Soccer Shorts: I'm not interested in players looking for money, warns Sevenoaks boss Levett

Friday 09th July 2010

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EBBSFLEET UNITED boss Liam Daish's squad has been further bolstered by news this week that Dean Pooley and Aidan Sherlock have committed themselves to the Fleet.

Pooley, 23, the former Millwall and Bohemians defender, gives the Fleet boss plenty of defensive options as he is capable of playing across the back line, and his versatility will be a big bonus in what will be the Fleet's first-ever Blue Square Bet South campaign.

Pooley made 28 appearances for the Fleet last season, taking his career total to 51 since joining the club in August 2008.

Also returning to Stonebridge Road is promising young midfield player Aidan Sherlock, another product of the Fleet's prodigious youth system which has previously supplied John Akinde, Luke Moore, and Chris Henry to Daish's first-team squad.

Unlike Henry, who re-signed for the club last week, Sherlock is yet to make his first team debut.

Goalkeeper, Lance Cronin, meanwhile, has been offered a trial by Andy Hessenthaler at Gillingham.

BROMLEY will walk out of the tunnel at Hayes Lane tomorrow against Gillingham in the club's new away strip.

After the Hayes Lane club were let down by the original kit manufacturer, the club was left with just ten days to find an alternative manufacture. Surridge Sports will be supplying the Club with kit this season and have worked wonders to get our away and third team kit ready for pre season.

Unfortunately the home kit is a bespoke design that is not kept in stock by the new suppliers so is currently being completed and will be ready for the Club's opening Blue Square Bet South clash with Dorchester Town on Saturday 14th August.

Replica shirts have been ordered and are expected to be in the Club Shop tomorrow.

The Blue Square Bet South club are delighted to confirm the signings of Paul Vines and Craig Holloway.

Forward Paul Vines joins from Tooting & Mitcham United, where he made 200 appearances for the Terrors scoring 123 goals in the process. Goalkeeper Craig Holloway spent last season at Chelmsford City and Braintree Town.

The club are also in advanced discussions with a number of players who are likely to feature in their opening pre-season game against Gillingham.

Meanwhile, in the opposite direction Rob Gillman (Dover Athletic) and Richard Butler have both left the club.

DOVER ATHLETIC’S newly-appointed assistant manager Paul Joynes says he and Whites boss Martin Hayes fit like a glove, writes Justin Allen.

Joynes has known Hayes for more than a decade – and insists they are a perfect match to help take up the challenge at Crabble.

Joynes was No2 to Hayes while he managed Bishop’s Stortford, where they took the club from Ryman One to the Blue Square South on a shoestring budget.

He told www.doverathletic.com: “I knew Martin through work and was managing Aveley. I used to always pick Martin’s brain about football stuff. Then he asked me to become his assistant at Stortford and we did a good job there.

“It was a perfect match, Martin and I. He had contacts at League clubs and knew young players who were being released and had potential to get back into the pro game, while I knew the rough diamonds playing in the lower leagues of non-league who just needed a little polishing.

“And we were able to mould all this together into a team that worked hard for each other and played good football.

“We want to put a smile back on players’ faces that have had disappointments elsewhere and get them back on the road to being a full-time pro or very good semi-pro player.

“Steve Morrison and Greg Pearson are a couple of examples of players we’ve picked up who are now playing at a higher level.”

Joynes says he already knows a fair bit about a few Dover players – Adam Birchall, Joe Tabiri, Ross Flitney, Lee Hook and Tom Wynter.

He said: “Adam, Joe and Ross were all at Barnet – when we were at Stortford – and Hooky, we know from his Eastbourne days, while Mark Robson, the former Gillingham assistant, has given us a lot of information about Tom, who he rated highly.

“We know a fair bit – and already can see there are a dozen lads from last season who did very well for the club. It’s just a case of bringing in some players around them to push the team to the next level.

“This is a massive club in non-league and we’re aiming at the very least to get into the Conference, and then I suppose the potential is here to push for the Football League. But Blue Square Premier is our target as things stand – but this division is not easy and there are plenty of good teams.

"The club did very well to finish second last season on the back of two successive promotions. The challenge is huge to maintain that but we’re going to give it a good go.”

Joynes admits that one of the biggest tasks – alongside signing five or six new players – is to appoint a captain. But, so far, the new management duo are none the wiser as to who will be wearing the armband.

He said: “They’re a quiet bunch of lads so at this moment in time we need to take a good look at that. There are obviously some big characters in the dressing room, as they finished second last season, but Martin and I still need to ascertain as to who will be skipper.”

Meanwhile, Rob Gillman thinks Dover Athletic have all the correct ingredients to launch another promotion bid.

And he reckons Hayes is the ideal head chef to blend it all together and cook up a treat for Whites fans this season.

Gillman – who has completed his move from Bromley – jumped at the chance to join his former Bishop’s Stortford boss once he landed the Dover job.

And now he believes the Whites will be bubbling along quite nicely towards the top of the table this season.

He told www.doverathletic.com: “This is an impressive set-up and definitely a club that’s going places.

“I thought Dover were a very good side in the two games we played against them last season – especially the game down at Crabble. They were well organised and very tough to play against.

“Martin rang me and asked had I signed a new deal yet at Bromley. I hadn’t – and he wanted to know if I fancied joining him at Dover.

“I didn’t need long to make my mind up to come because I worked with Martin before – and he’s a very good manager.

“He has a habit of finding gems – like Steve Morrison for example.

“Martin built a very good team at Bishop’s Stortford. He is a boss who gets the best out of players and only expects the very best.”

Gillman only knows Dean Hill from the current squad – and is excited about the prospect of playing with new team-mates.

He said: “I know Dean Hill from when he was at Ashford. But apart from that I don’t know any of the lads – apart from having played against them. I can’t wait to get to know everyone. We’ve got a big challenge ahead of us.”

MAIDSTONE UNITED reported back for pre-season training this week and the Ryman Premier League club confirmed which players were put through their paces by Peter Nott and his coaching staff.

Although some players are still away on their holidays, Steve Elliott, James Peacock, James Savage, Ashley Ulph, Adrian Stone, Jermaine Darlington, Rob Carter, Nick Davis, Keelan Mooney, Andy Walker, Ant Bodle, Aaron Campbell, Tom Parkinson, Antonio Gonnella, Jonathan Coleman, Danny Hockton, Marc Cumberbatch, Harry Lee, Simon Pettit, Joe Fuller, Marc Cleary and Alex Flisher, all took part in the first pr-season session.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA chairman Mr Lynn Woods insists the Cheriton Road pitch will be ready in time for the club’s Ryman Premier League campaign, which kick’s off on 21 August.

The club were forced to cancel all of their home pre-season friendlies due to the current state of the pitch.

“Normally the work between seasons would comprise top dressing and re-seeding,” Mr Woods told the fans’ forum at www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk.

“This year we had a go at self help to get the goalmouth humps levelled out a bit, but that only served to underline how much of a hump had formed over the years at both ends so heavy plant was brought in to get the areas properly levelled, and we have now re-turfed.

“Our ground staff have put so much energy into getting the pitch improved before running any inquests into how much sooner it might have been tackled.”

The club are now looking at other revenue streams, such as Stripes Bar, to make up for the financial short-fall.

HOLMESDALE are pleased to announce that AFC Holmesdale will play at Oakley Road for the 2010/2011 Season.

The squad will be playing as part of the Metropolitan Sunday League Premier Division.

Team manager, Dennis Branch, is currently looking for players for the new season. If you are keen to get involved with a good team and want to enjoy your football at great facilities then please contact Dennis on 07891 929710.

SEVENOAKS TOWN will face Woking at Greatness Park next Tuesday (7:30pm) in the club’s first pre-season friendly.

The game was scheduled to take place this weekend, but both clubs have now agreed on the new date.

Boss Keith Levett told www.sevenoakstownfc.org: "It will be a proper game, and gives the lads a chance to show me what they can do.

"We had another training session on Tuesday night which went well, and the lads got through some good work, including a 12 minute run, we worked with and without the ball, and also got them involved in some small sided games."

Levett hopes winger Chris Walker stays at Greatness Park, following talks, and Jamie Johnston is the latest player to contact the new manager, and he too could be involved as well. Charlie Burgess is back from holiday and may also make it against the Blue Square Bet South outfit.

Levett added: "I want to have a group of boys who want to play for Sevenoaks Town, and am not interested in the ones just looking for money."

TUNBRIDGE WELLS kick-off their pre-season campaign with an away game against Three Bridges tomorrow, without Charlie Sharman.

A statement issued by Sharman to www.kentishfootball.co.uk said: “Further to joining Tunbridge Wells FC at the end of last season from Croydon Athletic on loan, I enjoyed my short return to The Wells.

“The position I played wasn’t my favoured one but I responded playing on the right side of midfield, instead of striker, and felt that the team would have benefited from my pace and scoring record.

“However, I was not one to challenge the managers line-up, I got on with the job in hand and would like to wish Tunbridge Wells and all the players’ good luck for the coming season.”

The warm-up game will take place at Hazelwick School, Three Bridges.