Preview to Premier Division Central Season

The Premier Divisions of the Pitching In Southern Football League start their 2023/24 season on Saturday.

Although there’s little to go by in terms of form - apart from pre-season friendlies – there are, nevertheless, some intriguing opening matches.

The clubs coming down from the Vanarama National League will no doubt figure prominently in the betting to go straight back up again.

AFC Telford United welcome Royston Town to the impressive New Buck’s Head, while Leamington also start at home against another of the new teams, Long Eaton United.

It’s a shame for Long Eaton that just prior to the start of the 2023/24 campaign they should have the upheaval of losing their management team, so it will be interesting to see how the players react on Saturday.

Kettering Town have something of a derby as they travel to the Zeeco Stadium to face Stamford AFC, who won the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands title.

Berkhamsted’s pre-season form has been indifferent under new boss Steve Heath, who will be hoping it all comes right on the day as they host Nuneaton Borough at Broadwater.

Premier Division Central

AFC Sudbury

Manager: Marc Abbott

2022/23 finish: 2nd in Isthmian League North and won the play-offs

James Bradbrook (Stowmarket Town)
Dan Cousens (Ipswich Town)
Tom Dickens (Cheshunt)
Charlie Lewis (St Neots Town)
Joe Neal (St Albans City)
Joe Tarpey (Cambridge United)
George Whitehall (Cambridge United)

AFC Telford United

Manager: Kevin Wilkin

2022/23 finish: Relegated from National League North

Main Summer Signings:

George Forsyth (Kettering Town)
Nathan Fox (Peterborough Sports)
Brandon Hall (Gloucester City)
Fraser Kerr (York City)
Ellis Myles (Kettering Town)

Alvechurch

Manager: Ian Long

2022/23 finish: 11th

Main Summer Signings:

Demi Akanwi (Bromsgrove Sporting)
Kobe Chong (Nuneaton Borough)
Chris Clements (Sutton Coldfield Town)
Ammar Dyer (Bromsgrove Sporting)
Kai Aden George (Birmingham City)
Jaanai Gordon Boston United)
Ethan Hanson (Stourport Swifts)
Nathan Kelly (Halesowen Town)
Yaw Ofosu (Cambridge City)
Ethan Patterson (Hednesford Town)
Shay Willock (Walsall)

Barwell

Manager: Ian King

2022/23 finish: 8th

Main Summer Signings:

Jaden Bevan (Shrewsbury Town)

Berkhamsted

*Manager: Steve Heath

2022/23 finish: Champions of Division One Central

Main Summer Signings:

Anthony Ball (Aylesbury United)
Max Bustamente (AFC Dunstable)
Louie Collier (AFC Dunstable)
Jordan Frederick (AFC Dunstable)
Jamie Head (AFC Dunstable)
Adam Martin (Potters Bar Town)
Sam McClelland (AFC Dunstable)
Sam Meakes (Frome Town)
Dan Newton (Biggleswade FC)
Mark Riddick (Aylesbury United)
Charlie Smith (MK Dons)
David Solademi (Tividale)
Edu Toiny-Pendred (Hertford Town)
Kyal Williams (Gosport Borough)

Bromsgrove Sporting

Manager: Mike McGrath

2022/23 finish: 18th

Main Summer Signings:

Keanu Cooper (Shifnal Town)
Prince Henry (Bristol City)
Kane Lewis (Hemel Hempstead Town)
Luke Rowe (AFC Telford United)
Billy Shaw (Worcester City)
Syrus Warren-Paul (Worcester Raiders)
Askum White (Stratford Town)

Coalville Town

Manager: Adam Stevens

2022/23 finish: 2nd and lost in play-offs

Main Summer Signings:

Ashley Carter (Alvechurch)
Tom Carter (Hibernian)
Kieran Cook (Rushall Olympic)
Jake Hutchings (Leiston)
Wes York (Brackley Town)

Halesowen Town

Manager: Paul Smith

2022/23 finish: 2nd in Northern Premier League Division One Midlands and won the play-offs

Main Summer Signings:

Ryan Boothe (Anstey Nomads)
Jack Byrne (Redditch United)
Jak Hickman (Banbury Utd)
Josh Hawker (Stratford Town)
Reece Mitchell (Rushall Olympic)
Miracle Okafor (Sporting Khalsa)
Todd Parker (Hednesford Town)
Luke Redfern (Stoke City)
Owen Woodhouse (Forest Green Rovers)
Ryan Wynter (Chasetown)

Hitchin Town

Manager: Mark Burke

2022/23 finish: 12th

Main Summer Signings:

John Freeman (Cambridge City)

Kettering Town

*Manager: Andy Leese

2022/23 finish: Relegated from National League North

Charley Barker (Bury Town)
James Carvell (Barwell)
Owen Cochrane (Stevenage – Season’s Loan)
Hugh Dawson (St Albans City)
Billy Johnson (Braintree Town)
Kelvin Langmead (Banbury United)
Kai O’Keefe (Northampton Town)
Luca Purse (Cogenhoe United)

Leamington

Manager: Paul Holleran

2022/23 finish: Relegated from National League North

Main Summer Signings:

Henry Landers (Banbury United)
Jiah Medrano (Shepshed Dynamo)
Josh Quaynor (Halesowen Town)
Callum Smith (Walsall Wood)
Callum Stewart (Coventry Sphinx)

Leiston

Managers: Darren Eadie & Chris Wigger

2022/23 finish: 3rd (lost in play-offs)

Main Summer Signings:

Ross Crane (Needham Market)
Spencer Keller (King’s Lynn Town)
Jamar Loza (Barnet)

Long Eaton United

*Manager: Paul Holland (Interim)

2022/23 finish: 4th in Northern Premier League Division One East and won the play-offs.

Main Summer Signings:

L’varn Brandy (Stapleford Town)
Adam Clark (Rotherham United)
Curtis Davies (Mansfield Town)
Alex Hardwick (Maltby Main)
Cieron Keane (Gainsborough Trinity)
Cameren Philip (Stourport Swifts)

Mickleover

Manager: John McGrath

2022/23 finish: 6th

Main Summer Signings:

Will Atkinson (Boston United)
Marcus Barnes (Northern Colorado Hailstorm)
Finn Delap (Burton Albion – Loan)
George Nunn (Derby County – Loan)
Jim Pollard (Matlock Town)
Ben Sault (Kettering Town)
Will Trueman (Sheffield Wednesday)
Andre Wright (Stratford Town)

Needham Market

Manager: Kevin Horlock

2022/23 finish: 17th

Main Summer Signings:

Tevan Allen (Brightlingsea Regent)
Reece Harris (AFC Sudbury)
Jamie Smith (Sheringham)
Tommy Smith (Stowmarket Town)

Nuneaton Borough

Manager: Jimmy Ginnelly

2022/23 finish: 4th (lost in play-offs)

Main Summer Signings:

Kacy Milan Butterfield (Alfreton Town)
Callum Chettle (Mickleover)
Elwalid Elhaghany (Coventry United)
Connor Furlong (Bedford Town)
Zach Hedge (Walsall)
Alex Lafleur (Kings Langley)
Leroy Lita (Ilkeston Town)
Victor Nirennold (Gloucester City)
Caine Noble (Corby Town)
Connor Tomlinson (Bedford Town)

Redditch United

Manager: Matt Clarke

2022/23 finish: 9th

Main Summer Signings:

Jez Abbey (Shifnal Town)
Liam Armstrong (Sporting Khalsa)
Kyle Belmonte (Evesham United)
Jordan Clement (Tamworth)
AJ George (North Leigh)
Matty Hughes (Walsall Wood)
Jamie Insall (Halesowen Town)
JJ Johnston (Blackpool)
Jamie Melbourne (Alvechurch)
Gift Mussa (Tamworth)
Luke Yeomans (Tamworth)

Royston Town

Manager: Steve Castle

2022/23 finish: 13th

Main Summer Signings:

Josh Coldicott-Stevens (Hitchin Town)
Samson Esan (Maidenhead United)
Cain Keller (Kings Langley)
Rod Orlando-Young (Long Eaton United)
Greg Sandiford (Cambridge United – Loan)

St Ives Town

Manager: Ricky Marheineke

2022/23 finish: 16th

Main Summer Signings:

Dan Barton (Cambridge United – Loan)
Fernando Bell-Toxtle (Royston Town)
Myles Cowling (Cambridge United)
Murphy Culkin (Redditch United)
Luke Harris (Peterborough United)
Brandon Njoku (Cambridge United – Loan)
Tiago Nassunculo (Barwell)
Aaron Smith (St Neots Town)
Callum Westwood (ON Chenecks)

Stamford AFC

Manager: Graham Drury

2022/23 finish: Champions of the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands

Main Summer Signings:

Olly Brown-Hill (Ilkeston Town)
Trey Charles (St Neots Town)
Jenson Cooper (AFC Rushden & Diamonds)
Dan Haystead (Grantham Town)
Ricky Miller (Grantham Town)
Ashton Offler (Grantham Town)
Ben Whiting (Quorn)
Harry Wood (Grantham Town)

Stourbridge

Managers: Leon Broadhurst & Stuart Pierpoint

2022/23 finish: 10th

Main Summer Signings:

Jessy Bavanganga (Leek Town)
Luke Benbow (Nuneaton Borough)
Jack Fletcher (Tividale)
Aaron Forde (Sutton Coldfield Town)
Zac Lilly (Hereford)
Joel Shambrook (Solihull Moors – 3-Month Loan)
Leo Wood (Solihull Moors – Loan)

Stratford Town

Manager: Gavin Hurren

2022/23 finish: 14th

Main Summer Signings:

Liam Daly (Rushall Olympic)
Charlie Dowd (Nuneaton Borough)
Callum Ebanks (Cheltenham Town)
Jonny Ngandu (Hamilton Academical)
Riley O’Sullivan (Redditch United)
Tom Solanke (Boston United)
Alex Worley (Stourbridge)

*New Manager