Former Lincoln City FC pro hopeful Jacob Fenton is out to make a big impression wearing the Napier City Rovers colours in 2026 – and potentially beyond. Photos / NZME
Jacob Fenton is on a mission to make up for lost time.
The 26-year-old Englishman – who was previously signed as a teen by Lincoln City FC, who ply their trade in the third tier of the English Football League – was one of Napier City Rovers’ high-profile recruits for the 2026 season.
But after impressing early in the pre-season campaign before the start of the Central League, Fenton suffered a knee injury and was sidelined for several weeks.
He battled back in time to be in the starting XI for the start of the Central League campaign – an eventual 0-0 draw against Western Suburbs – only to be forced from the field shortly before halftime with a quadriceps injury.
Then followed several more weeks on the sideline, before returning to action off the bench in Napier City Rovers’ successive 2-1 and 1-0 wins over the Wellington Phoenix Reserves and Petone FC respectively.
Now back to fitness, the powerful forward – a proven goalscorer in England’s Non-League structure, who describes himself as a “terrible loser” - said he wanted to “get people off their seats” as he and his teammates chase qualification for this year’s National League.
“I’ve got a willingness to win,” Fenton said.
“I hate losing more than I like winning; and there is a difference.
“I’d probably describe myself as quite a powerful footballer and someone who can do a little bit of everything. So hopefully people will see me taking people on and they’ll see me running back and smashing someone and winning the ball back for us.
“And littered in with a lot of goals, fingers crossed.”
On Sunday, Fenton’s unbeaten Napier City Rovers will take on Waterside Karori at Bluewater Stadium.
After their season-opening draw, the Bill Robertson-coached team have strung together four wins in succession.
That includes last Saturday’s 1-0 win over Petone FC on the road in Wellington.
Miramar Rangers top the Central League on 16 points, with the trio of Wellington Olympic, Western Suburbs and Napier City Rovers then locked on 13 points.
But Napier City Rovers have a game in hand after the scheduled round-three clash against Island Bay was postponed because of ex-tropical cyclone Vaianu.
Fenton said he had been impressed with how his side had started the season; albeit incredibly frustrating to miss out on their early matches.
“It’s been one of the toughest spells of my football career, because I’m not used to being injured,” he said.
“This is all very new to me. Sitting and watching is one of the hardest things that I’ve done.”
Sunday’s opponents Waterside Karori are ninth on the points table, with a record of five losses and a sole win.
Fenton is one of four foreign imports in Robertson’s squad this year, joining former Northern Irish age-group international Leo Brown, former English age-group captain and veteran of almost 300 English league professional games Callum Cooke and returning Danish goalkeeper William Tonning.
Fenton said he took up the chance to play in New Zealand for a “change of scenery”.
“If I had turned it down, I’d have regretted it massively,” he said.
For several years he has been playing Non-League football in England and holding down “quite an intense job” working as a residential care officer at a Secure Training Centre for teenaged offenders and other vulnerable youth.
“It was definitely intense,” he said. “I worked with murderers, all sorts.
“I was more on the side of resettlement work, trying to help them as they left or as they transitioned [to go somewhere else].”
Football means the world to the talented Fenton, with the sport he dreamed as a youngster would be his career being somewhat of a release while he worked at the Secure Training Centre.
“It was a very niche job, but one that I enjoyed massively,” he said of his former day job.
“But yeah, I’d count down the days till [football on] Saturday.”
Fenton’s latest footballing venture has seen him travel about 18,000km to link up with his new Bluewater Stadium-based team.
But not everything has been an unknown, with the move to Napier seeing him again play alongside Brown.
The duo formed a strong partnership up front for English Non-League side Anstey Nomads FC last year, with Fenton scoring 26 goals and Brown 20.
In the space of a season the pair became top mates. Fenton signed first with Napier City Rovers.
Brown signed soon after following a conversation the pair had at a mutual friend’s wedding.
“Leo and I instantly hit it off,” Fenton said.
“On the pitch, we had a real organic partnership. We sort of just knew where each other were going to be without ever playing together; we just got each other and worked really well together.
“If I had to pick a load of people that I’d played with, Leo would be right up there. It’s one of my favourite partnerships. So, hopefully, people are going to get to see that [at Napier City Rovers] as time goes on.”
They’re not just teammates and great mates; they are also flatmates.
Fenton, Brown, Tonning and impressive three-season Napier City Rovers playmaker Benjamin Stanley live in the same Napier flat.
“The dynamic in the house is really good,” Fenton said with a smile.
“Four people who are serial winners and we all push each other and drive each other. Everyone’s brilliant.”
It’s not just Napier City Rovers’ loyal fanbase who Fenton wants to entertain this season.
Back home in the UK, a special support group, including his mum and dad and his partner, are closely following his footballing journey via livestreams of Napier City Rovers matches on the Fifa+ streaming service.
Leaving them had been “tough”; Fenton’s much-loved father is battling cancer, while his partner let him travel despite the pair just buying a house together.
“From a life point of view, it was probably an unreasonable time to come,” he said.
“But with all the backing in the world, my Dad said, ‘You’ve got to go and do it’. My girlfriend was also very supportive and said, ‘This is an excellent opportunity for you’.
“It’s definitely hard, I love my family massively and miss everyone. But I’m hoping from the other side of the world I can make them proud and give them something to watch and tell people about back home.”
Fenton’s partner is travelling to New Zealand in August to celebrate her birthday with him.
By then, the side will be in the final weeks of the Central League and potentially will already know if their dream of qualifying for both the 2026 National League and the new-look National League to be introduced next year is a reality.
Fenton said he hoped his partner would love Napier as much as he does.
“I’m hoping that she comes here and falls in love with it like I have and that she plans to stay, because it’s a beautiful part of the world,” he said.
When he first signed to play here, he viewed it as a potential “stepping stone” to either play in a higher league back in England or chase a professional deal somewhere else.
But Fenton said: “That isn’t necessarily something that I’m looking to do now.
“I love it here, it’s a stunning place.
“And Napier City Rovers ... there’s not many clubs in the world where you’re accepted in a week, or two weeks, you see the clubrooms bouncing and people will come and stop you in the street and want to speak about football.
“It’s amazing here.”
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014, has 34 years of newsroom experience and has covered Napier City Rovers since 2022.
Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.