I was ready to walk away from the game, admits Adam Burchell

ERITH & BELVEDERE manager Micky Collins has pulled off a massive transfer coup by bringing Adam Burchell to the club.



The 21-year-old midfielder has put pen to paper on non-contract terms with the Kent League club to enable him to start to enjoy his football again.

Originally with Gillingham, Burchell joined Dartford in March 2009 on work experience but signed permanently for the Darts following his release by the Gills in the summer of the same year.

However, he struggled to get a starting place in Tony Burman’s side and was loaned to Tonbridge Angels in 2010 and Maidstone United in March 2011.

Chris Kinnear brought him to Margate, but his opportunities were limited at Hartsdown Park, making 8 starting appearances and 25 as substitute and scored four goals during the 864 minutes that he spent on the pitch last season.

Burchell spent a spell at Metropolitan Police during pre-season but has agreed to play for Collins to get back into the shop window.

Burchell said: “I know people will be surprised that I’ve dropped into the Kent League when I’m more than capable of playing at a higher level.

“To be truthful I was ready to walk away from the game. I was so fed up and disappointed being let down despite playing well, working hard and consistently scoring and assisting when given playing time with previous clubs.

“Micky Collins, the manager of Erith & Belvedere, has genuine faith in me and I want to start refresh and enjoying football.

“I hope I can put the Deres on the map and entertain the fans who pay at the turnstile.”

The arrival of the player, who can play a couple of divisions higher than the Kent League, will certainly raise eyebrows within the Kent League that last season’s runners-up are splashing the cash to go one better this season.

But Collins insisted: “We run on an extremely low budget.  We have a budget and Adam’s aware of that and he’s fallen within that. He hasn’t come to us for money.  I know he was offered money to play for seven or eight clubs. 

“Fair play to the kid. He just wants to knuckle down and enjoy his football again, which he certainly hasn’t done for the last season or so.”

Collins added: “Very pleased with the signing. Adam’s come to us and he had a lot of offers from other people but he wants to start afresh in football.  Obviously we’ve opened arms and given him the opportunity.

“He adds to my already strong forward line. I’ve already got Richmond Kissi, Lewis Wood and Andy Constable that have all scored goals this season and bolstered with Carl Cornell. Lewis comes on the back of a great hat-trick on Saturday.

Collins continued:  “I wanted to run with four strikers this year and he’s made that possible and hopefully he’ll come in and fight for his place, which he knows he has to and add that little bit of impetus that we need to push us on.”

Erith & Belvedere maintained their impressive Kent League form with a 3-2 win at Tunbridge Wells yesterday.

Tunbridge Wells have stated that they must spend £60,000 to improve their much criticised pitch at Culverden Stadium, with an extra £4,000 to be spent on it every year thereafter.

Erith & Belvedere are third in the table after winning their opening three league games, behind fellow title challengers Erith Town and VCD Athletic.

But Collins admitted he was disappointed that his club’s FA Cup campaign lasted just one game.

He said: “Three wins in the league, disappointed with the couple of goals we’ve conceded.

“Disappointed we’re going out of the FA Cup so early, but I think if anyone at the game the run of the play was certainly in our way, but we didn’t take the chances and Lordswood, fair play to them did and good luck to them in the next round.”

Erith & Belvedere welcome Combined Counties League side AFC Croydon Athletic to Park View Road on Wednesday night (7:45pm) in a friendly match and Burchell will be given a run out.

Collins added: “Adam’s not going to be available to us for a couple of weeks due to holiday commitments, which we knew about.”

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