We are in it to try and win it, says Erith Town boss Tony Russell

ERITH TOWN manager Tony Russell says his preparations for their new Kent Hurlimann Football League campaign have been chaotic.



The Dockers finished in fourth-place last season underneath promoted champions Herne Bay, Erith & Belvedere and VCD Athletic.

They kick-off their new campaign at home to vastly-improved Sevenoaks Town on Saturday, before they travel to Dulwich Hamlet’s Champion Hill Stadium to face Fisher next Monday.

When asked how pre-season has gone, Russell said: “Not bad!  Not great, but not bad.

“I just think when we’ve come back early it’s just been a nightmare with players on holidays and we’ve not had a settled side so we’re a little undercooked to be honest with you.

“It’s a slight concern but we have got to find a way of winning the first couple of games and hope it settles down.

“What I usually like to do is mould the side and work on patterns of play and our shape with and without the ball.

“I’ve not really had a chance of doing that because the personnel haven’t been there.  I’ve had so many people away, it’s been a bit chaotic.  We’ve done a bit last night for the first time but for me it’s not enough for me to be satisfied.”

Russell added: “We need to dig in and get a result against Sevenoaks and against Fisher and then I’ll get stuck into them on Wednesday and keep doing it.

“But I’m usually quite confident and bullish about things but I’m a little bit concerned.”

Russell has brought in Shaq Richards, a ball-winning midfielder and striker Cory Walters-Wright, both from Welling United.  Aaron Williams comes in from Ebbsfleet United.  Former Cray Wanderers striker, Jamie Humphris has also come in, as have former Greenwich Borough, Fisher and Croydon Athletic striker Peter Afoyan and Harry Montgomery has been welcomed back after being unavailable through work-commitments.

Nick Davis and James Hawkins have both left the club and have signed for Faversham Town and Corinthian respectively.

Russell said: “To be fair the plan was never to go out and go wholesale, bringing people in. 

“If I’ve learnt from the likes of VCD and Erith & Belvedere since I’ve been around and Herne Bay and Hythe before that, they’ve kept a nucleus of the side and added one or two instead of going out and getting a while knew lot so I’m conscience of not doing that.

“We’re two down from last year. Nick Davis has gone to Faversham, who we haven’t had no control over and James Hawkins has gone to Corinthian, who we did have control over and we felt it would be best for him to go on and play for them.

“We haven’t really had many go out. We’ve got a few in. Last night I sat down with a few to release, which is never easy or a nice thing to do.

“We’ve also got Peter Afoyan who’s come back from injury and he’s coming back slowly. He’s had a couple of 20-30 minute games to take it nice and slowly. He won’t be ready for the beginning of the season but he’s looked good in pre-season.”

Looking forward to Saturday’s home opener against Simon Jones’ Sevenoaks Town, Russell said: “We’ve been to see them.  Sevenoaks are better than they were last year. With all due respect, last year they were a bit basic. This year they look decent. They’re well organised, they’ve got a couple of lively boys, one up front and out wide.

“We’ve spoken about them in training last night. We’ve done a quick pattern of play with what we’re going to do with or without the ball.”

Erith Town will be Fisher’s first Monday night opponents at Champion Hill, in what will be a game between two footballing sides.

Russell is relishing the chance of locking horns with Fisher boss Steve Firkins.

He said:  “Steve is a top man. We’re probably cut from the same cloth with how we like to see football to be played. We’ll go there and play and obviously it’s up with the gods.

“I like Steve. I’ve got a lot of time for him. He always has his hands tied but he always produces good young sides who try and pass the ball. I always like to play against Fisher – or Greenwich Borough.”

When asked what Erith Town’s aspirations are for the new season, Russell said: “To win it!  Yes, to win it.  You have to believe that!  We have to try.  At the end of the day we look at it, you never know, you hear rumours about this or that team doing that.

“You look at your VCD’s, Erith & Belvedere’s, Beckenham’s, Tunbridge Wells’, they’re going to be up there but we look at it from last year and it was a fag paper between VCD, us and Erith & Belvedere - so we’re in the mix with them.

“We have to make sure we’re a little bit better than last year. If we finish above VCD, Erith & Belvedere and Beckenham we’ll win it.

“I know Whyteleafe are the dark horses but they’re going to come into the league they know nothing about.  It’s a hard league and you have to go to places where you look at the league table and you think it’s easy – they have to go to places and dig out results.

“Me personally, I think we’ve got a good side. We’ll give it a go. I’m not going to sit here and lie and say we’re going to keep it in camp – we are in it to try and win it.”

Visit Erith Town’s website: www.erithtown.com  

Erith Town  v  Sevenoaks Town
Kent Hurlimann Football League
Saturday 4^th August 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Erith Stadium, Avenue Road, Erith, Kent DA8 3AJ