Profiles
Below are the profiles of the CUFC squad. Written by the manager Chris Allum
Name: Andy ‘Ronner’ Allum
Age: 27
Position: Centre Forward
Previous Clubs: AFC Wallingford ‘A’, Crowmarsh Gifford, AFC Cholsey.
Comments:
Ronner was our top goal scorer last season also scoring the most amount of goals in UTVL Division 3b. He has re-signed for the club this season but in a major blow to us has decided to only play Saturday football this season! He has agreed to help us out if we are ever short. He is quick, strong and his work rate is second to none and when he hits a ball it stays hit (mostly towards the back of the net though his finishing has been known to be a bit wayward at times!).
Name:Chris Allum
Age: 30
Position: Centre Half or Centre Forward
Previous Clubs: AFC Wallingford, Didcot Town, Harwell International, Crowmarsh Gifford, Chequers/AFC Cholsey, Crowmarsh Sunday.
Comments:
The Player Gaffer has a wealth of experience in both playing and managing teams in the local area. Chris started his career as a forward for AFC Wallingford, playing in the Combined Counties league before his career took a decline into the North Berks leagues where from his mid twenties he adapted his game into a ball playing centre half. Now entering the twilight of his playing career and still a main stay of our rock solid defence last season. His hunger for results and trophies has not dwindled at all this season!
Name: Brad Chalmers
Age: 23
Position: Centre Half or Centre Midfield
Previous Clubs: AFC Wallingford, Milton Utd, Kidlington, AFC Crowmarsh.
Comments:
Thankfully Bradders has recovered well from his bad knee injury that kept him out for the majority of last season. He will again be concentrating on his Saturday football in the Hellenic league but has signed for us to help out when needed. Brad has many strengths which include a great first touch, composure on the ball, aerial ability, good distribution and an eye for goal.
Name: Sean Clark
Age: 22
Position: Full back or Wide Midfield
Previous Clubs: Wallingford Keys & Dorchester United.
Comments:
Sean signed for us towards the back end of last season but due to him being cup-tied and the success of the squad he did not start playing until this pre-season. Sean’s small figure lends him to being a full back and this is where he has excelled at the start of the season. Sean is comfortable on the ball, always looks to retain possession with an easy pass and reads the game very well.
Name: Adam 'Maicon' Curtis
Age: 29
Position: Centre Midfield, Right Midfield or Right Back.
Previous Clubs: Unknown.
Comments:
Adam was part of our successful squad last season and became a versatile squad man for us. Injury has meant that Adam’s season has got off to a stuttered start but once fit again, we are sure that he will attempt to force his way back into the squad. Adam has good fitness (he loves the gym – and dropping weights!) and he loves a marauding ‘Maicon’ type run from full back. He always shows great passion and determination when he is on the pitch.
Name: Martin ‘Daws’ Dawson
Age: 22
Position: Wide Midfield or Forward
Previous Clubs: Wallingford Wanderers.
Comments:
Martin joined the club late in 2010 after only playing midweek small sided games on the Astro at The Hithercroft. What a find he has been though! He terrifies defenders with his exceptional pace, quick feet and trickery. He is a really talented player who with the right coaching could easily play at a higher level and he also chips in with a few goals. If only we could get him to speak at all…………
Name: Dave ‘The Officer’ Dewey
Age: 31
Position: Left Back or Centre Half
Previous Clubs: AFC Wallingford ‘A’, Chequers/AFC Cholsey.
Comments:
The previous Club Secretary and current Webmaster may have thought that his football days were over after a number of years away from playing. He had a serious knee ligament injury some years ago, however into our second season back and he’s still donning those boots and legendary ankle tags! A great person to have involved, who does so much for the club and always has the camera on hand to catch those classic moments!
Name: Lee Dickson
Age: 29
Position: Forward or Right Midfield
Previous Clubs: AFC Cholsey, Goring United (Saturday & Sunday).
Comments:
Lee is a relation of the Franklin boys and joined us at the beginning of this season with a view to getting involved and helping us out as and when we need him. Lee is very enthusiastic, and a great team player who has a good eye for goal.
Name: Paolo ‘Poppa’ Di Pasquale
Age: 26
Position: Centre Midfield
Previous Clubs: AFC Wallingford.
Comments:
Paolo rather out of the blue returned to the club this season which has been a massive bonus for us as we didn’t expect to get him. He has many qualities in the middle of the park, which include a great first touch, awareness and movement. Paolo has started this season on top of his game for us and has shown a lot of grace in the midfield and knits the team together with his silky passes. What great commitment from the lad travelling from Reading every week too!
Name: Richard 'Eyresy' Eyres
Age: 29
Position: Right Back, Centre Half or Centre Midfield
Previous Clubs: AFC Wallingford 'A', Benson, Harwell International, The Cross Keys.
Comments:
The club's vice captain Eyresy has been with the club over a decade now (must be due a testimonial!) and is a true villager. He is beginning to struggle with injuries in his older age but on his day you will see him flying up and down the right flank and he also loves a tackle! Eyresy is a great lad to have around, shows great passion on the pitch and some quality tourettes on and off it!
Name: Mikey Fellows
Age: 26
Position: Full Back, Wide Midfield or Forward
Previous Clubs: AFC Wallingford, Carterton, Crowmarsh Gifford.
Comments:
Mikey has signed for Cholsey this season but again his appearances will be restricted as he is based near Lincoln in the RAF. Mikey is a quick and lively wide midfield player that has previously played at a high standard at AFC Wallingford. One of Mikey’s greatest talents is his versatility which allows him to when called upon; help us out in a number of positions.
Name:Carl ‘Fish’ Fisher
Age: 39
Position: Centre Back or Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs: AFC Wallingford, Watlington, Fairmile, AFC Benson, Didcot Town Reserves, The Norman Knight, The Dolphin, AFC Crowmarsh and probably many others!
Comments:
Fish is a local footballing legend that is still defying his age and playing in the Hellenic league on a Saturday. He again signed for us this season with the intention of helping us out when needed as struggles to commit to Sunday football. However after a number of injuries (mainly to the Player Gaffer!), he has already made several appearances this season at centre half. Fish is a great character to have involved that always gives 110%, he reads the game well and is an excellent tackler in the heart of defence.
Name:Alex ‘Fletch’ Fletcher
Age: 22
Position: Midfielder or Forward
Previous Clubs: Goring United & Goring Sunday
Comments:
Fletch joined us in November 2011 after high recommendation from the Franklin boys who play with him on a Saturday at Goring. He says his favoured position is just off the front line and we have already seen that he drops deep and links play well, he has a good touch and has a knack of finding space. However we have deployed him as a Striker due to a lack of options up top and he hasn’t disappointed with 10 goals in his first 6 appearances for us. Fletch is a good age and hopefully the start of a new breed of young players at the club.
Name: Dan Franklin
Age: 27
Position: Left back.
Previous Clubs: Goring United & Crowmarsh Sunday.
Comments:
Dan was last years Mr Consistent in a solid back four and quite rightly picked up the ‘Players Player of the Season award. Since our reform, Dan has been one of our best signings and has been pretty much an ever-present in defence for us. He has a wand of a left foot; excellent positioning and is really comfortable on the ball. We have seen him develop a great partnership with Martin down the left flank and between them are pretty much unplayable.
Name: Matt ‘Smasher’ Franklin
Age: 25
Position: Centre Back.
Previous Clubs: Goring Utd (Saturday and Sunday).
Comments:
Matt joined the club part way through last season, when we were desperate to sign another centre half and has proven to be a quality signing. Matt is strong in the tackle, good in the air and for a big lad is comfortable with the ball at his feet (loves a one two with his bro!). Matt like his brother could quite easily play at a higher level and is a key part of our defence, forming a great centre back pairing with the Player Gaffer.
Name:Carl ‘Flash’ Gordon
Age: 26
Position: Full back or Centre Half.
Previous Clubs: AFC Wallingford, Crowmarsh Gifford, Cross Keys Wallingford.
Comments:
‘Will he or won’t he’ Flash has signed again for the club this season but the question is will we see him back in a Cholsey shirt!?! Flash got injured pre-season and is still struggling with the injury now. When fit, Flash is Mr Consistent and rarely has a bad game, he keeps things simple on the ball, is good positionally and reads the game well.
Name:Jon ‘Gren’ Greenough
Age: 27
Position: Goalkeeper.
Previous Clubs:Harwell International.
Comments:
Gren joined us part way through last season, through the Player Gaffer’s Harwell links. He was a much needed addition to the squad as we required a new regular goalie. Gren has been a great signing and has slotted into our solid defensive unit well. He is an excellent shot stopper and all round good goalie that rarely makes a mistake. Gren is also a great crack and a good lad to have involved at the club.
Name: James ‘Moldey Old’ Ham
Age: 34
Position: Left Midfield or Centre Forward
Previous Clubs: AFC Wallingford ‘A’, Crowmarsh Gifford, Chequers/AFC Cholsey, Crowmarsh Sunday.
Comments:
Hammy is the new Assistant Manager and another of the CUFC old guard that is now into the twilight of their career. Hammy is a great bloke to have in the club, loves the sound of his own voice (eh compare!) and the club hope to draw on his previous management experience particularly if the gaffer is still out there playing. On his day Hammy has a great left foot, which can deliver pinpoint crosses or score from any angle. Not on his day Hammy can be………
Name:Phil ‘The Wooks’ Hedges
Age: 26
Position: Attacking Midfielder or Striker
Previous Clubs: AFC Wallingford, Crowmarsh Gifford, Crowmarsh Sunday, Cross Keys Wallingford.
Comments:
Phil joined us in December 2011 after the Cross Keys had folded. His signing came at a great time for us as we are still searching to replace Andy’s goals and Phil is a proven goal scorer. He holds the ball up well, looks to get behind defences and his pace and work rate scare the hell out of people. Phil is a class act that has regularly scored goals in North Berks Division 1 on a Saturday plus also banging them in on a Sunday through all leagues he has played in. He has been carrying a groin injury for sometime now so his appearances on a Sunday may be limited but hopefully once he get’s the bug he will be able to ignore the pain and be a real asset in our quest for trophies!
Name:Antony ‘Hilly’ Hill
Age: 39
Position: Full back or Centre Half
Previous Clubs: AFC Wallingford and Didcot Town.
Comments:
It’s great to have Hilly signed on for us again this season, the way he still get’s about the defence you would think he was 10 years younger than he is! We know that Hilly cannot commit regularly to Sunday football but if we can draw on his vast experience when required then that’s good enough for us. He’s a great lad that and when playing is always fully committed, is an exceptional reader of the game and never gives the ball away out of defence.
Name: Matt ‘Leachy’ Leach
Age: 35
Position: Centre Forward
Previous Clubs:Dorchester, Blewbury, Long Crendon, AFC Wallingford, Benson, Thame United, Thame Sunday Social Club.
Comments:
Leachy is now officially a veteran but shows no signs of easing up on his football (in fact he now plays more as plays for Didcot Town Vets on a Wednesday too!). He has regularly banged the goals in wherever he has been over the years. Matty has a stinging shot on him, which will see him score goals from all angles. Matt is also a bit of a managers nightmare as his will to win and score goals sometimes means he can overstep the mark with his fiery temper!
Name: Michael ‘Gibbo’ Littleworth
Age: 20
Position: Centre Forward
Previous Clubs: Warborough & Didcot Town Reserves, Radley, Harwell International & AFC Wallingford.
Comments:
Gibbo started last pre-season on fire and looked to be odds on to lead our frontline last season, however work, injury and alcohol meant that he didn’t quite manage to hold down a regular place. It’s testament to Gibbo that he is the last remaining survivor of the young lads that joined us last season and is committed this season to nailing down a place in starting 11. Gibbo has great movement and works really hard up top; he has an eye for goal which has seen him start well this season but currently he has been pegged back again by injury!
Name: Jamie 'Butlins' Martin
Age: 34
Position: Midfield or Centre Forward
Previous Clubs: AFC Wallingford, Benson.
Comments:
Jamie had an up and down season last time out, at times he was unplayable and chipped in with over double figures in goals but also went missing in some games when we really needed him. Though Jamie is approaching the latter years of his playing days, he is still a key player in the squad who we will be looking for more consistency from this season with his excellent touch and eye for goal.
Name:Jamie ‘Newps’ Newport
Age: 30
Position: Midfield or Centre Forward
Previous Clubs: Didcot Town, Didcot Casuals, AFC Wallingford, Milton United, Harwell Village, AFC Crowmarsh, Checkendon and probably several others!
Comments:
Jamie joined us pre-season after looking for a return to Sunday football and where better to play on a Sunday than Cholsey United! Newps is a threat to any opposition and his ability to beat players, deliver quality crosses from wide areas and also score goals, means that he is a real handful for any defender. Newps is another one of our players that has reached his thirties; he’s been a bit of a journeyman and has had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus but most of his clubs have been Hellenic standard which says a lot about this lad’s quality. He went AWOL earlier on in the season much to the gaffer’s annoyance but has now hopefully come back raring to win games for this club!
Name: Clive Perryman
Age: 34
Position: Defence or Midfield
Previous Clubs: Benson & South Stoke.
Comments:
Clive signed for us at the start of last season with a view to helping us out when required; it strange how things work out because Clive was a revelation for us last season and barely missed a game! Clive picked up the managers Player of the Year award and was one of our stand out players with his box to box energy, competitiveness and the excellent number of goals from midfield. Clive has proven to be an excellent addition to the squad and is a very fit lad that combines sitting to protect the back four with getting forward to score important goals.
Name:James ‘Purdie’ Purdue
Age: 24
Position: Centre or Wide Midfield
Previous Clubs: AFC Wallingford & Wallingford Keys
Comments:
Purdie like Sean joined us half way through last season but only started to play this pre-season. He has proven to be an excellent signing who can play in a variety of positions across the midfield (and I'm also told in defence!). Purdie has an excellent touch, great engine in midfield and also strikes a good ball. He has recently started a new job with Brentford FC which means that his appearances on a Sunday are likely to be limited, which is a big blow for us.
Name: Tito ‘The Spaniard’ Rodriguez
Age: 39..... still?
Position: Centre Midfield or Forward
Previous Clubs: Benson, AFC Wallingford, The Dolphin.
Comments:
What can you say about Tito that hasn’t already been said, the man is a real CUFC club legend who has been playing for the club for the best part of 20 years now! His never say die attitude is an inspiration to his team mates and meant that he was instrumental in us collecting ‘silverware’ last season. This season will see him play past his 40th birthday and hopefully his distinguished career in local football will continue for a few more years yet as he is still the focal point of the team.
