New Binfield FC manager Mark Tallentire
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Hellenic Premier preview: Binfield FC
By Adam LeeAugust 10, 2010
Tallentire to spearhead Binfield’s next step
The fact that just one player chose to leave Binfield in favour of Bracknell Town when old boss Steve McClurg took over at Larges Lane shows just how highly the current crop regard the club.
Binfield went more than 20 years without a promotion until McClurg took over in 2008.
Since then the club have been on an upward spiral, winning Hellenic Division 1 East in his first season in charge and then finishing eighth in their inaugural Premier Division campaign.
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Now, following the departure of McClurg to Bracknell Town, his assistant Mark Tallentire (pictured right) takes charge of the next stage of the club’s development, and the signs are already looking promising.
His first task was to secure the signatures of last season’s squad, and Tallentire achieved that within a few weeks of taking over.
Goalkeeper Chris Adams, influential defender Ryan Milward, midfielder James Suarez and last season’s top scorer Ian Davies (pictured below), all rumoured to be targets of other local clubs, signed for the season at Hill Farm Lane, providing the backbone of the team for 2010/11.
And Tallentire also acted quickly to secure the services of two experienced marksmen.
Garry Sargeant, the club’s top goalscorer in their promotion season, returns to the club after stints at Bracknell Town and Finchampstead, while long-term target Carl Davies, a former trainee with Cardiff City, signed from Woodley Town.
With the two Davies and Sargeant in the squad, goals certainly shouldn’t be at a premium for the Moles this season.
Binfield took to Premier Division football like a duck to water last season with their powerful style of play, well supplemented by some cultured, attack-minded midfielders.
Their eighth-place finish was well-deserved and the Moles took points off all the teams above them barring Ardley United and Flackwell Heath.
This, coupled with a positive pre-season, suggests Tallentire is well on course to picking up where the club left off last season.
With terrific facilities in place, Binfield is certainly a club going places, and it will be no surprise to see them challenging for promotion come the business end of the season.
And although that is surely Tallentire’s goal, the new man in charge can’t wait to get stuck into some of the multiple local derbies.
“It’s fantastic this season” he said.
“The situation really amazes me and if someone had said to me 10 years ago that Binfield, Bracknell, Ascot and Wokingham would all be playing in the same division, I would have laughed.
“But that’s the reality of it and it bodes well for an exciting season.
“These local derbies make it more interesting. It does make recruiting players that bit more difficult because everyone’s scrapping for the same players, but in the long run it will be a good thing.
“People from the local area will come and watch the games if they are interesting and I’m sure with these extra derbies they’ll be even more interested in coming along.
“Clubs like Bracknell and Wokingham already have fantastic support, so although player wise it makes things more difficult, it’s brilliant for the clubs and any supporters of local football.”
Last season: 8th in Hellenic Premier Division.
Prediction for this season: Binfield are a club on the up whose squad has been strengthened from last season. Should they cut out the inexplicable losses from last year (Carterton, Old Woodstock Town) then they have every chance of pushing the top sides. Final position – 3rd
New signings: Garry Sargeant, Carl Davies, Paul Mortimer.
Key player: Ryan Milward: The tall, cultured centre-half has been a lynchpin at Binfield for the past two seasons, and has even shown he can perform up front. If he can turn out regularly for the club, and Binfield can fend off any potential interest for him, then Milward will provide the foundation for a succesful season at Hill Farm Lane.
One to watch: Ian Davies: The frontman supplied the goals that powered Binfield’s fine run-in last time, and if he can continue to produce then the Moles have nothing to worry about.
First match: Witney United (h), Monday, August 9.
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