Zamaretto Division One South & West: Yate Town v Almondsbury Town preview (From Gazette Series)

Zamaretto Division One South & West: Yate Town v Almondsbury Town preview

10:30am Thursday 26th August 2010 in

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RICHARD THOMPSON looked ahead to his return to Yate Town and said: “Bring it on.”

The Almondsbury Town boss will be back on his old stomping ground at Lodge Road on Bank Holiday Monday as he comes up against the club he managed for nine years for the first time since he was sacked 18 months ago.

Thompson led his hometown club from the Hellenic League to the Southern League Premier but was angry with the way he was axed when the side were battling against relegation in the 2008/09 season.

However, he insists his focus will be purely on earning three points for Almondsbury when he takes his position in the visiting dugout for a hotly anticipated local derby in Zamaretto Division One South & West.

“It’s probably going to be one of the weirdest feelings I’ve had in football and it’s probably going to be quite upsetting because there are reasons that I still don’t agree with as to why I was sacked at the club,” said Thompson.

“I think I’ve still got a lot of supporters there, but that is history now, I work for Almondsbury and whatever happens I’ll be going there to try and win a game of football like any other game.

“But it isn’t just another game, I know that, Yate know that and Almondsbury know that so let’s bring it on and go and play.”

Thompson won’t be the only man returning to his former club on Monday as several of his old Yate players have since joined him at Almondsbury.

Dean Griffiths, Scott Brice, Matt Beadle, Jason Wood, Joe White, Aaron Blakemore, Lee Jefferies, Michael Whittington, Lee Matthews and Marcus Mapstone all played for Yate in the season they were relegated from the Southern League Premier Division and Thompson believes they will go back with a point to prove.

He said: “They all got hurt by what happened for one reason or another.”

“Some people say those players got me the sack but at the same time those players got me promotion last year and those players at the moment are doing well so you stick by your players, hopefully they’ll stick by me and I’m sure they’ll be as up for it as I am.”

“Some got blamed for things but they were in the Southern Premier at the time on a very limited budget that had been cut that summer.

“Those players were all that I could bring in and those players possibly in the Southern Prem weren’t good enough. But what we are good enough for is the league we’re in now and we were certainly more than good enough for the Hellenic so maybe they’re going back and finding their level of football and maybe we can grow and progress.”

Before Almondsbury visit Yate, they will face Wessex Premier Division side Blackfield and Langley in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup on Saturday (3pm).

Thompson said: “John Gittens is the manager there, the ex-Southampton and Torquay centre-back, so they are going to be well set-up, well drilled, they’ve got nothing to lose, they’re at home and we’ve got to travel down there so we’re on a hiding to nothing.

“We will be expected to win so let’s hope we don’t disappoint.

“Every year it’s very important for clubs at our level to have an FA Cup run for finances.”

Blakemore could be available for the first time this season to face former club Yate, but Dave Anyinsah and Paul Chenoweth will miss out on a reunion through injury.

Almondsbury’s Ben Willshire and Yate’s Tom Warren will serve their one-match suspensions on Saturday and return for Monday’s derby.

Yate are away to Wessex League Division One side Ringwood in the FA Cup on Saturday.