by Peter Scherer.   (Images by Clipstone FC)

Mickleover FC continued their pre-season warm up friendlies last Saturday with a 3-1 win way at Clipstone.

There were goals from Stuart Beavon, Will Monteiro and Kemy Agustien.

This Saturday they are away again at Southern League Tamworth.

by Peter Scherer

Mickleover FC boss John McGrath and his assistant Ricky Ravenhill had the majority of the first team squad in training last night.

It was a mixture of returning players, new signings and academy graduates being put through their paces.

Striker Paddy Webb is looking forward to the start of the season, after scoring in the 3-1 friendly win against Borrowash Victoria last Saturday.

I can’t wait to get started, as it was frustrating for me how last season ended with so many games called off

So as a striker, is Paddy setting himself a target this season?

20 goals would be good for a start

he said before Andy Wright responded,

You’re the out and out striker and I am looking for 20 myself!

After which Paddy changed his thought to 40,

…I didn’t want to sound too confident.

The team have the next in their string of friendly matches on Saturday, when they play East Midlands Counties League Clipstone, who suffered a 6-1 home defeat against AFC Mansfield last weekend.

Taken from ccfc.co.uk

Coventry City are pleased to announce the signing of defender Jay McGrath from Mickleover FC.

The 17-year-old centre-back joins on a two-year-deal from the Northern Premier Division side and will link-up with the Sky Blues Development side.

Jay is predominantly a left-footed centre-half, who has also been deployed as a left-back during his career to date.

The youngster is the son of former Burton Albion midfielder, John McGrath, who is also the current manager of Mickleover.

Jay made his breakthrough season last year for Mickleover, making several appearances throughout the course of the campaign.

Upon the completion of the deal, Under-23s Head Coach, Luke Tisdale had this to say:

We’re delighted to welcome Jay into the group. He came on trial with us last season from Mickleover and stood out, so it’s great that we have brought him back in.

Jay’s a second year scholar and will spend his time with us in the 23s, but also will be available for the under-18s.

He’s good in the air and a talented young lad and he joins us with the unique experience of playing men’s football at such a young age and that can only help the lads here.

Jay McGrath then expressed his delight at completing his move:

I’m delighted to be here and I’m looking forward to getting started at such a big club with a great fan base.

I’m a left footed defender so I can play left-back or centre-back and I’m aggresive and I like to win my headers, tackles and battles, but also I like to play football and I’m here to work hard and get the best out of my time here.

I can’t wait to get going, hopefully I can push on and make some good progress this year to help my development.

by Peter Scherer

It’s 46 years since Alan Gregson left Mickleover to settle in Western Australia, but his continuous following the Sports results qualifies him as probably the longest distance supporter.

But Alan’s connections are through his playing days too.

I played when it was still Mickleover Old Boys, went from Army Cadets into the team and I first played at 16. I don’t know if any of my old team mates are around, as they would be in their 90’s now, as I was one of the younger ones. It was run by Bert Roome then,

he said.

We played on playing fields and in 1948 played at Burnaston airfield, now Toyota. Most of the players were ex servicemen, but you had to have either a connection with Mickleover or live there. I had lived on the corner of Western Road since 1936.

The team had gone in the Derby Senior League,

We won the C Division Cup and by 1953 had moved up to the A Division, but I was unavailable for quite a lot of the time due to my National Service. We had also gone from the early Black and white stripes to Red and White quarters with black shorts.

Alan played as a left winger in his prime and was known as Ginner, due to his red hair.

I later helped out with the Mickleover Royal British Legion team

Since moving to Australia, Alan now 88, looks out for Sports results every weekend and follows the website and social media avidly.

I played with Club President Charlie Kenderdine and remember secretary Tony Shaw starting out as a very promising young player too. I have lots of very happy memories to treasure from my footballing days in Mickleover, very happy times indeed

he concluded.

We have just stocked up our club shop with some amazing new official Mickleover FC merchandise!

For all orders please contact Tony Shaw on 07966197246 or email tonyshawmickleoversports@gmail.com

by Peter Scherer

An ex Derby County youth player Andy Dales went from strength to strength during his time at Mickleover.

He spent 10 years with the Rams, having started in their Academy aged nine.

I played in the reserves and got as far as being a first year pro when they released me. But I had a bit of an injury when I left and while others went for trials I couldn’t and had no pre-season offers.

he explained.

Having looked around himself for any possibilities, his time with Mickleover began.

After one look I felt at home and was happy to sign for the 2014/15 season, which became a four year stay.

He was part of the promotion winning team back to the NPL Premier Division, “my first senior medal,” he commented.

But it 2017/18 when he became hot property, with 23 goals in the season and named in the Northern Premier League’s best 11 of the season alongside team mate Morgan Williams.

At the suggestion of manager John McGrath both he and Williams went to the Jamie Vardy V9 Academy.

There were scouts there and I had been watched. Then Scunthorpe rang me and offered me a contract without a trial.

He joined the Irons for a record fee in June 2018 and played 25 games for the League 1 team, scoring two goals, one on his debut.

I had been in the starting line-up for the first five or six matches, but was then in and out and I wanted to be playing regularly, to gain more experience at the higher level.

The offer of a loan at Dundee cane up and he moved to the Scottish Premiership in January 2019 for the rest of the season, making 12 appearances.

Having started last season back at Scunthorpe, where they had gone to League 2, he made three appearances before returning to the Scottish Premiership again with Hamilton Academicals, where he played four games and scored one goal before the pandemic intervened.

Apart from Celtic and Rangers the rest of the Scottish Premiership is quite similar to League 1. I would prefer to be playing my football in England though given the choice. But it was Mickleover manager John McGrath that has been a big influence, he has supported me all the way.

by Peter Scherer

Morgan Wiliams is a true Mickleover success story. The defender came through the junior teams at the Don Amott Arena, before earning himself a regular first team place throughout the 2017/18 season.

He started in the Academy at 18,

I was playing at College and then for the Academy for about five months, and had about two reserve games, trained with the first team and made my debut the same year,

 

he said.

It was a big jump from junior to men’s football and in the first year I was on the bench to start with, but got more starts towards the end of the season, before becoming a regular in 2017/18,

His impressive performances earned him a place in the Northern Premier League team of the season that year and a trial at Coventry City.

I had played a couple of games already in the week I went for a trial, so wasn’t at my best and didn’t impress them. I didn’t hear from them, so John McGrath suggested I tried with Jamie Vardy’s V9 Academy”

Both Morgan and team mate Andy Dales attended the sessions and it proved to be the turning point, as both players were signed for record fees.

At the end of it we played on the same team in an open match and there were loads of scouts there. I took it as my last chance as I had trials elsewhere, three at Exeter. That night Coventry called and signed me,

Having signed in August 2018 he made his first team debut in the EFL Trophy a month later and played his first League match towards the end of the season.

He made six first team appearances, but had been a regular in the under 23 side.

Last season Coventry were flying at the top of the league, so it was hard to break into the team. I needed to get more experience and games when the under 23’s finished, so went to National League Yeovil on loan in December 2019,

He played four games before the pandemic interruption.

It was different style of playing, especially for a defender, but good experience. My highlights at Mickleover though were winning the title and the help and encouragement given to me throughout by John McGrath.

by Peter Scherer

Striker Connor Hall has had two spells at Mickleover, but is remembered for his prolific goal scoring.

He started playing football as a four year old at Binfield and played junior football both there and at Eldon Celtic, before joining Ascot United under 18’s.

It was from Ascot that he made his first step into the football league with Sheffield United in January 2015.

I was offered a six month contract straightaway and then it was extended for another year,

he explained.

Having played in the Blades under 18’s, he went out on loan to Sheffield in the Northern Premier League.

I had a bad start and didn’t score in my first five games,

he added, but went on to score 13 times in 17 appearances.

His stay at Mickleover followed and after his release from Sheffield United, he was jointly registered for both National League Woking and Mickleover. 

I had been playing well at Woking, but then got injured and joined Mickleover to get back to full fitness. I would call my manager at Woking, if I wasn’t selected that week I then continued to play at Mickleover.

In total he made nine appearances for Sports, but scored 11 goals, including five against Ilkeston on Boxing Day.

It was during his time at Woking he was offered a trial at Bolton Wanderers.

I did well at that and they signed me for a year

He was Bolton’s Young Player of the Year in 2017/18 and made his first team debut in the FA Cup in January 2018.

To continue his development he had a loan spell with League One Accrington Stanley. He played 17 games and scored twice in his six month spell,

A lot of the time I was coming off the bench

Having returned to Bolton he was playing in the Under 23 side, when financial troubles began to affect the club.

I was hoping to break into the first team but got an ankle injury again at the start of the season and was out for over three months.

He decided to join Chorley on loan to get match fit, but the current pandemic brought a swift halt to his stay. Hopes are still high that when Bolton get to play again, he will be part of their line-up.