WOOTTON BASSETT TOWN FC NEWS

Stern Test For Vic's - 3 February

Dave Turner has promised his Wootton Bassett side will provide a much sterner test for Malmesbury at the second time of asking in Division One West tomorrow.

The teams met on the opening day of the season and demoted Bassett, having laid out ambitious plans to return to the Hellenic Premier over the summer, experienced a nightmare start to the campaign.

Luke Sharps and Mitch Wyatt were both sent off early on and the Rylands Way outfit crumbled to a shock 3-0 defeat, but now Turner says this weekend is the time for his team to do themselves justice.

"It's probably our biggest local derby, there is a lot of history between Malmesbury and Bassett," said the boss, who will be without the suspended Ethan Delaney. "The guys that have been here a long time seem to want to win it more than anything. We certainly feel we owe them a performance, and if we keep 11 on the pitch then we'll certainly give them a good game."

With Turner having admitted that promotion is now out of reach, younger players will be given an opportunity, and the manager revealed that winger Matty McGuinness and defender Kyle Pitts are among those in his plans for the future.

"Those two have done exceptionally well over the last two weeks, and they only came in because of injuries," said Turner. "They have given me a real headache and there's a good chance they could play this weekend. I'm looking for young players to take into the first-team squad next year, and if they keep doing what they are doing, then they could be part of that."

WBTFC 2012 Six-a-Side Tournament - 31 January

Promotion Hopes All But Gone - 30 January

Dave Turner admitted his sides chances of winning promotion from Uhlsport Hellenic League Division One West were all but gone after a 0-0 draw at Old Woodstock Town.

Despite the result, Turner was pleased with his side's performance in a game where they were missing five first team regulars.
"I am proud as punch," said the Bassett boss. "The lads played very well and I have nothing but praise for them. Woodstock hit the post twice and we missed two good one on one chances, but if anyone was going to steal it I think it would have been us. We probably did need the win, and the reality is we are not going to be able to finish in the top three. So now we have a good chance to look at our younger players before next season so we are not going into it blind."

Last Bus To Woodstock? - 27 January

There is no danger of Wootton Bassett parking the bus and settling for a draw when they travel to title chasing Old Woodstock Town tomorrow.

Manager Dave Turner is back in the dugout after missing last weekend's defeat against Tytherington Rocks due to being on holiday, and is looking to make up for lost time with an attacking performance.

The home side sit in third place in the Hellenic League Division One West table, but have three games in hand on second place Purton. Bassett on the other hand could move up as high as fourth with a win, but Turner knows his side is in for a difficult afternoon. "I am expecting a very tough game against one of the best two sides in the league, but we will go there and try and get the win," he commented. "We need to try and win every game we play between now and the end of the season, and to do that in this game we will need to have a really good go at them. "At this stage of the season it is no good us trying to get draws, so I would rather go and lose a game trying to win it than lose a late goal trying to hold out for a draw."

Turner missed the Tytherington game because he was bobsleighing in Latvia and Lithuania, but despite enjoying his white knuckle ride is glad to be back in the dugout. "It is not something I have ever really thought about doing, but the adrenaline rush was amazing," he said. "Saying that, I was disappointed not to have been able to be here for the game, and I am glad I am back now. There is still a lot to do this season, but I am confident we can finish in the top five, but we need to win a few games to be able to do that."

Leaders Out For Revenge? - 20 January

Dave Turner is certain that Uhlsport Hellenic League Division One West runaway league leaders Tytherington Rocks will be out for revenge when they host his Wootton Bassett Town side this weekend.

Bassett were responsible for one of the Rocks' two league defeats with a 5-1 triumph at Rylands Way last August and also beat the Gloucestershire side on penalties in the Hellenic League Challenge Cup. "I'm sure they will be after revenge, and they should win the league with their budget," said Turner. "I wouldn't begrudge them that but I've probably got more respect for the sides like Purton who are up there challenging without a budget."

Last Saturday, Matt Bown's penalty earned a point against Easington Sports. Ethan Delaney, Adam Corcoran, Liam Edmonson and Bown all miss this weekend's clash.

All But Out - 6 January 2012

Wootton Bassett Town are all but out of the uhlsport Hellenic Football League Division One West title race, says manager Turner.

Bassett are 10 points behind Old Woodstock, who occupy the second promotion place, meaning they are reliant on that side, or league leaders Tytherington slipping up if they are to be promoted into the Hellenic Premier.

Although the Rylands Way side have a game in hand on Old Woodstock, Dave Turner believes it may be a step too far for his side to claw back the gap. "It's going to be really tough, we're reliant on the top two dropping points," he said. "The top two will probably stay where they are, but I don't think we'll be far behind them."

Bassett may be off the back of a 13-1 demolition of Trowbridge, but Turner has warned his players that last year's league champions Headington Amateurs will present a much sterner test tomorrow, even if they have struggled to replicate that form this season. "The Trowbridge game was nice and we enjoyed it, but it's not going to be like that at Headington," he said. "It will be a real challenge mentally and physically, and I genuinely enjoy going there. Our demotion knocked the stuffing out of us and it's probably the same for them as well. The one thing that a budget buys you is consistency. If you have got a group of players of similar ability then you can drop one and bring another in, and it doesn't really affect you. If you're not paying like us then you have to dip into the reserves, and no disrespect, you tend to lose a bit."

Valued Point - 2 January 2012

Wootton Bassett boss Dave Turner was pleased to pick up a point from their Uhlsport Hellenic League Division One West clash with Brimscombe & Thrupp, on New Years Eve, after ending the game with 10 men.

Bassett had a firm foothold in the game before falling behind, but young striker Ethan Delaney popped up with an equaliser before being sent off minutes later for violent conduct. Turner was unhappy with the decision, but praised his players' for their performance once they went down to 10 men.

"Ethan was tripped after beating his man, but the ref didn't give anything," he told the Swindon Advertiser. "He then had his shirt grabbed and he has tried to get him off, he made contact with his arm but it wasn't violent and I don't think it was a red card. Having said that, when we were down to 10 men we had some chances to win it, and I was very proud of the players."

Bassett face a trip to basement boys Trowbridge Town today, but Turner has warned his players against complacency. "I full expect us to go there and win, and I would be upset if we didn't, but we need to go there with the right attitude. If we underestimate them we will be tripped up, but I am confident that will not happen."

Full Strength - 30 December

Wootton Bassett hope they will be close to full strength when they take on Brimscombe & Thrupp tomorrow in the Uhlsport Hellenic League Division One West.

Bassett were ravaged by injuries and illness during their 5-2 defeat to New College Swindon on Tuesday, with five players sidelined with a bug, and a further two playing with injuries. James Blake and Liam Edmundson aggravated ankle and thigh problems during the game and are expected to miss out tomorrow, but the rest of his side have recovered from the sickness bug and should take the place in the line up.

"I am not making excuses, but if we had not had those injuries and illnesses during the game with New College, it would not have ended like that," manager Dave Turner told the Swindon Advertiser. "I expect us to have a fair few of our players back for this game and that will make a real difference. It was like playing with half a team, which is obviously hard, but I will not make excuses."

Turner is expecting a tight game against a side only two places behind them in the league, but is expecting his side to bounce back. "We will not sit back at all and will be out there trying to win the game, like we do every week," he said. "Now that we will have all of our players back we will be sending them out there trying to play our own game and imposing ourselves on them. They are a good side and I am expecting it to be very tight. Everyone needs to be up for it. If they are I know we can win."

Proud Despite Defeat - 19 December

Bassett boss Dave Turner was proud of his players' performance in the second half, after admitting the visitors controlled the opening period.

"Purton deserved to be 2-0 up because they really did dominate things and had more of the ball in the first half," he said in the Swindon Advertiser. "At half time I said to them that it was clear Purton wanted it more than we did and showed a lot more desire, and that is not good enough. I told them I really needed to see an improved peformance, and to be fair to the players they did deliver that in the second half. I am obviously very disapointed about the result and to lose the game, but I am proud of the way my players came back after the break."

Turner had no complaints over the red car issued to defender Russell Driver, but was not sure how big a role it played in the result. "It is an instinctive reaction to stick an arm out like that, and there was little else the referee could do really, he had no choice," he said. "We will never know if we could have been able to fight back into the game if we had 11 players, but my team gave it a real good go and that is all we can ask of them really. Sometimes it is harder to play against 10 men, and sometimes it isn't, it is a funny one."

Admiration For Manager - 16 December

Wootton Bassett boss Dave Turner says he will pit his wits against one of Division One West's most underrated managers when he sends his side out against Purton tomorrow.

The Rylands Way chief believes Chris Pethick does not receive enough credit for the job he does at the Red House, but is of course hoping his opposite number will end the weekend disappointed.

"I've known Chris for years and he does a tremendous job there," said Turner. "He's got no money but he never moans about it, and if he does unearth a gem then they get picked off by a club with money. They always finish in the top half and he doesn't get the credit he deserves. I have a lot of admiration for what he does, he's a terrific bloke. Having said that, I hope they lose on Saturday."

Bassett Injury Blow - 5 December

Wootton Bassett have suffered a major injury blow after Adam Corcoran limped off inside the first two minutes of their 1-1 draw with Easington.

The right-back (pictured) suffered a suspected broken foot after going into a challenge and had to leave the field immediately.

"It was a horrendous start to lose Adam early on," said manager Dave Turner. "He's one of those unassuming lads who probably doesn't get mentioned as much as he deserves."

Players Back - 2 December

Wootton Bassett manager Dave Turner welcomes back three front men in Alex Green, Ethan Delaney and Mitch Wyatt as his side journey to Easington.

But not content with just welcoming back those three forwards, Turner has re-signed striker Sam Reason following his short spell with Cricklade.

The boss explained: “Sam was with us at the beginning of the season, he left and now he’s come back. We lost a couple of strikers in Sam Collier and Sam Packer and we’ve never replaced them, but now we’ve got Sam (Reason) in and I’ve got another one in my sights.”

Turner is anticipating a tough encounter from third-placed Easington tomorrow as his team look to prove their promotion credentials. “Easington are in a good position and it will be a tough game,” he said. “They remind me of Headington, if you aren’t on your game, they will turn you over. But if you stand up to them you have half a chance.”

Bassett currently sit sixth in the Division One West table and the boss added: “We’re higher up than I thought we would be, given all the cup games we’ve been involved with. There’s a long way to go yet, but we’re in a reasonable position.”

Imminent Arrival - 28 October

Mitch Wyatt will be hauled off midway through Wootton Bassett's Bluefin Insurers Challenge Cup clash with Carterton tomorrow afternoon, if his partner goes into labour.

The Swindon Advertiser reports, the striker and partner Nichola were expecting their second child to arrive in the world last Saturday, but it was not to be. There remains every possibility that the birth could take place tomorrow afternoon while Wyatt is in action in the second-round cup tie, a scenario he is prepared for.

Club physio Lisa Vicat will be on the bench and has been briefed to answer Wyatt's phone should it ring, and the front man will then be substituted so he can make the dash to hospital.

However, should Nichola give birth today or tomorrow morning then Wyatt will not make the game at all, but the striker is still hoping he can fit both in during the same weekend.

"Saturday night wouldn't be bad and Sunday would be perfect, because I'd still get to play," he joked. "I told her either it had to come now or she would have to hold on, but she wasn't too pleased at that. Hopefully I'll just have the one game off if everything goes to plan."

Keeper Saves Day - 9 September

Dave Turner thought he had searched every nook and cranny for a goalkeeper, and then one turned up virtually on his doorstep.

The Wootton Bassett boss, currently without the unavailable Stewart Thompson and broken hand victim James Domm, spent hours trying to resolve the major headache. But by a huge stroke of luck, former Staines understudy goalkeeper Pete Doolan had just moved into the Swindon area and called Turner offering his services.

“I had phoned numerous clubs and no one was willing to send anyone out on loan,” said Turner. “The situation has caused all sorts of problems and then all of a sudden a goalkeeper drops into my lap. You couldn’t make it up. I’m taking a bit of a gamble but I haven’t got a lot of choice.”

The signing gives Bassett a boost ahead of their FA Vase first qualifying round visit to Shortwood tomorrow afternoon. Lee Bowen is available following the conclusion of his suspension.

Strikers Volley - 7 July

Wootton Bassett striker Sam Collier has fired a verbal volley at John Fisher after the Shrivenham boss claimed he 'lacked ambition', reports the Swindon Advertiser.

Fisher attempted to sign Collier (pictured) and midfielder teammates Sam Packer and Matty Bown this summer, providing the trio with an immediate opportunity to return to the Hellenic Premier, following Bassett's demotion. However, when they rejected the offer of promotion and paid football, Fisher questioned their footballing aspirations and Collier feels this criticism was misplaced.

"You can't say going from Wootton Bassett to Shrivenham would be an ambitious move," said the 24-year-old. "They aren't exactly going places so it's not as if I turned a huge opportunity down. I've heard they haven't signed a huge amount of new players and they struggled quite a lot last year. I don't know what their budget is but they had one last year and they still finished in the bottom four. To say (Collier rejected the move because of) a lack of ambition is a bit silly. If he was signing everybody, had a big budget and was going to be in the top five or six, then I would have a different decision to make. But actually it was an easy decision."

The front man revealed that the draw of staying at Bassett was a significant one and that the club's demotion to Hellenic One West had not dampened his desire to remain at Rylands Way. "It's my third season now, it's a great setup and I enjoy it," he said. "What happened was disappointing but those are the rules and they weren't adhered to, so we've got to get on with it. Dave (Turner, manager) has been loyal to me like when I injured my knee, so I wanted to show my loyalty to him. Plus I wouldn't stay at Bassett to stay in that league, the aim is to go back up."

Collier, who has been asked by his boss to be Bassett captain this year, plies his trade on the front line having converted to that position in his first season at Rylands Way. He had previously been a left-back and the change in position has proved successful as he has hit 20-plus goals in the last two campaigns.

he striker explained: "We played Harrow Hill away on a Tuesday night and we were struggling to get a side together, we had third-team players in there. I had played every game up until then but I was on the bench, so I was sulking about it. But then our centre forward pulled his hamstring and Dave had nobody else to put on, so I said I'd go on. I went up front and scored two goals, and that was that."

Turner Committed To Bassett - 1 July

Dave Turner has revealed that only a ‘mass exodus’ would have caused him to give up the managerial hotseat at Wootton Bassett Town.

Bassett were demoted from the Uhlsport Hellenic Premier at the end of last season after failing to meet ground improvements by a specified deadline, causing speculation over the future of both players and boss. However, Turner and his managerial team have now committed to Bassett and the club have even secured the services of former Supermarine chief Mark Collier, who is to assist with coaching the first team in a temporary capacity.

Rylands Way boss Turner said: “Provided there wasn’t a mass exodus of players I was never going to go. “I’ve enjoyed my time at Bassett, it’s a good little club. To start completely from scratch would have been a big, big ask but I think 95 per cent of the players are staying. The loyalty they have shown to me and the club has been tremendous, and I think a lot of that comes down to how I’ve treated them in the last four or five years. Until something like this happens you’re never quite sure (whether players will stay or not), but I’m absolutely over the moon. I know three or four of them have been offered money to go to other clubs.”

The Swindon Advertiser reports that three Bassett players turned down the chance to link up with John Fisher at Shrivenham and will instead begin pre-season training at Bassett tomorrow, while several new faces have verbally committed to signing.

Meanwhile, Turner has hailed the recruitment of Collier(right), who links up with the Bassett team having been out of work since leaving Supermarine in February. Collier’s son Sam is a striker at the club and Turner was delighted to bring in the ex-Webb’s Wood chief, even if the situation is only temporary with Collier looking to return to management. “Mark has managed at a much higher level and he’s got a lot to offer,” said Turner. “I’m sure he’s got his sights set on far bigger fish than Wootton Bassett, but until that comes along he will keep his hand in and I think the lads will enjoy having him there. To get someone of his calibre is a real plus for us. It’s a win-win situation all round.”

Wootton Bassett FA Appeal - 17th June

The following 'Press Release has been formulated and agreed by Paul Harrison, Chairman Wootton Bassett Town FC, and Brian King, Hellenic General Manager, who were present to represent the club and League respectively

."On the morning of 13th June WBT FC's appeal regards demotion from the Hellenic Premier Division to Division One East or West due to the Rylands Way ground facilities as at 31st March not being awarded a Step Five grade F, was heard by an FA Panel.

The appeal was based on the clubs view that the demotion contravened rule 2.4, and notably the final paragraph. Both parties agree the hearing was fair and conducted in a proper manner. The panel decided that the appeal be dismissed, the £100 appeal fee be forfeited, but issued no further order regards costs. Both WBTFC and the Hellenic League accept this decision as final.

The Club would ask it be noted that at no time did it seek to avoid undertaking necessary works, and that all works were completed by 30th April."

Paul Harrison
Chairman
WBT FC

Brian King
General Manager
Hellenic League

Bassett FA Appeal - 13th June

The FA appeal requested by Wootton Bassett Town FC concerning the club's return to Step SIX was heard today at Wembley.

The judgement of the FA Appeal Board was that the club's appeal be dismissed. The decision of the Hellenic League Management to return Wootton Bassett Town FC to Division One is ratified and Fairford Town are retained in the Premier Division for season 2011-2012.