The chairman backs us 100% with everything, says Greenwich Borough boss Ian Jenkins

GREENWICH BOROUGH manager Ian Jenkins says he is looking to bring experienced players to the club as he aims to match the club’s ambitions.

Jenkins’ first game in charge of the club saw them suffer a 1-0 defeat to local rivals Erith Town last Saturday.

Greenwich Borough remain in ninth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League table with 23 points from sixteen games.  They are sixteen points adrift of league leaders Ashford United.

Jenkins handed debuts to Aaron Day, Danny Young and Joe Vines – who all played for him at Ryman Premier League club Cray Wanderers - and Jenkins is looking to strengthen the team further.

“We need to get some good, experienced players behind us,” said Jenkins, 46.

“We’ve got everything else that is here.  The chairman backs us 100% with everything and that’s what you need.

“The togetherness, like we had at Cray all those years ago, really helps especially at this level and you need it in the dressing room and that’s something that I’ve always had in my dressing rooms.

“The boys aren’t too bad, they’re obviously upset losing the first game with me but we’re pretty upbeat in there so we’ll work on a few things and we’ll get it right.”

Greenwich Borough travel to Culverden Stadium on Saturday to play a Tunbridge Wells side in third-place in the table with 37 points from sixteen games, two points behind the leaders.

Jenkins revealed he may be bringing in new players ahead of the game.

He said:  “The squad’s alright.  If we’ve got to release a couple more, then I will do.  The lads that I’ve got rid of are the ones that are the weaker links in the squad.  That’s opinions, but we’ve cut the squad down to about eighteen.  I will probably get a few more. We’re desperate to get two full-backs in who can play football.”

Looking ahead to the trip to Tunbridge Wells to face Martin Larkin’s title challengers, Jenkins said: “Martin’s sides been around there for a long, long time. It’s going to be tough whoever we play.  

“Tunbridge Wells were excellent last year getting to the Vase final, disappointed that they didn’t win it, but we’ll done to them last year, but it’s going to be tough.

“Where ever we go teams will want to try and put one over on us because of our reputation and things like that and people think we’re throwing a bit of money around and they’re going to be up for it, so we have to stand up and be counted and let the football do the talking.”

Greenwich Borough pulled off a coup last summer when they announced a groundshare deal with Conference Premier outfit Dartford.

A club statement, which was published in their match day programme last weekend, highlighted their ambitions.

“It has been clear that the vision for the club is to progress significantly up the non-league pyramid.  The recent activity in recruiting experienced players from a higher level and the ability to attract such players to the club are another clear indication of the ambition.

“The club is delighted with the way that the groundshare with Dartford is working and the valuable support that Greenwich Borough is receiving from our landlords.

“It is hoped that there will be successful negotiations in extending the current tenancy agreement at Princes Park that will be of a great benefit to both parties.

“The club has applied for promotion to Step four and therefore entry into the Ryman League as the first step in following Dartford FC up the pyramid.  Promotion is our first significant target.

“A clear sign that people in the wider football family have picked up on the club’s vision was evident when John Cumberbatch stood down as manager.  The club was immediately inundated with applications for the vacant post of manager and a significant number of these were from extremely highly qualified and experienced people.

“The club is delighted with its success in recruiting Ian Jenkins to the managers role and his achievements are second to none.

“As well as progress on the field the club has also started forming links with the wider community.  There have been two significant donations that the club has made, first to Help for Heroes and then more recently to Great Ormond Street Hospital – and it is planned to foster further links with other organisations and businesses in the Royal Borough.

“Greenwich Borough FC have a long-term plan to return to the Royal Borough of Greenwich and in doing so to develop a ground along the lines of this magnificent community based stadium project in Dartford.

“As part of this plan to develop the club the first step will be to expand the playing side of the operation and it is envisaged that next season the club will be running a reserve team prior to developing a youth section. 

“The whole set up that Dartford have developed is a blue print that the club would like to mirror.  Various sites in Greenwich have been looked at and the plans for the development of the club in this way are in an embryonic stage at the moment.

“The experiences of Dartford FC show how clearly these plans can take a long time to come to fruition, however, the long term plan for a home in Greenwich are not to be pursued to the detriment of plans to advance the club on the field of play in the interim.

“The long term vision is to, one day in the not too distant future, be competing at the same level as our landlords and to meet on the pitch as equals in stature.

“In the interim it is hoped that the journey that Greenwich Borough FC have embarked upon will be of mutual benefit to Dartford FC as well.”

Visit Greenwich Borough’s website: www.greenwichboroughfc2013.co.uk

Tunbridge Wells  v  Greenwich Borough
Southern Counties East Football League
Saturday 25^th January 2014
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Culverden Stadium, Culverden Down, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 9SG