π° Season Preview β Part 4: Bodmin, Bude, Callington, Millbrook, Mousehole, Sticker
The fourth of our four-part series of 2023/24 season previews features Mousehole, Millbrook, Bude Town, Callington Town, Bodmin Town, Sticker and Plymouth Argyle
Good morning, readers!
The 2023/24 season gets under way this weekend with the Western League kicking things off tomorrow.
To herald the arrival of the new season, we have spoken to the Cornish teams competing in the National League System in the upcoming campaign to produce a series of season previews, which have been released in four instalments throughout this week.
This week also marks the launch of our brand-new paid subscription service. For just Β£5 per month β or Β£50 per year β you will receive full access to an unrivalled and unprecedented level of coverage of football in Cornwall.
From Sunday, we will be publishing this newsletter four times a week, with posts out every Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Free subscribers will receive our posts on Sunday and Thursday, while paid subscribers will also have full access to our premium Tuesday and Friday editions.
We will always provide a certain amount of coverage for free, but we can only continue to publish this newsletter if enough people are willing to pay for it. Every subscription gets us closer to achieving that goal and make this a staple of independent local sports coverage.
Still unsure whether to become a paid subscriber? Read the story below:
To mark this launch, our four-part series of season previews this week will be completely free-to-read to give you a taste of the exclusive and unrivalled coverage youβll only get from us this season.
The series will cover all 24 Cornish teams in the National League System (step six and above) this season and todayβs fourth and final part is coming right upβ¦
You can check out Parts 1, 2 and 3 of our season previews here:
β¬οΈ In todayβs newsletter
π‘ Bodmin Town
π΅ Bude Town
π΄ Callington Town
βͺ Millbrook
π’ Mousehole
π‘ Sticker
π’ Plymouth Argyle
π‘ Bodmin Town
Key info:
π¨βπΌ Dane Bunney
π Priory Park (PL31 2AE)
π South West Peninsula League Premier West
Transfer business:
π₯ Kai Foster, Todd Hanrahan, Charlie Hardcastle, Ben Waters
π€ Ollie Miller, Joe Munday
Last season in a nutshell:
12th in South West Peninsula League Premier West
FA Vase first qualifying round
Cornwall Senior Cup second round
Walter C Parson League Cup second round
Like their mid-Cornwall rivals AFC St Austell, it could be seen as a new dawn to awaken a sleeping Duchy footballing giant for Bodmin Town.
The club, without a league title for seven years and struggling to regroup after the departure of long-serving manager Darren Gilbert, appointed former St Blazey chief Matt Hayden as his successor a year ago.Β
But before the leaves had fully dropped, Hayden had been sacked and Bodmin turned to Dane Bunney, who had been without work after his acrimonious departure from Saltash United.
Bunney steadied a heavily listing Town ship and just getting to the end of the campaign and fulfilling every fixture was seen as some form of achievement.
But now, with Bunney having a full pre-season and undertaking a complete rebuilding job at Priory Park, could Bodmin be once again set to challenge for honours?
Hereβs what Dane Bunney had to say ahead of the new seasonβ¦
On Bodminβs transfer business: βIβm happy with where we are but Iβm not happy about how we got there. It has been a really busy summer with the rebuild that weβve carried out and I am happy with the players we have got. But when you sign a player, the ratio to sign one player is one to about ten. So when you think Iβve got something like close to 20 new faces into the football club, you can imagine how many players Iβve spoken to. Getting the squad together has taken up most of my summer so Iβm happy for the season to start so I can have a rest!β
On last season: βIt was incredibly tough for two reasons. Firstly to refresh the squad I had inherited, then to rebuild the team just to get us through the season. For me personally, it was difficult to be motivated after Christmas because of the massive gaps we had in our fixture list due to the weather. Last season was a new experience for me because I came from a club [Saltash United] that was used to winning trophies and challenging for titles. All of a sudden, Iβm into the realm of just fulfilling fixtures.Β
On the season ahead: βThe aim this season is to compete and give ourselves a chance in every competition. I would like to think we could be in the top four or five of the league, just in case a restructure appears. If that happens, the season becomes almost like a qualification so itβs important that we are in and around that mix.β
π΅ Bude Town
Key info:
π¨βπΌ Josh Allen & Ben Potter
π Broadclose Park (EX23 8DR)
π South West Peninsula League Premier West
Transfer business:
π₯ Carlo Chandler, Gary Clarke, Mitch McCann, Max McDonald, Ben Musslewhite, David Youldon
π€Scott Piper, Wesley Pugh, Mason Tape, Jim Weekes
Last season in a nutshell:
5th in South West Peninsula League Premier West
Cornwall Senior Cup first round
Walter C Parson League Cup first round
Newly-promoted Bude Town took the South West Peninsula League by storm on their return to the set-up after three seasons away. Goals from the aptly-named Tornado Bello β 27 in 28 games β helped fire the Seasiders to an eyebrow-raising fifth-place finish.
The season may have come as a surprise to many, even to managers Josh Allen and Ben Potter, with the former admitting it exceeded even their wildest expectations.
Some more astute work in the transfer market, including the signings of former Truro City defender Ben Musselwhite and ex-Yeovil Town and Torquay United midfielder Mitch McCann, have added to the good feeling around Broadclose Park, where the prospect of a first foray into FA Vase football beckons.
Hereβs what Josh Allen had to say ahead of the new seasonβ¦
On last season: βIt was our first season back in the South West Peninsula League and to finish fifth was better than all our expectations. Itβs a shame we couldnβt put together a decent cup run but the club was more than happy with the achievements of last year. There were some silly points dropped that we shouldnβt have but thatβs football.β
On transfer business: βWe have been lucky to acquire bags of talent all over the pitch for the new season, some of which have played at a higher standard and will be strong characters on and off the pitch. Watch this space, thatβs all I can say.β
On pre-season: βWe have had a mixed bag in pre-season. The lads are looking sharp on the pitch, we just need to convert our chances and the points will follow. Considering we have brought new faces in and lost a couple of stand-outs, behind closed doors the lads have adapted very well and the changing room vibe couldnβt be better. The lads realise what we are trying to achieve and have really brought into it which is key for success.β
On the season ahead: βWe will be looking to finish higher again in the league with a decent Senior Cup run alongside our debut in the FA Vase. Weβre hoping to turn some heads, rattle some cages and prove that we belong at this level. There are plenty of exciting changes going on off the pitch as well with a proposed redevelopment. All in all, it should be a very exciting season for us on and off it.β
π΄ Callington Town
Key info:
π¨βπΌ Dean Southcott
π Marshfield Park (PL17 7BT)
π South West Peninsula League Premier West
Transfer business:
π₯ Harvey Barrett, Frazer Ferris, Ben Joyce, Kieran Prescott (amongst others)
π€ Majority of last seasonβs squad
Last season in a nutshell:
10th in South West Peninsula League Premier West
FA Vase second qualifying round
Cornwall Senior Cup first round
Walter C Parson League Cup second round
It was another season of twists and turns at Marshfield Park last term but one that, after all, concluded with a respectable tenth-place finish. Manager Shaun Vincent and assistant Paul Edwards stood down either side of Christmas with Kevin Kendall stepping in to fill the void.
He guided Cally to 15 points from their final 13 fixtures but he himself departed, along with most of the clubβs playing squad, during the off-season. Dean Southcott, son of former Town boss Ian, has since been handed the reins after an impressive spell with nearby Gunnislake.
His local influence and knowledge could be a major fillip for the club as they prepare to embark on a new era, with Cally chairman Steve Blatchford admitting his βincredible excitementβ ahead of the new campaign.
Hereβs what Dean Southcott had to say ahead of the new seasonβ¦
On last season: βI have only joined the club during the off-season but, looking at last year, I have to say tenth is not a bad overall performance. I think they did well, despite struggling with numbers. Now we are doing things differently and going down a local direction because the players are here for us to do that.β
On transfer business: βThere have been some really promising signs so far. The new squad have stepped up from the St Piran League, having either been with Callington or Gunnislake last season. We have managed to sign the likes of Kieron Prescott and Harvey Bartlett and are working on some other signings that remain in the pipeline.β
On the challenge: βThe previous manager left and there has been no continuity. I did ask for the details of players but there didnβt seem to be much interest. Some have gone to Bodmin Town, others to Mount Gould and elsewhere. I am comfortable with what we have got now, though. We have a local side full of very good players with a good core to it.β
On the season ahead: βWe want the club to go in the right direction on and off the pitch. The Peninsula League is nowhere near as strong as it was so there is an opportunity there for us to do something. We are here to compete, not just to make up the numbers.β
βͺ Millbrook
Key info:
π¨βπΌ Danny Medlin & Richard Washburn
π Jenkins Park (PL10 1FE)
π Western League Premier Division
Transfer business:
π₯ Jack Arthur, Evan Barnes, Charlie Brown, Rohan Brown, William Burns, Gavin Coulton, William Dawe, Ben Dodds, Ben Endean, Korey Eversfield, Ben Frood, Sean Heward, Adrian Iacoban, Thomas Jones, Kobi Lau, Kori Lau, Jordan Mason, Daniel Medlin, Lee Medlin, Jaiden Miller, Travis Newton, Zak Pacey, Brett Shannon, Harry Stacey, Cameron Stephens, Tyler Stone, Jack Todd, Vincent Wright-Harper Innis
π€ Mackenzie Brown, Ashley Clelland, Sam Cox, Noah Crump, Jacob Foster, Ed Goodman, Ben Goulty, Hayden Greening, Josh Hambleton, Josh Johnson, Ryan Knight, Tylor Love-Holmes, Jake Mead-Crebbin, Laurence Murray, Jake Nancarrow, Kieran OβMelia, Jason Richards, Joe Short, Caleb Summerfield, Sean Thomson, Josh Toulson, Chris Wearing, Jack Wood, David Youlden
Last season in a nutshell:
13th in Western League Premier Division
FA Cup extra preliminary round
FA Vase second qualifying round
Cornwall Senior Cup finalists
Les Phillips Cup first round
To say it has been a whirlwind of a summer would perhaps be an understatement for those involved at Millbrook.
After enjoying one of the finest seasons in the clubβs history last time out, the departure of long-serving boss Mackenzie Brown, swiftly followed by virtually the entire squad, has changed the mood somewhat at Jenkins Park.
Danny Medlin and Richard Washburn have stepped up from the reserves to lead the first team this season, and theyβve certainly got a big job ahead of them.
Hereβs how Cornwall Sports Media assess the upcoming seasonβ¦
On last season: Determined to avoid βsecond season syndromeβ in the Western League, Brook came within five points of the 45 achieved on their debut campaign at step five 12 months earlier as Brownβs side finished in a respectable 13th position. But a dream run to the Cornwall Senior Cup final will be what the 2022-23 campaign will be remembered for, with the east Cornwall outfit coming within a penalty shootout of their first-ever county crown, only to fall at the final hurdle at the hands of divisional rivals Helston Athletic.
On the season ahead: Brown called time on his seven-year stint at Jenkins Park in May and has since taken the reins at near-neighbours Saltash United, with several of his former players following him to Waterways Stadium. Many of those who havenβt joined him have moved on to pastures new anyway, leaving Medlin and Washburn with a sizeable rebuilding job to say the least. The pair are expected to call on several members of the squad that finished sixth in the St Piran League East under their guidance last term, as well as several new faces as they aim to knit together a squad worthy of competing in the Western League. A similar finish to last season would certainly be a success and another cup run would be fantastic, but survival and stability is likely to be the primary target.
π’ Mousehole
Key info:
π¨βπΌ Jake Ash
π Trungle Parc (TR19 6AZ)
π Southern League Division One South
Transfer business:
π₯ Ryan Barrett, Morgan Lewis, Tim Nixon, Josh Storey
π€ Harry Bell, Steve Burt, Adel Gafaiti, Louis Price, Reece Thomson
Last season in a nutshell:
1st in Western League Premier Division
FA Cup preliminary round
FA Vase second round proper
Cornwall Senior Cup second round
Les Phillips Cup first round
Another season of history awaits for Mousehole, who are preparing to embark on their first-ever season in the Southern League, following last yearβs memorable Western League title-winning campaign.
The Seagulls, who were playing in the old SWPL Division One West as recently as 2018-19, clinched their third promotion in five years in April to become only the second Cornish team βafter Truro City in 2008 β to reach the Southern League.
Their new life at step four of the National League System sees them claim the unofficial title of Cornwallβs second team β behind Paul Wottonβs City at step two β and manager Jake Ash echoed the clubβs excitement at what lies ahead.
Hereβs what Jake Ash had to say ahead of the new seasonβ¦
On enjoying promotion: βI think the week or two after was just an unbelievable time because it went from relentless pressureβ¦ to then have that release, the following two weeks were just brilliant. It was just pure enjoyment and we massively overdid the celebrations but Iβm glad we did because we worked really hard for it. Then once we were into talking about players for this season and the fixtures started coming out, I told the players that thatβs gone now β we massively enjoyed it and Iβm really proud of the achievement, but what we have to do is we have to take that momentum [into this season].β
On the season ahead: βIt reminds me of that first year going up into the Western League [in 2021]. It was all very new β donβt really know much about the opposition, donβt know much about the grounds or journeys or the pitches. In that sense itβs really nice and exciting because I think that first year in the Western League we really enjoyed because there wasnβt really any expectation on us to do well and we overachieved. It feels a bit like that going into this season, and we take a bit of inspiration from how well Tavistock and Exmouth did in their first season last year. I think we expect to go into the league and be OK, but with the way the players and the staff and the club are, weβre not going there to make the numbers up. Equally, weβre not going in there having any aspirations that weβre going to just steamroll through the league, but we want to do well and be up at the top end of the table.β
On player departures: βWeβve lost a couple of players that we knew weβd loseβ¦ but I think they were all players that we knew were going to leave. The one that was maybe disappointing, although heβs an absolute legend, is Steve Burt. He pretty much retired at the end of the season before and when we were out in Portugal we managed to get enough beer inside him to get him to agree to do another season, but we couldnβt quite persuade him for another year.β
On the new signings: βIβm really pleased, and if we hadnβt had an unfortunate injury to Josh Storey I think weβd be over the moon with where weβre at. Heβll be back, heβs had his operation now and heβll hopefully be back in six to eight weeks. Tim [Nixon] has been a bit unfortunate, heβs had a little niggle here and thereβ¦ but hopefully he can get going to where we think he will be for us. Weβve brought in the two lads, Morgan and Ryan, who have added so much quality, theyβre two great players. They both come with unbelievable pedigree; Ryan was at Newcastle for ten years so heβs a great acquisition for us, and Morgan is only 18 and heβs a great kid.
π‘ Sticker
Key info:
π¨βπΌ Steve Flack
π Burngullow Park (PL26 7EN)
π South West Peninsula League Premier West
Transfer business:
π₯ Alex Hamley
π€
Last season in a nutshell:
15th in South West Peninsula League Premier West
Cornwall Senior Cup first round
Walter C Parson League Cup second round
Sticker boss Steve Flackβs mixture of promising youngsters and experienced campaigners will go into the 2023-24 campaign hoping for better things after a second-from-bottom league finish last term.
The Burngullow Park outfit were bundled out of both League Cup and Cornwall Senior Cup in the early stages.
But it was consistency and a lack of goals that stopped Flackβs side making inroads towards mid-table and if those key factors can be improved upon then a relatively successful year could bestow upon the men in yellow and blue.
Hereβs how Cornwall Sports Media assess the upcoming seasonβ¦
On Stickerβs transfer business: Retaining the bulk of last yearβs squad has to be considered a huge positive for manager Steve Flack. With the Clay Country and St Austell areas almost saturated with teams at step six and now at step five in St Blazeyβs case, competition for players is even greater than previously seen. So to keep hold of Alfie Flack, son of Steve and other starlets such as Jake Nancarrow, as those players continue to develop in the menβs game, thus ensuring continuity that other clubs at this level might not be able to boast.
On last season: Sticker started last year in positive fashion and after six league games, had only suffered one defeat at the hands of eventual champions St Blazey. But a 1-0 reverse at Newquay during mid-September sparked a run of just one win in 11 games and this saw the side tumble down the league. They stopped the rot with a 3-3 draw at home to Bodmin before basement dwellers and local rivals St Dennis were defeated on Boxing Day. After the festive period, only one further game was won in the return fixture against St Dennis but the season did finish positively with Sticker almost wrecking St Blazeyβs title party before a 2-2 draw at Launceston on the final day.Β
On the season ahead: Sticker have faced a range of opposition during pre-season and finish their campaign at home to Helston reserves on Saturday. Results have been encouraging with games against three Western League sides in Millbrook, Saltash United and St Blazey. The Magpies were defeated 2-1 whilst Mackenzie Brownβs Ashes prevailed 3-0 after the deadlock remained unbroken for 45 minutes. Against St Blazey, the Green and Blacks travelled back down the A390 with a narrow 1-0 win.Β Those results alone would indicate that if Sticker can consistently find the net, they are good enough in other areas of the pitch to be a match for any side in the division.
π’ Plymouth Argyle
Key info:
π¨βπΌ Steven Schumacher
π Home Park (PL2 3DQ)
π EFL Championship
Last season in a nutshell:
1st in League One
FA Cup first round proper
EFL Cup first round
EFL Trophy finalists
After ending last season as League One champions, in 2023-24 Argyle will play Championship football for the first time since 2010. They join one of the most competitive second-tier line-ups in recent years, with 19 of the 24 clubs in the division having played in the Premier League, including 2016 champions Leicester City.
With one of the smallest budgets in the Championship, Argyleβs player recruitment will have to be smarter than ever in order to be competitive. But thatβs unlikely to daunt a club that has already demonstrated the ability to identify under-valued players and deftly navigate the loan market.
Players out π₯
Finn Azaz (loan ended), James Bolton, Sam Cosgrove (loan ended), Niall Ennis, Conor Grant, Luke Jephcott, Nigel Lonwijk (loan ended), Jay Matete (loan ended), Danny Mayor, James Wilson
The four players who arrived in summer 2022 on season-long loans returned to their parent clubs. While all made big contributions, Bali Mumba and Finn Azaz were the standouts, and left big shoes to fill. Mumba, of course, has now returned to Home Park to re-occupy his own sizeable footwear on a permanent basis.
In terms of contracted players, Conor Grant (eight league appearances), James Bolton (six) and Luke Jephcott (two) were expected to depart. All had only bit-parts last season due to injuries (Grant and Bolton) and a drop in form leading to the majority of the season being spent on loan (Jephcott).
Niall Ennis, on the other hand, will be missed up front, as will midfielder Danny Mayor, who has returned to his northern roots. Defender James Wilson made 41 league appearances and was an important component in last seasonβs success.
Players in π€
Lewis Gibson, Conor Hazard, Kaine Kesler-Hayden (loan), Bali Mumba, Julio Pleguezuelo, Lewis Warrington (loan), Morgan Whittaker
The good news is that the new additions over the summer window so far all look to be quality and attest to Argyleβs increased pulling-power in the transfer market.
Starting at the back, the season-ending injury to star βkeeper Mike Cooper in early February threatened to derail Argyleβs promotion quest. While replacement Callum Burton acquitted himself superbly, Argyle clearly want to mitigate the risk of a repeat next season. Conor Hazard comes with a solid pedigree from SPL champions Celtic, in addition to a loan at Finnish club HJK Helsinki, where he was part of a league-winning team and played in the Europa League. Cooper should be back in action in September, but itβs encouraging to see the depth Argyle now have in this critical position.
Julio Pleguezuelo is Argyleβs first Spanish signing and arrives from Eredivisie club FC Twente. With youth experience at AtlΓ©tico Madrid, Barcelona and Arsenal on his CV, plus appearances in the Europa League with Twente, Argyle had plenty of competition for his signature. This ball-playing central defender looks ideally suited to Schumacherβs style of play.
Left-sided Everton defender Lewis Gibson was also a target for a number of clubs. Gibson was known to Argyle director of football Neil Dewsnip through his work with the England under-17s, -18s and -20s and the club have been tracking his progress for some time.
Wing-back Kaine Kesler-Hayden is the first new loan player of the window, joining for the season from Aston Villa. Able to play on both flanks, he could be seen as a back-up for Bali Mumba and Joe Edwards. At only 20 years old, itβs a fair assumption that Villa will be looking to Argyle to work their magic and develop Kesler-Hayden over the course of the season.
Joining on a one-year loan, Lewis Warrington is the latest arrival at Home Park. The 20-year-old central midfielder, who spent last year on loan at Fleetwood Town, is the second Lewis to come from Everton this summer, following defender Gibson. Described by Stephen Schumacher as βenergeticβ¦ full of runningβ, his loan reflects the strong relationship that the manager and Neil Dewsnip have with the Merseyside club; the Argyle director of football has followed Warringtonβs progress since he was a nine-year-old in the Toffeesβ academy.
After a stellar season as a major cog in the Argyle promotion machine, fans bade a tearful farewell to Bali Mumba as he returned to parent club, Norwich City. Rumours that the 21-year-old wing back might return to Home Park started to grow in mid-July, and sure enough, a four-year deal at a club record-equalling fee was announced two weeks before the new season kicked off. His ability to drive forward and get in behind opposition defences will once again be a key weapon in Argyleβs armoury.
Last, and very much not least, Morgan Whittaker has made a surprise return on a permanent basis to Home Park after being recalled by Swansea City in January. With nine goals and seven assists over 25 games in his five months at Argyle, the attacking midfielderβs part in launching the Pilgrims on last seasonβs promotion trajectory is undisputed. His determination to engineer a return to Home Park suggests that heβs a man on a mission for the forthcoming campaign.
Argyle now boast a 22-strong senior squad, but this is unlikely to be the end of the summer incomings. Up at the sharp end, the club will surely look to add to its attacking firepower, with Ryan Hardie (44 league appearances last season) the only established striker following the departure of Niall Ennis and Sam Cosgrove. Ben Waine and Tyreik Wright made only six league starts between them (albeit they only arrived in January) and Schumacher will surely want to add some experience at the front.
Overall, a clear bias towards younger players is emerging. The average age of the 22 senior pros in the Argyle squad is 24.1 years. That compares to the average of 26.0 years in the Championship as a whole last season, which might not sound like much of a difference, but it would have made Argyle the third youngest team in the division. And itβs surely no coincidence that Mumba and Whittaker who, at Β£1m apiece, have set a joint new record for club signings, are just 21 and 22 respectively.
The bookies have Argyle jostling for position with Rotherham as relegation favourites. Thatβs unlikely to bother the powers-that-be at Home Park though. The Greens made flying below the radar a speciality last season as the pundits refused to believe that they could sustain their relentless promotion push ahead of βbig clubsβ like Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town. The Pilgrims will surely revel in their underdog status once again.
Sadly, many Championship clubs find themselves in a financial mess, with a selection of βinterestingβ owners prone to taking frequent rides on the managerial merry-go-round. Compared to them, Argyle look positively boring β in a good way. It will be fascinating to see whether a stable, well-run, financially prudent club, with a clear philosophy both on and off the pitch, can defy the received wisdom that success depends solely on how much money is thrown at the squad.
One thing is for sure, next season will be a heck of a ride at Home Park.
Our brand-new weekend round-up newsletter will be with you on Sunday evening. See you then!
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