Ascot v Holyport 060821

#WeAreAscot 

A S C O T U N I T E D F C 

shooting-stars.co.uk 

harry LAFLIN 

ASCOT UNITED vs. HOLYPORT 

Fri 6 Aug 2021 

Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round 

Matchday 

Programme 

Season 

2021/22

T H E Y E L L A M E N 

Yellow and Blue 

T H E P O R T 

Claret and Green 

twitter.com/AscotUnitedFC 

Sam Gray (GK) 

Alex Sykes (GK) 

Calum Ferguson 

Chris Ellis 

Dan Bailey 

Dan Price 

Danny Walden 

George Lock 

Harry Laflin 

Ian Davies 

Jonny Denton 

Josh Masters 

Keaton August 

Louis Bouwers 

Riccardo Andrady 

Rory Merrick 

Sam Evans 

Sean McCormack 

Taylor Morgan 

Tom Scott 

Jake Quelch 

Jack Alder 

Josh Lowther 

Dan Rapley 

Jamie Wakelin 

Bradley Birchmore 

Chris De Franco 

Lee Ovens 

Adam Sharp 

Sam Whitfield 

Liam Bradley 

Steven Deverall 

Jean-Claude Etienne 

Richard Jeffery 

Matthew Sullivan 

Jack Woodbridge 

www.ascotunited.net 

Jamie Tompkins Manager Derek Sweetman 

Dan Masters Asst. Manager Lee Ovens / Sam Lock 

Jamie Ashdown GK Coach 

Bjorn Dunkley Coach Emlyn Hill 

Steve Quelch Coach Mark Walters 

Chad Smith Therapist Dave Jones 

Carol 

John 

Match Officials 

Dylan 

Ossei 

Steve 

Williams 

Last Match: 0 

0 

Sat 0 Jan 

00:00 

0 

Next Match: Burnham H Tue 10 Aug 

COCO

ASCOT UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB 

IN THE CHAIR 

with Simon Negus 

Racecourse Ground, Winkfield Road, Ascot, SL5 7LJ 

Chairman: Simon Negus 

Club Secretary: Dan Birchmore 

Director of Football: Neil Richards 

1st Team Manager: Jamie Tompkins 

Assistant manager: Dan Masters 

Coaches: Bjorn Dunkley, Steve Quelch 

Goalkeeping Coach: Jamie Ashdown 

Allied U18 Manager: Josh Nice 

Therapist: Chad Smith 

Sports Psychology: Izzy Woods 

Racecourse Facilities Manager: Jo Gavin 

Administration Manager: Emma Paton 

Clubhouse Catering: Lisa Richards 

Reporting, Comms and Programme: Neal Jeffs 

Directors: 

Doug Page 

Mark Cooper 

Rob Jones 

Mike Harrison 

Phil Wray 

Zoe Reilly 

Chris Day 

Ascot United Football Club Limited. Registered in 

England and Wales. Registration No. 6883550 

Registered Office: Ternion Court, 264-268 Upper Fourth 

Street, Central Milton Keynes MK9 1DP. 

Affiliated to the Berks & Bucks F.A. No. Q-B&B0165 

A warm welcome to Holyport for today's 

Emirates FA Cup fixture. 

Welcome to The Racecourse ground for tonight‘s FA Cup 

game and a special welcome to our neighbours from 

Holyport. 

It’s great to get our competitive season underway with a 

home game under lights, and hope to see a competitive 

match. We have had a good pre-season and it’s good to 

see some new faces around the club, and to welcome 

back some older ones! 

The “off season” seemed to be very short this summer, 

with Euro 2020 fever gripping the club and seeing some 

very busy evenings in The Ascot Sports Bar. Thanks to our 

tireless hard working team behind the scenes making 

sure everything runs smoothly – I know it’s been non-stop 

since we re-opened in April, but there is definitely a buzz 

about the club on and off the pitch which so many people 

contribute to. 

One member of the team I will mention is Club Secretary 

Dan Birchmore… having done the role myself, I know it’s 

the most unsung of roles in the club but is literally vital to 

the operation of the club. The work that Dan does as a 

volunteer is phenomenal, but the burden that falls on 

volunteers at all clubs, especially at this time of year, is 

crazy and needs to be addressed by the grassroots game. 

We are just trying to provide a safe environment for our 

adult teams and 800 junior members to kick a ball 

around… if the administrative burden becomes too much, 

clubs will struggle to get volunteers. Thanks Dan… 

We are delighted to welcome a couple of guests tonight. 

James Wright will be reporting on the game for the 

excellent Non-League Paper publication, so make sure you 

buy your copy on Sunday to read his report. And we also 

welcome Phil Annets, the creator of FACupFactFile, which 

provides comprehensive facts and stats across a variety 

of media outlets, and is an unofficial compendium of FA 

Cup facts & stats designed to delight and surprise even 

the most ardent football statistician! 

Hope you all enjoy the game tonight… 

Simon.

FROM THE DUGOUT 

Welcome to the players, officials 

and supporters of Holyport. Enjoy 

the game! 

Jamie Tompkins 

First Team Manager 

Hello and welcome to Holyport FC players, staff and club committee and to all supporters in attendance for this 

evening's FA Cup Extra Preliminary round fixture. 

Our welcome extends to all supporters of non-league football as fans are permitted back into grounds and I hope the 

game can live up to expectations. 

Pre-season has been good to us this year and we have seen many players remain at the club, keeping the core group 

together was important to us. We are delighted to welcome new signings and they have added great quality and 

experience to our ever-improving squad. Sean McCormack, Tom Scott and Keaton August will make their debut for the 

club this evening and we welcome back Dan Price, Calum Ferguson, Chris Ellis and Rory Merrick to the squad after they 

all suffered longer term injuries. 

The off-season has also given us an opportunity to continue strengthening off the pitch and we are pleased to 

welcome new Therapist, Chad Smith, with a vast amount of experience in the game and assisting him, Stuart Britton in 

a Strength & Conditioning, and Analyst role. Alongside trainee sports psychologist, Izzy Woods, we take pride in what 

we can offer to our group of players away from the pitch. 

We can’t wait to get going again this season and no better way to kick-off than play against our friends from Holyport. 

A hard working and resilient side, it will be tough encounter and a huge challenge for us to overcome if we are to 

progress into the next round. 

We will be doing everything we can to win the game and with our growing fan base becoming notable at games, we 

hope you can continue supporting us throughout the season and follow our journey. 

Thank you to our sponsors, club officials and volunteers for all the fantastic work and ongoing support towards our 

football club. 

Enjoy the game! 

ASCOT UNITED FC MANAGEMENT TEAM: PROUDLY SPONSORED BY: 

Dan Masters 

Assistant Manager 

Jamie Ashdown 

Goalkeeping Coach 

Bjorn Dunkley 

Coach 

Steve Quelch 

Coach 

Stuart Britton 

Strength/Condition

ON COURSE! 

With Programme Editor Neal Jeffs 

Welcome to the players, officials and 

supporters of Holyport for this Emirates FA 

Cup match. 

Happy 

reading, and 

enjoy the 

game! Neal 

W E L C O M E T O T H E P O R T 

A warm welcome back to ‘normality’ as a new season begins with an Emirates FA Cup 

local derby. Firstly, it is brilliant to see ‘Sweets’ and his Holyport side back at Step 5; 

Derek has a lot of friends here from his coaching days with us, and with equally popular 

ex-Yellamen Steven Deverall, he has done a remarkable job over at Summerleaze, 

earning promotion at the end of last season. As for us – and I guess everyone feels the 

same – it will be great just to finish a league campaign, so if everyone is sensible I am 

sure we can all do it at the third time of asking! We didn’t make too much fuss about preseason 

but we had a good campaign and with two wins away at step 4 sides 

(Basingstoke and Bedfont Sports) plus a home draw with Hampton and Richmond 

Borough (3 tiers above us) there is much cause for optimism. If you haven’t fully caught 

up yet the Combined Counties League ‘added’ a new league at step 5 to cater for a 

national increase in teams playing at our level, so we find ourselves in the Northern 

section of the Premier League (alongside a parallel Southern section) There is a solitary 

Division One below us which will feed both the Premier North and South 

150 NOT OUT! Yes, the worlds' greatest 

cup competition deserves its own 

picture tonight. But guess which 

programme editor was there when 

Keith Houchen scored one of the best 

ever cup final goals in 1987…???!!! 

This all means we have some new faces and old acquaintances this year - check out the 

league tables later on to see who is where – and once again many short commutes 

making for easy away days. On the pitch we also welcome some new faces including an 

exciting prospect in Sean McCormack and a the return of hugely popular Dan Price after 

an injury that required a long wait for surgery before the even longer rehab, but look out 

for the other new names on the teamsheet. Going the other way, we wish the best to 

Aiden Higgs (Flackwell), Ben Hodges, Shaun Preddie, young ‘keeper Sam Hayes 

(University), Aaron Berry and James Haworth. Finally, I just wanted to call out Luqman 

Kassim who played 47 games for us between 18-20 before trialling with Finnish 2nd tier 

outfit VPS (Vaasan Palloseura). He’s now signed professionally, and scored a brace last 

month in a 2-1 win as they push for promotion to the top tier. Obviously it was all down to 

his coaching here… Enjoy the game! Neal 

W E L C O M E T O T H E P O R T

DAN'S DOODLES 

I thought we’d introduce a new column to our 

programme this season. A short feature on 

footballing events / facts through history and a 

little quiz to get the grey matter functioning! 

DID YOU 

KNOW….? 

Most FA Cup Goals Scored: Kettering Town (891 goals) 

Founded in 1872, Kettering Town have had plenty of 

opportunities to rack up the goals in the FA Cup. Their total of 

891 is the highest ever in history, although despite the 

impressive tally the club have never progressed beyond the 

fourth round of the competition. They first reached this stage 

in 1988/89 and matched it in 2008/09, when they were 

knocked out by Fulham. The biggest win in the club’s history 

came in the Cup in 1909 as they hammered Higham YMCI 16-0. 

1.Which team has lifted the FA Cup the most during its history? 

2.Which two teams have appeared the most in the FA Cup Finals in history? 

3.Which player holds the record for the most times winning the FA Cup? 

4.Which player holds the record for the most goals scored during an FA 

Cup final? 

5.Which two clubs where involved in the longest tie in FA Cup history? 

Answers on next page! 

QUIZ TIME!

RESULTS AND FIXTURES 21/22 

Date Opposition 

H/A Comp Result Att 

Scorers 

06-Aug Holyport 

H FAC XP 

10-Aug Burnham 

H COCO 

14-Aug Southall 

A COCO 

17-Aug Tadley Calleva 

A COCO 

21-Aug TBC 

TBC TBC 

28-Aug Reading City 

A COCO 

30-Aug Wokingham/Emmbrook A COCO 

August fixtures released by fixtures secretary at point of going to print - further 

fixtures available soon! 

Quiz answers from Dan's Doodles: 

1.Which team has lifted the FA Cup the most during its history? 

Arsenal – 14 Times 

2.Which two teams have appeared the most in the FA Cup Finals in history? 

Arsenal & Manchester United (20 times each) 

3.Which player holds the record for the most times winning the FA Cup? 

Ashley Cole (7 times) 

4.Which player holds the record for the most goals scored during an FA Cup final? 

Ian Rush (5 goals) 

5.Which two clubs where involved in the longest tie in FA Cup history? 

During the fourth qualifying round back in 1972/72 Oxford United and Alvechurch played a 

staggering six matches (660 minutes of football) over the course of three weeks – with 

four of these games going to extra time to decide who should progress. Played in freezing 

conditions and across various grounds the players were exhausted. Alvechurch did 

eventually nick the tie at the six time of trying with a 1-0 win, but were knocked out in the 

next round. 

COCO - Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League Premier Division North, FAV - Buildbase FA Vase, FAC - The 

Emirates FA Cup, BBT - Berks&Bucks Trophy, LC - Cherry Red Records Premier Challenge Cup

TODAY'S FIXTURES AND RECENT RESULTS 

Weekend fixtures: 

Tonight's fixtures: 

Cherry Red Records Combined Counties Premier Division North Table 

P W D L GD PTS 

1 Sutton Common Rovers 13 11 2 0 29 35 

2 Badshot Lea 14 10 1 3 13 31 

3 Spelthorne Sports 15 9 2 4 23 29 

4 Hanworth Villa 10 8 2 0 18 26 

5 Southall 12 8 1 3 19 25 

6 Ascot United 13 7 3 3 15 24 

7 Knaphill 14 7 3 4 6 24 

8 Banstead Athletic 14 5 5 4 3 20 

9 Abbey Rangers 12 5 2 5 7 17 

10 Sheerwater 13 5 2 6 2 17 

11 Cobham 12 5 2 5 -1 17 

12 Camberley Town 10 5 0 5 -4 15 

13 Egham Town 13 4 2 7 -7 14 

14 Redhill 13 4 2 7 -9 14 

15 Colliers Wood United 14 3 3 8 -14 12 

16 Frimley Green 13 3 2 8 -16 11 

17 Raynes Park Vale 11 3 1 7 -13 10 

18 CB Hounslow United 10 1 3 6 -13 6 

19 Guildford City 9 1 1 7 -12 4 

20 Molesey 15 1 1 13 -46 4

LEAGUE TABLES

APPEARANCES AND GOALS 

Below are the updated Ascot United appearance and scorers' records for 

this season's squad. 

2021-22 All-time 

App Goals App Goals 

K August 0 0 

D Bailey 0 0 29 4 

L Bouwers 0 0 146 11 

I Davies 0 0 59 35 

J Denton 0 0 176 19 

C Ellis 0 0 57 1 

S Evans 0 0 17 

C Ferguson 0 0 20 1 

S Gray 0 0 86 

H Laflin 0 0 109 52 

G Lock 0 0 124 5 

J Masters 0 0 8 

R Merrick 0 0 20 

S McCormack 0 0 

T Morgan 0 0 16 3 

D Price 0 0 44 10 

T Scott 0 0 

D Surpanu 0 0 7 2 

D Walden 0 0 

0 0 918 143 

Need a room for your 

function? The Clubhouse 

is a perfect choice for 

hosting work or leisure 

events, please email 

events@ascotunited.net 

to explore availability and 

pricing.

MATCH REPORT ROUNDUP 

SPOT-KICK CUP HEARTBREAK FOR ASCOT 

Yellamen beaten by Redhill in League Cup Final 

Saturday 29th May 2021 - Combined Counties League Cup Final - Ascot United 0 

- 0 Redhill (Pens 2-4) 

Ascot United were beaten 4-2 on penalties by stubborn Redhill in the Combined Counties League 

Cup Final on Saturday. After a poor ninety minutes which ended 0-0, the match went straight to 

penalties and Redhill kept their nerve to score all their spot-kicks. 

Bathed in sunshine, the sizeable crowd at the neutral venue of Cobham would watch a disjointed 

half where both sides had a couple of chances but couldn’t find a way through. 

For Ascot, Jonny Denton sliced a left-footed half volley high and wide after Taylor Morgan and Ian 

Davies had been involved in the build-up, although that was fully nineteen minutes into a turgid 

opening. At the other end, Sam Gray made two outstanding saves to deny Nathan Hogan’s direct 

free kicks, although Morgan’s shot on the turn crept agonisingly wide of a post as Ascot almost 

nicked a half-time lead. 

The second half was marginally better, although once again it was over a quarter of an hour 

before any action of note. Ascot substitute Aiden Higgs screwed wide just after the hour mark 

when Denton’s free kick wasn’t cleared but all the excited was crammed into a frantic closing 

spell. First, Harry Laflin’s shot on the turn was blocked after good work by substitute Duarte 

Surpanu – 87 minutes played – but Redhill went straight up the other end only for Hogan to shave 

the crossbar went clean through. 

Sam Gray then produced a stunning save to deny Lobsters’ substitute Derick Hayford – George 

Lock bravely throwing himself in front of the same player’s overhead kick when the ball broke 

back to him – but Laflin had the best and final chance in the third minute of stoppage time only for 

‘keeper Jack Minchin to produce an uncomfortable save to palm his long-range effort over the 

bar. 

Penalties ensued with Redhill leading the way, and Josh Phillips, Ryan Healy, Jack Wadmore and 

Hayford all found the target whereas Laflin’s opening miss always left Ascot playing catchup. Even 

though Denton and Sam Evans netted their second and third, Higgs stepped up and skied his effort 

over the bar to hand Redhill the trophy. 

Ascot United: Gray, Lock, Haworth, Evans, Ellis (Surpanu 74’), D. Bailey, Preddie, Denton, Davies 

(Higgs 57’), Laflin, Morgan. Subs unused: Andrady, Berry, Hodges

PHOTOZONE 

A selection of photos from our pre-season friendly versus Fleet Town (shootingstars.co.uk). 

Clockwise from top left: Dan 

Bailey wrestles back 

possession, Jonny Denton on 

the ball, new signing Keaton 

August is straight into the mix, 

Dan Price makes his longawaited 

return after injury.

PHOTOZONE 

A selection of photos from our pre-season friendly at Bedfont Sports (shootingstars.co.uk). 

Clockwise from top left: Sam 

Gray remains alert in the Ascot 

goal, Harry Laflin tucks away a 

penalty en-route to a hat-trick, 

new signing Sean McCormack, 

Dan Price looks for an 

opportunity.

ASCOT UNITED LADIES 

Ascot United Ladies play in the Southern Region Women's’ Football League – the highest level at which 

they have competed. The Ladies’ section starts down at the junior level with a host of teams – 

beginning with mixed teams at U7 - rising through girls’ sides from U10 up to a senior Development 

(reserve) side playing in the Thames Valley League. The junior sides operate on Saturdays or Sundays, 

with the Seniors (First and Development) playing on Sunday afternoon. The first team are managed by 

Darrel Evans and coached by Alix Todd. The reserve team is managed by Jon Swallow. Find out more on 

our website. Sponsorship packages now available - ask a member of the committee! 

This season, The Yellawomen have played 2 pre-season friendlies, beating Brentford Women 2-1 and 

losing by the same scoreline last Sunday against Portsmouth FC Development. In that match, Nicole 

Brown grabbed a superb equaliser for the home side following Pompey's opening 30-yard screamer. 

Portsmouth won it midway through the second half when Lisa Phillips produced a stunning save to 

thwart the visitors only for them to score from the resulting corner. Below left/right: Ascot attack 

against Portsmouth / Isabel Woods on near-post duties against Brentford. **Next match: Eastleigh 

(home - PSF) Sunday 8th Aug 3pm**

Ian is a Biomechanics coach, supporting players returning from injury and 

improving strength and conditioning.

PEN PICS AND SPONSORS - ASCOT UNITED 

Sam Gray – goalkeeper 

Solid goalkeeper, confident with the ball at 

his feet. Established first teamer since 18/19 

and was players’ player of the year in 19/20 

when he appeared in every league game. 

Sponsor: 

Josh Masters - defence 

Established left-back having broken into the 

team in 20/21 following a move from local 

rivals Holyport. Sponsor: 

Alex Sykes – goalkeeper 

Goalkeeping coach and reliable backup. Has 

International experience having played for 

the England Futsal team. Sponsor: 

Dan Bailey – defence 

Experienced centre back who skippered 

Flackwell Heath in 19/20. Previously played 

at a higher level with Marlow and has a level 

2 coaching qualification. Sponsor: 

Louis Bouwers – defence 

A physical and dominant centre half who 

signed from Faringdon Town in 16/17 and now 

well-established as club captain. Made 146 

appearances heading into 21/22 but must 

wait to add to that tally whilst he recovers 

from injury. Sponsor: 

George Lock – defence 

A fearless right back previously with Binfield 

and Bracknell. Technically strong and a 

consistently high performer. Supporters POY 

in 18/19 and has now featured in well over 

100 games pushing him into the top 15 on the 

all-time appearance list. Sponsor: 

Chris Ellis – defence 

Signed in 18/19, a strong and dominant 

defender. Vastly experienced having played 

for Camberley Town, Egham Town and 

Chipstead. Looking to re-establish himself in 

21/22 following a year out with serious injury. 

Sponsor: 

Danny Walden - defence 

Ascot United Allied U18 captain who is 

expected to feature for the senior side during 

21/22. Sponsor: 

Jonny Denton – midfield 

Former Ascot Youth team star who returned in 

17/18 after a scholarship in the U.S. A dead 

ball specialist, he has now twice won the 

player of the year award. 'JD' starts the 21/22 

season having made 176 appearances. 

Sponsor: 

Tom Scott - midfield 

Signed for 21/22 having had spells with 

Harrow Borough and Beaconsfield. A 

tenacious ball winner with great 

communication. Sponsor: 

Calum Ferguson – midfield 

Signed in 19/20 having previously starred for 

a National League youth side. Also had a spell 

with Highworth Town. Sponsor: 

Sam Evans – midfield 

Played for the U16s and U18s in 19/20 before 

making his first team debut in the same 

season. Sam has been with the club since his 

debut for the U8s and is now an established 

part of the senior side with maturity belying 

his age. Sponsor:

PEN PICS AND SPONSORS - ASCOT UNITED 

Dan Price - midfield 

Popular attacking midfielder who returns to 

Ascot for 21/22 having been out for two years 

with a serious knee injury. Previously 

appeared 44 times in 18/19 when he scored 

10 goals. Sponsor: 

Sean McCormack - forward 

Skilful forward signed from Walton and 

Hersham for 21/22 having also played for 

Maidenhead United and Bracknell Town. 

Sponsor: 

Taylor Morgan - forward 

Pacey forward who impressed whilst playing 

against us for Fleet Town during pre-season 

20/21. Has played at a higher level including 

several seasons in the US Major League. 

Previous clubs include Toronto, Ostersunds 

(Sweden), Falkirk, Airdrie and Whitehawk. 

Sponsor: 

Rory Merrick – forward 

Signed for 19/20 and continues to improve. 

Looking to re-establish himself after injury in 

an already-disjointed previous campaign. 

Calm and composed figure on the pitch and 

has great technical ability. Sponsor: 

Keaton August - forward 

Signed from Windsor FC for 21/22. Can play 

anywhere across the front three and has an 

abundance of pace. Has a keen eye for goal 

backed up by providing plenty of assists. A 

personal trainer, he works hard and is 

physically strong. Sponsor: 

Ian Davies – forward 

Prolific goalscorer who scored 25 goals for 

Binfield in 18/19 before top scoring for Ascot 

with 23 goals in the curtailed 19/20 

campaign. Netted another 12 from 24 games 

in 20/21. Sponsor: 

Harry Laflin – forward 

Laffers joined in 18/19 and has become a 

goal-machine despite often playing out of 

position. Enters the season having scored 52 

goals in 109 appearances with an improving 

goals-per-game ratio. Has previously won 

supporters’ player of the season award. 

Sponsor: 

Duarte Surpanu - forward 

Skilful winger wit lighting quick feet, signed 

midway through in the 20/21 season and has 

the potential to cause problems for any 

defence. Sponsor: 

Jamie Tompkins – manager 

Highly respected throughout the club who 

guided the team to league cup glory in 18/19 

before taking the team to top of the league 

before the 19/20 campaign was curtailed. 

Football Development manager at Brentford 

FC. Sponsor: 

Dan Masters – asst. manager 

Dan is in his fourth season with Ascot Utd and 

is a crucial part of the coaching staff. 

Sponsor: 

Jamie Ashdown - goalkeeping coach 

Needs little introduction, former professional 

Jamie began his career with Reading before 

making over 100 appearances for 

Portsmouth between 2004-2012. A huge 

asset to the club where he coaches at all 

levels. Sponsor: 

Chad Smith - Therapist 

Sponsor:

CLUB HISTORY - ASCOT UNITED 

Ascot United as we know it, was founded in 1965 by a men’s team who played their games at Sunninghill with “after 

match meetings” in The Wells in Cheapside village (now Mikado’s). teams playing as long ago as 1928 under the name 

Ascot United but nothing to link them directly to the current club. In 1965, the club had gained permission from the 

Ascot Racecourse Trustees to convert the land east of coach park 10 into a football pitch. A wooden clubhouse was built 

and this team went on to win many prestigious trophies in the years that followed. 

Various youth teams represented Ascot United over the years up to 1988, and 1992 the East Berks 7-a-side Association 

was formed by our then Chairman Keith Wicks introducing small-sided junior games and having disbanded in 1980 the 

men’s team also reformed. The club continued to grow, entering into partnership with Charters School and being 

awarded FA Charter Standard status in 2004. The men’s senior team enjoyed early success through the East Berks 

League gaining continued promotions to the Senior division and winning various Cups including the Fielden Charity 

Cup in 1996/7. 2001 saw the 1st team join the Reading Senior League and winning the Evening Post Senior Cup at the 

Madejski Stadium in 2006. Promotion to the Hellenic League soon followed in 2007, followed by promotion to the 

Hellenic Premier Division in 2009. The club today has grown to become one of the largest Community football clubs in 

the UK with over 1000 registered players and over 70 teams playing every weekend embracing all ages and abilities 

from 5 year olds through to Vets. A new clubhouse opened in September 2010, together with an improved main pitch, 

floodlights and a stand. 

The club has enjoyed much success at all levels particularly in the Ladies and Girls Section where they are regularly 

winners of leagues and county Cups. Our senior Ladies won promotion to the Premier Division of the Southern Region 

Women’s’ Football League in 2017-18 and consolidated their position with a mid-table finish in 2018-19. Meanwhile, 2018- 

19 was an outstanding one for our junior Boys’ teams who won an array of county cups at various age groups, a feat 

we’ve rarely previously achieved. 

The past decade has been hugely successful for our first team; our debut in the FA Cup in 2011 attracted 1,149 people to 

the Racecourse on a Friday evening where the famous trophy itself was on display and the match was streamed live on 

Facebook. Between 2012-13 and 2015-16 we reached the Quarter Final of the FA Vase twice, enjoyed two top-three 

finishes in the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division, and won both the Bluefin Sport Challenge Cup and Perpetua 

Press Floodlit Cup. More recently, our players’ development took the spotlight, as a host of Yellamen have enjoyed 

success with other local sides and many of our talented development players stepped up into the first team. After 

finishing 2017-18 in style, in 2018-19 new manager Jamie Tompkins led his side to the top of the table for long spells, 

winning two team-of-the-month awards, and finishing with league cup glory once again by defeating Windsor 3-1. 

We were transferred into the Combined Counties League for the 2019-20 season, playing on our new 3G pitch facility, 

which transformed the club by facilitating more of our teams’ matches and training at The Racecourse. The stronger 

platform facilitated further player development, and Jamie’s young side would lead the table for long periods before 

establishing what looked like a title-winning margin at the top shortly before the league was aborted due to 

Coronavirus. Retaining much of the same squad for 2020-21, Jamie saw his side in and around the challengers before 

another pandemic-curtailed season, although they battled through to the league cup final where they were ultimately 

beaten on penalties by Redhill. 

As Ascot enjoy a third season in the Combined Counties League, everyone hopes for a safe and consistent campaign, 

and if silverware comes with it then that will surely be a bonus in current times!

CLUB HISTORY - HOLYPORT 

Holyport Football Club formed in September 1897 at The George Inn, located in 

Holyport. Initially they played in the Maidenhead and District League, their 

home ground was at Windsor Road, Bray. The club slowly progressed and 

joined the Hayes and Giles League where they played their home games at 

Braywick Park. 

At the beginning of the 2002/2003, after three very successful seasons, 

Holyport were promoted to the Hellenic League Division 1 East. Two seasons 

later they moved to their current ground at Summerleaze Village in North 

Maidenhead. This move signalled the start of a new and exciting era for the 

club. Having secured the necessary planning permission, as well as funding 

from the Football Foundation, the new ground has been in a state continuous of 

improvement. 

In season 2007/8 the ground was fenced, floodlights installed and since then has seen further improvements to the 

changing facilities, hard standing on three sides of the ground, the erection of three spectator grandstands and a 

hospitality room. These changes are the culmination of several years of hard work and the club's Summerleaze Village 

ground now meets the F.A and League requirements for Holyport to continue to play at their current step five level of 

football. 

These continuous improvements, both of and off the pitch, have all contributed to progressing the Club's ambitions of 

playing in the F.A. Carling Vase and the FA Cup which they achieved in 2008 and 2010 respectively. Additionally in 

2009/10 season and 2010/11 season the club was jointly awarded the Hungerford Cup (shared with Shortwood United in 

2009/10 and then Thame United 2010/11). The cup is awarded to the club who has shown the most development, both on 

and off the field, throughout the season. The award in particular, recognizes the tremendous amount of hard work that 

Club Secretary, Graham Broom has put in season after season along with a dedicated committee. 

2010/11 Season was a historic season for Holyport. In their first season with the club the new management team of 

Derek Sweetman, Kevin Carvell and Calvin Maye led the side to the Uhlsport Hellenic 1 Division East title, AM Print and 

Copy Floodlit Cup and The Bluefin Insurance Challenge Cup. In 2009/10 Jamie Handscomb was also recognised by the 

League winning the Divisional Player of the Year award, the third time a Port player has won this trophy. Along with the 

Hungerford Cup, four cups in one season will probably be the club's most successful season for a good number of years 

to come. The 2011/12 Season saw Holyport finish a very respectable 13th in their debut season and also as Semi 

Finalists in The Berks and Bucks Senior Cup and League Supplementary Cup. The 2012/13 brought yet more 

development for Holyport FC as they fielded their first ever Youth side in The Allied Counties League. 2014/15 saw Martin 

Kenealy step aside after 12 months in charge, The committee had a think about the future and decided to was best to 

step down to Division One East and promote Barry, Dan, Chris and John into the management setup. The side had a 

steady season in 2015/16 but 2016/17 was a struggle. 2017/18 saw Dan and Chris move on but ex Holyport player Matt 

Rolfe was appointed as Asst Manager and with this the team finished 5th in the league. Barry Rake resigned in the 

summer of 2018 and with this the club appointed Derek Sweetman as Manager for 2018/19 season with Rolfe, Ovens and 

Deverall assisting him. Along with this the side re-entered the FA Cup and announced a three year sponsorship deal 

with Anthony Mullan furniture. The 18/19 season produced a good FA Vase run and once again a 5th place in the league 

but securing more points than the previous season. The following two seasons were cut short by Covid and after a long 

wait the FA decided to average out both seasons and Port were promoted to the new step 5 league on a PPG, seeing them 

finish in 3rd place. 

Holyport Football Club is indebted to the continuing support and commitment of their major sponsors Freedom 

Electronics, Summerleaze and Roger & Jean Coombs.

Ascot v Holyport 060821

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