Alveston

Our team will be selected from the following squad members:

Nicholas Alcock Mark Anderson Adam Beese Oliver Boyle John Brant
Tom Carroll Andrew Crabtree Phil Daly Luke Edwards Chris Gumery
James Harri Daniel Hodgkins Ryan Howell Oliver Manuel Bradley Rees
Seb Rockliff Robert Strain Martin Thompson Darren Weston Paul Wilkinson
Benjamin Wright        
est. 1927
2006/07 Season Programme Notes
A Proud History of Alveston Football Club
The original club was known as Alveston United from 1912 to 1914, matches were played on the village green of Alveston, the club dropped the United when it was reformed in 1919 as Alveston Football Club and ran until 1925 when it was disbanded due to lack of available players in the village.
A revival meeting was held in 1927 and from that meeting the present club was launched. Three years later 1930 Alveston Football Club collected its first trophy. This was the first of many trophies and league titles to be won while competing in the Stratford Alliance League, playing matches down on the Recreation Ground in front of the Shakespeare Theatre in S/Avon.
The addition of a sports ground in 1975 to the Home Guard Club in Tiddington saw Alveston put down roots at the Main Street site. For 20 years Alveston were proud to be associated with The Stratford Alliance League winning pretty much all the Divisional and Cup trophies over many successful seasons, The current and long standing AFC President Geoff Bennett is still to this day the President of the Stratford Alliance also.
In the 1996-97 season having applied and been accepted to join the Midland Football Combination Division 3 the club were promoted in their first season, under the guidance of Player Manager Martin Beese and then the following year into Division 1 whist winning the Jack Mould Trophy. The clubs meteoric rise continued the following year 1997-98 under new Player Manager Steve Sykes being crowned as Division 1 champions by clear 14 points and carrying off the coveted Smedley Crooke Cup.
The best was yet to come, in the first season in “The Big League” 1998-99 the club played the majority of the season ground sharing, the nomadic life style seemed to suite the players and a season unparalleled in local non-league football unfolded. Winning the Premiership title with 5 games to go, whilst negotiating their way through many tough games to end up in all four finals of those cups entered was outstanding.
The first was the Birmingham County Vase the second was the Coventry Evening Telegraph Final played at Highfield Road the home of Coventry City F.C. unfortunately finishing runners up in the first two Finals. The third cup final saw the club retain the Smedley Crooke Cup beating Northfield Town 1-0.
The climax of this fantastic season was yet to come The Challenge Cup Final at Villa Park two days after the ground had been packed to the rafters hosting the last European Cup Winners Cup.
A superb performance saw Alveston complete the League and cup treble with a hard earnt 2-0 victory over Coventry Sphinx. Even The Sun newspaper reported the amazing storey comparing the clubs achievements with their Premiership
peers Manchester United. A season to remember and a long history of great progress.. The season became complete with the erection of floodlights at their home ground.
The 2000 season saw Alveston defend their title without last season’s manager and pretty much all of last year’s players who have moved onto pastures new.
Ivor Chambers with his wealth of knowledge in non-league football was appointed as Manager and he and Chairman Martin Beese begun the job of rebuilding the team from the roots up. The season saw a very fluid playing squad putting a lot of commitment and hard work into the re-building job and survival in the Premiership. The season 00/01 saw Ivor retire due to work commitments and former Port Vale player Andy Male take on the role as Manager joined by his brother Neil in the role as Assistant. The season ended in 3 Semi finals and a comfortable mid table position.
The new U18 Youth Team in 00/01 under the guidance of Des Davis started the season flying, winning the first 6 games on the trot. Unfortunately the weather and the Foot and Mouth outbreak from November to January cost their performance standards and they dropped down off the top but finished a very creditable third, not bad with a younger age team. In season 01/02 the team saw management changes with Trevor Rudge and Marcus Easterlow picking up the challenge of providing for Alveston’s footballing future.
The season 2002/03 saw Alveston Football Club celebrating becoming 75 years old, being born in 1927 this is a great achievement and a milestone all who have contributed to the club can be very proud of. During this season the re-emergence of Alveston Juniors was seen with one of the Alveston old boys Noel McDermott brining his lad and a very successful U8’s team to play once again at the Home Guard club grounds. During the next seasons this section has now under the guidance of Richard Holt grown into a group of nine teams competing from U6 to U13 in the Mid Warwickshire Boys League and an U18 Team once again competing in the Midland Floodlit Youth League.
On the senior front up to the end of last season 04/05 and during the six seasons since the hay days of 98/99 there have been mixed fortunes, with various managers, precarious league table positions and rafts of new players which has been the order of the day.
The plan by the end of last season 04/05 was to have stabilised in the Premier Division and to have developed and grown as a club, this was achieved by managers Bobby Hancocks and Marcus Easterlow and with notable 05/06 pre-season signings of Mark Anderson Leamington, Jag Bahi Massey Ferguson, Jon Brant Stratford Town and Jamie Barr Warwick, the early season optimism was fulfilled with the club jostling for position with the big boys at the top of the table for most of the first half up to Christmas. Martin Thompson added some much needed experience and class up front and although not scoring many 7, he was with great confidence a perfect foil and of great encouragement to Luke Edwards and Bradley Reese who both ended the season as top scorers on 14 and 13 goals respectively. Notable addition to the management ranks just after Christmas was coach Mark Moss who with his coaching skills and knowledge of local football has brought a fresh professionalism to the club. The season ended with a magnificent improvement on recent years with a hugely creditable 10th place and a fine reputation rekindled in the league of being honest, fair and competitive in the big league once more.
With the services of the management team once again secured for the new Season 06/07 the early season optimism is rife again within the club, although this term the sign of progress would be a top 6 league position and a strong showing in the Cup’s and silverware stakes.
The relationship with main club sponsor The BDR Group a telecommunication solutions provider is flourishing, also with this season the addition of a new away kit sponsor in Full-Fat a local computer games development and production company.
The Binswood in L/Spa have sponsored the warm up T-shirts, and with the local Southam Budgens providing the halftime raffle prizes, on the commercial side the club is making great strides also.
For up to date info, results and statistics please follow Alveston F.C fortunes on www.alvestonfc.co.uk or on www.midcomb.com
Martin Beese
Chairman A.F.C.