Angels have plenty in reserve

JULIAN LEIGH is delighted that all his hard work with Tonbridge Angels’ reserve side has paid off, writes Stephen McCartney.

Reserve team manager Leigh guided the club to fourth place in the Southern Division of the Suburban League behind Salisbury City, Corinthian Casuals and Three Bridges.

But Longmead Stadium will be hosting Suburban Premier League football next season, with home midweek games being played on Wednesday nights to allow first team bench warmers to get some games under their belts, after the club were promoted at the Suburban League Annual General Meeting last Wednesday night.

Former Sevenoaks Town first-team manager Leigh revealed his side were promoted via the back door after Salisbury City, Hayes & Yeading and Carshalton Athletic tendered their resignations from the League.

“Basically over the last three years we’ve finished fourth twice and fifth once so we’ve always been there or there abouts and each time the third place team’s gone up, which makes it a little more frustrating really, especially when you get the fourth place,” Leigh told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

Leigh admitted his side had to win promotion to the Suburban Premier League was vital as the standard of football is much better.

Playing reserve sides from Combined Counties League sides had lowered the standard of the Southern Division and a Ryman Premier League club need to be playing against better players.

“To be honest with you the first year we went in there (the Southern Division) I was really impressed with it and certainly the second year,” said Leigh.

“But last year the level overall did drop but the likes of Corinthian Casuals and Salisbury were very good sides and some of the sides that have been in there for a while had improved but standard wise even last year’s league I’d still put it on par with the Kent League reserve one.”

Leigh understands that first team manager Tommy Warrilow will ask him for players to make the step up to the Ryman Premier League next season.

The Angels are expected to be pushing towards the Ryman Premier League play-off’s next season and players have to meet the standard.

“This year will be his first full season so there’s going to be more of an emphasis of playing coming through,” said Leigh.

“There will be more of an involvement with the reserves and first team front and as you know he has a pretty lean first team squad of 16-17 players I think.

“He wants younger players coming through and hopefully progress to the first team.”

Leigh, who took charge of two first-team games on a caretaker basis last November before Warrilow took over, will need to get the balance right of getting results in the Suburban Premier League and progressing players into the first team squad.

He said: “Going up into this league we don’t want to be whipping boys either so you have to get the happy medium.

“I think you’re going to need to have one or two experienced heads in the squad.

“We’ve played a few (premier sides) in the cups over the last three years and there’s always one or two players who have been around a bit and I think that’s important.

“And having got up there, albeit by the back door, we don’t want to end up coming down again.

“We know it’s going to be tough and the whole ethos is how the team’s going to be set up next year and what I’m going to be doing will be mirrored like the first team.”

Visit Tonbridge Angels’ website: www.tonbridgeangels.co.uk