The Final Outcome: Supporters Team of the Year, Bostik South Central Division

By Ian Townsend

Over the last few weeks we’ve been asking supporters from across the League to choose their Bostik First XI. Based on their votes, here’s our Supporters Team of the Year for the South Central Division.


The votes are in, and they’ve been counted, checked and checked again. They’ve created debate, as well as bringing praise and- occasionally- derision. They’ve seen some of our supporters greatly favour their own team, but they’ve also seen partisan views put to one side as people focus on choosing the best players even if they play for a local rival.

We’ve been a little fluid about the formations, mainly because you tended to favour centre-backs and sometimes struggled to draw a line between who was a midfielder and who was a forward. The players who feature are those who had the most votes- alter the formation in your head accordingly, as on this occasion we seem to be playing 4-3-3!

OK, here- just for fun- is the final outcome. We bring you our Supporters Team of the Year for the Bostik South Central Division.

Goalkeeper:

Simon Grant- Marlow.

Only our Champions, Hayes and Yeading United, conceded fewer goals than Marlow last season. A big part of that was keeper Simon Grant, who kept a colossal twenty clean sheets in all competitions as his side ended the season in fourth place before a narrow defeat in the Playoff Semi-Final left them disappointed.

Defence:

Toby Little- Hayes and Yeading United

If we’d started the season by predicting that a full back would score twenty three goals, we’d have had you questioning our sanity. Mind you, we’d have been questioning our own sanity, yet that’s exactly what Toby Little managed for Hayes and Yeading United. Given they also had the best defence in the Division he was pretty good at the back, too!

Ed Asafu-Adjaye- Hayes and Yeading United

Our second defender from the Skyex is Ed Asafu-Adjaye. Our champions managed nineteen clean sheets from Ed’s forty-nine appearances, and that can’t possibly be a coincidence! The former Luton Town and Hemel Hempstead Town centre-back joined Hayes last summer, and what a shrewd acquisition he turned out to be.

Joe Gater - Bracknell Town.

The Robins, more than any other side in the South Central Division, held on to Hayes’ coat tails for as long as possible last season. Whilst their free-scoring attack got plenty of attention as they ended the campaign in second place, their defence was often overlooked, and it shouldn’t have been because it was often exceptional- the foundation for their free-flowing forward play. Joe Gater turned out forty four times in the Bracknell backline, and his performances have been recognised by fans from clubs across the division. Perhaps his most memorable moment came at Marlow, when his side not only defeated what was then the best defence in the division, but his goal was not only his only goal of the season but the only goal of the match.

Taylor McKenzie- Cheshunt
The Ambers had a magnificent season, eventually ending it as Playoff Winners, and are now looking forward to a Bostik Premier Division campaign. Taylor McKenzie made forty three appearances in all competitions, and was a significant part of their success. It shouldn’t be forgotten that Cheshunt defeated each of their Playoff Rivals during the course of the season- some of them twice- and that their mean defence was an enormous part of that. Congratulations Taylor.

Midfielders:

Mark Hughes – Cheshunt

We stay with the Ambers for our first midfielder, and congratulate Mark Hughes. The Cheshunt captain joined the club from Bishop’s Stortford last summer, and turned out forty-five times in all competitions as his club not only won the Playoffs to earn promotion but also made it to the Semi-Finals of the Hertfordshire Cup, where National League Borehamwood got in the way. Mark had a magnificent season, and will undoubtedly be a force to reckon with in the Premier Division.

Joe Grant – Bracknell Town

Another Robin comes next, and it’s no surprise that it’s Joe Grant. Nineteen goals from midfield is an amazing achievement, and although we don’t have a record of his assists, we suspect he was rather prolific in that department, too. Perhaps his hat trick at Ashford Town might have been the highlight, but in truth it was a season of highlights for Joe and for the Robins.

Scott Donnelly – Hayes and Yeading Utd

We’ve run out of superlatives to describe Hayes and Yeading United, but Scott Donnelly deserves a collection all of his own. We were blessed with some magnificent number seven’s across the South Central last season- indeed we could probably have filled half a team with them- but Scott must be in the running to be the number one number seven, with twenty one goals across all competitions.

Forwards:

Kameron English – Marlow

Marlow’s website shows Kameron listed as a striker, but many of our supporters thought he was a winger so we came very close to placing him in midfield. In honesty on the occasions we watched him he was almost unplayable both up front and out wide, so perhaps he’s just not very good at following instructions? Kameron English, he plays where he wants! Kameron and his side had a super season, and his fifteen goals included a hat trick against Chipstead.

Liam Ferdinand- Bracknell Town

The Robins will find it very difficult to replace Ferdinand’s thirty seven goals in all competitions, but they’ll have to find a way as the striker has announced his departure- we’re not yet sure to where. He returned to Larges Lane last summer, and what a shrewd acquisition he turned out to be. Two hat tricks and an appearance for an FA Representative XI in the Falkland Islands were perhaps the highlights of his campaign, but there were many highlights, even though the Robins fell short in the Playoff Final.

Jason Hallett- Cheshunt

Perhaps if Jason Hallett hadn’t had an injury-hit season the Ambers might have even managed to challenge Hayes? Nineteen goals from only twenty eight starts demonstrates just how potent the Cheshunt hitman can be, and Craig Edwards will be confident that he can have a similar impact in the Premier Division. With twenty five goals for a then-struggling side the season before, and twenty nine in 2016/17, Bostik top-flight defences should be afraid. Indeed, they should be very afraid!

Thanks for all of your votes. We hope you enjoyed reading the Teams of the Year submitted by our supporters, and we’ll be back with our Supporters Predictions for the forthcoming season in July!

Where next?

The Final Outcome: Supporters Team of the Year, Bostik South East Division Over the last few weeks we’ve been asking supporters from across the League to choose their Bostik First XI. Based on their votes, here’s our Supporters Team of the Year for the South East Division.
The Final Outcome: Supporters Team of the Year, Bostik North Division Over the last few weeks we’ve been asking supporters from across the League to choose their Bostik First XI. Based on their votes, here’s our Supporters Team of the Year for the North Division.

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