Bideford manager, Sean Joyce, knows that he has a safe pair of hands between the posts in Michael Searle as the pair reunite after 15 years.
The experienced goalkeeper was handed his Southern League debut by the long-serving Joyce at the age of just 18 and now, aged 33, they are back together again this season in the Pitching In Southern League Division One South.
“I didn’t start playing football until my early teens,” recalled Searle. “I was more of a rugby lad but I progressed pretty quickly and was soon representing the County and joined Torquay United.
“Within four years or so I was making my senior debut, in the Southern League. It was a rapid rise but after only a few games I dropped out of the game for a while; maybe it was a case of too much too soon?
“I was in my early 20s when I got my appetite for football back. I played for a few clubs around the Devon and Cornwall area, including five years at Willand Rovers, during which time we won promotion from the Western League.
“Now this season I’ve come full circle and returned to Bideford after 15 years… and the Gaffer is still here!
“I’m really enjoying my football. We didn’t make the best of starts to the season; we suffered at the hands of injury, player availability and pure bad luck, but we’ve put a run of good performances together over the past five or six games and now we are starting to reap the rewards in terms of points.
“For me personally it is nice to be back playing at this level at the ripe old age of 33. I’ve had a few people doubt me, but I think that my displays this season speak for themselves. It’s a bit of a cliché, I know, but I am just happy to play my part in helping the team pick up points.
“The standard of this League is a lot different to when I last played. There is still quite a physical element but football is evolving and teams even at this level are now much more inclined to pass the ball around a lot more. There is certainly plenty of talent in this League.
“Our ambition as we approach the end of the year is to keep progressing up the table and ultimately finish the season as high as we can.
“The current position that we find ourselves in is not a true reflection of what this group of players is capable of. We are starting to add results to our performances now and like the rest of the team I want to be able to find a consistent level.
“If we can do that then we have every reason to be optimistic about 2025 holds in store for us.”
The Robins’ 3-2 victory over Shaftesbury last weekend was their third straight success. This Saturday they go to Didcot Town before hosting one of Searle’s former clubs, Willand Rovers, on Boxing Day.
IMAGE: Sean Gosling
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