Thursday 22nd June 2023
With preseason preparations now underway, we begin a series looking at the players who will feature for Royal Wootton Bassett Town in their 2023-24 Hellenic League Premier Division campaign.
A similar series will also run for the Women's First Team closer to the kick off of the South West Regional Women's Football League season.
The first part of the introduction to this year's Men's First Team focuses on four experienced players - defenders Adam Corcoran, Scott Chilcott and Dave Bampton, as well as centre midfielder Chris Taylor.
And Bassett boss Sam Collier is more than happy to have retained the quartet, saying: "I'm delighted that all four players are back for another season. They bring a significant amount of experience, serve as leaders within the team and remain quality players."
"Corcs has been the captain of the club for the last two seasons and has been nothing short of outstanding, and he'll be our leader once again this year."
"Chilli is a fantastic lad to have on and off the pitch. He was one of the ones we targeted straight away to keep. He can play in a vast amount of positions, offers real quality on the ball and is an experienced leader within the group."
"With Bamps, he's a warrior, a leader and an inspiration. Every year people say it's his last year but he still keeps producing and he'll be dying for the cause again this year as he always is."
"Finally, Tails, he'd star in any team in this league. He's an outstanding midfielder who offers real quality, and he's fitter than anyone I've seen at 36 years of age."
Detailed profiles of each player are available below.
Bassett's current longest serving player and captain, Corcoran is entering his twelfth season with the club, having reached the 300 appearance mark last season. Corcoran is an imposing central defender - with the ability to also play at full back when needed - who is composed on the ball and dominant in the air.
A Cirencester Town Academy graduate, he initially joined Bassett in 2011-12 after brief spells with Fairford Town and Calne Town. Corcoran quickly established himself as a key part of Bassett's defence, and in 2012-13 helped the team to promotion from Division One West. After a brief spell with Shrivenham, he re-joined Bassett in the summer of 2015 and has been with the club since.
He is a player whose performances have seemed to get better and better over time too. The 2021-22 campaign was without doubt his best in Bassett colours, with the defender going on to earn both Manager's and Players' Player of the Year awards. A quality striker of the ball and danger at set pieces, he has also contributed 15 goals in his 316 Bassett appearances.
Chilcott is a dependable full back who is entering his third season with Bassett after joining from Shrivenham. He is a consistent performer who is tough in the tackle and willing to get forward to help out in attack. Primarily a right back, Chilcott can also perform effectively at centre half, as well as centre forward when required.
A player with plenty of Hellenic League experience, Chilcott initially began his career as a forward, featuring for Highworth Town's Reserve side before first establishing himself as a first team regular with Malmesbury Victoria in 2013-14. He spent the following three seasons with Fairford Town, featuring 30 times in their 2016-17 Division One West title winning campaign. After a year with Pewsey Vale in 2017-18, he moved to Shrivenham where he played the next three years before joining Bassett.
In his first season in blue and yellow, Chilcott played in 26 games. He then added 31 appearances last season, scoring three goals in a four game spell when plugged into a forward role.
Aggressive and tough in the tackle, yet elegant and composed when in possession, Bampton is a highly experienced player who has played at the highest level of non-league football. Capable of playing either in the centre of defender or midfield, he is entering his fourth season with Bassett, having played 85 times, scoring four goals since joining in 2020-21.
Bampton started his career with Swindon Town, captaining their youth team before going on to make four appearances for the Reds in 2002-03. After his release in the summer of 2004, he joined Conference National side Tamworth in 2005 and during a four-year spell at the club received a call-up for the England national C team. After spending 2008-09 with Worcester City he moved to Swindon Supermarine in the summer of 2009 and was part of the Marine squad that reached the FA Cup second round.
Bampton was forced to stop playing due to a back injury during the 2014-15 campaign. But he returned to action in 2017-18, splitting his time between Shrivenham and Supermarine over the course of the subsequent three seasons before moving to Bassett.
Taylor is a vastly experienced central midfielder who is entering his fourth season with Bassett. A classy operator, who is supremely confident on the ball, possesses excellent distribution and superb fitness, he has featured 81 times, scoring twice, since making his Bassett debut in 2020-21.
Taylor joined Bassett after four years at Highworth Town, during which he helped the Worthians achieve promotion to the Southern League. However, it is with Swindon Supermarine that Taylor has spent most of his career. An England Under 15 international in his youth, he featured four times for Swindon Town in 2002-03 before being released by the Reds in 2006. Taylor then joined Supermarine and made 355 appearances over the course of nine seasons. In that time he achieved promotion to the Southern League Premier Division in 2006-07 and was part of the side that reached the FA Cup second round in 2010-11.
Taylor has also played for Newport County, Maidenhead United, Cirencester Town, Hungerford Town and Australian side Dandenong Thunder.
Last modified on Friday 30th June 2023 at 08:42.