Category: Club events

Join us this Tuesday 7th January.

 

its our first of two monthly bingos for 2025

 

Doors open @ 6.30pm

 

Eyes down @ 7.30pm

 

Bar open for refreshments

 

Everyone Welcome

Match Preview
Cribbs FC v Willand Rovers

Our first away trip of 2025 sees us make the journey up the M5 on Saturday to the shopping capital of the southwest in Cribbs for another big clash in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm KO.

Last time out for Willand it was a New Year’s Day matchup with Falmouth Town. That afternoon was wet and wild and with the game just about on thanks to the immense job of the grounds team and coaching staff, we got our year underway with a narrow defeat with Rubin Wilson scoring for the hosts to seal an away win.

Onto the game at hand, the first Saturday fixture of the year and the first of two away trips in a row for Rovers. Cribbs have been in the Division for 2 seasons now with their first season being under current Taunton Town boss Richard Luffman and now Ryan Crouch has taken the reigns at The Lawns and will be keen to build on from the previous success.

One to watch for Cribbs would have to be Leighton Tuodolo who is a great prospect within the squad at just 23 years old who has had a great start to life in the eighth tier with previous experience at Chippenham Town in the 6th tier and an impressive portfolio of skill and ability to help turn a game on its head.

The hosts’ last matchup against Rovers was on a sunny, September afternoon at Silver Street with Willand running out 4-0 winners and most notably a goal of the season contender from River Allen with him soaring the ball from the halfway line and past the keeper securing all three for the All-Whites on the day.

Whether it’s shopping for three points or securing a great deal on goals, Rovers will be hoping to gain some points on the road this weekend and you can be there too for it with our Fun Bus running from Silver Street at half 12 with the fare being £15, just contact Mike Hawkins or the club’s social media streams to get booked on!

#WeAreRovers

Willand Vs Falmouth

On the crisp autumn morning of October 14, 2003, Steve Bartman woke up in his modest Chicago apartment buzzing with excitement. It wasn’t just any day for the lifelong Chicago Cubs fan—it was Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, and the Cubs were one win away from clinching their first World Series berth since 1945.

Steve, a reserved and unassuming man in his mid-thirties, had always been a devoted Cubs fan, and couldn’t remember a more important day for his team. He meticulously planned his day, donning his trademark green turtleneck, Cubs cap, and trusty Walkman radio so he could listen to the play-by-play while watching the game live.

Luck had been on his side when he secured a prized ticket to a seat in the front row of the left-field stands, just above the outfield barrier. It was a dream come true for someone who had spent countless summers cheering from the bleachers.

Arriving at Wrigley Field hours before the first pitch, Steve immersed himself in the electric atmosphere. Fans clad in Cubs blue buzzed with anticipation, their voices mingling with the tantalising aroma of grilled hot dogs and popcorn. Steve chatted with fellow fans about their shared hope: this was finally the year the “Curse of the Billy Goat” would be broken.

As game time approached, he made his way to his seat. From his vantage point, Steve could see everything—the verdant grass, the iconic ivy-covered outfield walls, and the sea of fans united in their devotion. He felt part of something greater, a collective yearning for redemption that spanned generations.

The game unfolded with mounting tension. By the eighth inning, the Cubs were leading 3-0, just five outs away from history. The stadium roared with every pitch, a symphony of hope and anticipation. Then, in a moment that would define Steve’s life, Florida Marlins batter Luis Castillo sent a foul ball soaring toward left field.

Steve, like so many around him, instinctively reached out. His hand brushed the ball, which dropped just out of reach of Cubs outfielder Moisés Alou. Alou leapt in frustration, gesturing angrily, convinced he could have made the catch, thrusting his team one out closer to immortality.

The once-joyous crowd shifted into an uneasy silence, murmuring as replays showed Steve’s fateful interference.

What followed was a cascade of misfortune. The Marlins rallied, scoring eight runs to win the game 8-3. As the Cubs’ collapse unfolded, fans’ frustration turned toward Steve. He was vilified, taunted, and showered with insults as security escorted him out of the stadium. The Cubs went on to lose Game 7, and their World Series dream was dashed.

It amazes me to this day how the actions of one man can shape not only an afternoon for a sports team but even a season.

—

There was very nearly early drama before Willands first game of 2025 with the match referee unhappy with standing water on the pitch, which was thankfully cleared to his satisfaction to allow the game to kick off despite plenty of water still in the air.

David Steele, picking the same starting 11 that beat Helston in the Whites previous game, would have been looking to start the new year as he ended the previous, while visitors Falmouth came into the game in good form, setting up a potentially fascinating battle.

With both teams looking to play a tight passing game in blustery conditions the game started in a spirited stalemate, with the first chance falling to Richards in the 12th minute. The Willand captain could only look on bemused as his header from the edge of the 6-yard line was somehow cleared onto the top of the crossbar by a combination of prostrate defender and unwitting teammate.

Willand continued to push and Wellington almost took advantage of a miscommunication in the Falmouth defence in the 27th minute, slipping between keeper and defender only to see the ball bounce off his chest and run wide before it was cleared.

The balance of the game changed in the 36th minute, a full-blooded challenge between Allen and Calleja-Stayne that seemed to be the definition of Newton’s third law of motion, was deemed to be a straight red for the Willand player by the referee who, judging by the speed he retrieved the card from his pocket, had no doubt,  despite the confusion of a large proportion of the spectators.

Willand managed to see out against the man advantage for the remainder of the half with some resolute defending and some planning to do for the final period.

HT Willand 0 – Falmouth 0

Willand made changes at half time, replacing Wellington with Dorothy, but the uphill battle became a mountain to hike in the 53rd minute in controversial circumstances.

Following a foul on a Willand player the referee indicated an advantage as the ball raced into touch, chased by Dorothy. The official then deemed that the advantage had been played, and from the subsequent throw-in found another strong tackle, this time from Rooke, worthy of a second swiftly waved red card.

To their credit, Willand defended heroically for the next 20 minutes but the constant pressure from the visitors finally paid off when Wilson bundled the ball in following another goalmouth scramble.

David Steele threw caution to the increasing wind as the clock ticked towards 90, replacing the impressive Shanley with Mendonca but as the referee indicated only 2 minutes of injury time, despite numerous injuries and a sending-off, his team were unable to create any chances of note.

It wasn’t the start to the New Year that Willand would have been looking for, but sometimes you have to take positives out of situations that are taken out of your control, and although the manager will be disappointed by some of the performances on the day, none of those would have been wearing white.

FT Willand 0 – Falmouth 1

Match Preview
Willand Rovers v Falmouth Town

Happy New Year (or Almost) Rovers fans and we are directly back in the action on the first day of the year as Falmouth Town come to The Stan Robinson Stadium in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South with a 3pm KO!

In our last game of 2024, it ended in 4 with Helston having a quad of goals sent past them with Fin Rooke racking up a hat trick including a Bicycle kick towards the village end and on the afternoon. Josh Searle also contributed to the win, blazing one in past the keeper.

After the defeat at Bideford, the result sobered the mood and put us back on track with the previous Saturday also being a win for Willand. But a new year brings new challenges and this time it’s Falmouth who will want to make up for earlier on in the season when we travelled down there.

In August, a 3-3 thriller was played at Bickland Park with Rovers 3-0 down on the afternoon. A massive second half effort made sure that we didn’t walk away empty handed with Fin Rooke stepping up to bag a brace with 5 minutes between the goals and River Allen added the cherry on top to score in the middle of Fin’s goals to bring a point back to Mid Devon.

One to watch for the visitors would have to be Rubin Wilson who has an eye for goal and is out of the Plymouth Argyle academy where he played in the eighth and ninth tier for a few seasons before settling down for Falmouth Town last season as he got promoted with them and is looking to help them secure survival this season.

Overall it is quite the welcomer to 2025 this fixture with the final of the festive football coming to an end but a huge second half of the season has just begun, join us at Silver Street on Wednesday at 3pm and get behind the lads!

#WeAreRovers

NYE Party tickets are still on sale but only a handful left.

So if you are planning on joining us on NYE get your tickets now to avoid disappointment.

Come join us on December 31st and dance the night away 💃 🕺 🪩

Tickets are £15 if you are a club member or £18 to Non members

If you want tickets buy them now by emailing willandroversfc@outlook .com or directly from our ticketing partner

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/willand-rovers-football-club/t-movpgxd

Willand Vs Helston

As another new year approaches, people from all around the world will take a moment to raise a glass, reflect on their antics from the year past, and commit to a fresh start. It’s the time of year when people set New Year’s resolutions, only to break them long before Valentine’s Day arrives.

Resolutions are a tradition that have endured for much longer than their festive counterparts, tracing back nearly 4,000 years to ancient Babylon. The Babylonians, who celebrated their new year in mid-March during a 12-day festival called Akitu, made promises to their gods to repay debts and return borrowed items, although it’s not clear why they wouldn’t do this during the rest of the year.

The tradition carried over to ancient Rome, particularly under Julius Caesar, who established January 1 as the start of the new year in 46 BCE. The month of January is named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, depicted with two faces—one looking forward and one looking back—and Romans made sacrifices to Janus, pledging to live virtuously in the year to come.

In the mediaeval era, New Year’s resolutions took a chivalric turn. During a ceremony known as the “Peacock Vow,” knights would renew their oaths of honour, reaffirming their commitment to courage, loyalty, and service. Later, with the rise of Christianity, the focus shifted to introspection and moral improvement, while the 19th and 20th centuries saw the practice evolve into a secular tradition with modern resolutions often focused on self-improvement, such as getting fit, saving money, or learning a new skill.

In footballing circles, New Year’s resolutions come in many guises but always come down to a single element: improvement. Whether it’s an increase in goals or clean sheets, wins or revenue, hops or attendance, human nature will always drive us to improve.

And so it is with Willand Rovers. The 2023/24 season marked a significant improvement over the previous campaign, during which the spectre of relegation haunted us until the final kick, and the management team and committee will be striving to continue as we approach the mid-decade.

With games coming fast and furious during the festive period, David Steele switched some of his personnel, with Rooke and Camilo occupying starting positions, replacing Dorothy and Mendonca, who were rested with future games in mind.

Visitors Helston, who had not won a game since early November, made the long trip up the A30 in hopes of improving their form as they enter the new year. The game began in surprisingly mild conditions in front of an impressive crowd of 300.

The game itself somehow meanders along the tightrope between mundane and magnificent and can be summarized in five key moments of heroism and head loss, leaving fans somehow unsure if they’d seen a masterpiece or a Mrs. Brown’s Boys rerun.

Willand made the breakthrough in the 16th minute; a shot fired across goal by Allen was inexplicably controlled perfectly by the Helston defender before hesitation allowed a grateful Rooke to fire the ball beyond Moore.

The home team extended the lead in the 33rd minute when Rooke scored his second, running clear down the right flank before placing the ball well in the opposite corner.

Half time – Willand 2 – Helston 0

On any other Saturday, Searles goal in the 48th minute would have taken the weekend plaudits, the ball played in well from Camilo on the right flank with the Willand fullback sweeping the ball past Moore with power and precision.

When Sullivan received a straight red card minutes later, the game effectively ended as a contest, but there was still time for the home team to close out the match and the year in style.

In the 62nd minute a ball was played in from the left wing that was misjudged by Moore, who allowed the ball to somehow bounce behind him, along with Rooke, who had been hunting for a header. Undeterred by the simple notion of facing away from goal, the Willand forward executed what I’m going to describe as an overhead scissor kick, reminiscent of Pele in perennial Christmas favourite ‘Escape to Victory,’ to secure his hat trick and 3 points for his team.

In truth, the remainder of the game, in which David Steele used all of his available subs with future fixtures in mind, felt a bit flat after the highs of the first hour’s play. Thankfully, the media team got all of today’s action on film as a reminder of a most excellent end to 2024.

Full Time – Willand 4 – Helston 0

Magic numbers for the 28,12 24 are 6.18.19.23 there’s no winners prize for the 4,1,25 is £3775

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/w6pYiBRTx65tPCER/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Match Preview
Willand Rovers v Helston Athletic

The quickest turnaround of fixtures this season sees us begin our double header of Cornish opposition travelling to Silver Street in the next few days with Helston Athletic making the long journey from South Cornwall on Saturday afternoon in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm KO.

Boxing Day has been and gone with the trip to Bideford ending in narrow defeat for David Steele’s men as Scott Robinson broke the deadlock late in the second half for the Robins and secured the three points on the afternoon.

In a time of fixtures piling in fast, there is no time to reflect or feel down on a result and Willand will look to get back to winning ways roughly under 48 hours from the full-time whistle on Thursday and the magic of non-league continues as we turn the book onto reverse fixtures for the rest of the season.

The visitors on Saturday are Helston who are newcomers to the Southern League this season but have turned a few heads as they have put in a fair shift at the halfway mark but Rovers will be hoping to halt their progress on Saturday.

Matt Cusack is at the helm at Kellaway Park and has been part of the network in the club which has transformed the not-so-famous footballing town of Helston into a force which the Cornish can be proud of.

Previously for the blues, it was a defeat at home on Boxing Day with high-flying Exmouth Town securing all three points after a solid journey down but an even better performance for the away side to be proud of.

One to watch for our visitors this weekend would have to be Jack Crago who departed Bolitho Park a short while into the season in favour of a stint in Cornwall and in that he made every moment of it count with 9 goals to his name, currently sitting in 4th in the top scorer table.

As this is the final time we will be at home in 2024, we would like to thank everyone for supporting us throughout the year and making the journey to Silver Street week on week to get behind the lads but also to all the supporters who have made the journeys around the South to support the Rovers and we look forward to welcoming you again on the 1st January as we take on Falmouth Town!

#WeAreRovers