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| Front Left to Right - Tony Hall(First team manager), Colin Grogan (First team Asst.manager/Coach) Nick "Safe" Hunt (Goalkeeping coach) |
Paul Skingley - Director of Football/1st team coach (far left of photo): Paul started off with Colchester Utd from the age of 13 to 17. From there he went to Brantham under the management of Stan Box but left the next season to play for Ransomes, where under Brian O’Reilly they finished runners-up and had a good FA Vase run. On returning to Brantham broke his leg away to Newmarket at the age of 19 and was out of action for over a season. Came back to play for Felixstowe, getting to the Premier Cup final before losing 2-1 to Sudbury. Won the Border League with Jim Warnes and returned to Brantham under Gale Rush but broke his leg a second time, this time in a pre-season friendly for his works team. Paul took his coaching badge and managed BS Fonnereau Reserves, finishing 6th and 3rd in his two seasons with them. Paul left to take East Bergholt, who was at that time a Division Two bottom team. Managed to gain successive promotions to senior football for the first time in their history. They finished 12th, 6th, 5th, 3rd and 2nd, plus two Omnico cup finals in next five seasons. Paul gave up managing on the birth of his twin daughters, Katie and Chloe, but went onto take his UEFA B badge (with a certain Colin Grogan). Paul coached at Whitton before moving onto Needham Market, where they enjoyed Ridgeons Premier Football for the first time in their history. Next stop was AFC Sudbury, where they reached the play-offs, losing on penalty kicks in the final first season and losing out after extra time on the second occasion the semi-final.
Tony Hall - First team manager (2nd from right in photo): Back in the late 70's as a teenager in Newcastle Bobby Robson knocked on Tony's door and signed him as a youth team player for Ipswich Town. Tony left Ipswich to play for Huddersfield before moving to non-league football and played for various clubs – Hendon, Chelmsford City, Bury Town, Harwich, Cornard United and Brantham Athletic. Tony managed Bury Town, Braintree and Harwich before spending some very successful season with East Bergholt, guiding them to three successive SIL Senior Division championships. Tony then made the short journey over to join Brantham and said that he would have the team playing Ridgeon’s League football within a three year frame, and Tony did just that, but he made it happen in just two seasons. Tony’s experience at every level of football, including the professional level, has been invaluable to the club and there is no doubt that a lot of other clubs would love to have Tony at the helm for them.
Colin Grogan - First team assistant manager (1st right in photo): Colin’s early senior footballing days were played in his home town of Hereford with a mixture of his mates, SAS soldiers (always useful to have on your side) and some of the legends of Hereford United, Colin Addison and john Layton. Colin moved to Suffolk in 1989 and joined Shotley Rose on a Sunday and Woolverstone United on Saturdays. In 1996 he took his first step into management taking on Shotley Rangers under 8’s and he was with them until the under 15’s. Colin joined Brantham as a player before moving down the road to East Bergholt in 1999/2000 under the guidance of Paul Skingley. He then moved further down the road to Capel to join up with Mark Horsfall, who had been his manager at Brantham. After one season he returned to East Bergholt under Ian Gedny and Tony Hall as a player before taking up the role as coach-player. Colin won three SIL title in succession and the Omnico Cup in 2003/4 (happy days!). He returned to Brantham as the under 18’s manager and remained in the position until taking up the role of first team coach for the 2008/09 season. Colin says ‘as first team coach I have been delighted with the season so far and feel that the club’s faith in bringing young players into the side has been handsomely rewarded. Consolidation in this league must have been the target when we started this season however; the players have gone beyond certainly my expectations by maintaining a top half of the table slot. The challenge for the rest of the season will be to learn from decent defeats and take these lessons into our remaining games. Colin believes that the experience gained this season will put the club in a fantastic challenge to make a realistic challenge next season.
Sam Gedny - Club Sports Injury Therapist (not in club photo.) Sam started off with East Bergholt United with Tony Hall in 2005. Sam,and at that time, was training in Sports Injury Therapy and qualified in 2006. Sam has been with Brantham Athletic for the last three years and is now ready to start her fourth year with the Brantham club.Sam also qualified in sports massage in 2007 and in the same year completed her FA level 1 coaching badge, this being done at ipswich Town FC. Sam is also a sports first aider. Sam used to play netball a lot, but not so much now because football takes up most of her time, but she does not mind because she loves her football. Sam is a Man Utd fan (for her sins she says, but you must put the blame for that one on her family!). I know that everybody appreciates what a great job Sam does for the club and long may it continue.
Nick "Safe" Hunt -(Goalkeeping coach) -Nick spent 11 years as the first team goalkeeper at Capel Plough (Suffolk and Ipswich League Senior Division) before retiring at the end of the 2010 season, the season we happen to batter an up and coming Brantham side in the Suffolk Senior Cup- buit we don't like to mention that!!). I signed for the Brantham vets team in 2010 and also did my first bit of coaching that year with the under 14's at Capel. In 2011 I was askedto help out with some coaching at Hadleigh with their youth goalkeepers and, despite an absolute howler in my last game of the 2010-11 season with gthe Veterans Colin Grogan asked me if I would be interested in coaching the Brantham goalkeepers for 2011-2012. I still help out the Hadleigh under 9 team, coaching their goalkeepers and continue to work with "Rigger (Ryan Bedingfield). I am currently going through the process of getting my FA badges, having completed Level 1 and Level One goalkeeping I am due to complete my level Two this year.
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| Front Left to Right - Nathan Burrell (Reserve Team Assistant Manager) Allen Merchant ( Reserve Team Manager) |
Allan Merchant ( Reserve team manager)-Brantham Athletic have a top class team in charge of the Reserve team in Allan Merchant and Nathan Burrell. Allan "Merch" Merchant has been in charge of the reserves for the last four seasons and the team has progressed every single year that "Merch" and Nathan have been in charge. Allan learnt his trade as a manager from Paul Crouch, a man who has been there and done it all, also from Paul Bugg for his personality in the game and from Paul "Skins" Skingley with his man management and coaching skills.
Allan will be the first to tell you that the reserve team is a joint effort between Allan and the superb Nathan Burrell at his side, they work hard with the players to play flowing football from the back, with desire and determination. but most of all to ENJOY THE GAME.
