Glos County New Wick manager Joe targets title challenge
WICK’S new manager Joe Pople believes everything is in place at Oldbury Lane to mount a concerted Marcliff Gloucestershire County League championship challenge.
The club’s 29-year-old goalkeeper, who has also performed with distinction with league rivals AEK Boco, Bitton and Cadbury Heath among others down the years, happily took on the top job in the summer after previous incumbent Mike Strawford, a goalkeeper by trade too, decided to end his seven-year reign in order to focus more on supporting his four football-mad children.
Personal trainer Pople says he was asked to consider the committee’s call to the hot-seat over a fortnight period following “positive conversations” before giving the thumbs up to take charge.
“It was an easy decision for me really,” he said. “I’d done a lot of coaching last year and was involved a lot in our pre-season programme back then alongside Mike and my assistant now James Pocock, who is a year older than me and also played Western League level with the likes of Longwell Green, Oldland and Westbury.
“James is now into his fourth season with Wick and he would be starting games every week at the back were he fully fit following two years out with a knee injury.
“I’ve had two previous years as a player here but this is my first stint as a manager and I’m not planning to play in order to focus fully on that.
“I’m also pleased to have Shaun Morris working with us on the management side as well as playing, having joined the club at the same time as James did.”
Wick, who were second in the table last term when coronavirus struck, followed a hard-fought opening-day away draw against a strong Sharpness side with 2-1 and 4-0 victories over Broadwell Amateurs and Bromley Heath United, respectively, to ensure confidence levels are raised ahead of tomorrow’s juicy Les James League Cup collision at Frampton United, who had led the standings when football ground to a halt in March.
“We’d had such a good pre-season and going 1-0 up at Sharpness on the first day and conceding an equaliser at the death was maybe the reality check we needed,” said
Pople. “Mike left us in a good place when he stood down and there’s definitely a feeling we can go one step better than last season.
“We have several new lads on board who all played at higher levels, including Russell Woodford, Luke Lecrass, Ben Harris, Jordan Yeo, Nathan Gore, our captain Rob Moore and ‘keeper Ash Wintle who, like Rob, is a personal friend.
“There are experienced players still here who served under the previous manager such as brothers Joe and Sam Thomas and our central midfielder Mike Hardiman, who is Wick through and through.
“So the hope is to win the league, without putting pressure on the new boys and ourselves.
“We’re fully aware there are some very good teams in the league, including our cup opponents on
Saturday, Frampton, who always seem to be there and thereabouts without managing to quite get over the title line.”
The ever-popular Les James knock-out competition dominates the County League scene tomorrow, with ambitious AEK Boco enjoying summit status with four wins from four, travelling to take on winless Henbury and Hanham Athletic, also seeking a first victory, at Broadwell Amateurs.
League newcomers Shirehampton face a tough away-day with second-placed Sharpness, while Bristol Manor Farm’s Creek HQ provides a temporary stage for an undefeated Rockleaze Rangers team facing Hardwicke for their first-round affair.
All matches continue to kick off at 3pm.