July 5, 2025
Thame United’s season ended in early May with their Oxfordshire Senior Cup victory over Ardley United. Barely two months later the new season was beginning with their first pre-season friendly, against Abingdon United, in a match between step 4 vs step 5. It was also an Oxfordshire derby, between two teams who hadn’t played each other too often in recent years.
Thame Update
Squad announcements for the new season from Thame had been scarce, apart from veteran journeyman striker Jefferson Louis retiring from competitive football. After some light-hearted speculation he was signing for Southampton, it was announced he was joining Slough Town as part of their backroom team.
However, in the 24 hours prior to the match there was a flurry of activity on Thame’s Twitter account, announcing that keeper Matty Crowther, defenders Lewis Thorne and Finlay Murray, midfielders Mark Riddick, Jack Tutton, Dan West and Greg Hackett, wingers Rocko Tamplin and Curtis Brown, and forward Harry Alexander had signed on for another season. In addition, ex-Hendon, Northwood Town and Leighton defender Luke Tingey had joined the club.
Abingdon United
Last season Abingdon United were playing in the Step 6 Hellenic Division 1, where they finished in 4th place to participate in the promotion play-offs. A 0-0 draw at Clanfield 85 resulted in a penalty shoot-out, which Abingdon won 3-2 to give them a home final against Wantage. A record crowd of 1,621 amassed to see Abingdon win 2-0 to secure promotion, thanks to goals from Pablo Haysham and Anaclet Odihambo, which has seen them allocated to the step 5 Combined Counties Premier Division North.
Abingdon United had been a solid step 4 side when I started watching them in 2009 ( see below ), but due to financial problems they resigned from the Southern League at the end of the 2012/13 season to return to the Hellenic League, after which they flitted between the Premier Division and Division One.
Abingdon United Squad
The player-manager of Abingdon United is John Mills, who had been a prolific scorer in non-league football in the region. The highlight of his career was probably the three seasons with Hereford United, which included an FA Vase final appearance at Wembley in 2016. Mills began his career at Abingdon United, before moving on to North Leigh, Didcot, Hereford, Bath City, and Banbury United, before returning to his first club as a player manager.
Abingdon’s squad last season featured some familiar name to followers of football in Oxfordshire. Centre-back and captain George Gilmore had been a highly rated young defender at Thame United before suffering a long-term injury, striker Pablo Haysham had been a prolific goal-scorer with Oxford City Nomads, Didcot and Hereford, and experienced striker Anaclet Odhiambo had been dual registered with Ardley United, playing in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup Final against Thame, but had also helped Abingdon in their promotion play-off games. Anaclet has been announced as signing on for the new season.
Forward Aaron Woodley had done the local rounds with Banbury United, Oxford City, North Leigh, Didcot, Swindon Supermarine after being released by Oxford United, before pitching up at Abingdon United.
Romeo Nuzi, Freddy Dunham, Leo Cole, Harry Walters and keeper Eddie Cavanagh had all been announced on Twitter as re-signing on for the new season, although ex-Thame and Aylesbury United midfielder Hayden Beadle had been announced as leaving the club, destination unknown.
Other players from last season to turn out today were Casey Highmoor, Nathan Robinson, Zach Morey, Jack Gaul and Liam Burt whilst centre back Sam Jackson was with Redditch Borough last season. Midfielder Brad Walton was previously with Ardley United, and played against Thame in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup Final.
Watching Abingdon United
Fatbear visited Northcourt on five occasions between 2009 and 2011 to see games involving Abingdon United when they were in the step 4 Southern League Division One South & West.
The first occasion was a pre-season friendly against Oxford City when Abingdon sprung a surprise by beating their step 3 level opponents 1-0, with the goal scorer being current manager Mills. Odihambo and Haysham were also in the Abingdon United side that afternoon, which also included a few others who went onto to become stalwarts of Oxfordshire non-league football, including Julian McCalmon, Mark Janes, Tom Franklin, Richard Pierson, Jon Beames and Ryan Brooks.
Two further games were seen that season, a 0-0 draw with Cirencester and a 0-2 loss to Windsor. The game against Windsor saw the production of a second programme, celebrating the 666th consecutive first team programme over the previous 27 seasons, and it was a fabulous effort packed full of history, pictures and statistics. Only 66 copies were produced and apparently no two programmes were the same due to different pictures being included, so I have a collectors’ item !
The following season Yate were beaten 3-1, with Tom Melledew, Steve Davis and Andrew Younie being the goal scorers, and the year after that Poole left Abingdon with a 3-1 victory, Aaron Parfitt with the consolation goal for United. Leading the line both these games for Abingdon United was Sam Collier, who went on to play for Cirencester and Chippenham, and until the end of last season had been a successful manager at Royal Wootton Bassett. Collier was recently announced as joint-manager of Hellenic league side Fairford Town.
Previous Meetings
Fatbear could only detect two seasons this century when Thame and Abingdon United were in the same division. In 2014/15, the matches in the Hellenic League Premier Division finished with 3-2 and 3-0 victories for Thame. In the following season, Thame won 2-0 at home but the away fixture was a 1-1 draw. With Abingdon United being relegated at the end of the season, the sides haven’t played a league fixture since.
Matchday Information
The journey from Abingdon’s Northcourt Ground to Thame’s ASM Stadium is 23 miles and should normally take 45 minutes via the Oxford ring-road.
Today’s match was being played on the 3G pitch, which is surrounded by a cage, rather than on the main pitch in the ASM stadium. As a result, entry was free, but the spectator facilities were pretty limited, with just standing space alongside three-quarters of one side of the pitch, with the rest fenced off. There was no cover from the elements, no tannoy announcements, no team-sheets, but at least the bar and the toilets in the main clubhouse were open.
The weather at the 15.00 kick-off time was overcast with a few spots of rain and a stiff breeze, and the temperature was 21 degrees.
Abingdon United were their usual kit of yellow shirts, blue shorts and yellow socks, whilst Thame were in their usually red and black stripes shirts with black shorts.
Being a friendly, rolling subs were permitted, enabling several players to return to the pitch in the second half after being substituted at half-time.
Match Report
Thame kicked off and the visitors barely touched the ball in the opening four minutes, until Gaul skipped past the Thame left-back to get to the by-line. His pull-back found Odihambo unmarked 10 yards from goal, but the veteran striker’s effort rebound back from the crossbar when he really ought to have buried the chance.
Thame hit back but West saw his short from the edge of the area blocked for the first corner of the match, at which the keeper flapped, but Riddick slipped when attempting to have a shot from the loose ball from near to the penalty spot.
Thame’s right-back then played a low ball into the Abingdon United area, but Riddick’s shot was mis-hit and went well wide.
The rain was a lot heavier now, as Abingdon right back Walters played a ball forward which Odihambo neatly flicked forward, but keeper Crowther was off his line to claim ahead of Gaul.
At the other end, Brown’s low cross was cleared, and when Thame recycled possession, the number 9 blazed high and wide from the edge of the area.
Abingdon’s bench were then a little annoyed when the referee blew for a free-kick for their side, just as the loose ball was played forward to put Gaul clear. Three minutes later Gaul was put clear again, but this time his cross sailed over the cage and out of the ground.
The rain had briefly stopped and Thame won a free-kick in a promising position after Gilmore had pulled back the lively Tamplin, but the delivery from West was poor and sailed straight into the arms of keeper Cavanagh.
The rain returned as Thame’s left-back got away from Walters and send a decent cross into the area, but the number 9’s side footed volley lacked power, and Cavanagh made a comfortable low save.
The opening goal of the match arrived shortly after. Tamplin chipped a ball over the Abingdon United back line for Brown to run on to, and the cross from the right struck the arm of Jackson. The referee awarded the penalty, although it looked more a case of ball onto arm, but after the protests had died down, West stepped up to take the spot-kick. However, his effort was too close to the keeper who made the save diving to his right, but West was the first to the rebound and lifted the ball into the roof of the empty net. 1-0 with 31 minutes played.
Thame almost immediately doubled their lead but a low cross from the right-back deflected across the face of the Abingdon’s goalmouth and went off for a corner.
In the 38th minute the visitors won a free-kick midway inside the Thame half. Jackson’s delivery was directed at Gilmore, but the centre-back’s header under pressure bounced a couple of yards wide. A minute later Odihambo looked to run away from Murray but had his shirt pulled. It would have been an obvious yellow card in a league match, but as this was a friendly no sanction was applied by the referee. The free-kick was wasted and the game restarted with a goal-kick for Thame.
On the stroke of half-time a 30-yard free-kick from Highmoor rolled gently through to the Thame keeper. A long ball out of the Thame defence put Brown clear, and the Thame winger drew the keeper and unselfishly squared the ball towards Tamplin. However, just as the Thame player was getting ready to put the ball into the empty net, Walters recovered to make a tremendous tackle to prevent the goal. Consequently, it was still only 1-0 at the half-time interval.
Thame made four changes for the start of the second half, whilst Abingdon United made five, and not a lot immediately happened as both sides attempted to bed in. The first piece of action saw Thame substitute ( number 18 ) get to a long ball from the left ahead of the Abingdon keeper, but his header bounced a yard wide.
The Thame right-back then got to the by-line and pulled the ball back to Tutton, who put in a good cross to be met on the volley by the number 9. Cavanagh made a tremendous diving save, only for number 18 to head the rebound into the empty net. Thame’s celebrations though, were cut short by the linesman’s raised flag, so the score stayed at 1-0.
The game was becoming much more open, and when Dunham attempted to run onto a threaded through ball, Crowther was off his line to make a sliding tackle, and then hoofed the loose ball out of the cage.
There didn’t appear to be much danger when Abingdon substitute left back West had the ball 30 yards from the Thame goal. His optimistic left-footed shot was blocked and fell to Highmoor on the left 20 yard out, who immediately shot first time right-footed. The effort hit a Thame defender and wrong-footed Crowther, who was unable to prevent the ball sneaking inside his near post. 1-1 with 55 minutes on the clock.
Both sides made more substitutions, with some players returning to the pitch, and the game entered another period where very little happened. The Thame right-back did have a run down the touchline and cut inside onto his left foot, but his attempt sailed high and wide, and for Abingdon Haysham weaved his way into the Thame area but the keeper saved bravely at his feet.
The game burst into life again with 15 minutes remaining. Dunham ran onto a long ball and got to it ahead of the Thame keeper, but rather than attempting to go round Crowther, he flicked it goalwards, and agonisingly for Abingdon the ball bounced narrowly wide. Thame went down the other end and number 18 prodded the ball past the on-rushing keeper and the ball went into the net off the near post. Again though, Thame were denied by an offside flag.
A minute later Burt was put clear for Abingdon in the right-hand channel but his left footed effort on the run clipped the top of the cross bar and went over. Dunham then put the ball in the Thame net at the far post, but this time it was Abingdon’s turn to be thwarted by a flag for offside.
With 5 minutes remaining, Abingdon’s substitute keeper pushed away a corner under pressure on his line, and Robinson cleared for a throw-in, which Brown sent into the mixer, but Thame were unable to capitalise.
Another long ball down the right-hand channel put Burt clear, and seeing Dunham up in support, the square pass gave Dunham a simple finish into the empty net. 1-2 after 86 minutes.
With full time nearly up, the visitors came close to adding a third goal. Burt made another strong run down the right and his pass looked to have given Robinson to opportunity clinch the win, but Brown was tracking back and was able to intercept and concede a corner.
Thame had one last chance for an equaliser, but after their number 19 won a corner, the ball into the area was cleared, and the referee blew the final whistle to give Abingdon United a deserved victory.
Abingdon looked a much more cohesive side in the second half, probably benefitting from most of their squad having played together before. Thame’s side after the break was mostly trialists and/or new signings and they didn’t make much of an impression after a good first half.
Thame United : Crowther – Trialist A, Tingey, Murray, Trialist B – Brown ( Thorne ), West, Trialist C ( Tutton ), Riddick, Tamplin – Trialist D
Abingdon United : Cavanagh – Walters, Gilmore, Jackson, Robinson ( White ) – Gaul, Hamza ( Haysham ), Morey ( Burt ), Walton – Odihambo ( Dunham ), Highmoor
