Patient McMahon finally captures prolific striker Constable

Thursday 18th June 2009

THAMESMEAD TOWN manager Keith McMahon has finally captured striker Andy Constable - after four years of trying, writes Stephen McCartney.

Constable, who arrives from his home-town club Sevenoaks Town, becomes McMahon’s sixth summer signing as he prepares the club for their second Ryman League Division One North campaign.

Goalkeeper Steve Northwood (Maidstone United); defenders Lewis Tozer (unattached), James Campbell (Whitstable Town), midfielders Grant Duff (Ramsgate) and Marcus Perona (Whitstable Town) and Constable will be new faces next season.

Leaving the club is defender Lew Watts, who has been appointed assistant manager to Alex O’Brien at Chatham Town, and goalkeeper Tony Kessell says he wants to play at a higher level of football.

But McMahon, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk as soon as the news broke tonight, is delighted to have signed one of the most prolific strikers in Kent League football.

“He’s a proven goalscorer,” McMahon said of Constable. “He was a superb centre forward at Whitstable and I’ve been chasing him for the last four years to be honest.

“He only moved down to Sevenoaks, and again no disrespect to them, because it was local and that’s where he lived and he just had a new baby.

“I’ve signed a couple of ex-Whitstable players, which also helped. It’s a big signing for us, someone who leads the line, is big and strong and can score goals.”

McMahon has promised “a fairly big name” as he expects to complete his pre-season shopping by the weekend.

But with the transformation of Bayliss Avenue taking shape, McMahon admits it’s been easier to attract new players to the club.

“The money’s a big issue because we haven’t got much,” he insisted. “Every player I’ve got down to the club can see the work starting on the development. It started a month ago, it’s flying ahead, it’s really impressive what’s being done.

“Last year, even though we only finished 18th, people can see the club’s made massive strides in the last few years and they know I’m ambitious, they know the club’s ambitious and the committee’s ambitious and looking to build on something.

“It may be easier than last year to attract players but still financially it’s been difficult.”

McMahon explained why former Folkestone Invicta and Dartford goalkeeper Kessell will not be playing for the club next season.

“Tony was excellent for me last year and I always knew he wanted to play at a higher standard of football,” he said.

“I spoke to him at the end of the season and asked him what he was doing. He couldn’t give me an answer but he wanted to play at a higher level, which I understood, but he did say he would speak to me first.

“I’m not a manager to hang around, I rang him, spoke to him and made him a very good offer, but I needed an answer - he said he’ll mull it over, he was very fair. He said I was the first manager he spoke to and he was very fair to me.

“In the meantime, Steve (Northwood) spoke to me and said he was interested (in returning to the club so) I said to Tony I needed a decision, but he didn’t speak to me. I couldn’t hang around so I signed Steve.

“He’s (Northwood) a great signing for us, we had him first before he went to Cray - but he wanted to come back and play first team football for us. It’s a big signing.”

McMahon was also delighted to bring Perona back to the club - the midfielder played for the Mead under Terry Hill before making 208 appearances for Whitstable Town.

He said: “He started with Thamesmead in his Terry Hill days and moved on to Whitstable, where he’s been fantastic.

“Me and (former Whitstable manager) Marc Seager are good friends, we speak regularly, we’ve played golf twice already this week, we have chats and he rates Marcus highly and so do I.

“He’s box-to-box, he gets goals, he can play and I think he will link up well with Scott Mulholland and he’s ideal for the club.

“The travelling (to Whitstable) got to him, he’s impressed with what the club’s got to offer and he’s a very exciting signing for us.”

McMahon believes his summer signings will signal a much better campaign for the boys in green.

He said: “I think we’ve learnt a lot from last year, we’ve learnt really well. We know what we needed to do.

“With the signings I’ve made I think we’ll do ok. I’m not going to make any predictions because we’ve got six new sides in it.”

But the boss wants more local people to come through the turnstiles to support his team next season, especially as not one three figure crowd attended their home games last term.

“I can’t go out there and grab them around the neck!” McMahon said.

“Not many people in Thamesmead knew there was a football club there, but with the new development and the Trust, the football club has really been publicised in the last three or four months.

“We’ve had MP’s there and the EU and all the local schools have been involved. We’ve doubled our youth sides, we’ve got 12 youth sides this year so people are aware the football club is there and hopefully the crowds will go up.”

Visit Thamesmead Town’s website: www.thamesmeadtownfc.co.uk