Tiverton add Peck to the squad for 2020/21
TIVERTON Town have added former Plymouth Argyle defender Mike Peck to their increasingly impressive squad – ahead of a new season which now looks sure to start in mid-September, as long as fans are allowed back through the turnstiles.
Nineteen-year-old Cornishman Peck was on loan at Tiverton last season and follows former teammate Alex Fletcher from Home Park to Ladysmead.
Peck made his Argyle debut in 2018 – in a 2-0 defeat to Newport County in the EFL Trophy – and was a member of the Pilgrims’ FA Youth Cup side that defeated Manchester City and Burnley en-route to the fifth round, where they lost out to Fulham in extra-time.
Joint manager Martyn Rogers said: “Mike has just been released by Plymouth – he is a young centre back who was with us last year on loan. We are delighted to have him on board.”
Peck will link up with his ‘new’ teammates in training this week, with up to 30 players now allowed to get together. Pre-season games have also been given an August green light. The date of Saturday, September 19, has been mooted by the Football Association for the start of the Southern League Premier Division South season – but Rogers says that can only happen if fans are there to watch.
He said: “We have had quite a bit of stuff come through from the FA about how we go about things. We can now train with groups of 30 so it’s gradually coming back and we are quite hopeful.
“But, the thing is, we won’t be able to come back until we have got people coming through turnstiles. As soon as we get the green light for that, we will be in business, but I don’t think there are any non-league sides that are going to be playing without crowds.”
That’s the crux of the matter. The Government has said sport inside stadiums in front of some sort of crowds should be able to happen in October.
Does that mean the first month of the new Southern League season will have to be behind closed doors? Rogers doesn’t think so. He doesn’t think clubs will be able to cope with no crowds and is awaiting further clarification this week.
He said: “Hopefully, this week, that will all be clarified. If we get a certain amount of numbers through the turnstiles, I think most clubs can cope with social distancing. We have a capacity of 3,000 so if we have 500 in the ground, there is plenty of room.
“We need to get somebody in control of it, from our club’s point of view. Most clubs will get somebody in that can organise the way forward – with all the things they want us to do. There is obviously going to be a cost to all this – we want to get back playing but we don’t want to break the bank doing it. There are going to be a lot of clubs in trouble otherwise.”
Just like Rogers, Russell Jee, the manager of fellow Mid Devon Southern League side Willand
Rovers, is happy with the latest developments – and he says he is also delighted with the level of fitness his players are showing ahead of their second season in Division One South.
Willand won promotion from the Western League last summer but their first season at Step 4 was cut short just as they began to find their feet. Now Jee is ready to up the training ahead of some August friendlies.
“I am really pleased we have a starting date to work from – it certainly helps with preparation for sessions going forward,” said Jee.
“We have had 12 sessions to date and I am delighted with the levels of fitness the lads have shown – and the quality they have produced in training. It has all been ball-related sessions, but we will start introducing beach work and hill runs for the next couple of weeks before our friendlies commence on August 1.”
To meet Southern League criteria, Willand are in the process of adding a small stand of seats to their Silver Street ground – as the club continues to grow into its new status, on and off the pitch.
Jee said: “The club is looking great. The pitch is superb and the new grandstand will be installed on Friday. The clubhouse has been refurbished and the outside areas have been pressure washed.
“We were very, very fortunate over this break to have had so many volunteers at the club every weekend doing various roles. It has been great to see.”