New defender

Vanarama National League South club Bath City have signed experienced defender Matthew Taylor, who was released by Sky Bet League Two side Newport County last week.

He signed for Newport in July 2015 after the 34-year-old centre-half had been released by Cheltenham Town.

An experienced defender, Taylor has previously turned out for Charlton Athletic, Exeter City, Cheltenham and Bradford City in the Football League after spells in non-League football with the likes of Burscough, Rossendale United, Matlock Town, Hucknall Town, Halifax Town and Guiseley AFC.

He made his debut for County as a late substitute in a 1-0 victory away at Carlisle United towards the end of September.

But he made just four other appearances for the club, the most recent coming in the Emirates FA Cup home tie against Blackburn Rovers.

However, in total, he has more than 200 Football League appearances under his belt.


Just what we need I think.

good move as he can also cover for goalie

Goodbye Ben Adelsbury me thinks....

This is great news. An experienced centre back plus the battling young midfielder.

Owers starting to make an impact........hoping/expecting it to follow through in performances.

The old problem of 'international' clearance is apparently in the way!

Hope he does all-right for you. Can't really say much about his performances whilst at Newport as he only started twice in the 6 months he was here (we've had more managers than he had starts in the same period!).

Terry Butcher brought him in as an experienced central defender and potential captain, but he picked up an injury in pre-season and didn't start a match until the beginning of October. Played in two matches but then successive managers seemed reluctant to play him even when there were injuries to other central defenders - for some reason preferring to use inexperienced youngsters and loan signings.

On more than one occasion when he was on the bench and there was an injury to a defender, a midfielder was used as a replacement when the obvious choice appeared to be Taylor. Not sure why.

More details on his arrival on the website now.

Taylor in player coach role and John Freegard leaving, changing times indeed. Cant help thinking that Jimmer's role must be questionable.

yuffie wrote:More details on his arrival on the website now.

Where

Sorry Simon,
I have found it in the Players section.
Just a photo though

Thought it may have been news

For Sacha and anyone else "lost" - http://www.bathcityfc.com/news14.htm - his bio is on wiki, can you find the correct one?

Which current centre back will he partner with then?
Baten
Ball
Coupe

Has the horse arrived from Cardiff yet with the vellum? ?

Roman Mike wrote:Which current centre back will he partner with then?
Baten
Ball
Coupe

Well it won't be Coupe as he has retired. Presumably it will be Batten until Ball is fully fit, but I guess the loanee will leave when 3 months are up or earlier.

Luton Roman wrote:Has the horse arrived from Cardiff yet with the vellum? ?

The delay is not to do with international clearance, that was sorted out fairly quickly. Apparently, FIFA consider Newport County to be "professional" and City to be "amateur", and a player, when joining an "amateur" club from a "professional" club cannot play for them until at least thirty days after their last game for the professional club. Taylor's last appearance for Newport was as an injury time substitute away to York on January 16th, so he wouldn't be able to play for City until February 15th (today). However, he has been an un used substitute for Newport on the following two Saturdays, and if those count (I don't know whether or not they do), I assume he wouldn't be able to play until March.

What on earth would we do without FIFA?

presumably after a month he will have forgotten all that nasty professionalism and not taint our pure amateur ethos.

More a case of FFS than FIFA!

Interesting article in the Non-League Daily....Batten has gone so looks like another loanee centre half is on the cards...lets hope the Gaffer can use his connections to bring in someone half decent. Sorry, don't know how to make it a hyperlink!

http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/top-stories/safety-first-for-new-romans-boss-owers.html

I saw him wave at the end of Saturday's game so feared that might have been it. A shame, he has done well.