Soccer Shorts: Romanian top-flight side walk off the pitch to force Charlton Athletic abadonment

Here are tonight’s Soccer Shorts articles

 

CHARLTON ATHLETIC’S opening pre-season game descended into farce this evening with the match abandoned in the 49^th minute following the dismissal of two Gaz Metan Mediaș players, with the Addicks leading 1-0. 

The match in Spain was due to be a 70-minute affair, but it fell 21 minutes short when Lyle Taylor was brought down in the box, leading to disgraceful scenes which included two players from the Romanian top-flight side man-handling the referee early in the second half.

Unhappy at the decision, the visiting staff urged the referee to let them simply sub the offending players off, something which the Addicks were happy to agree with, but the referee insisted in playing to the letter of the law, resulting in Medias withdrawing their players and the match being abandoned. 

Just nine minutes after the restart, Taylor was bundled for what was a contentious penalty. Outraged by the decision, Medias players Valentin Cretu and Marius Constantin both laid their hands on the referee in disgraceful fashion, leading to extremely distasteful scenes in what was supposed to be a ‘friendly’ match. 

The referee, Raul Mateo, had no hesitation in producing the red card to both players, which effectively ended the game, with furious Head Coach Edward Iordanescu making the call to withdraw his players and head home. 

CRAY VALLEY (Paper Mills) manager Kevin Watson has signed former Carshalton Athletic full-back Kalvin Morath-Gibbs, former Eastbourne Borough left-winger Dave Martin and striker Dominic Ogun from AFC Croydon Athletic.

ERITH & BELVEDERE joint-manager Owen Jones has signed Eric De Melo Calheiros (Greenwich Borough), Jacob Kalonda (Bridon Ropes) and Lewis Mitchell (Erith Town).

The newly-promoted Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division side have retained Dan Teeley, Chan Quan, Reggie Yembra, George Jones, Tony Hill, Jerome Wade, Romayle Wade, Gravlyn Kitondo, Osita Isichei, Guyliano Tresor Mpungi, Bobby Holley and Kameiko Pope-Campbell.

GREENWAYS defender Taylor Farrell, who has been sidelined since December, having spent weeks in hospital after contracting Sepsis, has received the news that he is clear to resume light training.

Player-manager Rob Jeffery has unveiled the signing of former Punjab United midfielder Camen Bhandal.

HOLMESDALE manager Lee Roots has made several new signings ahead of his second spell in charge of the Bromley based side.

He has signed five goalkeepers with Jake Hennis being promoted from the clubs under 18 side.  Matt Brown comes in from their Southern Counties East Football League First Division rivals Snodland Town, Dillon Green comes from Erith & Belvedere and Roots has returned to former club Forest Hill Park to take Javier Molina-Marti and Nathan Edwards.

Defender Dan Carpenter has signed for the club after spending the last four seasons at FC Elmstead.

Other defenders coming in are Tom Jewers (Forest Hill Park), Andrew Jones (Horley Town), Ryan Watts and Ben Lockett (FC Elmstead).

Midfielder James Shield has returned to Holmesdale from Premier Division side K Sports, while James Teodorescu has also returned following a season with Roots at Forest Hill Park.   Alex Arif has also swapped the Ladywell Arena for Oakley Road and Callum O’Shea has also signed.

Star striker Andy Constable has been retained, having been Holmesdale’s top scorer for the past two seasons, while fellow strikers Lesley Duru (Bridon Ropes) and Alvin Turyatemba (FC Elmstead) have also signed for the club.

HYTHE TOWN manager Sam Denly has snapped up former Dartford goalkeeper Ryan Nicholls and their midfielder Alex Brown but has lost centre-half Mitch Dickenson, who has signed for Vanarama National League South side Hemel Hempstead Town, whom are now managed by Sammy Moore.  Tom Walmsley and Elliott Capel, meanwhile, have been retained by the Isthmian South East Division club.

KENNINGTON manager Dan Scorer has signed defender Harry Stow from Redhill and midfielder Charlie Owen returns for his third spell with the Ashford-based club.

LORDSWOOD manager Darren Anslow has been busy ahead of his first league game in charge of the club.

Anslow has signed goalkeeper Kristupas Burba, 19, from National League club Bromley, where Anslow works full-time within their Academy and former Sevenoaks Town goalkeeper Pat Brennan, 29, has also put pen to paper.

Callum Edwards, 18, is a midfielder, who arrives from Dover Athletic’s Academy side and will be one of very few players in the Southern Counties East Football League with an agent.

Centre-half Rob Gillman, 35, comes in from Whitstable Town and striker Luke Medley, 30, comes in from Sheppey United, having been the manager of Greenwich Borough this time last year.

Defenders Sheriff-Deen Babatunde, 26, and Jai McKinlay, 23, who played for Corinthian, have also signed.

Klaudio Krasniqi, 18, who is a midfielder and has signed from Phoenix Sports, Harry Towner, 21, used to play for Heanor Town and Jake Creed, 19, has been retained having played under Richard Styles last season.

Former Croydon striker Daniel Pepple, 18, has also been snapped up by the club.

MAIDSTONE UNITED boss John Still has unveiled the signings of defender Danny Divine, 19, winger Iffy Allen, 25, and winger Nana Kyei, 21.  The trio were last playing for Gillingham, Braintree Town and Barnet.  Goalkeeper Chris Lewington has penned a one-year deal to stay with the relegated club.

Meanwhile, the Vanarama National League South club have terminated the contract of Andre Coker to allow the striker to find a new club.

MERIDIAN VP manager Dwinder Tamwa has been busy as he rebuilds his squad after the club finished bottom of the Southern Counties East Football League First Division last season.

Daniel Akin, Toyeeb Babatunde, Theo Baffoe, Alpha Bah, Ahmed Bangura, Micah Banton,  Jonathan Boateng, Alfie Collins, Tyrone Headley, Brandon Hobbs, Ryan Minott, Tim Moffatt, Bradley Pyke, Jerome Richards, Joe Richardson, Nic Taylor and Scott Taylor have all put pen to paper for the Charlton-based club.

MERSTHAM manager Frank Wilson has appointed Barry Hayles, 47, as his assistant manager at the Isthmian Premier Division club.

RAMSGATE will host a testimonial for Luke Wheatley at Southwood Stadium on Saturday 20 July.  The current Ramsgate side will lock horns with Wheatley’s friends, family and old team-mates.  The centre-half has made 292 appearances for the club during the past 10 years.

SHEPPEY UNITED manager Ernie Batten has signed much-travelled centre-half Ola Williams from their Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division rivals Tunbridge Wells and left-back Greg Benbow from Beckenham Town.

SNODLAND TOWN manager Simon Copley has appointed Steve Northwood as goalkeeper coach.

SPORTING CLUB THAMESMEAD'S former manager Joe Ford, who is currently in hospital suffering from sepsis, sent his first tweet since 28 March by positively saying "Slowly but surely.... I’ve got this." 

TUNBRIDGE WELLS manager Richard Styles has snapped up Chris Lawal.

WELLING UNITED have retained the services of midfielder Luke Rooney and striker Bradley Goldberg.  Mark Goldberg has also signed former Bedworth Town defender Richard Platt, former Maidstone United central midfielder Reece Prestedge and striker Adam Coombes has returned to Park View Road for a fourth time, having returned from Billericay Town.