Category: General Club News

Ives welcome back City as tenants

 St Ives Town Football Club can today announce a groundshare agreement with Cambridge City which will see the Lilywhites become tenants to the Ives at their Quattro-Tech Westwood Road stadium for the opening months of next season. 

City are no strangers to the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road as they were tenants to the Ives for a three-year period that finished in 2018. They now return, but on a temporary basis whilst their new stadium at Sawston is awaiting completion, which is hoped to be before the end of the year. The move also sees City switch from their current temporary base of Histon Football Club where they have been tenants for the last five seasons. 

Commenting on the agreement, St Ives Chairman Paul Reason said “We have a good relationship with Cambridge City and are delighted to assist them whilst they wait for their new stadium to be completed. This is a temporary arrangement, and unlike before, the pitch will not be compromised as we now have an excellent 3G playing surface. However, we will have to adjust the schedule for the reserve team, and I would like to thank their management team for co-operating to make this happen. But we are delighted to offer the hand of friendship to City, and I am confident that this short-term arrangement will be a successful one for both parties”. 

City Chairman Kevin Satchell said “Cambridge City are very grateful to St. Ives Town for agreeing to this temporary groundshare. We have a great relationship with the club, and I am sure our fans will be impressed with their wonderful new 3G playing surface and improved facilities”. 

Cambridge City currently play in the Northern Premier League Midlands and have been without a home since 2013 when they vacated their historic Milton Road ground. Their new stadium in Sawston has been the subject of protracted delays but when completed will have a 3,000 capacity and become a community hub inclusive of a second 3G pitch. 

For further information, please contact:

Paul Reason
Chairman, St Ives Town Fc
paul@rcostings.co.uk

Kevin Satchell
Chairman, Cambridge City FC
kevin.satchell@ntlworld.com

Youth Team Open Days

All of our youth teams are having competitive seasons and as we look to the 2023/24 season we’re looking for new players to join our already talented squads.

As a player for our youth teams you will have the opportunity to train and play on the 3G Quattro-Tech Westwood Road stadium, with unrivalled facilities at the EJA youth level.

The Eastern Junior Alliance (EJA) is the South East of England’s leading youth development football league for age levels U13 to U18. It is the stepping stone between regular youth team football to academy levels at the professional level.

We are also looking for new players for two brand new teams for the 2023/24 season, out U11s and U12s.

If you wish to join our squads then please see below the upcoming open training sessions at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road that we’ll be hosting at different age levels.

U11s

Tuesday 23rd May

18:00 – 19:00 PM

Tuesday 6th June

Monday 26th June

FINAL OPEN DAY – Wednesday 19th July – 6-7 PM

To register interest please contact Anthony and Toby on anthonyrn94@icloud.com and toby.w.partridge21@gmail.com

U12s

Sunday 4th June

10:00 – 11:00 AM

To register interest please contact Robert on robertblake.41@hotmail.com

U14s

Thursday 13th April

19:00 – 20:00 PM

To register interest please contact Lee Whatmore on lawhaty1@gmail.com

U15s

Thursday 20th and Thursday 27th April

18:00 – 19:00 PM

Quattro-Tech Westwood Road Stadium

To register interest please contact Tony Maxwell on 07714 438823 or tmax@sky.com

Further May dates to follow

U16s

Thursday 4th and Thursday 11th of May

19:00 – 20:00 PM

To register interest please contact Alan Smith on alanfsmith@hotmail.com

ST IVES TOWN GOLF DAY 2023!

Preparations are well underway for the annual St Ives Town golf day.

This year, the event takes place on Friday 12 May at Lakeside Lodge Golf Course at Pidley near Huntingdon.

There has been a big interest with many teams signing up already with the event almost at capacity.  There has also been plenty of interest in hole sponsorship too.  This year the teams will be competing for the Carl Circus Trophy, named after a loyal supporter of St Ives Town who sadly died earlier this season.  After the golf, there will be a buffet and presentation in the clubroom at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road.

There is still space for more teams to come forward and anyone who is interested in either competing or sponsoring the event should contact Vic Moseley via email at victor.moseley@virginmedia.com or phone 07950 756409.

Ives reserves book cup final place!

A goal from Tom Wakeley was enough to ensure that St Ives Town Reserves progressed through to the final of the Percy Oldham Cup.

The 1-0 semi-final victory over Chatteris Town at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road sees the Ives set-up a final against Melbourn who defeated Hardwick last weekend.

The final will take place on Friday 24 March at Newmarket Town FC with a 7:45pm kick-off.

Ives welcome two from Posh

St Ives Town have this week signed two players from Peterborough United on loan until the end of the season.

Joining are Ashton Fox and Luke Harris.  Ashton is a 19 year old centre back who has previously featured for England Schoolboys and Dereham Town.  Meanwhile, Luke is a 20 year old central midfielder and is a product of the Posh Academy and was awarded a two year professional contract in 2021.  Both players will be available for the league game at Stourbridge tomorrow.

Heading back to London Road is Kellan Hickinson.  Kellan has been on loan with the Ives for the last couple of months and the club would like to thank him for his efforts whilst at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road.

Ives Manager Ricky Marheineke said “We are keen to improve our squad for the remaining weeks of the season and we are delighted to welcome both Ashton and Luke to the club.  They will provide more competition for places and we are really grateful to Peterborough United for the loan of both players to St Ives Town”.

Match Preview – Ives at Stourbridge

It’s the first of a double header of games against Stourbridge for St Ives Town on Saturday.

The Ives make the trip to the West Midlands having not played their hosts yet this season and also looking for a much needed victory.

The Ives were last in action on Saturday when they lost at Basford United.  A mistake from Ives skipper Michael Richens allowed the hosts to collect a victory.  That, together with other results, has seen the Ives suddenly look over their shoulder with only six points separating them from the relegation zone.  Ives manager Ricky Marheineke could be tempted to name goalkeeper James Goff once more in the starting line-up after he put in a fine performance at Basford last week which included saving a penalty.  Goff was recalled from dual registration at St Neots after James Dadge injured his hand in the recent away game at Coalville.  By next Saturday both teams will certainly know a lot about each other as the reverse fixture is at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road.

INTRODUCING STOURBRIDGE

Stourbridge have had an indifferent season and in truth have not fully recovered from their slow start.  Their first ten league matches only yielded ten points before a decent run finally got them out of the bottom four, but have not been able to move much more from mid-table.  They currently sit ninth and go into the game having won two of their last six games against struggling Kings Langley and Bedford Town.  In those six games, they have also taken a point off promotion chasing Leiston but on Monday night in their last outing they lost 2-0 at improving Alvechurch.

A reminder if you are not going to the game, then you can keep up to date with all the action from the War Memorial Athletic Ground throughout the afternoon as their will be updates on social media and a report available on the official website over the weekend.  Kick-off is at 3:00pm.

GOING TO THE GAME

Stourbridge FC
The War Memorial Athletic Ground
High Street, Amblecote
STOURBRIDGE
DY8 4HN

RESERVE ACTION….

A reminder that if you do fancy your Ives football fix this weekend, then St Ives Town Reserves are in action at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road as they host Chatteris Town in the semi final of the Percy Oldham Memorial Cup. The winners will face either Melbourn or Hardwick in the final. In previous rounds the Ives have beaten Debden and Comberton United. Kick-off is at 3:00pm.

New U11’s and U12’s Manager

As we look to develop our youth programme, the club is now looking for two new managers – one for an under 11s team and one for an under 12s team.

Managers wanting to apply should at least have an FA level 1 coaching badge, an up-to-date DBS, safeguarding and first aid certificates. They should also have a desire to develop their own coaching journey.

Ideally, the teams would play in the Sunday Peterborough Junior Alliance League with progression at under 13s into the coveted EJA league.

With the aid of the Youth Development Manager, we’d be looking for the successful managers to host open trials (held at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road stadium).

If you feel that you’re ready for the next challenge in your managerial journey then please contact Paul Everest with a brief introduction, current team and your name and number by clicking HERE to email Paul.

Match Preview – Ives at Basford

St Ives Town are back on the road on Saturday as they make the trip to Basford United.

It will be seven days since the Ives had their last outing, and that was a 1-1 draw at home to Barwell.  Ives skipper Michael Richens rescued a point for his team with a last gasp 30 yard bullet of an equaliser.

It’s been a difficult period for the Ives with illness and injury and tomorrow they will be without Ed Hottor who starts a two game suspension.  On the plus side, Nabil Shariff will return after being suspended last week.  There is also an injury doubt over Charlie Johnston.  Ives manager Ricky Marheineke is also monitoring the fitness of goalkeeper James Dadge who missed out last week after injuring his hand in the previous match at Coalville.  If he doesn’t make it, then James Goff will continue to deputise.

INTRODUCING BASFORD

Basford currently sit in 15th position in the table, three places below the Ives and have 39 points from their 31 played.  They go into the game with indifferent form having won just once from the last six games.  That came against Stourbridge on 4th February.  Since then there have been draws against Bromsgrove and Hednesford and defeats against Mickleover and Alvechurch.  Overall, it’s been a disappointing second half of the season for the hosts as they were in around seventh for most of the opening months of the campaign.

THE REVERSE FIXTURE

The reverse fixture back in October was an entertaining 2-2 draw.  The Ives took the lead through Jonny Edwards.  But the visitors hit back with two quick second half goals and looked to be on course for three points on the road.  However, the hosts were awarded a last gasp penalty and Edwards stepped up to covert his second of the game and ensured his side took a share of the points.

GOING TO THE GAME:

Basford United FC
Greenwich Avenue
Basford
NOTTINGHAM
NG6 0LD

If you are not going to the game, then there will be the usual updates on social media throughout the afternoon with highlights on the club YouTube channel over the weekend together with a full match report on the official website.

 

RESERVE TEAM IN SEMI FINAL ACTION

If you are not going to Basford and are looking for an Ives football fix this weekend then a reminder that the reserves are in action at home to Warboys Town in the semi-final of the Hunts Intermediate Cup.  Kick-off at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road is at 2:00pm.

Semi-final Saturdays at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road!

SEMI FINAL SATURDAYS AT THE QUATTRO-TECH WESTWOOD ROAD

St Ives Town Reserves could progress to two cup finals in the forthcoming weeks as they are in the last four of the Hunts Intermediate Cup and the Percy Oldham Memorial Cup.

Up first is the semi final of the Intermediate Cup on 4 March when they host Warboys Town at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road.  A win for the Ives would see them face Eaton Socon Reserves in the final.  To get to the last four, the Ives have so far beaten Bluntisham Rangers and Somersham Town.

Then, on 11 March the Ives face Chatteris Town in the semi final of the Percy Oldham Memorial Cup.  The winners will face either Melbourn or Hardwick in the final.  In previous rounds the Ives have beaten Debden and Comberton United.

So two sucessive Saturdays of semi final football at the Quatto-Tech Westwood Road.  Please note that the Intermediate Cup game kicks-off at 1:30pm and the Percy Oldham Cup fixture starts at 3:00pm.  The lads will really appreciate your support so make sure you get down and give them a cheer in their quest for a place in the final of both competitions.

Match Preview – Ives v Barwell

St Ives Town return to the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road on Saturday as they bid to get their league form back on track by welcoming Barwell.

It’s been a somewhat brutal run of away games in recent weeks with four road trips on the bounce that have yielded just one point.  That was a 3-3 draw at Stratford Town.  Elsewhere, the Ives have returned home empty handed from Redditch, Alvechurch and Coalville.  A trilogy of tough games were made even harder by a virus that has swept through the camp together with suspensions to key players.

There are signs that player availability is improving.  Myles Cowling looks likely to be included in the squad for the match against the Leicestershire outfit.  Enoch Andoh has been unavailable for the last few games, but could be included in the squad.  The downside is that Nabil Shariff will be starting his suspension after being sent off at Alvechurch last Saturday.

Barwell arrive just one place below the Ives in 14th position.  They also have one point less and gained a draw in their last outing at Hitchin on Monday night.  The visitors had a decent run from mid-January into February which saw them beat Royston and collect a point a promotion chasing Leiston.  They have spent the season in the bottom half of the table, but that mini-run has seen their position improve from 17th which they occupied for several weeks.

A win for the Ives tomorrow could see them move up a couple of places in the table ahead of another two road trips at Basford and Stourbridge in the coming weeks.

A reminder that if you are not attending the game, then there will be updates on social media throughout the afternoon with a report on the website and video highlights available via the club youtube channel over the weekend including a post-match interview with Ives boss, Ricky Marheineke.  Kick-off at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road is at 3:00pm.

ADMISSION PRICES:

Adults – £11
Concessions (Over 65) – £8
Military Discount (with ID Card) – £5
Students (With ID Card) – £5
U16’s to 12 – £2
U12’s – Free (Accompanied with an adult)

Match Preview – Ives at Coalville

St Ives Town complete their four game run of away matches on Tuesday night as they make the trip to Coalville Town.

The Ives go into the game looking for points.  Since the win against Hitchin on 4 February they have recorded just one point from their three trips on the road so far.  That came at Stratford Town last Tuesday courtesy of a 3-3 draw.  They make the trip on the back of a 4-1 reverse at Alvechurch on Saturday, a game that saw striker Nabil Shariff sent off.

Ives manager Ricky Marheineke has been hampered by injuries and illness sweeping through the camp, and he will be hopeful that a few more personnel will be fit and available to play against a team who are challenging for the play-offs.

The hosts lost out narrowly on promotion last season when they were defeated by Peterborough Sports in the play-off final.  They currently sit fifth in the table, and are handily placed to make an assault for promotion as they have six games in hand on leaders Tamworth and four games in hand on Nuneaton and Rushall who occupy the places above them.  Coalville got a point against second place Leiston on Saturday courtesy of a 0-0 draw and the hosts haven’t lost in the league since a defeat against Nuneaton back on 6 December.

If you are not making the trip, then there will be updates on social media throughout the evening with a full report and highlights of the game available on Wednesday.  Kick-off at the Mander Cruickshank Solicitors Stadium is at 7:45pm.

GOING TO THE GAME:

Mander Cruickshank Solicitors Stadium
Owen St
Coalville
Leicestershire
LE67 3DA

Match Preview – Ives at Alvechurch

St Ives Town are on the road once more on Saturday as they head to Alvechurch for Southern League Premier Division Central action.

The Ives are in the midst of a run of away league fixtures.  The latest being six a goal thriller on Tuesday night as they came from 3-1 down to secure a point courtesy of a 3-3 draw at Stratford.

It wasn’t so long ago that the Ives and Alvechurch faced each other in the reverse fixture.  It was a cold Tuesday night in January and the Ives came away with a 3-1 win.  Since that defeat, Alvechurch have been in decent form having beaten Hednesford, Needham Market and getting a point against Leiston and Needham Market respectively.  The only negative was a 3-1 reverse at home to promotion chasing Nuneaton on 4 February.

Since their victory over Alvechurch, the Ives have only won once in the five games that they have played and that was against Hitchin a fortnight ago.  In mitigation, the Ives have had issues with suspensions and injuries.  On the plus side, captain Michael Richens will be available for selection for the trip to Alvechurch after serving suspension.  Elsewhere, goalkeeper James Dadge will remain at the club for the rest of the season after impressing during his time on loan.  The previous first choice goalkeeper, James Goff has this week been loaned to St Neots Town.  A win for the Ives on Saturday could move them up to ninth in the table on 42 points.  This would be more than handy given they have another tough midweek assignment coming up at fourth place Coalville Town on Tuesday night.

A reminder if you are not making the trip then there will be full coverage across social media with a match report, and highlights of the game available on the website and the club youtube channel on Sunday.  Kick-off at Lye Meadow is at 3:00pm.

GOING TO THE GAME:

Alvechurch FC
Lye Meadow
53 Redditch Road
Alvechurch
B48 7RS

Tickets for the game can be purchased in advance via the following link:

Match Tickets | Alvechurch FC Web (ktckts.com)

Match Preview – Ives v Hitchin Town

St Ives Town return to home action on Saturday as they welcome play-off chasing Hitchin Town to the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road.

It’s been a busy and tough week for the Ives as they have visited the top two teams in the league.  Last Saturday they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at Leiston.  Then, on Tuesday night, it was another defeat this time at leaders Tamworth courtesy of a 2-1 reverse.

Ives boss Ricky Marheineke will be hoping that his side can return to winning ways.  He has been without influential midfielder Myles Cowling and striker Nabil Shariff for the last two games and will be hoping that one of those will be available for selection against a Hitchin side who are currently sixth in the table, four points off the play-offs.

INTRODUCING HITCHIN TOWN

The Canaries of Hitchin are seeing an upturn in their fortunes this season.  During the previous campaign, Hitchin flirted with relegation and eventually finished in 17th place having been in and around the bottom two for much of the season.  This year is a different story and they make the trip to St Ives on the back of a three match unbeaten run that has seen a draw against Bedford and victories against Mickleover and Bromsgrove.  This has all come after a blip over the Christmas period which saw them lose three games on the bounce.

ONE TO WATCH

Look out for Finley Wilkinson.  The midfielder has local connections after signing for Hitchin from Histon last summer.  He also scored an equaliser for Hitchin in the reverse fixture at Topfield earlier this season.

LAST TIME HITCHIN VISITED ST IVES

This came on 19 October 2021.  The Ives went into the game fresh from a 7-1 reverse against Royston Town.  With both teams struggling for points, it was the Ives who got the better of the Canaries courtesy of a 1-0 victory.  It was Urijah Gordon-Douglas who scored the winner for the Ives with the irony that he was playing for the opponents no more than a week earlier.

ADMISSION PRICES

If you are attending the game tomorrow then the admission prices are:

Adults – £11
Concessions (Over 65) – £8
Military Discount (with ID Card) – £5
Students (With ID Card) – £5
U16’s to 12 – £2
U12’s – Free (Accompanied with an adult)

For those who will not be at the game, then you can keep up to date with all the latest via our social media pages with a full report on the website and post-match interview with Ricky Marheineke available on the club youtube channel on Sunday.

Kick-off at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road is at 3:00pm.

Our match programmes are online only. Click here to view / download.

Match Preview – Tamworth v The Ives

The games continue to come thick and fast for St Ives Town as they make the trip to league leaders Tamworth on Tuesday.

The match comes just three days after the Ives lost at promotion chasing Leiston.  The 1-0 defeat was a tough one for the Ives as they created a number of chances and on another day they would have come away with at least a share of the points.  Missing from the game at Leiston were both Myles Cowling and Nabil Shariff.  Boss Ricky Marheineke will be hoping that one or both will be available for selection in what is sure to be a tough away fixture.

INTRODUCING TAMWORTH

The hosts are currently five points clear at the top of the table and have lost only once at home all season.  That came against Coalville at the end of August.  It was Coalville who inflicted the last defeat on the Lambs and this was on 7 January.  Since then Tamworth hit nine past Hednesford and on Saturday won 3-1 at Basford.

The star man for Tamworth is unquestionably Dan Creaney.  The striker is the league leading scorer and on Saturday made his 100th appearance for the club and celebrated by scoring twice in their victory over Basford.

LAST SEASON

11/09/21: St Ives Town 1 Tamworth 2

23/04/22: Tamworth 1 St Ives Town 1

GOING TO THE GAME:

Tamworth FC

The Lamb Ground
Kettlebrook
Tamworth
Staffordshire
B77 1AA

ADMISSION PRICES:
Adults: £12.00
Concessions: £8.00
16/17: £4.00
‘Junior Lamb’: £2.00

If you are not going to the game, then there will be updates on social media throughout the evening with a full match report on the website and highlights from the game on the club’s YouTube channel by the end of the week.

Match Preview – Leiston v The Ives

St Ives Town face a tough task tomorrow if they are to continue their unbeaten run as they head to fourth placed Leiston.

The Ives make the trip fresh from a midweek 3-1 home victory against Alvechurch that stretches their unbeaten run to four games and moved them up to tenth in the table.

Nabil Shariff and Enoch Andoh came off the bench on Tuesday night to score the decisive second and third goals and boss Ricky Marheineke could be tempted to start with both of them given the impact they made.  One thing that the Ives now have is competition for places with an 18 man squad all vying for a place in the starting line-up.  Greg Kaziboni is also now in contention after coming back into the squad following a long spell out through injury.

INTRODUCING LEISTON

The hosts have certainly become a force to be reckoned with over the last two years.  Last season they finished in seventh place, and currently sit comfortably in fourth place looking a reasonable bet for a play-off berth come the end of the season.  They have lost only once at home all season and that was against Kings Langley on August Bank Holiday Monday.  The Suffolk based outfit haven’t played in the league since 7 January when they beat Basford United 6-2 at their Victory Road Stadium.  The following week they lost 4-1 at National League Aldershot in the FA Trophy.

STAR MAN

Will Davies is a key player for Leiston.  The striker has scored 18 goals so far this season and was also the leading non-league goalscorer in the 2020-21 FA Cup when he found the net on seven occasions.  Davies has been at Leiston for six seasons after joining from Woodbridge Town.

GOING TO THE GAME
The Watson & Hillhouse Victory Road Stadium
Victory Road
Leiston
Suffolk
IP16 4DQ

ADMISSION PRICES:
Adults: £11.00
Concessions: £7.00
Under 16’s: £2.00

If you are not going to the game, then there will be updates on social media throughout the afternoon with a full match report on the website and highlights from the game on the club YouTube channel over the weekend.

Match Preview – The Ives v Alvechurch

St Ives Town bid to make it four games unbeaten as they host Alvechurch on Tuesday evening.

The Ives have turned round a sequence of three successive defeats with a victory over Mickleover and draws against Hednesford and Ilkeston.  The latter came on Saturday with the Ives producing a second half fightback after finding themselves 2-0 down at the break to earn a 2-2 draw.

For the clash against Alvechurch, Ives manager Ricky Marheineke could start with some squad members who began on the bench at the weekend so Nabil Shariff could come into contention along with Ed Hottor and Enoch Andoh.  Greg Kaziboni made a welcome return to action on Saturday after having some minutes late on after a long spell out with injury.

INTRODUCING ALVECHURCH

Alvechurch finished in the play-offs before being eliminated by Peterborough Sports last season, but their league form has not been replicated during the current campaign as they currently find themselves 19th in the table and although on paper this looks like a relegation fight, supporters of the Church will point to the fact that they have several games in hand over those around them.  The reason why Alvechurch have games in the hand is mainly due to the excellent FA Cup run which saw them knock Cheltenham out in the first round before a narrow defeat at Forest Green deprived them of a place in the third round draw.  Their last league win was back on 6 December when they beat Stratford 4-2.  Since then it’s been three defeats and a draw with their last outing being a 3-0 defeat at Basford.

STAR MAN

Look out for Jed Abbey.  A product of the Wolves academy, the striker has scored 15 goals in all competitions this season including a hat-trick in the 3-3 draw over Redditch on Boxing Day.  He also scored the equaliser for Alvechurch in their 2-1 defeat at Forest Green in the FA Cup.

LAST SEASON:

14/08/21: Ives 1 Alvechurch 0

02/10/21: Alvechurch 1 Ives 1

ADMISSION PRICES:

Adults – £11
Concessions (Over 65) – £8
Military Discount (with ID Card) – £5
Students (With ID Card) – £5
U16’s to 12 – £2
U12’s – Free (Accompanied with an adult)

A reminder that if you are not going to the game then there will be updates on social media during the evening with a match report and post-match reaction available after the final whistle.

Kick-off at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road is at 7:45pm.

Our match programmes are online only. Click here to view / download.

Match Preview – The Ives v Ilkeston Town

St Ives Town will look to extend their unbeaten run to three games on Saturday as they host Ilkeston Town at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road.

A win against Mickleover and a point against Hednesford put to an end a run of three successive league defeats and provided some kind of stability after the Ives took a nose dive down the PitchingIn Southern League Premier Division Central table.  Arguably, the Ives should have got a win at Hednesford last Saturday but were deprived maximum points as the hosts secured a last gasp equaliser.

There has been a couple of changes in playing personnel in recent times with Dylan Williams switching to Needham Market and Julien Sakka joining Basildon United.  The latter going to the Essex outfit on dual registration.

Ahead of the game tomorrow, Ives boss Ricky Marheineke looks set to include both goalkeeper James Dadge and defender Ben Toseland after both have impressed since joining a fortnight ago.  Johnny Edwards opened the scoring with a fantastic strike last weekend which took his tally to 13 for the season and is set to start after beginning the last home match against Mickleover on the bench.

INTRODUCING ILKESTON TOWN

The Robins of Ilkeston Town are back at this level after gaining promotion from the Northern Premier League Midlands last season.  They found points hard to come by in the early weeks of the season but since then it’s been a story of gradual progression as they currently sit seventh in the table on 37 points from the 24 games played.  They have won seven at home and three away and will be looking to get revenge on the Ives who won 3-2 at the New Manor Ground in early October.  Ilkeston arrive in decent form having collected eight points from their last four league outings which included a 3-1 victory over AFC Rushden & Diamonds last weekend.  In the squad for the visitors will be Leroy Lita who recently made the switch from Hednesford.

ADMISSION PRICES:

Adults – £11
Concessions (Over 65) – £8
Military Discount (with ID Card) – £5
Students (With ID Card) – £5
U16’s to 12 – £2
U12’s – Free (Accompanied with an adult)

A reminder that if you are not going to the game then there will be updates on social media throughout the afternoon with a match report and post-match reaction available after the final whistle.

Kick-off at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road is at 3:00pm.

Our match programmes are online only. Click here to view / download.

Backroom Changes

Backroom Changes

 

St Ives Town Football Club can today announce the following departures to the backroom team at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road.

 

Marina Howlett

 

Marina Howlett has decided to step down from her role as Club Secretary. Marina has been a key figure in the running of the Football Club for many years. We would like to thank Marina for all her hard work and dedication and wish her all the best as she takes a well earned rest. Although Marina is leaving her secretarial role, she has agreed to assist Nigel Howlett in the background until the end of the season as he will hold the role of acting Secretary on an interim basis until a successor is appointed. Marina will also retain the role of Club Welfare Officer until a successor is appointed.

 

Gary and Maureen Clarke

 

After many years of dedicated and tireless service Gary and Maureen Clarke have made the decision to step back from their frontline roles at the Football Club. They will relinquish all duties around the first team and match days, and instead concentrate on running the Academy and the 3G pitch. Going forward these two areas will become vital to the growth of the club. In addition, Gary has decided to step down as Chairman with immediate effect. Paul Reason will become Interim acting Chairman supported by Vice Chairman Nigel Howlett. Paul will now also assume the role of interim Finance Director. We appreciate this has not been an easy decision for both Gary and Maureen to make and would like to thank them both for all their efforts and support.

Three new signings for the Ives

Ahead of the game with Mickleover on Saturday, manager Ricky Marheineke has added three new players to the St Ives Town squad. 

Joining on loan from Peterborough United is Kellan Hickinson.  Kellan is an attacking midfielder who has progressed through the Posh Academy. 

Returning to the club on loan from Kettering is Ben Toseland.  Ben, a defender, played for the Ives as recently as last season before moving to Kettering Town during the summer.  In recent weeks, he has seen his appearances restricted for the National League North outfit. 

Also arriving at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road is James Dadge.  James is an 18-year-old goalkeeper who joins on loan from Northampton Town where he has been a member of their academy. 

The club can also confirm that defender Kane Lewis has left the club.  Despite having a period out with injury, Kane still made 13 appearances for the first team, and the club would like to wish him well for the future. 

Hickinson is currently available for selection for the match at home to Mickleover tomorrow whilst the other two are subject to the necessary paperwork being processed on time. 

Commenting on the additions to the squad Ives Manager Ricky Marheineke said “I think the time is right to bring in some fresh faces.  The last few performances have not been satisfactory.  We are currently 3 games without a win, and we have been conceding two goals in those matches, so I feel it is time to freshen things up.  Kellan Hickinson is a local lad who attended the St Ivo School. His dad manages one of the under 16 teams at the club, so we are delighted to have him.  He is an attacking midfielder, and an exceptional talent and it’s good that the club can now play a part in his career development.  Ben Toseland was with us last year and was voted supporters player of the year.  On the back of that, we were disappointed that he moved on during the summer, so we are very pleased to have him back.  He will add more strength to our defensive options as we have been conceding goals of late so it’s a good addition to the squad.  With James Dadge joining it will bring a little bit more in terms of competition for the goalkeeping slot and keep our current keeper, James Goff on his toes.  With regards Kane Lewis, we are obviously disappointed that he is leaving but he goes with our blessing, and I understand he will be moving to a higher-level team, so we wish him well with that move and for the future”.  Marheineke also confirmed that Kieran Higgs has had his loan extended and will remain at the club until the end of the season.

Match Preview – The Ives v Royston Town

Boxing Day action sees St Ives Town host Royston at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road.

Due to the recent cold snap, there was no action for the Ives last weekend as the scheduled match at Stratford was postponed.  The Ives were also due to be in action in midweek but the game at Coalville was also postponed as the hosts had a re-arranged FA Trophy fixture.  The Ives have managed some game time this week when they convincingly beat Baldock Town 6-0 in a hastily arranged friendly on Thursday night.

The form of the Ives prior to the postponed Stratford game had been encouraging although they were defeated 2-1 by Bromsgrove Sporting in their last league action on Saturday 10 December.  During that game, Kane Lewis made a return to playing after a spell with injury and looks set to be in the squad for the game on Monday.  Julien Sakka still remains side lined with injury and the season is over for Ravi Shamsi after he suffered a bad injury during the win at Bedford in November.

INTRODUCING THE VISITORS…

Royston arrive 17th in the table on 24 points.  Their last outing saw them lose 3-1 at Basford United on 10 December.  Their last victory came on 19 November when they secured a 4-2 win over Hitchin Town.  In the FA Cup, Royston were eliminated by Hemel Hempstead at the second qualifying round stage and in the FA Trophy they were knocked out by Heybridge Swifts in a first-round tie.

STAR MAN…

Look out for striker Matt Bateman.  He returned to the Crows in August 2021 after a spell at Hemel Hempstead and has found the net 11 times so far this season.

LAST SEASON:

09/10/21: St Ives Town 1 Royston Town 7

29/01/22: Royston Town 1 St Ives Town 1

ADMISSION PRICES:

Adults – £11
Concessions (Over 65) – £8
Military Discount (with ID Card) – £5
Students (With ID Card) – £5
U16’s to 12 – £2
U12’s – Free (Accompanied with an adult)

A reminder that if you are not going to the game then there will be updates on social media throughout the afternoon.

KICK-OFF

Supporters should note that kick-off at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road is at 1:00pm.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

As this will be the last home game of 2022, the club would like to thank all fans for their magnificent support during the year and wish you all a very Happy Christmas and prosperous new year.

Our match programmes are online only. Click here to view / download.