Psychological Boost - 5th December

Stuart Scammell says the winner of this weekend’s Berks and Bucks Intermediate Cup clash between Ascot United and Binfield could gain a real psychological boost in terms of the title race.

The Ascot boss has guided his team to top spot in FTL Futbol Hellenic League Division One East, but Binfield sit just six points adrift and have three games in hand. Saturday will be the first time the two sides have met this season and even though it is in the cup Scammell knows how important a victory could prove to be.

He said: “I’ll be going out with my strongest team. I think psychologically the result could mean quite a lot. If it’s a narrow win or defeat it’s a case of as you were, but if one team can get a big win then psychologically I think it will have a bearing on the league. So we will be treating this exactly as we would a league fixture. It’s important we give a good account of ourselves against one of our rivals.”

Ascot go into the clash on a run of five straight league wins since their defeat at Kintbury Rangers on October 11.

Scammell has been delighted with the way his side have bounced back from that loss but insists he expected nothing less from his team. "In all honesty it’s been the kind of response I expected,” he said. “I’ve been with this group long enough to know how they would act. We were all disappointed after that Kintbury game but we didn’t let it affect us which is great.”

Title Toppers - 20th November

Stuart Scammell has reiterated his belief that this season’s FTL Futbol Hellenic League Division One (East) title will be decided by the games between the top sides.

With just five points separating the top five teams, it does look like the championship race will be the tightest for a number of seasons. The Ascot United boss has guided his side to second so far and this Saturday they take on third-placed Newbury in a clash which he describes as 'massive’.

Scammell said: “It’s a really, really big game, massive in fact. I was very impressed with Newbury when we went over there on the first day of the season. I know the personnel will have changed a bit, especially in the dug-out with a new manager coming in, but I’m sure they will still play the same way."

“They like to play football so it should be a good, flowing game. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but this season the league will be decided by how we do against the teams around us. That’s why Saturday is so important. We’re at home and I fancy our chances against anyone at our place, although we’ll have to play a lot better than we did last weekend.”

Cup Run Targeted - 6th November

Stuart Scammell has targeted a run in the Berks & Bucks Intermediate Cup this year and is looking for a strong performance from his side this Saturday as they continue their campaign in the competition.

The Yellamen were knocked out of the SBJ Insurance Brokers Challenge Cup last weekend after a 3-2 defeat by Premier Division Shortwood United, but Scammell used the clash to give a handful of his first team a rest. Now he will bring a number of them back for Saturday’s clash as he feels the Berks & Bucks Intermediate Cup represents a real opportunity to get his hands on some silverware.

He said: “We’ll be trying to put out as strong a side as possible for the game but again I won’t take any risk that could harm our league campaign. That is the priority, but I still think this is a trophy we can do really well in this season.”

The likes of Ben Dunk, Sam McIntyre, Tim Standing, Andy Lunn and Stuart Hallt could all come back for the clash at Rabson Rovers.

Scammell added: “We used to play against Rabsons in the Reading League. They had a couple of red hot strikers back then but I’m not sure if they are still at the club. Either way it is a game I fully expect us to win. We will be going there looking to progress. We won’t underestimate them but if we play like we know we can we should make it through.”

Rest For The Wounded - 30th October

The walking wounded at Ascot United will be given the chance to rest up over the next fortnight as the Yellamen head into two weeks of cup action.

Stuart Scammell has had to play a number of his first teamers in the past month despite several of them being less than 100 per cent fit. So the Ascot boss plans to give them a rest over the next two weeks so they are back in perfect shape when the Yellamen’s league campaign starts up again on November 15th.

He said: “We’ve got several injuries and loads of others carrying knocks at the moment so this two week break from league action couldn’t have come at a better time. The league is our number one priority, no matter what, so it would be foolish of me to start patching guys up and sending them out in cup games when they’re not 100 per cent fit.”

Ben Dunk, Sam McIntyre, Tim Standing, Andy Lunn and Stuart Hallt will all be given this Saturday off as Ascot host Shortwood United, who are flying high in the Premier Division, in the SBJ Insurance Brokers Challenge Cup.

Scammell added: “It’s a shame as I wanted to use that game as parameter to see how far we’ve come. It’s going to be top of Division One against one of the best sides in the Premier League.

“But we’ll still go there and give it a go. I’ll bring in some of the lads from the reserves and this will give them a chance to come in and stake their claim.”

Bennett's Scoring Exploits - 24th October

Ascot United have been blasting away almost everyone who has come in front of them this season as they look to gain promotion from FTL Futbol Hellenic League Division One East. Just one defeat in their opening 11 games has taken them to top spot in the division and showed just why many tipped them as pre-season favourites for the title.

A key part of their success so far has been the sensational form of forward Jon Bennett(pictured). The young striker has notched a staggering 20 goals in the Yellamen’s opening 11 league games. He has bagged three four-goal hauls already and last Saturday he notched a hat trick as Ascot saw off Henley Town 5-1 to move back to the top of the league.

Manager Stuart Scammell was quick to pay tribute to his forward. He said: “I’ve worked with Jon for about four years now and he’s always been around the goals. He matured a lot when he came through the reserve set-up at the club about three years ago and then really made his mark when we were in the Reading Senior Division. He’s been sensational so far this season. He’s bigger, he’s stronger and he’s a superb finisher. He’s still got a lot to learn though, he needs to work harder and bring other people into the game more.”

One problem for Scammell is that Bennett’s goalscoring exploits could well be catching the eye of teams higher up the football pyramid. But the Ascot boss is calm about that prospect and added: “Jon is very happy here. I know there have been people sniffing around already this season. But I don’t think he wants to leave. We’re a very offensive minded side and we create so many chances for him here. As a striker it must be a dream to play for a team like ours.”

Scammell insists he never had any doubts about how his players would react to their first league defeat of the season a fortnight ago. The Ascot United manager saw his team knocked off the Division One East top spot when they crashed to a 2-1 defeat at Kintbury Rangers on October 11. But they roared back to the summit last weekend when they cruised to a 5-1 home success over Henley Town, while previous leaders Wokingham and Emmbrook went down 2-1 against Newbury Town.

Scammell said: “The guys were very professional with the way they went about things, they responded in the right manner which was good to see. My expectations were that they would come out and put in a strong performance and that’s what they did. I’ve been with this group now, most of them anyway, for about six years as a player or manager and know them inside out. I know the players I need to have a quiet word with and the ones that will just go out there knowing what they have to do. I was never worried.”

Ascot will be looking to maintain their position at the top of the table on Saturday when they travel to Englefield Green Rovers who have won just twice all season. Rovers always represent a physical challenge, however, and Scammell is warning his players not to expect an easy ride.

He said: “I don’t expect it to be any different to the game we had at their place last season. It was very tight and I’m sure it will be again on Saturday. I know what we’re likely to come up against at the weekend and we’re going to have to be ready to deal with that.”

Learning Course - 15th October

Ascot United boss Stuart Scammell says he will learn a lot about his side following their first league defeat of the season last weekend. The Yellamen went down to a controversial 2-1 loss at Kintbury Rangers which saw Wokingham and Emmbrook knock them off the top of the table.

Scammell was disappointed with the result but says he is looking forward to seeing how his players react to the defeat.He said: “This weekend is going to be good for me because I’m going to learn a lot about my team. It’s going to be good to see how they come through this defeat. It’s our first since April and I want to see what their reaction is. We need to draw a line under it now and get back to the winning mindset we’d created before the game. Let’s just put it behind us. We were never going to go through the season unbeaten so it could even prove to be the shot in the arm we need.”

Ascot will look to get back on track this Saturday when they return to the Racecourse for their first home game since early September. Holyport are the visitors and Scammell is expecting a tough clash against a team he feels have not showed their true potential so far this season. “They have not done as well as everyone thought but it will still be a very difficult game,” he said. “They always seem to have the bit between their teeth when they come up against us and I’m sure Saturday will be no different.”

Andy Lunn will return to the squad this weekend after injury and Nick Curtis has served his suspension so will also be back.

Penalty Decison Denies Yellamen - 14th October

Ascot United fell to their first league defeat of the season on Saturday when a controversial late penalty gave Kintbury Rangers a 2-1 win in the top of the table clash.

The loss saw the Yellamen knocked off the top of the table by neighbours Wokingham and Emmbrook who overcame Holyport 3-0.

It was Ascot who went in front midway through the first half when Jon Bennett scored form the spot after he was brought down by the Kintbury goalkeeper. The hosts levelled things up on the stroke of half-time but Ascot should have killed the game off after the interval when Richard Mills, Steve Curtis and Tim Standing all missed good chances.

And they were made to pay when the referee awarded Kintbury a debatable late penalty which they put away to condemn the visitors to their first defeat of the campaign.

Manager Stuart Scammell said: “It was very disappointing. To lose with the last kick of the game was a real kick in the teeth. In all honesty the referee made two or three howlers. For the penalty our defender was just shepherding their guy out of play when he fell over. I thought at first he’d blown for full-time or to give a free-kick for diving. I couldn’t believe it when I realised he was pointing at the spot.”

Massive Game - 9th October

Ascot United boss Stuart Scammell has described his side’s vital clash at Kintbury Rangers this Saturday as “a massive game.”

The table topping Yellamen take one of the FTL Futbol Hellenic League Division One East's two remaining unbeaten records into the game knowing a win would put them seven points clear of the early season favourites.

Scammell knows the importance of the clash and should have a fresh squad to choose from after giving a number of his first team regulars a rest last weekend. He said: “It’s a massive game on Saturday. It’s either going to put some breathing space between us and them or it will allow them to claw us back a bit. We know it’s going to be tough. It’s doesn’t get much more difficult in this league than Kintbury away but we’re going there full of confidence."

“We want this unbeaten run to continue for as long as is possible. It’s nice to go into these games knowing we’re still unbeaten because it gives everyone some more belief. I remember last year when we came up against Chalfont Wasps towards the end of the season and they were still unbeaten. It was pretty daunting so it would be nice to have teams thinking that way about us.”

Great News on Planning Permission - 3rd October

Ascot United FC has cleared a big hurdle for future developments at its Ascot Racecourse based ground. The FTL Futbol Hellenic One East Division leaders have been granted planning permission for a new clubhouse and floodlights by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council. This follows last year’s generous offer from the Racecourse Authorities to extend the club’s use of the site for a further 25 years.

The news is a major boost for the club’s ambitions to have midweek soccer for youth players, to grow its women and girls’ section and to introduce football for the disabled. The new clubhouse provides up-to-date facilities for the four hundred players that regularly use the Racecourse. The club has recently formed a partnership with Shorts Group for the development. The local, family owned business generously brings its expertise in construction and sports turf to the project. The next step for the club is to apply to the Football Foundation for a funding contribution for the project having already raised a six figure sum through fundraising and local partners.

Chairman, Mike Harrison, summed up the excitement felt within the club saying: “The planning permission is a huge step forward for the project. We’ve been working on this for five years and can now look ahead to the day when the facilities are a match for the superb location and football that the players already enjoy”.

Defensive Crisis - 2nd October

Ascot United are in the midst of a defensive crisis following injuries to their only two remaining centre backs last weekend.

With Neil Curtis sitting out the first game of a three match suspension, the Yellamen travelled to Penn and Tylers Green with just John Keogh and Stuart Hallt as fit or available centre backs. But Keogh dislocated his shoulder within four minutes of the game kicking off and had to be rushed to hospital, while Hallt was also sidelined soon after due to a dead leg.

Neither defender will be fit for this Saturday’s Berks and Bucks first round clash at Waltham, leaving boss Stuart Scammell with a real selection headache. He said: “It’s not ideal. We’re really short on the ground now when it comes to centre halves. We had to change formation at half-time last Saturday. We changed to 4-5-1 and dropped Andy Gavin back as cover for the defence That’s not something that I like because it’s not a shape we’re accustomed to, but the guys gave a superb account of themselves in the second half. So that might be an option for this weekend or there’s a young lad in the reserves, James Brazier, who can come in and do a job. We’ll have to see what happens in training on Thursday.”

Keogh is expected to be out for anything up to six weeks following his dislocated shoulder.

The incident meant the game was held up for half an hour last Saturday as paramedics made him comfortable before taking him to Wexham Park Hospital. The defender didn’t need surgery as the shoulder was popped back into place by a specialist, but the injury will still keep him sidelined for at least a month.

There is better news regarding Hallt whose dead leg should only keep him out for this Saturday’s Berks and Bucks first round clash at Waltham.

Meanwhile, Scammell has moved to strengthen his squad with the signing of Bracknell Town midfielder Paul Fagg. The former Robin, who was an Ascot junior during his younger years, has been brought in to add experience to the Ascot squad. Scammell said: “We’ve already got a plethora of midfield players at the club but Paul is a very good player who has a wealth of experience even though he’s only 22. I caught wind that he was no longer in Byron’s plans over at Bracknell and we had an opportunity to get him so we moved quickly to do that.”

Resting Players - 25th September

Stuart Scammell says he will chop and change his table topping squad this week for their SBJ Insurance Brokers League Challenge Cup clash at Penn and Tylers Green.

The Ascot United boss admits the cup is the one competition he is not really focusing on this season so he will use it to rest some of his players who have been feeling the effects of two bruising encounters in recent weeks. Scammell was furious with the way his players were treated at Henley Town a fortnight ago and there was more of the same when they travelled to Chinnor last Saturday.

The Ascot boss said: “We’ve got a fair few knocks after the last couple of weeks so I will be using Saturday’s game to give some of the guys a rest. I’m going to mix it up. If we’re going to take a hit this season then this is the only competition that I won’t really lose any sleep over. But saying that we still want to win. Some other guys will be coming in but they can do a very good job for us.”

On the aggressive tactics that have been used against his side in recent weeks, Scammell added: “I don’t mind when teams play hard but fair, I have no problem with that. But when it becomes a danger to my side, that’s when you have to stand up and say something about it.”

Ascot dealt well with the physical nature of Chinnor’s play last Saturday as they ran out 2-1 victors to maintain their position at the top of the table. Scammell said: “It was another tough, physical game. The result was never really in doubt even after we’d conceded a stupid goal. Again there were a few disappointing aspects but we dealt with it well. I think every team we play now will try to get at us because we’re top and play good football. They will try to disrupt our flow but we’re a level headed bunch and I’m sure we’ll handle everything in the right way.”

Title Belief - 26th July

Ascot United manager Stuart Scammell believes his squad has what it takes to challenge for the title in Division One East of the FTL Futbol Hellenic League this season.

Scammell (pictured) guided his side to a fourth place finish in their maiden Hellenic League campaign but is confident they can go even better this time around. On the player front Scammel comments: “We’ve managed to keep hold of the whole group from last season which is a real boost, also a few new faces have come along to training who have looked promising and hopefully we’ll get some of them signed on this weekend.”

He said: “We’ve had four training sessions now and I’ve been very impressed with what I’ve seen from the lads. They’ve obviously kept themselves in good shape over the summer and that’s good to see. They had their first bleep test last week and they all did great."

“I’ve said to them all that this season will be much more difficult than the last one. Last season we were an unknown quantity but everyone knows who we are now so we will have to be at the top of our game every week. But I’m confident we will be. I think this coming season will be as open as it has been for a number of years, there are a lot of teams who will fancy their chances and we are definitely one of them.”

Scammell added: “I always set myself a points target for the season and I have done once again. For the last three seasons we’ve beaten the number I’ve had in my mind so hopefully we will do that again this year.”

Ascot played their first pre-season friendly on Thursday, with a 4-1 against last season Divison One East Champions Chalfont Wasps.

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