Up close season with Atherstone Town CFC: Countdown to grassroots' football coming home

ANNUAL MEETING ON SUNDAY KICKSTARTS 'ALL-NEW' SEASON AT SHEEPY ROAD

CHAIRMAN AND COMMITTEE TO ELECT, JOINT MANAGERS TO RESTART WHERE THEY LEFT OFF, FIRST TEAM COACH APPOINTMENT, FRIENDLIES ANNOUNCED AND CLUB RIDES TO RESCUE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES' LEAGUE

IT'S back to the future this weekend with Atherstone Town CFC under new ownership, coach leadership and determined to move forward from a Covid-impacting season "like no other".

Interim overlord Nick Corbett is hoping to place his tenure at Sheepy Road on a firmer footing at the annual meeting on Sunday.

Nominations have closed for the five committee posts required to ensure that former chairman Brian Henney's prophecy of the "end of the show-show" doesn't happen.

Mr Corbett insists the "next chapter" awaiting the Adders will be approached in a "very positive and excited" way, drawing a line in the sand from events of the past 12 months.

The former vice-chairman, who cancelled the scheduled May 17 annual meeting until the country was out of lockdown, is ready to work with a new mandate – and incoming vice chairman, treasurer, club secretary and football secretary.

The AGM – scheduled for a 'real' rather than 'virtual' meeting at the club on Sunday at 10.30am – will decide its immediate future direction.

The agenda promises an election of the new committee, a treasurer's report, review of last season, plans for the coming term and ATCFC "future goals".

Those members attending this Sunday will be expected to "sign in" on arrival, otherwise entry will be refused.

Friendlies

It's full steam ahead on the playing side – without crowds in attendance of course, due to Covid-19 restrictions. The club has augmented its original programme of five pre-season friendlies to seven. Next Tuesday night sees the first of those – with the club travelling to Nuneaton Borough to continue its oldest rivalry going back more than half a century (kick-off 7.45pm). The Adders will have to contend with Borough's new close season signing Leroy Lita, a 100-goal former England Under-21 striker with a pedigree including spells at Reading, Middlesbrough, Swansea, Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton and Birmingham. Saturday August 8 sees a home friendly against Leicester-based LFE Academy and Football Club, playing in the Under 21s Midland Football League. Another derby friendly has been arranged for Wednesday August 12 against Tamworth (kick off 7.45pm) at Sheepy Road. The following Tuesday – August 15 – it's a home friendly against Midland League Division Two opponents Bolehall Swifts, which needs no introduction for Adders striker Joe Obi as its former all-time leading scorer and past manager. He's had his hands full this week with the birth of third child Brooklyn. Then it's a home game on Saturday August 22 (kick-off 3pm) against one of the oldest clubs around – Racing Warwick. The Midland Football League Premier outfit was formed in 1919. The final two friendlies before the anticipated start of the season is against South Warwickshire side Southam United, from the Hellenic League Division Two North on Tuesday, August 25 (7.45pm) and Leicester Nirvana on Saturday August 29 at 3pm. The lack of spectators took a turn for the worse yesterday when Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced fans would not be allowed to attend the pilot sports events scheduled for this weekend in England after a spike in coronavirus cases. Spectators were due to watch the two county cricket matches, the start of the World Snooker Championship and 4,000 racegoers were due to be permitted to attend Goodwood on Saturday. New restrictions will mean fan bans until at least August 15. New and not-so-new faces

Adders' 'joint bosses Adam Davies and Ross Innes hardly had time to get their feet back under the table when the season's legs were whipped from underneath them – courtesy of the coronavirus pandemic.

But a close season off-the-field signing of former defensive midfielder Chris Tullin is considered a "top" get.

Chris is the Adders new first team coach and no stranger to Sheepy Road – or a number of other non-league grounds over the last two decades.

His playing career goes back to the turn of the 21st century with Nuneaton Borough, Racing Warwick, Aylesbury United, his first spell at Atherstone in the 2002/03 season and then two more seasons from 2007 to 2009.

He had three spells covering nine seasons with Rugby, six straight seasons at Bedworth United where he played with Nathan Haines and Kyle Cartwright and held the fort as an interim player-manager after Ady Fuller left in September 2013.

He managed some playing with Shepshed Dynamo before taking two seasons off to spend some "quality time" with his family.

Chris said: "Now I feel it is a good time to come back as I know a lot of the group.

"Adam and Ross made contact with me in May and asked if I would be interested in coming on board and adding the experience that I have at non-league level."

Bob Stansfield commented: "Chris is a top, top, top man and one of Steve Farmer's class signings when we had one heck of a team at Bedworth in 2011/12."

Bedworth United forward Mitchell Piggon added: "You won't get any better at this level of football."

On the playing field defender Niall Rowe and Ash Gray both make welcome returns to Sheepy Road.

Rowe made 14 appearances for the club in 2017/18 in a footballing journey that has taken him to Coventry United, Heather St Johns, Romulus and Hinckley AFC.

Gray, another back four man, spent last season at Hinckley AFC and Nuneaton Griff but at only 24 he has already played 150 times for the Adders.

Also back is pressing midfielder Mitch Thomson who returns to Sheepy Road after a short stay at Hinckley AFC – hoping to add to those 31 goals in 76 appearances in an Adders shirt.

Two totally new signings are 20-year-old Coventry Copeswood striker Isa Abraham and another defender – Callum Carsley – who joins after spells with Coventry United and Reading United AC in America.

Town rescues emergency services

Atherstone Town CFC has made its first 'save' of the season before a ball has been kicked in anger. For the club have offered a new competition the use of Sheepy Road for the Emergency Services Football League which launches next month. The ESFL will see teams from the NHS, police, fire and prison services compete to become the best in the country. The 11-a-side league was started by two West Yorkshire cops who were worried that coronavirus was robbing them of the chance to play friendly matches due to working unsociable shifts. They wanted to create something that "brought all the services together". The league has thanked Atherstone for "kindly stepping in and agreeing to prove a home pitch for the upcoming season".