Leamington season kicks off against Gateshead

Leamington FC’s Vanarama National League North season will finally get underway this weekend with a fixture against Gateshead, with the primary hope among players and supporters that this season, unlike the previous two, will be completed.

The two previous seasons have been null and voided at various stages in their progression, although a restructuring of the non-league pyramid allowed many teams who deserved promotion after their previous efforts to be satisfied.

When the league was brought to a close last season, Leamington were sitting pretty in ninth place, defying preseason predictions of a relegation battle and even going one month unbeaten, leading to some hopes of a battle for the play-offs.

Since then, there has been some turnover of players, but this has largely been limited, meaning the club can be hopeful of at least a midtable finish this time around.

Key player Sam Osborne, who shone in the early months of last season with nine goals and 10 assists, has since moved on to AFC Fylde for an undisclosed fee, but his threat has been replaced by a number of exciting attacking options, including Kieran Cook, Dan Turner and Kelsey Mooney, formerly of Scunthorpe.

This season’s opening game looks to be a competitive one

Long serving manager Paul Holleran has also added right-back Devon Kelly-Evans, Nuneaton’s player of the season last year, to a Brakes squad that overall is shaping up well for the season, adding depth and competition to what was already a strong Vanarama North team.

This process of managed recruitment and improvement, with a small turnover of players, has been aided by the number of contract renewals throughout the summer, for key players like Joe Clarke and Jake Weaver, while Joe Parker returns after a year away to protect his mental health.

Opponents Gateshead are a team that, only a few years ago, were in the Conference play-offs looking for promotion to League Two, but have more recently fallen on tough times.

Currently managed by player-manager and ex-Newcastle defender Mike Williamson, the Tynesiders will be looking to break into the play-offs this season, with their squad perhaps not quite strong enough to aim for the automatic places this year.

They have had quite a large turnover of players, bringing in Owen Baily and Adam Campbell from fellow northern clubs Darlington and Newcastle, while Jacob Chapman arrives on loan from Huddersfield to play in goal.

This season’s opening game therefore looks to be a competitive one, as the Brakes, still buoyed by there form from last season, look to push forward and break into the top half, backed by a vocal crowd at the Windmill Ground, while Gateshead will be aiming to get their play-off campaign off to a good start.

When term begins, lets try and support the Brakes, through the good and the bad, with a vocal student backing, as our most local club strives for success.