Chichester City FC’S squad will have a familiar look about it in the coming season
Chichester City’s squad will have a very familiar look about it in the new season – and bosses are delighted.
As they head to Pagham on Saturday for the first of eight friendlies they have lined up, they have revealed many of last season’s troops have committed to Oaklands Park for another season.
The likes of goalkeeper Steve Mowthorpe, defenders Corey Heath, Connor Cody and Ryan Davidson, midfielder Lloyd Rowlatt and winger Josh
Clack will all be wearing the white and green of City again for the club’s third season – but hopefully first completed one – in the Isthmian League.
Another defender, Jamie Horncastle, is back with the club after a year or so away from football.
There are likely to be some new faces too – and a number of last season’s under-23s are pushing hard for places in the first-team squad.
But coach Danny Potter said keeping the squad together that had done so much for the club in the past few years was a big plus.
“We’ve been doing physical work since mid-june and formal training for a couple of weeks now and we’re looking good,” he told the Observer.
“We are delighted so many key players have said they’re staying. It means we can hopefully carry on where we left off before the long break.”
Saturday’s visit to Pagham for the Dave Kew Memorial Cup semi-final (1.30pm kick-off ) begins a hectic schedule of friendlies.
They go to Portsmouth to play United Services next Tuesday and visit Horndean on Saturday 17, Horsham on Tuesday 20 and Baffins on Saturday 24.
City host Christchurch on Tuesday 27 for the Steve Bernard Trophy and welcome Basingstoke on Saturday 31.
They round off their friendlies at Bognor on Saturday, August 7, with the new Isthmian south-east season starting a week later.
Potter will again be alongside Miles Rutherford, Graeme Gee and Darin Killpartrick in the dugout but said: “We’ve strengthened the backroom team – our links with the University of Chichester are proving valuable in that respect – and we’re looking forward to a first full season at step four.
“There are eight Sussex teams in the division which should make for some good derbies and big crowds but we know it will be a very competitive league, as it always is.”