LeamingtonFC.co.uk

The countdown to the first pre-season 2023 game for the Brakes can start now with a Coventry City XI visiting on Saturday 8 July, 15:00.

Brakes fans will get their first look at Paul Holleran's side for the 2023/24 season with a home friendly at Your Co-op Community Stadium.

Last season's friendly between the Brakes and the Sky Blues saw the record attendance at Your Co-op Community Stadium broken with 2,131 in attendance. The season before, 998 fans saw a Coventry City XI win and there was 1,552 in the crowd for a 2019 friendly. We are looking forward to welcoming back the Sky Blue Army to the home of Warwickshire football.

Ticket prices and details will be confirmed closer to the game.

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Current Pre-Season Schedule:

PA Announcer Graham Hobbins has informed the club that he will not be continuing in his role next season, and we are therefore looking for a new PA Announcer to fill the voluntary role.

We would, of course, like to thank Graham for his many years of great work for the club and are all looking forward to seeing him on the terraces next season.

As a result, we are looking for a new voluntary PA Announcer for the 2023/24 season. Listed below are a number of tasks that is necessary of a PA Announcer at Your Co-op Community Stadium on matchday:

Creating a suitable music playlist to be played at the ground before the game, at half time and full time
Read out match information/sponsorship information (a script is provided)
Communicate safety and crowd announcements and liaise with stewards as required via personal radios
Control the scoreboard during games
Be stationed in the PA Box during the game and make in-game announcements

Previous experience in public speaking and use of audio technology in a public setting is beneficial but not essential. Training will be provided where necessary.

Anyone interested in the role should contact Head of Media Max Passantino on max.passantino@leamingtonfc.co.uk

Get in contact with us now to become part of the highly respected Brakes Media Team.

Leamington will host SkyBet League Two side Walsall on Tuesday 11 July, 19:45 kick off.

This will be the fifth season in a row that Walsall have made the trip to Your Co-op Community Stadium, with games over the last few years attracting healthy attendances for pre-season as well as action-packed games.

It has been confirmed that brand new Head Coach at the Poundland Bescot Stadium Mat Sadler will be bringing his first team to Warwickshire in a stand-out fixture as both sides gear up for the new season in SkyBet League Two and the Pitching In Southern Premier League Central respectively.

Ticket information will be confirmed closer to the fixture.

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Current Pre-Season Schedule:

The club has reviewed admission and season ticket prices ahead of the forthcoming 2023-2024 Season that will see us plying our trade in the Southern League Premier Division Central.

There is definitely going to be a fair bit of intrigue with ten games to be played within a 50 mile radius against midlands based teams!

In our decision making we had to factor in that costs have risen considerably in the past twelve months allied to the loss of £32,000 league sponsorship monies following relegation from the National League. To that end we have made the difficult decision to maintain admission prices as per last season.

We have done likewise with Season Ticket prices with the exception of reducing Under 18 prices from £69 to £42 (Early Bird) and £74 to £47 Normal to encourage and build upon the attendance of young fans who helped create a lively atmosphere at Your Co-op Community Stadium last season.

Early Bird Season Tickets are as following:

Adults £227
Concessions £153
Students £121
Under 18 £42
Under 12 FREE

These early bird tickets have a deadline for applications of 30 June 2023. Applications forms are available online by clicking on the link at the bottom of the article, or in person from the club office. They can also be purchased on our ticket site here.

Season Tickets purchased after 30th June are priced as following:

Adults £239
Concessions £161
Students £129
Under 18 £47
Under 12 FREE

Admission Prices for Season 2023-24 are:

Adults £14
Concessions £10
Students £7
U18 £4
U12 FREE

We have made the decision to reward all who purchase a season ticket for their commitment to the club by giving free entry to all four home pre-season friendlies on production of their season tickets, details of which will be announced shortly.

Registered players (Under 16) of Leamington Lions Girls FC, Leamington Brakes FC and Leamington FC Development Teams will, when accompanied by an adult and on production of their membership card, be given FREE entry. This applies to League games only (not cup ties or play-off matches).

Chairman Jim Scott commented, 'We have done everything that we can to keep the price of watching football at our Your Co-op Community Stadium affordable. We are hopeful of your understanding on this matter recognising that supporters are the lifeblood of our club’

To download the application form, click here.

With the teams now confirmed in the Southern Premier League Central, we’re taking a whistle stop tour of all of the clubs who we’ll be playing next season with our bite sized info packs! The third team that starts with B is a short hop over to Bromsgrove!

Name: Bromsgrove Sporting FC
Founded: 2009
Nickname: The Rouslers
Stadium: Victoria Ground

A side who took the reigns of the Worcestershire town’s premier club after the demise of Bromsgrove Rovers FC, Bromsgrove Sporting didn’t actually play a game until the 2010/11 season, after Rovers went into administration.

Having got three successive promotions in seasons 2016/17, 17/18 and 18/19, the Rouslers played their first Step 3 match in 2019/20 and finished fourth after 32 games when the season was eventually made null and void due to Covid-19.

Last season saw them finish 18th, the same position as the season before, just surviving the drop on both occasions. They play at the 3,500 capacity Victoria Ground, which they were offered the lease of in 2010.

The Rouslers are managed by former Hereford and Kettering player Michael McGrath, known by Brakes fans for his antics in an FA Trophy tie in 2021, in which Kettering ended the game with 8 men, that saw him sent off and respectively inherit a healthy ban.

Have we met before?

Not in a competitive game before, however we have played a few friendlies against the Rouslers before.

Brakes won 4-0 at the Victoria Ground in 2017, before a 2-1 win at Your Co-op Community Stadium the season after. The last game between the two sides was a 0-0 friendly meeting in 2020.

Distance - 25 miles

Travel Time - 38 minutes

Give them a follow…

You can find them on Twitter @SportingFC, Facebook /Bromsgrove Sporting FC and Instagram @rouslersofficial!

With the teams now confirmed in the Southern Premier League Central, we’re taking a whistle stop tour of all of the clubs who we’ll be playing next season with our bite sized info packs! Next up is newly promoted Berkhamsted…

Name: Berkhamsted FC
Founded: 2009
Nickname: The Comrades
Stadium: Broadwater

The second newly promoted side we will cover in this mini series, champions of the Southern League Division One Central Berkhamsted represent the historic Hertfordshire market town of the same name. Founded in 2009 following the demise of Berkhamsted Town, the Comrades have been on a rise ever since.

Having started in the Spartan South Midlands League Division Two, the 2023/24 season will be Berko’s first in Step 3 - a level that the previous club failed to achieve in 90 years of existence.

33 year old manager Chris Devane, formerly of Biggleswade United and Crawley Green, resigned from the hot seat at Broadwater this weekend and has been replaced by Steve Heath, who previously spent ten seasons at AFC Dunstable. The Comrades also register a former Leamington player in their ranks in Ross Oulton who played 43 times for the Brakes in our 2015/16 Southern Premier League campaign.

Have we met before?

No! This will be the first meeting between the two clubs!

However… looking between the lines - Brakes have played Berkhamsted Town before in the 2007/08 season. Josh Blake scored a brace to ensure a home 2-0 win before goals from Jamie Towers and Oluwaseyi Morgan added onto a Martin Thompson hat trick handed Brakes a comfortable 5-0 win at Broadwater, and you can watch the entire highlights courtesy of BrakesVideos below!

Distance - 66 miles

Travel Time - 1 hour 22 minutes

Give them a follow…

You can find them on Twitter @BerkoFC, join their Facebook Group called Berkhamsted Football Club and Instagram @berkhamsted_fc!

As the season has now drawn to a close, I would like to provide you with an update regarding our football pathway, how it is developing, the challenges faced, and how we will look to operatebeneath the first team next season, 2023/24.

We are very fortunate at the football club to have two fantastic sections, offering both boys and girls football opportunities in a community and development capacity to over 500 members per week, led by many very committed volunteers, who we are eternally grateful to.

From age 16 + we have a very different challenge in trying to provide opportunities for aspiring footballers as part of our ‘Elite’ pathway.

The growing college programmes at Moreton Morrell and Pershore, gives us a sound base to build from and this season has seen the Pershore side win their league and the Tier 1 Moreton Morrell side finish 3rd in the Championship division.

We also have a blossoming partnership with the University of Warwick in place now with myself and other coaches working with the male and female teams in the BUCS leagues, whichthis season included 3 league titles.

Next season, 2023/24, sees me take a supporting role as Men’s Director of Football and LFC coach all 5 men’s teams and support the female programme where required in a bid to build an even bigger recruitment pool for potential players.

Both of the above programmes have had representation in the under 18’s FA Youth cup side and Under 23’s this season2022/23.

The challenges we have from 16 + are predominantly financial (we don’t ask players in our ‘Elite’ / 16+ pathway to pay any subscriptions or monies to play for us) and resources available to us, not to mention the challenge of bridging a gap to first team football, now step 3, previously 2.

The past two seasons have seen the under 23’s play in the Midland Football League Reserve Division from two different homes, at Rugby Borough and Stockton FC respectively, both of whom we are thankful to for their hospitality, but this does come at a cost to us as a football club.

That said, the under 23’s have in turn won both the League (2021/22) and League Cup (2022/23). A huge thank you to the travelling support recently in the Cup Final at Bedworth United, it was very much appreciated and created a great atmosphere on the day!

We have witnessed 5 first team league debuts from the Under 23’s, 11 players have experienced first team training at some point in the last two seasons and 4 loan moves of players to higher levels within the football pyramid.

We see this as a huge success and credit to all those involved for achieving these milestones to date.The only outstanding performance indicator is a first team regular and/or a player to be sold on to a professional club.

Unfortunately, the gap from Under 23’s to First Team is no less than 6 divisions, a comparison of Premier League to National League North gives context to the gap these young players and our staff are working tirelessly to bridge, it is not as easy as it seems.

As a first team, unfortunately we have this season experienced relegation and as with any football club in this situation there will be financial implications along the way and we must ensure, even more than ever, that we run a sustainable modelwith the long game in mind.

As a result, we are reluctantly going to reshape our Elite / 16+pathway with the following changes, but, remain excited as to what next season may bring and hope we can build on this even further in time.

‘Elite’ / 16+ Pathway next season, 2023/24:

• Further Education College Programmes @ Moreton Morrell and Pershore College

• Floodlit Under 18’s will return, including entry to the FA Youth Cup

• Under 23’s will be replaced with an Aspiring Footballers Programme

Aspiring Football Programme:

• Focus on 16 – 23 year olds.

• Trial / invite only.

• Work closer with professional clubs to sign their ‘released’ players.

• Offer regular training and showcase fixtures to challenge players.

• Offer a loan pathway to support their transition into men’s football.

• All players will have access to training and match kit when with LFC, GPS monitors, access to a medical team, Strength and Conditioning Coach and an Analyst

• The end goal is still to develop first team players and / or players who can go on higher up the pyramid with a sell on value.

In summary, they will run effectively as an Under 23’s but without the regular costs and resource issues we have faced weekly over the last two seasons.

Current Under 23’s update

A huge thank you to Scott, Lewis, Matt, Adam and Emma for all their work as part of the management team and extend our thanks to all players and families who have represented our club this season.

Next steps:

Manager – Scott Pheasey – has been offered a loan mentor role within the Aspiring Football Programme
Head Coach – Lewis Marston – is exploring alternative options in the pyramid but will continue to work for the club in his role as PDP lead coach and within the Charity.
Coach – Matt Finnegan – we are delighted to announce Matt will be joining the Charity set up to work in our community sessions and football pathway.
Goalkeeper Coach – Adam Deeley – has been offered to continue his role in our Aspiring Footballers Programme and across our football pathway.

A brief breakdown of the most recent players who represented the Under 23’s:

• Invited to First Team Pre-season – Ethan Pheasey and Toby Nicoll

• 12 players have been invited to our Aspiring Footballers Programme

• 6 players, some included in the Aspiring Programme are eligible for the under 18’s next season.

• 7 players are leaving Warwick University so will not be Midlands based next season.

• All remaining players have been offered an opportunity to discuss potential opportunities for them locally and we will support them anyway we can.

Pathway Summary

Community – Leamington Brakes FC, Leamington Lions FC
Development – MJPL teams, 7 – 16 Talent I.D. Programme
Elite / 16+ – Further Education College Programmes, Floodlit Under 18’s, Aspiring Footballers Programme
First Team – Male and Female

All of the above programmes will be communicated on social media and the website so we will hopefully see you supporting our stars of the future very soon!

If anyone would like to sponsor the football pathway in any form, please email chris.knott@leamingtonfc.co.uk

Thank you and best wishes,

Chris Knott
Head of Football Development
Leamington FC