It is not often when two former AFC Bournemouth teammates face off against each other as managers, however this is the case as Poole Town face Hayes & Yeading United at The BlackGold stadium tonight.
Poole Town manager Matt Tubbs played for the Cherries originally in 2008 on loan from Salisbury City, however only managed to score once in eight appearances. After a successful spell with Crawley Town, Tubbs re-joined AFC Bournemouth in 2012 on a permanent basis and managed to accumulate seven goals in 38 appearances under the manager at the time, that being Eddie Howe.
Matt Tubbs scored on his debut for the League One club at the time in a 2-0 win over Exeter City. In an interview with BBC Radio Solent after the game, he said: “On your debut you want to try and get your first goal as quickly as you can and I was lucky enough to get mine tonight, this is my home-town club and the one I supported as a kid.”
A name that may be familiar to many long-term Bournemouth fans is Mark Molesley who currently manages Hayes & Yeading FC. Molesley played 43 times for the Cherries between 2008 and 2013.
Mark Molesley went down in AFC Bournemouth history after being Eddie Howe’s first signing in management. Molesley played a decisive role in their memorable escape from relegation in the 2008/09 season known as ‘The Great Escape’.
In an interview with AFC Bournemouth, Molesley said: “I thought you only live once and this had always been my dream”.
However, the history of these two goes way beyond their AFC Bournemouth days, as when Mark Molesley was managing Weymouth FC in 2017, he actually recruited Matt Tubbs on a one-month loan.
Tubbs made six appearances and scored one goal for the Terras under Molesley’s management. When describing the signing of Matt Tubbs, Molesley said: “I’ve had the pleasure of playing with him and playing against him over the years, I know him well”.
The meeting of these two for the first time as managers in the shape of Poole Town vs Hayes & Yeading is certainly not one to be missed. It looks to be a game between two fast-paced attacking minded teams with the added intensity of the managers being ex-Cherries teammates adds to what is already anticipated to be a fiery contest.
To add to the excitement, the experienced ex-Yeovil captain Josh Staunton is likely to make his eagerly awaited debut for Matt Tubbs’ side.
So why not come down to the BlackGold Stadium on a Tuesday night under the lights and watch the former Bournemouth duo battle it out in a game expected to be non-league football at its finest.