AFC Totton
AFC Totton manager Jimmy Ball has swooped to strengthen his attacking options with the signing of Conor Whiteley from Sholing.
Whiteley was an Academy player with both Southampton and AFC Bournemouth. Upon being released by The Cherries aged 15, he joined the Eastleigh Development Scheme on a scholarship and remained at the Silverlake Stadium for three years, crossing paths with his new teammates Lewis Noice and Jack Masterton.
He signed for Bashley when he was 18, and went on to strike 35 goals in 86 Wessex League games for the New Forest club before joining The Boatmen on Portsmouth Road.
Formerly a central midfielder in the all-action mould of Steven Gerrard, the now 24-year-old has found himself being edged further forward over the years, where he’s able to make use of his abilities to hold the ball up and hit the target on a regular basis. He is able to play on either flank or as a No.10, but he prefers to operate straight down the middle as a centre-forward.
It was Whiteley who scored the home side’s equalising goal in the Southern League Cup match at Sholing in October last year, bringing the ball down inside the penalty area and firing a firm shot into the net, before The Stags hit back to win the tie 4-1. That was one of 15 goals he netted for The Boatmen as a regular starter last term.
“Sholing is a good club and it’s well-run, although I was considering moving on last summer,” he said.
“Certain promises were made about the extent of my involvement this season but for whatever reason, I haven’t had the chance to play consistently. I don’t have any hard feelings about it – that’s football, really – but I want to play and I want to score goals. So, when I knew AFC Totton were interested in signing me, I was keen to come and talk to the manager. Totton is one of the biggest clubs in the area and the facilities here are great, so I would have been mad to pass up the opportunity.”
WELCOME, CONOR: AFC Totton Manager Jimmy Ball welcomes his new signing Conor Whiteley to the Snows Stadium.
Stags Boss Jimmy Ball expressed his satisfaction at securing the new man to the AFC Totton ranks:
“Conor is a player full of energy and work ethic. He can play in several positions along the front line and has a good goalscoring record to his name – I’m looking forward to seeing him settle in quickly and start making a positive contribution for us.”
What would the new man consider to be a successful first season with The Stags, both in terms of the team and his own personal achievements?
“The aim is to get promoted,” says Conor. “If you look at the league table, there are points to be won with our games in-hand that would put us right up there in contention, but we’ve got to go out there and win them. For me personally, I want to score more goals than I did last season and contribute to a successful season for the club.”
By Ben Rochey-Adams
Images courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
