the semi-final narrowly losing out to eventual winners Whitley Bay after two keenly contested legs.

Other honours include the Leicestershire Senior Cup in 1996/97, the Presidents Trophy in August 1997.

They have also reached the final of the Westerby Cup (played at Filbert Street and latterly the Walkers Stadium) in 1999/00, 2000/01 and 2004/05 unfortunately losing all three finals to Leicester City, Hinckley United and Oadby Town respectively then beating Quorn in 2008/09 and narrowly losing to Loughborough Dynamo the following year. Barwell also reached the League Cup Final losing after extra-time to Rushall Olympic.

A new manager, Bob Steel, took over the reins at Barwell in February 2004 and brought in Steve Greenhill and Ian Blyth as assistant managers. He steadied the side and instilled his way of playing into the players and gradually collected the squad he wanted.

Season 2006/07 finally put some silverware on the shelf when Barwell won the Polymac Services League Cup final at Walsall's Bescot Stadium, beating Leamington 3-1.

That season, they finished in a disappointing sixth position and come runners-up in both the Westerby Cup and the Rolleston Charity Cup.

Season 2007/08 was a somewhat mixed season for the club. The first team saw two changes of manager. Bob Steel stood down in November to take on the running of the Sports Bar on the complex and his assistant Ian Blyth took over as manager.

After a run of indifferent results and the team slipping towards the bottom three, the xlub decided to appoint a new manager in Marcus Law.

Law took over the reins in February and with a run of good results lifted the Club to a respectable mid-table finish.

Season 2008/09 was Law's first full campaign at the club and he brought in Paul O'Brien as his assistant with coach Lee Knibbs, goalkeeping coach Pat Pattinson and sports therapist Alan Cooke.

They finished runners-up in the league on 91 points and also won the Westerby Cup, beating Quorn 2-0 at the Walkers Stadium.

After finishing as runners-up in 2008/09, they won the league the following season, earning promotion to Division One South of the Northern Premier League.

Their first season in the division saw them win the title, earning promotion to Step 3 of the National League System, but instead of playing in the Northern Premier League's Premier Division, the club were moved to the Premier Division of the Southern League. However, two seasons later, they were transferred back to the Northern Premier League.

In 2015/16 Barwell reached the First Round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 2–0 at home to Welling United.

The following season saw them win the Leicestershire & Rutland Challenge Cup, beating Coalville Town 3–1 in the final.

The club was transferred to the Premier Division Central of the Southern League at the end of the 2017/18 season as part of the restructuring of the non-League Pyramid and finished 16th before Covid disrupted the following two seasons.

The 2021/22 campaign saw Barwell introduce a new 4G pitch, but they only just avoided relegation, ending up in 19th spot.

Adam Cunnington is a big, strong striker who is still turning out regularly, playing 41 times for Enfield Town and scoring 7 goals in the Isthmian League Premier Division in 2021/22.

Now 34, he signed for Enfield in December 2020 from Isthmian Premier rivals Cheshunt, who he joined in August 2020.

He had a roundabout route to Barwell, playing for his local sides Barton Rovers, Leighton Town and Hitchin Town before spells with Rothwell Town, Aylesbury United and Stamford led to him joining Barwell in 2008.

With Barwell in the 2009/10 season, he struck up a prelific partnership with Kevin Charley that saw the pair score more than 50 goals, helping the club win the Midland Alliance title and reach the FA Vase semi-final.

Cunnington’s contribution was 36 goals and that earned him a step up the Pyramid with then-Conference North side Solihull Moors.

After scoring 10 times in 22 games, then-Conference National outfit paid an undisclosed fee for him in February 2011.

It took him a while to find his feet, but he became a firm favourite with Poppies supporters during 2011/12 season, scoring some important goals during a difficult campaign.

In November 2011 he joined then-League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge on loan with a view to a permanent move and £15,000 fee.

He later played for Alfreton Town, Tamworth, Cambridge United, Ebbsfleet United and Billericay and re-joined the Poppies in December 2018.

He returned to Billericay towards the end of the 2018/19 season before a move to Dartford.

He then joined Isthmian North side Romford in November 2019 from National League South side Hemel Hempstead Town, where he had only been for a month or so, and then signed for Isthmian Premier outfit Hornchurch in January 2020.

Another forward, Scott Rickards, had a couple of spells with Barwell, both in the Southern and Northern Premier League.

He first came to the fore with Tamworth’ Kidderminster Harriers and Redditch United in the Conference in the early 2000s.

He then embarked on a series of short spells with the likes of Nuneaton Borough, Alfreton Town, Solihull Moors, Brackley Town and Halesowen Town before spending a couple of seasons at Barwell.

In 2013 he was appointed as player-manager of Northern Premier League side Rainworth Miners Welfare after a successful spell as caretaker boss.

He resigned in August 2014 and, as well as having a second short spell with Barwell, played for a host of Midland sides, including Walsall Wood, Highgate United, Coleshill Town, Bolehall Swifts and Heather St Johns

In March 2015, Rickards was appointed head of recruitment and academy coach at Mansfield Town.

In the summer 2017, he was hired as an academy coach at his former club Tamworth and was in February 2018 promoted to first team assistant which he would combine with his existing full-time youth development role at Mansfield. He left the Lambs in the summer of 2018 and Mansfield in the summer of 2019.

In September 2019, Rickards had returned to his former childhood club Derby County in an under-13s coaching role and at the same time, he also returned to Tamworth to work with the club's academy.

In October 2019, he was also appointed manager of Atherstone Town but in mid-February 2020, Rickards resigned after racist abuse from fans in three successive matches.

Following his departure from Atherstone, Rickards turned out for Midland League Division Two side Coton Green in 2020/21 at the age of 39.

Midfielder Wayne Dyer is another much-travelled performer who played for the Canaries amongst many others.

Dyer joined Barwell in the 2010 pre-season from Evesham United having previously played for Stourbridge, Bedford Town, Kettering Town, Solihull Borough, Stevenage Borough, Sutton Coldfield Town, Hinckley United, Bromsgrove Rovers, Chasetown and Hinckley United.

He was also captain of his national side, Montserrat, for whom he won six caps and scored against the Dominican Republic in March 2000.

He is the older brother of former Leicester City and MK Dons winger Lloyd Dyer.

Striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake had a short spell with Barwell in 2018.

He started out in the academy system at Cambridge United, but joined Manchester United aged 15, after trialling with the Reds whilst with the now-League One club.

The striker made his first-team debut for Manchester United in October 2004, in a League Cup clash against Crewe Alexandra, before scoring his first goal at senior level in another League Cup tie against Barnet.

Suffering an injury near the end of that campaign, he found it difficult to break into the club’s first team set up and was subsequently set out on loan to Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp.

Scoring 4 goals in 9 games for Antwerp, the forward returned to Manchester. However, he departed for Plymouth Argyle at the end of that season, joining the Pilgrims for a fee around the £200,000 mark.

Scoring 10 goals in 41 games in his first season in the Championship with Plymouth, he netted 11 times in just half a season to earn himself a move to promotion-chasing Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Scoring 12 in 20 in what remained of the 2007/08 campaign, the forward followed that up with 25 from 41 the season after, firing the Midlands club into the Premier League.

Ebanks-Blake then found it difficult to adapt to the rigours of top-tier football, only managing to find the back of the net 10 times in three years in England’s top division.

Spending one more season with Wolves whilst they were in the Championship, the striker then joined Ipswich Town, and with not much success he delved into League One.

Spending a year in the third tier with Preston North-End, and a further two years with Chesterfield, he managed to find his goalscoring boots once again.

Dropping into the non-League after he had left Chesterfield, Ebanks-Blake went on to enjoy spells with AFC Telford United, Halesowen Town, Barwell and Walsall Wood.

He then broke his leg late into the year 2018, ending his playing career with the Walsall-based club.

Ebanks-Blake is now working with Manchester United’s MUTV, and he is also involved in a business that advises young players who are trying to cut it at professional level.

Defender Luke Blakeley is another former Barwell player to have been capped at international level.

The Leicester-born Antiguan played for Antigua Barracuda FC in the USL Professional Division.

He started his youth career playing for Leicester-based Highfield Rangers.

In 2007, he re-located to the USA to play college soccer for Marshalltown Community College in the National Junior College Athletic Association.

He transferred to Illinois Institute of Technology of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for the 2008 season where he helped win two CCAC Conference Championships in 2008 and 2010.

While captaining the side for his junior and senior year, Blakely was CCAC All-Conference honourable mention in 2008 and CCAC first team all-Conference in 2010.

During his college years Blakely also played for the Chicago Fire Premier in the National Premier Soccer League and Chicago Fire Premier under-23s in the United States Adult Soccer Association.

In 2010 Blakely helped the Chicago Fire Premier under-23s to a national championship.

Blakely signed with USL Professional Division club Antigua Barracuda FC in March 2012 and made his professional debut a month later in the Barracudas season opening game against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

He received his first call up for Antigua & Barbuda in 2012 and has seven caps to date.

Whilst back in England between 2013 and 2014, Blakely turned out for Barwell as well as Stamford and Loughborough Dynamo in the Northern Premier League.

Forward Danny Newton is still turning out regularly in the Vanarama National League with Solihull Moors.

The 31-year-old joined Moors in August 2021.

The experienced forward spent the previous four seasons with League Two Stevenage, scoring 26 goals in 115 appearances.

That move followed a prolific spell in non-League football, which included netting 29 goals for Tamworth in the 2016/17 season.

Born in Liverpool, he began his career at Hinckley United and went on to enjoy goalscoring success with Barwell, Leamington and the Lambs.

His participation in Jamie Vardy`s V9 Academy in 2017 attracted the attention of a number of League clubs before an eventual move to Stevenage, who Newton departed at the end of June 2021.

Defender Jai Rowe joined Scunthorpe United in April 2019, signing for the under-23s squad initially.

He had been on non-contract terms at Barwell, where he made 27 appearances and scored 3 times in 2018/19.

The Nuneaton-based right-back, who can also play in midfield, made his senior debut for the Iron away at Swindon Town in March 2020 after a successful campaign for the under-23s.

The 2020/21 season saw him make 27 appearances, scoring his first senior career goal away at Exeter City and he has, to date, played 63 times, scoring 2 times and was a regular in 2021/22 as Scunthorpe suffered the drop into the National League.

Dave Puttnam

Dave Puttnam is a Blaby-born winger who started out in non-League football with Kirby Muxloe and then in the Southern League with Leicester United before being handed a chance by Leicester City in February 1989.

He was signed by someone who was familiar with non-League talent, David Pleat, and his willingness to take on his full back for pace and skill provided Foxes fans with some optimism.

But he failed to consolidate his progress during the following season and, after making 7 appearances, rejected a move to Carlisle United but soon signed for Lincoln City in January 1990 for £40,000 after impressing during a two-month loan spell and became the Imps’ player of the year for 1992/93.

He went on loan to Yeovil Town, helping them to secure the Isthmian League title.

In August 1997 he joined Swansea City where he appeared in all of the club's opening fixtures until an Achilles tendon injury forced him to miss the home game with Torquay United and his one-month contract with the club expired after the game and the club's then boss Jan Molby elected not to extend the deal and Puttnam was released.

A wish to play more local football saw Puttnam join Barwell in July 2001 and after two seasons with the Canaries he joined Coalville Town for the 2003/04 season.

He moved on to join Quorn and then spent the 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons playing for Ratby Sports.

Barwell Web Site