⚽ Cornwall Football: Not on your Todd - The former Truro City man on life after Treyew Road and a wider perspective
Plus, Kernow Football Alliance’s all-conquering Inclusive Team take the next step in their development when meeting England Transplant at St George's Park this weekend..
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⬇️ In today’s newsletter ⬇️
⚪ Not on your Todd: The former Truro City man on life after Treyew Road and a wider perspective
🏴 Kernow FA’s inclusive team to face England at St George’s Park
👀 What’s on this weekend
Enjoy. 〓〓
⚪ (Not) on your Todd: The former Truro City man on life after Treyew Road and a wider perspective
By Colin Bradbury
Chris Todd is a name associated with one of the most successful periods in the history of Truro City Football Club.
From 2016-18, the former Swansea City, Exeter City and Torquay United defender was both a player and the assistant manager to Lee Hodges at the club. In the 2017/18 season, Truro qualified for the National League South play-offs and made history by reaching the First Round Proper of the FA Cup, travelling to the Valley to meet League One Charlton Athletic.
However, Hodges and Todd would walk away from the Cornish club just two games into the 2018/19 season, with the latter taking up the manager position at Gloucester City.
While Lee Hodges has not returned to football in a front-line role, Todd is now assistant manager at National League club Yeovil Town. Appointed to the role in June 2022, it has been a tough season, and the Glovers’ survival hopes in the non-league top-flight now hang by a thread. With four games remaining, the Somerset side are six points from safety, and realistically a minimum of three wins and a draw will be required to escape the drop.
Events off the pitch have done little to keep attention on the footballing side of things. Last month, a consortium somewhat confusingly announced that it had ‘taken on the stewardship’ of the club, leaving some doubt over the actual ownership situation. Whatever, it certainly doesn’t include the ground (Huish Park Stadium and surrounding land was sold to South Somerset District Council in 2022) leaving a big question mark over the future. None of this can be particularly helpful for morale at this crucial part of the season.
However, Todd is no stranger to adversity and can look back to other events that put any current problems into sharp perspective. In 2008 he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia, a rare form of cancer. While he successfully fought a disease that could so easily have claimed his life, the experience left a lasting impression on him.
He was particularly conscious of the impact that serious medical conditions have on the mental health not only on the person themselves, but also on family and friends.
“When I was diagnosed, I didn’t want to open up about it to my family,” he said. “I didn’t want to hurt them. I didn’t want to admit my fears to my wife or my mum and dad.
“It wasn’t until I found other people who had experienced different kinds of cancers that I could open up because they’d been through the same struggles. I could have that conversation with them without worrying about upsetting them.”
Todd has always had an interest in fashion, and it occurred to him that it might be an avenue to advocate for a more open discussion of people’s physical and mental struggles. He also wanted to find a way to tell positive stories about “coming out the other end” of those struggles.
“I wanted a positive spin off from what happened to me and what other people have experienced,” he said. “I’ve always loved fashion and wanted to create a brand. But I was looking for something a bit different – something where there was a reason to wear the brand. I thought I’d love to do something in relation to people’s problems with illnesses and mental wellbeing, but never really knew what.”
Todd’s inspiration to move forward with his idea came from a tragedy witnessed randomly on his commute to work.
“I got stuck in traffic as there was a guy standing on the edge of a bridge,” he said. “I was about four cars away when he jumped off. It really triggered me, really cut me up, thinking about what he was going through. He obviously had problems of some kind, though I never got to the bottom of the story.
“You don’t always have the support networks around you when you’re ill or have problems at home, even though it’s talked about more than it used to be. I thought it would be good to have a brand that people could relate to, to let people know they’re not on their own.”
His name was the catalyst for the brand that is now preparing to launch.
“There’s a saying about being alone – being ‘on your tod’,” he said. “I realised that the brand was right there, built around the idea that you’re not ‘on your tod’. There are people who are going through the same as you. So the ‘NOYT’ brand was born.”
His vision is a community-based brand that provides support for individuals. He eventually wants to expand it to bring in other professionals, with resources like a phone line for those seeking support.
“The slogan will be ‘Brave the Logo’, so people know they’re not on their own,” he continued. “It’s a visual symbol, a recognition that almost everyone has mental health related issues at some time in their lives.”
The launch of the leisure-wear line is scheduled for the first week of May, with items available through the online store. Todd also wants to engage other charities through the brand. Different charities will be nominated by the NOYT community every few months to receive a percentage of the clothing sale proceeds.
It’s refreshing to talk to a footballer with a vision that goes beyond the white lines of the playing field and it’s clear that his life experiences have given Todd a unique perspective. It also means that he’s able to reflect honestly on his decision to walk away from Truro City.
He says that there were two key factors behind his and Hodges’ departure. First, the lack of an increased playing budget for the 2018/19 season and secondly, the move from Treyew Road to Plainmoor.
“I was very ambitious. I really wanted promotion to the National League, having come so close the previous season,” he said. “Then it was clear that the wages and budget weren’t going to go where we wanted them to go.”
As far as the move to play home games at Torquay was concerned, he said: “It did feel strange. Crowds were very small, and as I’d seen at Gloucester, it’s very difficult to run a club out of another club. It was miles away from Truro and we felt it would be very difficult to reproduce what we’d done the year before. It was tough since all the talk had been about getting a new stadium. We saw the plans and it all felt great for the club.”
However, Todd refuses to blame the management of the club, recognising that those issues were largely beyond the control of (then) owner, Peter Masters.
“Realistically, Peter couldn’t justify increasing the budget as we were getting hardly any fans,” he said. “It was out of his hands really since he knew he was going to have to run Truro City through another club. I got on really well with him while I was there.”
So, almost five years on, how does he feel about his decision to leave Truro City in 2018?
“After all this time I ask myself whether it was the wrong decision to leave, and the answer is probably ‘yes’,” he said. “Hodgey and I both probably jumped too soon. We had something good going on as the club was reaching the highest levels in its history.
“Maybe we wanted the club to progress a bit too quickly. We wanted a bigger budget and to push on after reaching the play-offs. We felt we needed a bit more investment, but that wasn’t going to happen for good reasons.
“Really and truly we should probably have stayed on to see how things worked out. But we left and both moved on to different things. You can look back and say, ‘what if…’, but all I can say is that we had good times when we were there. I loved working at Truro City.”
To follow the ‘Not On Your Tod’ project, visit: notonyourtod.co.uk and facebook.com/NotOnYourTod
🏴 Kernow FA’s inclusive team to face England at St George’s Park
By Tom Howe
Kernow Football Alliance’s all-conquering Inclusive Team take the next step in their development when meeting England Transplant at St George's Park this Saturday (April 15).
Two teams bearing the black and gold of Cornwall will visit the National Football Centre to take on England’s senior and development squads, as well as a PAN disability side from Everton FC.
Each team will consist of at least seven players, with up to three substitutes. Games begin at 1.30 pm following a warm-up taken by England coaches at the venue’s Sir Alf Ramsey Arena.
Steve Woodrow, England Transplant manager, invited Kernow to take part in the occasion, which doubles up as a Transplant Football Camp, on the back of a friendship forged with Alliance chief Simon York.
“We met at an event in Doncaster, with Steve managing Liverpool Transplant,” York explained to Cornwall Sports Media. “He is a fantastic guy who has a vast knowledge of the game.
“It's fantastic to be invited by Steve and the team within England Transplant. I thank all of them. This will be a huge challenge for the team, one that all of the players and staff are looking forward to.
“The surface will benefit us and the way that we like to play. When we played on 3G before, in games against teams like Getafe, Tenerife and Derby County, the quality we displayed was very high. It seems to bring the best out of the players.
“We are always looking for the next challenge and are never standing still. We have had many successes as a team but are still looking to develop. With a European Championships being talked about for 2025, we are pushing the boundaries to see what we are fully capable of.”
‘The team feels like a family’
Their visit to the 330-acre site, home to all 28 of England’s national football teams, comes on the back of a recent tour to Spain, an experience that is being made into a documentary by independent Cornish filmmaker Liam Heaton.
It’s title, The Unbeatables, is in reference to Kernow’s long undefeated record that numbers some 72 matches and includes victories at Crystal Palace, Derby County and CD Tenerife.
“The lads are so enthusiastic,” continued York. “The team feels like a family which I know you hear a lot but, during the day, your phone will go with a message in the group asking how everyone's day is going, is anyone up for a chat later?
“Even though we are spread out, when we come together it's like best mates meeting up and business as usual. It's crazy at times but I'm at my happiest managing these lads. I truly love the opportunity.”
York won’t be travelling with the team this weekend, though. He will instead swap Burton upon Trent for the Spanish city of Vigo in an extension of Kernow’s working relationship with La Liga Genuine, a league made up of teams from the ID collective (people with intellectual disabilities).
Together with Kernow player Kam Cheriton, York will attend a ceremony at Ciudad deportiva A Madroa on Friday evening, before conducting meetings with associates from clubs including CD Tenerife, Rayo Vallecano and Getafe CF.
“We are looking to build on our relationship with teams within La Liga Genuine, with discussions ongoing for another tour in September 2023 and the possibility of teams coming across to Cornwall later this year, too,” York added.
“It has been an amazing couple of years. We seem to grow every month with players looking to play and teams wanting to play us. Will we get to 100 matches unbeaten? I would like to think that we can.
“From our first game until now, the transition from a team learning to play together to switching play at speed, working so hard for each other…it's an honour to manage them.”
Kernow FA (Team One): Matthew Opie, Taylor Hoskin, Ben Penna, Louis Anastasiou, Rhys Quirke, Gary Carpenter (capt), Jacob Brown and Jack Broad.
Kernow FA (Team Two): Spencer Hydes, Robbie Wellington (capt), Scott Watson, Callum York, Josh James, Cj Lethridge, Nathan Richards, Jack Mills and Jordan Tonkin.
Kernow FA Coaches: Jason Heaton and Jack Heaton.
👀 What’s on this week
⚽️League One: Saturday, 12pm: Exeter City v Plymouth Argyle.
⚽️Southern League Premier South: Saturday, 3pm: Truro City v Metropolitan Police. Monday, 7.45pm: Truro City v Bracknell Town.
⚽️Western League Premier Division: Saturday, 3pm (unless stated): Buckland Athletic v Millbrook; Cadbury Heath v Helston Athletic; Clevedon Town v Saltash United; Keynsham Town v Mousehole; Sherborne Town v Falmouth Town; Wellington v Torpoint Athletic (2pm).
⚽️South West Peninsula League Premier West: Saturday, 3pm: Bodmin Town v Dobwalls; Callington Town v Wendron United; Mullion v Wadebridge Town; St Dennis v Liskeard Athletic; Sticker v Newquay. Monday, 7.30pm: Callington Town v Dobwalls.
⚽️St Piran League East: Saturday, 3pm: Altarnun v Saltash Borough; Millbrook v St Austell; St Dominick v St Mawgan; Torpoint Athletic v Sticker.
⚽️St Piran League West: Saturday, 3pm: Helston Athletic v Illogan RBL; St Agnes v Mullion; Truro City v Redruth United.
⚽️FA Women’s National League Division One South West: Sunday, 2pm: St Austell v Larkhall Athletic.
⚽️South West Regional Women's Football League Premier Division: Sunday, 2pm: Liskeard Athletic v Torquay United.
🏆South West Regional Women's Football League Divisional Cup: Sunday, 2pm: Frampton Rangers v Saltash United.
See you on Monday!
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