OPPOSITION Q&A
Neil discusses Maidenhead United
ABOUT ME
I am Neil Maskell, Club Secretary for Maidenhead United. It is a part-time role at a part-time club. I have been watching the team regularly since about 2007 and after volunteering in various roles I became Secretary at the start of 2021/22.
SEASON SO FAR
We are perhaps one win away from it being summarised in one word – ‘successful’. Our target at the start of every season in this league is simply survival, it being the highest level we have ever played at.
FORM
A mixed bag. One defeat in five before Monday’s game, but that reverse was just about the poorest display of the season in being well-beaten by Dorking at their place. At home we’ve only lost one in the last seven.
HIGHLIGHTS
A stand-out was taking a deserved point in the last minute at home to Wrexham on the telly in front of a bumper crowd. We also took our customary three points at Chesterfield and a victory at York on our first ever visit there was both satisfying and important. These clubs are just three of many who are far bigger than us in terms of scale, as we continue to punch above our weight in this division.
KEY PLAYERS
Former Gull Ashley Nathaniel-George has been terrific for us on the left-hand side. We also have another home grown prospect Reece Smith doing good things for us after his former youth team colleague Josh Kelly was tempted to move to big-spending Solihull Moors. The hard-working Emile Acquah is our top-scorer.
THE MANAGER
I said in a Q and A with the Hartlepool programme in our first season in this division that in Alan Devonshire you’d struggle to find a leader in the western world with better approval ratings. That remains the case. He has been a success in both his spells with us and his job is as secure now as it was then.
THE LINE-UP
Difficult to tell. Dev always tends to shake things up when we have two games in a short space of time, so you may see winger Sam Barratt and utility man Remy Clerima return to the starting line up having been benched for the draw at Solihull.
FOOD AND DRINKS
For craft beer fans, A Hoppy Place is a long throw away from York Road on Park Street. Off The Tap on the High Street is a bit closer to the station and as well as good beer they also have an excellent burger menu.
OPPOSITION TEAMS/PLAYERS
I think Notts County have been the best footballing team but Wrexham’s squad is something else in terms of size and depth of quality..
PREDICTION
I’m wary. You’ve won three games in a row to nil having been written off by many. I haven’t written you off because Gary Johnson is a good manager. This is a bad time to play you so I will take a draw to move us to fifty points and keep you at arms-length from us.
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