35-day ban for swearing is a little bit harsh, bemoans Burman

Thursday 25th February 2010

DARTFORD boss Tony Burman has asked the authorities for “leniency” when it comes to Adam Burchell’s suspension, writes Stephen McCartney.

The striker, who has joined Tonbridge Angels on a short-term loan deal, is expected to be suspended for a 35-day period for being sent off for swearing during a reserve team game.

“We’re hoping - we’ve appealed against it - we’ve asked for leniency about the length of the ban and we hope the Kent (County Football Association) can see that the 35-days for swearing is a bit harsh in our opinion,” the Darts boss told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

When asked if the club will re-think which reserve league they will be playing in next season (with the club’s expected Blue Square South status next season), Burman replied, ““We haven’t decided that. It’s something that we might have to look in to but we’ve not decided one way or another at this time.”

Burman’s table-toppers travel to play a Boreham Wood side that are sitting in third-place in the Ryman Premier League table, 12 points behind the Darts.

“I think a little while back they won five games on the trot,” recalled Burman. “I think they’ve lost a couple but they managed to get back on track in the last couple of games.

“It will be a difficult game and we know that - but saying that we have to go over there and try and get three points.”

Burman added: “Hopefully the weather is not going to beat Boreham Wood. They’ve got a well decent pitch over there and I’m sure they will make their best efforts to get the game on.”

Wet weather put paid to Dartford’s trip to Gorrings Mead to take on Horsham in midweek, and club’s face fixture chaos between now and the end of the season in just nine weeks time.

With seventeen league games to fit in, Burman, whose side are ten points clear at the top of the table, said, “It’s very frustrating when you’re trying to take a step forward and you have to take two steps back by not following the game up fairly quickly but we’re hoping things are going to improve as we’ve got all these games coming up.”

With goalkeeper Tony Kessell and teenager Karl Dent also out on loan with Cray Wanderers and Sittingbourne respectively, Burman feels he has enough bodies to cope with the fixture pile-up.

“We’ve got a squad that is fit enough and one or two players have gone out on loan to get some games in so mindful with the games that we’ve got in March we’ll have a big enough squad to cope with it.”

Burman, meanwhile, has revealed that striker, Jay May, has had a small operation to clean out his knee and “hopefully he will be back in a couple of weeks time.”

The Darts boss, meanwhile, is only too pleased to help Chatham Town midfielder Mark Green to battle back from his broken leg.

“Greenie helped this club get to where it was,” he said. “He was one of the members that got us promoted from the Ryman North and he gave 100% every time he played for us.

“He lives around the corner from the ground and we offered to help with the facilities and with Dave Phillips, the physic, to try and do his rehab.

“We just felt it was easier for him to get to Dartford than travelling down to Chatham and Alex O’Brien agreed with that. That’s fine. We’re happy to do that.”

Visit Dartford’s websites: www.dartfordfc.co.uk & www.dartfordfootballclub.co.uk

Boreham Wood v Dartford

Ryman Premier League

Saturday 27th February 2010

Kick Off 3:00pm

At Meadow Park, Broughinge Road, Boreham Wood, Hertfordshire, WD3 5AL