HASTINGS UNITED
After a nine season stay at Step Four The U's return to the Isthmian Premier Division and I'm sure they will surprise a few teams during the 22/23 campaign.
Many of the Sussex club's South-East Division Championship winning side have committed to stay with the The U's. They won the division by 13 points from their nearest challenger's Ashford Town.
Attacking winger Kai Brown, 21, has been signed. He played for Ipswich Town's academy and spent time on loan with Dagenham & Redbridge whilst at Portman Road. He made 31 appearances for North Division side Grays Athletic last season whom he joined from Welling United in October where he had been since August and leaving The Tractor Boys.
Another winger in Gil Carvalho has joined after spending the 21/22 season with Haywards Heath Town. He was selected for Sao Tome e Principe International Squad for their recent African Cup Of Nations qualifiers against Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau. He came on as a second half substitute against Guinea Bissau. The team possibly have one of the best nicknames in International football in "Seleção dos Falcões e Papagaios" which translates to "The Falcons and True Parrots Team". Their recent squad also included striker Valter Rocha who played for Brightlingsea Regent and Basildon United last season.
Perhaps the best piece of business the club have done over the summer is securing Manager Gary Elphick on a two year contract. He joined The U's as a player in the summer of 2018 and was named boss in November 2021 following the departure of Chris Agutter who went on to join the coaching staff at League Two side Stevenage. Elphick previously managed Worthing taking them from Step Four to Step Three during his time with the club from 2015 to 2017. He is a highly experienced player having started his career with Brighton & HA and played for St Albans City, Havant & Waterlooville, Eastbourne Borough, Eastleigh, Tonbridge Angels, Lewes, Burgess Hill Town, Hastings United and Worthing during his career.
Also this summer the planning application for a brand new stadium and extensive sporting facilities at Tilekiln Playing Fields has been approved so The U's will be moving from The Pilot Field in the near future which has been in use since 1922.
HERNE BAY
South-East Division play-off winner's Herne Bay move up to the Premier Division. The Kent Town is a lovely place to visit and the seafront lovely for a stroll along prior to a game especially when the sun is shinning.
On the departure side of things The Bay have seen Bradley Schafer leave after a short stay having joined from Hythe Town in December having started the 21/22 season with Sevenoaks Town. He has stayed in the South-East Division joining Faversham Town.
There hasn't been much news on the player front for Ben Smith's side as they prepare to play at Step Three of the non-league ladder for the first time in their 137 year history!
Winger Kieron Campbell has committed to the club for the forthcoming season having been one of the stand out players last year. He has been with The Bay since July 2019 having joined from Hythe Town. He counts Whitstable Town, Fisher and Faversham Town as former clubs.
The Kent club's loyal fans will be looking forward to their two local derby games against Margate which should be well attended games.
HORNCHURCH
It was a case of so near but so far for The Urchins last season as they narrowly lost the play-off final to Cheshunt 1-2 at Bridge Avenue.
Another club who are playing their cards close to their chest on the player front with no new signings announced.
One fantastic deal they have done is secure the services of Tom Wraight, 27, who joined the club in December 2021 from Vanarama South side Chelmsford City. The midfielders arrivals saw an up turn in form for Mark Stimson's side with the former East Thurrock United player scoring 17 goals being a big part of helping them into the play offs. He suffered an injury in the Semi-Final at Enfield Town and missed the Cheshunt final - When it comes to that stage of the season it all comes down to fine margins and maybe missing a player of his quality may have been the difference. He was voted the supporter's player and player's plater of the season.
HORSHAM
Full back Bobby Price, 26, has joined from fellow Isthmian Premier side Carshalton Athletic. He made almost 300 appearances for The Robins and scored 26 goals.
Goalkeeper Sam Howes has left the club and is expected to sign for National League side Wealdstone. He has been replaced by Mitchell Beeney who joins from Bowers & Pitsea where he was named Player's Player of the Year last season. He is a product of the Chelsea academy and was named on the bench for game against Liverpool in 2015. He was loaned to Newport County, Crawley Town and Sligo Rovers whilst at Stamford Bridge. He made the move to Sligo permanent before playing for Hartlepool United and Cheshunt before his move to The Len Salmon Stadium.
From last season's squad Tom Day, Harvey Sparks, Danny Dudley, Jack Brivio, Charlie Hester-Cook, Lee Harding, Tom Kavanagh, Doug Tuck, Tom Richards, Lucas Rodrigues and Shamie Fenelon have all signed for the 22/23 campaign.
Charlie Harris, Chris Sessegnon, Rob O'Tooole and Will Miles have all departed.
KINGSTONIAN
It's a new era for The K's as they move from ground sharing with Corinthian-Casuals to play in Tooting and Mitcham's Imperial Fields home. Following Hayden Bird's departure they are under the new management of former Potters Bar Town boss Lee O'Leary who had been Assistant to Bird. He is a former K's player so knows the club well.
The K's have been without a stadium they can call their own since 2017 when they had no choice but to move from Kingsmeadow which had been their home since 1989.
Former Dulwich Hamlet winger Nyren Clunis had committed to staying with The K's for the forthcoming season but due a change in circumstances he will be playing for an as yet un-confirmed Isthmian Premier club.
Full Back Louis Collins has signed from Walton & Hersham where he was a bug part of their promotion campaign from the Combined Counties League. He is the son of former K's midfielder Liam Collins.
Defender Jack Strange has signed from Corinthian-Casuals where he made 43 appearances last season. He has also played for Sutton United where he was part of The U's youth set-up.
The loyal K's fans will be very pleased to see Midfielder Dan Bennett return to the club for a third spell. He was part of the squad which made it to the FA Cup Second Round in the 19/20 season when they won 4-0 against Macclesfield Town in the First Round before losing to AFC Fylde.
LEWES
The Rooks narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season eventually finishing in 7th position.
They are another side yet to announce any signings.
One player departing The Dripping Pan is left-winger/attacker Ollie Tanner who has joined Championship side Cardiff City for an undisclosed fee. The 20 year old made a real impact after joining from Bromley last summer scoring 13 goals in 35 games.
Many Premier League and Championship scouts watched him last season with Tottenham Hotspur having a bid accepted but personal terms couldn't be agreed. He is very talented player who I predict will play for The Bluebirds first team in the 22/23 campaign.
MARGATE
New boss Andy Drury has been busy building a somewhat new look squad at Hartsdown Park following the departure of Jay Saunders to Vanarama South side Tonbridge Angels.
Left-Back Taylor Fisher, 22, makes the step up from South-East Division side Sittingbourne where he swept the board the club's award ceremony winning the Player's, Supporter's and Manager's play of the year trophies. He has previously represented Dartford.
Winger Troy Howard, 20, has made the step up from Step Five club Deal Town. He returns to the club he was a youth player with. Howard has bags of pace and will no doubt be a hit with fans in the Kent Town next season.
Emmanuel Oluwasemo has also made the step up from South-East Division Faversham Town where the striker scored 15 goals last season. He has also played for Bearsted and Herne Bay.
Midfielder Kieron McCann, 30, brings much experience with him having joined from Folkestone Invicta. He joined Invicta from Sevenoaks Town in 2017 and has been with them since aside for a short spell with Cray Valley. He played 177 times for Folkestone.
Centre Back Harry Hudson has joined from Tonbridge Angels. The 21 year old started his career in the youth set up of West Ham United and Watford. He has also played for Billericay Town - He made 32 appearances for The Angels last season.
Midfielder Adam Topley, 24, has also joined after spending last season with Heybridge Swifts. He started his career with Colchester United and Southend United before joining Concord Rangers where he made 66 appearances.
Louis Collins (to Tonbridge), Joe Anderson (retired), Crossley Lema (to Leatherhead), Reece Prestedge (???) and Montel Ageymang (to Billericay Town) have all departed the club.
POTTERS BAR TOWN
It's a Bowers & Pitsea reunion with The Scholars this season as Lewis Manor and Quentin Monville have both signed. Manor, A club legend with his former club, scored 22 times in 44 games last season. Winger Monville had been with Bowers since 2018.
Central Defender Kasim Aidoo, 20, has signed from Cray Wanderers. He also made some appearances for Vanarama South side Eastbourne Borough last season. He came through the ranks at Charlton Athletic.
WINGATE & FINCHLEY
No news from The Blues regarding player's moving in or moving out of The Maurice Rebak Stadium. This will be Marc Weatherstone's second season in charge of The North London club - I'm sure the club legend will have learnt an awful lot in his first season in the dug-out. I'll make an early prediction that Wingate won't concede more than the 74 they let in last season.
They won 5 of their opening 21 games letting in 42 goals in 21/22 which improved to 8 victories in their last 21 games conceding just 32 goals - An improvement from 2 goals conceded per game to 1.52 per game.
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