It’s first versus third this Saturday when runaway league leaders Nuneaton Town visit Bridge Road for our much-anticipated return match against the giants of Step 5 football.
Karl Saffery’s thumping header in the 12th minute was the only goal of the game when the sides met in Bedworth back in November. It was a goal that ended Nuneaton’s 15-month run in which they had gone undefeated at home in the league and brought about one of only two league defeats they have suffered all season. Can we complete the double over the Warwickshire side this weekend? If any team can, it is the Stutes!
Behind Nuneaton’s success this season is a very troubled recent past. After Nuneaton Borough resigned from the Southern League Premier Division in 2024 due to financial difficulties, the FA agreed to a new version of the club named Nuneaton Town re-entering the non-league pyramid system at Step 6. They won the Midland Football League Division One at a canter last season and were always the favourites to lift the UCL Premier Division South title for the current season. Given the backing they get from their hundreds of supporters on a regular basis, they look to be on course to regain a place at Step 3 in double-quick time.
Club coach Wayne Goddard is not fazed by the prospects of facing such strong opposition this week. In the Management Team’s programme notes, which this week are written by Wayne, he says, “We will need to go into the game with a ‘no fear’ philosophy, although we will have to accept that Nuneaton will probably dominate possession of the ball for long periods of the game. But we know we have assets which can hurt them on the break, as we did at their ground.”
After falling to that 0-1 defeat at home against the Stutes, Nuneaton went on a ten-game winning streak that only ended on Tuesday night when they were held to a goalless draw at Lutterworth Town. They now come to Histon to play their fifth game in fifteen days, so perhaps fatigue will play a part in proceedings in the closing stages, particularly as the pitch is likely to be quite heavy following the rain it has seen this week. But with a 14-point lead at the top of the table, and the number of games remaining for the chasing pack to close the gap dwindling fast, there is little pressure on Nuneaton to maintain their current pace. They are, however, a class act who are top of the league on merit, which all adds up to an unmissable game this coming Saturday.
Nuneaton are a well-supported club and a larger than normal attendance is expected for this game. You may wish to arrive a little earlier than normal so as to avoid any congestion around the turnstile area just prior to kick-off.
As well as Wayne’s notes, this week’s matchday programme includes a report from the manager of our exceptional U18s side, news on Theo Goddard’s debut for England Schoolboys, a round-up of UCL Premier South news and all the usual features. Get your copy while stocks last for just £2 from inside the ground.
The club is grateful to our match sponsor, Mark Pyatt, and our match ball sponsor Colin Barnes Builders for their support on Saturday. We are also pleased to have the Histon Hornets Under 11s Blue as our mascots for the game. And if you have any loose change, you are more than welcome to throw it into a collection bucket on behalf of Cancer Research.
After Saturday’s game, the First team do not have another home fixture until 14th March, so come on down and show the boys that the whole village is behind them. But if you can’t make it, you may wish to come along the following day when our table-topping Ladies side play Fulbourne Institute Bluebirds in the Cambs Women’s Invitation Cup. Kick-off for the ladies is at 1.45pm.
