Category: Headlines

Magic Numbers 18/1/25

3, 7 10 & 15.

There were no winners so next week’s jackpot is £3825.

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Match Preview
Willand Rovers v Exmouth Town

In what feels like an eternity with all the different bits of weather coming to cross off games in the calendar throughout the start of 2025, Rovers are finally back in action this weekend and it’s a special one as someone will take the title in a Devon Derby at Silver Street with Exmouth Town visiting us this weekend in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South.

Though we’ve been away from the action for a couple of weeks, the preparations have continued throughout and the focus shifts now to getting a game on and slotting back into a schedule of games for Steele’s side.

Rovers haven’t been quiet over that period with a new addition to the squad Bailey Kempster rejoining Willand from Weston Super-Mare on loan for a short period, Kemps is a familiar face to Rovers fans with him playing at Silver Street several times in his career and will be hoping for another successful spell in Mid Devon.

Kevin Hill’s men come to the Stan Robinson Stadium after a midweek battle down at Southern Road in which the Town claimed all three points over Cinderford Town with Louis Morison and Tom Bath scoring for the hosts.

One to watch for the visitors this Saturday would be rising star and keeper Frankie Phillips who is currently on loan from the Exeter City academy but age is just a number with his potential high and keeping plenty of clean sheets for Town this season which earned him a loan extension the other week to continue his development.

The last time out between both sides was a cold Wednesday night on the River Exe with it being below freezing but the heat was on the pitch as Phil Mendonca broke the deadlock, Town cancelled it out with an outside-the-box strike but all of that led up to Fin Rooke sealing the three points and taking it back up the M5 in the 94th minute.

Devon Derbies are always special occasions but it will be even better with Rovers fans waiting just over two weeks to see the side back in action after a hiatus of the ball rolling around. Come join us this weekend for the thrills and spills of the Southern League.

#WeAreRovers

Yate Town v Willand Rovers

Rovers will be hoping to get back to the action this weekend after a Saturday off as we make our way up the M5 to take on The Bluebells in Yate Town in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm kick-off at Lodge Road.

With our trip to Cribbs called off over the weekend due to a frosty pitch, the lads have had a week to reset after a very Christmas period with the games flying in fast over that time. The preparations are well underway to combat the second half of the season with the cold kicking in but the heat being turned up on the fixture list.

Yate Town will be looking to find the exit door of the eight tier at the end of this season with them searching to get back up the leagues and bidding for the title this campaign. Key players in their ranks such as Marlon Jackson and Lloyd James bring senior experience from the divisions above to help guide Darren Mullings’ men through the battle.

The previous meeting in the season at Silver Street saw the points shared as all the action happened late on with Taylor breaking the deadlock in the 78th minute for the visitors but it would be Josh Baker with a towering header to bring it level and to ultimately secure a point on the afternoon against a strong Yate side.

For this fixture, the fun bus will be in operation from Silver Street where we will be departing at Midday, the fare is £15 with U16s going free with an Adult. Do contact Mike Hawkins or our social media platforms to book your place.

It’s going to be a big run of fixtures for Rovers over the next few weeks with some tough battles to take on, let’s get behind the lads home and away throughout the rest of the season and push on through 👏

#WeAreRovers

Willand Rovers magic numbers for the 4/1/25 are 1-6-12-23 there’s no winners prize for the 11/1/25 is £3800

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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