Batten hopes to stay long term
Defender looking to move to be closer to club and work
Jack Batten admitted it had been a strange season for Bath City, but having missed the entirety of the one before, he was grateful to experience this one injury-free.
The centre-back suffered a ruptured ACL in July 2019 in a friendly versus Forest Green Rovers which forced him to watch City’s 11-month campaign end in playoff defeat against Dorking Wanderers.
For 2020/21 he started 17 of 19 matches, having been thrown in from the off with an appearance off the bench in the FA Cup win over Winchester City.
“It’s difficult for any team to take any positives from this season because of how bizarre it was,” said Batten. “It’s been a tough season but I think people have made the best of it.
“It was always going to be a bit challenging coming into the season because of the length of time I’ve had off. Having an ACL injury and then a worldwide pandemic just as I was getting back extended my time away for another six months. It’s a long time away from something you’ve done a long time.
“Jerry thought it would be the right time for me to go back in. He knew I wasn’t going to be as sharp as I had been before.
“The management tried to ease me in, but they were mindful of the fact that I was probably needed in the team at the same time.
“I was probably put in a few games sooner than expected but at the same time I felt like I held my own at the start of the season, despite maybe not being 100 per cent.
“Being part-time is never ideal because you haven’t got a reserve team to get the minutes in noncompetitive games. It took me a little while to get going which was natural.
“To start as many games as I did was really good for my confidence. Ironically I felt like I was coming into my own as the season was stopped again.”
Batten’s first 90 minutes was in a 1-0 win at Slough in the FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round, which turned out to be City’s only away clean sheet all season as a series of injuries and players isolating meant constant changes, with the defender playing alongside four different centre-backs.
“We played really well at Slough,” he recalls. “We were really organised and carried a threat going forward.
“It’s a shame that we couldn’t keep that momentum going because of various stoppages and other uncertainties.
“In the season I played before I was injured we had Joe Raynes, Robbie Cundy, Strakes [Anthony Straker] and myself almost every game at the back. It hardly changed; we had a solid base with Clarkey [Ryan Clarke] behind us too.
“It’s difficult to get that cohesion, trust and understanding when we had to change so much across the whole team because of injuries.
“That’s just one of the things you have to deal with really. It helps so much more having a settled back four or five.”
Having initially joined on loan from Bristol City in November 2015 under Lee Howells, Batten signed permanently soon after Gary Owers took over the following February.
It meant ending his association with the Robins, a club where his promise saw him rewarded with a three-and-a-half year contract when he was still 15 years old, and soon after there were rumours of Everton being interested, a move which didn’t come to fruition.
“There was a breakdown in communication I think so I ended up staying at Bristol City,” he said. “I’ll never look back at that as a negative, I’m sure other players have had the same experiences.
“Being with Bristol City was a good experience, even though I didn’t make the first team.
“I wish I was sent out on loan a bit earlier than I was. I think it would have helped me develop a lot more as a centre-half than what I did.
“It’s great that they’re doing it now with loaning players. Overall, the attitude of the loan players we’ve had from any clubs has been really good. They’re eager to learn.
“Tommy Conway is a good example. He’s a really nice lad, honest and works hard. He’s also got a bit of quality.
“If he carries on performing well and scoring goals we’ve seen what can happen like with Antoine Semenyo – they rise up the levels rapidly.”
While Conway was back in fulltime training and making the bench under Nigel Pearson for Bristol City’s win at Swansea last week, Batten’s week involved being up at 6.30am to assist on a building
site in Frome, having worked in carpentry for just over a year.
He has no qualms with his parttime status and feels grateful that his life hasn’t been affected too much by the trio of lockdowns in the last year.
“We’ve been very lucky as players to carry on doing what we love doing when there are so many people around the world who haven’t been able to,” said the 25-year-old. “My life hasn’t been affected too badly.
“I’ve been kept busy – I’m really enjoying work and it’s not from home so I’m out and about.
“I also go for a lot of walks. I’ll try and get away if restrictions allow us to, just taking a bit of time off in the summer.
“A holiday would be nice, but I think there are a lot more people that would need one rather than me.”
The Chipping Sodbury-based player might not have the time to jet off regardless.
“I’m looking to buy somewhere in or around Bath by the end of the year,” said Batten. “It’ll cut down my travelling for work and be closer for football.
“I love being at the club and want to stay as long as I can. I feel like I can offer something for many years to come.
“It’s run by a lot of good people, a lot of whom go unnoticed. It’s a really nice place to play football and we’re not lacking ambition.
“I was gutted to get my injury because I wanted to hit 200 appearances by the middle of the next season.
“That wouldn’t have been bad for four years or so.”
If he remains part of Jerry Gill’s plans and stays injury free, there’s every chance the Bristolian will reach the double century next season, and will be able to share the achievement with the supporters.
“I’ve heard a lot of people say of how much it affects teams not having fans in,” he said. “At our level especially I think it has an impact.
“There’s more of a connection with supporters. It’s sad that they haven’t been able to come and watch, I love playing in front of crowds.
“I wouldn’t say it’s affected our motivation as players. We’ve all got a job to do and try to do it at the best of our ability.
“It’ll be nice to just have people back in the ground – something for them to look forward to.
“Hopefully we restart in August again and there’s no mad rush of fixtures. We want things to be as normal as possible.
“It’s been difficult as players but it’s been worse for those supporters who have been stuck indoors and not able to watch us play.
“As a club we should be challenging to get into the play-offs and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t next season.”