Football

It’s two in and two out for Spalding United as the plans for the 20-21 season continue to develop as much as they can. Manager Lewis Thorogood is hopeful that the club will be able to begin pre-season next month ahead of the 20-21 Evo-Stik Division One South East season. The Tulips have brought in two players from Lincoln United ...

The decision to null and void semi-professional football leagues including the Evo-Stik League and United Counties League has been ratified. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the seasons were ended without outcomes by the Football Association. However South Shields FC, who were 12 points clear at the top of the Northern Premier League, took the case to an independent tribunal arguing ...

Pinchbeck United boss Ian Dunn says he needed the long break that’s been afforded to him. Last season was a miserable one for the Knights as they sat rock bottom of the United Counties League Premier Division with just one win from 27 games. But with the season cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pinchbeck won’t be relegated. After regularly challenging ...

Holbeach United celebrated the many positives from the curtailed 2019/20 season with an online awards ceremony last week. Former manager Danny Hussey helped put on the ceremony to mark the end of the season and his era in charge before Phil Barnes took over. And he named Tom Smith as his Manager’s Player of the Season. “At the start of ...

Former Northern Ireland U21s striker Bradley Fortnam-Tomlinson leads four signings announced by Spalding United. A former Sheffield Wednesday and St Johnson youth team player, the 25-year-old has played for a host of clubs including the Tulips league rivals Wisbech Town and Loughborough Dynamo during the previous campaign. He joins a trio of the club’s young players in signing on for ...

Holbeach United’s youth set up has received a grant of over £40,000 to improve its football pitches as it continues to grow. The Holbeach United Community Sports Academy has been given the grant by the Football Foundation as part of its Grass Pitch Improvement Programme. It aims to improve the quality of the pitches at the Pennyhill Road base which ...

Spalding United fans have been voting for their top Tulips team ever. As part of manager Lewis Thorogood’s Facebook Live events that have proved a hit, he encouraged a vote for the legends side. The fans voted for current goalie and the 19/20 player of the season Michael Duggan as the top keeper. In defence were former Notts County and ...

Spalding United were meant to be finishing the season at home this weekend, but instead the only action they’re hoping for is money to drop into the JustGiving appeal they’ve created. Regular supporters are being asked to donate the money they would have otherwise spend on watching the Tulips in the abandoned game as they look to stay afloat during ...

A former Tulip came face-to-face with David Beckham last week. George Zuerner and his nine-year-old son Freddie received a FaceTime from the former England, Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan star as part of the One World Together collaborations last week. Midfielder Zuerner left Spalding United for Skegness just before the season prematurely closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic ...

After more than 30 years of being in and around Holbeach United, Phil Barnes is now ready to step up to the top job. The 47-year-old, who first joined the club as a player aged 11, was named as the new first team manager at Carter’s Park on Thursday. He and assistant Dean Elston will replace Danny Hussey in the ...

Holbeach United have announced that club stalwart Phil Barnes will be their new manager. Barnes, who won the UCL Premier Division as a player with the Tigers, will be assisted by Dean Elston – another Tigers legend – at Carter’s Park. With Danny Hussey stepping down as boss following the early completion of the season, Barnes steps up from his ...

Spalding United have launched their ‘SUFC 200 Club’ – dubbed a great way to support the Tulips while having the chance to win prizes. You can sign up for just £10 per month, with three monthly cash prizes for winners, with the rest helping support the club during these difficult times. You can set up a standing order via treasurer ...

One of the finest and most enduring players on the local football scene has had his final competitive match. Holbeach United legend Steve “Oddie” Barnes announced his retirement on Saturday, March 26 soon after the season was declared null and void for the vast majority of non-league teams due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the 44-year-old is just thankful he ...

Ian Dunn isn’t thinking much about football at the moment – but he reckons the enforced break will be good for stress levels. After years of success that saw the player/boss take the Knights from the Peterborough League to fourth place in the UCL Premier Division last season, 2019/20 was a shock to the system. Before the season was declared ...

Last week’s decision to end the non-league season means that Danny Hussey is no longer the manager of Holbeach United. Having announced his intention to resign at the end of the season just weeks before the coronavirus crisis stalled the entire sporting scene, Hussey is now leaving the role earlier than expected. He was confident that his Tigers, fifth when ...

Lewis Thorogood has revealed his “honour” at being handed the role of Spalding United manager on a permanent basis. Having stepped up as interim manager following Matt Easton’s resignation from the BetVictor NPL South East Division club back in December, former number two Thorogood will lead the Tulips next season. It’s his first permanent role in men’s football having been ...

Pinchbeck United are “obviously very happy” that the FA have expunged all record of the 2019/20 season. That’s the frank and honest assessment of player/boss Ian Dunn, who also admits that he feels for the teams that were having great seasons in the wake of last week’s big decision. The Knights were looking odds-on to be relegated from the Uhlsport ...

All of South Holland’s football teams have kicked their last ball this season after the FA today (Thursday) announced the end of the season for non-league teams from steps three to seven. All results over the season will be declared null and void, with no champions crowned, promotions awards and relegations suffered. The following statement has this afternoon been released ...

Some 15 candidates recently completed the FA Basic Referees’ Course at Spalding Grammar School – the fourth successive year this course has run. The candidates were put through their paces by the Lincolnshire FA referee tutors. Lincolnshire FA’s referee development officer Michael Brader led the course, along with experienced referee and trainer Rob Windle. The course entailed a two-hour evening ...

Their season may have ended a little earlier than expected due to the coronavirus pandemic – but everyone at Holbeach United Black under-8s is reflecting on a real year of progress. Under the guidance of manager Rob Green, who stepped up from his role as assistant last summer, the young Tigers are looking more than ready for their first taste ...