Mann buzzing for Twerton step-up
Following a photoshoot on the Twerton Park terraces, new signings Adam Mann and Robbie Cundy were whisked off for an impromptu tour of the home changing room. Cundy had already been in the bowels of the stadium, albeit in the away dressing room for both Gloucester and Oxford City. But for striker Mann it was a new experience - and one he was buzzing about. “I haven’t played here before, actually,” the 26-year-old told the Chronicle. “Gloucester were in the Conference North when I was there so we never crossed paths. “Looking round the ground now, you can see the stature of it.” It was the latest chapter in a whirlwind summer for Mann, who had been all set to join Southern League Premier side Swindon Supermarine following his exit from Evesham United. But then there was interest from the Romans and boss Jerry Gill, which Mann first learned of via a phonecall during an Ibiza tour with the Evesham squad. That was an opportunity he could not say no to. “It’s massive,” Mann said, still taking in his new surroundings. “It’s a massive opportunity for me and I’m looking forward to it now. “It was late in the day, but we start Saturday and I just want to hit the ground running now. “It’s an old-school, massive club. I remember they were in the Conference Premier and came down and they’ve always been in and around it. “When I had the chat with Jerry I obviously knew the stature of the club and it was an easy decision for me.” Mann added: “It’s exactly what I’m about. He wants hungry players and has got so much quality here. “Obviously I’ve got to prove myself and make sure I’m a regular here.” There are a couple of vaguely familiar faces in the squad, whom Mann met in Saturday’s first preseason training session in Twerton, “Some of the players that are in there I’ve seen playing in League grounds when I was growing up, so I’m looking forward to playing with them now,” he said. “Ross Stearn and Sean Rigg I remember when they were at Forest Green; when I was 16 I was training with them for a couple of weeks before they moved on. “It’ll be exciting to see how we all are now about ten years on.” Last term Mann bagged 24 goals for Evesham, who finished fourth and were eliminated from the playoff semi-finals in a shootout defeat to Supermarine. But what will Mann bring to the Romans? “Scoring goals, hopefully,” he laughed. “General play really; I’d say hold-up play, movement, linking up with players. “We’ve got the creative players here to do that and that’s the sort of thing I’d look to do.”