Wormley Rovers FC vs. Biggleswade United

Spartan South Midlands Football League, Premier Division

Date: 18 January 2025

Kickoff: 15:00

View from the chair

Welcome everyone to the Lane for todays SSML encounter vs Biggleswade United a team we played away earlier in the season when we played very well to come out 2-1 winners. I have to say the club officials were very welcoming and therefore as always I would like to offer a warm Wormley welcome to their players, management team, officials and supporters.

To say we come into this game on a high is an understatement after Tuesday nights quarter final of the Herts Senior Challenge Cup vs Boreham Wood a huge game for the squad and a great opportunity to test themselves against some of the very best non-league players around where every one of our players stepped up to come out 4-1 winners. Josh Asiude got the first after two minutes, Louie Offer added a second on the half hour mark and a brilliant free kick from Reece Mosanya right on half time sealed a perfect half for us. Despite Boreham Wood scoring a deserved goal to bring it back to 3-1 a clever finish from a corner by Ryan Stevenson saw us home and dry as deserved 4-1 winners. Credit to our opponents who admitted we were the better team on the night so onto the semi final we go where we will face Hemel Hempstead or Leverstock Green

We are in good shape injury wise at the moment after a spell earlier in the season where injuries took its toll but our young squad learnt lessons quickly and have adapted to the challenges in front of them and are ready for a busy few months

I get to see how incredibly hard Ryan and his management team are working to improve the squad, to improve players both individually and as a unit and there is something incredibly pleasing about watching young players develop and thrive in an environment where we want them to enjoy their football but also improve. There is certainly a togetherness amongst the whole squad that has carried over from last year that should help us through the inevitable tough times that every team goes through.

The clubhouse is finally on the very last small touches of its refurbishment, and we are very proud of it. I must also pay tribute to our Bar manager Andy and his team behind the bar who work incredibly hard and play a huge part in the clubs success. Thanks also to Adam and the young ladies in the cafe who contribute so much also to our club.

I really hope you enjoy your visit to the club and today’s game and hopefully you will get to see some good football too

Apologies I am not at the game today as in Manchester but I’ll be keeping in touch

Enjoy the game

#COYW

Welcome to our opponents

Biggleswade United – Our Club History

Biggleswade United Football Club was re-formed on the 16th July 1959. However, local history records indicate that there was a Biggleswade United side playing at Second Meadow as early as 1929. Our first season (1959/60) saw us competing in Division Three of the North Herts. League (NHL). After 10 successful years in the NHL the club made the step up to South Midlands League (SML) football. But towards the end of a 15-year association with the SML the club began to struggle and after three years of finishing in the bottom three of Division One we sought fresh fields. The club joined the Herts. Senior but club continued to find the going tough. In 1986 we elected to return to local League football, joining the Bedford and District Football League and began to build again.

The appointment of Brian Swords as first team manager in 87/88 proved to be the turning point in the club’s fortunes. During the next ten years the club achieved a tremendous amount of success on and off the football pitch. Our record of League and Cup honours speak for themselves but aligned to this a great deal of work went on behind the scenes to match the on-field success. The club now boasts one of the best clubhouse and ground facilities in the Mid-Bedfordshire area. The success of the club also attracted many new players as well as commanding a great deal of loyalty from those players who helped the club progress from Division Three of the Bedford and District League to County Senior Club status in just 15 years.

The 1995/96 season was the most successful in the club’s history – winning five major honours; the Beds Intermediate County Cup, Bedford and District League Championship, League Cup Championship and as the League’s representatives the club won the Beds. FA Centenary Cup. Having won every major Bedford League honour the club felt it was time to move on and made the decision to make the step up once again and returned to Division One of the SML. In an exceptionally successful first season we celebrated a Division One “double” by winning the Championship and the Division One Cup. We also retained the Beds. FA Intermediate County Cup, only the second club in the competition’s history to achieve this feat. To crown our success the club were awarded the SML Special Achievement Trophy in July 1997.

In the season 1997/98 we finally achieved Senior status. This was achieved not only through the endeavours of the players on the field but ultimately as a result of an extremely hard working committee. With the help of the Biggleswade Town Council a new stand was erected and perimeter fencing installed. And two seasons later the club erected floodlights and on the evening of 26^th October 1999 we played our first-ever floodlit game at Second Meadow, Ryman League side Leighton Town were the visitors in the Bedfordshire Premier Cup.

The next eleven years saw the first team led by Steve “Snowy” Wright and under his management the club continued to enjoy a very high level of League and Cup success ultimately achieving promotion to the Molten Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division and with it the opportunity to compete in the FA Cup. And under Snowy the club made three Beds FA Senior Challenge Cup final appearances, winning two of the three with victories over Stotfold (4-1) and Leighton Town (1-0) but missed out in 2006/07 going down 2-0 to Dunstable Town. Snowy’s other cup successes came in the form of the Hunts Premeir Cup, North Beds Charity Cup, Hinchingbrooke Cup, the SML Division One Cup and the SML Special Achievement Award once again. The end of the 2006 2007 saw Snowy step down as manager with his assistant, Nick Burton taking over the first team reins. January 5th 2009 saw the club embark on further ambitious ground improvements. With financial backing from Biggleswade Town Council, Mid Beds District Council and the Football Foundation we installed a 260-seater stand, fully enclosed the ground with a double turnstile entrance and players’ secure walkway which raised the ground to Grade E status.

After several years of stability in terms of first team managers the next six years saw a regular turnover of first team and reserve team managers with Nick Burton, Dave Elkin and Phil Childs all taking over the first team reins for a time.

At the start of the 2013 2014 season we appointed Mick Reardon and Mark Royal as first team managers both of whom had enjoyed success as coaches at the higher levels of football. Their disciplined approach was quickly adhered to and responded to by the players and under their stewardship we achieved the highest Premier Division position in nine years and first silverware in seven years winning the North Beds Charity Cup for the first time in the club’s history.

In November 2014 the club took a further positive step to realise our ambitions with the appointment of Sky Sports Presenter and renowned author, Guillem Balague as Biggleswade United’s Director of Football. Following Mick and Mark’s decision to step down at the end 2014 2015, Guillem was quick to act and recruited a new Head Coach in Cristian Colas Beccera. Cristian was assisted by former professional player, Stuart Bimson, and under their guidance the team finished in eighth spot in the Premier Division in 2017 2018 – the highest position in the club’s history. Having built a strong reputation for their outstanding coaching ability and playing philosophy Cristian and Stuart moved up to Step 3 level club, Staines Town, for the start of the 2018 2019 season. Guillem was again in search for a high quality coach and Jimmy Martin came highly recommended by his predecessor, Colas, who worked with Jimmy at Stevenage FC Academy. Jimmy was appointed Manager in May 2018 but he tendered his resignation in October 2018 having been offered a “hard to refuse” opportunity to take up a coaching role at Premier Division club Watford. Despite the setback the first team went on to record their highest ever League placing – a fourth spot in the Premier Division.

In the season 2019 2020 the club were sitting in a highly commendable third position in the Premier Division and under the management of Chris Devane and Trishnan Patel were hoping for a promotion play off opportunity. However, in March 2020 the season was declared Null and Void by the FA after the devastating outbreak of the Coronavirus. The club were also to learn that Chris and Trishnan had accepted the offer to work at Step 4 and departed the club at short notice. Fortunately the club were able to call upon the services of former Head Coach Cristian Colas Cristian took the club to its highest ever position in the club’s history at the curtailment of the 20/21 season leaving us second in the table on PPG. The club applied for promotion to Step 4 but were unsuccessful. A double whammy came when the club were subjected to a lateral move to the Uhlsport United Counties League. The FA’s actions had a devastating effect on the club and we spent most of the 2021 2022 season at the foot of the table. But we rallied and secured Step 5 football on the final day of the season. The club have now been re-instated in to the SML and with a strong squad will be looking to put that season’s nightmare in to a distant memory and push on to return as a top of the table club.

With the nightmare season confined to the history books we kicked on and finished a very creditable 8^th in the Premier Division but the highlight of the season was achieving the best ever run in the FA Vase. Starting at the qualifying round stages we came through five rounds reaching the fourth round proper but fell to Coventry Sphinx. At the end of a great season Cristian Colas made the difficult decision to step down after 7 (-2) seasons as head coach. Two United players came forward with the right experience, credentials and knowledge of the football world at this level and the next and the decision was felt to be the right one. Gareth Hunt, who had captained the side and had been instrumental in helping us through the difficult season, was partnered with Jordan Wright who captained the FA Vase winning Newport Pagnell Town team. Sadly though their tenure lasted just the one season and in May 2024 the club moved on with the appointment of Kane Dougherty who has enjoyed success at Shefford Town and Campton. Kane’s coaching team will comprise of Josh Bickerstaff, James Taylor, Del Digweed, Josh Thomas and Martin Russell. We have also secured the services of an excellent sports therapist in Joe Green.