MATCH DAY SATURDAY… TAKE A LOOK AT OUR VISITORS
by Peter Scherer
Peterborough Sports are our final pre-season visitors this weekend and have hit the ground running following their promotion as Champions of the Southern League Division 1, which sees them now in the Premier Central Division.
Manager Jimmy Dean and his assistant Daniel Ruscillo have brought in a number of new signings to join their existing squad and have won five of their seven pre-season games, with defeats to neighbours Peterborough Utd and Stamford.
Regular goalkeeper Lewis Moat joined the club from Whittlesey Athletic in 2016, while Lewis Elson started as a Peterborough Utd apprentice and has also played for Arlesey Town and Kettering.
Defender Mitch Griffiths was signed from Holbeach Utd, but started at Lincoln City. He has also played for Spalding and Deeping Rangers.
Starting his fifth season with the club Dan Bucciero is an ex Northampton Town Junior, but seen action at Eye Utd too.
Paul Malone is an experienced centre back, starting at Corby Town in 2019. He has alternated between Corby, Kettering and Stamford until joining the club in July 2018.
Centre back Brad McGowan is a new signing, joining during the summer after spending last season at Boston Utd and Frickley. He has also had a couple of years at Alfreton, having started as a Notts County Junior in 2015.
Richard Jones is one of two brothers at the club. Another centre back, he’s ex Boston Utd, Blackstones and Stamford.
Ex Southend defender Johnny Herd made 42 first team appearances for the Essex club, before joining Ebbsfleet for the 2011/12 season. He then joined Bishop Stortford, making 148 appearances over five years, before a two year stay at St Neots Town preceded his signing for Peterborough Sports in February 2019.
Primarily a right back, but just as capable as a centre back of defensive midfielder, Matty Miles had two years as a Leicester City junior, before joining Eynesbury. He had another year at St Neots and Biggleswade joining the Turbines in November last year.
In midfield they have Jim Stevenson, whose career began as a Luton Town trainee in 2013. He played for the Hatters first team 18 times scoring one goal and had loan spells at Dartford and Aldershot, before the latter became permanent. He has played at Dover, Southport and Chelmsford too.
Dan Lawlor is another long server at the club, starting his fifth season. A former Peterborough Utd junior, he has also played at Banbury, Boston Utd, Spalding and St Ives and can play right back as well as midfield.
It was October 2017 that Lewis Hilliard joined the Turbines. His first club was Rushden & Diamonds, where he spent two years, but that included loans at Ware, Hemel and Banbury.
Then via St Neots, St Albans, Boston and St Ives, he arrived at Peterborough in October 2017.
Josh McCammon came from Northampton Town in 2017 and is a qualified coach and studying for a BSc (Hons) in Strength and Conditioning with Rehabilitation.
Another new signing is Dan Jarvis, four years a Stoke City Junior before joining Wrexham in January this year, making six appearances and scoring one goal.
Mark Jones is the other half of the Jones brothers. He joined the club in 2017 after a goal a game average for Deeping Rangers was spotted by Boston Utd, He joined the Turbines from Gainsborough and in his first season with the club scored over 50 goals!
Fellow striker Maniche Sani was a Benfica under 19’s player before moving to the UK. He was spotted in a local five a side league by the Turbines management.
Cameron Johnson was signed from Deeping Rangers in July last year, but has experience at Tamworth, Boston Utd and Matlock, having started at Rossington Main.
Another vastly experienced player is midfield or striker Matt Sparrow. From a Scunthorpe Junior, he played at Brighton, Crawley, Cheltenham and Lincoln City, before spending three months with Sorrento FC in Australia.
After wintering with Gainsborough Trinity 2016/17 he went back to Australia with ECU Joondalup and Bayswater.
He played over 300 games for Scunthorpe scoring over 40 goals.
Jordan Macleod is an ex Peterborough Utd trainee and qualified coach.
Left wing or midfield is favoured by Josh Moreman, he started at Deeping Rangers and has seen action with Corby, Kettering, Stamford and Spalding before being signed in February 2016.
Finally Dion Semble-Ferris was a Peterborough Utd youth player, released in 2008. After playing for a few local youth teams he joined Colchester Utd and spent four years with them, making 25 first team appearances, as well as loan spells at Margate and Concord Rangers.
After two years at St Neots he joined Peterborough Sports in 2018 and has scored 39 goals in 56 games.
Kick off as usual is 3pm.