News

Waders clinch promotion through Play-Offs

Rugby Town 1 – 3 Biggleswade Town

Biggleswade Town have won promotion through the play-offs to reach their highest position in a history of nearly 140 years. Opinions will always vary on the fairness of the play-off system as many query the validity of a team that could have finished as low as fifth place having the right to promotion.
For Biggleswade Town the finishing position of fourth meant an away tie in the semi-final which resulted in a 2-1 victory over third placed Godalming Town. This result set up an away trip to second placed Rugby Town for the play-off Final.

A crowd of 1,126 gathered at Butlin Road to watch the Final played on a gloriously sunny afternoon. The first half played at a high tempo saw chances at both ends but resolute defending saw the teams go in for the break at 0-0.

The second half started much as the first half had finished with both teams settling more into the game. Thirteen minutes into the second half a Rugby attack saw David Kolodynski pass the last Biggleswade defender and coolly lob McEntegart to give Rugby the lead. The large Rugby support now had something to cheer about. The Waders pushed on trying to find the equaliser and six minutes later Paul Barnes was fouled in the penalty area resulting in a penalty. The jeering from the home support grew louder as Lee Allison placed the ball on the penalty spot. Despite the intense noise the penalty was placed perfectly in the left hand side of the goal to bring the scores level. The next twenty minutes saw chances at either end then on the eighty sixth minute Paul Barnes put the Waders ahead much to the shock of the home support. Rugby hardly had time to do much about this before Barnes scored his second and Biggleswade’s third goal two minutes later. With two minutes left of normal time plus stoppage time the final minutes saw a couple of chances but the Waders defence stood strong and saw the game out.
A fantastic effort from the team beating two very good sides in less than a week in two very intense matches. Promotion to the Premier Division brings some great opportunities along with numerous challenges but after what we have seen this season we should look forward to the experience and enjoy. 2014 marks the clubs 140th anniversary and it is quite fitting that the club will have reached its highest playing position during the celebrations.

On Wednesday 8th May the Waders face AFC Dunstable in the Beds FA Senior Cup which will be played at Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road ground kicking off at 7:30 pm.

Coach travel to Rugby Town.

Biggleswade Town are planning a coach for Monday’s play-off Final at Rugby Town which will leave the ground at 11:45 am. Anyone interested please contact David Simpson on 07511 588518 to book your place. We currently have a 45 seater coach booked but due to ticket sales we are looking at a larger coach so the sooner you book the more definite your place will be. Come along and support your team!

Play-off FINAL and Beds FA Senior Cup FINAL

Yesterday evening saw Biggleswade Town Football Club make history as they reached the play-off final for the Southern League Division One Central which is the furthest that the Club have been in a history of nearly 140 years.

A tough second trip to Godalming Town to face a team that had beaten us 1-0 there in early February. A crowd of 416 gathered to watch a match that both Clubs had worked so hard throughout the season to reach and of course who would win – third placed or fourth placed?

As you would expect the game started at a high pace, then after six minutes Jon Woolf shot and put Biggleswade Town 1-0 up. Despite numerous attempts the score remained the same until half time.

The second half started with the hosts showing renewed determination and their reward came on 56 minutes when Johnnie Dyer equalised for The G’s much to the delight of the home crowd. Chances came and went for both teams and after a sustained effort from the hosts it was time for our top goalscorer to put his mark on the game, cue Craig Daniel whose eightieth minute strike brought delight to the travelling support.

A long ten minutes with a few chances followed and then came the final whistle and delight for everyone associated with the Waders as the celebrations begun. For Godalming Town it was heartbreak and a feeling we know from two seasons ago at the same stage. Despite their upset Godalming Town’s committee were perfect hosts and were magnanimous in defeat.

For the Waders it means a play-off Final against Rugby Town who overcame Beaconsfield SYCOB in extra time. The final will be played on Monday 6th May with a 3 pm kick-off at Butlin Road, Rugby. It should be a great game as second placed Rugby take on fourth placed Biggleswade with the reward of promotion to the Premier Division at stake.

Two days after the final Biggleswade Town travel to Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road ground to face AFC Dunstable in the Beds FA Senior Cup Final. AFC Dunstable play in the Spartan South Midlands league and finished in eighth place this season. If you are around come along and support the Waders on Wednesday 8th May with kick-off at 7:30pm.

Play-off Semi Final and travel details
After a very close season with only one team guaranteed of their final top five position at the start of the day, the league table finished in the following order for the top five teams

1. Burnham (Champions and promoted to the Premier Division)
2. Rugby Town
3. Godalming Town
4. Biggleswade Town
5. Beaconsfield SYCOB

The play-off semi-finals will take place on Tuesday 30th April kicking off at 7:45 pm and will be;
• Rugby Town vs Beaconsfield SYCOB
• Godalming Town vs Biggleswade Town

Godalming’s ground address is;
Wey Court
Meadrow
Godalming
Surrey
GU7 3JE

Biggleswade Town are organising a coach which will leave the Carlsberg Stadium at 4:00pm. If you would like to travel with the team please contact David Simpson on 07511 588518 for details and to book your place.

MATCH PREVIEW
Wader’s V Aylesbury
Aylesbury visit the Carlsberg this Saturday, a tough match for the Wader’s.
Earlier in the season, Wader’s were comfortably winning 2-0 at Haywood Way, quick substitutions introduced fresh legs onto a very clingy pitch changed the match, the Wader’s tired and were seeking to clear the ball at any cost.
Three very quick goals later, Aylesbury won the match they had lost !

RECENT FORM
Biggleswade Town W W W W W L W W
Aylesbury W D L W D W L L


HEAD TO HEAD 2012/13 2011/12 2011/12
AWAY HOME AWAY
Biggleswade Town 2 4 1
Aylesbury 3 1 0

Players to Watch For
Strong performances from Brian Haule, Sonny French Lamar Simpson have inspired Aylesbury’s results this season. The Wader’s are back to full strength , with strong individual performances giving manager Chris Nunn the type of challenge he seeks to keep the Wader’s on track.

Biggleswade Town v Rugby Town Match Preview.

Second v Third The eagerly awaited match between two in-form footballing sides.
Both teams in a rich vein of form, winning games and scoring goals over the last twelve games.

Key players to watch
Waders have Craig Daniels, Ricky Case and Lee Allinson in great form, plus welcome return of goalscorer Joel Mason now fit after a nasty leg injury.
Rugby have David Kolodynski scoring 19 goals this season, with his partner Seb Lake Gaskin’s 13 goals make a fearsome combination
Both team defences deserve a mention Waders conceding 5 , Rugby 7 in the last 8 matches

Form Guide (last eight league games)
Biggleswade WWWWWWWW
Rugby Town WWWWDWWL

This season meeting:
Rugby forced a draw at home scoring in the 87th minute to make it 2-2

Beds FA Senior Cup Semi-Final draw

The draw for the Beds FA Senior Cup Semi Final was made today with the fixtures to be played on the week commencing 11th March. Please see the fixtures below.

Match 9 BiggleswadeTown v Bedford Town
Match 10 Stotfold or AFC Dunstable v Barton Rovers

For the Waders it is the toughest draw as they face Bedford Town from the Southern League Premier Division however, there is home advantage. The fixture will be played on Tuesday 12th March with a 7:45pm kick-off.

Re-arranged fixtures
Following the recent weather related postponements most of the fixtures have now been re-arranged and will be played on Tuesday evenings, the new dates are;Tuesday 5th February home to Rugby Town kick-off 7:45 pmTuesday 12th February away to Woodford United kick-off 7:30 pmTuesday 5th March away to Uxbridge kick-off 7:45 pmTuesday 26th March home to Slough Town kick-off 7:45 pmTuesday 9th April away to Slough Town kick-off 7:45 pm
The home match against Northwood which was postponed on 26th January is awaiting a new fixture date.

Football returns, Beds FA Senior Cup and looking forward to League action
Wednesday 30th January
Yesterday evening saw the first competitive match for Biggleswade Town since Saturday 12 January after the enforced break due to recent weather conditions. The visit to Dunstable Town for the quarter-final of the Beds Senior Cup promised to be a tough fixture as the hosts, who are currently top of the Spartan South Midlands League, are unbeaten in 23 games and have drawn only five of their matches. In fairness the Waders haven’t been doing too badly of late either and of course play at one level higher. The other advantage that the Waders had is Chris Nunn’s foresight which saw the team play two friendlies in the past seven days, albeit on a 3G pitch.
The opening half hour saw both sides very keen to play and at times a little too competitively causing the referee to administer some cautions. On 32 minutes the deadlock ended as Ricky Case put the visitors ahead, which was followed two minutes later when Jon Woolf added a second to the visitors tally. The goal scoring was rounded off on 38 minutes when Steve Gentle found the net to make it 3-0. Both sides had chances following this but Dunstable Town found out why the Waders have one of the best defensive records in their league and the host’s determination to stop the scoreline increasing was enough to thwart the visitor’s chances.
Through to the Semi Final stage but who next? Well, there was only one other quarter final fixture yesterday and this saw Barton Rovers beat Arlesey Town 5-4 on penalties after the game finished 0-0 after extra time. Tonight sees Bedford Town host Ampthill Town and then next Tuesday evening will see the last quarter final, Stotfold versus AFC Dunstable played.
Looking ahead to Saturday sees the Waders hosting Ashford Town (Middx) in the league. The visitors are currently in ninth position in the league but those who visited the Robert Parker Stadium on 13th October last year will no doubt remember spending the journey home thinking “how did that happen?” as the Waders departed on the wrong end of a 4-0 scoreline, the worst defeat of the season.
Well it’s a New Year and our defeats happened last year in two of my least favourite months (September and October) it’s not my birthday; it’s not Angelina Jolie’s birthday or Halle Berry’s birthday. So, Iam hopeful and confident that Saturday will be a good day. Iam still hopeful but realistically less confident that I will get what I really want for my Birthday but I will take a win on Saturday and keep dreaming.

Weather permitting - it will be a busy January
Following recent weather related postponements we are set for a busy January with two matches per week scheduled. In addition to our schedule we now have matches on;
Tuesday 8th January - home to Beaconsfield SYCOB
Tuesday 15th January - home to Slough Town
Tuesday 22nd January - away to Uxbridge
Tuesday 29th January - away to Dunstable Town in the Beds Senior Cup Quarter Final

MATCH OF THE DAY
All at Biggleswade Town send their best wishes and congratulations to our football coach Craig Rydeheard and his lovely bride Sarah on their forthcoming marriage tomorrow Friday 28th December.

Pitch inspection on Boxing Day
Following the recent and expected contuned rainfall a pitch inspection has been scheduled for early on Boxing Day morning we will then post the result of this on the website and our Twitter account by about 9:00 am.

Biggleswade Town v Royston Town Match Preview.
Royston have certainly made a great start to the season , currently 4th gaining 41 points in the process after 20 games. The Waders played Royston in the Red Insure Cup earlier in the year, narrowly winning 1-0 that evening. Royston are a very mobile, hard working side and will want to maintain their position, the Waders are in fine form , scoring freely 23 goals and conceding 4 in the last six matches, currently unbeaten in 7 matches. A great Boxing Day derby match in prospect.

Key players to watch
Waders have Craig Daniels, Brett Donnelly and Lee Allinson in great form , joint leading goalscorer Joel Mason out of this one with a nasty leg injury.
Crows have Ryan Kuckett putting in strong performances and scoring vital goals 5 in the last six, the ex Cambridge United / Borehamwood player is a an excellent set play deliverer.

Form Guide (last six league games)
Biggleswade WWDWWW
Royston Town LWWLLD

Past meetings
Biggleswade won 1-0 at home this season, in the Red Insure Cup

Uxbridge V Biggleswade Match Preview.
Uxbridge have always been a difficult side for Biggleswade to beat, a Waders run over the last six matches produced 5 wins and a draw 16 points from a possible 18. Uxbridge have certainly improved recently with 10 points from a possible 12 over the last four matches, with keyman Shaun Lucien and new Youth Keeper Zaki Oucilah playing their part in their revival. Certainly a difficult match to predict.
The loss of leading goalscorer Chris Moore to Wealdstone is a major blow to the Reds, meanwhile Biggleswade’s Joel Mason 11 goals this season is out for three weeks with a nasty leg injury. New signing Ricky Case is expected to travel.
Form Guide (last six league games)
Uxbridge LLDWWW
Biggleswade WWDWWW

Past meetings
Biggleswade won 3-1 at home this season, making up a little for Uxbridge’s double over the Waders last season

Slough Town match re-arranged again
The long running saga of the Biggleswade Town vs Slough Fixture has taken another turn. Just to remind you, as there have been many changes, the most recent date for this fixture was the 8th January. However, that night will see Slough play in the next round of the Red Insure Cup which takes precendence over a league fixture. Therefore the match is now scheduled for Tuesday 15th January 2013 at the Carlsberg Stadium.
Hopefully, this will be the last change to this fixture.

Boxing Day fixture kick off confirmation
We can now confirm that the home fixture against Royston Town on 26th December will be a midday kick-off.

Slough Town match postponed
The fixture with Slough Town that was scheduled for 27th November has been postponed due to cup commitments. A new date for this fixture will be announced soon.

Elizabeth’s funeral

We recently announced the sad news that one of Biggleswade Town’s oldest supporters had passed away. Elizabeth’s family have asked us to pass on the details of the funeral arrangements.
The funeral will take place at 11.15am on Thursday 8th November at St Andrews Church in Biggleswade.
This will be followed by the funeral wake which will be held at Biggleswade Town’s ground Carlsberg Stadium, Langford Road, Biggleswade.

Our Elizabeth

A true Wader passed away this morning.

The Club regrets the 'passing of our Elizabeth ', a much loved supporter .

Always keen to to show her support travelling endless miles home and away, to watch the Waders. A charming lady, always ready to give the players a boost
with her smile, and to pass on her her valuable experience.

Will be sadly missed

Our thoughts and prayers are with Elizabeth's family at this difficult time.

Coach travel to Wealdstone for the FA Cup FRQ

A coach has been booked for the trip to Wealdstone on Saturday 8th September for the FA Cup First Round Qualifying fixture. The coach will leave the Carlsberg Stadium at 11.30 am and the price for Supporters for the Coach trip is £10.00, please call David Simpson on 07511 588518 to book your place.

August Bank Holiday fixture against Woodford postponed.
Owing to the Dereham Town and Woodford United FA Cup fixture being postponed due to a heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding they will replay the fixture on Tuesday 28th August which means Monday’s EVO-STIK League fixture is postponed. Details of the re-arrangement will appear when arrangements are made.

FA Cup – Waders through to next Round
Biggleswade Town won 3-0 against AFC Hayes to reach the First Round Qualifying stage of the FA Cup courtesy of a Brett Donnelly hat trick. This means that the Waders travel to Wealdstone of the Ryman Premier League on Saturday 8th September.

Biggleswade Town line up for the new season

After last season manager Chris Nunn decided to give the squad a face lift to try and take the club forward, “the hardest pre-season I have had” said Nunn “I have been constantly on the telephone to players and in some cases parents to try and bring in some new faces, and finally I feel we have a squad that can hopefully produce the type of football that the facilities deserve. I have targeted players with experience blended with the hunger of youth”
When asked what the targets for the season are? Nunn said “good football with a smile on the faces of the players and hopefully our supporters”

With ten players exiting Biggleswade Town we have secured the services of eleven new players for the coming season.
Michael McEntegart from Hemel Hempstead Town
Ross Dedman from Haringey Borough
Matt Clifford from Potters Bar Town
Matthew McEntegart from Hemel Hempstead Town
Joe Reynolds from Dunstable Town
Lee Allinson from Arlesey Town
Luke Knight from Barton Rovers
Aaron Greene from St Neots Town
Joel Mason from Arlesey Town
Jamie Arlick from Hitchin Town
Arin Fehmi from Royston Town

Along with the new faces, Brett Donnelly, Craig Daniel, Peter Gatti, Scott Field, Alex O’Brian, Steve Gentle, Kevin Kilroy and Jonathan Wolf have all remained at the Carlsberg stadium.

New captain

Steve Gentle is the new captain of Biggleswade Town, “Gents was the obvious choice when Foldsy decided to hang up his boots” said Nunn “he is the ultimate professional who give nothing less 100%” who wants to help take the club forward in what is seen by some to be a new era at the club.
Brett Donnelly has become vice captain, “he deserves the chance to wear the arm band after his commitment to the club last season” said Nunn

Liam Folds decides to retire

It is with some sadness that we announce that Liam Folds has decided to hang up his boots. Foldsy had been captain of the club for 4 years but with family commitments and injuries taking longer to recover from, he has called time on his playing career.

Manager Chris Nunn said “Foldsy is the best player I have managed, a total professional both on and off the field, an outstanding captain who is also a top man”. Liam signed for the club 4 years ago when we were in the south midlands league, at the time it was a sign of our intentions to win the league.

Without that signing manager Chris Nunn does not believe this would have happened, “his leadership qualities were so important; every player looked up to him”

Good luck Liam and all the best for the future, you will always be welcome at the Carlsberg stadium

New First Team Coach

Both Paul Reynolds (Coach) and Martin Field (Ass manager) have left the club. Paul has decided to focus on work commitments and Martin has become manager at Eynesbury Rovers. Paul signed for the club after we had just survived in the south midlands as a player, one of the best signings for the club and played a vital role in helping us gain promotion to level 4. Struggling with injuries he joined the management team last season and did a terrific job as our coach. Martin has been assistant manager for 5 years (missing only 1 season in that time), Martin did a great job when the managers wife became ill in very testing times. We wish both of them every success in the future both on and off the pitch.

The club are delighted that Craig Rydeheard has agreed to be promoted to first team coach. Craig holds an A licence, and so far pre-season has been a great success.

Fixture list released

The new season starts for the Waders on Saturday 18th August with a home fixture against Uxbridge which is followed on the Tuesday evening with a trip to Rugby Town. The following Saturday sees FA Cup action at the Carlsberg Stadium when the Waders entertain fellow Southern League side AFC Hayes in the Preliminary round of the competition.

Some notable dates starting with August Bank Holiday sees the visit of Woodford United. Boxing Day will see the Waders entertain newly promoted Royston Town followed by Rugby Town visiting on the following Saturday. On New Year’s Day there is the long trip to play Woodford United. Easter Monday sees the trip to Royston Town and for the last league match of the season on Saturday 27th April the Waders will entertain Burnham.

FA Cup and Trophy draws made
The FA Cup Preliminary Round sees the Waders at home to AFC Hayes on Saturday 25th August with the winner of the match facing an away trip to Ryman Premier team Wealdstone on Saturday 8th September in the First Round Qualifying stage.

The FA Trophy Preliminary Round will be played on Saturday 15th September when the Waders entertain Northern Premier League Division One South team Halesowen Town. The winner of this match face a home tie against either Sutton Coldfield Town or newly promoted Gresley of the Northern Premier League Division One South on Saturday 29th September.

New players arrive to strengthen the Waders for the new campaign
At the end of last season Biggleswade Town manager Chris Nunn indicated that his key priority during the summer break was to bring in new players to strengthen his squad. After negotiations the first four names have been added to the squad with Jamie Arlick (Hitchin Town), Lee Allinson (Arlesey Town), Luke Knight (Barton Rovers) and Joe Reynolds (Dunstable Town) all agreeing to sign for the Club.

Chris Nunn added “a number of last season’s squad including Steve Gentle and Craig Daniel have agreed to stay with the Club and negotiations are on-going with a number of possible new players.”

We will update you as news emerges of new signings and confirm next season’s squad at the earliest opportunity.

Pre-season friendly admission prices
Admission for all pre-season friendly matches has been set at £5.00 with no concessions except Children under 16, who will be admitted free if they are accompanied by a paying adult.

FA Club allocations 25th May 2012
The Football Association has released the club allocations for the 2012 – 13 season for Steps 1 to 4, so what does this mean for Biggleswade Town. As you will know there should be two clubs promoted and two relegated but as often happens this was not exactly the case. League Champions St Neots Town and play-off winners Bedworth United have been promoted to the Southern League Premier Division. Bottom placed club Marlow have been relegated to Step 5 and should have been joined by Fleet Town who have been reprieved as Bedfont Town have withdrawn from the League and will not be running an adult first team this season.
With four teams leaving the League who will be joining? Well none of the new teams have been relegated into our league instead two have been moved from equal level leagues and the other two promoted from Step 5. The new teams are; Godalming Town, moved across from the Isthmian League Division One South.Guildford City, promoted from the Combined Counties League.Royston Town, promoted from the Spartan South Midlands League.Thatcham Town, moved across from the Southern League Division One South and West.

With the exception of Royston Town this adds three longer trips to our season and the league now consists of;

AFC Hayes
Ashford Town (Middx)
Aylesbury
Barton Rovers
Beaconsfield SYCOB
Biggleswade Town
Burnham
Chalfont St Peter
Chertsey Town
Daventry Town
Fleet Town
Godalming Town
Guildford City
Leighton Town
North Greenford United
Northwood
Royston Town
Rugby Town
Slough Town
Thatcham Town
Uxbridge
Woodford United

North Beds Charity Cup Final
The final between Biggleswade Town and Cranfield United will be played at Stotfold's Roker Park on Tuesday 8th May kicking off at 7:45 pm

New players and trials

Anyone interested in having a trial with the First Team which plays at Step Four (EVO-STIK League) should send in a CV through the Contact Us page. Include your name, age and contact details along with what position you play, who you have played for and any other information that you feel is relevant. These details will be passed onto our management team who will contact you in due course.

We would also like to announce the introduction of Biggleswade Academy who will be holding trials in May. For full details click on Academy.

28th March 2012 - Manager agrees to new deal
Biggleswade Town Football Club is pleased to announce that Chris Nunn has agreed to a new long term deal to stay at the Carlsberg Stadium. A club spokesman said “Chris needed to be certain that the Club shared his ambitions to build on the success he has worked to achieve over the past years. The Club are aligned with those ambitions and fully appreciate Chris’s efforts which of course include the promotion from Step five to Step four football and the steady improvement that the team has shown each year”
Assured of support from the Club, Chris Nunn said “I am delighted with the outcome of our discussions and was pleased to commit my future to the Club as we try to achieve our goals of further improvement and promotion to the next level. The Club has moved a long way from when I joined, we now have a Stadium that is one of the best facilities I have seen at this level of football and further improvements are in the pipeline.”

Re-arranged fixtures and Cup fixtures arranged

Following the recent weather related postponements these matches have been re-arranged and in addition to these the following Semi-Final cup fixtures have been arranged.  Please note: the Luton Town match is a Wednesday evening.

Tuesday 21st February, 7:45pm kick-off - North Beds Charity Cup Semi-Final home to Ampthill Town
Tuesday 28th February, 7:45pm kick-off – League home to Rugby Town
Tuesday 6th March, 7:45pm kick-off – League away to Daventry Town
Wednesday 21st March, 7:45pm kick-off – Beds FA Senior Cup Semi-Final home to Luton Town

Pitch inspection 9:30 am Saturday 4th February
Due to the recent weather conditions a pitch inspection will be held at 9:30 am ahead of today's fixture against Rugby Town. The website will be updated as soon as the outcome of the inspection is known.

Waders face the Hatters in Beds FA Senior Cup semi-final

Quarter Final Results;
Biggleswade United 1 – 2 Leighton Town
Dunstable Town 2 – 2 Arlesey Town - Home win Penalties 5-4
Biggleswade Town 3 – 0 AFC Kempston Rovers
Bedford Town 0 – 2 Luton Town

Semi Final Draw
Biggleswade Town v Luton Town
Dunstable Town vs Leighton Town

Beds FA Senior Challenge Cup – Quarter Final
The Waders enter the competition at the Quarter Final stage this year and have a home tie against AFC Kempston Rovers on Tuesday 31st January kicking off at 7:45 pm. The other Quarter Finals are:

Bedford Town v Luton Town
Dunstable Town v Arlesey Town
Biggleswade United v Leighton Town

Admission to the Carlsberg Stadium is set at £5.00 for adults and £3.00 for concessions.

Waders launch 'Kid's FREE Season Ticket
Biggleswade Town Football Club in partnership with Barber's of Biggleswade are offering junior football supporters the unique opportunity of watching Biggleswade Town play for free when accompanied by an adult, by introducing the Kid's FREE Season ticket

The season ticket not only provides 'free Waders football, but also offers free children’s haircuts when Dad has his haircut too!!!’

Natasha Collins of Hoopers of London quoted' we are pleased to support the Waders in their efforts to promote local community football
in Biggleswade, encouraging young footballers to support their Town team.' Watching their new youth teams inspired us to support the Club to encourage new players for the future, and develop their sporting talent.

Manager Chris Nunn quoted 'the club wants to encourage all budding young footballers to support their Town team, we have over 250 training in the Winter using our 'Astro' surface and believe that our future players will come from Biggleswade's own youth players, Barbers of Biggleswade sponsorship is vital to us achieving that goal. We look forward to seeing as many young footballers at our next home game against St Neots on Boxing Day to collect their ' free Wader's Season Ticket.'

Supporters who are keen to take advantage of this fantastic offer are being urged to move quickly to avoid disappointment.

Festive fixtures kick-off times
There have been some changes to kick-off times for the Boxing Day and New Years Eve fixtures which will be as follows;Monday 26th December 2011 - Home to St Neots Town FC kick-off 1.30 pmSaturday 31st December 2011 - Home to Burnham FC kick-off 1.00 pmMonday 2nd January 2012 - Away to Leighton Town FC kick-off 3.00 pm

Extended coverage of tomorrow’s match at Ilkeston in Sunday’s Non League paper.
Tomorrows FA Trophy fixture at Ilkeston will have extended coverage in this week’s Non League paper that is on sale from Sunday. The feature will include an extended match report, photographs and post-match comment.
 
 
Rugby Town away
Due to the FA Cup replay at Leatherhead the away League fixture at Rugby Town was postponed. The fixture has now been scheduled for Tuesday 22nd November with a 7.45pm kick off.
 
Waders through to next round of the FA Carlsberg Trophy
Following their 5-0 win at Quorn in the Preliminary Round of the FA Trophy Biggleswade Town will travel to Ilkeston to play the First Round Qualifying fixture on Saturday 22nd October.
 
 
Tuesday 4th October - coach to leatherhead
We will be running a coach to Leatherhead for the FA Cup replay. There are limited spaces so if you wish to travel contact Andy on 07879 802105.  The winners of tomorrow nights match will face an away trip to Billericay Town on Saturday 15th October.
 
Tuesday 4th October FA Cup replay at Leatherhead
Following Saturday’s 1-1 draw the replay at Leatherhead will take place at Leatherhead FC on Tuesday 4th October with a 7:45 pm kick off. The address for Leatherhead’s ground is;
Fetcham Grove,
Leatherhead,
Surrey,
KT22 9AS
 
 
Monday 19th September – The Waders at home to The Tanners in FA CUP SRQ.
Following the win over Waltham Abbey in Saturday’s FA CUP First Round Qualifying fixture the draw for the Second Round Qualifying shows that Match 57 will be played between Biggleswade Town and Leatherhead on Saturday 1st October at the Carlsberg Stadium. Our visitors, Leatherhead, play in the Ryman Premier League.
The league match away to Beaconsfield SYCOB will have to be re-arranged for a later date. Beaconsfield will also be in FA Cup action that day as they visit Staines Town.
 
23rd August 2011
The match against Chalfont St Peter has been postponed due to floodlighting issues at Chalfonts ground. The fixture will be re-scheduled in due course.
 
 
8th July 2011 - FA Cup and FA Trophy draws made.
 
In the newly named FA Cup with Budweiser Biggleswade Town have a home tie in the Preliminary Round on Saturday 3rd September when they will face the winners of the Haringey and Waltham Development vs. Bowers & Pitsea (both from the Essex Senior Football League) fixture which will be played on the 20th August.
The winner of this Preliminary fixture will have a home tie in the First Round Qualifying against the winner of the Waltham Abbey and Ware (both of the Isthmian League) on Saturday 17th September.
An away trip in the Preliminary Round of the FA Carlsberg Trophy where the Waders will travel to Leicestershire to face Quorn of the Northern Premier League on Saturday 8th October. The winner of the fixture travel to Ilkeston (also of the Northern Premier Football League) on Saturday 22nd October for the First Round Qualifying fixture.
 
 
7th July 2011 - Craig Rydeheard leaves the Waders
 
Craig Rydeheard has left the club and gone to Hemel Hempstead. Chris Nunn commented “Craig did a great job for us last season and he has the opportunity to be player coach at a higher level it was too good an offer for him to turn down. He will be missed and we wish him every success in the future and thank him for his contribution to the clubs continued progression.”
 
 
21st June 2011 - Changes to the squad
 
Mark Webster and Stephen Smith.
 
Mark and Stephen have both left Biggleswade Town, Mark was a member of the league winning squad and has been a wader for 3 years. Manager Chris Nunn said “the time is probably right for Webbo to move on, he has been fantastic for us for 3 seasons and I would like to thank him personally for his efforts over the last 3 seasons.” Regarding Stephen, “Smudger is a great lad who has gone to a good club (Bury), he wants to play higher and when the opportunity came he couldn’t refuse it”. Manager Nunn said “disappointed he has left but that’s football.”
 
With 2 players out, 2 players coming in.
 
Bradley Hewitt (22) is signing from Hemel Hempstead and Alex O’Brian (24) from Leighton Town. “Brad is a very strong centre half who will add strength to the squad" Nunn said "Brad is a winner and has a hunger to get back up the football ladder, he is certainly good enough.”
“Alex scored 14 league goals last season and is player we tried to sign last season, Nunn said Alex is a very talented player who can play in more than one position, a very good signing.”
 
Nunn also commented “the squad is complete, we have made 3 very good additions of which all in their early 20’s. We are signing players for the future of the football club.”
Further good news followed with the confirmation that Ash Fuller, Steve Gentle & club captain Liam Folds have signed for the coming season. A delighted Nunn said “when the summer comes the work to keep the squad together was my main aim and these 3 lads had no hesitation in remaining with us for the coming season which will only make us stronger as a unit. Training starts on Monday and we are all looking forward to the start of the season”
 
 
18th June 2011 - New League Sponsor is EVO-STIK
The Southern Football League AGM held on Saturday 18th June revealed the answer to a much asked question when EVO-STIK were revealed as the new League sponsor in what will initially be a three year deal. EVO-STIK already sponsor the Northern Premier Football League and will now sponsor the Southern Football League as well.
To avoid confusion the commercial name for the Southern Football League will be known as the
EVO-STIK Football League (Southern).
 
 
15th June 2011 – League Structure change.
In simple terms the change for the Southern Football League Division One Central sees Soham Town Rangers move to the Isthmian Football League (Ryman) Division One North and Bedworth United return to the Division. For more details see the statement below
 
Following the expulsion of Rushden & Diamonds FC from the Football Conference at the weekend it became necessary to make further adjustments to the National League structure for season 2011/2012. As a result the FA League Committee met yesterday to decide what action should be taken. The decision set out below followed a long and thorough discussion during which a number of options were discussed.
It was recommended that Rushden & Diamonds FC be excluded from the League structure pending any possible Appeal and the following movements approved: 
 
Southport FC reprieved from relegation to Step 2 and returned to Step 1
Bishops Stortford FC moved from Conference South to Conference North
 
 
Thurrock FC reprieved from relegation to Step 3 and returned to Step 2 in Conference South
Aveley FC reprieved from relegation to Step 4 and returned to Step 3 in the Isthmian League Premier Division
 
Shepshed Dynamo reprieved from relegation to Step 5 and returned to Step 4 in the Northern Premier League Div 1 South
 
Bedworth United transferred from Northern Premier League Div 1 South to Southern League Div 1 Central
Soham Town Rangers FC transferred from Southern League Div 1 Central to Isthmian League Div 1 North
 
In addition, it was agreed that should it become necessary to accommodate Rushden & Diamonds FC they would be accommodated in the Southern League at Step 3 and that the competition would operate with 23 clubs in their Premier Divisions next season. Furthermore it should be noted that the club will need to satisfy a number of conditions before being accepted into the League.
 
 
7th June 2011 - League constitution change – Welcome back Rugby Town
 
Following a meeting on Monday the FA have made a change to Division One Central. Owing to Enfield 1893 FC failing their ground grading they have been removed from Isthmian Division One North and Ware have been moved back to the league. The shortfall in Division One Central has been solved by the re-instatement of Rugby Town.
That means that the league now contains;
 
AFC Hayes
Ashford Town (Middx)
Aylesbury
Barton Rovers
Beaconsfield SYCOB
Bedfont Town
Biggleswade Town
Burnham
Chalfont St Peter
Chertsey Town
Daventry Town
Fleet Town
Leighton Town
Marlow
North Greenford United
Northwood
Rugby Town
Slough Town
Soham Town Rangers
St Neots Town
Uxbridge
Woodford United
 
 
31st May 2011 - First signing for the new season - Craig Daniel
Biggleswade Town are pleased to announce the signing of Craig Daniel who played last season at Bedford Town. Craig is a player we came close to signing 3 years ago. Having kept tabs on the right sided midfielder over the recent seasons the time is right to add Craig to our squad in a bid for improvement next season.
 
A delighted club manager Chris Nunn said “Craig is a good lad who will fit in really well with our current squad and at just 22 years of age he still has his best years ahead of him”
 
 
Friday 20th May 2011 - FA release NLS allocations for 2011-12 season
The FA has released the provisional list of allocations for the NLS (National League System) for the 2011-12. Please note the word "provisional" as there are some issues to be resolved so changes can still be made.
Promoted into our league are Chalfont St Peter, Chertsey Town and St Neots Town who have won their respective leagues at Step five. Transferred across to our league are Fleet Town (Isthmian Division One South) and Ware (Isthmian Division One North).
With Beaconsfield SYCOB being reprieved there are five clubs leaving the league which are Arlesey Town and Hitchin Town who are promoted to Southern League Premier Division. Bedworth United and Rugby Town who were geographically the two most northern based teams find themselves transferred to the Northern Prem Division One South and Atherstone Town who resigned from the league return to Step five football.
 
Full NLS allocations
 
 
 
 
 
Biggleswade Town defeated at Daventry in play-off semi-final
The Waders attempt at promotion came to an end on Thursday 28th April in front of 432 spectators. Two goals in quick succession from the hosts in the 44th and 45th minute were enough to secure Daventry Town’s progress to the Play-Off Final on Monday 2nd May, when they travel to Hitchin Town.
Whilst there is disappointment that the Waders could not progress there is also deep pride that we finished fourth in the league and made the play-offs. We will be back next season to give it another go and hopefully we can make the next improvement as we have done in previous seasons, let’s not forget it was not so long ago that we were fighting to survive at Step Five.
 
2006-07 - Spartan South Midlands Premier Division 19th place.
2007-08 - Spartan South Midlands Premier Division 3rd place.
2008-09 - Spartan South Midlands Premier Division 1st place and promoted.
2009-10 - Southern Football League Division One Midlands 12th place.
2010-11 - Southern Football League Division One Central 4th place.
 
Whilst the League season for the Waders is over there are two Cup Finals to look forward to in the coming weeks.
 
• North Beds Charity Cup Final – Wednesday 4th May vs. Stotfold at Potton United FC, The Hollow, Potton, kick-off 7:45pm
 
• Beds FA Senior Cup Final – Thursday 12th May vs. Arlesey Town at Luton Town FC, Kenilworth Road, Luton, kick-off 7:30pm
 
 
PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL MATCH DETAILS
Thursday 28th April vs. Daventry Town at Communications Park, Browns Road, Daventry, Northants, NN11 4NS, kick-off 7:45pm
 
CUP FINAL DATES
North Beds Charity Cup Final – Wednesday 4th May vs. Stotfold at Potton United FC, The Hollow, Potton, kick-off 7:45pm 
Beds FA Senior Cup Final – Thursday 12th May vs. Arlesey Town at Luton Town FC, Kenilworth Road, Luton, kick-off 7:30pm
 
 
18th April 2011 - Loline Interiors
Apart from being our Main Sponsor, for which we are always grateful, Loline Interiors have gone a step further in their support of Biggleswade Town and the Club’s play-off aspirations. Please click here to see the Loline Interiors message in their shop window.
A big thank you to Dave and all at Loline for their continued and great support.
 
 
7th April 2011 - Cup Finals for the Waders
The Waders reached their second cup final of the season with a 6-2 win over Langford in the North Beds Charity Cup. Bradley O’Donovan led the way with a hat trick and there was a goal each for Jermaine Mitchell, Kevin Kilroy and James Freshwater. This sets up a final against either Stotfold or Wootton Blue Cross at Potton United’s The Hollow on Thursday 5th May.
A week later on the 12th May the Waders will play at Kenilworth Road in the Final of the Beds FA Senior Cup where they will face Arlesey Town.
 
 
28th March 2011 - End of the season, Play-Offs and Promotion
Whilst the predictions, discussions and rollercoaster of emotions are likely to continue to the last day of the season there are some facts that are known, even though at the moment we don’t know who they will actually affect.
The final day of the league programme is Monday 25th April (Easter Monday) and being a Bank Holiday games should normally kick off at 3:00pm. Once the league programme is complete what happens next?
This is a question that a number of people have asked about and some have guessed whilst others are completely in the dark, so here is a brief guide to the play-offs, promotion, other issues and of course the dates of the play-off Semi-Finals and Final.
Promotion
Normally the Club finishing first will be automatically promoted and the Clubs finishing second to fifth will compete in the play-offs.
If the Club finishing first does not qualify for automatic promotion, the promotion will be offered to the Club that finished second, provided that they qualify. In which case, the Clubs that finished in third to sixth place will compete in the play-offs.
This method will be applied to as far as the Club finishing seventh but no further. If there are less than four Clubs qualifying for the play-offs the format will be revised accordingly.
Play-Off format
The simple rule is highest league position equals home advantage in the play-offs.
Let’s assume that the Clubs finishing second to fifth are in the play-offs which would mean that the following will apply;
Semi-Final one: will be 2nd placed Club at home to 5th placed Club
Semi-Final two: will be 3rd placed Club at home to 4th placed Club
The Final will be between the two winning Semi Finalists and the match will be played at the Club that finished highest in the league table.
If there are only three Clubs that qualify for the play-offs the highest placed Club will host the Final where they shall play the winner of the Semi-Final that was played between the other two qualifying Clubs.
In the event of only two Clubs making the play-offs, the Final will be held at the Club that finished in the higher league position.
The Semi-Finals and Final are one off matches decided on the day, if the scores are even after 90 minutes extra time of 15 minutes each way will be played. If the scores are even after extra time the result will be decided by penalty kicks.
Dates of Semi-Finals and Final
The Semi-Finals will be played on Thursday 28th April with a 7:45pm kick off.
The Final will be played on Monday 2nd May with a 3:00pm kick off
Ground grading
The basic rule of ground grading is that a promoted Club has until 31st March following their promotion to achieve the grade for the league they have been promoted to. If they fail to achieve the grading required by the 31st March they will be relegated regardless of their league position at the end of that season. So an extreme example would be; if a Club was promoted to Step Four and did not make ground improvements to achieve the ground grading whilst at the same time they won the league. In this situation the Club not qualify for automatic promotion as they would be relegated to Step Five for not improving their facilities.
 
 
26th March 2011 - Then, there were eight.
Bedfont Town and Woodford United became the latest teams that cannot win automatic promotion after today’ fixtures.
With Hitchin Town now on 78 points Aylesbury and Rugby Town need a small miracle if they are to win automatic promotion. So in reality there are six teams who have a chance of automatic promotion and we now know the name of the winning team will be “Something” Town.
Tuesday night is about not dropping points in tricky fixtures for Daventry Town, Arlesey Town and Biggleswade Town. Arlesey travel to Soham Town Rangers, with Daventry hosting Leighton Town and the Waders facing Marlow at the Carlsberg Stadium.
Thursday nights fixtures see Beaconsfield SYCOB travel to Daventry Town with the Waders hosting the recently much travelled Leighton Town.
Saturday 2nd April has some interesting fixtures with Hitchin Town travelling to Leighton Town, Daventry Town hosting Rugby Town and Arlesey Town at home to Marlow. Meanwhile the Waders make their second longest trip of the season to face Bedworth United.
 
See maximum points available

 
Calling all Youth Team Managers in the Biggleswade area
We shall be holding a meeting on Wednesday 23rd March 2011 at 7:00 pm in the Clubhouse to discuss the new facilities that we are planning at the Club and to discuss recent enquiries that we have received regarding the potential formation of a Youth Football section based at our facilities.
Please call Annette on 07785 297688 to register your interest or to find out more.
 
 
Saturday 12th March 2011 Ladies Day at Hitchin Town
We have been asked to inform people that when we play at Hitchin Town on Saturday 12th March they are holding their annual Ladies Day. This means that any Ladies attending the match will be admitted free of charge and will be given a free raffle ticket for the prize draw the Club are running.
This is a generous offer so please support the day.
 
 
Waders through to semi final of Beds FA Senior Challenge Cup
A very competent performance from a Waders side fielding six changes from Saturday’s line-up showed some exciting and entertaining football. Taking the lead on three minutes through Ashley Fuller the lead was doubled on six minutes through Paul Barnes. The lead could have been more had it not been for United’s keeper Kevin Lane who pulled off some good saves to keep his team in with a shout. However, the Waders pressure increased with Barnes adding a second on 22 minutes and Liam Folds heading in from a corner on 26 minutes. Paul Barnes completed his hat-trick five minutes later. Ashley Fuller scored his second and the Waders sixth goal one minute into time added on at the end of the first half..
Despite being six down United started with more determination in the second half which kept the Waders attacks at bay. Eventually their resolve broke and Steve Gentle scored fifteen minutes from the end to make it 7-0.
This sets up a home tie in the semi final against Leighton Town which will be played the week commencing 7th March, details will be announced soon.
 
 
Beds FA Senior Challenge Cup fixture re-arranged
Following the postponement of the fixture on 25th January the tie will now be played on Tuesday 1st February (7:45 pm kick-off)at the Carlsberg Stadium when we will entertain Biggleswade United.
Due to this the League fixture against Marlow has been postponed and will be arranged for a new date.
 
 
North Herts College Football Academy introductory dates
The Academy is running sessions for 16 to 19 year olds to introduce them to the Academy and the potential of the courses they run. There are two dates arranged, see below, so anyone interested should contact Amy Vye at the Academy for more details.
 
 
North Herts College Football Academy
Hitchin Centre
Open Evening
Wednesday 26th February 2011
4-8pm
for more information contact amyvye@valleysportsacademy.co.uk
 
North Herts College Football Academy
Taster Day
Monday 21st February 2011
10am-1pm
for more information contact amyvye@valleysportsacademy.co.uk
 
 
Early starts for the Waders
On Monday 27th December the Waders travel to Soham Town Rangers for a 1:00 pm kick-off. Then on Monday 3rd January 2011 the Waders host Arlesey Town at the Carlsberg Stadium also with a 1:00 pm kick-off.
 
 
Saturday 6th November, Biggleswade Town vs. Hitchin Town
Last season this fixture saw Hitchin Town win 3-0 and were deserving winners. This season the Waders have been performing much better so we hope for a more entertaining match for the fans. It was also the largest League attendance at the Carlsberg Stadium last season and we would like to think that the attendance this season will be larger, firstly, because both sides are doing well at the moment and secondly because there will be a bucket collection in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and it would be good to be able to support this very worthy cause.
Courtesy of one of our sponsors Business Connections the match is being sponsored as Macmillan Cancer Support. The plan is that at half time we would ask all the fans to enjoy their half time burger, coffee or pint and then put their loose change in one of the collection buckets during the second half. A small donation from each of us attending can make a big difference.
 
 
Tuesday 2nd November North Beds Charity Cup
The Waders travel to Potton United on Tuesday evening for the first round of this year’s competition. The winners of the match will play away to either Langford or Arlesey Town. The draw for this year’s competition is shown below.
 
First Round.
a. Biggleswade United v Wootton Blue Cross
b. Langford v Arlesey Town
c. Stotfold v Barton Rovers
d. Potton v Biggleswade Town
 
Semi Finals
winners of match b v winners of match d
winners of match a v winners of match c
 
 
North Greenford United
Due to the FA Cup replay against Stamford AFC the away match against North Greenford United will now be played on Tuesday 12th October.
 
Saturday 11th September - Waders leave it late to force replay against Stamford
Having gone a goal behind through an 11th minute Ricky Miller goal the Waders equalised then took the lead through two Brett Donnelly goals in the 18th and 20th minutes. Ricky Miller brought Stamford level on 28 minutes and a minute later Lee Beeson put Stamford into the lead. Despite Stamford being reduced to 10 men after Ricky Miller saw his second yellow card around ten minutes before half time the Stamford defence stood strong.
The second half saw more pressure from the Waders but the Stamford defence seemed to block every attempt. Then two minutes into time added on, a shot from Adam Bensaud beat the defence and goalkeeper to set up a replay. The replay is scheduled for Tuesday night at Stamford’s The Vic Couzens Stadium, Kettering Road, Stamford, PE9 2JS with a 7:45pm kick off
 
 
Waders face Stamford in FA Cup First Round Qualifying
Following a 2-2 draw at AFC Sudbury on Saturday, Stamford AFC won the Tuesday night replay 2-1 setting up a FA Cup First Round Qualifying match at the Carlsberg Stadium on Saturday 11th September.
 
 
28th August - Waders beat the Jockeys to reach First Round Qualifying of the FA Cup and Bank Holiday Match at Arlesey Town postponed
Biggleswade Town won 5-1 at Newmarket Town in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup on Saturday which now sees the Waders entertain either AFC Sudbury or Stamford AFC on Saturday 11th September in the FA Cup First Round Qualifying. AFC Sudbury and Stamford AFC drew 2-2 on Saturday and will replay their Preliminary Round match this coming week.
Meanwhile, Arlesey Town and Aylesbury drew 1-1 on Saturday which means they replay the fixture on Tuesday 31st August and so the Bank Holiday Monday League match between Arlesey Town and Biggleswade Town is postponed.
 
11th August - Squad for 2010-11 season announced
The new squad for the 2010 -11 season can now be revealed and in simple terms Chris Nunn has retained 12 of last season’ squad and added 11 new players to bolster the team for the forthcoming campaign. Speaking about his new squad Chris said “I believe that the squad has a good balance of youth and experience which coupled with their ability and pace should help the Club improve on last season’s League position.”
The first game of the new season sees the Waders travel to newly promoted Aylesbury on Saturday 14th August. This is followed by the visit of another newly promoted side when Daventry Town visit the Carlsberg Stadium on Tuesday. Saturday 21st sees Rugby Town who were relegated from the Premier Division visit Biggleswade Town.
In the background we will be keeping an eye on the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round tie between Newmarket Town and Yaxley to discover who we will play on Saturday 28th August in the FA Cup Preliminary Round, could there be a visit to his former club for Chris Nunn.
The new squad is shown below with the player’s last club shown in brackets.
 
Goalkeepers; Dean Bull (Biggleswade Town), Ryan Rayner (Stevenage Borough).
 
Defenders; Michael Cox (Biggleswade Town), Nathan Field (St Neots Town), Liam Folds (Biggleswade Town),
Peter Gatti (Biggleswade Town), Sam Pemberton (Hitchin Town), Craig Radcliffe (Biggleswade Town),
Paul Reynolds (Biggleswade Town), Graham Rush (Mildenhall Town), Mark Webster (Biggleswade Town)
 
Midfielders; Geoffrey Banks-Smith (Brentford), Aaran Cavill (Biggleswade Town), James Freshwater (Biggleswade Town), Kevin Kilroy (Biggleswade Town), Stuart Lochhead (Stotfold), Thomas McGowan (Northampton Town),
Jonathan Woolf (Bedford Town)
 
Strikers; Paul Barnes, Adam Bensaud (Ely City), Brett Donnelly (Biggleswade Town), Steven Gentle (Cambridge City),
Lee Harman (Biggleswade Town)
 
 
31st July – New kit for new season with Loline Interiors renewing their sponsorship deal
Biggleswade Town are pleased to announce that the first team home kit sponsorship deal with Loline Interiors has been renewed. At a time when many sponsors are withdrawing sponsorship it is very much appreciated that Loline Interiors have agreed to sponsor the first team home kit for another season and strengthen the bond between the two companies.
Loline Interiors have recently re-branded so the new home strip will feature the new logo which can be seen at the top of the page..
 
16th July – Beds FA Senior Cup Draw made.
Biggleswade Town have received a bye into the Quarter Finals of this year’s competition and will play Biggleswade United at the Carlsberg Stadium on Tuesday 25th January. Below is the full draw for this year’s competition.
 
FIRST ROUND
To be Played week commencing Monday 22nd November 2010
 
1 Stotfold v Leighton Town
2 Bedford Town v Dunstable Town
 
BYES
Arlesey Town
Barton Rovers
Biggleswade Town
Biggleswade United
Langford
Luton Town
 
QUARTER FINAL
To be Played week commencing Monday 24th January 2011
 
3 Winner of Match 2 v Arlesey Town
4 Barton Rovers v Luton Town
5 Biggleswade Town v Biggleswade United
6 Winner of Match 1 v Langford
 
SEMI FINAL
To be Played week commencing Monday 7th March 2011
 
 
 
14th July 2010 – League Fixtures for 2010 – 11 season released.
The league fixtures list for the forthcoming season has been released. First up for the Waders is a trip to newly promoted Aylesbury on Saturday 14th August. Some other notable dates are August Bank Holiday Monday sees a trip to Arlesey Town, with Hitchin Town set to visit the Carlsberg Stadium on Saturday 6th November. Boxing Day or Monday 27th December to be exact sees the Waders travel to Soham Town Rangers in a reverse of last season’s fixture. The New Year kicks off on Monday 3rd January when Arlesey Town visit the Waders with Barton Rovers visiting on Saturday 12th February and Leighton Town visiting two weeks later (26th). A fortnight later the Waders travel to Top Field on Saturday 12th March to play Hitchin Town. All things being equal should see the season end on Easter Monday (25th April) with a home match against Soham Town Rangers.
We have previously mentioned that there are nine new teams in the Central Division this season and as yet we have not been fully updated on their midweek kick off times, so please check before travelling to away games. The kick off times will be updated nearer the fixture date if there are any alterations
 
 
12th July 2010 – Red Insure Cup draw made – Arlesey Town at home
The draw for the Red Insure Cup (Southern League Cup) has been made and this year sees a reverse of last year’s draw with the Waders at home to Arlesey Town. The First Round matches have to be played in the week commencing the 25th October so the date will be Tuesday 26th October with a 7:45 pm kick off.
 
 
8th July 2010 - FA Cup and Trophy draws
The FA Cup draw has been made and on Saturday 28th August Biggleswade Town start the FA Cup in the Preliminary Round playing away to the winner of Newmarket Town or Yaxley who play each other on Saturday 14th August. The winner of the Preliminary match No 77 will earn themselves a home tie in the First Qualifying Round against either AFC Sudbury or Stamford on Saturday 11th September.
The Waders start the FA Trophy in a Preliminary Round match away to the Metropolitan Police on Saturday 2nd October. The winner of this match will entertain Billericay Town in the First Round Qualifying fixture on Saturday 16th October.
To see the draws click on the links below.
FA Cup Preliminary Round
FA Cup First Round Qualifying
 
FA Trophy Preliminary Round
FA Trophy First Round Qualifying
 
 
1st July 2010 Cup draws made
The first two fixtures of the new season are now known as the East Anglian Cup and Hinchingbrooke Cup competitions have made their draw. For the Waders it is good news as we have home ties in both competitions facing Cambridge City of the ZAMARETTO Premier Division in the East Anglian Cup and at home in the Hinchingbrooke Cup to Rushden & Higham FC of the United Counties League Division One. The dates of these games cannot be confirmed until the League fixtures are released on the 14th July.
In the meantime Monday 5th July will see the draw made for the FA Cup which will see the Waders enter in the Preliminary Round on Saturday 28th August.
 
 
2nd June 2010 - Tudors reprieved and Wood join the Central Division
Just over a fortnight after the league constitution was announced there has been a change. The statement below from the Southern League sums up the situation.
 
Merthyr Tydfil, in Administration for the past twelve months, have been removed from the League after learning that they would not be able to continue playing at Penydarren Park. They have been replaced in the Premier Division by Hemel Hempstead Town who had originally faced relegation to the Division One Central. Northwood return to the League from Isthmian Division One North to fill the gap left in the Central Division.
 
From the Waders perspective the change will mean a slight increase in travelling. See First Team page for full list of clubs and addresses.
 
 
17th May 2010 - League constitution 2010 -11 and a new Division name
As indicated to the Club by the FA earlier in the year there was a larger than normal amount of changes to the constitutions of the Step 4 Divisions. The first change was a new Division name which is now Southern Football League Division One Central, a clue that the Midlands based teams have moved to other leagues or divisions. The next change was that nine teams leave the league and of course nine teams join the league. So who left and who joined?
 
Let’s start with the obvious changes, league champions Bury Town are promoted to Step 3 and have made a lateral move to play in the Isthmian Football League Premier Division. Play-off winners Chesham United join the Southern Football League Premier Division. Aylesbury United have been relegated and will drop to Step 5 football next season, Barton Rovers would have been relegated but have been reprieved due to Rothwell Town resigning from the league. So that accounts for four clubs leaving and the other five clubs leaving have made lateral moves with AFC Sudbury getting their wish with a move to the Isthmian Football League Division One North, Bromsgrove Rovers and Stourport Swifts moving to Southern Football League Division One South & West and ground sharers Romulus and Sutton Coldfield Town moving to Northern Premier League Division One South.
 
This means that we need 9 new teams to get back to the league constitution of 22 teams. So, the teams relegated to our league are Hemel Hempstead and Rugby Town who arrive from the Southern Football League Premier Division. We are also joined by Ashford Town (Middx) who were relegated from the Isthmian Football League Premier Division and have made the lateral move to the Southern Football League. Bedfont Town (Bedfont Green last season) and Uxbridge move to Division One Central from Division One South & West as do AFC Hayes who were reprieved from relegation. Finally, we are also joined by three newly promoted clubs from Step 5 who are Aylesbury who won the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division, Daventry Town who won the United Counties League Premier Division and North Greenford United who won the Combined Counties Football League Premier Division.
 
Out of all the Step four Divisions the newly named Southern Football League Division One Central underwent the greatest amount of changes, but for the Waders this appears to be good news as the travelling distance for the season has reduced by some 375 miles and there are now eight clubs within a 50 mile radius of Biggleswade.
 
Click here to see all the Step 1 - 4 allocations
 
 
24th April 2010 - end of season
If you could write the end of the season match it probably would not end up as Bedworth United 4 -0 Biggleswade Town but then you probably would not have a team with at least two players who should have been resting, a player making his first appearance since early October after injury and several needing a few days rest. That said, nothing should be taken away from Bedworth United who deserved their win. In fairness the players of Biggleswade Town have given their all over this season and since early March have had to play three games a week to catch up on the postponements from a very bad winter.
 
So yesterday saw the Waders finish the league season in 12th place, some might say we could have done better or we could have done this or that but to me that is pure nitpicking. If we are truthful none of us knew whether we could survive at this level or not. Some probably thought we would come straight back down to Step 5 especially in the first few months. Having seen every game this season and pleased to have done so, I have seen a team struggle to come to terms with a higher standard and gradually become stronger through experience and good choice. From being labelled draw specialists through to winning more regularly the team has proved harder to beat and has gained respect from its peers.
 
Opinion is fine but facts are indisputable and one fact that the players should be proud of is that apart from Bury Town and Hitchin Town (League winners and runners up) the team has taken points off of every side in the league this season and those who watched our away games at Bury and Hitchin saw battling performances that could have seen different results with a little good fortune.
 
We now have a year of good experience, we know so much more than we did a year ago and this will be put to good effect next season where the hope is that we will develop into a stronger team and finish higher in the league.
 
The League season may be finished but there are still two Cup Finals to play and possibly some silverware.
 
So on behalf of everyone at the club thank you and well done to the playing staff who have done Biggleswade Town proud.
 
Andy McDonnell - Club Secretary
 
 
Waders through to Hinchingbrooke Cup Final - Wednesday 21st April
Stotfold 0 -1 Biggleswade Town
The Waders reached their second final last night after a tough game against a surprisingly good Stotfold team who done themselves and their club proud with a battling performance which kept the Waders waiting until the 85th minute when Ben Colmer scored the winner in a match that was only ever going to be a close result.
The Waders now face Peterborough Northern Star of the Hereward Teamwear United Counties League Division One who beat Rothwell Corinthians 5-3 last night. The final will be played at Huntingdon Town with the date yet to be confirmed.
 
 
Waders through to North Beds Charity Cup Final – Thursday 5th March
Langford 2 v 5 Biggleswade Town
The first of three potential finals was realised last night as the Waders beat Langford to make it to the North Beds Charity Cup Final. The first half saw a number of possible chances go begging until five minutes from the break when James Hall shot home to give the Waders the lead. Six minutes into the second half and Langford drew level through Wright. Four minutes later Bobby Dance restored the Waders lead. Ten minutes later Scotney equalised for the home side and thoughts begun to turn to extra time and even penalties and the thought of standing for an extra half hour on a very cold evening. Thankfully two minutes later Brett Donnelly found the net and seven minutes later scored his second and the Waders fourth of the night. Despite some god efforts at either end it was just on full time when James Hall popped up again to score the fifth goal for the Waders.
 
 
Update on fixtures
The recent weather, mainly water in various forms, has had an impact on fixtures and with a growing list of postponements the re-arranging of fixtures has proven a tough task but at the moment we have a date for all but one of our fixtures in the diary. That fixture is the semi-final of the Hinchingbrooke Cup away to Stotfold but we are confident that this fixture will be scheduled soon.
Some dates that you may want to make a note of;
Thursday 4th March away to Langford in the semi final of the North Beds Charity Cup.
Saturday 13th March home to Slough Town – ZAMARETTO League
Tuesday 16th March at home to Beaconsfield SYCOB – ZAMARETTO League
Thursday 18th March at home to Bury Town – ZAMARETTO League
Saturday 20th March at home to Bromsgrove Rovers – ZAMARETTO League
Tuesday 23rd March at home to Leighton Town in the semi final of the Beds FA Senior Challenge Cup.
 
Monday 5th April (Easter Monday 3:00 pm kick off) at home to Arlesey Town – ZAMARETTO League
Thursday 8th April at home to Barton Rovers – ZAMARETTO League
Thursday 15th April away to Arlesey Town – ZAMARETTO League
 
For fixture and results of the First Team and Reserves go to their page and click on fixtures and results.
 
 
Beds FA Senior Cup
 
Tuesday night's match against Luton Town was abandoned after 55 minutes due to floodlight failure. At the time of the floodlight failure the Waders were winning 5 - 1 against a rather youthful looking Hatters side who were down to ten men following the dismissal of their left back one minute before half time.
Waders goals came from Jamie Steele 16, Aaran Cavill 22, Bobby Dance 30 p, Craig Radcliffe 45 and the goal of the match from Liam Folds on 50 minutes. The Hatters goal was scored by Ryan Desilver on 36 minutes.
At the time of writing we are awaiting news on when a replay will take place. The good news is that the power failure which caused the floodlight failure has been repaired.
 
New players arriving and a big thank you to their former clubs.
Chris Nunn has been busy over the last few days adding a further two players to the squad. Firstly, Lee Wilson has joined the Waders after transferring from Barton Rovers and next was Craig Radcliffe who has transferred from Bury Town. In both cases their former clubs were exemplary in their attitude and assistance so we would like to offer our deepest gratitude to Malcolm Aubrey of Barton Rovers and to Russell Ward of Bury Town who really could not have been better to deal with.
Lee and Craig join fellow newcomers Aaran Cavill and Ivan Rodriguez Nunez who arrived at Biggleswade Town via Bedford Town, again our thanks to Dave Swallow at Bedford for his assistance and Jerry Lyons whose previous club was Romford.
 
 
Get Well Ben
Ben Skidmore who has been the team mascot on a number of occasions has recently undergone an operation which will keep him in a wheellchair for a little while. When the players heard about this they got Ben a football which all the team signed and presented to Ben as a get well soon present before the home match against Burnham. Click here for picture
Ben's day got even better as the Waders went onto win this tough fixture 2-1.
 
 
Waders move into semi finals of North Beds Charity Cup - Tuesday 19th January 2010
 
The Waders recorded a comfortable 10 - 0 away win at Cranfield United on Tuesday evening to move into the semi finals of this years competition.
 
Last year the Waders were unable to field a strong team due to an upcoming FA Vase match but this year the Waders were able to field a first team and the impact was clear. Although it is a small competition the North Beds Charity Cup is a competition that has the full support of Bggleswade Town as it benefits local causes each year.
 
Below is the draw for the competition and as you will see the Waders first round success sets up an away tie with the winner of the Biggleswade United vs. Langford match.
 
First Round
Match A = Biggleswade United v Langford
Match B = Arlesey Town v Stotfold
Match C = Wootton Blue Cross v Potton United
Match D = Cranfield United v Biggleswade Town
 
Semi Finals
Winners of match B v Winners of match C
Winners of match A v Biggleswade Town 
New recruit for Waders Youth Academy
There was some concern on Tuesday evening when the highly reliable Club Captain was not at training. As expected Liam Folds had a very plausible explanation as his wife had given birth to a baby boy early on Tuesday morning and Liam quite rightly was at home helping out.
So congratulations to Mr and Mrs Folds and welcome to Ollie James Folds who weighed in at 7lb 3oz.
 
 
Wader selected for England duty
Congratulations to James Freshwater who, after a successful trial at Lilleshall National Sport Centre in December, has been selected to be a member of the England Colleges Football squad for 2009/10. Although we will miss out on James' prescence when he is away on England duty everyone at the club wishes him success with his England duties.
 
 
Friday 8th January - Barton Rovers match.
Following new instructions from the League an inspection of the pitch was carried out this afternoon and as expected the recent freezing temperatures have made the pitch frozen despite some sunlight today. Along with the frozen playing surface the mixture of snow and ice surrounding the pitch has made conditions hazardous. Therefore, the decision has been made to postpone tomorrow's match against Barton Rovers. A new date for this fixture will be announced in due course.
 
Arlesey Town match re-scheduled
Following the postponement on 2nd January due to the weather the Arlesey Town vs. Biggleswade Town match will now be played on Tuesday 19th January at the aRMadillo Stadium. This means that the Hinchingbrooke Cup fixture against Yaxley at the Carlsberg Stadium has had to be re-arranged and will now be played on Tuesday 26th January at the Carlsberg Stadium.
 
Bedfordshire FA Senior Challenge Cup - Quarter final
The quarter final match between Biggleswade Town and Luton Town will be played at the Carlsberg Stadium on Tuesday 2nd February with a 7:45 pm kick off.
 
Boxing Day
After some early morning efforts the match against Soham Town Rangers went ahead. Those efforts by the groundsmen and Committee members were repaid as the Waders went on to win 1-0. There were only three other games played in the league today with Atherstone Town beating Rothwell Town 4-2, Bury Town beating AFC Sudbury 3-1 and Hitchin Town beating Arlesey Town 4-1. The three points gained lifted the Waders into sixth place in the league. A match report will appear later.
Saturday 2nd January sees the short trip to Arlesey Town to face one of the teams that the Waders leap frogged after today's match.
 
Robert “Bob” Dorrington
It is with the deepest sadness that Biggleswade Town announces the passing of our President Robert “Bob” Dorrington who passed away peacefully on the evening of Thursday 10th December 2009 at the age of 82. As many of you will know Bob had been seriously ill in hospital for some time and had fought illness with a determination that amazed the hospital staff.
Those who knew Bob will remember a man who was passionate about his football, often getting quite annoyed when he felt the team was not performing as they should but equally full of praise when the team performed well. Behind the scenes he was always a source of great support to our Chairman and his son Maurice, regularly attending matches before ill health stopped him from getting out so regularly. Another passion of course was his family and our thoughts are with his children Janet and Maurice and of course his grandchildren and great grandchildren at this very difficult time.
 
 
Saturday 12th December
Due to the recent wet weather it may be necessary for a pitch inspection prior to Saturday's match. Please check the web page before setting off, we will update the web page as soon as we know if the game is being played or postponed.
 
Tuesday 15th December
In conjunction with Cozy's Travel the Waders are able to offer a return journey to the Hitchin Town game for the cost of £1 on Tuesday 15th December. If you are interested in using the coach for the game contact Mick Jarvis.
 
Saturday 5th December
With the match referee deciding that the playing surface was unfit the Waders game against Beaconsfield SYCOB was postponed and will now take place in the New Year.
 
TUESDAY 1st DECEMBER 2009
Bedfordshire FA Senior Cup
Dunstable Town vs. Biggleswade Town
Unfortunately, Dunstable Town have been unable to repair their floodlights so the fixture will now take place at the Carlsberg Stadium on Tuesday 1st December with a 7.45 pm kick off.
 
Re-arranged fixtures
The following fixture dates have been re-arranged.
The Beds FA Senior Cup versus Dunstable Town will now be played on Tuesday 1st December, the original date was 24th November but due to a collapsed floodlight column at Creasey Park the Beds FA have given Dunstable Town time to effect a repair. If the situation is not resiolved the tie will be played at the Carlsberg Stadium on Tuesday 1st December.
Hitchin Town away is now on Tuesday 15th December, originally scheduled for Saturday 31st October the match was postponed due to Hitchin Town's involement in the FA Trophy.
Finally, the New Years Day match at Arlesey Town has been put back 24 hours and will now be played on Saturday 2nd January, 3:00 pm kick off.
Horace Dilley
Biggleswade Town Football Club was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Horace Dilley on Tuesday 10th November. Father of Biggleswade Town stalwart Chris, Horace led a very full and busy life serving on numerous Committees that generally enhanced the quality of life for many people in Biggleswade and the surrounding area.
It was perhaps Horace’s involvement with the North Beds Charity Cup, a commitment that spanned over half a century, which brought him to the Club’s attention most regularly and everyone who met with Horace knew that they had met with a true Gentleman who cared deeply about the community in which he lived. As many people have said in the Biggleswade Chronicle this week he will be sorely missed and very hard to replace. The Club’s thoughts are with Horace’s sons Chris and Michael at this very difficult time.
 
Waders make the grade!
Biggleswade Town are pleased to announce that following a visit by the FA ground grading team the Carlsberg Stadium has received a D grade. We formerly held an E grade but due to promotion it was necessary to achieve the higher grading to play at Step 4.
The ground graders were impressed with what they saw on their inspection and have indicated that the facility is not too far from being graded at C. This is good news for the Club and reward to the people who have worked towards helping attain this achievement.
 
Saturday 31st October
The match scheduled for this date away to Hitchin Town has been postponed due to Hitchin Town's continued interest in the FA Trophy.
 
Thursday 29th October
The Capital League match scheduled against Canvey Island has been postponed.
 
Saturday 17th October
Biggleswade Town 2 - 2 Chipstead
An exciting game but frustration for the Waders as Chipstead turned on the style which you would not expect from their league position. Reggie Savage put the visitors ahead on 23 minutes. As the Waders fought to get back in the game a cross from James Freshwater was turned into the visitors goal by their defender Nathan Campbel who beat Dan Heron to the ball. Half time 1-1.
The second half saw chances at both ends but on 68 minutes Reggie Savage popped up again to put Chipstead ahead. Two minutes later some good play between Dance and Coulson led to a James Freshwater volley to keep the Waders in the competition. Try as they might neither side could find a winner so with the scores even the Waders face a long trip on Tuesday night to Chipstead. Replay at Chipstead FC, High Road, Chipstead, Surrey CR5 3SF at 7.45 pm
Wednesday 14th October
Hinchingbrooke Cup
Biggleswade Town 3 - 1 Cranfield United
With the first team playing the night before and with a FA Trophy fixture on Saturday it was left to the Waders Capital League side to play this fixture. Whilst some may see this as a weakened team the players of the Capital League side have grown up quick this season having faced sides containing a number of Conference South players in their team.
The home side took the lead on 26 minutes through Kieran Bishop and looked fairly comfortable in the first half.
Twenty minutes from time they doubled their lead through Lee Samways and six minutes later Sam Yalley added a third. Cranfield scored a consolation goal through Jamie Doyle five minutes from the end but the young Waders side looked comfortable and maybe should have had one or two more goals. A bit of a wait now until we know who we will face in the next round.
 
October preview
The month of October has started on a good note with a win at Tilbury in the FA Trophy setting up a First Round Qualifying tie with Chipstead FC on Saturday 17th October at the Carlsberg Stadium. October would appear to be a “meet the neighbours month” as the Waders face their four local rivals in League and Cup action.
Saturday 10th October sees the Waders travelling to Barton Rovers in the league. Tuesday 13th is one of the longer trips this month with an away league match at Burnham in deepest Buckinghamshire. The following Saturday is the FA Trophy tie with Chipstead. The following midweek is free in case of a replay in the FA Trophy, which if necessary is scheduled for Tuesday 20th. On Saturday 24th the Waders host Leighton Town in the league. Then on Tuesday 27th is a trip to our closest league rivals when we visit Arlesey Town for the Red Insure Cup(Southern League Cup) first Round. The month ends with a trip to Hitchin Town in the league on Saturday 31st.
 
 
Saturday 3rd October FA Trophy
Tilbury 1 - 2 Biggleswade Town
Despite going a goal behind in the 17th minute, the Waders staged a second half comeback with Bobby Dance scoring on the hour mark and Dan Heron coming on as a substitute and scoring the winner thirteen minutes later.
The sets up up a first round home tie against Chipstead FC of Ryman Division One South on the 17th October.
Saturday 3rd October - FA Trophy, away to Tilbury
The Waders are travelling to Tilbury to play in the FA Trophy, anyone interested in travelling by coach please contact Mick Jarvis on 07770628595.
 
Forthcoming Fixtures at the Carlsberg Stadium:
Tuesday 15th September - South Midlands Floodlight Cup versus Broxbourne Borough - 7:45 pm kick off.
Admission- £5 adults, £3 concessions, under 13 free with adult
Thursday 17th September - Capital Football League versus Concord Rangers - 7:45 pm kick off
Admission - £3 adults, £2 concessions, under 13 free with adult
Saturday 19th September - ZAMARETTO League
versus Marlow FC - 3:00 pm kick off
 
Friday 4th September COACH TRAVEL for Atherstone Town match.
Arrangements are being made for a coach to the Atherstone Town match on Saturday 12th September. The cost of the return journey is £10.00, anyone interested in travelling to the match by coach please contact Mick Jarvis on 07770628595 to book your place by the end of Monday 7th September.
 
Friday 4th September Atherstone Town versus Biggleswade Town fixture re-arranged!
Atherstone Town vs. Biggleswade Town was originally scheduled for Saturday 19th December but as both clubs find themseleves out of the FA Cup it has been mutually agreed between the clubs and the Zamaretto League that this fixture will now take place on Saturday 12th September with a 3:00 pm kick off at Sheepy Road, Atherstone.
The Waders travel to Beaconsfield tomorrow, Saturday 5th September to play Slough Town at Holloways Park. Please note that Slough Town groundshare with Beaconsfield SYCOB.
 
Thursday 20th August Waders Capital League side off to a winning start!
The Waders Capital League side started their league campaign off with a 1-0 home win over Witham Town. Phil Feakes first minute goal was enough to secure the victory but the scoreline should have been greater as the Waders dominated both halves of the match.
Witham had a few chances but there was never really a threat on the home side goal.
Next up is a tough away match against Bishops Stortford on Wednesday 26th August.
 
Tuesday 18th August - I wonder if they will be glad to see us?
Harefield United have beaten Haringey Borough 3-1 in the replay of the extra preliminary round of the FA cup. This now sets up the Preliminary round fixture of Harefield United vs Biggleswade Town on Saturday 29th August.
Of course it also means that the Waders meet with the team that they beat in the title race of last season by one goal on goal difference.
 
Tuesday 18th August - Waders beaten in final minutes at Bury
As expected Tuesday's match was a big test for the Waders. Having taken the lead on 15 minutes it was beginning to look like a good evening. Bury equalised on 37 minutes and the game looked like being a draw when two minutes into added on time Bury snatched a winner. Disappointing as it may have been the team had done well to contain a good Bury side for so long.
Time to move on and Saturday sees the Waders longest league trip as the team head to Worcestershire to play Stourport Swifts who reamin unbeaten after their opening two matches.
 
Saturday 15th August - Waders have dream start to the season.
The Waders first game in the ZAMARETTO League could not have got off to a better start with three goals in the first half from Jamie Steele, James Freshwater and Jack Weeden which effectively decided the match by half time. A late consolation goal for Aylesbury United ending the game at 3 - 1.
The Waders have a tough match on Tuesday night when they travel to Suffolk to play Bury Town who also won on the first day of the season.
 
Tuesday 11th August - Capital Football League fixtures released.
The Capital Football League have produced the fixtures list for the season and the Waders campaign starts on Thursday 20th August with a home fixture against Witham Town. The Capital League is for Waders Reserve side and matches will be played on a Thursday evening with a 7.45pm kick off.
 
There was also a bonus for the Waders in the Presidents Cup as we have been given a bye to the second round and will face the winners of Bishops Stortford and Braintree Town who play their first round fixture in October. The entry of a team into the Capital Football League marks the beginning of an exciting priod for the Club as our team will face some fairly heavyweight competition this season.