We've got a good solid base to work on, says Lovell

Saturday 15th May 2010

ASHFORD TOWN boss Steve Lovell says he is in a much stronger position to bring players to the club than he was 12 months ago, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Homelands outfit faced a period of uncertainty last summer due to the ill-health of it’s chairman Don Crosbie and many of the players that helped the club finish in seventh place in the Ryman League Division One South table the previous season departed because of this.

Lovell was forced to re-build a squad from scratch and only four players began pre-season training last July and many young players were thrown in at the deep end and as a result struggled collectively.

Thankfully, Lovell ensured the club maintained it’s Ryman League status with a home win over Chatham Town on the final day of last season and the club will be looking upwards from now on.

The only departure so far this summer has been assistant manager Hugo Langton, who has been replaced by Leeds born, former Gillingham defender, Mark Patterson, 41.

Patterson played over 300 Football League appearances for Carlislie United, Derby County, Plymouth Argyle and Gillingham and dropped down into the Ryman League for Folkestone Invicta, where he was assistant manager to Neil Cugley, before returning to Gillingham as youth team manager for a four-year period before leaving Priestfield in March.

Lovell, who was speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk, gave an update on his close-season activity.

“We’ve been active trying to sign players, talking to them, seeing who, what’s available,” said Lovell.

“It’s been quite busy for me, Mark Patterson and Don. We’ve been pretty active talking to perspective new players and I think definitely within the next two weeks we’ll have news on some new players.

“Everybody that finished the season with us have said they want to come back, which is pleasing. It’s a good solid base to work on.

“Hopefully we can stay free from the injury situation and push forward and have a good go at the league this year.”

Reflecting on a year ago, the 49-year-old manager added: “This time last year we didn’t know whether the club was going to continue and obviously that put a big stress on everybody, not knowing which way to go.

“But yes, definitely, we’ve got a good base to work with, we’ve got a lot of good young players as well as the more experienced players.

“It gives us a good, solid base to work on and with the new players that we’re looking to bring in, it’s going to be a very exciting season for us.”

Lovell explained Patterson’s dual-role, as Ashford look to bring through more home-grown talent through to the first team.

“Mark will assist me on training nights and will assist me on Saturday’s and the running of the team,” said Lovell.

“It’s the same situation, Hugo’s left and Mark has come in so nothing’s different there. I will be the manager and Mark will help me as it was last year with Hugo.

“It seems a natural progression really with the Academy taking off. Mark will be working closely with that and it will be a good link between the Academy and the first team.

“I will help him with the Academy and he will obviously help with the first team.”

The aim is to develop more players, such as defender Laurence Harvey.

“Laurence has played most of the season, so he’s been a big player to us at this tender age and a debut season,” said Lovell.

“Since Christmas he has come on leaps and bounds and he will have a lot more to learn and hopefully with a couple of experienced players around him he will benefit.

“Laurence and the likes of Ronnie Dolan and Carl Harrold, they’re very young boys, but they will be exciting to work with this year.”

Ashford got their campaign off to a horrendous 7-0 away defeat to Croydon Athletic - and it took them six games to claim their first win of the season.

Getting off to a much better start is what Lovell is aiming for.

“Well, we didn’t have a very good season last year and it wasn’t enjoyable as a manager, chairman or as a supporter,” reflected Lovell.

“We’ve got to make sure that we’re in a position where we can build quite strongly between now and August and we do start the season full tilt, not like last year when it was like a pre-season when we started the season.

“A lot of work has to be done between now and August. It will be done on the field and off the field and me and Mark are very excited on what we can achieve this year.”

Visit Ashford Town’s website: www.ashfordtownfc.co.uk