Rogers confident of Tivvy upgrades
TIVERTON Town joint manager Martyn Rogers says the team will be better next season despite losing two big players in Jared Lewington and Jordan Bastin.
Rogers said when players move to a team in the same division it is usually because of money – with Lewington signing for their big rivals Taunton Town and Bastin heading to Weston-super-Mare, both of whom play in the Southern League Premier Division alongside Tiverton.
However, Rogers and co-manager Scott Rogers have ‘irons in the fire’ and say they will improve the side that was second in the Premier Division table when football was stopped because of the coronavirus lockdown last season.
“Players come and go and I have always got it in my head that if somebody wants to go it’s their choice,” said Rogers. “Once they have made that decision I am personally not that bothered. I always think ‘yeah, we’ll get somebody better in’.”
It was striker Lewington’s second spell at Tiverton, broken up by a spell at Torquay United. The 26-year-old made his name in the Western League at Buckland Athletic and has also played for Truro City in the National League South division.
Bastin, 24, is a left-sided midfielder who came from Elmore in the South West Peninsula League but has now been tempted by a move to Weston.
Another player, Michael Peck, is moving to the USA to take up a scholarship opportunity there.
Rogers said: “We have learned that when players go sometimes it gives you the opportunity to freshen the squad up and make it better.
“I don’t think people realise that we are still trying to improve anyway, regardless of who is still with the club.
“Sometimes the monetary thing frustrates you – but that’s football. It’s a bit like Man City, if they come in for somebody, the big money talks and away they go.
“When you get someone who moves within the same league, quite often it’s monetary. We were second and Weston were 15th.”
Rogers added: “But we are still quite happy with what we have got and we have got irons in the fire at the moment and we will be better next year – for sure.”