Walsham-le-Willows joint boss Chay Budd hails departing skipper Jack Brame
Walsham-le-Willows joint boss Chay Budd has hailed departing forward Jack Brame for ‘galvanising’ the squad when they were at their lowest and being a ‘fantastic’ servant for the Morrish Stadium outfit.
It was announced on Monday that the long-serving skipper had left the early table-toppers, with Budd and Ian Hubbard having not been able to guarantee him regular game-time in the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division side.
Brame had left Walsham, where he had been since the age of 16 aside from a short stint at Bury Town, in May 2019 but re-joined his boyhood club in 2022 from Long Melford, following brief spells with Mildenhall Town and Thetford Town.
“He’s at an age now where he wants to be playing more regularly and we can’t really offer him those guarantees anymore, which is a big shame,” said Budd, whose side will now be captained by experienced defender Sam Nunn.
“It’s all amicable, we get on really well and he was brilliant for us.
“He feels he’s got to be playing now, and that’s fair enough, but we can’t guarantee that football to him anymore.
“We went through the summer and didn’t make a huge amount of signings, but since then Kieran Twinn has come in from Mildenhall and it just meant the competition for the place that Jack plays in just went up a couple of notches.”
The breakthrough of youngster Reon Huckvale this term, who netted the winning goal on Saturday as the Willows came from a goal down to defeat visiting Mulbarton Wanderers 2-1, has also moved Brame down the attacking pecking order.
Brame, who was Budd and Hubbard’s first signing following their appointment in October 2022, has not departed for another club and posted on social media he is ‘taking a bit of time’ out from the game.
“All good things must come to an end,” he wrote via his X account. “Unfortunately my time at Walsham is over.
“I want to thank everyone involved. A fantastic football club which will always be in my heart.
“I’ve had many happy years here. Great bunch of lads as well. It’s been a pleasure.”
Brame’s final action in Walsham colours was a cameo appearance from the bench in their victory against Mulbarton, which ended a run of three straight defeats for the league leaders.
“He’s been absolutely fantastic, my wife was in tears when he put the tweet out (that he was leaving),” said Budd.
“When we came in the club was in a really difficult stage. We were bottom of the league and hadn’t done very well, getting beaten on the pitch quite heavily and getting a lot of pressure off the pitch.
“We knew him anyway because we’ve always been Walsham supporters, so we wanted him in (the squad) and he really galvanised things on the pitch for us.
“He’s brilliant with the lads, some of them call him grandad, and he’s just a good egg.
“He’s been positive with us, he’s always supported me with everything I’ve done, he supports me now, still, and he was a big part of how we turned things around. Now we’re in a positive position rather than a negative one.”
Walsham begin life without Brame tomorrow at home to Fakenham Town (3pm) before the visit of AFC Sudbury on Tuesday (7.45pm) in the first round of the Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup.
