Soccer Shorts: Dartford defender Tom Bonner announces his retirement, while Faversham Town snap up Connor Essam and newly-promoted Snodland Town net striker Francis Babalola and Stuart Zanone returns to Rochester United

Here are this weekend’s Soccer Shorts articles

AFC CROYDON ATHLETIC joint-managers Lee Roots and Kevin Rayner have retained Michael Redfearn.

BEARSTED manager Kevin Stevens has retained midfielder Alfie Sanders.

BROMLEY manager Andy Woodman has signed former Barnet midfielder Sam Woods, 24, former Maidenhead United centre-half Cole Kpekawa, 27,  and the National League club have paid an undisclosed fee to bring right-back Josh Passley, 28, from National League South side Havant & Waterlooville.

CHATHAM TOWN manager Kevin Hake has retained Ben Bridle-Card, Simon Cooper, Dean Beckwith, Reece Butler, Joey Taylor, Matt Bodkin, Che Krabbendam, Emmanuel Oloyede, Jack Evans, Seidou Sanogo, Callum Peck, Jordan Robins, Danny Kedwell, Ryan Gill and Ashley Nzala ahead of the club’s Isthmian League Premier Division campaign.

CRAY VALLEY’s newly-appointed manager Steve McKimm has retained wideman Kershaney Samuels, centre-half Kiki Oshilaja and attacker Hassan Ibrahiym.

CROWBOROUGH ATHLETIC boss Sean Muggeridge has retained Harry Brown, Max Carbune, Elliott Duncan, Harry Forster, Martin Grant, Cameron Hall, Ollie Hyland, Alex Joy, Harvey Killick, Matt Larkin, Harrison Mayhew, Jack Mayhew, Lucas Murraine, Dilan Nlendi, Tom Pearson, Will Puffette, Rory Salter, John Sinclair, Ollie Styles and Ollie Welbourn.

CROYDON manager Liam Giles has signed midfielder Harvey Morton, who scored 36 goals in 30 games for South Eastern Combination side South Croydon last season.

DARTFORD centre-back Tom Bonner has announced his retirement, aged 35.

A club statement from the National League South club said: “He is looking to set up in business, which will mean missing a number of Saturdays and he feels the time is right to concentrate on this as well as spending more time with his young family.”

Bonner signed for Tony Burman’s Dartford in 2010 and went on to make 453 starting appearances for the club, with three from the bench, scoring 19 goals.

Bonner is placed in sixth place in the club’s all-time appearances.

“He will go down in the history of the club as one of the finest players ever to wear a Dartford shirt,” added the statement.

Dartford boss Alan Dowson, meanwhile, has signed former Havant & Waterlooville centre-half Joash Nembhard, 25 and defender Joe Rabbetts has signed from Dorking Wanderers on loan until the end of December.

DOVER ATHLETIC manager Mitch Brundle has retained right-back Myles Judd, 24.

DULWICH HAMLET boss Hakan Hayrettin has snapped up former Hanwell Town goalkeeper R’avan Constable, 29, and former Cray Valley centre-half Cem Tumkaya, 25, who made 236 appearances for the Millers, scoring 14 goals.

The relegated Isthmian League Premier Division club have retained defender Sanchez Ming, 33, and target man striker Danny Mills, 32, who has scored 52 goals in 140 games since joining the club from Ebbsfleet United in the summer of 2019.

EBBSFLEET UNITED manager Dennis Kutrieb has signed former England under 16 captain, winger Matthias Fanimo, 29, who has arrived at the newly-promoted National League club from FC Koper in Slovenia.  Former Crewe Alexandra winger David Amoo, 32, has also arrived at Stonebridge Road.

Attacking full-back Hayden White, 28, has arrived from Walsall, Mali born Ousseynou Cisse’, 32, a centre-half or holding midfielder, has arrived from Eastleigh.

Centre-back, Jack Wakely, 22, has signed on a season-long loan deal from Wycombe Wanderers.

Midfielder Jack Paxman, 29, meanwhile, has terminated his contract with the club and will be playing his football one level down at Eastbourne Borough this season.

ERITH & BELVEDERE manager Matt Longhurst has signed former Cray Wanderers midfielder Sam Skeffington to become a part of the newly-promoted Isthmian League South East Division’s current 19-man squad.

Jordan Perrin, Jude Russell, Ross Craig, Jamie Coyle, Rob Strachan, Denzell Olopade, Prince Domafriyie, Freddie Cray, Bobby Mills, Jerson Dos Santos, Khemani Aiyanyo, George Monger, Josh Ajayi, Callum Emptage, Ben Fitchett, Chris Dickson, Marcus Elliott and Billy Crook have all put pen to paper for the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division champions.

ERITH TOWN boss Adam Woodward has snapped up former VCD Athletic full-back Jack Holland and former Sittingbourne midfielder James Dyer, 20.

FAVERSHAM TOWN manager Sammy Moore has unveiled the signing of former Dartford centre-half Connor Essam, 30, who becomes part of a 22-man squad for the favourites to claim the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division title this season.

Bailey Vose, Josh Vincent, Jacques Kpohomouh, Ollie Gray, Ashley Miller, Mo Kamara, Gary Lockyer, Billy Bennett, Kieron Campbell, Matthew Newman, Shola Ayoola, Kieron McCann, Harry Meleady, Harry Codd, Jake McIntyre, Jefferson Aibangbee, Sam Hasler, Warren Mfula, Matthew Parsons, Eban Gurung and Moore are all playing for the Salters Lane outfit this season.

FISHER manager Ajay Ashainke has lost the services of Julio Da Mata, who has signed for Eastern Counties Step Six side Cannons Wood.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA joint-managers Roland Edge and Micheal Everitt have signed former Dover Athletic centre-half Jake Goodman, 29 and have also retained centre-half Callum Davies, who has made 303 appearances for the Isthmian League Premier Division club.

HERNE BAY’s newly-appointed manager Steve Lovell has signed Theo Oluwakemi Osinfolarin.

KENNINGTON manager Dan Scorer has unveiled the signing of former Tunbridge Wells midfielder Kyron Lightfoot.  The Ashford-based outfit have also retained midfielders Craig Calvert and Ryan Philpott.

LYDD TOWN manager Mickey Doyle has unveiled the capture of former Hythe Town midfielder Charlie Webster.

MAIDSTONE UNITED boss George Elokobi has unveiled the signing of former Brackley Town striker Levi Amantchi, 22.

MARGATE manager Reece Prestedge has retained attacker Rory Sutcliffe, 17.

PUNJAB UNITED boss Chipie Sian has announced that Del Oldfield has joined his management team at the Gravesend based Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division outfit.

RAMSGATE’s newly-appointed boss Ben Smith has signed former Faversham Town and Colchester United winger Benedict Bioletti.

ROCHESTER UNITED boss Matt Hume has announced the return of prolific striker Stuart Zanone, who scored 64 goals for Essex & Suffolk Border League side Dunmow Town last season.

SEVENOAKS TOWN manager Harry Hudson has signed two players from Erith & Belvedere in centre-half Jahmal Howlett-Mundle and striker Danny Lear, while winger Daniel Bennett arrives from Cray Valley and goalkeeper Amadou Tangara has also signed for the Isthmian League South East Division side.

Attacker David Kawa, 19, who made 17 appearances for club last season has signed for League One outfit Peterborough United, while centre-half Lexus Beeden has departed Greatness Park this summer.  Another centre-half, meanwhile, Antone Douglas has signed for AFC Whyteleafe on dual-registration terms.

SITTINGBOURNE manager Ryan Maxwell has unveiled the signings of former Braintree Town midfielder Gabriel Piorkowski, former Bishop’s Stortford striker Chris Harris, and former Cray Valley defender Alex Bentley.

Meanwhile, the Bourne Park outfit have told their sponsors that they will return some of their sponsorship money if the club fail to reach the Isthmian League South East Division play-offs at the end of the 2023-24 season.

SNODLAND TOWN boss Luke Wallond continues to strengthen his squad ahead of the club’s maiden Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division campaign.

Former Phoenix Sports striker Francis Babalola will be playing for the First Division title winners this season. Lengendary goalkeeper coach Alan Rogers has also joined the club.  Dan Ashton, meanwhile, has departed Paddlesworth Road this summer.

TONBRIDGE ANGELS manager Jay Saunders has retained central midfielder Lewis Gard, 23, while former Aldershot Town centre-half Kodi Lyons-Foster, 26.

Alex Finney, 27, has departed Longmead Stadium to sign for their National League South rivals Eastbourne Borough.

“Alex agreed terms with Tonbridge Angels several weeks ago and attended our first pre-season training session on Tuesday 20 June,” said a club statement.

“He was subsequently approached by Eastbourne Borough and offered a deal which significantly exceeds our wage structure.  Having spoken with Alex, we understand that this is an offer he feels he cannot refuse and he therefore will not continue with Tonbridge Angels.  This is obviously disappointing, but our focus now is on building the best squad possible to compete in the upcoming National League South campaign.”

TUNBRIDGE WELLS boss Luke Carpenter has announce that he has retained 28-goal striker Trevor McCreadie.

Brad Austin, Rhys Bartlett, Frank Griffin, Ruben Etherington, Harry Hudson (not the current Sevenoaks Town manager or player at Tonbridge Angels last season), Billy Lewins, James Nurden, Johnny Phillips, Tommy Smith, Jack Walder, Dominic Walsh and Zak Wolvey are staying at Culverden Stadium.

WELLING TOWN joint-managers Neil Hunter and Steve Aldridge have unveiled the signing of former Lordswood teenager Todd Brand, former Fisher full-back Harvey Brinkley and Maxx Manktelow.  Lauris Chin, meanwhile, has departed to drop a level to return to play for Croydon.

WELLING PARK have unveiled the signing of Jake Britnell, who has a wealth of experience playing in the ninth-tier of English football.

WELLING UNITED’s newly-appointed manager Danny Bloor has returned to his former club Eastbourne Borough to snap up goalkeeper Lee Worgan, 39 and midfielder James Vaughan, 28.

The National League South club have signed former Carshalton Athletic right-back Crossley Lema, 24, while centre-half Taofiq Olomowewe, 26, has returned to Park View Road after finishing last season at Ramsgate.

Former Maidstone United midfielder Dominic Odusanya, 24, has also put pen to paper for the club.

Bloor, meanwhile, has confirmed his management team, which includes Worgan as player-goalkeeper coach, Ben Austin (assistant manager and coach), Nick Arnold and Teddy Bloor (first team coaches).

Last Updated: 13:30 – Sunday 2 July 2023