08 Aug 2025
A “reset” is what management duo Ian Culverhouse and Paul Bastock have called for to drive promotion this season and they’ve certainly brought in plenty of new faces to rebuild the first team squad.
Players like Zane Banton and Jack James represent a small core of players who will be familiar to Saints supporters from last season, but it’s mostly a case of all change at Clarence Park.
Those names exiting the club include keeper Michael Johnson, who made 171 appearances for St Albans but will now turn out for Hemel Hempstead, and striker Shaun Jeffers, who has joined Bedford Town after scoring nearly 120 goals for City in 218 appearances.
Magnus Norman – Goalkeeper, aged 28. Former clubs include Carlisle and Oldham, but Norman joins the Saints from Dorking Wanderers.
Jack James – Defender, 25. Has recovered from hernia treatment and is now hoping to add to the 80-plus appearances he’s already made for Saints, scoring three goals.
Lewis Page – Defender, 29. Page’s playing career has included time with West Ham, Charlton and Exeter City, before signing for Saints from Ebbsfleet United.
Michael Bostwick – Defender, 37. In a 20-year 1st team career, he’s so far notched up close to 750 games in all competitions. Former teams include Stevenage Borough and Peterborough United. He Joins from Boston United, where he played under the management of Ian Culverhouse and Paul Bastock.
Alex Dyer – Midfielder, 35. An experienced campaigner whose CV includes nearly 300 games for Wealdstone FC, plus spells playing in Sweden and Kuwait.
Jamal Fyfield – Defender, 36. Veteran who has turned out for sides including York City (where he won the FA Trophy), Wrexham, Boreham Wood, and most recently, Braintree Town.
Sam Smart – Midfielder, 27. Another player who was with Culverhouse/Bastock at Boston, winning the National League North playoffs. He joins Saints from Matlock Town.
Ryley Scott – Midfielder, 23. Scott’s experience includes a spell playing in Portugal, before games for Dagenham &; Redbridge and Concord Rangers. He joins from Dulwich Hamlet.
Alex Wall – Forward, 34. Scored the winner against Hemel Hempstead last season, he has featured for clubs including Luton Town, Bristol Rovers, Maidenhead United, Bromley and Hampton and Richmond.
Harrison Smith – Forward, 20. Smith was on Stevenage Borough’s books from the age of nine, but after a spell with Worthing, signed for City this year. A former pupil at Verulam Secondary School.
Zane Banton – Midfielder, 29. Banton is hugely popular with supporters and is City’s longest-serving current player, with more than 300 appearances and more than 60 goals.
James Sweet – Defender/midfielder, 21. Sweet first joined Saints in December 2024 after featuring with the Arsenal U21s side. Can also play a wide midfield role.
Troy Perez-Duah – Midfielder, 22. He played in Romania before top-scoring for Northwood Town last season, where he won the supporters’ player of the season award.
Jasper Mather – Forward, 24. Mather has signed for City after two seasons with Bognor Regis Town, where he scored 31 goals in all competitions.
Haziz Kone – Midfielder, 28. Kone joins from Aylesbury Utd and featured strongly in most of City’s pre-season games.
Leo Sery – Forward, 21. A Brentford academy product, Sery’s other clubs include Harefield, Harrow Borough and, most recently, Hendon. He got a hat- trick in the Saints’ pre-season win over Beaconsfield.
George Sippetts – Forward, 20. The former Colney Heath player joins from Hayes & Yeading United, where he scored 14 goals and was the players’ player of the year. His dad Gary also played for the Saints.
Nick Ralfe – Forward, 23. A product of City’s academy system, he made his debut last season and scored a stunning 25-yard goal against Bishop’s Stortford in the Herts Senior Cup.
– Defender, 21. Another highly rated and promising product of the Saints academy set-up. He returns to City after spells at Cheshunt and Kings Langley.
U23s players – St Albans is blessed with more promising young talent coming through from the under 23s team within the club’s academy set-up.
Among them is forward Thomas Jennings, who scored a late winner in the pre-season friendly against Wealdstone, midfielder James Bone and keeper Jake Boxer.
Confirmed squad numbers
1 Magnus Norman, 2 Jack James, 3 Lewis Page, 4 Michael Bostwick, 5 Alex Dyer, 6 Jamal Fyfield, 7 Sam Smart, 8 Ryley Scott, 9 Alex Wall, 10 Harrison Smith, 11 Zane Banton, 12
James Sweet, 14 Troy Perez-Duah, 15 Jasper Mather, 16 Haziz Kone, 17 Leo Sery, 18 George Sippets, 19 Nick Ralph, 20 Kieran Gauthier.
