Soccer Shorts: Cray Wanderers boss Tony Russell unveils the arrival of full-back Barney Williams

Here are tonight’s Soccer Shorts articles

CRAY WANDERES manager Tony Russell has unveiled the signing of highly-rated former Welling United and Braintree Town full-back Barney Williams, 22, who has signed a one-year contract at the Bostik South Division club.

Russell told www.cray-wanderers.com: “He played for me at VCD the season we won the League and got in the team of the year, managers player and players’ player. One of the nicest young men you will ever meet.  I am over the moon to get him to Cray and he is class on and off the pitch.”

DARTFORD boss Tony Burman says he has three players that have picked up injuries ahead of the new season.

Burman told www.dartfordfc.com: “Last week Alex Brown caught an infection in his knee, which has made his leg swell up.  After going to the doctors he is on antibiotics and will be in light training.

“Keaton Wood, while representing England at the end of last season, unfortunately received a hairline fracture to the metatarsal bone in his foot.  Keaton has rested throughout the summer and is back running and hopefully will be available during the pre-season.

“Duane Ofori-Acheampong had a problem with his knee towards the end of last season, immediately after the play-off game Duane had a successful operation to repair this damage.

“Once again, Duane has worked hard throughout the summer break and the knee has responded very well to treatment, however, we are in the hands of the consultants regarding when he can return to full training.

“If Duane had his way he would be wanting to play but we have to be mindful of bringing him back too early, which is not going to happen until we get the all-clear from the consultants and the physio team.”

DOVER ATHLETIC have unveiled Australian defender Giancarlo Gallifuoco., 23, who played for their Vanarama National League rivals Torquay United last season.

He played the second half of Dover Athletic’s 3-0 win at Deal Town on Tuesday night and has signed a one-year deal at Crabble.

“It is an ambitious club, one that is heading in the right direction and the vision to move the club forward is clear to see,” Sydney born Gallifuoco told www.doverathletic.com.

“Dover have progressed with each passing season, it’s an exciting time to be here and I am delighted I am.  To be honest, it was a no brainer to come here when the opportunity came my way.”

Able to play in central defence, central midfield and at right-back, Gallifuoco has represented Australia at Under-17, Under-20 and Under-23 levels.

EBBSFLEET UNITED boss Daryl McMahon has signed the versatile Luke Coulson, 23, for an undisclosed transfer fee from Sky Bet League Two side Barnet.

While favouring a wide position, Coulson is an extremely versatile addition to the squad who is equally at home on the left or right flank, at full-back and in central berths. 

McMahon told www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk: “Luke has good experience, he’s a player that will be familiar to Ebbsfleet fans.  We all know what he was like at Oxford City, he terrorised us a couple of times. He’s another one who’s exciting and direct, good pace and a powerful runner.  He’s a good one-v-one player who can get goals.

“He went from Oxford to Eastleigh and did really well for them. He was talked of about getting a move to the Championship at the time. It didn’t quite come through for him and it hasn’t really worked out for him at Barnet but he’s coming in here at 23 years old and we’ve got another one at a good young age with so much potential to do very well for us.”

FOLKESTONE INVICTA have registered a strong complaint with Millwall FC regarding the strength of their squad for Tuesday night’s pre-season friendly at Cheriton Road.

Folkestone Invicta boss Neil Cugley told www.folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk: “It was very disappointing. They have got a first team squad of 28 but not one of those players was in the party that arrived.

“When we sold Harry Smith to them last summer it was written into the agreement that they would play a first team friendly fixture’ here and we were hoping for maybe twice the number of people we got for the game.

“It was not until the morning of the match, through an announcement on their website, that we found out that they were sending only their under 23s and youth team players in a team led by Harry Smith. Naturally, having read that, not as many Millwall fans came down as was expected.

“Of course, bigger clubs often agree to sending a ‘club Xl’ for this kind of game but we’ve got this in writing and expected better of Millwall because of that. I felt very disappointed for fans of both club’s who came expecting a much stronger side as we were.

“It was a good game, I agree, but when we’re looking at signing a couple more players on, I was hoping that the trialists we had out would have quality opposition that we could judge them against.

“We’ve got a friendly at Herne Bay next week as part of the deal when we signed Sam Hasler from them – but I’m not going to send our youth team!

“Our chairman Paul Morgan and Rachel are both avid Millwall fans too and they and the friends and family they brought down were especially disappointed by what’s happened.”

One of the conditions in Millwall’s formal offer for Smith, dated August 8, 2016, reads: “Millwall agrees to schedule and play a pre-season First Team friendly fixture during the pre-season period of season 2017/18 provided that Folkestone Invicta cover the cost of Millwall’s team travel to the fixture. Millwall would not be due to receive any other payment in relation to the fixture.” 

HERNE BAY have unveiled the signing of goalkeeper Rob Budd.

HYTHE TOWN manager Clive Cook has announced that Ryan Johnson will captain the side, while Sam Adams has been appointed vice-captain.

MAIDSTONE UNITED will be celebrating five years at the Gallagher Stadium in style with a sell-out match against Crystal Palace tomorrow.

Just shy of 4,200 fans will be the game – the first for the Eagles under new boss Frank de Boer.

Chief executive Bill Williams told www.maidstoneunited.co.uk: “It’s absolutely fantastic to sell-out and we cannot thank Crystal Palace Football Club enough for being part of this fifth anniversary celebration.

“We’ve been inundated with interest from our fans and those Palace supporters living in and around Maidstone.

“Not only is this an historic occasion, as we’ve now broken our attendance record, but if it’s half as good as when Guy Poyet brought his Brighton & Hove Albion team to our stadium it should be an afternoon that lives long in the memory.”

The stadium opened in July 2012, with a match against Brighton & Hove Albion.  The then Seagulls manager Poyet kicked off the game, which was watched by a crowd of 2,226.

MARGATE boss Steven Watt has gone to his former club Hastings United to sign strikers Frannie Collin, Harry Stannard, 19, and winger Matt Bodkin.