Jason Lillis returns to manage Lordswood and brings familar faces back with him

The Lordswood committee were forced to work quickly following the sudden departure of Simon Halsey on Saturday evening.

Lillis left Lordswood at the end of last season to take up the assistant manager’s role at Whitstable Town under former Gillingham player Nicky Southall, but quit his position at The Belmont last month.

“It was considered that stability of the club was the most important thing at this time to ensure the remaining fixtures can be played and played competitively,” vice-chairman Paul Caulfield said in a club statement.

“Jason knows the club well having spent the best part of four years here previously and it was considered that with only nine league games left this familiarity with the club would leave him best placed to see us through to the end of the season.

“Jason will be TIC until the end of the season. The committee will then meet to reassess the situation and plan ahead for the future.”

A number of players including Calum McGeehan and Rhys Lawson have already signaled that they have played their last game for the club.

“It is likely that Jason will bring in some new players to ensure the squad remains competitive and strong, with some familiar faces also likely to return,” added Mr Caulfield.

Former players Richard Dimmock and Gary Cook have joined Lillis’ management team.

Dimmock has left Haart of Kent County League side Bexley Borough to take over as assistant manager, while Cook has been appointed player-coach.

Vince Luckhurst also returns to the club as goalkeeping coach.

A number of other players, who played previously for Lordswood under Lillis, have also re-signed.

Last season’s top scorer, Mark Murison rejoins the club having played briefly for Whitstable Town this season.  Defender Adam Hooper also re-joins the club from the same club.

Supporters’ favourite Peter Huggens has also re-signed. The defender or midfielder was consistently a top performer in his previous stint with the club.

Experienced defenders Wes Hammond and Ryan Royston return.   

Hammond was a popular Lordswood captain four years’ ago before a knee injury cruelly brought his career to a premature end, whilst Royston featured towards the end of last season, which contributed to a fine end to the season and had a big say in who won the Kent League title.

Versatile utility player Imran Englefield also returns to the club, as does midfielder Richard Styles, whilst young sider Rob Norman, who had previously been with the club since the under 8s has also signed forms for the Medway based club.

“These nine players alone have racked up over 700 appearances between them for Lordswood previously, with Hooper and Huggens featuring over 100 times each and Norman, Styles and Englefield all making over 90 appearances each,” added the club statement.

“We would like to welcome all these players to the club and would like to think that their experience, coupled with the existing young players that are remaining at the club will aid the side in producing a strong finish to the season to use as a springboard into next season.”

Lordswood go into Thursday night’s home game against Ashford United in ninth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League table, with 9 wins and 3 draws from their 23 games.

Ashford United have slipped up in the title race and Paul Chambers’ side are in third-place in the table with 15 wins and a draw from 19 games.

They are ten points adrift of league leaders Whyteleafe, with a couple of games in hand.

Visit Lordswood’s website: www.lordswoodfc.co.uk

Lordswood  v  Ashford United
Southern Counties East Football League
Thursday 20^th March 2014
Kick Off 7:45pm
at Martyn Grove, North Dane Way, Walderslade, Chatham, Kent ME5 8YE