The manager of Hampshire based Ringwood Town Football Club resorted to Facebook to advertise forthcoming trial games at 19:30 on September 20 and 27, 2011, at its home ground of the Canotec Stadium, in an attempt to strengthen a playing squad severely depleted by injuries ranging from a snapped cruciate ligament to strained hamstrings.
Ringwood Town Football Club Run by Volunteers Since 1879
The Hampshire town of Ringwood has been represented by a football team since Victorian times when, according to the Hampshire Advertiser of October 18, 1879 [accessed via Gale Digital Collections, subscription required], the resolution to form one was made by a “… large and influential meeting of those interested in this popular past time…” held at the Crown Hotel (now the Seven Fish restaurant) in Ringwood on October 14 of that year.
Since that early resolution over 130 years ago, the club has grown and now boasts some 20 separate amateur teams ranging from the first team (made up of senior, established players), which is in Division 1 of the Sydenhams Football League (Wessex), down through various age ranges to the youngest which is the Under 7s squad.
Cruciate Ligament and Hamstring Injuries Decimate Ringwood Town
Speaking to Sasha Twining on BBC Radio Solent on the morning of Saturday September 17,2011, Ringwood Town’s manager, Wayne Lockey, explained that it is the first team particularly that is struggling to field a full squad of 11 men this season due to “… a huge problem …” with injuries. He revealed how both the first and the reserve teams are currently down to nine players because of the issue.
One player will be out of action for a year because of a snapped cruciate ligament, while a new signing will be out of action for at least six weeks because he fell and broke his wrist after playing for the team for just 20 minutes. Other players are currently sitting on the bench because of hamstring injuries.
Lockey went on to explain that the reason the football club finds it so hard to get new players lies in the fact that Ringwood’s catchment area is really quite small given its location close to the towns of Bournemouth and Southampton, both of which are home to professional football teams.
If You Own a Pair of Boots Ringwood Town FC Wants You to Trial
After admitting that yes, he had advertised on Facebook for players, Lockey described how Ringwood’s trial games would be “… an opportunity for players to come along and show us what they can do …” They are scheduled for 19.30 at the Canotec Stadium on Long Lane on the Tuesdays of September 20 and 27, 2011. As Lockey wrote in his Facebook post – if you own a pair of boots Ringwood Town Football Club wants to see you there.
Elaine Findlay - An expert cook, Findlay's passion for food is evidenced by the size of her kitchen and her library of old recipe books
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