The final day of August brings Bank Holiday Monday football to the SEAH Stadium, as the Bucks host Bedford Town in a 3 pm kick-off.
The two teams enjoyed contrasting fortunes in their first games of the weekend. The Bucks fell to a 2-1 defeat at Morecambe on Friday evening, whilst the Eagles soared to a 3-1 home victory over Spennymoor Town on Saturday afternoon.
The reverse at Morecambe sharpened the Bucks’ need for a victory to kickstart the campaign, but the Eagles are not to be taken lightly and will present a challenge.
There has been change-a-plenty at The Eyrie since last season, with a new face in the dugout and plenty of playing personnel changes too.
Before last season had ended, and once survival had been assured, manager Lee Bircham announced his intention to seek a new challenge. Bircham’s spell at the helm saw him steer the Eagles to the Southern League Premier Central title and promotion in 2024-25, before consolidating with an 18th-placed finish at Step 2.
Bircham’s exit and subsequent appointment at Hemel Hempstead Town prompted the departure of several key players, with the biggest name to leave being Tyrone Marsh. In an outstanding personal season, Marsh scored 26 goals, earning recognition as the division’s leading scorer.
Marsh, along with former Buck Ellis Brown, joined Oxford City, with three further players, Carl Mensah, Lewis Green and Jevani Brown, all switching to Peterborough Sports. Although expected, one of their stars last season, goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore, returned to parent club Boreham Wood and has now signed for Dagenham and Redbridge.
The task facing the new Eagles boss, Harry Smart, was a major rebuild; Smart had joined the Eagles as a coach the previous summer, and the 29-year-old, a trusted lieutenant of Bircham’s and a UEFA A-licence holder, became the youngest manager in the division.
The Eagles’ board had no doubt they’d got the right man, saying:
“His understanding of the club’s philosophy, standards, and long-term ambitions made him a natural fit for the position, and the club looks forward to the next chapter under Harry’s leadership.”
Arguably one of Bedford’s most significant moves was to retain midfielder George Moncur. The 33-year-old lent his experience to the Eagles in the second half of last season and was a key figure in their retention of their Step 2 status. The son of former West Ham United midfielder John, he came through the Hammers academy and has bags of EFL experience with Colchester United, Barnsley, Luton Town and Leyton Orient, amongst others.
As for new arrivals, there are plenty. Coming aboard under Smart, the Eagles have also added:
Aaron Flahavan (Solihull Moors)
Calum Doyle (Oxford United U18)
Anthony Stewart (Peterborough Sports)
Lewis Franklin (Hitchin Town)
Ben Weyman (Real Bedford)
Festus Arthur (King’s Lynn Town)
Eno Nto (Harland & Wolff Welders)
Sonnie Davis (Southampton U21)
Troy Perez‑Duah (St Albans City)
Michael Gyasi (King’s Lynn Town)
Finley Wilkinson (Hemel Hempstead Town)
Laurie Walker (Solihull Moors)
George Moncur (Ebbsfleet United)
Peter Abimbola (Banbury United)
Smart has also made use of the loan system to add:
David Hicks (Reading U21)
Reece Evans (Reading U21)
Jonny Edwards (Hednesford Town)
Despite the large influx of new players, Smart’s side has settled reasonably and has two wins to their credit, alongside three defeats.
Both victories came at home: a 2-1 win over Buxton and Saturday’s win over Spennymoor. The Eagles did tumble by the odd goal in five at home to Darlington, and have lost both matches played on the road to date: an opening-day 1-0 reverse at Oxford City and a 4-1 defeat at Southport.
The Eagles will doubtless be eager to add a first away win to those statistics and boost themselves up from the 14th position they will enter Monday’s game in. For the Bucks, the task is also to win and quieten any doubts about their competitiveness after a sluggish start.