Mildenhall Town agree to sign goalkeeper Finley Iron from Soham Town Rangers following Josh Pope departure

Finley Iron has agreed to fill the goalkeeping void at Mildenhall Town.

The position of number one goalie at The Riverside Stadium has been available since manager Phil Weavers took the decision to part ways with Josh Pope earlier last week.

And in Iron, Weavers believes that he has secured the services of ‘an all-round excellent goalkeeper’.

The 25-year-old will move to Mildenhall from neighbouring Soham Town Rangers, for whom he made 42 appearances in all competitions last season.

Prior to rejoining the Greens in September 2023, Iron rose through the youth ranks at Cambridge United and has also previously kept goal for Haverhill Borugh, Godmachester Rovers, Yaxley, St Neots Town and St Ives Town.

Weavers said: “We had a long term goal which was to put together a squad that would go up together and stay up together, which we have now achieved. At this point you either shake hands and say thank you very much or you set new long term goals and work towards them – and Fin optimises this.

“Twenty-five-years-old and coming off a very good season at Soham, he’s an all round excellent goalkeeper with the potential to achieve whatever he wants to and he will fit into the group effortlessly.

“But potential is only that if it’s realised. Fin expressed his desire to step up in level again and push himself and the challenge for him is to now realise his potential and be the ‘keeper that so many people know he can be.

“He’s picked a hell of a challenge in trying to replace Josh Pope and people will say he’s got big boots to fill, but that shows you what sort of character he is and my advice to him will be to not even try. Popey’s boots are impossible to fill and his legacy at the club will last a life time, but Fin has the opportunity now to create his own legacy here and I’m more than confident he’s capable of doing just that.”

Given Pope’s long and successful connection to the club, his departure caused surprise within certain local non-league football circles.

Nevertheless, it is a decision that Weavers has reiterated he made for the good of the club.

He added: “It was a massive call and naturally people will have their opinions on it, which they are absolutely entitled to do. But I made a decision which I think is in the best long term interests of the club, which is my job at the end of the day and it’s a decision I stand by.

“As a squad we were always going to have to move on from the (Luke) Butcher/Popey era at some point. Josh’s stance I think it’s fair to say was to play one more season and see where the land lied, but with Butch deciding to retire at the end of last season the timing just seemed right for a fresh start and to give others the opportunity to fill the void.

“I’ve been completely honest and transparent in my reasonings for it and the first person to find out once I’d made the decision was Popey. I’ve tried to handle the whole thing as respectfully as I can but the truth is you’re never going to please everyone in football, and if you are I’d suggest you’re probably doing something wrong.

“Hopefully once the dust has settled a bit and Popey’s future is sorted, we can sit down and discuss how we can actually celebrate his time at the club because what he’s achieved deserves to be celebrated. He’s been a true servant to the club and I for one want nothing but the very best for him.”