It's like any job, if you've got a chance of promotion you've got to go for it, says Hessenthaler

GILLINGHAM boss Andy Hessenthaler says he is looking forward to working with striker Adam Birchall again after grabbing him for an undisclosed transfer fee from Dover Athletic yesterday, writes Stephen McCartney.
Maidstone-based Birchall, 26, scored 46 goals for Blue Square Bet South side Dover Athletic last season.

The Crabble club turned down bids from Newport County and Gillingham, but agreed bids with League Two sides Swindon Town and AFC Wimbledon, before Gillingham upped their offer, which was accepted by Dover Athletic chairman Jim Parmenter.

Birchall opted to stay in Kent and team up with former Dover Athletic boss Hessenthaler again.

Speaking after his side’s comfortable 5-0 win at Kent League side Erith & Belvedere last night, Hessenthaler says a move to Priestfield is the best one for him.

“Manager’s identify players, some work out for you, some don’t,” he said.” I’ve watched him and we brought him in at the time at Dover when he felt his career wasn’t going the right way, but I felt we resurrected that a little bit.  We let him enjoy his football again, start scoring goals again and the year that he was with me in Conference South, he scored quite a lot of goals, considering he was out for three months.  If we put him back in for those three months we may have got that promotion we were all striving for, for Dover, but to lose a striker of his quality for three months it is going to hurt you.

“He’s continued his goalscoring under Martin Hayes and done fantastically, 45 goals last season is phenomenal.”

Hessenthaler always knew he was going to get his man, his eighth summer signing, which includes much-travelled Kent striker, Danny Kedwell, who has signed from AFC Wimbledon. 

He said: “Obviously it took a little bit of time, there was a lot going on.  Obviously Swindon  came in and AFC Wimbledon. 

“The kid wants to progress.  I don’t think anybody could deprive him of that.  At the end of the day it’s like anybody in any job, if you get a chance to get promotion you’ve got to go for it.  He’s got a chance to get back in to the league.

“I think people talk about the non-league situation, but I think people forget Birch has played in this division (League Two) and was the leading goalscorer for Barnet the year he was there so he knows how to score in this division.”

Hessenthaler, who took Dover from Ryman League Division One South to Conference South in his three seasons at Crabble, knew Gillingham would be Birchall’s favoured destination.

“We were always confident behind the scenes,” he said.  “We knew what was going on  behind the scenes.  People were guessing, he wasn’t going to Gillingham, he’s going to Swindon, but I think my chairman and Adam’s representatives were still talking, they obviously alerted us. 

“He had to make a straight choice in the end between the three clubs.  We agreed the fee with Dover, he wanted to come.  He lives in Maidstone, he’s a Kent boy, and he wanted to come to play for Gillingham.  Fantastic!  I’m delighted.  What’s the pleasing thing he wants to play for me as well.  For me you feel great about that because you want good players to play for you.

“Listen, we don’t want to lose them for Gillingham.  They (Kedwell and Birchall) bang in the goals and get us promoted next season and all of a sudden they’ll be bigger clubs looking at them.

“We’re just delighted we’ve got them because we know they’ll get us goals.”

Birchall was introduced to his new team mates before last night’s win at Park View Road and Hesenthaler revealed he may get around 20 minutes of tonight’s fourth pre-season warm-up, at Ramsgate’s Southwood Stadium.

“The boys know a lot about him, they’ve seen him.  He obviously hurt us in the FA Cup so we know what he can do and the thing is with Birch, he gets all sorts of goals,” said the Gills boss. 

“It’s not the one dimension goals, he can chip in with all type of goals.  He’s a threat and he’s a handful and the big centre halves in Division Two won’t like to play against him.”

After tonight’s trip to face Jim Ward’s Rams (where the first team stars who didn’t play last night, will take to the field at Southwood Stadium, including Kedwell and Birchall), Gillingham make the trip to Blue Square Bet South side Dartford on Friday.

Ramsgate have confirmed tonight’ admission prices as £9 (adults), £6 (concessions), £3 (juniors 12-16), although under 12’s can attend for free.

Visit Gillingham’s website: www.gillinghamfootballclub.com

Ramsgate  v  Gillingham
Pre-Season Friendly
Wednesday 13^th July 2011
Kick Off 7:45pm
at Southwood Stadium, Prices Avenue, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 0AN