uhlsport Hellenic League One East Risborough Rangers are excited to announce that the Friendly away at Jersey Bulls which was originally planned last August but was cancelled because of COVID has been recheduled for Saturday 24th July 2021. Kick off at the Springfield Stadium will be 3.00pm.
Manager Mark Eaton commented “We are really looking forwarded to finally getting a game against the Bulls after not being able to fulfil the fixture last year due to Covid, fingers crossed everything is okay this time around. It’s the clubs 50th Anniversary this year so we have a big party decending on Jersey. Both teams can feel very unfortunate that after being unbeaten in the last two seasons the Covid pandemic has prevented the promotion and titles both teams richly deserve.
Assistant Manager Paul Bonham added “The fixture will take place towards the end of an already tough pre-season so the squad will be working on the last bits of preparation to make sure we are ready for the FA Cup fixture on the 7th of August. The trip will be a perfect team bonding exercise for the squad and management , Mark works hard on making sure the group is a close-knit set of players and this trip will be a fantastic experience for everyone involved with Risborough Rangers. Jersey is an amazing place to visit, and we are really looking forward to our stay. He then added “We know how tough the game will be as it’s a known fact that Jersey Bulls should be playing 2-3 levels up, but this is what pre-season is all about , making sure we test ourselves against teams from higher leagues. From a player’s point of view, it could be a last opportunity to impress the manager so it’s fair to say we won’t be taking it too lightly and just coming over to make up the numbers… it’s not in the gaffas DNA.
Paul was also asked what challenges do you expect this season after two consecutives incomplete seasons “We are very fortunate to have a group of players that have a very strong mindset, I don’t think anyone is worried about whether the last 2 years will impact how we approach the start of the season. We aren’t sure on what league we will be in but the squad will ready and fully focussed come the first game of the season. The 2019/20 season was extremely tough to take as we were so close to securing promotion and probably even more so for the bulls as they were so dominate in their league and we both deserved to be champions. With only 6 league games played of this season , it was disappointing for the season to be curtailed but I understand the situation and the respect the decision made by the FA and the respective leagues.
