The dates for the pre-season friendlies are rapidly approaching with the real football season in the Ryman North Division ready to kick off within weeks. Here is the latest (or not so latest) news that has been reported on some of the clubs Town will be facing in the 2010/11 season.
Brentwood Town
The cold end expects Les Whitton's side to be challenging at the top of Division with some impressive signings brought in during the close season. Ex Towner Andy 'Chopper' Hall has arrived from Tilbury, Central defender Darren Blewitt has apparently turned down offers from clubs at a higher level to stay as captain at the Internatonal Arena. Danny Gabriel who top scored for Waltham Forest before moving on to Ryman Premier Aveley for the end part of last season, Anton Stephenson who was top scorer in the Essex Senior League for Bethnal Green United, Michael Filletti and Ben Gracey (Waltham Forest) and Nicky Wettner (Barkingside) have also joined the Essex side.
East Thurrock United
John Coventry has lost the services of top goalscorer Sam Higgins, who has joined Chelmsford City but has added Neil Richmond (18 goals in 33 league and cup games for Great Wakering Rovers last season) and winger Neil Webb along with left back Joe Keith from Tilbury to his already impressive squad which the cold end is sure will up and challenging from promotion once again in the 2010/11 season.
Harlow Town
Finished bottom of the pack last season and were granted a reprieve due to VCD's demotion on ground grading issues. It has been reported new boss Kevin Warren has added ex Towner's John Stevenson and Jeff Hammond (both of whom spent time with Hitchin Town last season) to play at Barrows Farm next season along with Mark Taylor, James Hasell, Shaun Gliddon, Liam Thomas and Reece Dobson who all played for the club last season. Centre forward Chris Ellerbeck returns to Harlow after spells with Ware and East Thurrock United along with Clark Akers and former Hawk Louis Bristow who joins from Essex Senior League Takeley.
The cold end expects Harlow Town will not to be rooted to the bottom of the table next season.
Ilford
Ex Cheshunt boss Gordon Boateng has joined the Foxes and will act as Director of Football at Cricklefields. Colin Walton continues as manager and will be looking to improve on last season's showing in the league.
Maldon and Tiptree
Joint manager's Brad King and Glenn Knight of 'New' club Maldon and Tiptree have been busy bringing in new players to shape their squad for the coming campaign.
Joining M&T are striker Joe Sweeney, previously with Brentwood Town and Concord Rangers, centre back Ronnie Jones who has been released by League One side Southend United, along with ex Towner Michael Deane who has moved from Blue Square South side Welling United.
Striker Kris Lee (who was with Brentwood Town last season), central defender Craig Wilkins (from Met Police who has also played for Ebbsfleet United and Dover Atheltic), full back Danny Smith (Tilbury), midfielder Lee Blackburn, Dean Standen (who joins from Cray Wanderers and once was subject of a £40,000 transfer fee when he joined Luton Town from Welling United) and Lee Perry (Brentwood Town) have also joined.
Needham Market
Will the boys from Bloomfield be this season's Lowestoft Town?? Market won the Eastern Counties League and Cup double last season so have impressive pedigree.
They pipped CRC to the league title by just one point losing only four league games throughout the season. Top scorer was attacking midfielder Craig Parker with 24 goals in 37 league and cup games. In the 08/09 season, when the Trawlerboys ran away with the ECL title with 100 points, Market finished in 3rd place on 81 points. The Suffolk club also reached the Semi-Finals of the Vase in 2008 going down to eventual winners Kirkham and Wesham 4-2 on aggregate.
The hard work of Manager Danny Law's amongst others, eventually paid off in last season's league Championship as he had guided his side to 4th, 2nd and 3rd places in previous campaigns.
What is for certain is that with just a short hour and a half train journey from Liverpool Street (with a quick change at Ipswich) and the Bloomfield ground being a stone's throw from the station with several welcoming watering holes along the way it'll be a great day out in Suffolk for the Town Army if we manage to play them on a Saturday and not a midweek night.
The cold end expects Market to be up in the top half of the division as they are a strong side from one of the best league's at Step 5.
One thing Lowestoft had in their favour was their massive support base. Market were top in the crowd statistics for the ECL Premier last year averaging 200 with a top attendance of 284 when they entertained title rivals Leiston on the 23rd March.
Thamesmead Town
The Mead have built on last season's improved performance in the league by signing Alex Tiesse and goalkeeper Sam Mott from Ramsgate. Forward Tiesse will add more firepower to Keith McMahon's usual front pairing of Constable and Cable, the former Millwall youth player has played for Woking in the Conference and Tooting & Mitcham.
Tilbury
Much has been written elsewhere about Graham Chester's departure from Chadfields.
Meanwhile the New Docker's manager Paul Vaughan has been building a new squad of players bringing in experienced centre half Ben Turner (ex Romford, Ilford, Redbirdge and Barking), Striker Ben Boyce (ex of East Thurrock United, AFC Hornchurch and Brentwood Town), goalkeeper James Marrable (who has played for Aveley), striker Jack West (from Redbridge), central defender Sam West (Ilford) and Callum Leahy (from Grays Athletic)
Waltham Forest
Tony Mercer has taken over the hot seat at Cricklefields after working with the first team towards the end of last season. The ex Saffron Walden and Stansted manager has also been assistant boss at Blue Square South Bishops Stortford. Tony Murphy is to be his assistant with Mel Ramsey as first team coach. Raz Adedokun has taken up the role of director of football.
No comments:
Post a Comment