On Saturday August 9th, Hampton and Richmond Borough get their National League South campaign underway for the 2025/26 season when they welcome Salisbury FC through the gates of the Beveree.
Preseason Review
It was a summer of change for Alan Julian and his side with only Harry Gardner, Ibrahim Jalloh and Luca Ziger returning from last season. This pre-season would have had extra importance placed on it off the pitch as well as on as a new group had to gel and get to know each other as people as well as players. Many trialists cycled through the earlier fixtures and then in the final two fixtures at home, there was a more consistent starting XI that seems to be the final squad for the season.
The 0-0 draw against Step 4 Hanworth Villa saw Hampton and Richmond have a lot of the ball but fail to be clinical in the final third. Overall, it was a workmanlike performance that had a distinctly preseason feel. The second half saw a rotation of the squad which settled the match into a slower rhythm.
The 1-5 defeat to National League Sutton on the 2nd it was always going to be a tough match against a side who finished 12th in the league above last year who looked settled and signed striker Brandon Njoku from League 2 Cambridge United. Despite this, there were spells where the Beavers were able to disrupt The Us’ shape in the midfield with effective pressing, which saw Harry Gardner benefit from a wayward pass to execute an audacious lob over the Sutton ‘keeper for HRBFC’s only goal of the game. The partnership of Ronan Silva and Craig Fasanmade diligently made runs up front to stretch the opposition and created chances for themselves through relentless pressuring of Sutton’s centre backs.
Team Overhaul
The overhaul of the squad means it is hard to predict the type of season to anticipate from the Beavers. It will inevitably take the team a while to bed in and it will have to do so during a testing opening set of fixtures. After hosting Salisbury, opponents Dorking and Maidstone who finished 6th and 7th last season respectively, will prove challenging opponents, before the relegated Dagenham and Redbridge, with a new signing in the form of former Premier League striker Andy Carroll, come to the Beveree on August 23rd. On a positive note, the stern tests should battle-harden the side and give it an opportunity to carry real momentum into the season.
It is important to note a lot of new faces is a reason to be excited too. There are plenty of players making the step up to National League South football for the first time who are determined to prove themselves.
There is also a good amount of experience coming in with centre back Alan Massey, captain of National League side Maidenhead United for nine years. Midfielder Rohan Ince comes in with bundles of Championship experience and he most recently played four seasons at Worthing.
Away Team Preview
Salisbury come into the season after their first campaign in the Nat South since promotion in 2024, finishing in 20th. They have had a busy pre-season which includes a change in ownership following a takeover by Kuwaiti businessman Ali Alhamad and his company Proleague. He is focused on “creating a sustainable club with several revenue streams” as stated in an interview with the BBC.
One of these revenue streams seems to be a Spanish documentary series following the team. In fact, this is not the first time non-league football has attracted a Spanish fanbase, with 100 Spanish fans making the journey to Harborough Town last season for a match after a similar documentary on the YouTube channel LMI (La Media Inglesa).
On the pitch, their results in preseason were a mixed bag. They had a couple of wins against lower league opposition such as two 5-0s against Laverstock and Ford and Downton FC respectively, as well as wins against Dorchester and Wimborne Towne. Their only preseason game against opposition in a higher league than them came in a 3-1 loss to Eastleigh. In their final match of preseason, they drew 2-2 to Step 3 Poole Towne.
Reunited and it Feels so Good?
New forwards Ronan Silva and Craig Fasanmade have both joined the Beavers from our opponents on Saturday, who in turn signed three former Hampton and Richmond Borough players in Mike Atkinson, Joshua Keeya and last years fans', players' and manager's player of the season Dominic Revan.
Another player to keep an eye on is striker Matty Taylor, who joined the Whites from league two Cheltenham after a long career in the Football League. He played almost 360 league games across the Championship, League one and League two, the highlight of which was his part in Bristol City’s run to the League Cup semi-finals in 2017/18 where he assisted the winning goal against Manchester United in the quarter-final.
It is bound to be a grand occasion this Saturday. The weather is perfect for football, pints are 50p cheaper. and the match is tee’d up to be a good one with compelling narratives in every area of the pitch. With the battle anticipated to be tight, it makes it all the more important to ensure the Bev is rocking for the lads. Do not miss out on the chance to see your team in action this Saturday.
Be sure to get your tickets for this Saturday and beyond by clicking this link here
Everyone at the club hopes to see you there!
Up the Beavers.
Jack Lonergan