Soccer Shorts: Stones launch car share scheme to get to Homelands

Friday 06th August 2010

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BROMLEY complete their pre-season campaign when Crawley Town visit Hayes Lane tomorrow.

The last time the two sides met was back in 2007 when Brazilian Magno Vieira - who was Ebbsfleet United’s leading goalscorer in the Blue Square Premier last season - scored the only goal of the game as Crawley beat Bromley 1-0 at the Broadfield Stadium in the FA Trophy First Round in front of a crowd of 667.

WELLING UNITED player-manager Jamie Day fine tunes his squad for their final pre-season friendly at Ryman League Division One South outfit Chatham Town tomorrow.

The Wings kick-off their Blue Square Bet South campaign with the visit of Hampton & Richmond Borough next weekend, and Day is expected to field his confirmed first team squad at Maidstone Road tomorrow, having agreed his playing budget with the board on the eve of the game.

“It will be difficult, they’re going to want to win,” Day told www.kentishfootball.co.uk. “It’s a good fitness game for us so we’re looking forward to it.

“We’d like to get a win to take us into the first proper game off the season.

“We’ve been in for two months now and we’re near reaching peak fitness now. I think we’re a little bit away but we’re not far off.

“We want to start the season now, pre-season’s fine and it’s fine winning games but the first game of the season is when it matters and that’s what we’re looking forward to.

“Hopefully we can continue what we’ve done so far, into the league.”

DARTFORD travel to Tonbridge Angels for their final pre-season friendly tomorrow ahead of their Blue Square Bet South debut next weekend, where Havant & Waterlooville visit Princes Park.

Dartford travel to Ryman Premier League side Tonbridge on the back of two draws (against Leyton Orient and Aveley) aiming to complete their preparation for the big kick-off.

Left-back Adam Gross is away and will miss the trip to Longmead Stadium, as will striker Jack Pallen, who will play for VCD Athletic in their Kent League opener against Hythe Town at Oakwood tomorrow.

Former VCD and Chatham Town left-back Ashley Probets has been released by Darts boss Tony Burman and striker Charlie Sheringham has been ruled out with a knee injury.

DOVER ATHLETIC boss Martin Hayes has signed another four players.

Winger Harry Baker, midfielder Luke I’Anson, striker Elliott Charles and defender Jackson Ohakam have all put pen to paper.

Baker, I'Anson and Charles have signed one-year deals while Jackson Ohakam will pen non-contract forms.

Hayes will be signing another player before the big kick-off next week - but has to make his mind up between two different options available to him.

Hayes told www.doverathletic.com: "We're delighted to welcome all these boys on board. I've not messed with the core of the team because clearly they were very successful last season in finishing runners-up.

"But I have added players around the edges which I hope will give us that little bit extra to allow us to launch a challenge."

The Whites travel to the side that beat them in the semi-finals of the play-off’s last season, Woking, on the opening day of the new Blue Square Bet South campaign on 14 August.

MARGATE travel to Whitstable Town to play their fifth pre-season friendly tomorrow.

The club have been trying to arrange a match for 10th August to replace the planned fixture against Ashford Town but that is looking increasingly unlikely.

Jay Saunders, who was substituted on 12 minutes at Crabble against Dover on Tuesday evening should be fit enough to take part; his injury not as bad as first feared.

Sam Groombridge has a hamstring problem though and looks likely to miss the remaining pre-season games but will be fit to return to the squad for the Canvey Island league game.

Midfielder Jim Sherman has signed for Margate, having impressed manager Iain O’Connell with his displays in four pre-season friendlies and has put pen to paper pending international clearance, required following a spell playing in Australia.

Off-the-pitch, London & Margate Development Ltd, Margate Football Club’s development partner, have informed the club, that its planning application to re-build the North Stand at Hartsdown Park has been granted full planning consent (approved) subject to an Amended Deed of Variation, which has already been prepared and submitted to Thanet Planners by solicitors acting for London & Margate for approval.

The new stand once completed, will at last bring value to London & Margate investment into Hartsdown Park, and will allow the 5-a-side centre to be completed, with permanent changing room facilities, together with a new bar and lounge. The new stand will service both the existing 5-a-side pitches and the new full sized all weather 3G pitch which was also approved by Thanet Planners last month.

The new stand will also include a 5,000 sq ft building to be used for educational purposes, and London & Margate are in negotiation with two local operators, seeking to appoint a suitable tenant for that use.

For Margate Football Club, the re-building of the North Stand, demolished several years ago by Stadia Investments, has several benefits:

The approved stand will provide a new covered terrace, the full width of the pitch designed to hold 1,500 supporters.

The approved stand will provide the players permanent dressing rooms, and players lounge facilities for both home and away teams.

The building of the new stand, will remove some of the pressure the club has faced from it development partners, over the substantial development loans made to the club, their repayment and the ongoing commitment from London & Margate to complete the Hartsdown redevelopment.

MAIDSTONE UNITED has immediately turned its attention to the ongoing problems around ensuring supporters are able to travel to home games - at Homelands Stadium in Ashford.

One of the biggest issues for supporters has been the public transport links to the site and the club has been looking at solutions to enable supporters who are dependent on public transport to get to the ground.

As a result of it’s efforts, the Ryman Premier League club has now linked up with Kent County Council and their website kentjourneyshare.com to encourage those fans who drive to games to support the club by offering lifts to other supporters.

The site is part of a wider network that is now well established across the Premiership and Football League with over 380,000 fans registered on its sister site footballcarshare.com and Maidstone United are the first non-league club in Kent to join the scheme.

It’s a simple concept of supporters with spare seats ‘advertising’ them on the site which then automatically matches them up with supporters who also sign up to the scheme requiring lifts to games. The great thing is that this can then equally work for both home and away games.

To make it easier, the site also has added the destination 'Homelands Stadium - Maidstone United' to help set up and search for car shares.

To kick off the scheme KCC has kindly offered to help the club with some small prizes to the first twenty people who match up on the site to encourage fans to sign up to the scheme, so even more reason to join up!

Chairman Paul Bowden-Brown offered his full support to this scheme stating on www.maidstoneunited.co.uk: “This is a simple way supporters can play their part in ensuring that they are not only helping fellow supporters get to games but also doing their bit for the environment. It’s a scheme that works across the upper tiers of football, so there is no reason why it can’t work at our level as well.”

Graham Tanner, Travel Plans Team Leader from Kent County Council said: "We are delighted to be working with Maidstone United to promote the Kentjourneyshare.com scheme. There are great opportunities for fans to save money and dramatically reduce their fuel emissions on the 40 mile round trip to Homelands.

“We all need to use our cars less and Kentjourneyshare.com is a great way of helping fans network and set up regular match day travel arrangements. Kentjourneyshare.com has over 3300 members county wide, saving over 1000 tonnes of CO2 and 3.2 million car miles each year."

Why not start with our first away game at Harrow or, most improtantly, their home game against Hastings on the following Tuesday – join up now and see how easy it is and possibly win a prize too! Well also be looking to sign people up on matchdays so look out for details of the scheme at our next home game.

How To Join Up

Register at www.KentJourneyshare.com, using the link under Public New Users selecting the group Kentjourneyshare Public Group.

Enter the journey details stating whether you can share or want a lift using 'Homelands Stadium - Maidstone United' as the destination, then the site does the rest in terms of matching you up.

Website address: www.KentJourneyshare.com

CHATHAM TOWN boss Paul Foley says he has some injuries to key players, but has also added to his squad ahead of the start to the season on 21 August.

Chatham welcome Welling United to Maidstone Road tomorrow and in an interview posted on www.chathamtownfc.net, Foley said: “Pre-season is going well with some decent performances and a few goals in the friendlies so far. The obvious setbacks are the injuries to James Tedder and captain Danny Penny.

“James will be back in action soon when the gash over his eye has healed up sufficiently but Danny could be out for some time which is a real blow.

“We have moved swiftly to get a couple of forwards in as we are expecting Dan to be out for a few months. This is not so easy when you are thousands of miles away in California but I am managing to stay in touch with Mark (Newson), Kevin (Watson), Phil (Jeffs), Barry (Bell) and the lads using the wonders of technology.

“We have George Fenwick joining up with the squad. I know George well having played against him a few times and he is an intelligent player with plenty of ability and experience, he just wants to get back to playing serious football again after drifting around following successful spells at Ashford and Cray Wanderers.

“We also have Joe Fuller joining up (from Ashford Town) when he gets back from his holiday. I have marked Joe many a time during his time with Tunbridge Wells and have tried to get him ever since I stepped up to manage.

“Joe is a handful and another very bright and intelligent footballer. He is versatile too and can play behind the front two, as George can too. Chatham fans may know him from his time at Ashford last year and he was training with Maidstone more recently.

“As said, losing Pens is a big blow as he is very important to how we play and how the team is set up but we will wait to see what the scan shows up first. It is not ideal to lose your keeper and captain in the first three friendlies but that's how it goes sometimes!

“With George and Joe we will have plenty of options and experience to replace Pens and James will be back between the sticks soon.

“I have been getting reports from Newse and Kev on the games I have missed and it sounds like we are going the right way. It is good to see young Uche (Ibemere) picking up from where he left off last season scoring goals and Ryan Restell has done himself a favour getting amongst the goals.

“The other lads that have stayed on have been catching the eye too with Matt Solly and Brad Potter looking impressive in the games and in training. Plus points are 7 goals scored in 3 games and only 4 conceded even without our first choice keeper for 90per cent of the time. That is encouraging for the season but we will get some tough tests in the last few friendlies before we kick off against Corinthian Casuals on 21st August.

“I have done pre-seasons where you end up losing most games and struggling to score so this pre-season has been positive so far! I don't worry about the results too much but the lads look to be gearing up nicely and the squad is taking shape. There will be two or three causalities but that's football and I am clear on where I think these casualties will be.”

THAMESMEAD TOWN boss Keith McMahon has looked North of the River Thames to make his latest signing, having secured the services of striker Adriano Lawson from Ryman League Division One North rivals Harlow Town.

“A very quick forward, who will add something different to the squad,” was the assessment of McMahon regarding his latest recruit.

He added: “Adriano really impressed me on the last day of last season when he scored twice against us.”

BECKENHAM TOWN, who kick-off their Safety Net Associates Kent League campaign at Tunbridge Wells tomorrow, have pulled off a big transfer coup this summer by enticing wing-back Nathan Paul to return to Eden Park Avenue, following a successful career with Maidstone United.

The club have confirmed that Nick Blue, Chris Hill, Joe Penny, Anthony Weir, Durrand Jemmott, James Holder, Ibrahim Fusini, Quentin Conteh, Nick Curren, Jason Cannon-Cook, Jason Clews, Alife Jaward, John Farley, Reece Parmenter, Nathan Paul, George Belchamber, Danny Lawson, Gary Gorman, Darren Wise, Danny Gorman and Josh Hawkins have all put pen to paper.

ERITH & BELVEDERE boss Micky Collins says he has injury concerns ahead of the mouth-watering Kent League opener away to Herne Bay tomorrow.

“After a very tough pre-season schedule completed, which included two Conference South and two Ryman Premier sides, we look forward to our first league game,” Collins told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“We go into the game with cautious excitement having not played any teams of an equivalent level. We will only tell if we are up-to standard or not after tomorrow’s game.

“Herne Bay are renowned as a good footballing side, which is a credit to Simon Halsey. It will be a massive test for our new squad playing the favourites for the title this time round.

“Hopefully the game will live upto the expectation of attractive football.

“Unfortunately for us the past week has seen us lose 6 of our squad to injury but we have a very good reserve team and those lads will now get their chance to step forward and perform and i am sure we will go to the game and give a good account of ourselves.

“As a club we are all looking forward to the trip there and hopefully a decent sized crowd will be treated to a good game.”

TUNBRIDGE WELLS boss Martin Larkin says he is wary of Beckenham Town’s strike-force ahead of their Kent League opener at Culverden Stadium tomorrow.

“It will be a good game, hopefully,” Larkin told www.kentishfootball.co.uk on the eve of the big kick-off.

“Beckenham are a very good side, they had a very good season last year and they’re very good to watch going forward with Gary Gorman and Anthony Weir up top.

“You would have thought on reputation and paper they will be favourites to win but we will certainly give it a good go.

“We’ve got a very good home record and if we can get at them early and put some pressure on them early, it will be a good game.

“It should be a good footballing game as both teams like to get it down and play and we’re looking forward to it.

“It’s a nice one to start us off. It will show us where we are as a team as we certainly expect Beckenham to be challenging again this year.”

Larkin revealed he will sign another player tomorrow, but he has kept faith with the players that finished seventh in the table last term.

Drew Crush is the only arrival, whilst Charlie Sharman has departed, as Larkin explains: “He’s another local lad and fits the mould of what we’re after, local, talented and wants to get on in the game.

Larkin added: “It’s a good squad, they’re a really good bunch of lads. We trained last night and it was exceptional, probably the best it’s been in the year and a bit I’ve been in charge.

“It was very sharp and very good and everyone’s generally building up in training and last night everyone was aware that there was only two days before the season starts.

“Week by week we’ve increased the intensity and we’ve got them very fit. The lads have seemed to enjoy it and we’ve freshened it up and brought someone else in to do the fitness work. Sometimes the same voices saying the same things can be boring some times, so we made sure we freshened up the fitness element.”

With Perry Spackman (suspended) and Andy McMath (wedding) unavailable tomorrow, Larkin added: “It’s a shame because they’re two crucial players for us but I’m sure those that will step into their shows will do a good job.”

The Tunbridge Wells boss wants to break into the top six this season.

He said: “I want to improve on last year. Obviously we finished seventh and that was a fantastic achievement and we built a squad from scratch at the start of the year, so our goal is to replicate the form we showed from Christmas.

“In the last ten games we were very good, we scored some good goals and kept clean sheets and we want to finish, as everyone does, in that top six, which is what we will need to do to improve on last year’s finish.”