Ex-Players - Where Are They Now?

James McQuilkin moves from Kiddiminster to AFC Telford.

Take your minds off the NLS, and instead consider what BSL (that's 'Bog Standard Luke' for those who don't read other Forums) is already putting himself through on the scorched grass of North Wales.


Wrexham will be looking to be fighting it out near the top, but so will fellow big names such as Orient and Chesterfield. I'm sure most Gulls fans will still keep an eye on the National League, just to stay in touch with what we hope to be facing in Season 2019/20. Luke has told the Welsh Press that he'd already made up his mind to move on from Plainmoor irrespective of whether we had stayed up or got relegated. Let's hope he enjoys a successful spell during his time with Wrexham.





'Now if I'd stayed back in Plymouth, I could be dangling my legs in the cool water of Tinside Lido now' thinks Luke as he sweats it out with his new teammates at Wrexham.





'And after training we all assemble in the clubhouse and watch old Max Boyce videos....that OK with you Boyo ?'


Luke, next to last, decides he's in no hurry to finish training.

I think Sparkes followed John Still to Barnet.

Joe Quigley signs for Maidstone United

www.thenationalleague.org.uk/quigley-is-off-the-mark-quickly-as-stones-sign-str-51753

chelstongull 


Well done to Ben for being ambitious enough to take on the upheaval of this move, and for obviously playing well enough that Billericay see him as the big presence needed at the centre of their defence. And with the opening day fixture being Truro v Billericay, there's that extra bit of spice as well. I don't know enough about the NLS, and if having 'battering ram' centre forwards is the way to go, as simonb suggests, then Ben Gerring is at his best when up against that style of opponent. I expect many of us will recall how well Ben played against the giant 'Big Jon' Parkin in our clashes against Forest Green in the National League.

Conversely if hulking defenders in the mould of Ben Gerring are standard in NLS, is the best tactic necessarily to try to 'out batter' them?, or to use the nippiness of Keating or the ingenuity of Brett Williams to prevail by more subtle means? Time will tell, and our promotion campaign will be a learning curve for some supporters such as myself.


And now time to catch up with Bog Standard Luke, who is enjoying the sunshine of the Algarve, along with his Wrexham teammates, and plenty of supporters who have made the trip. Tonight (Wednesday) Luke plays in a friendly match  at the 30,305 seat capacity Estádio Algarve, located near the town of Almancil. The stadium was completed in time for the European Championships in 2004 and hosted two group games and a quarter-final match between Sweden and Holland.

I'm sure you can spot Luke in the first three pics, before a final peep out of a window in the team's hotel in Villamoura.

DvN 
You could be right DvN. Sometimes when a club legend and former Player of the Season moves on, I do find it rather hard to let go. It was even more painful when Lee Mansell left. Had it been Cap'n Manse in Portugal, I would have aimed to tellt you what he had for breakfast,  and also the temperature of the water in the hotel swimming pool.

As Stewart might confirm, it's the opposite situation from that which the country faces, where we're desperately trying to 'let go' of the E.U, but we can't shake them off as the buggers (with Prime Ministerial collusion) have an iron grip on us.

But bearing your comment in mind I'll forego the comprehensive match report and just say that Luke played the full 90 minutes of Wrexham's 2-2 draw last night. He wasn't on the scoresheet, by Mike Fondop did hit one of Wreham's goals. Despite being pegged back after being 2-0 up earlier, Wreham Manager Sam Ricketts said after the match:  "I am disappointed to have drawn the game. We were 2-0 up and if I am brutally honest I am disappointed. You have to take it into context. There are things we have worked on so far in pre-season and there are things we haven't done. We haven't worked on any defensive set-pieces and we have conceded off a free-kick and a long throw".

Rickett's comments could be a useful reminder for supporters of many a club. In the early stages of pre-season, and when new squads are still being assembled, certain aspects may still be well short of being honed to perfection, even may have barely featured at all at this stage. Everyone recruited, squad sorted, partnerships worked on, understandings built up, and ideal tactics confirmed......it's rarely all in place and running like clockwork much in advance of the season starting....although steady progress towards the big kick off date has to be maintained.

How pleasing to see further new faces still arriving at Plainmoor to further strengthen our forthcoming promotion push. 
simonb will be the first to tell us when the battering ram centre forward has signed on the dotted line.

Spare a thought for poor old Kieffer Moore, who has just had his £85K Range Rover nicked.

www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/7002840/barnsley-kieffer-moore-pleads-return-range-rover-stolen/