Uxbridge Town AFC: Season 103 Review

It was as dominant a season for Uxbridge Town AFC as has been seen in a long time. The Lions finished the year with a 35-2-1 record for a total of 107 points, a full 23 points clear of the second placed club, the Stratford Upon Avon King's Men. It was the highest single season point total since S94 when Stratford United, also managed by MacCallum Barry, had a perfect 38-0-0 season.

Uxbridge led the league with 120 goals scored and 24 goals conceded, and their +126 goal differential, 47 goals clear of second placed King's Men. The club had far and away the most chances of any team in the league, while also remaining incredibly disciplined, with 20 yellow cards (2nd in the league) and no red cards (T1st).

Manager MacCallum Barry spoke during the press conference after the team's final league match, and praised his team for a job well done. "I genuinely don't think I could ask any more of these guys" said Barry. "This was probably the best I have ever had a team perform, and I just have to give all of the credit in the world to the players and staff for making this season go as smoothly as it did. Our goals next season will come as no surprise, but I really do feel that we can achieve them with the group that we have here."

Individually, Uxbridge had an impressive season with several top contributors. Kobe Otsuka returned to goal scoring form, netting 27 goals putting him T3rd in the golden boot race, albeit well behind Munro Finlater's 42 goals for Blackley Town. Huenu Barragan set a new career high with 26 goals, showing off his free kick prowess routinely throughout the season. Gilbert Cadogan had 24 goals while Mehdi Florentin scored 20, despite only playing in 24 and 21 league matches each respectively. Lyle Maigny added 15 goals from midfield, while Tab Leigh contributed 11. In goal, both Wynward Garnis and MacMillan Andrews proved to be excellent stoppers, with the defence in front of them playing strong football.

At the celebratory parade in West London, team captain Stephen Mill addressed the thousands of fans in attendance with a rousing speech. "I would not rather be here with any other team in the world" said Mill to rapturous applause. "This group of guys right here are the best teammates I could ask for. Hard working, an amazing locker room presence, and undeniable talent on the field. And coming out every Saturday to play in front of this incredible crowd, it was always a pleasure for us. And so this title belongs to all of us here."

With the new season coming soon, it will be interesting to see if Uxbridge will make any moves towards growing towards a potential three-peat.

UXBRIDGE TOWN AFC WIN S102 CHAMPIONSHIP

As the final whistle blew on a 3-1 Uxbridge victory over Rebel Nation Football Club, the over 44,000 fans at Golden Lions Park erupted into jubilant celebration. The win clinched Uxbrdge Town their second consecutive league championship, this time in rather dominant fashion. The crowd rejoiced again when Stephen Mill hoisted the league trophy with his teammates at his side.

In the post-match press conference, Manager MacCallum Barry once again praised his club for their incredible season. "At no point this season did anyone have the mentality of resting on past success" said Barry. "We won this title because everyone at the club worked tirelessly to ensure that we did not slow down. It was a valiant effort across the board, and the boys were once again a joy to coach. I hope we can continue to grow and improve in the years to come. This team just seems perpetually hungry for more."

When asked about the idea of the team becoming a dynasty, captain Stephen Mill didn't shy away from the word. "That is the goal here, absolutely" said Mill. "We obviously take everything one match at a time, but when all is said and done, I would love for the club's trophy case to be filled to the brim. There are going to be 19 teams next season hungry to keep that from happening, but I feel like we are ready to meet any challenge head on."

Uxbridge has a few more matches to go until the end of the season, but plans are apparently already being put into place for another championship parade around West London. That will be expected to take place in the days following their final league match.

Uxbridge a Draw Away from Title Repeat

In the midst of another masterful season, Uxbridge Town AFC now find themselves one point away of their second consecutive Premier League title. Fifteen points clear of the second place King's Men with five matches remaining, a draw for the Lions against Rebel Nation FC or a King's Men draw or loss to Blackley will clinch the league for Uxbridge.

Manager MacCallum Barry noted after a 4-0 win away to Decatur City that this has been a year as close to perfect as he can remember. "Seeing how the team has played this season, I'm reminded of the best teams that I ever coached" said Barry. "I really think that this team is right up there as an all time great. It's truly remarkable to behold."

With jubilation in Uxbridge perhaps a match away, the fans will certainly be excited to attend the upcoming contest.

Uxbridge Town AFC: Season 102 Midseason Review

A year ago, Uxbridge Town AFC was a scrappy up and coming team in the hunt for their first championship. Now, the team is an established winner having one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory. Through 19 matches, Uxbridge sits at the top of the table with an undefeated 17-2-0 record, 11 points clear of the second place Stratford-Upon-Avon King's Men.

Club President Bertrand Jeunechamp was again complementary about his club and the people who work for it. "We really continue to feel like a class organization" said Jeunechamp in a recent interview. "We have been established as a top club in the world, and I am just so proud to be a part of it. Seeing the success on the field is just the icing on the cake of working here."

Uxbridge is far and away the best team in the league with 90 goals scored and only 16 conceded, giving them a differential of +74, double that of the second place King's Men. They have only taken 9 yellow cards (T3rd in the league) and have yet to take a red card this season.

Manager MacCallum Barry once again raved about his team's play and how good it feels to be among the elite. "I have kind of missed being at this level" said Barry with a laugh during a post-match press conference. "Every day I come into work and see how hard these guys compete, how much work they put into training and bettering themselves and growing as a team. It makes a manager's job so much easier having this level of commitment."

For individual performances, scoring has been consistently good across the team. Last year's golden boot winner Gilbert Cadogan is having another strong season, leading the team with 16 goals in only 14 league matches. Huenu Barragan sits just behind with 15 goals, Kobe Otsuka has 14, and Lyle Maigny has 10. Gaetano Gatti  leads the team with 4 yellow cards, and no other player has more than 2. Wynward Garnis leads the league with 8 clean sheets in 15 matches.

For his part, captain Stephen Mill talked about the difficulty of being the target among the rest of the league. "You definitely notice it during matches" said Mill. "Other teams are really pushing hard to beat us. We have had some close calls and very tough matches, but we continue to overcome. Having guys like Huenu and Gilbert and Lyle here who can take over matches on any given day just make every game just feel far more in control."

As the second half of the season kicks off, time will tell if Uxbridge can continue on this form and complete an all time season.

Uxbridge Town AFC - Season 102 Preview

After an incredibly successful second season, Uxbridge Town enters its third season in the Premier League as the reigning league champions. And with that comes the immense pressure of mounting a title defence in the coming season. Much of the team will be returning this season, with only a few new faces among the players and coaching staff to add to the strong core already in place.

Club President Bertrand Jeunechamp stressed the need for stability in the organization. "We now feel like we have everything in place to be a successful club this season and into the future" said Jeunechamp in a recent interveiew. "The goal is to have the level of consistency required to remain at the top of the league. That will require trusting the coaching staff, the players, and other members in the organization that we know the directions that we want to take and are ready for whatever comes at us. It will certainly be an exciting campaign, and I am really looking forward to seeing our team thrive."

Manager MacCallum Barry has been in this situation before, and said that being the team that everyone is chasing is very tough. "We have set the bar for high achievement in this league currently" said Barry after a recent exhibition match. "Now, we have a league where there are 19 clubs trying to catch us and surpass us. And every match we play will be against a side that is hungry and motivated to knock us down. We just need to shut all of that out and play the type of football we know that we are capable of."

Uxbridge returns to the pitch in a 4-4-2 formation, with this starting XI expected to get the bulk of the available playing time:

 

In goal, Wynward Garnis returns for his third season as the primary keeper for the Lions. MacMillan Andrews also returns to act as Garnis's mentor and backup. The big new additions are in defence where Gatti, Mill, and Coda are joined by newly signed 18 year old Ivan Valdez, who will join Mill as a centre back. The newly signed Pepe Merello adds depth to a team that already includes Onxleah Osinowo. Meanwhile, Bafetibis Chalme moves into the midfield to join Barragan, Maigny, and Leigh as the primary men in the middle. Kenyon Paulo Canineu is demoted to a bench role where he joins Harleigh Bulkeley. The striker tandem of Gilbert Cadogan and Kobe Otsuka proved to be deadly up front for Uxbridge, with Mehdi Florentin providing solid support. 

Defender Stephen Mill only just turned 20 years old, but is the captain of the defending champions and noted in a recent interview that the team's expectations were as high or higher than the fans. "Obviously, the goal here is to hold onto first place" said Mill. "We came into camp this year with that as our goal. Things haven't necessarily gone as smoothly as we would have liked, but I feel confident that this team has what it takes to succeed. We believe in our abilities in this locker room, and we are looking forward to taking what we have been working on at training onto the pitch. Exciting times to be sure."

Uxbridge Town kicks off their season on the road against last year's third place team Carson FC. Their home debut is a week later when they host a derby against North London City FC.

Uxbridge Adds Players in Advance of Season

While it was not a very busy offseason for Uxbridge Town AFC, the club did have a couple of free agency additions to round out their team for this season. The new players are:

• Ivan Valdez - D - MEX - 18 y/o
• Pepe Merello - D - Mex - 30 y/o
  

Ivan Valdez will be making his pro debut this season with Uxbridge after a successful U18 career in his native Mexico. The 18 year old defender already shows impressive strength, solid tackling skills, and excellent defensive awareness. Valdez signed a 5 year contract with his new club.

Fellow Mexican defender Pepe Merello is another player with experience at Stratford United, where MacCallum Barry coached him for the first 5 seasons of his career. Since then, the 30 year old had a short stint in France before an impressive 3 seasons in the Mexican First Division, scoring 28 goals in 109 league matches, showing impressive heading skills with a 6'5 frame. Merello signed with Uxbridge on a 1 year deal, and will hope to play his way onto a long term contract.

Manager MacCallum Barry noted at a recent press availability that his roster for the coming season was finalized. "We are happy with the players that we have here" said Barry. "Obviously, we don't want to get complacent in a year with a title defence, but this mix of youth and experience has been working well for us, and I don't intend to throw us off of our game. It's a very good squad to be sure."

We will have our season preview for Uxbridge Town as the season draws nearer.

Barry Announces Coaching Staff Changes

Uxbridge Town AFC Manager MacCallum Barry had to make some coaching changes coming into this season after the departure of Denzell Weir to Stratford to become their manager. While Robert MacFetridge returns as the club's goalkeeping coach, the other key assistant positions had some changes.

Vito Iniesta has received a promotion to become the new assistant manager. The 46 year old from Mexico had a long and successful career as a striker before becoming a coach. Iniesta has spent the last two seasons as the first team coach at Uxbridge.

For the first team coach role, Barry surprised a lot of people naming Tyce Stepney into that role. Stepney, 33, spent 8 of his last 9 professional seasons as a defender in the AFPL in his native England, accruing 19 goals over 250 league matches. This will be his first professional coaching job, having retired at the end of last season after playing with Dover FC.

With the coaches squared away, Uxbridge will now move into free agency signing period, hoping to add the pieces needed to retain their championship.