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Match Report WRFC Vs Melksham Town

Posted on by anthonyryder

Willand vs Melksham

While growing up on the mean streets of South Warwickshire, I saw many changes to my hometown—not all of them good.

In the early 1980s, the area that used to be home to the town’s railway station began an epidemic of house building that not only covered open spaces with 4-bedroom offerings that locals couldn’t afford but also took away opportunities for young imaginations.

In 1995 the A46 extension was opened to a celebration of melancholy. The old road never really impeded on the town itself, so the grandiose title of bypass was somewhat of a misnomer, the only nominal benefit being that we were now slightly closer to wherever it was we happened to be going. Not that we ever really wanted to leave.

In 2004, the infant school that I attended in much earlier decades finally shut its wrought-iron gate, and, much to the shame of the council, it still sits idle as time passes by.

There were other, more subtle changes along the way, of course; the only Italian restaurant in town had become just another Indian; the focal point of the town, a hall that saw activities from pantomimes and parties all the way to the infamous Porky’s disco finally crumbled under the lack of investment required to address the actual crumbling, and the golf driving range and adjacent pitch and putt course was swallowed up to become home to the local football club.

But one thing that didn’t change, from my days of scuttling down bowling alleys in the 1970s to when I finally left to head south several decades later, was the number of pubs in the town. We were famous for the number of pubs we had, specifically for the size of the population. If I were to walk down the High Street during that time (and the High Street was no longer than Cullompton or Tiverton), I would pass a dozen or so pubs, depending on my chosen destination (which was usually to one of the pubs). If you were to add establishments that could still be reached using nothing more than whisky for fuel, this would swell to somewhere around 20. The most surprising aspect was that on any given Friday or Saturday night, any pub you went into was packed; not ‘it takes a few minutes to get to the bar’ busy, but more ‘buy two pints while you’re there’ busy. Unbeknownst to us at the time, these days appear to have marked the pinnacle of British pub culture, or at the very least, its final flourishing.

Recently I was back on the mean streets, and on the premise that we needed to walk to counteract all the Christmas pudding, I took my son on a nostalgic walk past the same pubs that I’d frequented not so long ago. Only it turned into a tour of an out-of-place house conversion, derelict memories, and a public house that had been standing since the 17th century left a carcass bereft of its roof along with its dignity. In all, I counted more pubs in the past tense than the present, and it made me thankful that at least the pubs that I’d migrated to in Devon seemed to still be welcoming customers.

Of course my optimism fell at the first hurdle as I retired to the village to find that both the Hickory Inn and the Weary Traveller would be closing their doors in the near future.

So what has happened to pubs?

The decline of pubs over the last decade is as stark as it is disheartening. Once the beating heart of communities, their disappearance has been driven by a perfect storm of economic, cultural, and societal changes.

The cost-of-living crisis has dealt a severe blow to the traditional pub. Rising energy prices, soaring rent costs, and inflated supplier expenses have pushed landlords to breaking point. For customers, the reality of paying £5 or more for a pint is a far cry from the affordable evenings of the past. Many now opt for supermarket deals, where the cost of a crate rivals a single round at the local.

This shift isn’t just about economics—it’s cultural, too. The rise of home entertainment has revolutionised how we spend our free time. Streaming services, social media, and online gaming offer instant and often cheaper alternatives to venturing out. Coupled with a growing preference for “staying in” rather than “going out,” the traditional appeal of the pub as a social hub has diminished.

Changing drinking habits have also played their part. Health-conscious trends and lower alcohol consumption have seen fewer people view the pub as their default leisure destination. Younger generations, in particular, often gravitate towards coffee shops, cocktail bars, or other venues that cater to evolving tastes and lifestyles.

Finally, the very fabric of communities has shifted. As small towns and villages expand, local pubs are often casualties of development. Once considered landmarks, their conversion into houses or convenience stores further erodes the sense of place they once offered.

The halcyon days of bustling high streets lined with pubs may be behind us, replaced by a quieter, more solitary age. What remains is a sobering reminder of what we’ve lost—a space where stories were shared, friendships forged, and communities brought together over the clink of a glass.

Fortunately for the residents of Mid-Devon, Silver Street is still a beacon for the local community, and a hardy crowd braved the near-freezing conditions for a game against Melksham Town on the kind of night where coffee and tea may well have out-sold anything sold in the bar.

David Steele kept faith with the same 11 that finished the game against Exmouth while the visitors attempted to improve their fortunes with the signing of experienced striker Dawid Regula from Hungerford.

It was the visitors who started on the front foot and, in truth, dominated possession for long spells of the half, forging a number of corners and opportunities without ever troubling Burton. While the home team played with their usual high energy, they rarely troubled the well-drilled Melksham defence, who fluidly moved between a back three and a back five, with the Willand forward line frequently isolated and outnumbered.

Regula had a number of opportunities where he should have hit the target, and Burton did well to block a number of shots from close range as the half came to a close while Willand left their best effort of the half until the end, Kelsey in the Melksham goal pulling off an excellent double save to deny Dorothy following good work from Kempster on the Willand right.

Half Time – Willand 0 – Melksham 0

The second half started much as the first, with Melksham on the ascendency, encamped in the Willand half, but with perhaps a drop in the tempo. Burton was called into action in the 67th minute, stinging his glove on a well-hit shot from Lynden to deflect the ball over the bar for another Melksham corner.

As the game neared its final 20 minutes, it transformed into a more even and scrappy match, with the majority of the action centred in the midfield. The breakthrough for Willand came in the 88th minute, substitute Josh Baker scoring with some acrobatics to send the bench and the majority of the crowd into raptures.

Melksham continued to battle past the 90th minute, and only a superb save from a James header prevented the visitors from finding a late, late equaliser, and celebration mixed freely with relief at the sound of the final whistle.

In the end, Willand took three points from a game where a draw might have been a fairer result, but that, as they say, is the nature of football. David Steele and his team will be delighted to have finished the week with 4 points from two games against good teams.

Finally, a word for goal scorer Josh Baker. A lesser writer might not have mentioned that they predicted much of the events of the game, but thankfully I’m not a lesser writer, and as soon as he came on to the pitch, I predicted a goal—he’s just one of those players who knows where the goal is.

And I’ll always drink to players like that.

Full time – Willand 1 – Melksham 0

Match Preview Bristol Manor Farm Vs WRFC

Posted on by anthonyryder

Match Preview
Bristol Manor Farm v Willand Rovers

The action continues again this weekend where it’s not too far for David Steele’s men to travel as a breeze up the M5 to see us go on a trip to the Farm to take on Bristol Manor in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm KO.

Willand had a successful midweek runout with Melksham Town making the trip down to The Stan Robinson Stadium. On the night it took its time to fully ramp up but the difference was made by Josh Baker who in the 89th minute went for an acrobatic chance and blazed it in the back of the net to assure Rovers of a key three points on a bitter night.

Meanwhile, our visitors also had a midweek trip down to Tavistock but their memory might’ve been a bit foggy with the game getting underway and staying on for around 10 minutes but in West Devon, the conditions weren’t ideal and the game was abandoned.

Back to the game at hand, it is the last game of January. A month in which a ball did not roll for the All Whites in 17 days but now the worst of the weather seems to of dissipated, the games keep coming in as we work through the fixture list.

Lee Lashenko’s Farmy Army have some solid names within the ranks as the league’s top scorer is currently plying his trade at The Creek, Louis Britton has scored 16 goals so far in the 24/25 campaign and has previously played for Bristol City, Torquay United, Cork City and Yeovil Town to name a few sides.

The previous fixture between both sides was a fairly cold night at Silver Street as both sides battled it out on another famous Willand Wednesday where it finished all square with a 2-2 draw on the night.

Both sides on Saturday will be looking to harvest a solid performance as the Southern League once again throws its thrills and spills. An udderly amazing fixture so comes join us this weekend on the fun bus if you can with it departing from Silver Street at half-12, hopefully, it’ll be a maize-ing day on the farm!

#WeAreRovers

Match Preview WRFC Vs Melksham Town

Posted on by anthonyryder

Match Preview
Willand Rovers v Melksham Town

We are under the floodlights this Wednesday as our rescheduled fixture with Melksham Town takes place in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South with a half 7 kick off at The Stan Robinson Stadium

The action finally returned last weekend and certainly with quite the fixture as Exmouth Town came to Silver Street for a Devon Derby after a 17-day hiatus. Both sides looking to bring the bragging rights for the county with a solid attendance down at the Street from both sides.

The first half was a goalless affair with opportunities at both sides but the visitors would break the deadlock quickly into the second half with Tom Bath firing the Town ahead. However, it would be the returning hero of Bailey Kempster who would help Willand to a point on the afternoon with his effort being the last in the back of the net in this contest.

On Wednesday we welcome Melksham Town who are managed by Mark Collier and are from the county of Wiltshire. A staple of the Southern League, the Yellow and Black Army are battling once again in the eighth tier and will bring a good game to the SRS.

Last time out for the visitors was a defeat at home to Malvern Town who ran out 3-0 winners at Oakfield. One to look out for Melksham would have to be former Torquay man Jake Andrews who was a pivotal player in their National League South title win back in the 2018/19 season during his loan from Bristol City

The last time out between both sides was a 0-0 draw at Oakfield Stadium back in late February of this year, hopefully, there are goals to be had this time at Silver Street on Wednesday evening.

As the weather seems to be less intense, the schedule returns to normal with a regular flow of football to be had. City are away on Tuesday night and with one of the only fixtures in Devon on Wednesday, there’s only one place to be to grab your football fix. Support non-league and help your local football team.

#WeAreRovers

Match report WRFC Vs Exmouth Town

Posted on by anthonyryder

Willand vs Exmouth

People often say that there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. While the quote, often misattributed to Benjamin Franklin, holds some truth, I’d submit a third lesser-known inevitability—if I pick a player for my Fantasy Football team, they’ll fail catastrophically.

Looking into the full range of my ill-fated transfers may cause undue distress to anyone with even a passing interest in the beautiful game, and a full rundown may take more words than the page allows, but here are my highlights from the last few weeks.

Further to upgrading Sanchez to my number one spot, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca decided, perhaps for the first time since the storied days of Shilton and Clemence, to rotate his goalkeepers. Last week I made the fateful decision to drop Issak as my captain, only to look on in dismay as he amassed 32 points, while the man I replaced him with, Hojlund, gave me a net return of 2. Not to be outdone by my counterparts, I restored Newcastle’s top scorer to the captaincy this week, where he managed the least number of touches of any outfield player on his way to a score of 4, as my fiercest rival picked Wood (24).

And talking of Nottingham Forest, I recently dropped stalwart Ola Aina to the bench, where he unsurprisingly scored double the points the rest of my playing defence accumulated.

My list of personal mishaps goes on.

I’m genuinely not sure what brings me back every year to the arena; in a league with 60+ participants, I’m inevitably playing the role of the perennial punching bag, while paying for the privilege.

Perhaps it’s the same allure that drew those early pioneers of Fantasy Football to create their own leagues—an irresistible blend of hope, strategy, and the faint, tantalising promise of glory.

Fantasy football began life as a niche pastime. In 1962, a group of journalists and sports enthusiasts in Oakland, California, created the first fantasy gridiron football league, known as the GOPPPL (Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League). Participants drafted real NFL players to create virtual teams, earning points based on their players’ real-life performances. It was a revolutionary idea—though it took decades to grow beyond a small circle of diehard fans.

The concept gained traction in the UK in the early 1990s, where the footballing landscape was ripe for innovation. The inaugural Fantasy Football League launched in 1991, aligning perfectly with the dawn of the Premier League in 1992. As television revenue brought glamour and accessibility to the game, fantasy football gave fans a more personal connection to the sport. Suddenly, you weren’t just supporting your team; you were tracking the fortunes of Alan Shearer, Eric Cantona, or Matt Le Tissier, even if they were playing for your fiercest rivals.

By the early 2000s, Fantasy Football had cemented itself as a cultural phenomenon. Websites made the game more accessible, removing the need for manual point calculations and complicated spreadsheets. The emergence of platforms like the Official Fantasy Premier League in 2002 turbocharged participation, drawing in millions of players from around the world. Today, over 11 million managers vie for glory each season, agonising over captaincy decisions and scouring fixture lists for the next bargain transfer.

The game’s evolution mirrors the rise of football as a global sport. The analytics revolution, powered by metrics like expected goals (xG) and heat maps, has turned Fantasy Football into a strategic battle. What started as a bit of fun has become a serious pursuit, with leagues, podcasts, and social media influencers dedicated to optimising every point.

Of course, for every success story, there’s someone like me—a manager perpetually trapped in the wrong end of the table. Still, that’s the beauty of Fantasy Football. It’s a game of hope and despair, of meticulous planning and sheer chaos. Much like the sport it reflects, it’s gloriously unpredictable. And, as I’ll no doubt convince myself come next season, maybe—just maybe—this will be my year.

Far away from the glamour of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (my FL League), football returned to Silver Street after an extended break with the visit of Devon counterparts Exmouth Town.

David Steele was without Ryan Guppy, who suffered a broken ankle in Falmouth’s visit on New Year’s Day, along with Allen and Rooke, who were both serving suspensions following their contentious sendings off in the same fixture. The manager was however able to welcome back Nathan Byrne and Bailey Kempster to the team, the latter returning on loan from Weston-Super-Mare.

Visitors Exmouth arrived at Silver Street looking to continue their push towards promotion on the back of an unbeaten start to 2025 that has seen them continue as the league’s form away side.

From the first whistle, it was clear that the visitors were the more settled unit, and they quickly set about their task, carving out a number of half chances against a resolute Willand defense without ever creating anything to warm up the nearly 300-strong crowd who braved the chilly conditions.

Willand’s best chance of the half fell in the 27th minute, a Wellington shot that was always sailing well wide, despite the acrobatics of Phillips in the Exmouth goal.

Despite the intensity and physicality on display, neither side could find the breakthrough before the interval, although the visitors would have been happier as the whistle finally blew after the officials found an extended and unexpected addition to the indicated two minutes of injury time.

Half Time – Willand 0 – Exmouth 0

David Steele made changes at the start of the second half, with Camilo and Kennell replacing Wellington and Price, but it was the visitors who took the lead minutes after the restart, when Steer delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, finding an unmarked Bath to score on his return to Silver Street.

Willand responded well to going behind, and while Swann came close to doubling Exmouth’s advantage with a darting run and a shot that whistled just past the far post, it was the home side who struck next.

On 65 minutes, new signing Kempster, who was, to the surprise of many, playing on the right wing, found himself in the right place at the right time to slot home the equaliser after an excellent cross from Hewitt on the left.

With parity restored, the final stages mirrored the early exchanges: a scrappy battle with plenty of effort but little in the way of clear-cut opportunities. As the referee signalled the end of proceedings, both sides were left reflecting on a hard-fought point in a fiercely contested derby.

As I was leaving Silver Street, it struck me that while there were no clean sheet bonuses or captaincy multipliers on offer, there was something undeniably rewarding about not caring about statistics, spreadsheets, or bonus points—just the pure, unfiltered joy of the beautiful game.

Full Time – Willand 1 – Exmouth 1

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