The next Charlie Austin? Non-League hitman to go on trial with Swindon
Non-League goalscoring hotshot Jake Tabor looks set to have the chance to impress in the EFL as he will join Swindon Town on a trial this summer.
Tabor opted to leave Amersham Town this summer to pursue a higher level of football, having scored 127 goals in 91 appearances in the Combined Counties League Premier Division North, the ninth tier of English football.
Advertisement
In May, it was revealed that Tabor had agreed to go on trial at a League Two club, a jump of five divisions, and The Moonraker has reported that Swindon will welcome him through their doors once pre-season begins next week.
The Adver floated Tabor's name to a source close to the club earlier this summer, and at that point, it seemed likely he would get his shot with Crawley Town or Gillingham, but Holloway has moved to give him a shot in professional football in recent days.
Swindon will be hoping that Tabor can emulate the success that Charlie Austin had stepping out of Non-League and scoring goals in the EFL back in 2009/10.
Advertisement
The former Amersham striker has been on trial with Wycombe Wanderers before, although he did not earn a contract at Adams Park, who were able to turn Richard Kone into a success in the EFL after he joined from Athletic Newham in 2024, after scoring 88 goals in 109 games.
Swindon had evaluated multiple Non-League players in January as Holloway looked for an injection of energy into his team, although none reached his standards for fitness, and at that point of the season, it was not feasible to bring them up to speed.
The man who has scored more than a century of goals across the last three seasons will have to impress more than those fellow Non-League players in Holloway's famously punishing pre-season running schedule.
Read more: Town's move for Grimsby winger hits late roadblock
Advertisement
'Oatmeal thinking' has Swindon in position to compete next season
Six potential loan targets for Swindon this summer
Since leaving Amersham at the end of last season, Tabor has featured in multiple Non-League showcase games and evidently impressed, scoring three goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers under-21s and netting another six in a game this week.
Speaking to Chall on YouTube about his journey, Tabor said: 'It all started just playing Sunday football. I have never really played at a great level or in academy football.
'In the last two or three seasons, I have had a massive rise while scoring loads of goals, and following that, I have been getting more attention and more goals.
Advertisement
'I think it is about time for a step up. Everyone says, 'He is doing well, but it is at Step Five or Step Six', so now it is time to put myself in a challenging environment and see if I can live up to it.
'Everyone thinks I am a big fish in a small pond, but hopefully I can prove them all wrong.'
The striker may now get the chance to show he is worthy of the attention, with Swindon beginning their pre-season against Step Four sides Swindon Supermarine on July 5 and Melksham Town on July 12.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
How to Watch 2025 Travelers Championship Final Round: Live Stream PGA Tour, Sunday, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The final round of the 2025 Travelers Championship takes place on Sunday with three golfers battling it out, and the rest of the field nipping at their heels, setting up for what should be a thrilling final round of play. Tommy Fleetwood of England lines up a putt on the third green during the final round of the Travelers Championship 2025 at TPC River Highlands on June 22, 2025, in Cromwell, Connecticut. Tommy Fleetwood of England lines up a putt on the third green during the final round of the Travelers Championship 2025 at TPC River Highlands on June 22, 2025, in Cromwell, to Watch the 2025 Travelers Championship - Final Round Date: Sunday, June 22, 2025 Time: 3:00 p.m. ET Channel: CBS Stream: Fubo (try for free) In the lead late on Saturday of the Travelers Championship is English golfer Tommy Fleetwood at 12 under par through nine holes in the third round. Fleetwood is a seven-time winner on the European Tour whose best finish at a major was two second-place finishes, one at the U.S. Open and one at the Open Championship. He will look to win his first PGA Tour event this weekend. The Travelers Championship has a prize purse of $20.0 million this year and is taking place at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. The reigning winner of the event is world No. 1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler, who is currently tied for 13th at six under par. Scheffler entered the weekend in contention, but a three-over par showing so far through 11 holes on Saturday really put him in a hole. Trailing Fleetwood by one stroke is American golfer Russell Henley at 12 under par, while Keegan Bradley rounds out the top three at 11 under par. Tune in to CBS at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon to catch the final round of the 2025 Travelers Championship live from the TPC River Highlands. Live stream the 2025 Travelers Championship final round for free on Fubo: Start your subscription now! Regional restrictions may apply.
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Best of Olympic track star Georgia Hunter Bell in images
Georgia Hunter Bell was born in France but is now considered an English track and field star. She runs "middle distance" events such as the 800 and 1500 meters. She is already the national indoor champion at 1500, having won the event in 2024 and '25. She captured a bronze medal in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, which was sweet given she was born in that great city. Additionally, Hunter Bell takes part in duathlons, events with a running leg, cycling leg, then a final running leg. When not running, Hunter Bell works for a London firm that studies cyber attacks. 'We use machine learning and AI to plug into organizations and see how they are getting hacked basically," she told the Guardian in 2024. "A lot of times companies come to us after they have a cyber attack, they get funding and need to get something in order to protect themselves. We work with companies all over the world. It's a booming business." Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell Georgia Hunter Bell
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Lionel Messi practices with Inter Miami ahead of crucial Club World Cup match
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Lionel Messi practiced with his Inter Miami teammates on Sunday, three days after experiencing some right leg discomfort during their historic win in the FIFA Club World Cup. It's unclear to what extent Messi practiced with Inter Miami – media was allowed to observe the first 15 minutes of the training session. Still, it's a positive development for Messi – who acknowledged the injury in his thigh/quadricep region has been a recurring one he has managed late in his career, particularly with Inter Miami. Inter Miami can clinch a trip to the Club World Cup knockout stage on Monday, June 23 against Brazilian club Pameiras at 9 p.m. in Miami's Hard Rock Stadium. The match will be available to watch on TBS/TruTV in English in the United States, and available to live stream for free on DAZN. Inter Miami could advance with a win or draw, but could need some help if they lose the match. "I've had a problem with that for a while now," Messi said in an interview with DSports after the club's 2-1 match against FC Porto at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Thursday. "It did bother me a little bit, but it's something I've had before, something I've been dealing with." Messi scored a dynamic free-kick goal in the 54th minute to propel Inter Miami to the first victory for a North American team over a European club against Porto, a Portuguese team. It was also the 50th goal he scored since joining Inter Miami in July 2023. Shortly after, Messi made a run on a ball after an up-field pass by Benjamin Cremaschi in the 57th minute. He was seen touching his right thigh and stretching the muscle near midfield in a stoppage during the 59th and 60th minutes of the match. An Inter Miami trainer also massaged Messi's thigh above the knee on the pitch, while defender Marcelo Weigandt was treated for an injury in the 62nd minute. Messi finished the Porto match, with Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano acknowledging Messi's will to play despite the discomfort. Mascherano will have a pre-match press conference later Sunday evening before the Palmeiras match. Inter Miami essential has one foot already into the knockout stage, but can't afford to rest Messi in the final group-stage match. If they manage to beat Palmeiras, they would win Group A. If they draw with Palmeiras, they would enter the round of 16 as a group runner-up. If they lose, they need Porto to beat Egyptian side Al Ahly to advance. If Inter Miami loses and Al Ahly wins, Inter Miami would need to rely on goal difference or other tiebreakers if Al Ahly doesn't win in blowout fashion. "I think the team is focused on winning, on doing the best they can," Inter Miami leftback Jordi Alba said before Sunday's practice. "We've never gone into a game without the intention of winning, and that's the mindset of everyone – to try to win, to play well like we did against Porto. And from there, hopefully that will be the case, and we can go through in first place." Messi has dealt with a thigh/adductor injury at least three times in the last two years. Messi had a low-grade injury in his left adductor muscle earlier this season, revealed after an MRI following a March 16 match against Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The injury caused him to miss two World Cup qualifying matches with Argentina during the month. He returned to action on March 29 and scored a goal in Inter Miami's win against the Philadelphia Union. Messi had his right groin/adductor area massaged by a trainer during Argentina's second group-stage match during last summer's Copa America on June 26, 2024. He rested in Argentina's last group-stage match on June 29, 2024, because they had already secured a berth to the quarterfinals. He returned to action in the knockout stage on July 4, 2024. He played until Argentina reached the final against Colombia on July 14, 2024, where he suffered a severe right ankle injury that sidelined him until his return on Sept. 14, 2024. Messi also experienced an adductor injury during Inter Miami's international preseason tour before the 2024 season. Messi left an exhibition against Al-Hilal on Jan. 29, and briefly played with the injury against Al-Nassr on Feb. 1, 2024, when Inter Miami played in Saudi Arabia. He did not play during a friendly in Hong Kong on Feb. 4, 2024, but returned to action for a friendly in Japan on Feb. 7, 2024. He appeared fully healthy for a preseason match against his Argentine boyhood club Newell's Old Boys on Feb. 15, 2024. If Inter Miami advances to the Club World Cup round of 16 after the Palmeiras match, it would play on either June 28 in Philadelphia (if it wins Group A) or June 29 in Atlanta (if it is the group runner-up). If Inter Miami is eliminated from the Club World Cup, its next match will be June 28 vs. Atlanta United at home in a return to the Major League Soccer regular season.
