Soccer Shorts: Tonbridge Angels give Tommy Warrilow five years to get into Conference Premier

Saturday 26th June 2010

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WELLING UNITED have confirmed the players that will line-up for the club next season.

Charlie Mitten, Jamie Coyle, Graeme Andrews, Jack Parkinson, Jack Obersteller, Loui Fazakerley, Lee Clarke, Dean Cracknell, Andy Pugh, Luis Cumbers, Tom Whitnell and Sam Cutler have all put pen to paper for the Park View Road club.

The club's offer of the chance to come back during pre-season has been accepted by Andy Sambrook, Jake Hobbs and James Lawson.

Wings Boss Jamie Day confirmed that the club have had over 50 trialists but have reduced this to 25 so far, ranging from Football League players to Darren Marsden, who starred for Kent League runners-up Herne Bay last term.

RYMAN LEAGUE officials have confirmed that they will be publishing next season’s fixtures at 10am on Wednesday 14 July 2010.

Meanwhile, the draws for the early rounds of the FA competitions are expected in the first few days of July.

CRAY WANDERERS will be playing Crockenhill at the Wands’ former St Mary Cray Recreation Ground home on Saturday 3 July.

The game will kick-off at 1pm and will be a part of the Cray Festival Week. It will also kick-off the Wanderers’ 150th competitive season and means that it’ll be the first time in nearly 40 years that the club will be playing in St Mary Cray.

It is also the first time in more than a decade that these two clubs will be playing against each other.

The match will take place at St Mary Cray Recreation Ground, Park Road (off High Street), St Mary Cray, Orpington, BR5 4AS, although car parking at the recreation ground is limited, there is plenty of parking space in nearby side streets.

Refreshments will be available at the ground and the club recommend the Red Lion Public House for pre and post match refreshments.

A special souvenir programme will be on sale on the day.

TONBRIDGE ANGELS have issued a blueprint to clinch two promotions into the top flight of non-league football within five years, report the Kent and Sussex Courier Newspaper.

With boss Tommy Warrilow assembling, arguable, his finest squad for a promotion push, ambitious plans have been drawn up to transform the club's fortunes off the pitch.

The blueprint has been drawn up by Garry Pass and is aimed at increasing both community involvement and commercial output, reinforcing the relationship with main sponsor, Hadlow College, to create a football academy giving greater importance to the youth policy at Angels and making matchdays more family friendly.

Former vice-chairman, Pass, a board member on the newly constructed management structure, spoke passionately about the plans.

"Each board /committee member will have specific duties which they will be responsible for, although they have still to be finalised exactly what they will be," he told the Courier.

"Everyone is keen to make the club successful and we have a board of doers, people who want to get things done.

"The club would like to thank the three who are stepping down from the board, Mark Jenner, Maurice Brown and Nick Heath for all their hard work.

"We have a five-year plan for the club. In year one, we are aiming for promotion to the Conference South. We will consolidate for three years in the Conference South and then by the fifth, we hope to be in the Conference. I know these might sound bold plans, but I believe they are possible.

"We are really focused on getting local businesses and the community involved, we have to get more people through the gates and get the younger kids coming more. We need to raise the profile of the club commercially as the club cannot go on relying on donations from board members. If we want to push the club on, everyone has to do their bit."

The Glaswegian, who cites football as his passion, explained it was February's laughable reported £600,000 investment plans from an unnamed investor which saw him return to the fold, after he had to stand down as vice-chairman due to health issues at the end of the 2008/09 season.

"Rather than destabilise the club, although it was damaging, the attempt brought the board closer together, so whatever the reason clearly backfired," Mr Pass said.

"There are plans to have a family stand, we are still discussing that avenue, and the new commercial manager will aim to work closely with the schools in the area to raise awareness about the club and encourage younger age groups to attend home matches. There are also plans to start up a women's team.”

Mr Pass insists that manager Warrilow is committed to bringing success to the Longmead Stadium outfit.

He said: “When Andy Hessenthaler left Dover, I got a bit of a fright, so I rang Tommy straight away and asked if he was interested. He said he isn't a quitter and wanted to finish what he started here. He loves the club and is really excited, like I am, about the new season starting.

“For anyone who has doubts about Tommy's commitment to the club I can categorically state that he has this club at heart and he is as determined as any board member to see the club succeed."

Angels, like a lot of non-league clubs in these economic times, are looking to develop their youth section in a bid to mould and develop the next batch of players to come off the Longmead conveyor belt.

This has been demonstrated by the club contracting Sonny Miles and Liam Barker and Jack Brivio, a product of Angels's under 18 side, will be signed on contract for the forthcoming season.

Mr Pass added: “We will be speaking to Hadlow College about progressing our partnership both ways, but one of the main aims is the formation of an academy.

"They have some great facilities on their site and we want to develop our relationship further. There is a big push from the reserves and the youth side, if the club thinks that a player can play at a higher level, then they are pushed up an age group.

“We want the players playing for the reserves to be a young age, but we want to retain our place in the Suburban League Premier Division, the highest league we can play at, so have to get the right balance. The experience the young players get from playing in reserve team games helps if they are called up into the first team."

FAVERSHAM TOWN have confirmed the players that have re-signed for the club as it prepares for their first ever campaign in the Ryman League.

The Lilywhites clinched the Kent League title and the Kent Senior Trophy last season and are looking forward to playing in Ryman League Division One South, which kick’s off on 21 August.

Rob French, Shane Hamshare, Dan Larkin, Ashley Brown, Michael Dodsworth, Tom Hickman, Dave Botterill, Dane Luchford, Dale Skelton, Damian Abel, Richard Sinden, John-Paul Collier, Nick Shaw and Steve O’Brien have all re-signed, and the Salters Lane club is expected to unveil three new signings in the very near future.

HERNE BAY boss Simon Halsey says he is disappointed with the prospect of losing highly-rated midfielder Darren Marsden.

Halsey did confirm earlier in the month that all of last season’s squad have re-signed, other than Neil Perkins, who cannot commit himself to the club, due to a new job at a Mercedes dealer, which means working on Saturdays.

Marsden has been offered a pre-season trial with Blue Square Bet South outfit Welling United - a jump of three leagues.

Halsey, speaking to www.hernebayfc.net, was philosophical about it when he said: “Marzo was our second highest scorer last season and third highest the season before. Clearly he has been a valued member of our squad and I am disappointed that he has changed his mind.

"Having said that, Welling play a few levels above the Kent League and you can't blame a guy for wanting to try at that higher level.

"We thank him for what he has given to our club and we all wish the lad well and hope things work out for him".

KEITH LEVETT is settling in to his job as manager of Sevenoaks Town, with the squad due to report back for pre-season training next week.

He has held one meeting already with the Sevenoaks squad, and believes most will stay, but isn't ruling out the prospect that two or three will leave to seek new challenges elsewhere.

Speaking to www.sevenoakstownfc.org he said: "I am looking to bring in some experience, as well as younger players and try and fine the right balance.

"I want do a really solid, professional pre-season, and we are back for the first time on Thursday week.

We will be in on some Saturdays as well, and I will be looking to fix-up four of five pre-season friendlies."

Sevenoaks will visit Sussex County League Three Bridges on Tuesday July 20 and Levett is also hoping to confirm another game at Woking later this week with Saturday July 10 pencilled in for that.

Levett will be working with assistant Murray Carcary and player-coach Rob Quinn,

He said: "Rob has a lot of experience which will be important working with the younger players as we assess where we are in pre-season, and our strengths and weaknesses.

"I won't be bringing in loads of new players, but want to bring a team together that gets results and win matches."

The father of two who lives at Horsmonden has run his own soccer coaching company for the past 10 years, and is embarking on another project with a company offering bespoke educational programme in B Tech and NVQ qualifications.

Keith's links with Sevenoaks have developed while running the Welling United Academy, with several of the youngsters playing for the reserves last season.

He said: " I am studying for my UEFA A licence at the moment, and have had coaching roles at Croydon Athletic and Egham Town. I have also worked at Tooting & Mitcham, as well as working for North Kent Schools and the Chelsea Development Centre which operates throughout London and the South East."