Budleigh Salterton Football Club has held its presentation evening for the 2022/23 season.  

When it comes to the 1st team there is an extra award, it’s a kind of Players’ Player award based on what they term “The Bible Method”.  My understanding is that each player is given marks out of TEN from the other squad members according to their performance in that match.  

First up was Luke Iddon, manager of the men’s 2nd team, and he started with thank-you messages to several people who helped during the season. It’s a practice carried out by all the managers before the awards ceremony.

First trophy to be presented was Most Improved Player: Jamie Crossman; Top Goal Scorer: Matthew Lidstone; Manager’s Player of the Year: Danny Marish; Players’ Player of the Year: James White.

Next up were the three management/coaching team to present the men’s first-team trophies.  Most Improved Player: Charlie Skinner;  Top Goal Scorer: Jack Hocking; Managers’ Player of the Year: Morgan Pearce. Players’ Player as per “The Bible Method” Darren Everest; Players’ Player of the Year: Darren Everest.

It may have been a disappointing 2022-2023 season for Budleigh Women following promotion to the very competitive South West Regional Women’s Football League, especially with the travelling to Cornwall, but the Robinettes never gave up.  

To present the trophies, in his last roll as Manager of the Robinettes, Luke Iddon began with the Most Improved Player: Megan Harris; Top Goal Scorer: Kirsty Brown; Manager’s Player of the Year: Lucy Burch; Players’ Player of the Year: Ashleigh Jade Brown.  

The club’s two Special awards were presented by BSAFC Chairperson Peter Savage. Services to Football: Alan Beer; Club Person of the Year: Alan Jones.

A very large gathering of family and friends were welcomed at Budleigh Salterton Football Club’s Greenway Lane clubhouse for the U9’s youth awards. The squad of twenty (20) youngsters can interchange, allowing them to play for either of the two teams (BSFC U9’s Reds and BSFC U9’s Robins). 

Joy was on the faces of each squad member as they were presented with a special tie and commemorative medal before the awards were presented.  The honours were carried out by the three coaches Luke Kelsall, Matthew Haywood and Matthew Fogaty, who thanked all those in attendance, plus others for the help given all season. 

First award: Each coach’s particular performance of the season: the three recipients were Shiloh Kelsall, Louie Burford-Campbell and Zack Ryan. Most matches attended/played: Locke Haywood;  Most goals scored: Bradley Williams; Most Improved Player: Harrison Jarvis; Combined Coaches Player of the Year: Zack Ryan; Players Player: Cohen Emmins.

Budleigh Salterton 2nds brought their Devon & Exeter Football League, Division 4 season to an end with a comprehensive league victory away at Cullompton Rangers 2nds, winning 6-1 to finish third in the table.

There was some good football being played by both sides, but somehow neither defence was broken, making the score-line goal less at the interval.  The second period was barely two minutes old when the visiting Robins went one up following a free-kick, Danny Marish finishing smartly. Cully’s equalizer came from the penalty spot but Budleigh regained the lead moments later through Jack Hockings. From then on, with Jacques Vissiere masterfully conducting their midfield, the Robins were in the driving seat. Sadly, too many fouls were being committed by the hosts, one such rash challenge seeing Vissiere injured and taken from the action (the opposing Cully player was yellow-carded). 

Luke Iddon, in his last game as manager, used his five substitutes wisely, and was rewarded. Hocking competing his hat-trick, Jack Bungay banged in number, before Hocking added the 6th for a fine victory.

It all means a third-place finish and the Budleigh first-team also finished third in the A&S Interiors Ltd Devon Football League, North East Division. A very satisfying campaign for the Budleigh Robins and it all starts again in a couple of months.