Truro and Tiverton set about promotion

TRURO City and Tiverton Town will set about trying to win promotion to the National League South today when the new Southern League season kicks off.

With the last two Premier Division South seasons being cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a lot of frustration, but now - finally - the day has come.

Both Truro and Tiverton made great starts to both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons but were both left disappointed. So for Truro manager Paul Wotton, 2021-22 couldn’t come sooner.

He said: “Pre-season has gone really well. We have had a few issues with Covid, as everyone has, but we have stayed relatively injury free, which has been great - and we are definitely fitter than we have been before I think. The games have gone well so all in all I am pleased.”

Truro host Hendon at Plymouth Parkway’s Bolitho Park, where they are playing this season, and should be favourites to take the first three points - especially as forwards Tyler Harvey and Rocky Neal look to be on top form again. But Wotton feels he might need some more firepower yet.

He said: “In a perfect world I would like another striker but I am prepared to be patient on that. I have a few irons in the fire but nothing anywhere near finalised.

“But other than that I think we are pretty much full up numbers-wise.”

Tiverton start their season with a home game against Chesham United, and new solo manager Scott Rogers says they are ‘all good to go’.

Tiverton legend Martyn Rogers stepped down as co-manager a couple of weeks ago, leaving Scott in charge - and in the last week he has added defender Joe Belston from Buckland Athletic and loanee striker Olaf Kozsela from Torquay United.

Last Friday they drew 0-0 in a competitive friendly against Bideford from the division below.

“We are all good to go now,” said Scott Rogers. “We played Bideford on Friday night and it was a good even-steven battle and it was a great final test for us because that sort of game will be very similar to the games we will be playing in.

“It was perfect really – we didn’t pick up any injuries so we have a good week’s training this week and we will be ready to go.”

In Southern League Division One South, Willand Rovers start their season at home against Melksham Town.

Having won promotion from the Western League in 2019, Willand are still waiting to finish a season at their new level.

But manager Russell Jee has confidence in his young squad.

He said: “The squad excites me. It is young and full of energy. They are a committed group. We are against it in terms of clubs paying big wages so there are no silly expectations – but we will set out to outplay every team we play.

“I want paying supporters to be entertained and this season they won’t be disappointed. We have got a very good footballing side who won’t fear anyone. I am really pleased with the strength and depth in the squad.”

Bideford and Barnstaple Town also play in Division One South along with new boys Parkway, who have been promoted from the Western League.

Bideford start with a trip to Winchester City, while Barnstaple are at home against Lymington Town, and both managers, Sean Joyce and Dean Edwards, share concerns over player availability following pre-seasons in which players have been unable to commit - especially with North Devon being such a long trip for some of them, and away games taking them even further away from home.

Joyce said: “I think it is going to be hard – not just for Bideford but quite a lot of clubs really. There doesn’t seem to be enough players around to commit to playing at a certain level. You have either got 13 players or 25 players.

“Players have got out of the habit of playing, I think the wives and girlfriends have got used to having them about, and they have got other interests – and when football comes back and they have got to come to Bideford for a training session and it might be a four-hour round journey, they are thinking they can make more use of their time.

“I speak to a lot of managers and they have all been working with skeleton squads. We have had a core of about eight lads that have played every game – but some have had Covid scares, some have been on holiday, so it has just been difficult.

“It’s a changing time, it’s a challenging time – and it will be the survival of the fittest.”

Barnstaple were bottom of the division when non-league football was called off in both of the last two seasons - and Edwards knows it is going to be hard again, but says he has signed more players than he has ever done before, just to make sure the numbers-game doesn’t cause him problems.

“We are looking OK,” he said. “I have signed on about 30 players because I have had to. With the committment levels of players you have got to make sure you have got enough in your squad to make sure you have enough players.

“But we have signed some decent players again - I have just got to get them all on the same pitch at the same time.

“If we can get a stable side then we’ll be OK. We are not going to pull up any trees but we will be OK.”