by Peter Scherer
It’s our first Saturday home league game for over a month, as we welcome Grantham Town to the Vibrant Doors Arena this weekend.
Joe Stacey has joined us from Emley and Jayden Cotterill have joined us since then, and both made their Sports debuts last Saturday at Basford as second half substitutes.
Our visitors are currently 13th in the table, three places and three points behind Mickleover, but we have three games in hand. We have already played them once this season, taking a 3-1 FA Trophy win in late August.
Mitch Griffiths has been their manager since May 2025. A former Lincoln Utd defender, he previously spent a year as manager of Newark Town. He s still registered as a player too.
Jack Steggles and Dylan Wharton have been sharing the goalkeeping duties of late. Steggles he came from Lincoln Utd at the start of last season. He’s also played for Newark Town and Carlton Town.
Wharton is a new arrival, having signed from Clay Cross last month. He started out at Chesterfield and after a loan at Heanor Town, he moved on to Sheffield Utd. Following his release he went to Gainsborough, followed by Ilkeston and Heanor. He started this season at Clay Cross after six months with Matlock Town.
6ft 5in defender Elwalid Elghaghany came from Ilkeston a couple of weeks ago. He had arrived at Ilkeston in pre-season after 18 months at Gresley Rovers. He’s also played for Shepshed Dynamo.
Osa Soloman is a right back in his fourth season at the club. He came from Nottingham Forest in July 2023 after five months on loan at Redditch.
Fellow defender Kacper Rajter is a pre-season arrival, having come from AFC Mansfield.
Former Notts County youngster Connor Bartle returned to our visitors pre-season from Stamford, having played for the Gingerbreads pre-covid. He’s a left back and also played for Basford, Carlton and Bourne Town.
Centre back Joe Braithwaite came from Skegness Town in late August and was at Newark Town last season.
Abdul Saad is a young defender, who arrived from Eastwood in February.
Central midfielder Will Langford was a pre-season signing from Boston Utd. He was previously on loan for much of last season.
Bradley Munns plays in central midfield and returned to the club initially on a dual registration in October 2025, after leaving to join Belper Town seven months earlier. He’s also played for Stamford.
Midfielder Joe Smith came from Newark & Sherwood towards the end of last season. He is now jointly registered with our visitors and Sleaford Town.
Louis Czerwak is a former Notts County junior. Playing attacking midfield, he was with Newark Town last season and has also been at Chesterfield, Alfreton, Eastwood and Carlton.
Dan Dougill is another midfielder signed from Holbeach at the start of last season. He has played for Deeping Rangers and Wisbech too and currently captains the side.
New singing Curtis Durose is a midfielder too. A former Rotherham junior, he was loaned to Gainsborough and Scarborough, before making a permanent move to Matlock Town. After a return trip to Gainsborough, he sent most of last season at Basford, before starting this term at Long Eaton. He came to our visitors a couple of weeks ago, after a short stay at Cay Cross.
Winger Abdul Bakare came from Carlton September. He was previously a prolific scorer for Mots club Radford.
Striker Lee Shaw started his career at Grantham, before joining Chesterfield. After a loan at Guiseley he moved on to Alfreton and then had two years back with our hosts again. He came back for a third time at the start of last season, after two years at Stamford.
Ryan Rushden is another striker, who was previously with our visitors. He left to join Newark Town three years again and returned in September.
Kick 3pm at the Vibrant Doors Arena, BE THERE!!