Bracknell Town bring in reinforcements and FiB hits the road
Plus Aldershot Town show their class on and off the pitch.
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Bracknell Town’s play-off hopes have been boosted with the return of Jordan Esprit and defender Jack Matton.
Esprit will be familiar to Berkshire football watchers having played a key role in the Robins rise over the last few seasons and his departure earlier this season was a blow to the club.
However he and young Wycombe Wanderers defender Matton (you may recognise him from Binfield last season) will bolster the Robins push for promotion, as would a win over fellow challengers Taunton Town on Saturday.
On Tuesday night, Football in Berkshire was out calling watching The Shots of Aldershot Town at Tadley Calleva.
It was the Hampshire FA Cup Quarter Finals and four divisions separated the sides. Ordinarily the higher ranked team in these competitions would put out an under-strength or youth side. Not so Aldershot who fancy some silverware - unlike their old rivals Farnborough - in this competition.
We also counted four former Bristol Rovers players in the Shots side as well as four ex-Reading FC players including Josh Barrett who played for both teams.
Sadly no Keane Anderson - son of goalscoring legend Mark - on show. He’s out on loan at Havant & Waterlooville.
The quality of Shots on show shone through in the final 6-1 score, but there was no shame on Tadley who acquitted themselves bravely - particularly young goalkeeper Donnacha Burke who made some impressive saves.
Meanwhile Aldershot showed some class off the field that will result in Tadley earning a tidy four-figure sum.
Hitting The Road: Special Edition Match Programme for Reading YMCA vs AFC Winkfield
Football in Berkshire is proud to launch ‘Hitting The Road’, a celebration of community football in the Royal County.
Taking a hint from the brilliant East Berks Football League’s regular SHOWCASE games, the FiB team will be picking a game or two each season across the men’s and women’s season as a ‘Hitting The Road’ event, and we’d love you to come and join us.
As a trial run, we thought where better than Reading YMCA – winners of the 2024 Berkshire Football Awards Matchday Experience trophy – to host our first Hitting The Road event.
The Thames Valley Premier League side play out at Padworth Village Hall off the A4 Bath Road near Reading and will face AFC Winkfield.
Entry is usually free – and will remain so – but Football in Berkshire will be producing a limited edition matchday programme – which can be purchased in advance – to mark the event with a few words from our special guest, Paul Watson.
Paul kindly hosted the Berkshire Football Awards in 2024 but will be most well known as a panellist on Guardian Football Weekly, co-host of The Sweeper podcast and author of the brilliant football book ‘Up Pohnpei!’.
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