Pitching In Southern League Division One South club, Willand Rovers, will be recognising Ryan Guppy’s decade of service with a Testimonial Weekend.
It will centre around their home clash with title-challengers, Wimborne Town, on Saturday, with a Race Night taking place in the Clubhouse from 7pm with free entry to all and then a Legends’ Match the following day between Willand’s Western League winning team and a Ryan Guppy XI.
The 29 year-old has appeared over 400 times for the club in a variety of positions and continues to give sterling service as they push for a top half finish in a campaign that started so well but has tailed off over the course of the second half of the season.
“I'm incredibly proud to have been part of the club for as long as I have,” Guppy told us. “There have been offers from elsewhere over the years, but loyalty is a two-way street.
“The managerial staff over the years have shown me a tremendous amount of respect, which has allowed me to stick around for as long as I have.
“There have been some great memories along the way and hopefully there are more to follow.
“Winning the Western League in 2018/19 was a particularly special season as we also made it to the quarter-finals of the FA Vase. To do that with such a top group of lads was brilliant, the only disappointment was that we came so close to getting to Wembley because I felt we had enough to go all the way. Maybe one day…
“It’s been quite a journey; I came to the club as a 19 year-old kid and stand here today turning 30 at the end of the year, so you could say that I have grown up with the club.
“Being part of the club is brilliant and it’s been made special by the volunteers, coaching staff and players that have represented the club over the years. I wouldn’t have had it any other way and hopefully one day I can give a bit back.
“A special shout out to Nellie Greening here - the best chef in non-League!”
Having started the season well and topping the table a number of times over the opening months of the campaign, the Devon club have slipped into the congested middle of the pack.
“As a group, we started the season incredibly well,” added Guppy. “Being top for the first couple of months, we then had a blip in November and December which damaged our League position, but we bounced back and then hit another dip.
“It’s a very open division and even at this stage, a small winning run can still make a big difference to your League position. We just need to try and end with some positive results and performances from our last three games.
“From a personal point of view, it's been business as usual really. I've been asked to play a lot of different positions, which is good to have in your arsenal, however, I'll be honest, I prefer the left-back role and being able to push the team forward from there. That said, I'll play wherever I am asked to and try to do a job for the team to the best of my ability."
Guppy is also looking forward to his Testimonial Weekend, which will be a special occasion for him and his family.
“It’s going to be a fantastic weekend,” he said with a smile. “I am very much looking forward to it and if we can also beat high-flying Wimborne, who are battling it out for the title, that would put the cherry on top of the cake. It will also be nice to get some much-needed decent weather!”
After Saturday's game, Willand Rovers go to Evesham United for their final away game before playing host to Malvern Town on the final day of the regular season.
IMAGE: Cliff Williams
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