Bodycote Back at Butlin Road

Rugby Town are pleased to welcome goalkeeper Ash Bodycote back to the club.

The 27-year-old former Valley youth team graduate returns to Butlin Road for a third spell with the club, joining from Northampton Sileby Rangers.

A familiar face to Valley supporters, Bodycote first broke into the first-team squad as a 16-year-old in August 2015, keeping a clean sheet on his debut against Coventry Sphinx in the FA Cup before also featuring away at Basford United.

After initially departing for in 2018, Ash returned to the club in 2021 and impressed enough to earn a contract extension before spending much of the 2022/23 season on loan at Cogenhoe United.

Since leaving Rugby, the goalkeeper has enjoyed success with Wellingborough Town, helping them win the United Counties League Premier South title in 2023 before stepping up to the Northern Premier League Midlands, where he made 20 appearances, including a 3-0 win at Butlin Road.

Last season he featured for both Daventry Town and Northampton Sileby Rangers in the UCL Premier South.

Manager Grant Joshua believes Bodycote's experience, temperament and familiarity with both the club and the division make him an ideal addition. "I’m pleased to welcome Ash back to the football club.

"He knows the club already, he gets on with the staff who are still here and, most importantly, he knows and has won the league we’re about to move into.

"He’s a good age and has a good temperament about him to be able to handle the pressure of what the number one has to deal with at our club.

"He’s a Rugby lad who, again, jumped at the chance to represent the football club."

Joshua also admitted the goalkeeping position is one the club needed to strengthen following last season. "It’s a position we just didn’t get right last season and I’m expecting Ash to come in, calm everything down, do what he’s going to be paid to do and keep clean sheets for us."