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It seems like only yesterday My Abbots was reporting on Evergreen’s marvellous promotion to the Herts Senior County League Premier Division, but it is only a matter of weeks now before it all gets going again. The South Way side enjoyed a tremendous season last year, which saw them hold a position in the top five for the majority of the campaign, before a good run at a vital time saw them clinch a place in the top three, which inevitably meant promotion. This was achieved on the same day as the Reserve side triumphed in what can only be described as one of the most memorable cup finals in the history of the Reserve cup competition. It was a fantastic day for the Abbots club, and now they have a lot to look forward to as they compete in the league’s top division. The Green Boys returned to pre-season training on the 30th June in preparation for what is sure to be a very tough year. A few new faces have been brought in, and the general atmosphere around the club appears to be one of optimism and belief. Towards the end of July, the early season fixtures were revealed, and the Green Boys will start with two home fixtures, against opposition fairly familiar to them. Paul Faulkner’s side open up with a game against fellow promoted side Park Street Village, before another home game against their other promoted rivals, Bovingdon. Having finished third to the two fellow promoted sides, Evergreen will no doubt be looming to pick up valuable points to kick start their campaign against sides they probably feel they should be beating.
The South Way side’s first cup game will be against Allenburys Sports in the Aubrey Cup, before they have their fourth home fixture in a row against Metropolitan Police Bushey. The South Way side warmed up nicely for the new season last month with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Markyate FC, followed by a 2-2 draw with Kent Athletic, who Evergreen lost 2-0 last year in pre-season and an exciting 4-3 victory over Pitstone & Ivinghoe, where new boy Craige Tomkins scored a hat trick in the last eight minutes.
Manager Faulkner is optimistic for the new season, but is under no illusions as to how difficult it will be. He told My Abbots: “I have a new assistant manager in Paul Fitzgerald and a new coach, Robert ‘Crad’ Dale. Pre-season has gone really well and all the boys are really up for the new season. I’m looking forward to it more this season than I was last as we have more depth in the squad. The game against Met Police Bushey will really show how far we have come.”
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