Quedgeley Wanderers currently sit 2nd in the Gloucestershire County League but have played nine home games in a row.
“We’ve had nine home games in a row now, and now we’re away for the next 11 games.”
“There have been a few cup games too, but they’ve just landed that way.”
So far this season, Wanderers have only played one away game this season, a 1-1 draw against Broadwell Amateurs.
With no real reason for the lack of away games so far, Beckem Foley doesn’t agree with it.
“It was the league’s decision; I don’t agree with it, but we have to deal with what we’ve got.”
With the unusual start, they now face a dilemma with non-league football; with the pitch quality not good enough to tackle the winter weather, it could disrupt the club’s momentum.
“Looking into the tough months, we’ve got to look at the players’ mentality and how they can deal with those tough games.”
“Now the colder, wetter months are coming up; the conditions are going to affect the game.”
One of the key players for Foley has been Riley Stokes; the young midfielder has scored seven in his 11 starts so far.
He’s also known as Stokes for several years. “I’ve coached him since he was 14, so I’ve known him for a long time.”
Since the start of the season, he’s been given the captaincy role, something Foley is very proud of.
“Last year he played really well; he was the players’ player of the season. The lads value his quality, and I value him both on and off the pitch as well.”
“When we were looking at the leadership of the group, when we knew he was staying, it was a no brainer for us to make him captain.”
The key to his success this season has been down to the fact he kept most of his squad last season.
“We’ve kept a lot of the group last year that brought us a lot of success and added some quality to that too.”
Moving forward for the Wanderers, they shift their focus to a cup they know well, the Les James League Cup.
“We want to get to the cup final again, where we’ll turn it into a win and not a draw.”
But first, they take on Barnwood, for whom Foley praises their facilities and how they help their style of football.
“We played Barnwood in a pre-season friendly; they may be sitting mid-table of Northern Senior One, but they are a very difficult side to play against.”
“They’ve got fantastic facilities; it’s not like we’re going somewhere in the Forest of Dean. It’s a beautiful pitch to play on; it’s a place where we can try and play our style.”
“We’re expecting a good challenge against them.”
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