Greenwich Borough unveil Ian Jenkins as their new manager

GREENWICH BOROUGH have tonight unveiled former Cray Wanderers stalwart Ian Jenkins as their new first team manager.



The club have taken only four days to appoint a new manager after John Cumberbatch left the club on Monday due to “the pressure of work and family commitments.”

Jenkins needs no introduction after spending 23 years at Cray Wanderers, the last fourteen as manager.

He won two promotions in that time, taking the club from the Kent League to the Ryman Premier League, whilst playing home games at Bromley’s Hayes Lane ground.

Cray Wanderers chairman Gary Hillman said at the time of Jenkins’ sacking at the end of September, “To say that it’s been the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make in my life is a bit of an understatement.”

At the time of Jenkins’ sacking, The Wands were rooted to the foot of the Ryman Premier League table with four points from eleven games.

Mr Hillman drafted in Keith Bird and Michael Paye from Bromley, where they managed the club’s reserve side, but the club remain rooted at the foot of the table with 11 points and are eleven points adrift of safety with 22 league games remaining.

But Greenwich Borough are certainly pulling out all the stops to clinch promotion into the Ryman League at the end of the season.

The club moved out of their Harrow Meadow ground in Eltham before embarking on a three-year groundshare deal at Holmesdale’s Oakley Road ground, where they struggled to attract a fan-base.

But Greenwich Borough shocked the Kent football family when they announced a groundshare deal to play at Skrill (Conference) Premier club Dartford at Princes Park after new people came into the club during last summer.

Greenwich Borough broke their record transfer record by signing striker Stuart Zanone, 28, from Ryman League Division One North leaders VCD Athletic for an undisclosed transfer fee on 27 December 2013.

The club are presently sitting in ninth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League table with 20 points from 14 games, 16 points adrift of league leaders Ashford United, despite applying for promotion into the Ryman League.

A club statement, which was published on the club’s website said: “Ian enjoyed a long and extremely successful period as manager of Cray Wanderers as he took the club from the Kent League to the Ryman Premier.

“He was initially appointed at Cray Wanderers in October 1999 and was in charge of the team for over 500 consecutive games.

“It is hoped that Ian’s time at Borough will be just as successful.

“There was an extremely strong field of applicants for the vacancy and the club are delighted to have recruited Ian who will bring a wealth of experience of football at a higher level to the club.

“His record at Cray Wanderers was exemplary and his ambitions match those of the club’s president and chairman.

“Everyone at Borough offer him a warm welcome and are looking forward to continuing the exciting journey that the club has embarked upon.”

Owen Jones and Kevin Shrimpton will be in caretaker charge for Saturday’s trip to Deal Town, before Jenkins takes charge next week.

Deal Town are three places below Greenwich Borough, with 15 points from 13 league games.

Jenkins’ first game in charge of the club will be the home game against Erith Town on 18 January. 

Ironically, The Dockers are managed by former Cray Wanderers striker Mark Tompkins.

Visit Greenwich Borough’s website: www.greenwichboroughfc2013.co.uk  

Deal Town  v  Greenwich Borough
Southern Counties East Football League
Saturday 11^th January 2014
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Charles Sports Ground, St Leonards Road, Deal, Kent CT14 9AU