I want to have a run in the FA Cup, says Ian Jenkins

CRAY WANDERERS boss Ian Jenkins has paid tribute to an unsung hero for their impressive start to the new season, writes Stephen McCartney.


The Wands have won their last five games (and are unbeaten in their last six) and sit in second place in the Ryman Premier League table with 16 points from seven games – one point behind surprise leaders Hendon.

Jenkins takes his side to fifteenth-placed side Hastings United in the FA Cup First Qualifying Round on Saturday and paid tribute to scout Mark Hanscombe for his hard efforts.

Hanscombe took over the reserve side back in 2005 and stayed until his retirement in 2010, when his then assistant Darren Anslow (who now manages Sevenoaks Town’s first team in the Kent Hurlimann Football League) took over in 2010.

Hanscombe said: “I was extremely busy in my job as manager at BT and I was now a granddad which was taking up more of my time.

“The job for the reserves also started to get to me if I am honest.  My job was to get players into Jenko’s squad full stop and I was successful at it.

“I became a bit selfish and was getting fed up with being runners-up in the league and cups.  I wanted to win things and regrettably I started to get the hump when my better players were going into the first team squad and then hardly being used so I retired.”

He added: “It’s sad to see that the Wands have no reserve side this season but you have to be realistic as the gap between the Kent League Division One and the Ryman Premier is a big one.  Running a reserve side is not cheap either.”

Speaking after his side’s exciting 3-2 home win over Wingate & Finchley on Tuesday night, Jenkins revealed Hanscombe has played a massive part in the club’s successful start to the season.

Jenkins, who first joined the club as a player in 1993, before taking over as player-manager six years later, said: “Mark Hanscombe has been doing our scouting for us.  He’s done six games and we haven’t lost any. 

“He’s coming up and saying the right things about the players we’re playing against.  He’s had a bit of banter in the team talks as well with what he writes down.  What he’s saying is working.

“Normally it’s me, Joe (Francis) and Blado (Paul Blade) that goes and watch the odd game so we decided this year let’s go and get someone to watch every game.  It’s working, the players are looking into it and thinking it is working.”

Looking ahead to Saturday’s trip down the A21 to play Hastings United, Jenkins would like to guide the club to the first round proper for the first time in the club’s proud history, especially as they fell at the final hurdle in 2005.

Jenkins said: “We played Grays Athletic the other year, we were playing against the best non-league club in the country at the time who were top of the Conference national.”

“We’re going to go to Hastings positive.  It’s worth £3,000 (to the winner) then why can’t we go there, perform and get a win?

“It’s always a battle down there.  It will be good.  We’re going there confident.  We’ve won five on the spin so we should go there full of confidence but I want to have a run in the FA Cup.  The money we get is good for the clubs so we go there positive.

“We’ve got a coach journey, we’ve got breakfast Saturday morning so we’ll go down there all together and have a players’ night out after that as well.”

Due to landlords Bromley facing Woking in Blue Square Bet South at Hayes Lane next Tuesday, any replay will take place next Wednesday, 21^st September (7:45pm).

Visit Cray Wanderers’ website: www.craywands.co.uk  

Hastings United  v  Cray Wanderers
FA Cup with Budweiser First Qualifying Round
Saturday 17^th September 2011
Kick Off 3:00pm
at The Pilot Field, Elphinstone Road, Hastings, East Sussex TN34 2AX