AFC Totton
Book your seat on the Minibus today. Match tickets sold separately, available on the gate. Please note that Beaconsfield Town can accept cash payments, only.
FRESH FROM ELIMINATING Havant & Waterlooville from the Second Round Proper of the Isuzu FA Trophy, AFC Totton will make the short trip up the M3 to take on Beaconsfield Town in the Southern League Premier Division South this weekend.
Here’s the lowdown on our hosts…
THE BASICS
The club was established as Beaconsfield SYCOB in 1994 by a merger between Beaconsfield United of the Spartan League and Slough Youth Club Old Boys of the Chiltonian League, with the new club taking Beaconsfield United’s place in the Premier Division of the Spartan League in which they had been competing since 1979.
They are nicknamed The Rams and play their home matches at Holloways Park in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, which The Stags drove directly past on their way to play Berkhamsted in last season’s successful Champion of Champions Super Cup match at Chesham United’s ground. The pitch at Holloways Park is a 3G surface.
RECENT HISTORY
Three-time Premier Division Champions in the Spartan South Midlands League during the opening decade of the 2000s, The Rams also picked up two Berks & Bucks Senior Trophies and the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup in 2012/13. They won promotion from the Southern League East Division as Champions in 2017/18 and have been in the Southern League Premier Division South ever since. Last season, they finished 11th of 22, winning 15 and losing just as many, with 12 draws and a goal difference of plus two.
THIS SEASON
The Rams made a slow start to the 2023/24 season, waiting until Saturday 23 September to record their first win in any competition with a 2-1 home success against Sholing, despite ex-Stag Charlie Davis putting The Boatmen ahead with a debut goal after just eight minutes. By that time, Beaconsfield had already been knocked out of the Emirates FA Cup at the First Qualifying Round stage by Isthmian League South Central Division team Southall with a 2-3 replay defeat at home after having drawn 2-2 in the original tie.
But the win against Sholing sparked a sudden upturn in the team’s league fortunes, which included away wins at Bracknell Town and Hayes & Yeading United and a home win over Didcot Town in mid-October, while also progressing in the Isuzu FA Trophy with a comfortable 3-0 home win over Ashford United.
Results since then have been a mixed bag, though, leaving them four points above the relegation zone in 16th place. Defeat by a single goal at National League South outfit Bath City ended their involvement in the FA Trophy this past weekend, but progress was made in the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup on Tuesday night with a second win of the season against Bracknell, The Rams winning by the odd goal in five.
PAST MEETINGS
According to our records, The Stags and The Rams have locked lethal headwear on three occasions – all in the 2008/09 season. The first encounter was at Beaconsfield in August 2008, when goals either side of half-time from players named Swaziland and Swift, the latter from the penalty spot, earned the hosts a 2-0 victory.
Totton went into the return match in February 2009 looking to put an end to a run of three consecutive defeats, but they came away rueing several missed chances in a goalless draw in which the visitors offered little going forward, despite fielding the league’s top goal-scorer, Bradley Bubb.
The two sides met again at Testwood Park in the Promotion Play-Off Semi-Finals in April 2009. Totton came out on top from an ill-tempered affair in which the visitors had 10 outfield players booked compared to two yellow cards for Totton. James Taylor – Ethan and Leo’s dad – put The Stags ahead before the interval and Ryan Hill extended the lead with an impressive free-kick just before the hour. The aforementioned Bradley Bubb halved the deficit with 20 minutes to go, but the home side hung on for an important win.
THE MANAGEMENT
Neil Baker and Jon Underwood, who had enjoyed success together at Slough Town, became joint managers at Beaconsfield Town in February of this year, succeeding previous boss Gary Meakin. But Baker departed in May to leave Underwood in sole charge of The Rams going into the 2023/24 campaign, with experienced midfielder Sam Togwell stepping up to take on a Player/Assistant Manager’s role.
Underwood was a central defender for Bracknell Town and Farnborough during his playing days. He and Baker spent nearly 10 years in charge of The Rebels, taking them from Step 4 to the National League South before stepping down in November 2022.
HE AIN'T HEAVY: Guinean-born former AFC Totton defender Pascal Kpohomouh is the younger sibling of Beaconsfield Town's Jacques Kpohomouh.
FAMILIAR NAMES
The Rams’ Guinean central defender Jacques Kpohomouh is the older brother of former AFC Totton defender Pascal Kpohomouh, who joined The Stags after his release from Southampton’s academy in January 2022. The two brothers were briefly teammates at Hartley Wintney, shortly before Pascal arrived at the Snows Stadium. Jacques signed for Beaconsfield in the summer, after leaving Faversham Town following their relegation from the Isthmian League South East Division to the Southern Counties East League Premier Division at Step 5.
MATCHDAY TRAVEL
The trip to Beaconsfield Town is only an estimated 75 minutes, so why not come support The Stags on the road?! Book your place on AFC Totton’s minibus today. The match ticket is separate, purchasable on the gate on the day. Please note that Beaconsfield Town can accept cash payments only.
By Ben Rochey-Adams and Malcolm Tombs (Club Historian)
Image courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
