A Cambridge City summer

We couldn’t write abut our new clubs prior to our AGM, so over the next couple of weeks we’re going to catch up on their signings and other news. We’re off to Cambridge next.

Cambridge City are about to kick off a Pitching In Isthmian League season for the first time since the second pandemic -hit campaign of 20-21. Since then City have been plying their trade in a far more northerly direction, and watching as their new ground in Sawston is built. The new stadium might be ready for the big kick off- and if it isn’t, then hopefully it won’t be too much longer- but they do have a new squad, so we’ll try and update you with their new arrivals.

By the way, City are now managed by Jamie Cureton- who needs no introduction!

Centre back Jayden Gipson was with Maldon & Tiptree last season, and he made twenty seven appearances and scored one goal. He played North Division football for Coggeshall Town between 2019 and 2022, and ended the 22-23 season as a promotion winner with AFC Sudbury, when he played twelve times including in the Play Off Semi-Final and Final. He has also featured for Enfield, Braintree Town and Felixstowe & Walton United.

Midfielder Aaron Greene may be particularly familiar to you from his time with Bishop’s Stortford, but he has played for a number of our clubs- and higher. He spent last season playing National League North football with the Blues, and, working backwards, has also played for Enfield, Enfield Town, Chelmsford City, AFC Sudbury, Brentford and Boston United, after first appearing at our level for Harlow Town. 

Left back/left winger Alfie Mason was also with Maldon & Tiptree last season, joining the club in October and playing thirty two times. He was a big part of Enfield's success during the 22-23 season. He also played for the Jammers during the very short 20-21 season, playing ten times before the campaign shuddered to a very early halt. He was previously with both Bishop's Stortford and Coggeshall Town.

Midfielder Danny Norton also takes on the role of fitness coach. Danny was a big part of the Bowers & Pitsea side who reached the First Round of the FA Cup during the 21-22 season, playing in that match against Lincoln City and another thirty one times that season. He joined the club in the closing stages of the 2019-20 campaign and departed in 2022. Prior to his time with Bowers he played for Basildon United, Tilbury and Witham Town, and last season he spent some time with Enfield. 

Centre back Jack Grosvenor is also a former Enfield man. He spent last season just falling short of promotion with one of our former clubs, Ware, and prior to that was with FC Romania, Basildon United, Walthamstow and Woodford Town. 

Another defender, Giani Ashley, makes the move from Grays Athletic. The full back made sixteen appearances after making the move to Athletic in January, starting the season at Three Bridges, where he played seventeen times. That was his fifth Bridges campaign- although the first two didn't finish, sadly- and he made one hundred and six appearances for the Crawley side according to our stats, scoring two goals along the way. Giani spent time with Margate at the start of the 2019-20 campaign, making five appearances, and was previously with South Park, where he played nineteen times. He also turned out for City earlier in his career, and for Bedford Town.

Midfielder Jack Thompson had a fine season with Bowers and Pitsea, playing an enormous part in their promotion to our Premier Division at the end of last season. He played thirty five times, including in the Play Off Final win over Brentwood Town. Still only nineteen, he’ll be confident of a second successive promotion.

Winger Joel Older made a move from Halstead Town. Three years at Town saw him play eighty four times and score twenty six goals. He was formerly a youth with Heybridge Swifts, and did play a couple of times for the first team, and has also spent time as a youth with Maldon & Tiptree, Coggeshall Town and Stanway Rovers. 

Forward Shane Temple played twenty eight times and scored four goals for Maldon & Tiptree last season. He joined the Jammers in September, making the move from Concord Rangers, where he had made three appearances. Shane first came to our attention as a youth and then first team player for Braintree Town, before moving to AFC Sudbury between 2020 and 2022. He notably scored four goals in an FA Cup win for the Yellows against Harborough Town. He spent much of the 22-23 season at Basildon United, where he scored nine goals in twenty seven matches.

Midfielder Jack Cousins is another former Enfield man. He was with the E’s from 2021, but spent last season turning out for another of our former clubs, Harlow Town, and made thirty six appearances as the Hawks finished third in Thurlow Nunn First Division South, the club sadly ineligible for the end of season Play Offs. 

Alex Warman, a midfielder, narrowly missed out on promotion with Ware last season. He broke through at Bishop’s Stortford before playing for Enfield, and has since moved between the E’s and Ware. He previously played for Hoddesdon Town. 

Centre back Jayden Randell had two spells with Maldon & Tiptree last season, on loan from National League South side Aveley. He also had a loan spell at Hashtag United, playing nine times.

Jayden signed for Aveley only shortly before his first Maldon spell, and prior to that he had been recovering from a major injury (a double leg break) that he suffered in a friendly match prior to the start of last season. He suffered that injury whilst playing for Concord Rangers, and he was a big part of Rangers National League South side during the 21-22 campaign. He joined the Beachboys from Wealdstone, has also played for Maidstone United, and was part of the Heybridge Swifts squad during the 18-19 campaign, making six appearances, followed by thirty eight before the 19-20 campaign shuddered to a premature halt. 

Striker George Smith was superb for Maldon & Tiptree last season, scoring twenty one times in his thirty nine matches. George joined the Jammers in January 2023, scoring two goals in thirteen matches in the closing stages of the 22-23 season. George was previously a big part of Hashtag United's promotion to our ranks, joining the club in the summer of 2019 and scored twenty six times during the ill-fated 2019-20 campaign. He left the club in November 21 after scoring thirty six goals in total. The first half of the 22-23 season saw him turn out for Hullbridge Sports, scoring four goals in fourteen appearances.

Finally, we think, goalkeeper Tom Middlehurst is another former Jammer. Tom started the 22-23 season with Maldon, making fifteen appearances after signing on during the summer, before departing for Aveley and playing only once- in victory over Folkestone Invicta. He ended up at Coggeshall Town after departing Parkside, and played twenty five times, but despite his best efforts the Seed Growers couldn't hold onto their Pitching In isthmian North status at the end of the 22-23 campaign. He played ten times for the Jammers last season. 

Previously, Tom was a Cheltenham Town youth who moved to Queens Park Rangers as an under seventeen, and played for the club at Under 18 and Under 23 level. He played half a season on loan with Harlow Town.