Roy of the Rovers A New Beginning Week 15 Jake Cheetham, the twenty-two year-old captain of Melchester Rovers sat

t perfectly still on a canvas stool, rod in hand, eyes focused on the bobbing float. Fishing was his passion, being an Essex boy, it was pretty much all he and his pals had to do growing up; fishing and football. It was all he did now and a hobby he shared with his housemate and Rovers team-mate Drew Powell. Powell was born in the South Wales resort town of Barry. His father had run the dodgems for a travelling fair, but had settled in Barry and had a permanent pitch on the sea front. Drew also grew up fishing, he preferred the rawness of sea-fishing, but a long pole, a well-stocked lake and his best friend were enough to keep him entertained on a Tuesday after training. Steady, Jakey, whispered Drew, as he spotted the bright orange float disappear at an angle, with that sharp but smooth motion, which only a decent sized fish could produce. Drew propped up his pole and leant over taking hold of Jakes net. Nah! Its gone, mate. And we should be making a move soon. Itll be dark soon and we didnt bring the lamps, did we? Drew started to pack up his equipment and his thoughts drifted to the weekend and Melchester Rovers match against Gatesfield, How annoying is that? All our London fixtures over by the middle of November! No more decent after-match clubbing this season then. Jake was not really into the clubs scene anymore, You only say that cos you grew up in the sticks, mate. I dont miss clubbing at all. I suppose wed done it all by nineteen. Youre still new to it. Drew shook his head, You were into last season. But no, now youre captain nall, youve got to be responsible. You need to chill out, all that stress will kill you. Jake had become a little concerned at the amount of time he spent thinking about football. He remembered how Steve Daley, the previous captain, had warned him; only being captain of England was more prestigious than wearing the Rovers armband, people expect more of you on and off the field. Probably, mate. But I am captain of Melchester Rovers, think of those before me, Steve Wootten, Terry Spring, Roy Race. I have to live up to them. Theyre some of the best footballers England has ever produced. People expect me to be that good now; right now! You are that good though! the young Wales international was used to high expectation himself. As a seventeen year-old at North Vale he was first-choice in central midfield. Wales premier team were a lower half Championship side then, but Powells performances caught the eye of Geoff Giles, now Melchester Rovers chief scout. Giles report on Powell made it clear that he thought the gifted ball player was the most talented young player outside the Premier League, probably one of the best prospects in Europe. Melchester promptly made a bid of 3 million, with numerous add-ons based on appearances and honours, which of course was accepted. Rovers agreed to loan the midfielder back to North Vale for a year and a half, and in the 2010/11 season the Welshman were promoted to back the Premier League. Drew Powell was player of the season and named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year. He had a dozen international caps and was already talked about as Wales future captain. At this time Jake Cheetham had yet to play a minute of Premier League football. He had signed for Melchester Rovers as an eleven year-old, but his parents refused to leave their Essex home for the Midlands. This meant that Jake could only train once a week with the Rovers until he left school, when he joined the academy full-time, living in the specially built residential centre at the training ground. He made remarkable progress under the guidance of experienced youth coach Danny Trent, who had coached Rocky Race as a youngster. Jake had been a right-back through the age-group

teams, but Trent spotted a talent for running with the ball, directly and quickly, like Mozzie Mostin, that was wasted at full-back. After two years in the academy teams, Cheetham joined League Two side Aylbury, on loan for the second half of the 2008/09 season. He helped them to promotion via the play-offs, playing his first game at Wembley, scoring in the penalty shoot-out that secured the fourth promotion place. Jake returned to Melchester but struggled to break into the first team. The manager at the time considered him a luxury player, midfielders who ran with the ball were not suited to the modern game, he would say. Jake finally made his debut in a League Cup match against Championship side Alderchurch in October 2010, he was played on the left of a five man midfield. The manager giving him instructions that his natural game was not suited to playing in the congested centre of the park. If he wanted to run with the ball it would be from a wide position, cutting inside the full-back. A couple of good runs were all he had to show for his Melchester Rovers debut and he was substituted with fifteen minutes remaining. So there had been no fanfare with the arrival of Jake Cheetham in the Melchester Rovers squad, quite the opposite of what Drew Powell had experienced. As the two gifted midfielders climbed into Cheethams Range Rover, Drew looked at his best-friend, Mate, I have a whole country expecting me to change the entire way we play. Youve got the millions of Rovers fans around the world supporting you, wanting you to win trophies. Its high pressure, but we get the rewards, look at this motor, look at our house. We play for the best club in the world, with the most loyal fans. Id rather be here than at Melboro or Kelburn, thats for sure. Jake had to agree, the revolutions that placed Melboro and Kelburn as English footballs most powerful teams had heaped untold pressure on their playing staff, coaches and transformed the clubs fanbases. Remember our foreign owners. It was nuts, they hadnt a clue about the club, its history, its fans. It was a nightmare. They used to rock up in the changing room before the match, just bowl in and start talking. We were only inexperienced pros but Danny Jones looked like he wanted to knock someone out. It was under the Basran-based consortium that Jake Cheetham and Drew Powell both made their Premier League debuts for Rovers. Melchester had been through six managers from the start of the 2010/11 season until Vernon Eliots appointment. A variety of characters had tried and failed in the hardest job in English domestic soccer. There was Steve Nobby Wootten, brought in to bring some passion back to the club. It was unwise and he lasted just three months, as he clashed repeatedly with the owners about interference in team activities. Experienced Scottish manager Mel Stone had been the most successful and it was the former Glenrath Celtic captain and boss who gave Jake and Drew their chance. I can remember my league debut, our debut, like it was yesterday. Mel Park was packed, as usual. The boss gave us our last instructions and Steve Daley did his shouting! Drew jumped in, Stone played 4-4-2 and me and you were together in the middle. I think Batty was injured. I replaced him and you came in because Dean Robins was off-form. Tommy Olsen; Leonardo, Steve Daley (captain), Danny Jones, Jean-Paul Lamidel; Jerome Osman, me, you, Robbie March; Freddy Van Den Broeck, Declan McKaffree Drew reeled off the team list, Er, mate, Freddy wasnt in he was injured too. It was Regis Martin, now at Gatesfield, he was only seventeen. Drew was surprised, You sure? he thought deeply, closing his eyes, Yeah, youre right! That Regis was a right you know! What a flash git. What a shame hes turning into a super player, he could have done that at Mel Park!

You know; some people just cant play for Melchester Rovers. They dont have that Melchester Magic. And one more thing; weve still got Kelburn away, you can go clubbing after that!

Melchester Rovers got their Premier League campaign emphatically back on track with a comfortable win over Bradport. Robbie March headed Rovers in front before Declan McKaffree missed a chance when clean through and also failed to convert a penalty. McKaffree atoned for his errors with a far-post header and strikes by Regis Martin and March put Rovers out of reach. Danny Legg touched in a Callum Ball shot and Jacques Saint-David drove in an 18-yard strike as Bradport rallied late on. But their efforts will be scant consolation for manager Ken Marsh, who might have been hopeful of giving Melchester a real test following his side's midweek victory at Tynecaster. But Rovers turned the boos which rang out at Mel Park after their draw with Oldfield to cheers as they stayed within striking distance of the top four by playing with a swagger and style which is such a feature of their game when at their best. Martin, who has been one of the revelations of the season, was again a key figure for the home side and the creativity, vision and trickery of debutants Jake Cheetham and Drew

Powell added another dimension to their attack. Irish winger March got the ball rolling for the home side when he produced a well-timed run to meet an Osman corner and steered in a near-post header. Cheetham was then harshly booked for diving when he went over the outstretched leg of defender Legg in the box before McKaffree wasted two glorious opportunities. The Republic of Ireland international, who can be as infuriating as he is impressive on other occasions, had only keeper Pete Radunka to beat after a poor backpass by Bradport defender Dominic Warne, only to shoot high. A foul by ex-Rovers youth stopper Radunka on Martin then gave McKaffree a chance from the spot to extend Melchester's lead, but he carelessly sidefooted wide. However, when Osman sent over a cross to the far post, McKaffree found himself unmarked and guided a header past the over-worked Radunka Bradport's best chances came when Graham Weaver produced a lovely turn and shot, which was beaten away by Tommy Olsen, before Loc Argenter had a strike cleared off the line by centre-back Danny Jones. But, when Saint-David dallied after a McKaffree shot was parried to him by Radunka, Martin robbed him of possession and shot into the roof of the net. There was a touch of controversy about Melchester's fourth as the ball appeared to strike Cheetham's arm during the move which led to March scoring from 12 yards. Thereafter, Bradport were playing for pride and Legg and Saint-David at least gave the scoreline a margin of respectability. But Bradport's efforts came too late and Rovers moved to within three points of fourthplaced Melboro with the win.

Melchester assistant coach Andy Maclaren: "Were very pleased with the debuts of the young lads [Cheetham and Powell]. Theyve been showing flashes in training and today everything just clicked for them and for us. Were delighted with the result although the two late goals took the gloss of the scoreline a little. I can see Powell and Cheetham being a big part of the first-team for some time. We wont be changing a winning-team thats for sure.

Storky Knight

Next Week Melchester face a stern test at home to leaders Everpool