Preview to Division One South Season

Division One South of the Pitching In Southern Football League start their 2023/24 season on Saturday.

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

Many eyes will be on Western League champions Mousehole as they begin life as a Step 4 club away at Westbury United.

The other newcomers also face tough away matches - Bemerton Heath Harlequins at Tavistock and Cribbs at Frome Town.

Division One South

Bashley

Manager: Paul Morris

2022/23 finish: 7th

Main Summer Signings:

Freddie Bullard (Lymington Town)
Luke Delaney (Hungerford Town)
Rian Drake (Lymington Town)

Bemerton Heath Harlequins

Manager: Shaun Hale

2022/23 finish: 2nd in Wessex League and promoted.

Main Summer Signings:

Ryan Griffiths (Andover Town)
Brendan Holmes (Andover Town)
Lamin Jatta (AFC Portchester)
Henry Lander (Hungerford Town)
Brandon Miller (Baffins Milton Rovers)
Marcus Rex (AFC Portchester)
Karol Skoczen (Totton & Eling)
Mitchell Speechley-Price (AFC Totton)
Jim Ward (Laverstock & Ford)

Bideford AFC

Manager: Sean Joyce

2022/23 finish: 17th

Main Summer Signings:

Ryan Turner (Barnstaple Town)
Jack Winsor (Torquay United)
Matt Wright (Truro City)

Bishops Cleeve

Manager: Paul Collicutt

2022/23 finish: 9th

Main Summer Signings:

Ethan Dunbar (Slimbridge)
Jacob Geddes (Slimbridge)
Will Emery (Cinderford Town)
Ben McLean (Yate Town)
Jay Malshanskyj (Melksham Town)

Bristol Manor Farm

Manager: Lee Lashenko

2022/23 finish: 18th

Main Summer Signings:

Jamie Adams (Merthyr Town)
Shea Bennington-Mannings (Ashton & Backwell)
Bevan Cross (Chippenham Town – Season’s Loan)
Seth Locke (Frome Town)
Ollie Woodhouse (Roman Glass St George)

Cribbs

Manager: Richard Luffman

2022/23 finish: Champion of the Hellenic League and promoted.

Main Summer Signings:

Dominic Anderson-Gordon (Roman Glass St George)
Jake Brown (Bridgwater United)
Ollie Jenkins (Mangotsfield United)
Kyreese Johnson (Tytherington Rocks)
Henry Njonjo (Keynsham Town)
Saikouba Saidy (Keynsham Town)
Loui Ward (Roman Glass St George)

Evesham United

Manager: Mike Ford

2022/23 finish: 4th and lost in play-offs.

Main Summer Signings:

Amer Awadh (North Leigh)
Alex Harris (Cirencester Town)
Aaron Heap (North Leigh)
Elliot Kettle (FC Romania)
Will Owens (Oxford United)

Exmouth Town

Manager: Kevin Hill

2022/23 finish: 14th

Main Summer Signings:

Frome Town

Manager: Danny Greaves

2022/23 finish: 8th

Main Summer Signings:

Thomas Duffin (Orlando City USA)
Ben Griffith (Weston-super-Mare)
Ross Staley (Manurewa AFC – New Zealand)
Caleb Summerfield (Millbrook)
Will Taylor (Bradford Town)

Hamworthy United

Manager: Dan Cann

2022/23 finish: 3rd and lost in play-offs.

Main Summer Signings:

Jamie Beasley (Bemerton Heath Harlequins)
Will Fletcher (Poole Town – Season’s Loan)
Kai Storr (Chippenham Town)
Steve Walker (Lymington Town)
Sean Wright (Poole Town)

Larkhall Athletic

Manager: Olli Price

2022/23 finish: 11th

Main Summer Signings:

Spencer Dymond-Hall (Warminster Town)
Louis Evans (Yate Town)
Archie Ferris (Clevedon Town)
Lewis Graham (Warminster Town)
Alex Lambert (Yate Town)
Eben Mortimer-Taylor (Warminster Town)
Leo Rendell (Chippenham Town – Dual Reg)
Josh Timbrell (Hartpury University)

Malvern Town

Managers: Lee Hooper and Stephen Cleal

2022/23 finish: 2nd in Hellenic League and promoted via play-offs.

Main Summer Signings:

Jordan Annear (Stourport Swifts)
Alex Bell (Swindon Town)
Justin Hall (Hartpury University)
Joe Hunt (Evesham United)
Jack Watts (Stourport Swifts)

Melksham Town

Manager: Mark Collier

2022/23 finish: 12th

Main Summer Signings:

Gary Higdon (Westbury United)
Zak Mitchell (North Leigh)
Joe Porton (Bristol City)

Mousehole

Manager: Jake Ash

2022/23 finish: Champions of Western League and promoted.

Main Summer Signings:

Ryan Barrett (Blyth Spartans)
Morgan Lewis (Cardiff City)
Tim Nixon (Falmouth Town)
Josh Storey (Helston Athletic)

Paulton Rovers

Managers: Craig Loxton and John Durbin

2022/23 finish: 13th

Main Summer Signings:

Fin Haines (Shepton Mallet)
Olaoluwakitan Jaiyeoba (Ashton & Backwell)
Jemar South-Thomas (Bristol City)

Tavistock AFC

Manager: Stuart Henderson

2022/23 finish: 6th

Main Summer Signing:

George Newton (Truro City)

Westbury United

Manager: Ricky Hulbert

2022/23 finish: 10th

Main Summer Signings:

Dan Ellison (Chippenham Town)
Brad Norris (Larkhall Athletic)
Lewis Russell (Welton Rovers)
Ben Starr (Frome Town)

Willand Rovers

Manager: David Steele

2022/23 finish: 15th

Main Summer Signings:

Owen Howe (Bristol Manor Farm)
Ryan Keates (Brixham AFC)
Josh Webber (Buckland Athletic)
Charlie Wright (Barnstaple Town)

Wimborne Town

Manager: Tim Sills

2022/23 finish: 5th and lost in play-offs.

Main Summer Signings:

Ross Flitney (Eastleigh)
Sam Jackson (Bashley)
Jamie Johnston (Tadley Calleva)
Matty Neale (Dorchester Town)
Sam Roberts (Salisbury)
Billy Walker (Hamworthy United)
Bert White (Salisbury)

Yate Town

Manager: John Rendell

2022/23 finish: 21st in Premier Division South and relegated.

Main Summer Signings:

Andre Freckleton (Larkhall Athletic)
Ewan Macmillan (Cadbury Heath)
Brandon Oputeri (Bristol City)
Joe Paradise (Paulton Rovers)
Aaron Parsons (Larkhall Athletic)
Will Sage (Keynsham Town)
Aaron Sainsbury (Paulton Rovers