Steve Ledger returns to Paulsgrove – just one of many changes that give the club hope for a brighter future

Steve Ledger has made a quick return to local football after leaving Baffins Milton Rovers.
Danny Lane, right, in action for Paulsgrove during their 2017/18 double-winning season. Picture: Neil MarshallDanny Lane, right, in action for Paulsgrove during their 2017/18 double-winning season. Picture: Neil Marshall
Danny Lane, right, in action for Paulsgrove during their 2017/18 double-winning season. Picture: Neil Marshall

Steve Leigh’s former assistant at the PMC Stadium has returned to Paulsgrove, where he enjoyed two spells as a player - the last between 2011/12 and 2016/17.

Ledger will be helping out with coaching at the Hampshire Premier League club - just one of a handful of changes which has left first team boss Wayne Grant excited about the future.

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Paulsgrove have reintroduced a reserve team for 2020/21 as well as boosting the amount of youth teams at the club.

Steve Ledger has returned to Paulsgrove to help on the coaching side. Picture: Chris MoorhouseSteve Ledger has returned to Paulsgrove to help on the coaching side. Picture: Chris Moorhouse
Steve Ledger has returned to Paulsgrove to help on the coaching side. Picture: Chris Moorhouse

They have also upgraded their facilities since last season was halted in mid-March, including the installation of a new kitchen.

‘I’ve known Steve for a while, I’ve played against him several times, and I saw he was at Baffins when we played them in the cup last season,’ explained Grant. ‘When I saw he had been let go I thought I’d just try my hand - it was more of a courtesy text, I wasn’t really expecting him to say ‘yes’.

‘It’s all looking good - we’ve brought the reserve team back and we’ve got eight youth teams from under-7s all the way up. We only had one last season.

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‘Chaz Mitchell is chairman of the youth and he’s doing absolute wonders for the club.

Alex Miroy, far right, celebrates a goal for Paulsgrove against Hayling during their 2017/18 double-winning season. Picture: Neil MarshallAlex Miroy, far right, celebrates a goal for Paulsgrove against Hayling during their 2017/18 double-winning season. Picture: Neil Marshall
Alex Miroy, far right, celebrates a goal for Paulsgrove against Hayling during their 2017/18 double-winning season. Picture: Neil Marshall

‘He’s worked with the council and now they’ve measured out a nine-a-side pitch and a seven-a-side pitch for youth games.

‘We’ve never had anything like that before at Paulsgrove, we’ve only ever had the one pitch.

‘Getting the youth involved has given the club more of a structure.

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‘Chaz used to run the youth team - he got sick of training all the kids and then seeing them go to other clubs. He’s fought tooth and nail to get all this, and now he’s succeeded.

Paulsgrove manager Wayne Grant. Picture: Chris MoorhousePaulsgrove manager Wayne Grant. Picture: Chris Moorhouse
Paulsgrove manager Wayne Grant. Picture: Chris Moorhouse

‘Having all the youth games there will also bring some extra money into the club, that’s another reason for getting the tea room improved.

‘It’s also the little things - there’s a sign at the top of the road now saying ‘Paulsgrove Football Club’ - we’ve never had that. Things like that say this is a proper club, it’s not a pub side.’

The reserve side is returning after a season’s absence, and will play in the Wyvern Combination League. Having won the Hampshire Premier League Combination in 2017/18, and finishing runners-up 12 months later, the team then disbanded.

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Former reserve boss Kev Doughty has returned to take charge of the side.

‘Kev’s a local guy, he loves the club, it was a no-brainer to ask him back.’

Grant is confident he is assembling a squad that ‘is a lot, lot stronger’ than the one that was second in the HPL when the 2019/20 season was halted.

Three players instrumental in the club’s 2017/18 HPL and Hampshire Intermediate Cup double winning team have already signed on.

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Danny Lane fired 25 goals in all competitions in 2017/18 – including eight in the last three league games - and followed that up with 35 goals (in just 29 starts plus five sub appearances) the following season.

Though Lane did rejoin the club from Midhurst midway through last season, he immediately suffered a knee injury and did not actually play a game for them.

Another striker, Alex Miroy, also has form at Paulsgrove - 24 goals in the double-winning season and 11 more the season after.

He netted four times in four games at the start of 2019/20 prior to starting a long suspension.

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‘Alex is one of the best two-footed players I’ve ever played with,’ said Grant.

Adam Walker was Grove’s regular keeper during the double-winning season. One remarkable stat from that campaign concerned penalties - including shoot-outs, Walker faced 19 penalties in 2017/18 … and saved 14 of them.

He has not played competitive football since due to work commitments and having a young family.

‘He texted me to say he was thinking of getting back into it,’ said Grant, ‘and a couple of texts later he’d signed on.

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‘He knows the club, he knows the players, he knows the WhatsApp groups they have.

‘It’s a tight-knit group of players, they all socialise together as well as play football together, and the absolutely batter each other on the WhatsApp group!’

Dave Harding has also signed on, having also played for the club a few years ago.

‘He’s a centre forward, he was really quick, an absolute pest for defenders. He’s like Danny Lane in that respect, he works his socks off - always keeps the defenders occupied.’

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Grove’s long-term ambition remains the installation of floodlights with a view to promotion to the Wessex League.

Ledger, for one, sees no reason why they can’t follow in his previous club’s footsteps and make a successful transition from the HPL to the higher league.

‘They should be pushing to get out of that league. They’ve got a fantastic bunch of players, and off the field there’s some good people in the background,’ he enthused.

‘It’s all there set up to kick on to the next level, and I wouldn’t mind being a part of it again.

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‘The club deserves to get the chance to kick on, like Baffins have done.

‘Baffins were in the Hampshire League not that long ago, and hopefully Paulsgrove can get to that level.

‘Baffins are a definite template for Paulsgrove. Hopefully they can get the ground built up, get some floodlights in, get a few more people along to watch.

‘There’s a big community spirit there, a big family feel in and around Paulsgrove. I think when I first started playing there I was seen as a bit of an outsider from down town!’

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Talking about his desire to return to Marsden Road, Ledger added: ‘I’ve got a bit of a connection with the lads at Paulsgrove. I played there for over 10 years, I won the reserve league as a player.

‘The club’s always got a little place in my heart.

‘They want to bring the youngsters through, and there’s nothing better as a coach than working with players from a young age - or from 18/19 - and seeing them kick on through the ranks. That’s what it’s all about.’

He continued: ‘In the last couple of years at Baffins I’ve learnt a hell of a lot from Steve, as a coach and as a manager.

‘It was towards the end of the (2017/18) season, when Baffins won nine out of 11 games to finish fifth, that I got a phone call from Steve saying he would like me to be his number two.

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‘If you’d told me three years ago that I’d now be seeing myself as a coach I would have laughed - I was intending to carry on playing for a few more years.

‘I’d never done any coaching before going to Baffins, but it’s something I’ve got a bug for now. I think I can improve myself as a person by doing the coaching.’

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