STOKE Gabriel & Torbay Police have secured two eye-catching signings as they gear up for a new SW Peninsula League campaign.

Reece Somers and Tom Burt are the pair in question, joining from fellow Devon clubs Brixham AFC and Bovey Tracey AFC.

Starting with Reece and the club are delighted to get him over the line. “As a management team, we are more than delighted that Reece has decided to join us here at Stoke.

“Reece is a signing that shows the direction that the club is going in, he brings experience and tenacity. He will be a huge asset on and off the pitch.”

Speaking to the South Hams Gazette, joint-1st XI manager Matt Hayden added: “It’s a serious intention of the direction the club wants to go in. It’s a position we needed adding to and there aren’t many better around.”

Somers has been a stalwart with Brixham for many, many years and there is no understating the experience he will bring to Broadley Lane.

His former club, the Fishermen, offered a heartfelt farewell message to their man on social media.

“After being with [the club] since the age of 16 and with the club’s blessing, best wishes & thanks, club legend Reece Somers has decided to focus on his family & will not be making the journey into the Southern League.

“With over 400 appearances and being instrumental in our club’s rapid rise from the South Devon League to now being in the Southern League. There is only one Reece Somers... We wish him & his family all the very best & we look forward to seeing him again soon.”

It is clear that he is a popular figure and one supporter on social media spoke very highly of him: “Work rate and ethic second to none, 100% for his team every time, gritty and determined. Never a lost ball, oh, and he had a worldie in his locker!”

Brixham finished third in the Western League in 2024/25, amassing 80 points before gaining promotion via the playoffs. They beat Barnstaple Town 3-0 in the semi-final before coming from behind to overcome Clevedon Town 2-1 in the final.

For Somers, he made 32 league appearances, 31 of which were starts, and he contributed six goals from defence.

As previously mentioned, Tom Burt is the other arrival to be announced and he is a player that Hayden knows well from his time at Bovey Tracey last season.

Speaking to the club’s media, Hayden said, “As soon as I signed as co-manager for Stoke this season, this was a signing I wanted to make happen. Having worked with him last season, I was incredibly keen to continue working with Burty! On his day he will be a nightmare for any full back in this league!"

Burt made 28 appearances in the black and red of the Moorlanders last term, 25 of which were starts. In that period, he scored eight goals, a tally only bettered by Neil Last (17) for Bovey.

The other big news out of the club is that Morgan Harford has resigned, Stoke Gabriel writing that Morgan is “A great reader of the game with a wand of a left foot. With a tough injury keeping him out for a large part of our season last year we can’t wait for Morgs to show this league what he means once again.”