Farnham Town are pleased to announce the signing of midfielder Richie Mbele from Isthmian South East side Merstham.
The 23-year-old midfielder will be a familiar face to many fans having spent the majority of the 2022/23 season with the Club during our time in the Combined Counties Premier Division South.
After becoming Farnham Town manager in October 2022, one of Paul Johnson’s first recruits was Richie, making his debut in the 4-0 home win over Banstead Athletic on November 12th, and from then on he was a mainstay in the side until the end of the season.
During his six months at Farnham Town, Richie made 23 appearances for the Club balancing the midfield alongside Lamar Koroma, starting each of the final 17 games he was available for. He provided two assists and scored his only goal for the Club in the 3-0 away win at rivals Badshot Lea to further derail their title charge, and was a key player in our run to winning the Southern Combination Cup in May 2023.
Richie made a lasting impression on both the fans and management team, who named him their Manager’s Player of the Season for 2022/23. Despite attempts to keep Richie at the Club the following season to be part of our title-challenging side, he left with our best wishes as he moved up the levels to join Harrow Borough in the Southern League Premier South at Step 3.
In December 2023, he made the move to Merstham in the Isthmian South East and was a regular for the Moatsiders over the final five months of the campaign.
Eager to bolster the ranks for our first season at Step 4, we’re pleased to be able to bring Richie back to The Memorial Ground and everyone at the Club would like to wish him all the best for the coming season.