Mousehole AFC Club Statement: End-Of-Season Report
“A season of two halves”
The Seagulls’ 2016/17 campaign was marked by the unexpected mid-season departure of player-manager Wayne Quinn and assistant Mark Vercesi, followed by half of the squad they had brought to Trungle Parc.
The club’s public statement paid tribute to Wayne and Mark as the architects of the most successful three-year period in the club’s history, including a championship and cup winning ‘double’ that broke several league records.
The second half of the season saw the club pull together in the face of the new challenges.
On the playing side, Steve Parker-Billinge, the first-team goalkeeper, was appointed player-manager and his newly assembled team, joined by players promoted from the Reserves and supplemented by some new signings, battled against the odds to finish the season in winning form in 6th place in the South West Peninsula League West Division, having dropped only one place since the January changes. The Reserves, however, found themselves short of numbers and despite new arrivals struggled to gain enough points to climb out of the relegation zone in the Trelawny League Premier Division. In the meantime, Mousehole Women had their most successful season, finishing in a best-ever 4th-place in the Cornwall Women’s League.
“A strong plan for a bright future”
The club has created fresh opportunity from the successes of the last 3-year plan, during which over £200,000 was invested in its infrastructure. The committee recognised the enormous support and goodwill shown to the club as it pulled together on all fronts, and has resolved to use its positivity, vision, and energy to devise and implement a new more innovative and ambitious five-year strategy. The overall aim is to enable the club to realise its full potential both on and off the pitch, developing all aspects of the club in an integrated, sustainable and step-by-step manner.
Chairman Tim Richardson said: “These are exciting times for Mousehole AFC. Over the coming weeks, we will be unveiling one by one the various initiatives in our new strategy, which will demonstrate our ambition and determination to become the top club in Cornwall. A final big thank you to all who have contributed to our last three years’ success, and an even bigger “let’s make this happen” to all those committed to the next five”.
