Get the lowdown on today’s opponents: Hampton & Richmond Borough.
The Opposition
It’s all change at the Beveree Stadium, with Hampton & Richmond Borough undergoing new ownership at the end of the season, with long-time shareholders stepping in and the Petruzzo brothers stepping down back in April.
Led by manager and former Sutton goalkeeper Alan Julian, the Beavers endured a challenging campaign in the National League South as, despite hopes of building on a strong ninth place finish in 2023/24, slipped to 18th in the sixth tier and narrowly avoided relegation with 51 points from 46 games (14 wins, 9 draws, 23 losses), scoring 60 goals and conceding 74.
Midfielder James Roberts, who returned to the club in June 2024, was a standout performer, getting off to a remarkable start to life back as a Beaver when he scored a remarkable four goals in three league games to earn the National League Player of the Month award for September, but has departed this summer for Horsham.
Roberts was joined in the departure lounge by fellow joint-top scorer Mauro Vilhete, who joined Hemel Hempstead Town after scoring 11 goals alongside his teammate, but the Beavers have been hard at work at ensuring the gaps have been filled.
15 players have been added to Julian’s ranks this summer, including a host of experience at Steps One and Two as they look to mount a promotion charge.
Woking duo Rohan Ince and Reece Grego-Cox make the switch to the Beveree Stadium alongside Alan Massey (Maidenhead United), Oliver Turner (Aldershot Town), Ronan Silva (Salisbury), Craig Fasanmade (Salisbury), while a number of players have joined from below Step Two, including Davide Rodari (Hastings United), James Holden (Aveley), Jude Mason (Hayes & Yeading United), Paul Field (Walton & Hersham), Eddie Allsopp (Lewes), Harry Thomas (Poole Town) and Ben Parkinson (Kingstonian).
The Beavers have since kicked off pre-season with goalless draws against Chertsey Town and Hanworth Villa, and will be looking to get off the mark ahead of their opening day clash with Salisbury.
The Manager
Alan Julian
Former goalkeeper Alan Julian took over at the Beveree Stadium in May 2024, taking on his first coaching role after retiring from his playing career, which ended at Hampton & Richmond.
After coming through the ranks at Brentford, Julian appeared over 150 times for Stevenage Borough and notably won the FA Trophy in 2006/07, as well as being named as the club’s Player of the Season the year before.
A return to the Broadfield Stadium succeeded a three-year stint at Gillingham though, where he was again a frequent name on the team sheet and contributed to promotion via the League Two play-offs in 2009. After spending a season back in Hertfordshire, Julian enjoyed spells at Newport County and Dartford, being voted as Player of the Season with the latter in 2013/14, before making the switch to Gander Green Lane where he turned out 14 times for Sutton.
A move across South London followed for the goalkeeper, making the switch to Bromley midway through the campaign before going on to win the Conference South with the Ravens at the end of 2014/15.
Julian went on make 80 appearances at Bromley, but departed for Billericay Town midway through 2016/17, ending his first campaign by winning the Alan Turvey Trophy, and preceded a successful two-and-a-half-years at New Lodge. He notably picked up a treble in his first full season, winning the Alan Turvey Trophy again along with the Isthmian League Premier Division and Essex Senior Cup, while also being named in the league’s Team of the Season.
He also made headlines in 2019 when he scored an injury time equaliser against former club Sutton in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round, forcing a replay which the Blues went on to win 5-2.
Reaching the twilight years of his career though, Julian departed Essex in 2020 to join Hampton & Richmond, before hanging up his boots in 2024 after making 78 appearances for the Beavers.
The goalkeeper remained at the Beveree Stadium as manager though, and guided the club to an 18th place finish in the National League South in his first season in management.
One to Watch
Davide Rodari
New recruit Davide Rodari joins Hampton & Richmond from Hastings United, and will be a key weapon up front after netting a staggering 61 goals across all competitions over two seasons for the U’s.
Born in Cannobio, Italy, with Italian, Swiss and Dutch heritage, Rodari progressed through the youth academies of Inter Milan, Novara, Pro Vercelli and Lugano before relocating to England in 2016 to join Eastbourne Borough’s youth setup.
He signed for Hastings United in February 2017 and became a key player across four seasons, notching around 26 goals in 69 league appearances and famously netting eight in a single cup match against East Grinstead in November 2019.
His form saw him earn a move to League Two club Crawley Town, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal, and he went on to score once in 13 appearances for the Red Devils, before opting to exit West Sussex in search of increased playing time.
He subsequently enjoyed successive loan spells at Worthing, Dorking Wanderers and Dartford, notably scoring four goals in four starts for the former which prompted Crawley to briefly recall him.
Released by Crawley in May 2023, he returned to Hastings in August 2023, and reaffirmed his goalscoring credentials across an extremely fruitful two seasons at the Pilot Field, including 18 league goals in 2024/25, which received increased plaudits as it came in a side that ended up relegated from the Isthmian League Premier Division.
As a result, Rodari declined a contract renewal at Hastings in favour of a move to the National League South, joining Hampton & Richmond Borough in the summer.
Last Time We Met
Sutton made it five games unbeaten in the pre-season programme as Harry Beautyman’s early strike was cancelled out by Ryan Hill’s superb equaliser just after the half hour.
It took just ten minutes for the combination of Omar Bugiel and Beautyman to strike as the former headed down Wayne Brown’s cross to the latter who steered a low volley past the oncoming goalkeeper.
Sutton continued as the better side early on without being able to add to the lead, but were pegged back when Danny Bassett laid the ball back to Hill, who cut in from the right of the penalty area and sent a shot in to the top far corner of the net, giving Dean Bouzanis no chance.
Despite numerous chances for both sides after the break, neither side was able to provide a decisive moment and the honours were shared.
Played for Both
Jack Taylor
Jack Taylor’s rise into the Sutton first team can be credited to a crucial loan spell during the first half of the 2024/25 season, having spent a few months at Hampton & Richmond Borough.
The Sutton academy product had previously gained experience on loan at Burgess Hill and Hornchurch, before signing professional terms and making his senior debut within a month of each other in February and March 2024.
This preceded a temporary departure from Gander Green Lane on a deal that initially lasted until December, but after making 12 appearances and contributing to a defence that conceded the fifth least number of goals in the entire division at the time, saw his deal extended until the end of the season in October.
Despite this, Taylor was recalled from his loan spell in January having played every minute of his 23 appearances at the heart of Alan Julian’s defence, as well as earning a place in the division’s Team of the Half-Season.
He also scored a crucial equaliser in an eventual 3-1 victory over Eastbourne Borough – his third goal of his professional career – and continued where he left off at the Beveree Stadium by breaking into the Sutton on a regular basis, putting in a host of monstrous displays at the back during the second half of the season.
Photo Credit: GR Tourist // Hampton & Richmond Borough Football Club
