Soccer Shorts: Tony Betteridge takes control of crisis club Ashford Town

Friday 30th July 2010

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ASHFORD TOWN is now under the ownership of Tony Betteridge, after his bid to buy the troubled Kent club was accepted today.

A club statement issued today on www.ashfordtownfc.co.uk said: “Following yesterday’s court case, all interested parties were asked to submit sealed bids. After the time limit expired it emerged Tony Betteridge’s bid had been accepted.

“Following this decision, an immediate appeal was lodged. The appeal was heard today and has failed, leaving Mr Betteridge as owner of Ashford Town Football Club.

The Homelands club had withdrawn from the Ryman League on 20 July, hoping to enter the Kent League, but with only eight days before the start of their season, the Kent League today admitted that the Nuts & Bolts are in limbo.

Kent League secretary Roy Vinter told www.kentishfootball.co.uk at lunchtime today: “They’ve said they would like to come into the League, but there are not going anywhere until the suspension is lifted at the Football Association.”

Ashford have been banned from all football under sanctions from the Football Association due to £2,000 of unpaid loan fees owed to Blue Square Bet South club Ebbsfleet United.

EBBSFLEET UNITED have signed goalkeeper Preston Edwards to replace Gillingham bound Lance Cronin.

Cronin leaves Stonebridge Road after 198 games for the Fleet but manager Liam Daish is delighted to have secured the services of the 20-year-old former Millwall and Grays Athletic keeper.

Daish, who takes his side to play Ryman League Division One South side Ramsgate tomorrow, told www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk: "He is a good acquisition. He kicks really well, he's a good talker and he's got the right attitude."

Edwards has also played on loan for Dover Athletic in 2008-09, helping them to the Ryman Premier title, and he has represented England at Under 19 level.

Cronin, as expected, has signed a year’s contract with Gillingham, with an option on a further year.

The 24-year-old, who joined the club in August 2006, had been training with the League Two club for much of the summer following the Fleet's relegation from Blue Square Premier and the associated budget cuts since.

The irony of Cronin's years at the Fleet is that one of the club's greatest ever custodians should probably never have been playing at Stonebridge Road in the first place.

He was one of Liam Daish's final signings, on August 8 2006, of the 2006-07 pre-season, brought in only because first-choice goalkeeper Craig Holloway was ruled out for the season with a cruciate knee injury.

Just four days later he was thrust straight into the action as the Fleet lost their opening game of the season 3-2 at Aldershot, having led 2-0.

Cronin had begun his career at Brighton's school of excellence, appearing on the bench aged 15. Chased by a number of clubs as a teenager, he signed for Crystal Palace and also spent time on loan at Oldham, Shrewsbury and Wycombe before he was released by Palace in 2006.

The Eagles' loss was the Fleet's gain and Liam Daish had no hesitation in blooding the then 20-year-old. He cemented his place and played all but three league games that first season, Luke McShane covering his spell out injured with groin trouble in January/February 2007, and Lance was a massive part of a side that just failed to reach the play-offs.

The next season saw his greatest triumph, keeping a clean sheet at Wembley (having done the same in four consecutive ties before that) as the Fleet's FA Trophy run delivered them success in the competition for the first time.

But it started badly for Lance, an injury meaning Scott Tynan played the first seven games of the season. But there was no stopping Lance on his return as he played every league and cup game thereafter with the exception of the Setanta Shield and Kent Senior Cup.

He signed a new two-year contract in January 2008. The league campaign saw another play-off challenge, though it was slightly less effective than the season before, but all that paled into insignificance as Lance was the fourth player up the Wembley steps to collect the Trophy after a 1-0 win over Torquay in front of 40,000 spectators.

Statistically, his best season was 2008-09 when he played in 57 matches, all of the Fleet's league fixtures and kept a personal-best 19 clean sheets, passing the 100- and 150-mark for career appearances while also making it to the Trophy semi-final.

And while 2009-10 was not the happiest season, culminating in the Fleet's relegation, Lance once again was ever-present, a tower at the back, missing out on the magical 200-appearance mark only because of Chester's expungement.

Of players in the 21st century, only Jimmy Jackson and Craig Wilkins have clocked up more appearances than Cronin and most of theirs came during the Nineties, so it would be fair to say that Lance Cronin has been the consummate Fleet professional of the last decade, with only Paul McCarthy actually playing longer in terms of time. And he was also the first Fleet goalkeeper since Lee Turner (1992-96) to stay between the posts for four years (though even Turner didn't quite manage four full seasons).

CONFERENCE sponsors Blue Square Bet will be paying a huge bonus to Dover Athletic if the Kevin Ryan trained horse Parisian Pyramid is successful in the Bluesq.com Stewards’ Cup on Saturday over six furlongs at Glorious Goodwood.

All 68 clubs in the Blue Square Bet Premier, North and South were allocated a horse from entries in this weekend’s prestigious race and Dover were paired with the in-form 4-year-old after Monday’s draw at the betting company’s headquarters in London.

The race will take place at 3.40pm on Saturday 31st July – Live on Channel 4 and Racing UK. To commemorate their new three year deal to sponsor the league Blue Square have created a prize fund for clubs centered around this showpiece race.

The club with the winning horse will receive a cheque for £2,000 plus an additional amount determined by a £100 bet on that horse. So for example a 20/1 winner would yield another £2,000 for the lucky team.

Blue Square spokesman Alan Alger told www.doverathletic.com: “This is our way of giving something back to the clubs who supported us through the first three years of sponsoring this great league.

“It brings together our two biggest sponsorships and the winning club will benefit by what is a significant amount of money at this level.”

Parisian Pyramid is currently a 16/1 shot with Blue Square for the race after coming through today’s elimination stage and is scheduled to line up with 27 other runners representing clubs throughout the land.

Dover Athletic fans can back the horse via the special www.bluesq.com/yourclub website, where if they register by clicking on their team’s badge they will start to earn money for the club whenever they place a bet. New customers will also be entitled to double their first stake as a free bet up to a maximum of £10.

MARGATE manager Iain O’Connell has told forward Sammy Cliff, who is also Kent’s under 18’s captain, that he is no longer in his plans for the coming season “following a lack of attendance at pre-season training.”

WHITSTABLE TOWN manager Mark Lane says he was delighted that players Charlie Partridge, Shaun Smith Adam Douglas, Danny Scorer have joined Ian Pulman in singing for the Ryman League Division One South club.

Lane told www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk: “Delighted that they are all on-board; they are all players who are right for our football club, they are all winners and want to play good attacking football.”

Reflecting on his side’s convincing 4-0 win away to Kent League side Deal Town last Tuesday night, Lane said: “I think that the performance against Deal showed the way we want to play, four different players on the score sheet and some good movement all over the pitch.

“Defensively we were very well organised and I thought that apart from Deal’s five minutes in the first half when they hit the post and Shaun (Smith) made a good stop low down, we were on top. If anything I was disappointed that we were not a couple of goals in front at the interval.”

Deal went into the game on the back of a 2-0 home win over Blue Square Bet South side Basingstoke Town.

Whitstable welcome Combined Counties League side Croydon to Belmont Road tomorrow.

LAST season's Kent League Golden Boot winner Gary Gorman was on target with a hat-trick in Beckenham Town’s six goal romp against Kent County League side Milton & Fulston United at Sittingbourne's Bourne Park in midweek.

Beckenham’s other scorers were Quinton Conteh and a brace from Nick Curren.

FISHER boss Gary Lisney has pulled off a summer transfer coup by enticing former Margate skipper Dan Young to sign for the club.

The 22-year-old centre back, formerly of Derby County, was made Margate captain last season and spent three years as a regular for the Ryman Premier League side.

Young has already impressed in pre-season earning the Man-of-the-Match award in the recent friendly against a youthful Dagenham & Redbridge, which the Kent League side won 3-2.

Icelandic National Einar Benediksson, 27, has also signed. The central midfielder most recently played in the New York City Cosmopolitan League (5th tier of the USA Soccer Pyramid) for Barnstonworth Rovers.

James Pope, Charlie Pearce and Callum Roberts have all moved across from landlords Dulwich Hamlet and former Croydon, Holmesdale and Dartford forward Dexter Babalola brings in further experience.

The club are delighted to put on record that the following players have all re-signed for the club from last season’s squad; Adam Lisney, Kris Hollidge, Jimmy Beaucamp, Luis Rozan, Bryan Glover, Jamie Lawrence, Cedric Abraham, George Savage, Mark Lewis, Raphael Akala and Joe Goodwin.

Lisney told www.fisherfc.co.uk: I’m still busy finalising the squad and there’ll be further signings to follow including two or three from last season’s side.

“Our preparations are going well and as I’ve said we’re a million miles further ahead than we were this time last year.

“We’ve got one more friendly away at Hullbridge next Tuesday and then we’re all geared up for Greenwich Borough at home on the Saturday – the boys are all looking forward to the new season.”

However, French winger, Elstrom Die, has signed for Sussex County League side East Grinstead Town, who are managed by former Holmesdale boss Tony Beckingham.

He told www.egtfc.co.uk: “"We have made some quality additions to the squad. Elstrom is a player I have managed before in Kent football. He is very quick and scores goals and I think our supporters will enjoy watching him."

Die scored for the Wasps during their 3-0 away win at Kent League side Erith Town last Saturday.

HOLMESDALE will round off their pre-season preparations with a friendly against Blue Square Bet South side Welling United at Oakley Road, Bromley next Tuesday, 3rd August (7:45pm).

The Kent League club have confirmed their admission prices for the game - £5 (adults) and £3 (concessions).

SEVENOAKS TOWN have unveiled the signing of giant goalkeeper Simon Overland, who turned down a move to Ryman Premier League side Cray Wanderers.

The 24-year-old 6 '5" London born former Millwall trainee has also had spells with several clubs including Hayes and Yeading (in the Blue Square Premier last season), Boreham Wood, Carshalton Athletic, Fisher Athletic, Dagenham & Redbridge, Ashford Town and Gravesend & Northfleet.

Sevenoaks manager Keith Levett told www.sevenoakstownfc.org: "Simon could be a key signing for us, he is a fantastic 'keeper, lots of experience, and he will work with the Academy 'keepers at Welling as well. It's great to have somebody like him to come and play for us.

"I know him through a mutual friend, and I think Simon is looking to develop his career on the coaching side, and we are going to try and give him an opportunity to do that.

"I am sure he is capable of going on in the game, and I don't think he will be with us for ever, but while he is with us, we'll make the most of him."

Levett also confirmed that last season's first choice Sean Funnell is remaining at the club. Funnell joined early last season, following an injury to Ben Andrews in the FA Cup tie at Tunbridge Wells, and became first choice.

He said: "Sean is going to stay with us, he wants to work hard at his game, he is still only young, but with a lot of potential. I am so glad that he has made that decision, and it's a really positive thing for us."

Trevor Elliott and Brendan James were two more triallists used against Cray Wanderers last Saturday, and

Talking about Elliott, Levett said: "I thought he did well against Cray, he's a good little player, and good on the ball, we will have another look at him.

"He played for the Academy at Welling last season, and he has been at Fisher, and was on the youth scheme at Wycombe Wanderers.

"Brendan was with Thamesmead, he also done well, but is still learning and definitely one for the future."