The Cold End

Sunday, 22 May 2022

LEIGHTON TOWN BUILDING FOR THE NEW SEASON WITH SIGNINGS MADE ALREADY

Leighton Town, who finished in 4th place of the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division and famously won the Bedfordshire Senior Cup beating Southern League D1 Central Champions Bedford Town, have been busy planning for the 2022/23 season. They have announced the above friendly games starting on Saturday 9th July with a trip to SSMFL Division One Real Bedford.

The club have also announced midfielder Luke Pyman who scored in the cup final has committed to playing for Town next season along with the acquisition of brother's Kyle and Gary Connolly who played for Step Three side King's Langley last season.

Kyle is a left-back who who joined Kings Langley for Hemel Hempstead Town in 2019. He made over 200 appearances for The Tudors and has also spent time with the academy teams of Arsenal, Boreham Wood and Watford.

Gary has been with Kings Langley since 2011, aside from a year in Australia, playing in over 250 games for them. He is a defender/midfielder who played for Leverstock Green prior to joining KLFC.

Of course it's very early days yet but with former Hemel manager Lee Bircham in charge being assisted by former Aylesbury United boss Tony Joyce since the end of March it's likely they'll be amongst the favourites for the SSMFL Premier title for next season.

CHARITY MATCH AT WARE FC NEXT SUNDAY

ANGELO HARROP THE NEW BRAINTREE TOWN BOSS - NWACHUKU SIGNS FOR AFC SUDBURY

Angelo Harrop has stepped down as joint manager of AFC Sudbury to to take the stop up to Vanarama South side Braintree Town.

Harrop had been joint boss of the Suffolk club since the summer of 2021 and along with Rick Andrews oversaw their historic run to the FA Cup First Round proper where they played Colchester United at The MEL Group Stadium.

Harrop started out in management with Stanway Rovers in 2013 where he had also been Director of Football - He also played for Stowmarket Town in the 17/18 when Andrews was boss.

AFC Sudbury, who missed out on the Isthmian North Division play-offs finishing seventh last season, have confirmed Andrews will stay as Manager and have wished Angelo all the best getting his chance to manage a club two levels above.

Since dropping down from The National League in 2019 The Iron were in 21st (of 22) place of the 19/20 curtailed season where there was no relegation. This season they finished 17th (of 21) with four wins in their last ten games pulling them away from the one relegation spot.

AFC have announced the signing of striker Nnamdi Nwachuku who played for Marlow in the Isthmian South-Central Division last season scoring 26 goals in league and cup games.

Nwachuku played in the Colchester United and Reading academy before making his name in non-league football with Coggeshall Town when The Seed Growers rose from the Thurlow Nunn Premier to Step Four - He scored 101 goals in 100 games for the Essex club. He moved to Welling United in October 2019 but this didn't work out and he then played for Cambridge City before moving to Marlow.

Only Tilbury, Coggeshall Town, Barking, Hullbridge Sports, Witham Town, Basildon United and Romford scored fewer goals than AFC last season so the addition of Nwachuku will certainly help their goals for column for the 22/23 campaign.

WELCOME TO NON-LEAGUE'S TOP TABLE - DORKING WANDERERS

"Money Talks" and "Amazing what bundles and bundles of money does" are some of the phrases I picked up off of social media yesterday after Dorking Wanderers achieved their promotion to The Vanarama National Division in the most dramatic of fashion with a 3-2 victory over Ebbsfleet United.

It doesn't take a genius to work out that for a squad to be built with the aim of promotion from Step Two to Step One does cost money as you need good players but to say "Money Talks" is being a little harsh I think - Anyone not in the know from reading those comments may think the club has brought in players with Vanarama National and/or football league experience but that's far from the case as you'll see below.

Two of the players involved yesterday were playing at Step Three (Dan Lincoln - Farnborough and Jordan Cheadle - Carshalton Athletic) and one was in Step Four (Darren Oldaker - Hythe Town) at the beginning of this season!

Harry Ottaway was also signed in January from Step Three Carshalton Athletic but wasn't in the squad yesterday.

I think it takes a combination of things in respect of players, management, coaching and behind the scenes graft by many people to have a successful squad.

The Dorking Wanderers manager Marc White divides opinion with some fans but love him or dislike him you can't help but admire what he had done with the club he formed in 1999 along with Mark Lewington, Ian Davidson, Lee Spickett and Penny Gregg. I'm sure he wouldn't of thought Wanderers would be rubbing shoulders with teams like Oldham Athletic and Scunthorpe United in non-league's top division in 2022 when they first took to the field in the The Crawley & District League at The Big Field in Brockham which was the first pitch they played on.

Wanderers moved into Meadowbank in the summer of 2018 which had been the home of Dorking FC who had been dissolved in 2017. The ground had been shut since 2017 as it had been shut due to it failing to meet health and safety requirements. Millions of pounds have been invested in the upgrade of the stadium and its now a community sports facility and the home to the Surrey County Football Association.

Where other historic grounds have been lost to property developers we should be celebrating that Meadowbank is still here and thriving despite the loss of the original Dorking FC who played in the Isthmian League and Combined Counties League.

Below is the current squad for Dorking Wanderers - I'm sure they'll be some movement both in and out of the club following their promotion as some players always move on with the increase in travelling in The National League.

STARTING XI YESTERDAY

DAN LINCOLN - 26 year old goalkeeper signed from Step Three side Farnborough in November 2021. Started his career as a professional with Reading from 2013 to 2015 spending time on loan with Harrow Borough, Met Police, Farnborough and Nuneaton Town. Since his release from Reading he has played for a number of non-league sides and is most known for his time with Bognor Regis Town from 2016 to 2019 who he helped with promotion from the Isthmian Premier to the Vanarama South. Has also played first class cricket for Middlesex and Kent.