Category: Latest News

Mousehole Falmouth FA Trophy September 2024
by Jeff Richardson

MOUSEHOLE 3-1 FALMOUTH TOWN | FA TROPHY 2nd QUAL | 21st Sept 2024

The Lazarus Cup Run Goes On

Having taken advantage of their second chance in the replayed match against Bashley, Mousehole continued their fine form with a 3-1 win at home to local rivals Falmouth. Despite conceding an early goal the green and whites played some of their best football of the season in a comeback win with two goals from Tim Nixon and smartly dispatched penalty from Jordan Hackett. Who knows what awaits them in the next round but the Mousehole Lazarus cup run continues.

by Kevin Bishop

VOLUNTEER FOCUS: JASMYN RICHARDSON

We caught up with Jasmyn who’s become a familiar face around Trungle in her role as media assistant.

Tell us a bit about yourself: Where are you from, what do you do back at home, and how did you end up working with us here?

My name is Jasmyn Richardson. I am 17 years old and have been an intern at Mousehole AFC for the past five months. I currently live in the Netherlands, but I was born here in England. My dad, Jeff Richardson, is English, and my mum, Linda van den Berg, is Dutch. I moved back to the Netherlands when I was three but have visited many times for holidays.

At home, I am studying to become a Media Designer, which requires 1200 internship hours. When it was time for me to find an internship, my parents suggested doing it at Mousehole AFC and staying with my grandparents. I loved the idea since I always wondered what my life would have been like if I still lived here. It was a great opportunity to grow personally and professionally. I also liked the idea of spending time with my family here in England and getting closer to them.

When I asked my school about the internship, they said the football club had to become a certified internship company. Kevin kindly arranged for Mousehole AFC to make it all possible.

What have your duties been here at the club?

At Mousehole AFC, I created the Mousehole Youth website from scratch using WordPress, which was a new platform for me. I also designed graphics for social media and posters for the town and club.

Towards the end of the season, I started with sports photography. Steve, one of the groundsmen, kindly lent me his camera for a few matches, and later, my uncle Tim lent me his. I am very grateful to both of them because I really enjoyed doing that.

On match days, I helped with the gate and the 50/50 draw. During the game, I sent pictures to my dad for the half-time and full-time posts and updated the Instagram Story and WhatsApp Channel.

What has been the highlight of your time here?

This is a hard question because I genuinely loved every single second of it. However, one highlight was spending time with my grandparents. Without them, this wouldn’t have been possible, and being with them has been amazing. I am so grateful for every second with them.

I also loved match days. The environment and energy were amazing, making it the highlight of my week. Helping out was great, and I absolutely loved it. Creating original graphics and posters and receiving positive feedback was also a wonderful feeling.

What have you found most difficult to adapt to?

When I first arrived, my dad stayed for 10 days to help me settle in, which I am very grateful for. It was difficult when he left because I had never been away from my family for more than a week. But that feeling quickly went away, and I started to love it.

I still speak to my family every day on the phone, so it eventually didn’t feel like I was gone. Working closely with my dad also really helped.

What skills do you think you’ve acquired by being with us?

I have significantly improved my graphic design skills, especially using Canva. I had used Canva before but never fully explored its potential, and I am still learning its capabilities.

I am also learning sports photography, which is challenging because you have to do a lot at once: follow the game, look through the camera, keep it focused, and get good shots.

When I started, I didn’t even know WordPress existed, but I eventually learned how much you can do with it. I loved trying out new plugins and designs.

This internship has also helped me with my communication skills. I was never great at communicating with people I am not close to, but this internship has really challenged me and improved my skills. Helping out on match days contributed to this growth, and I will forever be grateful for that.

How does life in Cornwall differ from life in the Netherlands? What has been your favorite thing you’ve done or experienced here in Cornwall?

In the Netherlands, I live in a very small village with a small population. I enjoy the peace and quiet.

In Cornwall, I love how busy it is—not too crazy, just right for me. My grandparents live close to the sea, so the house overlooks the bay with amazing views. My grandad loves boats, and being able to see the harbor and sea has sparked my interest in boats. I am still learning about them.

My family has also taken me to some amazing places in Cornwall with stunning views. I am grateful for those experiences.

I can’t choose a favorite thing because I have done and experienced so much here. These are memories I will never forget and will be eternally grateful for.

How would you describe the club if you were talking to friends back home?

Everyone welcomed me with open arms, and I immediately felt at home. I would describe it as a loving and friendly football club where everyone is welcome to join the journey and help the club progress.

What are your ambitions for the future?

I love what I am doing for Mousehole, partly because I am part of something I love so much. Working in football has definitely made me consider a career in this direction.

For now I am focusing on my studies and hopefully getting my diploma next year.

England played the Netherlands in the semi-final of the Euros. How was that experience for you in an English household?

Being half Dutch and half English put me in a bit of a dilemma because I wanted both teams to do well. However, I have a special place in my heart for the Dutch national team, so I decided to support them.

My uncle Tim and auntie Nicola were in Germany at the stadium and sent me pictures and videos of their day. They even got Dutch people to say hi to me on camera, which was hilarious.

I watched the game with my grandparents and my cousin. I had red, white, and blue stripes on my face, hoping the Netherlands would win. Everyone else was hoping for a different outcome, of course.

In the last minute, England scored the winning goal, and my grandparents were jumping up and down. But my grandma also felt bad for me. Holland was out, and it was a sad evening, but I quickly got over it and looked forward to the final.

by Jeff Richardson

MOUSEHOLE 4-0 BASHLEY | FA TROPHY 1st QUAL ROUND | Tue 17th Sept 2024

Second Chances

It’s rare in life and sport to get a second chance but on Tuesday night Mousehole had just that. Due to an administrative mix-up The Seagulls were able to fly again in the FA Trophy and have another bash at Bashley. Jake Ash made it clear before the game that you can not miss out when fortune shines on you and the boys in green hoops took that message to heart. A quick start saw Mark Goldsworthy continue his golden streak as Mousehole took the lead after just three minutes. In spite of dominating the first forty five minutes it was not until just before half time that their superiority showed as Jack Calver slammed home a free kick from twenty yards. The second half was a strange affair with both sides seeming to be happy with the score but not Torin Ntege. He’d given his full back a torrid night and rounded it off with great finish from a tight angle. That was very much that until a late error by an otherwise strong keeper saw a final score of 4-0.

And so to Falmouth…

by Kevin Bishop

MEET ED VARCOE – THE NEW PABLO?

The following article was originally published in the printed programme for the Mousehole v Malvern match on 24th August 2024. To purchase back issues of Mousehole matchday programmes, visit our club shop.

When Pablo Woolls-Blanco left Mousehole for warmer climes at Barcelona, we knew his shoes would be hard to fill. So…up stepped up Ed Varcoe. You can see Ed’s reports on our YouTube channel. He’s also behind the new Insta reels and TikTok videos that we’re producing with the players. But Who is Ed Varcoe? We caught up with him on the team bus on the way to Cribbs.

NAME: Ed Varcoe

DOB: 3/8/2008

SCHOOL: Truro

A LEVELS: DT, Geology and Biology

FAVOURITE TEAM: Liverpool. My dad supports them so I followed him. My earliest memory is the Salah hat-trick against Bournemouth in December 2018.

FAVOURITE LIVERPOOPL PLAYER: All-time it has to be Salah. Currently it’s MacAllister.

BEST ENGLAND MEMORY: Luke Shaw scoring in the second minute of Euro 2020 final. 

FAVOURITE MUSIC: James Arthur or Mumford and Sons

VIDEO GAME: FIFA

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED AT MOUSEHOLE: I played for the under 16 team, and one of my friends was doing journalism, and I quite like the idea of it. So I contacted Pablo, who was the reporter before me, and he put me in touch with Kevin, and it sort of went from there.

FAVOURITE THING YOU DO AT THE CLUB: Instagram

HOW COME YOU ENDED UP AS A GOALIE? I think I was about nine, and my dad bought me a goal to put in the garden, and he went in goal at first, and I kicked it so hard he hurt his hurt his arm. He got a bruise on his arm. So he said how about you getting in there and I’ll kick some balls at you. And I quite liked it, so I stayed there.

WHAT IMPRESSES YOU MOST ABOUT MOUSEHOLE FIRST TEAM? Probably the real togetherness between all of them, like they all know each other. They’re all good chemistry between them all on the pitch.

FAVOURITE MOUSEHOLE PLAYER: Jack Calver. Or Goldie. We just named our new dog after Goldie. 

by Kevin Bishop

GOLDEN YEARS – MARK GOLDSWORTHY

It’s July 1998. In Paris, the French national team clinch their first ever World Cup with a win over Brazil. England have exited at their then customary early stage, this time in part thanks to a David Beckham red card. In Cornwall, Vindaloo by Fat Les is blaring out of every radio on the beach. And in Ashton, between Helston and Penzance, a six-year old Mark Goldsworthy is spending all day in the garden.

“I was quite shy and when I was finding my feet as a young boy my first memories are just of me, living in my garden, with about ten or twelve footballs lined up just peppering them at goal. We called it The Meadow – dad planted loads of bushes around so it was fully protected. And as I got older, dad, bless him, kept building goals to suit my size. So obviously, you can imagine, they started off very small.”

The 1998 World Cup is Mark’s earliest memory of football. His hero was Ronaldo – “the real one” – and it wasn’t long before he moved from the back garden to playing for the local team. But being nervous and lacking in a certain self-confidence, he needed a push. 

“To be honest, most of it is down to down to dad. He pushed me. He knew I was half decent at that age and at primary school in Germoe I started to realize that I was quite a lot better than the other lads around me. There weren’t that many of us so I didn’t have a massive amount of competition, but I always felt like I was ahead of them. I think that built my confidence and dad pushed me over the line to sign for Rosudgeon which was my first team. And from then on I never looked back.”

From there Mark moved to Wendron and after that to Helston where he went to secondary school. It’s a time he remembers fondly, moving  up with the boys he’d played with and against in the local villages. At school it was just “football, football, football” and the friendships grew stronger. Helston then formed an under 15s youth team which Mark joined and, in his words, “won everything”. 

But then it was time to move up to men’s football.

“Yeah, again, that was Dad, because I was a bit nervous to make that jump to the men’s game. Obviously, as you can imagine, back then in lower leagues of local football you would meet some characters that wouldn’t take kindly to a skinny 15-year-old running around. So, yeah, dad pushed me. He literally just said, right, get your boots on and jump in the car. And I think it was Mawgan or somewhere like that. I just turned up for Helston 3rds or 2nds and came on with half hour to go and scored a couple. And that was the end of boy’s football.  I was all in men’s football from that minute on”

Mark went on to have two spells with Helston Athletic either side of a stint with St Austell. He notched up over 300 goals in the South West Peninsular League and was made the Blues captain. In his last season he was well on his way to winning a fourth consecutive Golden Boot before COVID ended the campaign prematurely. As a proud Cornishman, he feels playing football here is special.

“Characters are formed in football down in Cornwall. Everyone seems to know you. And it’s all well and good being successful on the pitch but I think there has to be a part of it off the pitch as well where you have that fun and build those relationships with so many different people. And I think that’s what’s good about Cornish football – there’s a close-knit community. Maybe it’s a bit different for the likes of us that have rattled through the leagues and left behind a lot of local clubs –  but they’re still the heartbeat down there, aren’t they? The lower league sides where I go into the clubhouse and have a pint. I always know people there that over the years I’ve built  friendships with and they’re still there. And I think that is a vital part of Cornish football.”

Goldie signed for Mousehole in November 2020 and went on to become an integral part of the squad that won the Western League in April 2023.

“That day meant everything to me. I had thought that season was possibly the end of me, with the injuries I had with my head, my shoulder. I thought, No something’s telling me: ‘Just stop. You’ve had a great career down here in football. You’ve enjoyed it. Loved it. And I thought that that was the end. So it was really nice to cap that especially with people like Burty who’s now retired and barely kicked the ball since. At Mousehole it’s such a different culture to anything else I’ve seen. It’s so special in the fact you’re bringing these boys together as one, and we are so different. So to do it with so many different personalities and characters it was just such an amazing day. And obviously doing it on the last day – although it’s not nice before the game –  but after the game, that’s the best way to win a league.”

Goldie dislocated his shoulder in the first weeks of last season and through a stroke of luck was treated on the pitch by a leading German surgeon who happened to be staying at the club’s campsite. The injury has plagued him ever since and he’s finally getting it operated on this November. Coming on the pitch at 32 years old, strapped up by physio Beth Prouse and battling to keep his shoulder in its socket, he’s often asked why he carries on. 

“I don’t know. It’s a massive addiction, isn’t it – Football?

After the third dislocation up in Melksham when I broke all the bones in there, I remember saying to Ashy that I can’t do it. And he’s like, we need you back. But then I has a few months out and I barely watched the game. But I saw us when we lost at home in the rain – a flat performance with no fire. And I hate losing.  I was just looking thinking I can still improve us. I can still bring something.  There’s a hole in this team which is sort of my shape. The boys bring all the technical ability – they’re a joke you know. But I think I just help bring that winning mentality to us. So I just knew I wasn’t quite done, even though I was in so much pain, and even though my shoulder’s now gone nine times. I still can’t let it go. I still cannot let it go.”

Mark acknowledges that as the oldest squad member he’s something of a father figure to the younger players – although he admits that, as a Guinness drinker and pasty eater, he’s not a role model! He knows however that after his surgery he’ll struggle to regain his number 9 shirt but he’s leaving his options open until he has to make the decision on his future. But he’s sure of one thing -his focus going forward will be on his own family. Mark’s two sons were there at Trungle when Mousehole won the league and his eldest still talks about that day, running around the pitch in the green smoke of the flares. Although the future is unclear, Goldie knows until the last minute he’s going to give his all to the club. 

“I think I still offer something, because I know I’m helping the boys. And when the day comes and I know I stopped helping them, and I bring nothing, and I’m a negative effect on the pitch. That’s me done. But until then I want to be a leader. I want to lead the boys. I’m old-school. We don’t really have that old-school mentality or behaviour, straight talking. That’s not really a thing in modern football. But I just think that that’s what I bring and that is rubbing off on the boys. I’m at the stage where I don’t want to think about no football whatsoever in my future, but I do think when I stop playing, that will be me. And then hopefully one or both of my little boys will get into it, and I can just go and watch and have another pint.”