I've seen the club grow over the last couple of years', says Cray Valley boss Steve Chapman

CRAY VALLEY (Paper Mills) manager Steve Chapman says the club are putting plans in place to enable the club progress into the Ryman League in the next couple of years.



The Eltham based outfit have installed a seater stand and their new floodlights were switched on for the first time for Tuesday night’s training session.

The Kent League club’s first game underneath their new floodlights will be when Tunbridge Wells visit Middle Park Avenue on Wednesday, 18 April.

Cray Valley are training tonight to prepare for their Umbro Kent Senior Trophy Semi-Final at injury-hit Kent Invicta League side Hollands & Blair on Saturday.

Both sides have been reinstated after finalists Erith & Belvedere were thrown out of the competition last Monday for fielding an ineligible player in their last two rounds.

Chapman said: “Somewhat fortuitous, but at the end of the day, that’s what the competition rules are for. 

“As a player I experienced this several years’ ago, very similar circumstances where we won a quarter-final of the London Cup, playing for Cray Valley, only to find out afterwards we played an ineligible player.  He didn’t tell us he played in an earlier round.  The club didn’t pick it up, didn’t probe it enough and we were subsequently thrown out of the competition.

“I sympathise with Erith & Belvedere.  I’ve been there myself!”

Looking ahead to their bonus game away to Hollands & Blair, Chapman said: “We know how excited we are to be back in the competition and playing a semi-final this weekend as you all aim to get to a final.

“Hollands & Blair are our old adversaries in many respects.  We played against them for several years’ in the Kent County League and they’re very strong.  They won the League last year, so we know we’re in for a tough game. 

“They’ve beaten Beckenham in an earlier round and taken Erith & Belvedere to extra-time in the semi-finals, so we’re not expecting an easy ride.  I don’t even see ourselves as favourites in many respects.”

The winners will face Darren Anslow’s Sevenoaks Town in the Final, which will take place at Park View Road on Sunday, 15 April.

Chapman said: “That will be fantastic.  We’re not even looking at that yet.  I speak to Darren on a regular basis and he was all geared up to play Erith & Belvedere and he had quite a shock that it could be us in the final.

“We’ve had two very good games against Sevenoaks this year, even though they’ve come out and edged it.  We feel that we could win on a one-off game.”

Chapman says he is very pleased to be sitting in 12th place in their inaugural Kent League campaign.

“At the start of the season, I said it was a season of consolidation for us and I think we’ve achieved that and a bit more in my opinion,” he said.

“We’ve had a very hiccup start but recently we’ve found some form and in the games we’ve lost I’d like to think we’ve played some good football in those games and set the stall for next year.”

Chapman spoke about the ground improvements that the club have implemented, which will ensure they retain their step five status next season.

He said: “We had a deadline of getting the floodlights and stand up at the end of March and they were up. We went down to training on Tuesday night and the committee came down to turn the lights on to see what the arena looks like for the players.  From my point of view it looks magnificent.

“To see the club grow over the last couple of years – the new clubhouse, barrier around the outside, new dressing rooms, the floodlights and the stand, makes it look like a proper non-league ground now.”

When asked how much it all cost, Chapman replied, “A hell of a lot of money!  Most of it has been generated via the president (Mac MacAnallen) of the club.  We did manage to gain a grant for the floodlights and the stand via The FA, so we had some money towards it.

“The pots pretty dry at the moment but we’re still hoping to do a little bit more next year, maybe put a little mini-stand up, put some covering up where the majority of the fans’ like to stand.

“We’re not finished yet.  I’m not looking too far ahead at the moment.  We’ll have the ground built, so we could develop so we could actually advance into the Ryman (League), if that’s a possibility in a year or so time.”

Chapman added: “I think the whole of the club is buzzing at the moment.  That’s a big boost to the players the other night to see the actual lights switched on.

“As a result of the semi-final this week, we’re going to have an opportunity to play against Tunbridge Wells under the lights for a rescheduled League fixture, so we’re really looking forward to that and hopefully we’ll have a bumper crowd for that occasion.

The club will also stage the Macron Kent League Cup Final when VCD Athletic face Corinthian on Monday 7 May.

“We’d like to offer our ground out as a money making function for us as well as offering the ground out now.  It’s up to the required standards for Cup competitions.  We had the London Ladies Cup Final down there the other week as well.   Hopefully in the future we’ll be able to stage a few more finals for the area.”

Greenwich Borough, meanwhile, who were forced out of Eltham three years’ ago after Greenwich Council sold their modest Harrow Meadow ground to housing, have secured a deal to play at Holmesdale’s Oakley Road ground for next season.

When asked if Cray Valley could offer Greenwich Borough a deal to return to Eltham, Chapman replied, It’s never say never with us really.  A lot of our committee (Doug Francis, Bill Kinsey) used to be on the committee at Greenwich Borough so there is a big affiliation between the two clubs.

“What we’re doing at the moment is to do one step at a time, get the first team established and then look at what other football we can offer, not just other people but ourselves as well in terms of a reserve team, midweek under 18 team.  As long as we’ve got youth teams at the moment, they’re only in the Kent Youth League and we’d like to look at that area as well.”

Visit Cray Valley (Paper Mills) website: www.cray-valley.co.uk

Hollands & Blair  v  Cray Valley (Paper Mills)
Umbro Kent Senior Trophy Semi-Final
Saturday 7^th April 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Star Meadow, Darland Avenue, Gillingham, Kent ME7 3AP