IN: Well, I’m delighted to welcome back to the Toolstation Western League podcast, Tom Smith, the manager of Welton Rovers. Tom, an opening day win, you must be happy with that and a late winner. So, does that bode well for the rest of the season?

TS: Yeah, it does. I think it’s very similar to the start we had last year to be honest, we had a slight encounter with Portishead last year, ended up getting a late winner, and it ended up driving our season on really. I think, to be honest, our performance on Saturday was more convincing against a really good Odd Down team to be fair, they’ve done a good job to put a really good strong team there. So, it was good, it was a really good performance, played exceptionally well and hopefully it will boot us on and we’ll go have another great start to the season hopefully.

IN: Now going into Saturday’s game, I know you’d had a very good pre-season, but that doesn’t always count for anything when we actually get into get into league action. I mean, were you happy with the preparations going into Saturday’s game?

TS: I was happy with the structure and preparation, I think myself and Will knew where the squad was, knew where individuals were. There was still a couple that had had a very bit part pre-season, you know lockdowns, Covid, there were other things; holidays, people being able to go back on holidays and things like that. So yeah, it was a little bit part but we were happy individually with where we were.

Like you said, we had a very good pre-season. We won every game, but last season, we didn’t win a single one and then went on to be unbeaten. So no, it isn’t a true reflection, pre-season, but we are very happy with the results and the way that the matches went pre-season, and luckily it fell into place for us on Saturday as well.

IN: Now, you mentioned your good form of last season, and I think for a lot of people that will put you on the radar this season. Does that worry you?

TS: No, not at all. I think a club like Welton and the infrastructure we’ve got and the hard work that goes on behind the scenes with Gareth and Dave and Malcolm and everyone else there, I think we deserve to be a team that’s competing in this league. I think, personally, we are a club that should be sustainable in the Prem. And you know, that’s where I’d like us to be eventually, however long that takes. But no, definitely I think we will thrive under the pressure, I think we’ve got some really, really switched on lads who, at the end of the day, want to be competing at the top. To keep the best team together that you possibly can, you need to make sure that the players are driven, and the easiest way to do that is to make sure they’re competing for something. I think we’ve got the team to do it, it’s gonna be a long, hard season and as cheesy as it sounds, everyone in first division could beat everyone. But no, we want to be up there and we want to be competing, we want to test ourselves as much as we possibly can.

IN: So, looking at the playing side, then, do you think your side is stronger this season than last season?

TS: Yeah, definitely. I mean, we lost a couple of really, really big players for us. Great, really, because they’ve gone up to play a higher level, which is fantastic and I think when you’re at the top that does tend to happen but when me and Will came into it, you know, we’re doing it for the love of the game and we want people, if they’re playing well, to push on and play at a higher level. In answer to your question, the people we brought in, the replacements if you like, are fantastic and I feel that our squad, on a whole, is in a stronger place than we were last year.

IN: So, going back to Saturday’s game, you were up against a familiar foe and your former manager Nick Beaverstock. Now, I know that Nick is very well thought of at Welton, so did that add an extra spice to Saturday’s game?

TS: Maybe for myself, personally a little bit, yes. But to be honest with you, the second that whistle went it was all focus on our team and how to win the game. It’s always nice to see Nick again, as you said Nick was my manager for many years. So yeah, it was a little bit of a surreal experience to be in the dugout, ten yards from him, but it was something that I really, really enjoyed and hopefully I get to do quite a few more times.

IN: Now, the funny thing about Saturday’s game is that, obviously, that was the start of your league campaign. But you actually had a little bit more pre-season action on the Sunday, didn’t you? You were finishing off your pre-season preparation programmes and you did it with a cup win.

TS: We did, yes. So, we were entered in the 50th anniversary of the Fry Cup. The Fry Cup, for anyone that was around Bristol and close to that area, it’s been a cup that’s been going for many years. It was a very, very prestigious cup at one point, a tournament if you like, but yeah, it was really good and it gave us an opportunity to have a look at some of the players that are trying to force their way into the squad. Some trying to force their way into the starting eleven, and I said to the boys at the start of pre-season, once we got accepted into the cup, or once we were invited into the cup, it would be great to try and get some silverware before the start of the season. As it turns out, it was the day after the first game but that’s irrelevant now, it was a really good day out for the club. Played against a really good Mendip Broadwalk side in the finals and it was a great day out and it was good for the players to get that winning feeling. And hopefully practice lifting some silverware for whenever that does happen!

IN: Well, looking ahead to the rest of the season, the last time we spoke, obviously Covid was the sort of the spectre at the feast, and we never really got a chance last season to talk about the weather. I mean, when you look ahead of where we are today, what are your big concerns about this current season?

TS: I think the primary concern fpr everyone is the Covid. Hopefully, that stays away. To be honest, with the weather, I’ve been involved with Western League football for a long time now, 12-13 years and although there have been a couple of extended seasons, usually we can work our way around it. So, I hope the weather doesn’t play too big a part. I was listening to the fixture secretary on your podcast last week, and you said about trying to organise games when, you know, if there’s a game called off one week, try and fill up an empty slot you’ve got. So I think, you know, I think the league are pretty hot on it this year and I think it is going to be an unusual situation, there’s going to be people fulfilling last minute fixtures and there’s going to be last minute changes. But I think all clubs and everyone involved have to do their bit to try and make sure the season is completed because a lot of time and a lot of effort goes in from everyone involved, and it would be nice to have a season that we can actually reflect on without it being null and void or ended early, if you like.

IN: Yes, I couldn’t agree with you more on that one. I mean, one final question, if we look at your fixtures coming up, you’ve got Longwell Green at home in the week, and then it’s Bishop’s Lydeard on Saturday. Now, it’s very early in the season, we don’t know, obviously, a great deal about the strength of a lot of sides yet, we haven’t really got much of a form book to work from in the First Division. And I think you’re right, when you say traditionally, you know, anybody has been able to be anybody in the Toolstation Western League First Division, but I mean, given your aspirations to be towards the top of the table, should we say, are you looking at both of these matches as ones where you should be taking points?

TS: Definitely, I think we look at every match like that but I do think it’s hard to evaluate which teams you definitely shouldn’t be dropping points to and which teams you should be definitely beating at this stage of the season. Like you said, there’s so many new names, so many new faces at each club. I think in a month’s time everyone will have a slightly better idea of where everyone is. We try and do our bit, do our research to find out who’s got who and what’s the best way to beat them, as I’m sure every Western League manager does. But at the minute it’s just about turning up and, you know, we believe that if we turn up in the right frame of mind and give the performances we know we can, there’s no one that we fear in the league. We respect all, but we don’t fear any of them and yeah, we’re looking forward to hopefully having a really good season.

IN: I mean, from a manager’s point of view, does that mean that these sort of early months, certainly the early weeks of the season, you really set up your team around your own strengths, rather than having the opportunity to go and watch other sides and perhaps assess how they play and assess how you might beat them.

TS: Yeah, definitely. I think it’s important that you build a squad that’s versatile and a squad that can play in different formations against different teams and different

opponents but yeah, you’ve got to build the squad that you’re happy with and that you feel like can compete with other people around the park. I think that’s what you’ve got to do, to be honest, in the first few weeks and then like you said, as you get to go and watch games, you can slightly tweak things and tweak things against different oppositions to try and give yourself the advantage.

IN: I mean, did you have a feel, when you had a look down the fixture list this season, which sides would be there or there abouts? Is there anybody you think we should be keeping our eye on?

TS: I think it’s a pretty open board, I think with Corsham, Calne, Blackwell, we are moving up out of our league. I think it opens the door for many clubs. We spoke early last season and I think I said to you, ’I think there’s 16 clubs that could compete.’ I don’t think it’s a lot different this year, I think it’s a little bit more difficult with newcomers coming into the league, like AEK Boko, I think they’re exciting, get a good following. Tytherington Rocks got a great result away at Cheddar for the first day of the season. And then you’ve got the likes of Warminster, Wincanton and Wells, Radstock that are always competing near the top and I think it’s going to make it a really, really exciting season this year.

IN: Tom, thank you very much for kicking off our First Division coverage on the podcast this season, congratulations again on that win and it will be really interesting to see how well you keep up your form and I look forward to catching up with you later in the season.

TS: No problem at all Ian, anytime.

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