by Peter Scherer
After the outstanding start to the season, Mickleover enter a critical period for their future success, with two games against Barwell over four days.
On Tuesday night we are the hosts as we welcome them to the Vibrant Doors Arena and on Saturday we make the return trip to Kirkby Road in the FA Cup.
Following last Saturday’s 4-0 win over St Ives, Mickleover now top the table, with our visitors in 16th. Relegated from the Southern Premier League last season.
They lost at home 0-1 to Basford in their opening game and then had a 1-1 at home again with Rushden & Diamonds, before a 4-1 win at Sporting Inkberrow in the FA Trophy last Saturday.
Manager Damon Beckford-Quailey has been in charge since last March and now has Daryll Thomas assisting.
Goalkeeper Jonathan Brown was signed in pre-season. He started out at Boldmere and played for Rushall and Wulfrunians, before a three-year spell at Kidderminster. He was loaned to Yate Town, Bromsgrove and back to Rushall, before making a permanent move to Sutton Coldfield.
He’s played for Evesham, Stafford Rangers, Alvechurch and Hednesford too and had return trips to Bromsgrove before joining Sutton Coldfield again in 2022.
Centre back Herve Pepe Ngoma played youth football with St.Etienne before joining Leicester City. He joined Nuneaton following his release, quickly moving on to Corby, Kettering, Boston Utd and Coalville.
He had his first spell at Barwell in September 2021, then returned to Coalville for two years before coming back again in July 2024. His current stay started last March after eight months at Stamford.
Fellow centre back Kyle Rowley is known to Mickleover fans after a spell at Station Road back in 2024. His career began to at Walsall and after a loan at Sutton Coldfield, he joined Rugby Town on his release.
Alvechurch, Walsall Wood, Hednesford and Stourbridge followed, before he came to Mickleover from Barwell in February 2024. He since returned to Walsall Wood and played for Redditch and Stamford too, before rejoining our guests from Bromsgrove last month.
Left back Amarvir Singh Sandhu came from Rugby Borough in pre-season. After starting off at Hinckley and Leicester Road, he joined our visitors briefly in 2016 before returning to Leicester Road. Quorn, Shepshed Dynamo, Coleshill, Corby and Harborough are among his former clubs too.
Right back Macauley King has spent most of his career in the US. He played for Young Harris College, Mississippi Brilla, Charlotte Eagles, Sounders, Indy Eleven, El Paso Locomotive and Colorado Springs Switchbacks, before returning to the UK in January 2025 with Redditch. He came to Barwell last month from Pershore Town.
Spencer Edwards is another centre back signed from Corby Town in pre-season. He was previously at Hinckley LRFC.
Former Coventry City Junior Malakai Reeve is another new signing and another centre back. He went to Barrow following his release and had loans at FC United and Blyth Spartans before joining our visitors in October 2024.
Young defender Daniel Brown is a pre-season arrival from Carlton, where he has spent most of his career after joining them in 2018 from Southwell.
Midfielder Cole Turner is a recent singing too, having been released by Leicester City during the summer.
Central midfielder and captain Brady Hickey recently returned to the club after two years at Harborough. It’s his third spell at Kirkby Road and he’s also played for Nuneaton.
Charlie Dowd is another central midfielder and a former Burton Albion Junior. He joined Bromsgrove after his release, moving on to Alvechurch, Nuneaton, Stratford Town, Stourbridge and Sutton Coldfield, before coming to Barwell from Bedworth in July 2025. He left to join Birmingham OJM after eight months and returned in the summer.
Midfielder Ethan Hill was a youngster at Nottingham Forest and Mansfield before going to Kettering after his release. After spells at Telford and Ilkeston, he first came to Barwell in October 2023 and stayed almost two years before a move to Leamington, which preceded his pre-season return.
Midfielder or defender Deen Master was a Burton Albion youngster after they spotted him with Leicester Nirvana. He first went to Barwell after his release and stayed three years, before joining Quorn and has returned to the club in pre-season.
Saad Hamrad is another versatile defender of midfielder, who has arrived from Harborough Town on pre-season.
Central Midfielder Ryan Lee Calver is another new singing, after spending the last five years at Melton Town. He previously played for Humberstone Rangers, Leicester Nirvana, Lutterworth Town and Aylestone Park.
A former Northampton Town, Leicester Nirvana, Nuneaton, Rushall and Hednesford midfielder, Shaquille Master came to Barwell in October 2022 from Nuneaton. His next stop was Shepshed Dynamo and he returned to our guests in pre-season
Dannen Francis is an Antigua and Barbuda international who started out at Blackpool. After a loan spell at Workington he joined Fleetwood following his release and is another recent arrival.
Striker Aaron O’Connor has League Two experience. After starting at Grays Athletic, he played for Mansfield Town, Rushden and Luton Town, before moving on to Forest Green. He’s played for Stevenage, Kettering, Tamworth, Basford and Carlton, before returning to Barwell last month after three years at Eastwood.
Former Walsall Junior striker Shay Willock came from Bromsgrove last month. Following his Saddlers release he joined Alvechurch, after loan at Worcester Raiders. He’s also played for Coventry Sphinx, Stourbridge and Stafford.
Leke Shodunke is a striker signed in pre-season from Grantham. He previously spent three seasons with Shepshed Dynamo, after joining them from Quorn.
Striker Blake Kindred is one of the few players at the club from last season, despite having been out on a dual registration at Lutterworth Athletic. He previously played for Alvechurch and Bromsgrove Sporting.
Tuesday night’s kick off at the Vibrant Doors Arena is 7.45pm, with all the usual facilities and we want as many supporters as possible to be there and on Saturday at Kirkby Road too for the 3pm kick off.