We are delighted to confirm the signing of attacking midfielder Jimmy Armson following his departure from Brackley Town.
Jimmy will reunite with manager Kevin Wilkin, making the Bucks the third club at which they have worked together, and Kevin acknowledged that their previous working relationships made the prospect an appealing one for both parties:
“I’ve been lucky, and possibly that’s been the same for Jimmy, that we’ve spent a large part of our careers working together, and he’s given me some brilliant moments in the game; there’s no doubt about that.”
The 34-year-old former England C international has a goalscoring pedigree, which he gained during spells with Nuneaton Town (Borough), Solihull Moors and a lengthy stay in Northamptonshire with Brackley.
Kevin is in no doubt that Jimmy’s ability could have taken him into professional football, saying:
“I think that if he had really wanted to, Jimmy could have progressed and played at a higher level, but he considered things and whether that was what he wanted to do and decided against it. There was a time when he was close to perhaps going into the full-time game but didn’t; instead, he’s had a fantastic career in non-league and hopefully with a few chapters still to come.”
The Bucks are gaining a player whose footballing CV includes multiple promotions and an FA Trophy success. Kevin feels that Jimmy still has much to offer despite being closer to the end of his career than the beginning.
Jimmy’s departure from Brackley was met with an emotional response from Saints fans, underlining just how integral to the team’s successes he has been, and Kevin acknowledged that prising Jimmy away had involved some soul-searching:
“He’s been a good servant to Brackley, hasn’t he? It’s one of those – when is the right time to move on? You never really know, but although he’s not getting any younger, he’s a good age and, most importantly, a good footballer who has scored many goals for me in the past, and I’m looking forward to working with him again.”
For Jimmy, Telford’s interest gave him plenty to consider:
“Yeah, it certainly wasn’t an easy decision. I think that’s why it came so late in the summer. I was torn between both, really, between Telford and Brackley and trying to work out what was going to be best for me, and Telford was my preference in the end.”
It’s probably no secret that the Bucks have tried to lure Jimmy in the past, but this time, the timing felt right:
“There have been quite a few times in the past where Telford has been an option for me to look at, but I just felt now the time was right for me to go and seek a new challenge. There were good, viable options to stay at Brackley, but I felt it was time for a new challenge, and Telford was a really exciting one. I think we’ll be challenging for promotion; I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t feel that was the case, and I’m excited for it.”
Nuneaton-based James reported for the Bucks’ first pre-season session on Tuesday evening (2nd July) as preparations began for the forthcoming Southern League Premier Central season.
Welcome to the Bucks, Jimmy!
