Re: Ex Romans' Thread

[comrade powell]

Jason Pope signs for Weston.

As Tom Smith came on as a sub for Saturday’s 5-0 win at Wealdstone I wonder if a twelve goal swing is some kind of record for consecutive appearances at a ground.

[Luton Roman]

Jason Pope signs for Weston.

As Tom Smith came on as a sub for Saturday’s 5-0 win at Wealdstone I wonder if a twelve goal swing is some kind of record for consecutive appearances at a ground.

Thinking City at Cheltenham in 77/78, 7-1 defeat and 6-0 win?

[comrade powell]

Of course, how could I have forgotten that?!

[stillmanjunior]

Jason Pope signs for Weston.

I interviewed Pope for the Chron just before he was released and when we didn’t know if the season would carry on. A nice guy, hope he does well back there:

As a full-time NHS worker, Jason Pope does well to fit in part-time football.
The 25-year-old qualified with a First Class honours degree last year in Physiotherapy after three years at Cardiff University.
He’s now employed as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist for the Somerset NHS Foundation, dividing his time between Wellington and Chard Community Hospitals.
“A load of people are saying how bored they are being furloughed and I’ve never been busier,” said Pope, who regularly works 8am-4.30pm five days a week alongside training and playing for Bath City.
“It’s quite a full-on course in the UK. Everywhere else in the world a physio degree is four years.
“Some of my mates were doing 6-8 hours a week at university, but even in my first year I was in 9-5 most days, juggling it alongside playing for Weston or Hereford.
“It’s the busiest I’ve ever been but I feel like I’m managing it quite well now with football.”
Pope re-did his A-levels after being released by Exeter in 2016, receiving top marks in biology and psychology at Exeter College to earn a place at Cardiff University.
He relocated back to his native Devon following the first national lockdown when Hereford’s season was curtailed. Although physically based in two hospitals, the pandemic has altered the newly qualified physiotherapist’s working methods.
“Our first appointments are largely virtual, you can deal with a lot of them over the phone,” said Pope. “You’re telling people how they can help themselves.
“A lot of people aren’t going to their GP – they don’t want to bother them because of the way the world is so we’re getting some calling where we simply can’t help them over the phone.
“It’s probably only about 20% of cases where I’m dealing with people face-to-face. At our places we have cubicles with curtains rather than separate rooms, and we aren’t allowed to have more than one patient in at a time, there are usually three or four physios at our clinics.
“It’s saved for people who aren’t the best at describing their injuries or cases which are more urgent.
“We speak to people from all over Somerset. You end up looking into someone else’s diary and in contrast I get patients I haven’t spoken to. It’s a lot of handover.”
It’s a role which requires versatility, similar to Pope’s footballing career.
Having been part of Exeter City’s youth setup since he was eight years old, Pope has largely been utilised in central midfield or defence but did a stint at full-back at Weston-super-Mare, who he made over 100 appearances for between 2015-2019.
He shone at right-back in Bath City’s last outing, a 2-1 win over Havant & Waterlooville a month ago.
“I thought I’d be right back for four or five games at Weston, but it turned into about 55 as I did well,” Pope said. “I’ve played in a lot of positions throughout my career so it wasn’t too unfamiliar for me playing there for Bath.”
The Cullompton-based player has been impressed by some of those playing further up the field this season, singling out striker Tommy Conway for praise.
“In my career I’ve not seen a striker at 18 years old as good as Tommy is,” he said. “He works hard. He keeps it simple, gets out wide, gets in the box. He’s a great finisher, so effective. What more do you want from a striker?
“We’ve got some good forward players at the club now. It looks promising. Alex Fletcher has already shown his quality, I thought he was class against Havant, especially considering he hadn’t played for a long time. He looks bright and sharp.
“With those two, Donovan Wilson and Tom Smith it’s not bad at all.”
The former Hereford man knows about attacking players, having been part of an Exeter academy side that included striker Ollie Watkins, now flourishing at Aston Villa. Watkins was used in midfield at Exeter alongside Ryan Harley, who joined Bath at the same time as Pope last summer.
“I’ve known Ollie all the way through football,” said Pope, who is three months Watkins’ senior. “He played a few games for my under 10s team when my dad was manager.
“It’s crazy to see the progression he’s made. We used to take the mick out of him because he had the worst attention span ever – he couldn’t concentrate. He was in a world of his own when the manager would explain drills in under 12s/13s and he ended up being released.
“He was more switched on when he came back a year later and clearly he still is.
“I still speak to him. I don’t think he’s far off that England call-up which I know he’s after. He’s doing really well at a massive club in Villa but it wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up at one of the classic big four teams.
“Ethan Ampadu was training with us when he was 12 years old. He ended up having every club in the world wanting to sign him, I know Real Madrid were looking at him.
“I heard when he was at Chelsea he was telling Eden Hazard to ‘sharpen up’ at training. Antonio Conte loved it and allowed him to stay training with the first team.”
It’s a far cry from National League South, where City are one of four teams in the division refusing to play matches at present until the league’s financial situation is resolved.
The players have since been furloughed but were able to train until last Friday. Should the season resume for the Romans at the start of March, they face a near impossible task of squeezing in 27 league matches in 90 days.
“No-one really knows what’s going on at the moment with the league,” said Pope. “The club have been very honest with us and said that until we know what’s going on with the league, all the players will be furloughed.
“It’s really annoying because the majority of part-time footballers have other jobs working full-time.
“If it’s delayed any more and we have to come back there could be some times where we’re playing three times a week. That’s not going to be possible for some people.
“We were considering swapping the Havant game to away on a Wednesday night the other week. I had to ring Jerry and explain there was no way I’d be able to get that off work. I have a diary full of 10-12 patients a day, I usually need to give 4-6 weeks notice to have leave approved, I have to be on top of my calendar.
“A lot of players will be struggling. The longer this goes on, the messier it gets.”

[PHILB1973#]

Marley Watkins released by Bristol City along with 12 others.

[comrade powell]

So what has Adam Mann been up to recently?

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/21/style/amanda-lauren-adam-mann-wedding.html

[Steve Whites Missus]

So what has Adam Mann been up to recently?

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/21/style/amanda-lauren-adam-mann-wedding.html

I could be cynical and say I'll give it 18 months before he is engaged to Katie Price

[Peter Newman]

Quick scan read through the Adam Mann write-up.
I assume that it was not written by Kelston Koppite!

[kermit]

I worry what Google searches Comrade does to come up with this stuff!!

[comrade powell]

No, I was best man!

[Colin Voutt]

No, I was best man!

Never!!!!

[Kelston Koppite]

Quick scan  read through the Adam Mann  write-up.  
I assume that it was not written by Kelston Koppite!

Not quite my style!!

[county exile]

Shawn McCoulsky amongst 4 players released by FGR following their exit from the play-offs.

[comrade powell]

Who did they lose to?

[county exile]

[comrade powell]

Good luck at Wembley! Are you going?

[county exile]

Cheers. Yes match and train tickets booked. They are allowing 4000 supporters for each team at Wembley. Semi final home leg was the first match I've seen live at the stadium for over a year. Only 900 allowed there and season ticket holders had to go into a ballot - fortunately one of the lucky ones. County didn't charge for that match and neither did Tranmere for their home leg against Morecambe. FGR charged their supporters £18 - £23 for their home semi final leg.

[Beau Nash]

Cheers.  Yes match and train tickets booked. They are allowing 4000 supporters for each team at Wembley.  Semi final home leg was the first match I've seen live at the stadium for over a year. Only 900 allowed there and season ticket holders had to go into a ballot - fortunately one of the lucky ones.  County didn't charge for that match and neither did Tranmere for their home leg against Morecambe.

Good luck, a "local" derby against Cheltenham will please both clubs.    
An FA Cup game at Twerton Park against league 1 Newport would give us another "giant killing".    

FGR charged their supporters £18 - £23 for their home semi final leg.

Boo!  Multi millionaire owner could easily have afforded to allow free attendance.

[LB]

Shawn McCoulsky amongst 4 players released by FGR following their exit from the play-offs.

Could be a good replacement for Donovan...

[Luton Roman]

Shawn McCoulsky amongst 4 players released by FGR following their exit from the play-offs.

Could be a good replacement for Donovan...

Doubt even JG could persuade him to drop 2 levels at his age.

[kermit]

Colchester United youngster Noah Chilvers wins three awards

By Jonathan Waldron JonWaldron1
Sports Writer/Sports Sub-Editor
Treble tops - Noah Chilvers has landed a hat-trick of trophies in Colchester United's End of Season awards Picture: PAGEPIX LTD

NOAH Chilvers says he is honoured to scoop a hat-trick of trophies at Colchester United's End of Season awards.

The 20-year-old midfielder landed the U's Player of the Season, Young Player of the Season and Goal of the Season accolades, to cap an outstanding campaign for the club.

[Luton Roman]

Colchester United youngster Noah Chilvers wins three awards

By Jonathan Waldron  JonWaldron1
Sports Writer/Sports Sub-Editor
Treble tops - Noah Chilvers has landed a hat-trick of trophies in Colchester United's End of Season awards Picture: PAGEPIX LTD

NOAH Chilvers says he is honoured to scoop a hat-trick of trophies at Colchester United's End of Season awards.

The 20-year-old midfielder landed the U's Player of the Season, Young Player of the Season and Goal of the Season accolades, to cap an outstanding campaign for the club.

Yes we are part of the production line for the development of other clubs players, let's hope we can see success for City next season as well.

[tovid]

I felt last season that the reason why we struggled was because we didn't adequately replace Chilvers and Morton before him. These players are few and far between so it is a difficult task.
They bring the best out of the other players.

[yuffie]

Freddie Grant has signed for Slough Town.

[romanoyd]

Manny Monthe is to join Walsall when his Tranmere contract ends at the end of the month.

[Sponsored content]