Soccer Shorts: Robbins lands Exeter City scouting job

Friday 16th April 2010

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WELLING UNITED player-manager Jamie Day takes his side to already relegated Weston-super-Mare tomorrow knowing exactly what he wants for next season’s Blue Square South campaign.

The Wings flirted with the play-off’s with five successive wins but a surprise 3-1 defeat at struggling Lewes at the end of last month sent the wheels crashing off and league defeats against Braintree Town, Dover Athletic and Eastleigh followed, leaving Day in reflective mood.

“I think for next season we need a few big strong players, along with the current squad,” Day told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“I’ve learnt that as much as we want to play the passing game, to suit certain teams we sometimes have to vary our play.”

Looking ahead to the Woodspring Stadium tomorrow for their penultimate league game, the former Dartford flair midfielder added, “It will be a difficult game as even though they are relegated they will be playing for pride.

“We will be looking to get three points and put an end to our recent run of defeats and use the last two games as a platform for next season.”

CHATHAM TOWN boss Alex O’Brien says he wants his side to end their miserable run of defeats when they face seventh-placed Walton & Hersham at Maidstone Road.

The Medway side have slumped into the bottom-six in the Ryman League Division One South table, having picked up just one point out of the last 24 available.

“It’s a game we need to get something out of,” O’Brien told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“We have been playing well, we’re just not having any luck. Losing is like winning, it becomes a habit and we have two huge games to go.

“Walton & Hersham are a very good side, still looking to nick a play-off spot and Ashford (away) on the last day of the season is a Kent battle.”

O’Brien added: “I’m not thinking about my holiday’s - nor should my players!”

SITTINGBOURNE are inviting companies to enter a draw to sponsor the Bourne Park club next season.

For £1,000 (plus VAT) your company would be entered into a draw, to be made on the club presentation night in May to become the club’s main sponsors next season.

All companies involved will be invited to attend.

The main sponsor package will include shirt sponsorship, a 16’ by 3’ advertising board and full page programme advertisement, together with access to all home league games for the season, seats in the stand, boardroom hospitality for up to six people, an advert on the club’s website and visibility in the media when match day photographs are included in the media.

Those unsuccessful in the draw will be entitled to an 8’ by 3’ board, a quarter-of-a-page programme advert and access to two home games with boardroom hospitality for four people.

Please contact the club on bournefc@hotmail.com, the chairman Andy Spice or any member of the committee for further information - please mention that you read this piece on www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

Meanwhile, back on the pitch, manager Gary Abbott says he is bitterly disappointed over the club’s shattered play-off dreams - and has challenged his side to impress him with next season in mind.

The Brickies will, however, find out who their opponents will be in the Kent Senior Cup final as Folkestone Invicta play Welling United next Thursday at Cheriton Road.

A win away at second-from-bottom side Walton Casuals tomorrow will be enough to keep Kent rivals Whitstable Town in the Ryman League next season.

“Saturday’s game is all about playing for a Cup Final place and getting as many points as possible and who wants to show me they want to be at Sittingbourne next season,” Abbott told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“The play-off’s were in our hands but you can’t turn it on like a tap and expect to reach them when you can’t beat the bottom four or five teams, what do you expect?”

With so many games in a short period, Abbott says he is pleased with the emergence of young talent at the club.

“I just want to mention the young boys that have come in,” he added, “Jack Hooper, Joe Foster, Jaie Nuttall, Deren Ibrahim and most improved player, Ryan Golding.”

BECKENHAM TOWN chairman, Chris McCarthy, when taking over the helm at Eden Park Avenue, made it perfectly clear before any aspirations spiralled beyond the realistic realms of possibility, that this season was going to be about creating stability both on and off the field after the traumas of the previous season.

As Becks embark on their 44th match of the season at Deal Town tomorrow, Mr McCarthy may well be reflecting that things have gone well for Becks.

On the field, Becks boss Jason Huntley assembled a new side by tapping the local resources of the Kent County League - and the new boys "have done good!".

Becks are still on course for a top three finish (which none of the Kent League pundits predicted) and reached the third Round of the Carlsberg FA Vase (from the extra preliminary Round) and from which they netted a very useful £3,900 in prize money.

In addition, they reached the Semi Final of the League Cup (losing on away goals) and the third round of the London Senior Cup.

One of Huntley's new recruits, Gary Gorman, currently heads the Kent League's leading goalscorers and Reserve team bosses Adam Heaslewood and Jason Clews are still on course to land the Division Two Championship.

Like Huntley, they have uncovered another promising young goalscoring talent in Fehmi Emiralioglu.

Off the field, Becks have done well to obtain a possibly contentious planning consent to erect a new stand on the west side of the ground and also carry out improvements to the changing rooms and clubhouse.

A club statement issued on the club’s website www.beckenhamtownfc.co.uk said: “It's obviously early days for the new regime, and Mr McCarthy will have to address Becks' absolutely appalling disciplinary record. But as the sun sets on the current season, there is a new and very welcome air of optimism hanging over Eden Park Avenue.”

FISHER manager Gary Lisney takes his side to Herne Bay tomorrow praising his side’s recent performances.

The Champion-Hill based club have climbed up to 12th place in the Bulmers Cider Kent League table with 32 points from 27 games because they’re now unbeaten in their last eight league games.

Lisney takes his side to Winch’s Field tomorrow, knowing that Herne Bay still have slim chances of clinching the title, although Faversham Town need just one point from their last two games to clinch the title.

“Herne Bay still have interest in the league so they will have plenty to play for,” Lisney told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“But it’s a very tough game between the top two teams in the current form table.

“We just hope to finish of the season well for our supporters.”

Lisney added: “I would just add the whole playing squad have been absolutely fantastic over recent weeks. Myself and Bryan Glover (my assistant manager) cannot praise every one of them highly enough.”

Fisher welcome Erith & Belvedere to Champion Hill on Monday night and with only three games remaining Lisney added: “It’s a shame the season is ending in a way!”

TUNBRIDGE WELLS’ stalwart Norman Sales’ recent award for decades of service to local football (including more than 40 years on the club committee) stands out as one of those rare cases: Even though he ‘retired’ from duty in 2007, he still acts in an advisory role to the club, and is unlikely to ever fully detach himself from The Wells.

Think for a moment of the hundreds, if not thousands of players, coaches and managers that will have passed through the club during those 40-years - the vast majority of whom disappear from the radar for good once they move out of Culverden.

Some may have had interesting tales never told of “What Happened Next” - as did one ex-Wells manager who has taken some time out of managing and turned his attention to scouting in the Third Tier of the English professional game.

Mike Robbins stepped down from the hot-seat almost a year ago, clearing the way for his assistant Martin Larkin to step up.

Now, almost 12-months on, Robbins has picked up on his Devon-connections and is spending his time scouting for League One outfit Exeter City.

“To most who knew me at Culverden, and around the Kent League, they might have thought I’d slipped away from the game as I’m not in management at the moment,” Robbins told www.tunbridgewellsfc.co.uk.

“I’m pleased to tell you that since leaving Croydon, I have watched over 50 matches, including League One (30+), FA Cup, Blue Square, and Ryman League games, and I have done well over 40 opposition reports for Exeter. So I’ve been keeping busy.

“I’m in regular contact with both Steve Perryman (director of football) and Paul Tisdale (manager) there, and have been invited down to watch training and go to the team-briefing ahead of the upcoming Exeter/Huddersfield game. I’ll finish looking at teams on Saturday (Charlton v Norwich), and then move on to transfer targets for the last three weeks of the season.

“Having watched every single team in League One, I can honestly say that I have learnt masses to help me for sometime in the future, when perhaps I will return to management/coaching. But that would only be when my boys are older - I’m very happy doing what I am now.”

From one month being in charge of a Combined Counties League side (Croydon) plotting the downfall of Bedfont, to the next watching professional teams and offering advice on the likes of Leeds, Millwall and Southampton six divisions up the Pyramid is certainly a pretty big leap.

"I kind-of ‘fell’ into the Scouting role,” Robbins revealed. “I watched a few games for Neville Southall at Margate when I got the call from Steve Perryman. My previous manager at Barnstaple Town had passed my details on to Steve.

“It has felt very strange having such a relationship with Exeter,” Robbins added. “The buzz of hearing that they have beaten a team that you watched is every bit as thrilling as when managing a side to victory…sometimes even more so, as you cannot alter what is happening.

“Speaking to Steve Perryman as often as I have this season about all levels of football has also been fantastic - I always look forward to hearing his thoughts every week."