Nantwich Town can announce that club captain Troy Bourne will be leaving the Dabbers this summer after a decade of service to his boyhood team.
He joined the Dabbers academy at the age of 16 after being released by Stoke City and, barring a loan at Alsager Town in 2016/17, it’s where he’s been ever since.
A former Player of the Season, two-time Young Player of the Season, two-time Player’s Player of the Season and two-time Manager’s Player of the Season, Bourne amassed over 300 appearances in his time at the Dabbers and was the scorer of a couple of the most famous Nantwich goals of recent years.
Nantwich Manager and Troy’s former team mate Jon Moran said:
“Troy has been a magnificent servant for Nantwich Town and I am privileged to have played somewhat of a part in his journey, as he has played a big part in mine. Troy has been a pleasure to play with and an even greater pleasure to manage. His family are infectious and the way he has embodied Nantwich Town is a huge testament to the character he is.
I am extremely proud of how Troy has developed and grown during his time here and he will go down as one of Nantwich Town’s greats. Whilst now is the right time for Troy to take the next step in his journey, I’m sure it won’t be the last time we see Troy in a Nantwich shirt.
In football tough decisions have to be made and this is the right one for both Troy and for Nantwich Town.
Good luck for the future Troy.”
And Troy himself said:
“I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone involved at Nantwich Town – from the players and coaching staff to the volunteers and fans – for making the last 10 years so special. I’ve grown so much as both a player and a person during my time at the club, and I’ll always be proud to have worn the shirt. It’s been a tough decision, but it also feels like the right time for a new challenge and Nantwich will always hold a big place in my heart. Thank you for everything.”
The Bourne Legacy
Troy was a key member of the Nantwich youth side that progressed to the First Round Proper of the FA Youth Cup in 2014/15, before going out to Rochdale. His ability was spotted by then manager Phil Parkinson when he impressed in 2015/16 pre-season training. He then made his senior Nantwich debut against Cammell Laird in the Cheshire Senior Cup in November 2015 at the age of 17.
Troy was frequently named as part of the Dabbers’ match day squad during that first season and played in every round of the old Doodson League Cup.
He spent much of the 16/17 campaign on loan at Alsager but did make 5 first team appearances for the Dabbers in league and cups.
Despite some tough moments out on loan, the club kept faith in Troy and gave him a two year contact at the beginning of the 2017/18 season.
Troy started to repay that faith by winning the Player’s and Manager’s Player of the Season award at the end of that season.
He played his 100th game for the club during the 2018/19 campaign.
In 2019/20 he scored an iconic winning goal against King’s Lynn in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round to help the Dabbers to the First Round Proper of the competition for only the third time in our history. Not a bad time for him to get his first ever goal for the club, in what was his 111th appearance.
Troy consistently solidified a place as one of the first names on the team sheet under multiple managers, ending up being one of a very elite few to score goals under 4 different permanent Nantwich bosses (Cooke, Sutton, Carden, Moran). Starting out as a right back, gradually he got the chance to move into his favoured position of centre-back.
In 2021/22, he won the Dabbers Young Player of the Season after a stellar campaign at centre-back as part of a defence that went on the club’s longest run without conceding a goal for several decades.
In 2022/23, Troy became a true lynchpin of the back line, surpassing 200 Nantwich appearances, and started to wear the captain’s armband regularly. This was topped off with a quadruple of club awards that season: Player of the Season, Manager’s Player of the Season, Player’s Player of the Season, and the NTISA Player of the Season.
Another superb moment that season came with a stoppage time winner away at Radcliffe that sparked jubilant celebrations among the travelling fans.
He subsequently became the outright club captain and passed 250 appearances. 2023/24 was his best goalscoring season for the club with 8, half of his overall total for the club. One of those goals was another iconic one, coming in the very last seconds of a crazy 4-3 win over Hednesford Town that will live long in the memory. He won the NTISA’s ‘Golden Moment of the Season’ award for both that and the King’s Lynn goal.
In the summer of 2024 he was granted a testimonial to celebrate 10 seasons at the Dabbers.
The current season saw Troy become only the second player to reach 300 Nantwich appearances in the club’s NPL era (since 2007) after Sean Cooke. His final goal for the club was in the 3-1 win over Bootle in December, and what turned out to be his last appearance was against Mossley in March.
His last act as a Nantwich player, for now at least, sums him up neatly. Despite not playing for several weeks due to suspension and injury, at Wythenshawe on the final day he could be seen helping to carry the kit back to the changing rooms.
Troy leaves with 304 appearances and 16 goals to his name. Never one to seek the limelight, his humility and loyalty combined with his defensive ability mark him out as one of the most significant Nantwich players in the club’s modern history. He truly was Bourne to be a Dabber.
By Liam Price, with contributions from Retro Dabbers, Ryan Batty, Steve Sharman and Jack Jones. Photos by Jonathan White and Peter Robinson. Graphic by Jack Beresford.