Brantham Athletic Football Club - First team Management Members.

(And everything you have ever wanted to know about them!)


From left to right: Paul Skingley, ‘Nobby’ Spencer, Robbie Rothwell, Tony Hall and Colin Grogan.

Paul Skingley - Director of Football/1st team coach: Paul started off with Colchester Utd from the age of 13 to 17. From there he went to Brantham under the management of Stan Box but left the next season to play for Ransomes, where under Brian O’Reilly they finished runners-up and had a good FA Vase run. On returning to Brantham broke his leg away to Newmarket at the age of 19 and was out of action for over a season. Came back to play for Felixstowe, getting to the Premier Cup final before losing 2-1 to Sudbury. Won the Border League with Jim Warnes and returned to Brantham under Gale Rush but broke his leg a second time, this time in a pre-season friendly for his works team. Paul took his coaching badge and managed BS Fonnereau Reserves, finishing 6th and 3rd in his two seasons with them. Paul left to take East Bergholt, who was at that time a Division Two bottom team. Managed to gain successive promotions to senior football for the first time in their history. They finished 12th, 6th, 5th, 3rd and 2nd, plus two Omnico cup finals in next five seasons. Paul gave up managing on the birth of his twin daughters, Katie and Chloe, but went onto take his UEFA B badge (with a certain Colin Grogan). Paul coached at Whitton before moving onto Needham Market, where they enjoyed Ridgeons Premier Football for the first time in their history. Next stop was AFC Sudbury, where they reached the play-offs, losing on penalty kicks in the final first season and losing out after extra time on the second occasion the semi-final.

‘Nobby’ Spencer: Although ‘Nobby’ is not an official part of the first team management set up he is an important member of the club. Nobby drives the mini-coach for several of the club teams and is always ready to lend a helping hand to anybody and everybody. Without people such as Nobby ready, willing and able to help out a lot of clubs, including Brantham, would find things a bit more difficult. Nobby was a first team player for Mistley and also turned out for Coopers FC on a Sunday morning. Nobby moved down from the Mistley first team into the Mistley reserve team where he was skipper, and struck up a friendship with a certain Peter Crowhurst.

Robbie Rothwell (Assistant Director of Football) : A very well known name in football and a person who is well respected and liked by all members of the footballing community. Robbie has stepped down as Assistant manager and will be taking over another role within the club in the near future. Robbie started his footballing career with Stourdale before moving onto Brantham. Robbie then had spells at Wivenhoe and Woodbridge. He also had a year at Dedham under the watchful eye of the late Albert Daughters. While playing for Woodbridge Robbie picked up a bad injury. He finally returned to Brantham and spent 10 years at the club. Has been assistant manager at the Brantham club before he took the decision a little while ago to step down from that position. Robbie still has the club 100% at heart and will still be involved in a capacity within the club.

Tony Hall - First team manager: Tony started his football career at Ipswich Town in 1978 and Tony left Town in 1981 to sign for Huddersfield. Moved to non-league football and played for various clubs – Hendon, Chelmsford City, Bury Town, Harwich, Cornard United and Brantham Athletic. Tony managed Bury Town, Braintree and Harwich before spending some very successful season with East Bergholt, guiding them to three successive SIL Senior Division championships. Tony then made the short journey over to join Brantham and said that he would have the team playing Ridgeon’s League football within a five year frame, and Tony did just that, but he made it happen in just two seasons. Tony’s experience at every level of football, including the professional level, has been invaluable to the club and there is no doubt that a lot of other clubs would love to have Tony at the helm for them.

Colin Grogan - First team assistant manager: Colin’s early senior footballing days were played in his home town of Hereford with a mixture of his mates, SAS soldiers (always useful to have on your side) and some of the legends of Hereford United, Colin Addison and john Layton. Colin moved to Suffolk in 1989 and joined Shotley Rose on a Sunday and Woolverstone United on Saturdays. In 1996 he took his first step into management taking on Shotley Rangers under 8’s and he was with them until the under 15’s. Colin joined Brantham as a player before moving down the road to East Bergholt in 1999/2000 under the guidance of Paul Skingley. He then moved further down the road to Capel to join up with Mark Horsfall, who had been his manager at Brantham. After one season he returned to East Bergholt under Ian Gedny and Tony Hall as a player before taking up the role as coach-player. Colin won three SIL title in succession and the Omnico Cup in 2003/4 (happy days!). He returned to Brantham as the under 18’s manager and remained in the position until taking up the role of first team coach for the 2008/09 season. Colin says ‘as first team coach I have been delighted with the season so far and feel that the club’s faith in bringing young players into the side has been handsomely rewarded. Consolidation in this league must have been the target when we started this season however; the players have gone beyond certainly my expectations by maintaining a top half of the table slot. The challenge for the rest of the season will be to learn from decent defeats and take these lessons into our remaining games. Colin believes that the experience gained this season will put the club in a fantastic challenge to make a realistic challenge next season.
Sam Gedny - Club Sports Injury Therapist (not in club photo.)
Sam started off with East Bergholt United with Tony Hall in 2005. Sam,and at that time, was training in Sports Injury Therapy and qualified in 2006. Sam has been with Brantham Athletic for the last three years and is now ready to start her fourth year with the Brantham club.Sam also qualified in sports massage in 2007 and in the same year completed her FA level 1 coaching badge, this being done at ipswich Town FC. Sam is also a sports first aider. Sam used to play netball a lot, but not so much now because football takes up most of her time, but she does not mind because she loves her football. Sam is a Man Utd fan (for her sins she says, but you must put the blame for that one on her family!). I know that everybody appreciates what a great job Sam does for the club and long may it continue,

Tony Valsaycer - Kit-man: Tony spends a lot of time working hard on behalf of the club looking after all the kits and supplies. Tony puts all the kits out for each match and works very hard during the week and on match days. Tony played his football to start with Brecontree Boys and went onto play for Dagenham Boys. Tony is a real West Ham man and follows his beloved Hammers and Dagenham and Redbridge’s results each week.

Brantham Athletic Football Club - Executive Management Committee

(And everything you have ever wanted to know about them!)


From left to right (back row - standing): Andy Powell, Paul Skingley, Les Mitchell and Philip Lawler. Front row (sitting) from left to right: Barry Felgate, Alan Clarke, Peter Crowhurst and Graham Mower. Missing from the photo are Jenny Kennell (Club Treasurer) and Alison Kanaris (Sponsorship manager)

Andy Powell - General Secretary, Secretary for Junior and Youth teams, Programme Editor and Child Welfare officer: Andy became involved with the club purely as a parent when his son Tom joined the Under 11’s team back in 1999. Andy was parent rep and joined the then junior committee in 2001 as secretary. When Tom finished playing Andy continued at an administration level within the club and played his part in the amalgamation of the Junior and Senior football clubs. Andy helped to establish an under 18’s team in the Ridgeons Youth league in 2005.Andy has also been the secretary for all of the youth sides within the club and that takes up a lot of time and hard work.Without people such as Andy there is no doubt that the youth teams would not be able to play games and I am sure he knows that he is very much appreciated by us all at Brantham. Andy is also the club photographer and covers a lot of games with his trusty camera for us and all of the pictures on this website came from Andy.( Andy Rouse, world wild life photographer eat your heart out!!) Andy also produces a superb match day programme for first team games and has taken on the task as Child Welfare officer/CRB, not an easy task.

Paul Skingley - Director of football/1st team coach: For full details regarding Paul and his footballing career please see the details on the Bratham First team Management article on the Brantham Athletic blog.

Les Mitchell - Procurement Manager/Junior team manager: Les joined the Brantham club In 1991 and played for the reserve team for about three years while they were playing in the Essex and Suffolk Border League. Les then had a spell away before rejoining the club in 2004 as the under 8’s manager and Les has carried on managing the Under 9’s. 10’s, 11’s and is currently the Under 12’s Manager. Les gained his FA Level one coaching badge in 2004. In 2004 he also took on the hard task as Club Procurement Manager and is on the Club’s Executive Committee as Junior Rep. since 2007. Les’s son, Lewis, has played for Brantham since 2004.

Philip Lawler - Football Development officer, Secretary, BLC and under 16’s manager: Phil started his adult football career playing for the case is Altered in the Licensed Trades League under the Management of Barry Felgate. He went onto play for Oxborrows Hotel, GRE (Saturdays and Sundays), Tattingstone United (again under Barry’s management), The Royal London and Braintree Town, before returning to The Royal London to see out his playing days. Phil managed the Royal London Reserves gaining two consecutive promotions. Phil went onto manage Foxash Juniors winning the title unbeaten in the first season. At the request of Peter Crowhurst he joined Brantham and is Football Development Officer and a member of the Club’s Executive and Management Committees.

Barry Felgate - Press officer, General Manager and Website Administrator: Barry played football early but was sidelined with a broken leg. He was involved with Sunday football in the 70’s, as manager of Case is Altered and Oxborrows Hotel. Barry then went onto become a referee at the top level but his referee career ended when, during a match, his studs were caught in something in the ground and he broke his ankle and his leg in three places which meant a three month stint in hospital (Rumour was that he was that he could move quicker on crutches than when he used to referee!). Barry was also involved with Saturday football as manager of Electric Supply for three seasons and Tattingstone United for two seasons. He returned to Sunday football as a Licensed Trades League official. In 1993 he joined and worked for the Suffolk County Football Association and The Football Association (based at Lancaster gate for a while) for ten years. Health problems saw Barry take the road back to where he had started, in local football. He is the Press Officer for the club and was appointed as the Club General Manager the year before last. Barry is also the web site administrator for the Brantham Athletic FC website.

Alan Clarke - Vice Chairman and Grounds Supervisor): Alan moved to Brantham in 1979 and got involved with Brantham Football Club initially with Graham Mower in 1987. Alan spent a few years with Graham before commencing his involvement with the senior section in 1992, filling various positions. Alan’s playing career was initially with Bradford Rovers, making his debut as a 16 year old in an Amoss Cup final, which they won, beating Clacton. Alan continued playing for Bradfield and then Great Oakley until a leg break stopped him from playing for virtually a season. Alan returned with Bradfield Rovers and playing for the Sunday side against Clacton Police Alan broke his leg again which effectively ended his playing career at the age of 26. Alan is currently the Vice Chairman and, is responsible and enjoying, looking after the grounds. So far Alan feels that we are having a terrific season and looks forward to developing Brantham FC further. The club has a terrific, hard working committee and a management set up in control of the playing staff many clubs would love to have. Alan, along with Graham and Trot Ward, was involved in bringing Sunday football back to Brantham. Alan seems to spend most of his spare time, and more, at the ground working on behalf of the club.

Peter Crowhurst - Chairman: Peter is a real football man through and through. Peter was brought up on Foxash and from the age of 5 to 11 he would play football ‘till dusk with a stump for a goal at each end of the garden. Holidays were a luxury and the only way to get a break was to join the Scouts. Peter played in the legendary Scout team based at Lawford Playing field, and at the age of 11 they won the Scout cup. Peter’s illustrious career continued when, at 14, Lawford FC started their first ever junior team. At the age of 16 Peter joined Mistley United and the ‘Great’ Bert Frost. Peter had 10 happy years at a wonderful Mistley club. Bert Frost has been Peter’s inspiration. What a fantastic chairman. Peter thinks he may have been able to play at a higher level, but he played his entire career with the A team, no regrets as they were a fantastic A team. Peter said that Geoff Hurst said about ‘Nobby’ Spencer ‘that is was the first time he had seen someone coming on as sub looking worse than the player going off’. Peter’s greatest accolade was to be named A team player in 1985, voted for by the players. Peter returned to football with coaching his son Tom and the Brantham under 7’s team, Peter says’ Brantham is a unique club across East Anglia. All of us are so lucky to have it. Let’s cherish it and make it special again. I am trying my very best with a great management team. So if you can help me let me know’.

Graham Mower - Senior secretary: Graham is a football man through and through and is the Senior Secretary within the club. Graham started his footballing career with Stour Rangers and could have suffered a serious injury while playing for them. Graham had intended to make a slide tackle on an opponent but he actually went into a huge Gang Mower on the side of the ground. Graham saw skin taken off from the knee up to his thigh and according to reports there was blood everywhere. Typical of Graham he just got up, dusted himself down and carried on playing. Graham also played for Lawford, Brantham and East Bergholt. Graham finished his playing career, in which he was never cautioned or sent off, and went into the management side of the game with East Bergholt reserves. During that time the team won two championships and won two cup finals. Graham’s took the next logical step of still being involved in the game he loves so much, but this time in the administration side. Graham is a larger than life character who lives, eats and sleeps football and it is down to the hard work that people like Graham put into football that successful clubs are built upon.

Jenny Kennell - Club Treasurer & Alison Kanaris - Sponsorship manager: At the time of taking the photograph neither Jenny nor Alison were able to make the photo-shoot. However, that will soon be rectified with a photograph of Jenny and Alison coming to this website very shortly, plus of course, some details about our Alison and Jenny.

Compiled by the Controller (with help from all the above)