Basingstoke Royals are the Saturday League Champions

The Saturday League season came to a close on Wednesday evening in an unsatisfactory way when Rising Sun DC, one of the favourites to win the title this season, called off their final game of the season against Basingstoke Royals through lack of players.. This meant this newly formed club has cancelled four of their final six matches, all of which have been awarded to their opponents. No complaints from Royals as it meant they finished the season as unbeaten Champions, winning fifteen of their eighteen matches, with three drawn, against Bramley United, Rising Sun DC and Hook.
Basingstoke Royals did have a midweek game against Sherborne St John, who despite fielding a scratch team almost pulled off a surprise. In the end Royals won 4-2, but were drawing 2-2 with ten minutes left. The Sherborne Reserve team manger Carl Lacey was in their goal and he was beaten in the 20th minute when Jamie Grove put away a cross from James Gilham. Sherborne equalized when Alex Izzo lobbed James McIntosh in the Royals goal. Lacey could not hold a shot by Steve Price and Matt Dean followed up to net for a 2-1 interval lead. After the break Dec Shuttleworth headed home a free kick from Cobi Judd to make it 2-2. With ten minutes left Sam Hilton was sent off for hand ball on the line and from the resulting penalty Stuart Urquhart made no mistake and in the 88th Steve Price added the fourth.
On Saturday Sherborne completed their fixtures with a 11-0 win against Welly Old Boys. There was five goals for Dec Shuttleworth, including two penalties, thus taking his tally for the season to thirty. Two came via Jared Moore and singles for Alex Izzo, Sam Hilton, Tom Brickley and Steve De’ath. The Welly manager Graham Jenkins, who was badly let down at the start of the season by players agreeing to sign and then opting for other clubs, is determined to carry, hopefully in a lower division, on even though his bunch of young players failed to pick up a point and conceded 182 goals. They are keen and hopefully the Wellington Social Club will continue to supports us, he said.

In Division Two Basingstoke Athletic, already assured of the Championship, completed their excellent season with a 1-0 win against the Winklebury Wizards, a team that came up from the Youth League and has given a problems to the top teams throughout. Managed by Tommy Clegg, the former Basingstoke Town centre back, finished a creditable fourth, with two of their five defeats against the Champions.
Wizards had the lions share of the game and it was pleasing to see Lee Garrett come on as substitute for the final twenty minutes, Lee unfortunately broke his leg in early September and has missed their first season in men’s football.. Charlie Smith and Dean Scott forced a couple of saves from keeper Lee O’Grady, normally seen at centre back for Athletic and Scott Large hit the bar from a Josh Dickens cross as Wizards attacked.. It was in the 55th minute when the goal came. A poor clearance by keeper Gavin Alexander was booted back over the top and Luke Allison raced through and beat the keeper with a shot in off the post.



There is now one more match left to play and that is the Knightsbridge Garage All Champions Cup Final, being played at the Winklebury Football Complex this Sunday. Basingstoke Royals, the Saturday League Champions will be playing the Sunday League Champions Soldiers Return, who were crowned Champions last Sunday when Republic of Chineham lost to Tron FC in the final game of the season. Kick Off 11 a.m.