To stay in the league will be a massive achievement, says Thamesmead Town boss Keith McMahon

The Mead finished in third-place in the Ryman League Division One North last season and sealed promotion against all of the odds alongside champions Grays Athletic after beating Witham Town and Maldon & Tiptree in the play-offs only five years since leaving the Kent League.

Thamesmead Town welcome established Ryman League club Hendon to Bayliss Avenue on Saturday and McMahon is looking forward to the historic game.

He said: “It’s great for the football club, first game in the Ryman Prem. With the new facilities opened as well it’s really gone hand in hand really well. We’re looking forward to it and hopefully we can get off to a good start.

“I think there’s going to be a big buzz around the ground and we’re thoroughly looking forward to it.”

McMahon added: “I think they’ve set the tone for our season. I’m expecting a very tough game.  They’re a good side and they like to play football. They’re a big established side and hopefully they won’t expect too much from us coming down to a newly-promoted side.  If they take us lightly, hopefully that will be a bonus for us.

“I’m expecting Hendon to be a very solid, difficult side to break down and with a lot of quality as well.”

McMahon was upset that their first away game of the season is away to Suffolk side Lowestoft Town – next Tuesday evening – despite having numerous closer towns to travel to in midweek.

“We weren’t pleased about that at all,” bemoaned McMahon. “They’re not coming to us midweek as well. I think it’s a bit of a joke but that’s part of the level we’re at. We won’t grumble so we’ll get on with it.

“We’re missing a couple as well through suspensions and weddings. They’re one of the favourites for the league. It’s nice up there. We’re all booked to leave early. The players have to have a day off work and we’ll go up there on Tuesday hopefully on the back of confidence.

“Playing at this level you have to do some travelling. We know that. We’re not moping about it. We just have to get on with it.”

The Mead are arguably the smallest club to play in the Ryman Premier League in recent years and McMahon wants his side to exceed expectations.

“Obviously for the club itself to stay in the division would be massive for us with the gates we get – hopefully they’ll improve,” said McMahon.

“The size of the football club and our wage bill to stay in the league will be a massive achievement. The players obviously have got other ambitions. They want to get as high as they can and get in to the play-offs.

“Realistically we want to get our first points on the board and move forward and try to progress the club as we did in Ryman North. The football club has got everything in the background to do that now and we need a little bit of finance to take off.

“We know it’s going to be difficult. We are a very ambitious club. I am as a manager and the players are as well. We know it’s going to be hard.”

All Ryman League clubs will play four more league games this season and that is why McMahon will be running with a large squad this season.

“We’ve got a big squad at the moment and I think we need it because the games come thick and fast,” said McMahon.

“We’ve got 46 league games plus cup games. It’s going to be relentless.  There’s no easy games in the Ryman Premier and we’re gearing ourselves for that hence the large squad that I’ve got at the moment.”

McMahon is pleased with his side’s firepower going into the new campaign.

“That was one of the things that I thought I needed to do,” he said.

“I knew we will be up against it in this league and we need to score goals.  We had good goalscorers last year and I’ve added some as well and they’re all fighting for places.

“In pre-season they’ve all scored and all played their part and I have to pick the two or three that will be on form for Saturday and also then when we go to Lowestoft and places like that I may change formations. We’ve got to adapt and the players have to buy into that as well. It’s not going to be the same eleven players’ week in week out.

“We know if we underperform we will lose in this division. Everyone seems to be enjoying it. I’ve spoken to people and everyone seems up front and honest.

“We’ve got our last training session tonight and have to chat to one or two players and maybe one or two new signings before the start of the season.

“We’ve got 23 signed and maybe one or two to come. We’ve got three away on honeymoon at the moment, Calum McGeehan, we’ve got Richard Butler and Danny Kerrigan have just got married.  Danny’s coming off an operation. Ashley Probets is still out with his cruciate and hopefully he will be back at the end of October. We’ve got Lew Tozer suspended for the first two games of the season which is a massive blow to us as our skipper.

“Sean Roberts is away on holiday so hopefully he can get back from America for the kick-off, but we have got a few away hence why we’ve got a big squad, so we’ll look and go from there.”

McMahon certainly hopes the club attract more than their usual crowds of around 40 now that the club’s impressive new facilities are open.

“The car park will be open on Saturday so the whole club will be open. We’ve attracted new players. We’ve got players coming into the club and hopefully it should add a lot to the gate over the course of the year. 

“We’ve got some big games; Maidstone, Margate, Billericay, Enfield, who bring spectators. Dulwich will be a big game for us.

“Hopefully our gates will go up quite significantly, which the club need. Hopefully we can get some locals.”

Visit Thamesmead Town’s websites: www.thamesmeadtownfc.co.uk  & www.pitchero.com/clubs/thamesmeadtown/

Thamesmead Town  v  Hendon
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 10^th August 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Bayliss Avenue, Thamesmead, London SE28 8NJ