Match Preview:

Bognor V CHIPSTEAD at Nyewood Lane, Bognor

Sat 20th August, KO 3.00pm

Introduction

The opening league encounter in what promises to be another long and exciting campaign sees Chipstead the visitors to Nyewood Lane. This will be the Chips fifth season in the Ryman League and they will be looking to build on last term’s highly-creditable tenth place finish. They ended the season on 57 points, having won fifteen and drawn twelve of their forty-two league games.

Rocks did the double over the Chips in 2010-11, winning a tight encounter 3-1 at a very foggy High Road on a cold February evening before running-out fairly comfortable 3-0 winners in the return match a month later.

Chipstead FC History

Formed in 1906, Chipstead played in junior and intermediate football until 1982 when they became founder-members of the Surrey Premier League. A consistently successful spell in that competition was eventually rewarded in 1986 when, after a long ‘off the field’ battle, they gained senior status and were promoted to the Combined Counties League. Once again they were determined to progress and once again, events off the pitch would be as important as results on it. Chips seldom finished out of the top three during their ten years in the CCL – and indeed won it twice – but it was the purchase of their ground from the local authority in 1998 which paved the way, over the next few years, for the creation of a ground with Ryman League facilities. Thus it was that, when they won the Combined Counties League for the second time, in 2006-07, Chipstead were able to take their place in Div One South.

Notable achievements

Chipstead are relative newcomers to FA competitions. They entered the FA Vase for the first time in 1987-88 and the FA Cup a year later. Their best Cup moment to date came in 2008-09 when they reached the 4th Qualifying Round before bowing-out to then Conference side Torquay United at Plainmoor. A club with a strong tradition of youth football, Chipstead have also helped produce a number of young players who have subsequently gone on to bigger and better things. They include two current pro’s with Premier League experience in Fulham’s Steve Sidwell and former Norwich City striker Leon McKenzie (now with Northampton Town).

Chipstead 2011-12

Like The Rocks, Chipstead have enjoyed a good pre-season, losing just once; beaten 4-1 at home by Ryman Premier outfit Cray Wanderers. They won five and drew one of their other six friendlies, including a 4-0 thumping of Chatham Town. At the time of writing, their squad is still being finalized but a number of last season’s squad have departed including leading scorer Ray Freeman (now with Met Police), regular left back and penalty-taker Jason Thompson and wide-man AJ Morrison. As a result, manager Mark Tomkins’ has had to bring-in several players from elsewhere; eleven new faces featured in his squad for the Chips’opening friendly; a 7-1 thrashing of Kent League side Greenwich Borough.

The Rocks

By contrast, the Rocks side for Saturday’s first league game should have a remarkably familiar look to it. Managers Darrin Killpartrick and Jamie Howell have managed to re-sign most of the side who went so close to winning automatic promotion last season; the most notable departure being that of Ben Johnson who signed for League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge in the summer and has immediately gone out on loan to Blue Square Premier outfit Newport County. Several of the ‘new’ signings brought-in over the summer are familiar faces too; defender Chris Breach, winger Louis Castle and midfielder Lewis Ide have all featured for the Rocks in previous campaigns. Other new signings are Worthing striker (and last season’s leading scorer) Terry Dodd, promising Littlehampton Town defender Darryl Wollers and former Woking central midfielder Jack Blatchford.

Unfortunately, Duncan Jupp and Terry Dodd are both suspended for the visit of Chipstead. Duncan received a three-match ban after being sent-off in a bruising pre-season ‘friendly’ against Leatherhead, which Bognor won 2-1. Meanwhile, Terry is serving a one-match suspension – a hangover from the end of last season when he was with Worthing. Dodd’s suspension means that the Rocks are likely to start with last season’s successful strike force of Jason Prior and Luke Nightingale and it also seems fairly certain that goalkeeping legend Craig Stoner will again be between the sticks. Otherwise, the Rocks will select from the following squad:

Goalkeeper: Craig Stoner

Defenders: Stuart Axten, Tim Bond, James Crane, John Marzetti, Matt Whitehead, Darryl Wollers

Midfielders: Dan Beck, Michael Birmingham, Jack Blatchford, James Fraser, Lewis Ide, Kane Wills

Strikers: Louis Castles, Luke Nightingale, Jason Prior

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