Binfield midfielder Carl Withers has announced his retirement from football on social media.
In a short post, Withers said: “And that’s that!!!”
Football in Bracknell caught up with the Moles midfielder who said a knee op on Tuesday would end his season: “As hard as it will be, I think the op will inevitably end my season and I think now is a good time to step aside from playing.”
Regularly quoted as ‘a Rolls Royce of a midfielder’, Withers played over 600 times for Binfield over several spells at Hill Farm Lane with 15 games for the Moles this season taking him over the six century landmark.
Withers also had spells with Flackwell Heath and most recently Bracknell Town where he helped the Robins return to step 4 last season and reach the Quarter Finals of the FA Vase. He also scored in the 2016/17 Berks & Bucks County Cup Final – ending a 23 year trophy drought for the Larges Lane side.
Watch Carl Withers score a cup final penalty for Bracknell Town
600 appearances
Withers was a big part of Binfield’s successful Hellenic League side at the beginning of the decade winning Division One East by 11 points from Ascot United and then finished eighth and second in the Premier Division in subsequent seasons.
The same season (2011/12) the Moles finished as runners up, they lifted the Hellenic League Floodlit Cup and Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy under manager Mark Tallentire – who would later take Withers across to Bracknell.
Withers 500th appearance came in October 2015. A post on the Hellenic League website said: “Carl Withers should make his 500th Binfield appearance over 14 seasons on Monday 19 October in a derby game at home to Bracknell Town.
“The Moles longest serving player, Carl Withers, made his 499th Binfield appearance (in competitive matches) in Saturday’s 3-2 win at Highworth Town, setting him up for a 500th appearance in Monday Night’s Hill Farm Lane local derby with Bracknell Town.”
‘Absolute ledge’
A number of former team mates have posted tributes to the midfielder on social media with Bracknell Town’s Carl Davies saying ‘a playing career to be proud of’.
Striker Adam Cornell said:
Could we see a testimonial?
Goalkeeper Chris Grace probably sums it up best though:
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Main image: Carl Withers scores for Binfield in 2013 at Ardley United by Colin Byers.