The wait for the new season is finally over. Pre-season friendlies are a good warm-up, but there’s nothing like a competitive league game with three points at stake to set pulses racing. Tim’s new-look team travel up the M3 to the 3G at Winklebury for the first fixture of the season.
Last campaign The Dragons started like an express train winning their first three league matches as part of an unbeaten opening 10-game run, including home victories over Walton & Hersham and Dorchester, and an away draw at Totton. They finished the season strongly too, winning two games in the last week – 4-1 at Marlow, and 4-0 over Champions Merthyr on the last day at home in front of an impressive crowd of 1,495. In between was more like a slow-stopping train as they ended the season 15th just two points clear of the final relegation spot (W11 D15 L16, GF 62 GA 64).
In the games between The Dragons and The Magpies last season, both teams won their home fixture: Basingstoke 2-1 in December when second-half goals from Jack Ball and D’Andre Brown overturned Josh Carmichael’s first-half opener; Wimborne 1-0 in April courtesy of a Matty Burrows goal in front of 965 at The Wyatt Homes Stadium.
In our Southern League days, we’ve been in the same division as Basingstoke in just one other season, Premier South 2018-19 when Matty Holmes was manager. We played at the old Camrose Stadium twice that season, losing both games: 2-3 in the league, and 2-4 in the FA Trophy. Then in September 2021, under James Stokoe, we won a competitive FA Cup tie 4-3 at Winklebury with a 90th minute goal by Lewis Beale.
Returning to current times, last Saturday Dan Brownlie’s Dragons completed their pre-season matches at Kettering Town, who finished 2nd in the S.L. Premier Central div last season, with a 3-2 win after going 2-0 behind; Bradley Wilson bagged a brace. Brownlie’s squad includes plenty of experience: Simon Grant in goal, Jack Ball and Ben Jefford in defence, and Liam Ferdinand and George Reid up front.
After impressive team and individual performances in our undefeated pre-season games (Christchurch 2-1, Verwood 5-1, Salisbury 2-1, Fareham 1-1, Bognor Regis 4-1, Bishops Cleeve 2-1), Tim Sills has difficult decisions to make in choosing his starting XI and bench. New signings Alex Borges, Max Bustamante, Josh McQuoid, Joe Ryan, Joe Smith, Seung-Woo Yang, and Lewis Williams have all made strong cases to be included. Will there be a camaraderie of Cams (Munn and Plain), a juxtaposition of Joshes (Carmichael and McQuoid), a solidity of Sams (Jackson and Roberts), and a joy of Joes (Ryan and Smith)?
So put on your replica shirt, fetch your Magpies hat out of the drawer (both sold in the Club Shop, of course), tap the Winklebury post-code into your sat-nav, allow plenty of time for the journey as there’s bound to be loads of holiday traffic heading east on a Summer Saturday, and get ready to cheer on Tim’s team. After all, it’s what Saturday afternoons were made for!
Basingstoke’s ground: Winklebury Complex, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke RG23 8BF – 56m
Parking: Basingstoke advise spectators to park at RG22 6PG, behind Loddon Vale Bowling Club on Leisure Park Road. From there, the quickest and safest route is a five-ten minute walk through a subway under the railway line.
Admission: Adult £13.50; concession £9.50; U18 £6; U12 £2
Weather forecast: Sunny intervals; 23oC; <5% chance of rain.
