We want to bring success back to a club that has been a sleeping giant for far too long now, says Erith & Belvedere boss Del Oldfield

ERITH & BELVEDERE manager Del Oldfield says the decision to appoint Owen Price and Marlon Patterson as assistant manager and player-coach respectively was an easy one to make.

The pair joined the Park View Road club last Thursday, having both departed their Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division rivals Lordswood.

The Deres were struggling at the foot of the table at the time that football came to an end due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“The decision to appoint Owen and Marlon was an easy one,” said new arrival Oldfield.

“They both come with an abundance of knowledge and experience at all levels of the game.

“We also share very similar views, philosophy and passion for how we like the game played but at the same time we all bring a different energy that compliments what we are trying to achieve.

“Team building is difficult at the best of times. Our rebuilding project has been made a little more testing with the Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown but we won’t have any problem attracting players to the club with the work that is going on off the field, as well as on it.”

Oldfield has kept his cards close to his chest when it comes to new signings but revealed five of last season’s squad are staying at the club.

He said: “So far we’ve retained five players from the squad that ended the season, as well as adding Marlon to that as a player-coach, so we’ve had a solid base to build from.

“The interest from players wanting to join us on this journey has been phenomenal but I won’t be mentioning any names until they have put pen to paper officially. Once that is done, we will then be announcing them.”

Oldfield’s former club, Stansfeld, reported back for pre-season training this evening, despite The Football Association not confirming the start date of the 2020-21 campaign.

“All I’ve been told and read about a possible start date is that there is an ‘intention’ to start the league as normal, but that will obviously depend on government guidelines and advice, so we’ll just have to wait and see on that one,” added Oldfield.

“The aspirations for the coming season are simple really and that’s to do better than we did last season, much better. With the players we’re talking to and attracting, I expect us to be extremely competitive in all competitions and we’ll be looking to do as well as we possibly can.

“I think working under the new owners (Paul Springett and James Lyons) is going to be interesting. Their ambition for the club has been clear from the very first conversation and I think the fact that they all have a non-league background means that they know what’s expected from them to ensure that they bring success back to a club that has been a sleeping giant for far too long now.”

Meanwhile, the Welling based club are seeking a qualified physiotherapist to help deliver medical services for the first team, working closely with the management team and being responsible for the delivery of injury prevention and rehabilitation strategies that will maximise player performance.

Visit Erith & Belvedere’s website:  www.erithandbelvederefc.clubbuzz.co.uk