Football Focus FF84 Web | Page 26

Arlesey Town FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/FOOTYFOCUSMAG Arlesey Town A FOOTBALL CLUB fter last season’s disappointment of relegation from the Southern League the club had to prepare for life in the South Midland League Premier Division. With the majority of players electing to leave the club following the relegation we had to look to rebuild on the pitch, bringing in the combination of ex-players Matt Endersby and James Hatch as joint managers and with James still playing this also gave us a vastly experienced player as well. They made the bold move of bringing in Natasha Orchard- Smith as coach who we believe is the 1st woman to coach a men’s 11 a side semi-pro team in the country. As a club we have always had a strong ethic in equal opportunities for everybody so this was a move that we welcomed. This combination settled in quickly, signing both experienced players and young players including a few who have 26 Issue 84 resigned from last season, and a few local lads who actually live in the village which is very rare these days in football, some of whom have come right through the ranks from our youth teams from the age of 11 through the reserves and into the 1st team. This is a pathway that we really want to encourage although in recent years the youth teams have got a little thin on