Martin King

Jim Troughton will return to Warwickshire at the end of the 2026 season as the club’s men’s batting coach, replacing Matt Walker, who is set to become Sussex head coach ahead of 2027. Troughton, a former Warwickshire captain and player with more than 14,000 runs for the club, previously coached the Bears and most recently worked with Surrey, helping them win three consecutive County Championship titles from 2022 to 2024. Warwickshire chief executive Ian Westwood praised Troughton’s batting expertise, club knowledge and commitment, while Troughton thanked Surrey and expressed enthusiasm about returning to Warwickshire.

Stratford AC enjoyed a strong showing at the Stratford Summer Six, part of the Warwickshire Road Race League. Spa Striders’ Ian Allen won the race overall, while Stratford’s Sam Craig finished fifth and Dean Mawby was the first senior male. Kate Wright won the women’s race outright, and Mike Hayward and Kate Sergent secured category victories. The event attracted a strong Midlands turnout and was supported by a large team of Stratford AC volunteers.

Stratford Boat Club’s mixed masters pair Rebecca England and Thomas Doherty finished second in the City of Oxford Regatta final after overcoming Swindon in the semi-final but being unable to erase Abingdon’s head-start advantage. Stratford’s adaptive squad won the Victor Ludorum Cup as the best-performing team, taking six victories from nine events. Tristan Caudle-Stephens won both his singles and doubles races, while Lance Fowler, James Bastin, the Ward family crew and Ricky Clutterbuck with Andy Morris also secured wins. Several Stratford athletes were defeated in finals, but coach Mark Dewdney said the team’s next major target is the British Indoor Rowing Championships and combined World Championships in December.

Four Stratford Town Colts Knights U9 players—Will Daly, Dylan Wilson, George Igoe and Josh Williams—qualified for the UK 3v3 Football National Finals by winning a regional qualifier at Central Ajax FC in Warwick on July 26. They will compete against top young teams from across the country at Manchester Central Convention Complex on August 29, highlighting the players’ teamwork and the strength of youth football in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Stratford Town head coach Paul Davis accepted full responsibility after his side lost 6-1 to Real Bedford, leaving Stratford still without a Southern League Premier Central win after four matches. Conor Tee scored a hat-trick, while Sam Cartwright and Tom Hitchcock also found the net; Jack Storer briefly reduced the deficit for Stratford. Davis blamed his selection and costly individual errors, but said the squad had trained well and would regroup for upcoming fixtures against Needham Market and Racing Club Warwick.

Stratford Town chairman Jed McCrory urges supporters to remain patient after a difficult start to the season. He welcomes new signings Joss Labadie and Jack Bearne, praises Dan Lafferty for reaching 200 appearances, thanks the club’s travelling fans and stadium sponsor Arden Garages, and previews upcoming fixtures against Alfreton Town, Needham Market and Racing Club Warwick. McCrory believes missed chances and injuries have contributed to poor results but expects a stronger squad and targets six points from the bank-holiday double-header.

Exhall & Wixford secured a historic double promotion in the Cotswold Hills League, with both their first and second teams achieving promotion one match before the end of the season. William Green also set a new club record by scoring 1,000 league runs. The first team beat Henley-in-Arden by seven wickets, while the second team defeated Temple Grafton seconds by eight wickets. Kineton won the Premier Division title, and Temple Grafton moved within one victory of claiming Division Two after scoring 433-4 against Leek Wootton seconds. Norton Lindsey & Wolverton endured defeats in both matches despite strong individual batting performances.

Stratford Ladies players Roxy Smith and Bea Lloyd helped England’s Girls U15s win the European Youth Touch Championships at the University of Warwick. England went unbeaten in the pool stages and defeated Wales 4–3 in the final, with a late try securing the title. Edith Ledbury, Ella Hazelton and Libby Hazelton were also selected as non-travelling reserves for England squads, prompting praise from Stratford head coach Elliot Smith.

Dan and Harry Skelton continued their strong season, with Harry recording several wins and moving to 1,590 career winners in Britain and Ireland, ranking 10th all time. Their progress was tempered by favourite Beorma being pulled up after two mistakes at Stratford, where Duke Of Luckley won the featured handicap chase. The report also covers wins for Delgany Second Now, Fine Thing, Glenmalure Flyer, Playful Fox and Down To Business, and notes that the expensive recruit Push The Limit will race in Denise Coates’s colours with a hurdles debut planned for October.

FC Stratford began their home campaign with a dominant 6-0 win over Highgate United in the United Counties Premier Division South. Toby Nicoll scored a hat-trick, with Lucinee Donzo, Mitchell Mollison and Oliver Bird also finding the net, while Highgate’s Kyron Creswick was sent off before half-time. The victory was FC Stratford’s first of the season and moved them to 14th place. The page also reports local results including Earlswood Town’s late win over Bolehall Swifts, Racing Club Warwick’s draw with Hitchin Town, AFC Solihull’s stoppage-time victory over Central Ajax, and Studley’s win against Clanfield 85.

Power Maxed Racing enjoyed a successful Donington Park BTCC weekend, with Aiden Moffat taking second in the final race for his first podium of the 2026 season and Dexter Patterson securing an Independent win and the Jack Sears Trophy. Mikey Doble and Nick Halstead also completed the weekend, while Southam-based Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport recorded strong results through Gordon Shedden and Aron Taylor-Smith. Power Maxed Racing now moves on to Croft for Rounds 22 to 24.

Stratford Town will travel to Alfreton Town on September 5 for the first qualifying round of the Emirates FA Cup. The Northern Premier League Premier Division side presents a challenging test for Stratford, who were eliminated by Halesowen Town at the same stage last season. Racing Club Warwick will visit Lye Town, while Leamington will host Ilkeston Town.