StamfordAFC Youth Team 2009-10
Click HERE to view the Fixtures & Tables for the YOUTH team
It's a bit wet out here, Gaffer.....
Dressing Room Diva’s
Introducing the Stamford AFC Youth Team Squad
Dominic Knighton: Former Rushden & Diamonds goal keeper in his second season with the Daniels. International Jet setter of the squad!
Robert Burley: Defender signed from Histon FC following spells with Peterborough & Cambridge United. Public Schoolboy so brains of the squad.
Craig Rook: Central Defender signed following a spell at Kettering Town. Son of legendary Club photographer!
Matthew Sharpe: Former Kettering Town defender and Daniels Skipper. The debt collector of Club Fines.
Daniel Bomkin: Recently signed from Holwell Sports ‘Bomber’ has settled effectively and has proved a quality signing.
Daniel Bennett: Left Back currently being touted as the ‘hippy’ of the squad as he attended the Leeds Festival recently.
Jacob McLarnon: first year defender/midfielder. Jacov to his best mates
Dan Martin: First year defender. More holidays than Thomas Cook!
Todd Whitby: Ex Rushden Midfielder. Another public schoolboy who will face double fines for being Posh!
Tom Caldicott: Hard working midfielder signed from the tough streets of Rutland!
Isaac Jones: First year Midfielder signed from Peterborough United. Later than a national express train!
Jake Walton: Ex Northampton & Kettering Town Defender/Midfielder. Future club chaplain as A* in Religious Knowledge recently.
Ben Easson: ex Posh striker currently in the UK on a brief stay between holidays. Chesney from Corrie’s twin brother.
Antonio Nesposito: Midfileder currently nicknamed ‘Nespo’ by Gaffer for no apparent reason.
Oliver Rose: ‘Ollie’ the ball juggling Midfielder.
Harry Webster: Pacy winger and Co Founder of the Brazilian ET fan club.
Jev Mckeown: Midfielder with passion for Glass and the odd tackle!
Jack Cartwright: First year Winger known by Joey. Watch out Werrington!
Jack Hutchinson: Striker of real promise and main contributor to Fines Pot!
Conor Jackson: First year striker with the ‘Crouchie’ touch.
Gaffer and the Boot room Boys!
Guy Walton: Young Daniels ‘Tea Boy’, bike squasher, part time husband and Dance genius! The “cuddly” controller of all Young Daniels activities!
Dave Vaughan: Assistant manager, Tour Kit Manager,Drum & Monkey Legend & Trainee Pensioner!
Ian Strange: “Bag man” and Tour manager/councillor. Hair Care Advisor to the Squad
Jason Boud: Articulate Head Coach.
Nathan Foster: Team Coach ‘Fozzy’ has soon established legendary status as Tour communicator. A man for the Dance floor ladies!
Stampy: Kit man, computer guru, Teapot Carrier, Ball Fetcher and Youth Policy top supporter
Legends in their own Lunchtime
My Thanks to Sandra, Dutch , Richard, Jeremy, Phil, John, Keith,Stampy, DISC Members, Directors, Twiggy, Peter, Sandee,Becky, Tunge, Kieran and of course Michelle for all your kind help in supporting the Youth Team this season… Gaffer
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Rothwell Town 0-6 Stamford AFC
The Daniels travelled to Cecil Street in confident mood following this week’s earlier victory v Yaxley.
Goal Keepers Dominic Knighton and Elliott Flowers were unavailable due to injury and Under 15 keeper John Swales, unfortunately, was unable to grasp the opportunity at short notice.
Dan Bomken relinquished Centre Half duty to show a safe pair of hands when needed, rolling back the years to mini soccer when he featured as a keeper regularly, borrowing a set of gloves off of Stampy!
The Bones Youth development programme under Antony Owen produces promising young footballers. To our fortune several of the regular squad players were on first team duty at AFC Sudbury in the Zamaretto Division One midlands league. You cannot subdue player’s progression to secure under 18 successes and on this occasion we benefited from depleted opposition.
Nonetheless a trip to the league leaders on an awkward playing surface in a very competitive youth league was a challenge that we needed to manage effectively.
We have a squad keen to listen and learn, ultimately from each other. They are told to play without a fear and collect the ball in tight positions and play football moving the ball to feet quickly.
Dave Vaughan, Nathan Foster and I look after the duties. The squad belongs to the players and we reinforce such views by constantly reminding players, collectively and individually, that they have responsibilities on and off the field of play and critically on and off the ball. `My way or highway’ characters will be left behind!
Squad:
1.Daniel Bomken: Club Thanks for taking role at short notice and showing safe hands on the occasions needed. Owed £1.00 from all squad for keeping clean sheet as agreed pre kick off.
2.Jake Walton: Comfortable defensively and supported offensively when possible. Ball retention of high quality.
3.Daniel Bennett: Good tidy game at left full back
4.Todd Whitby: Influential first half. Replaced second half due to illness.
5.Craig Rook: Faultless display from the Skipper in Mathew Sharpe’s absence (skiing in the football season!!!)
6.Dan Hotchkiss: Recent signing committed to tackle and proving an instant success giving the squad vital physical presence and ball winning qualities.
7.Barrett Steward: Recent signing who is returning from injury whose intelligent movement provides a target when in possession.
8.Tom Caldicott: Midfield `dogger` keen to support front line scoring contributing vital goals from centre midfield.
9.Craig Hill: Debutant Hat trick for the former Posh striker. 2nd and 3rd goals clinical finishing.
10.Ben Easson: Hat trick including opening 20 yard free kick providing early lead.
11.Dan Schiavi: recent first year signing looking comfortable on the ball.
12.Jacob Mclarnon: second half sub keen to support offensively.
14. Antonio Nesposito: second half sub and left sided midfielder who instantly created opportunities for the strikers.
15.Jack Cartwright: Second half first year pacy striker
Next Fixtures
Thursday 18th March `away` v S & L Corby
Monday 22nd March `home` v Thrapston Town 7.45 ko.
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Stamford 2-1 Yaxley
Forced changes created a lone striker formation with supportive runners from midfield.
The change of formation allowed the midfield to dominate first half possession creating chances with the Yaxley midfield finding it difficult to track our supportive runners.
Jake "The Rake" Walton let's fly....
Ben Easson played as our main striker and from the early stages his intelligent movement posed problems for the Yaxley centre half’s.
The opening goal involved a tidy close passing move that finished with Tom Caldicott curling a wonderful 20 yard strike into the top corner of The Hedge End.
"Chesney" Easson shoots from distance...
New signing Barrett Steward replaced the hard working Jack Cartwright at half time and early second half Isaac Jones replaced Antonio Nesposito. Both wide players slipped into the game quickly and contributed immediately that resulted in a penalty dispatched by Ben Easson.
Yaxley, a young and exciting team, having suffered for 70 minutes pulled a goal back with 15 minutes remaining. Their enthusiasm offered hope of an equaliser. Dan Bomken was replaced by Dan Schiavi. The last 10 minutes proved uncomfortable with Yaxley forcing several corners and half chances that required resolute defending marshalled by skipper Craig Rook.
Close Defending from Master Rook!
The Daniels travel to title contenders Rothwell Town Thursday 11th March.
Squad: Dominic Knighton, Dan Hotchiss, Daniel Bennett, Dan Bomken, Craig Rook, Todd Whitby, Tom Caldicott, Jake Walton, Jack Cartwright, Antonio Nesposito, Ben Easson. Subs: Daniel Martin, Dan Schiavi, Isaac Jones, Barrett Steward, Jacob McLarnon.
Stamford AFC 0 Raunds Town 2
Despite dominating play The Daniels youth team slipped to a surprising home defeat against a rugged Raunds side.
Manager Guy Walton stated “the lads struggled to create chances despite retaining possession. We have a squad full of promise and will assess positives from every game”.
“We keep the ball and have players willing to collect in tight positions and play. Our delivery offensively was disappointing and unusually our movement of the ball was tired and lazy”.
“We shared our thoughts after the game and analysed our attitude with and without the ball. We now move onto our next fixture away v Rothwell Town”.
The youth team squad wish ex skipper Seth Burkett every success with his tour to Brazil.
Starting X1: Knighton, Sharpe, Bennett, Rook, Bomken, Walton, Caldicott, Hutchinson, Easson, Hanlon, Jones.
Subs, Martin, Cartwright, Whitby, Mclarnon, Esposito
Jake "CrazyLegs" Walton on a forward run against Raunds Town..
(c) Kevin Rook
Back to Brazil!!
Seth Burkett has been given the opportunity of a lifetime after an end of season tour with Stamford AFC Youth Team.
The left back will travel to Brazil on November 15th to spend 6 months playing football for Sorriso Esporte Club. As part of his itinerary he will compete in the Copa Sao Paulo competing against teams such as Portsmouth and Corinthians. He will also be given the chance to play in the senior team when the Campeonato Matogrossense state tournament begins in January.
The 18 year old said, ‘I cannot wait to go out to Brazil. The tournament with Stamford was unreal, a great experience with massive crowds, active media interest and quality football. It will be hard to adapt to the heat and language barrier, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. `
`I can’t thank Anderson da Silva and Stamford AFC enough.’ The opportunity was arranged by local Football Agent Anderson da Silva, who also arranged Stamford u18’s end of season tour to Salvador.
Seth, who recently completed A-Levels at Arthur Mellows Village College, has played for Stamford for the last 2 and a half seasons after chief executive Guy Walton persuaded him to sign from Kettering Town. Seth’s opportunity is just one of a number of exciting new developments at The Daniels.
Youth Keeper Departs
Though disappointed to lose his services we are pleased to announce Sam Scothern departs the Youth Team for scholarship terms with a professional club.
Sam represents Lincolnshire FA as a first year keeper and leaves The Club following two seasons as a Daniels player.
Brazil…Picture the scene: Several of our lads had been invited to play in a morning trials match at Victoria FC on a pitch adjacent to first team training prior to their game v Santos. `Big Sam` plays in goal and receives a back pass early in the game. The ball travels slowly on a soggy pampas grass surface and the centre forward is closing play quickly. Sam pulls off a `worldly` Cruyff turn and plays the ball wide. All the players/coaches and spectators laugh as Sam turns to his audience with huge smile and thumbs up resembling a cross between The Pub Landlord & Tommy Cooper. Classic Sam!
Good luck mate,
Guy Walton
(Co Founder of the Brazil Fat Boys Club) & the Lads!!
Stamford AFC 0 v Rothwell Town 1
Northants League Cup
A Stamford team missing some key players, went down 1 – 0 to a well organised but lucky Rothwell Town. Stamford controlled the first half an hour of play with some neat football being played, especially from Jake Walton and Tom Caldicott, although the latter making sure he won’t be on free kicks again this year. Rothwell Towns left back was being out classed by Isaac Jones who was beating his man down the line every time, causing real problems for the Rothwell defence. But against the run of play Rothwell grabbed the first and only goal in the game, when their winger crossed the ball into the centre, with a player running on to it and scoring from 8 yards. Stamford pushed in the second half for an equaliser but seemed to run out of legs towards the end. Even the introduction of some true quality couldn’t spark anything for Stamford.
Written by Youth Team Player Daniel Bomken
Yaxley 2 Stamford AFC 2
The lad’s first local Derby of the season secured a hard earned point at Leading Drove. Trailing to an early defensive gift the opening spell proved frustrating with Daniel Bennett receiving a nasty gash to his eye and leaving the field of play for a trip to A & E.
Jack Hutchinson took a knock on his knee whilst colliding with the Yaxley keeper enforcing a second first half substitution.
The Daniels passing game forced an equaliser on half an hour with Debutant Joe Hanlon neatly finishing a one on one with the Yaxley no 1.
Following a half time dressing down and frank exchange from The Gaffer the lads unfortunately fell behind early second half to a deflected shot from 20 yards on 50 minutes.
Ball retention and offensive movement secured more ball second half secured numerous chance with an inevitable equaliser secured on 70 minutes when `Joey` Cartwright tapped in to equalise.
Creative midfield play provided width and subsequent chances to take all here points. Credit to to the Yaxley keeper for several impressive saves during the closing stages.
Team: Dominic Knighton, Mathew Sharpe, Daniel Bennett, Craig Rook, Daniel Bomken, Tom Caldicott, Jake Walton, Isaac Jones, Jack Hutchinson, Joe Hanlon. Ben Easson Subs: Henry Dunn, Jevon McKeown, Jack Cartwright, Antonio Esposito, Jacob Mclarnon Conor Jackson
STAMFORD AFC 6-1 Rothwell
Scorers :- Caldicott, Walton, Webster, Hutchinson, Rook and Cartwright
Thrapston Town 1 Stamford AFC 5
The Daniels Youth Team secured their first win of a tough opening league schedule with a convincing victory at Chancery Lane.
Scorers: Craig Rook, Ben Easson, Daniel Bennett, Harry Webster & Mathew Sharpe
Team: Dominic Knighton, Mathew Sharpe, Daniel Bennett, Craig Rook, Daniel Bomken, Tom Caldicott, Jake Walton, Issacc Jones, Antonio Esposito, Harry Webster, Ben Easson Subs: Jacob Mclarnon, Daniel Martin, Oliver Rose, Henry Dunn
