Match Preview: Southern League Premier South
Basingstoke Town vs Berkhamsted
When: Saturday 8th November 2025 Kick-off 3pm
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Berkhamsted (The Comrades), 2025-26 League Position 8th
A week on from our loss to Farnham, we now not only face another promoted team, but also another who sit above us in the table, as we face Berkhamsted, who won the Southern League Central Division playoffs.
Our Opponents
In January 2024, the Comrades former manager Chris Devane agreed to return and signed a two-year contract with the club. Devane then steered the Comrades to a league and cup success last season.
Berkhamsted have started this campaign with a number of good wins, including last Saturday’s 2-1 win at home to Havant & Waterlooville, and currently sit in eighth place with a record of Pld 14 Won 6 Drawn 4 Lost 4 and 22pts. Their away record sits at 2 wins 3 draws & 2 losses. Their strikeforce is led by Jonathan (JJ) Lacey, who has six goals on the season, and is non-league legend, with over 200 goals in his 350+ senior appearances. More than 100 of these for the Comrades. He was also the top scorer in the 2023/24 Emirates FA Cup, beating Erling Haaland to the award. He is also club captain. Michael Harding has four goals, signing at the start of the 2025/26 campaign. The US born striker joined from Flackwell Heath following spells at Risborough, Barwell and Beaconsfield. Striker Ryan Blake rejoined the Comrades after two successful seasons at Bedford Town where he was captain for consecutive promotion seasons. He also had spells at Chesham United, Hayes & Yeading Utd and Enfield Town.
In midfield, Adam Watkins signed from Royston Town in 2021 and has other experience at both Dunstable clubs, Chesham United, Bedford Town and Cambridge City. Regarded as the main man in the midfield, he has two goals this season. Luke Andrews just 22, signed from Biggleswade Town in July 2022, and is the main central midfielder in the team. Bradley Wadkins, is an attacking midfielder, in his second stint with the club, regarded as an attacking midfielder, also played at Chesham, Slough Town and Welwyn Garden City. Kyle Brooks arrived last month from AFC Dunstable for whom he made 100 appearances over three seasons and captained the side. Billie Busari is a 24-year-old Dublin born right winger. He started his career with Reading and Fulham U23s, has played loan spells at several Step 3 clubs and most recently a permanent stint at Sholing.
The defence starts with central defender James Gurteen, who joined in the summer of 2025 from Harrow Borough, for whom he made 49 appearances last season. He has also played at Rayners Lane and Bracknell Town. 21-year-old Max Rosner is a strong, commanding centre-half who joined in October 2024, having previously been at AFC Dunstable, Bedford Town, Aylesbury Vale Dynamos and Hemel Hempstead Town. Cameron Hyde is likely to play n one of the defensive back roles and was a stand-out performer at step 4 Barton Rovers, playing nearly a 100 games over the last two seasons, and has also played at Chesham, Bedford Kempston and Biggleswade Utd. Another centre-half is Pierce Mitchell, who joined from Frome Town, where he made 90 appearances over three seasons. Pierce has played most of his career at Step 3, and is an Ireland U18 international. In goal will be the experienced Charlie Horlock, who joined at the start of 2025/26 season from Slough Town for whom he made 54 appearances last season. Before that, Charlie played 273 games at Hitchin Town, and spells at Wycombe Wanderers and Stevenage.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
A third of the way through the season, following our second league loss in a row, we sit on the edge of either heading up the table, or on the precipice of the relegation places, as we sit in 24 hours before tomorrow’s game.
Our loss to Farnham Town, last Saturday, leaves us in fifteenth place with our record now at Pld 14 Won 4 Drawn 3 Lost 7 and 15pts. With Charlie Austin & Bradley Wilson, now in the rear-view mirror, we move on with Liam Ferdinand, Cheick Lysalla, George Reid as our strikeforce, with Robbie Gallagher waiting in the sidelines to return sooner than expected. Still no update on the injury status of Remy Bennison.
The welcome return of Josh Green as a second-half substitute last Saturday, will hopefully give the midfield area a big lift for tomorrow afternoon and moving forward, and should give James Dickson, D’Andre Brown & Ben Cook (captain for the past two games), much-needed support. Connor Barratt & Dara Dada appear to be the back-ups, but need to earn their starting roles, when given a chance.
It is hoped that Billy Upton, missing form the last two games will likely return to his centre-back role, whilst it appears that Jack Ball, is likely to be out due to injury. This would normally mean that Scott Armsworth would replace him, but his red card against Dorchester, means he will also be absent tomorrow. At this point, the club are likely to be looking for an active replacement for tomorrow. If not James Clark, is likely to slot back into the role. This allows Markus Johnson-Schuster and Joe O’Loughlin to slot into their defensive back roles. Elliott Legg who played in a defensive back role against Farnham, is also an option, depending if we set-up with a back four or back five scheme. Simon Grant will as always be our goal-stopper between the posts.
We face a Berkhamsted side that have made a good start since their promotion from step 4 football, and will therefore be looking to collect all three points on their trip to Hampshire tomorrow.
Basingstoke are in seek of replacements and reinforcements to the squad, but if we start like we did for the opening half-hour against Farnham, then we should cause the visitors a number of difficult questions, and hopefully start a winning run, and push up the table.
Let’s Go Stoke !
Match Preview by Martin French..
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