NEWTON Abbot Spurs’ managerial duo Matt Hayden and Sam Biscoe are continuing to build their squad ahead of the new season and it’s now a family affair at The Rec.

Both Sam and Will Hancox have played many a time for the club and their return to the fray is a sign of what’s to come for this team in the SW Peninsula League.

The two featured under Hayden and Biscoe for Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police last season, as is becoming a running theme with Spurs’ transfer dealings.

That being said, whilst Sam made 20 appearances for the Bees (as per the league’s website), Will played just once and instead was primarily plying his trade at step four with Brixham AFC.

He led the Fishermen in games played (39) as they were relegated from the Southern League, working with Hayden following his departure from Stoke Gabriel.

Will “brings a wealth of experience” and Sam’s “desire will play a massive factor” for Spurs in the words of Hayden as they look to secure the solitary promotion spot up to the Western League.

Prior to this week, they had already tempted a trio of players to follow them over from Stoke Gabriel and that number has gone up and up.

Previously poaching Jordan Thomas, Jesse Howe and Tom Burt from the Bees, Saul Vanes and Rob Heaps have since made the switch too.

Vanes actually played for two clubs last year- he was signed on with Brixham in the Southern League alongside his commitments to Stoke and he’s one of eight players to be released from the former.

The majority of Vanes’ appearances in 2025/26 did come in a Stoke shirt though, he played five times for Brixham and 29 under Biscoe at Broadley Lane.

In those 29 outings, the forward was very prolific with 15 league goals (17 in all competitions) and led the team alongside Ben Aldous (16).

Finding goals is going to be crucial for Spurs following the departure of Buckland Athletic-bound Toby Pullman.

Pullman was Spurs’ top scorer by some distance last term and if it weren’t for a late surge from Levi Landricombe (Bovey Tracey AFC), he would have grasped the Premier East golden boot too.

Burt’s presence on the wing along with Vanes’ arrival in the final third is certainly a step in the right direction, not to mention the return to the fold of Tate Breslan-Aggrey in the late stages of 25/26.

Onto Heaps and writing on social media, Biscoe said: “This player is unreal! Been with him for four years [and he] will run through a brick wall, head everything and will stick with you through everything!”

This sentiment was shared by Spurs’ announcement post as they said he “plays like it’s his last game of football” so it will be fascinating to see what he does in blue going forward.

It isn’t just the incomings worthy of a headline at the moment though with Ivybridge Town luring goalkeeper Kane Gregory back to Erme Valley.

He was a commanding presence in between the sticks during his solitary campaign for Spurs and he now takes that experience back to step five.