The Vanarama National League North title race is hotting up, and second placed Brackley Town have made two statements of intent over the past 24 hours with the Northamptonshire side announcing two new signings.
New to St James Park is Alfie Bates, the former Walsall youngster returning from a spell in Finland in 2022 to join up with Roger Johnson's squad, and Sam Smart, an experienced National League wide midfielder who joins on loan from FC Halifax Town.
Movement has also occurred out of the door at Brackley, with young Saints defender Josh Flanagan moving to fellow league rivals Kettering Town on loan after making 12 appearances for Johnson's men this season - several of which out of position.
-
From Walsall to Brackley, via the Europa Conference League
With 49 League Two appearances to his name, Alfie Bates is a welcome addition for Saints fans to bolster their midfield options. Having progressed through the Birmingham City academy for 8 years and joining Walsall's academy set up as a 15 year old, the box-to-box midfielder made his Saddlers debut in 2018 against Middlesborough u21 in the EFL Trophy.
After amassing 49 league appearances at the Bescot Stadium, Bates took the decision to move not just club but country as he joined up with SJK in the Finnish Premier Division in February 2022 where he made 17 appearances, including two in the UEFA Europa Conference League as SJK knocked out Flora over two legs in the First Qualifying Round.
In 2022, the midfielder terminated his contract to return to England and joined Brackley Town following a wait on international clearance. The 21 year old is a boost to Roger Johnson's plans for promotion with the Saints level on points with league leaders Darlington, but Town have a game in hand over the Quakers.
-
Smart makes clever switch
Joining Bates at St James Park is wide midfielder Sam Smart, who arrives at the Northamptonshire side on a loan deal from National League side FC Halifax Town.
Having amassed over 100 appearances for Eastleigh between 2019 and 2022, Smart moved to The Shay on a permanent basis in July to increase midfield options for Halifax manager Pete Wild. The winger, however, never found a stretch of form for the Shaymen and ended up moving to Dagenham & Redbridge on a month long loan where he made 3 appearances, not losing whilst turning out for the Daggers.
Despite his lack of minutes this season with only 9 games played in total for both Halifax and Dagenham, the highly rated young winger will add pace to promotion chasing Brackley's wing play. The 23 year old has also featured for Portsmouth's community development team, Basingstoke Town where he scored 20 goals in 41 appearances from the wing, and Havant & Waterlooville for a month last season in the National League South.
-
Poppies swoop for Flanagan
It's never a dull day at Kettering Town, and a day with a series of ins and outs that started with veteran defender Steph Morley departing and accusing the club on twitter of expecting him to "travel, train, play for free in games that are rearranged" and ended in young Brackley defender Josh Flanagan making the switch to the other side of Northamptonshire on a loan deal.
Didn’t expect to be leaving the club soo soon. But you can’t be expected to travel, train, play for free in games that are rearranged can you. Wouldn’t do it@in any work place. Hope the lads have a great second half of the season and a few of them progress back into full time!
— Morls003 (@morls003) January 12, 2023
The defender has made 12 appearances for Brackley so far this season, however a number of these have come as an attacker including an appearance in the Saints' 3-0 derby win over Kettering earlier in the campaign. He has also turned out for Northampton Town with loan spells at St Neots Town and Corby Town. Flanagan was released by the Cobblers in the summer which led him to join Brackley in an attempt to return to the Football League.