Paul Bowden-Brown has come in to point the club in the right direction, says Mead boss Keith McMahon

THAMESMEAD TOWN manager Keith McMahon has today revealed former Maidstone United and Ashford United chief Paul Bowden-Brown has come on board as the club’s new company secretary and director.



Mr Bowden-Brown has answered McMahon’s SOS which was first published on this website to help the cash-strapped Ryman League Division One North club.

McMahon said: “Paul Bowden-Brown has come on board as a fellow director as myself and as company secretary. 

“He’s been working close with me in the last fortnight to point the club in the right direction.

“He will be a great help as well with his experience with Maidstone and working hard with The Trust (Trust Thamesmead) and making sure the football club is in a good situation going forward with The Trust.

“It’s been a big, big help. It’s a bit of a weight taken of my shoulders.  I’ve still got the running of the club because I’ve been doing in.  He’ll help me out massively.  We’re just in the early stages in plans for the football club.

“He’s impressed me so far with what he’s done.  We’re hoping to take the club on, to give the club a future, I think, is the word that I’m looking for.”

Thamesmead Town have slipped down to sixteenth-place in the Ryman League Division One North table because they have fallen behind with their league programme.

Cup football has seemed to take over their early fixture list and they welcome Burgess Hill Town to Bayliss Avenue tomorrow to contest a FA Carlsberg Trophy Preliminary Round tie.

The Hillians lie in sixth-place in the Ryman League Division One South table, with two wins and two draws from their opening five league games.

McMahon said: “I’m expecting a tough game. They’ve started the season well. We played them last season in the Trophy as well (winning 3-0), but they’re a completely different set-up and manager there.

“We played Worthing last week in the FA Cup and they were a strong side so I’m expecting something similar.

“We’ve only played three league games where the other leagues have played eight by now and we’ve got a completely full midweek fixture list in October already and if we carry on doing well in the Cups then that’s going to go backwards.

“I’ve got no grumbles with the situation at the football club.  If we stay in the Cup or Trophy for as long as possible it just means finances come in for the club and they’re competitions you want to do well in.”

Thamesmead Town will scoop £2,300 in FA Prize money if they beat Burgess Hill Town in the FA Trophy tomorrow and if they do then they will lock horns with Cray Wanderers in the next round at Bayliss Avenue.

However, The Mead travel to Hayes Lane to lock horns with Ian Jenkins’ side in the FA Cup Second Qualifying Round on 22 September.

The Mead have defeated Walton Casuals and Worthing and have scooped £4,500 in prize money and travel to Hayes Lane in high spirits and both clubs will be going out to win to pick up a further £4,500 in prize money up for grabs.

McMahon said: “It’s a massive game for both clubs. We both want to get into the next round.

“We’re local rivals and we know each other well. I know Ian Jenkins, Blado (former Thamesmead Town manager Paul Blade) and Joey (Joe Francis) very well and they know us.

“It will be a big game. We’re away from home and funnily enough whoever wins tomorrow gets them the week after at home so it could be a busy couple of weeks. Touch wood we win tomorrow!

“We’re looking at tomorrows’ game first and we’ll concentrate on Cray the week after.

“It’s going to be tough for us as Cray are a Ryman Premier League side and they play some great football.  They’re always there or there abouts near the play-offs over the last few years and Ian Jenkins has done a fantastic job at Cray.

The Mead boss hopes October will bring his side plenty of points to see his side climb up the table to where they should be.

He said: “I think we can (cope) at this time of the year. We’ve got a couple of injuries who can hopefully come back for that period. We’ve got a fair sized squad and you just hope you don’t pick up any more injuries or suspensions through that period.

“I think you’d rather play the games than train. Also if you go on a bit of a run you can pick up some points rather quickly and we’re hoping to do that.  We’re looking forward to it but there’s some tough games in October and we hope to get through it unscathed.”

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

Thamesmead Town  v  Burgess Hill Town
The FA Carlsberg Trophy Preliminary Round
Saturday 15^th September 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Bayliss Avenue, Thamesmead, London SE28 8NJ