THE town of Reading trails badly when it comes to senior non-league football – but that could soon be changing.

Highmoor Ibis have put the wheels in motion by appointing Andy Findlay and Rob Creech as joint managers of their Hellenic League team.

And they, along with chairman Martin Law, are looking to take the club to a new level.

Ideally, they need to be backed by someone like Kayne Steinborn-Busse, the highly ambitious boss of Bracknell Town.

He has guided the club to promotion to the Isthmian League and installed a 3G pitch that is in use every day of the week.

Bracknell have become such a popular venue that they have appointed a full-time secretary to deal with inquiries and bookings.

Findlay and Creech were previously with Bracknell, so they will know what paths to take with Highmoor Ibis – even if they can’t find a major financial backer.

But I feel it’s time for the club to change its name.

With due respect to the club’s previous history, few people know where Highmoor is even located and the club needs to be more connected locally with Reading in its title.

However, on the other side of the coin, it would be worth keeping the Highmoor name as far as the academy and youth section are concerned.

They have built up an excellent reputation for producing young talent and one the new managers will want to build on.

Reading Chronicle:

​Dominic Bess turned out for Mortimer CC as a nine-year-old. Picture: Nigel French/PA Wire.

  • DOMINIC Bess hit the headlines last week when he made his debut for England in the first Test against Pakistan at Lord’s.

And that stirred the memory banks of the older members of Mortimer Cricket Club as he once turned out for them.

They were on tour down in Sidmouth when they found themselves a player short for a friendly match.

So the accommodating hosts offered them a local lad to make up the numbers – Bess, just nine years old at the time.

The off-spinner has also played twice for Devon against Berkshire in recent seasons, the most recent being two years ago when he took 2-31 off 10 overs and made 56 not out to help his side to a two-wicket win in the Unicorns Trophy at Exmouth.