During the close season we were disappointed when our U23 Manager Richard Williams announced he was stepping down for health reasons. His assistants Dan Hart and Keith Clarke were not able to step up as a new management team either. The club decided to give one of our former players Ryan Lovejoy a chance as our new manager, assisted by Callum Purchase. As the season progressed Ryan found it hard to attend training sessions and matches due to other commitments so a mutual decision was reached to go our separate ways. The club thanks Ryan and Callum for their efforts and wish them well for the future.

Amid the financial problems dumped on the club by the inability to return to our ground this season it was sensible to consider if the U23 team should continue. With our fund raising going well and the enthusiasm there to continue we just needed a new management team to continue. Stepping up the the plate - or should that be penalty spot? - is a died in the wool Linger and Club Captain David Heaton. David has been at the club for over 15 years starting out in the youth system and probably has yellow stripes in his blood. It is excellent to have somebody with all that experience as well as being a very active link to the First Team. Joining him on the bench is First Team Player/Coach Rhyan Ramsay. Rhyan may not have the long Lingfield history that David has but he has been in the First Team squad for the last few seasons.

It is the nature of the beast that the U23 season does not run smoothly as when pitch conditions are poor the First Team fixtures take precedence and the U23 Divisions only have half the number of fixtures. At the start of writing this article we had completed all scheduled fixtures only for the first matches for 2025 to be posted. The Young Lingers have played eleven matches so far this season - nine league matches and two cup games. We have completed half of our league fixtures and sit fourth in the ten team division. Unfortunately we were knocked out of both cup competitions.

A very late goal by hosts Horley Town denied us a point in the opening game that ended 3-2. Letting our hosts Loxwood take an early lead was followed by some rapid fire goals in the second half and Loxwood missing two late penalties to see us win 4-1. A trip to Hassocks followed where to be frank we did not play well but still left with a 3-1 win. Our early season did mean a lot of travelling as the league intended to keep our costs down ahead of a return to our home ground, so next up was a game at Horsham YMCA. An even game turned on another late goal by the home team to see us lose 3-2.

A first home game saw us play our host team Oakwood. It was a tight first half at 1-1 but then the lads rattled in six goals to win 7-1. We faced Horley Town again in the league cup looking to get revenge for being pipped at the post first time out but it was our turn to be on the end of the seven goals to go out 7-0. A month elapsed until our next game with a first trip for me, and I think everyone else, to Storrington. A comfortable 4-1 win put the team back on track. It was goals galore again as Roffey came to visit us at our Oakwood home and left as 4-2 winners. Loxwood visited next and the game turned on a sending off when we were leading comfortably to be pegged back to a 3-3 draw.

Our new management team had a try out with what looked like a tough trip to last season's top team Broadbridge Heath. An excellent performance saw us win 2-1 and give renewed enthusiasm to the team. The final game of 2024 was a much rescheduled Surrey Saturday Premier Cup tie against Croydon FC that was switched to their ground. A tough ask to take on a Step 6 First Team at the top of their table on a night of appalling weather. So it proved as it ended in a 5-1 defeat. Scheduled matches away to St Francis Rangers and Oakwood were postponed.

2025 begins with fixtures home and away against St Francis Rangers with our home matches continuing to be played at Oakwood. In addition to these games, we have five other homes games to be scheduled and two more away games.