Category: Club News

Barnes Signs Up!

by Peter Scherer

Striker Marcus Barnes is the latest player to re-sign for another season at Mickleover. A pre-season season signing last year after a short stay in the US, Barnes went onto score 18 League and Cup goals and was the clubs second highest goalscorer.

Marcus is an incredibly exciting player, who I worked with in his earlier years. He has shown his prowess in front of goal and 18 goals, having not been the designated penalty taker is an excellent return.

He’s got bags of pace, coupled with intelligent movement, and the ability to play in multiple positions

said Mickleover manager Gareth Holmes

It’s another positive signing for the club and again demonstrates the intent that we have for next season. We want to be an exciting and dynamic football team and Marcus is the type of player that will help us be this, so I’m really looking forward to working with him again

Holmes added.

It’s a great family club from top to bottom, and I’ve known Gareth since he coached me when I was 11 or 12, so it’s good to rejoin him.

It will be nice to progress more with the club this season, but I won’t be setting any targets. Just take any opportunities game by game

replied Barnes.

Bennett First To Re-Sign

by Peter Scherer

Jake Bennett has become Mickleover boss Gareth Holmes’ first signing for the 24/25 league season, when he penned a two-year deal to start his fifth consecutive season at the Don Amott Arena.

Right back Bennett had a previous spell with Mickleover before joining Sheffield Utd, and has also played for Coalville, Alfreton and Chesterfield, having started his career in his native Shropshire, with Market Drayton and Telford.

I’m excited in what we are going to build here at Mickleover FC. We’ve been clear in what that vision looks like now and how we improve all aspects of the club, both on and off the field.

Jake will be an integral part of how we want to play and move forward. I’m delighted that he has committed to the club and the journey that we are going to go on.

said Holmes.

Introducing Our New Manager

by Peter Scherer

Following the departure of John McGrath after eight years in charge, Gareth Holmes has taken over the reins.

Mansfield born Holmes played in the Conference for Nuneaton Borough and Leigh RMI, as well as locally with Ilkeston Town, Worksop and Hucknall Town and had six-month spell in Finland too.

He had already done some coaching at Ilkeston, “I decided to retire from playing aged 26 and became one of the youngest first team coaches in the league when I joined Mansfield Town,” he explained.

His FA and UEFA coaching qualifications continued to map his career, when after a year at Field Mill, he joined Burton Albion, working with the Brewers junior players.

Two years later he moved on to Birmingham City in a similar role, and then spent six years with Nottingham Forest managing the under 18’s, as well as been part of the first-team coaching staff

Since then he has worked with the Derby County Community Trust, but felt it was now time to make a return.

“I haven’t been away from football, just the competitive side, after I had done 20 years of coaching,” he explained.

He has worked a lot with youngsters developing their careers, “that part is important to me, helping us build a strong squad at Mickleover and helping the youngsters develop in their individual careers,” he added.

“I saw Mickleover play a couple of times this season, but at the time I never thought I would be where I am now. I am hoping to announce my backroom line-up later this week too,” he confirmed too.

He has four key words in his coaching style, SERVE, IMPROVE, DRIVE & UNITE.

With rumours getting stronger that Mickleover may be making a return to the Northern Premier League, does our new gaffer have any views on that?

“I believe any moving of leagues etc will be confirmed by the end of the month, but with only Blyth from the North coming down from the National League North and the others all Southern based, that could be quite likely. I think the Northern Premier is probably a stronger league too,” he concluded.

It’s The First Big Step… Play Off Semi Final

by Peter Scherer

Last Saturday’s home win made sure that Mickleover stayed in the play-off positions, but due to the league’s points penalty, we now have to travel away to Telford, rather than hosting Leamington.

Hopefully a full squad will be available for manager John McGrath, as he now looks to move on to pastures new at the of the season, after eight years in charge.

Telford have probably finished the stronger of the four play-off teams, with six successive wins and only one win and one draw in their last 10 games.

Manager Kevin Wilkin was a striker with Cambridge City, Northampton Town, Nuneaton and Grantham, before becoming Nuneaton’s manager in 2006.

After eight seasons he moved onto Wrexham, but after 18 months of his two-year contract he moved to Brackley Town, winning the 2018 FA Trophy. He has been in charge at Telford since October last year.

First choice keeper Brandon Hall started out at Charlton Athletic, before spending seven months at the Nike Academy. His next move was up to Scotland with St.Mirren, but returned south with Hayes & Yeading.

Ebbsfleet, Lewes, Woking, Kidderminster and Hereford were his next stops, with a loan spell at Banbury. He came to our hosts pre-season, after a year with Gloucester City and is an England C International too.

George Scott is Hall’s deputy, having returned to the club last December, after a year without a club and came into the side a few years ago, while Hall was injured.

Centre back Fraser Kerr started his career at Motherwell before moving South with Birmingham City. He spent two years with the Blues, before an initial loan back to Motherwell became permanent.

He moved on to Cowdenbeath and Stenhousemuir too, before going to Gateshead, with 54 Scottish Premiership appearances and 45 in League One, plus Europa League Qualifiers too.

Stops at Hartlepool, Torquay and Chesterfield followed, before spending last season at York City. He has represented Scotland at Under 16, 17,19 and 21 levels and was another pre-season arrival at Telford. He is now team captain too.

Jordan Piggott is another centre back. He started out at West Bromwich Albion before heading for Scotland too. He played for Dundee and East Fife, before heading to North Wales with Bangor City.

Halesowen was his next stop, moving to Solihull Moors after a year, spending another year before a move to Gloucester City on loan. He spent four months at Telford at the beginning of last year and then returned to our visitors permanently for the start of last season.

Pre-season signing Orrin Pendley is a centre back too. He started at Highgate before joining Redditch. He soon moved on to Kettering and Rushall Olympic, before spending a year at Tamworth and spent last season at Hereford.

Nathan Fox is a left back who spent his junior career at both Notts County and Derby County. Following his Rams release he joined Corby Town, moving to Rugby Town after a four year stay. Only a month later he moved again, with a very short stay at Coalville, he briefly went back to Corby, before joining Sutton Coldfield.

Redditch, Hednesford, Kings Lynn and Alfreton Town followed by a year at Buxton, preceded starting last season at Peterborough Sports. He was another of Telford’s pre-season signings.

Jared Hodgkiss played his early football at Wolves and West Bromwich Albion. Right back by choice, he was loaned to Aberdeen and played seven games in the Scottish Premiership. 

After a further loan at Northampton, he joined Forest Green Rovers on his release, staying almost five years, before spending another two years at Kidderminster, who also loaned him to Torquay. His next move was Macclesfield, before a four year-spell at Hereford preceded his pre-season move to Telford.

Right back Ellis Myles is another right back and pre-season signing from Kettering, who started off at Leicester City. He moved to Brackley Town on his release, before going to Rugby, Stamford, Corby and Boston Utd.

 He went back to Brackley in 2016 and stayed six years, before moving to Boston Utd and had eight months at Kettering before his Telford move.

Midfielder Remi Walker continues the list of signings having arrived pre-season, following his release from Birmingham City. He spent the last few months of last season on loan at Alvechurch.

Ty Webster is a midfielder too, came to our hosts last August, after being released by Crewe Alexandra.

Right midfielder Byron Moore is one of the select retained players from last season, having joined Telford from Torquay February last year. He has over 400 league appearances to his name in Leagues One and Two, having started out at Crewe.

He was loaned to Kidsgrove Athletic but joined Port Vale on his release. After two years he moved on to Bristol Rovers and Bury, before spending two years at Plymouth Argyle.

Striker Montel Gibson has been a regular goalscorer since his pre-season arrival from Ilkeston. He was a Notts County Junior and was loaned out to Romulus, Barwell, Hednesford and Sutton Coldfield, before going to Ilkeston after his release in 2017, having made 24 League Two appearances, scoring two goals.

Spells at Redditch, Bedworth and Halesowen followed, before joining Grimsby Town. He was the loaned to Altrincham, before a permanent move to Stourbridge, but started 2022 back at Ilkeston. He spent six months on loan at Telford at the end of last season and returned again on a permanent basis pre-season.

Striker Ricardo Dinanga started out at Cork City, before Coventry City brought him across the Irish Sea. He had loans at Hereford and Nuneaton last season, but came to Telford following his release last July.

Reece Styche is both an England C and current Gibraltarian International, having scored three goals in 27 games for the latter.

He came from Telford in October from Matlock Town, having played for a huge raft of clubs in his 14 year career, including Buxton, Alfreton, Darlington, Macclesfield and Wycombe, having started out at Hednesford.

Centre back Sam Whittall came from Rushall in October. He is an ex Wolves Junior and played at Cambridge Utd and Brackley, before his seven year spell at Rushall.

Midfielder Ellis Brown just after Christmas, having been without a club for a while, after a year in Scotland with Hamilton Academicals. He started out at Boreham Wood.

Kyle Storer and Matty Stenson are the only players to have arrived at Telford, since they came to the Don Amott Arena in January, both coming from Nuneaton.

Striker Stenson came from Nuneaton at the end of January. He started out at Hinckley Utd and after spells at Leicester Road and Barwell, signed for Leamington in 2018. He then moved to Solihull Moors, from where he came on loan to Telford for six months.

His next stop was Halifax, who also loaned him out to Tamworth and Kidderminster, before his 18 month spell at Nuneaton.

Storer is an experienced midfielder who managed Nuneaton until they dropped out of the league in late January. He was a Leicester City Junior, who joined Bedworth following his release.

Stops at Atherstone and Hinckley Utd preceded his first move to Nuneaton, he then went to Kidderminster, Wrexham, Cheltenham and Solihull Moors, before rejoining Nuneaton in January last year. 

Central midfielder George Forsyth has spent almost his whole career in the West Midlands. Having started at Kidderminster, he was loaned to Halesowen before joining Gloucester City.

Worcester and Stourbridge were followed by a return to Halesowen and Hereford followed by another return visit to Stourbridge and Bromsgrove, who loaned him to Kettering, from where he joined Telford pre-season.

Tre Mitford was another early season signing, having come from Boston Utd. The striker started off at Aylesbury Utd, and has played at Bedford, Kettering, Brackley and Gloucester City too.

Twariq Yusuf came from Brackley earlier in the season and can play as a striker or midfielder. He has also played for FC Kidlington and Ardley Utd.

Having graduated through Telford’s own youth scheme, left back Brad Blood is now in his third season with the first team squad. Also Billy West captained our hosts under 18 side, following his release from Shrewsbury Town and in his third season with the first team too.

Finally striker Harvey Solley made his debut earlier this season, having come through the clubs youth scheme.

Kick off is 7.45 and remember the game is all ticket and need to be purchased online in advance.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SUPPORTERS: COALVILLE (A)

Due to the current construction work taking place at the ground, parking is currently severely restricted on the site. There is room for a team coach/cars for travelling players and officials and also match officials but away supporters will need to park in one of the following public car parks which are a five – 10 minute walk from the ground.

James St Car Park LE67 3BW

Market Hall Car Park LE67 3EF