The National League South team Bath City has confirmed the departure of Alex Fletcher, a former attacker for Plymouth Argyle, in an official statement.
Fletcher, who was raised in Newtown Abbot, began playing for the Devonshire club in 2008 and remained there for 14 years, rising through the ranks of the youth system before becoming a senior professional in 2017.
The 18-year-old also made his full professional debut in the EFL Trophy against Chelsea’s academy, when he scored two goals in the closing moments at Home Park to help the hosts win the match on penalties.
Fletcher made 19 appearances in League One over the course of two seasons, scoring once against Fleetwood Town. Fletcher did, however, have two distinct National League loan stints at this time, with Aldershot Town and Torquay United, respectively.
One final loan move saw the forward finally find his shooting boots. Joining Southern League Premier South Division, Tiverton Town, in December 2019 on an initial one-month deal, the then-20-year-old recorded eight goals in just eleven appearances for the Yellows.
Upon the expiry of his contract with Plymouth and the coronavirus pandemic stretching many clubs’ finances, a permanent move to Ladysmead transpired. Unsurprisingly, the star attacker continued where he left off and netted eight goals before securing a move to Bath City for an undisclosed fee.
In his first full season with the National League South side, and without the complications of COVID-19, Fletcher scored an impressive 16 goals. Regarded as one of the division’s top finishers, the 2022–23 campaign was one full of optimism.
After an incredible start and seven goals to his name, a freak accident resulted in near tragedy.
On November 8, 2022, the Romans hosted Dulwich Hamlet at Twerton Park, although the fixture would be abandoned following a major head injury that left Fletcher in a critical condition.
Challenging for a ball, the then-23-year-old crashed into the advertisement hoardings surrounding the perimeter of the pitch. Due to his unresponsive nature, an air ambulance was called, and the young man was moved into an intensive care unit.
After recovering from a coma and undergoing intensive physiotherapy, Alex Fletcher finally returned to the beautiful game ten months later, sporting a headband in a fixture against Hampton and Richmond Borough in which the scoreline was almost irrelevant.
Steven Schumacher, the manager of Plymouth Argyle, considers Leeds United to be an “outstanding” team and is cautious about the attacking threat they will present on Saturday.
During his pre-match press conference, Schumacher discussed Daniel Farke’s side with Plymouth Live in advance of Argyle’s trip to Elland Road tomorrow.
Plymouth come into this match still searching for their first win away from home since their promotion from League One, but they will undoubtedly pose Leeds a big threat.
Only the top two, Leicester City and Ipswich Town, have scored more goals than Argyle this season, though it is at the other end where they have struggled.
Plymouth have conceded 25 goals in their opening 15 matches, and they will need that to change in order to get a result on Friday, as Leeds boast one of, if not the best, attacking options in the division.
Leave a Reply