MEET THE OPPOSITION | TONBRIDGE ANGELS
Oxford City return to the RAW Charging stadium on Saturday fresh off the back of a hard-earned point at Dulwich Hamlet last weekend.
The Hoops remain third in Vanarama National League South, with every point even more crucial than ever. Ahead of another massive game, we take a look at City’s next opponents: Tonbridge Angels.
History:
Tonbridge Angels Football Club, based in Kent, was originally founded in 1947 as Tonbridge FC, and the side became known as ‘The Angels’ two years later when they moved to the Angel Ground.
Tonbridge were to move again, in 1980, to the Longmead Stadium, where they have played since. Throughout the club’s early years, The Angels struggled to make it out of the Southern Football League, and finally tasted promotion after 26 years, in 1973. The following decades saw Tonbridge bounce between leagues until the football league system was reorganised in 2004, and the club were placed in the Isthmian Premier.
The Angels were relegated in the first Isthmian Premier campaign, but came straight back up the following year, eventually winning promotion to the Conference South via the play-offs five years later. Tonbridge were relegated once more after three years at Step 2, but found their way back to the National League South in 2019, and have remained there since. In their first two completed seasons, Tonbridge mustered up 15th and 16th placed finishes - but they now look set to better that record this term under the guidance of Jay Saunders, currently sitting 9th.
Current Form:
Jay Saunders’ Angels side have been in largely impressive form since the beginning of the calendar year, a stretch of matches that has seen them move up into the heights of 9th place. Since January 7th, Tonbridge have played 15, winning eight and losing just twice.
Recently, Tonbridge have been overcoming the sides around them, with crucial away victories over Bath City and Eastbourne Borough. The Angels also earned an admirable point at home to league leaders Ebbsfleet United, before narrowly edging out Hungerford Town in a seven-goal thriller at the weekend.
The Angels head into Saturday’s contest looking up the table, and very much in with a chance of securing a play-off position come the end of the season - they are currently only outside of the places on goal difference.
Meet the gaffer: Jay Saunders
Tonbridge Angels boss Jay Saunders took charge at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, and in doing so became the club’s first full-time manager in modern times.
Saunders impressively guided Maidstone United from the Isthmian South Division to the National League in just four years, and has also managed Isthmian Premier side Margate FC, for whom he also made 373 appearances in his playing days.
The 44-year-old’s impact at Tonbridge is already evident, and particularly visible in the team’s league position; encouraging progress has certainly been made after the 16th placed finish of last season.
Club Captain: Sonny Miles
A club legend at Longmead Stadium, central-defender Sonny Miles leads the side and has made an impressive 42 appearances so far this season.
Miles, 32, has been at Tonbridge since he was 9, and recently surpassed 500 appearances for The Angels, becoming just the third player in the club’s history to reach that milestone.
The veteran centre-back has two goals to his name so far this term, and is renowned for the threat he often poses from set-pieces.
Tonbridge’s number five was voted the club’s Supporters’ Player of the Year last season, and will no doubt be hoping to crown another impressive campaign by leading his team into the play-offs at the end of it.
Key Player: Jordan Greenidge
Aside from the aforementioned importance of skipper Sonny Miles, former Stoke City youth player Jordan Greenidge stands out among the Tonbridge squad. The 23-year-old - who is on loan from fellow VNLS side Hemel Hempstead Town - made his senior football debut in Cyprus’ first division in 2019, for Omonia.
Since then, Greenidge has played in the Spanish third division for Badajoz, and in League Two for Newport County. The striker signed for Weymouth in January 2022, and made five appearances before being loaned to Dartford for the remainder of the campaign, where he grabbed three goals in five games.
Greenidge joined Tonbridge on loan from Hemel Hempstead in November, on an initial one-month loan, but after netting three league goals in his first four games, his loan was extended until the end of the 2022/23 season.
A clinical centre-forward, Greenidge is currently the joint-fifth top-scorer in National League South, with 16 goals so far this season.
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