Dartford prepare for their biggest tests - EXCLUSIVE

Princes Park Stadium welcomes two London giants next week, with Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace experiencing Dartford’s stunning £6.5m home, writes Stephen McCartney.

Tottenham Hotspur visit on Monday night, with a crowd of over 1,500 expected, before former Darts heroes, Dave Martin and Peter Taylor, return five days later (Friday, 20^th July, 7pm).



RETURN:  Former Dartford winger, Dave Martin returns to Princes Park with his Crystal Palace team-mates in a match that has already sold out.
Photograph courtesy of www.dartfordfootballclub.co.uk/wiki

That game against Championship side Crystal Palace, has already sold out and the Ryman League Division One North hosts have generated their largest ever gate receipts since its re-formation back in 1993.

But Dartford have only had three training sessions ahead of Spurs’ visit on Monday night.

And skipper, Tommy Osborne, 27, who plays at right-back, is relishing testing himself against professional footballers, starting against the north London Premiership giants.

“I think they’re will be a mixture of their youth and reserve team, to be honest with you,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“But I dare say, it will be a very good, very quick, very fit (team), so it will be a good test for us.

“I feel Palace will play more of their first-team than Tottenham. It will be good to see Dave Martin again, popular lad, and obviously done very well for himself, and I think it will be a real big test for us, that game, as is happens.”

Dartford were controversially switched from Ryman League Division One South to Ryman League Division One North last month, but the north Kent club are expected to clinch promotion at the end of the season, after just missing out on the play-off’s for the last two seasons.

Dartford expects? “I would say they probably should!” said assistant boss Paul Sawyer.



HOME COMFORTS:  Dartford's assistant manager Paul "Skip" Sawyer is looking forward to playing pre-season friendlies on home soil.
Photograph courtesy of www.dartfordfootballclub.co.uk/wiki

And the coach said: “The facilities are here, we’ve got the crowds behind us, and I think we all expect to do well this year.

“The pressure’s on, but we’ve all been involved with the club when there wasn’t the pressure and all we were doing was survive.

“The pressure for the last fourteen years was to survive from year-to-year, so the pressure we’ve got here, is the pressure we’ve always wanted - so bring it on!”

Dartford begin their league campaign on Saturday, 18^th August, when Essex side Maldon Town visit Princes Park.

And Osborne says that the players are going into the new season “blind”, as they will not be playing a single Kent derby throughout their league campaign.



HUGE EXPECTATIONS:  Darts skipper Tommy Osborne says his team-mates can handle the pressure.
Photograph courtesy of www.dartfordfootballclub.co.uk/wiki

“A lot of the teams will be unfamiliar to us,” said Osborne. “In the other league we knew a lot of our (opponents’) players and how they played, so we’re going in a little bit blind.

“But I dare say that Tony (Burman), Skip (Sawyer) and Robbo (Steve Robinson), will do their homework on the other sides, and let us know what’s what.

“I think we will feel we’ll be competing for it (but) it is a new league, a lot of the teams will be unfamiliar to us, but we’ve got to give it a real go.”

Osborne urges the ever-increasing Darts faithful to continue their excellent support of the team this season, and explained what they give to boost morale.

He said: “It helps you out to be honest. There was a couple of times last season where first half we were struggling and weren’t playing well.

“We came out for the second half, the crowd got behind us, and it’s like an extra man at times.

“If we can get that to our advantage this year, get a good home record, then we’ve got half a chance.”

Osborne agreed that the players’ have to live with the expectations of a glorious season ahead.

“I think because of the ground and because of the size of the crowds that we’re getting, that expectation is there,” he said.

“Hopefully (we’ll) get a good home record going. If we can do well away from home, we’ve got every chance.”

But Dartford will be playing against sides that haven’t played at Princes Park before, and rivals are expected to raise their games.

“We’re going into a lot of the games not really knowing the capabilities of the other teams,” warned Osborne.

“Tony and Skip will do all they can to help us, but we’ve got to roll our sleeves and get on with it.

“They might sort of get a couple of hundred when they play, and all off a sudden they come to a real nice ground in front of 1,300 and they want to do well here, like any team would.

“We really have to try and make Princes Park a real fortress and if we can nick results away from home, I really feel we will be in with a chance.”

www.kentishfootball.co.uk will be covering Darts’ games against Spurs and the Eagles next week.

Meanwhile, Dartford have reduced the admission prices for all their pre-season friendly matches at Princes Park, to £5 (adults), £1 (concessions).

However, the all-ticket game against Crystal Palace on Friday, 20^th July, has already sold out.

Sawyer said: “It will be nice, we haven’t had those fixtures for years, being on the road.

“We’ve been reliant on playing away from home for our pre-season games, so it’s nice this year to have that opportunity.

“If we play against the youth team and reserves this year, who knows, Spurs may want to bring their full first-team (next season).

“I’m sure they’ll be impressed when they come down and see the facilities and the crowds, and it’s a great opportunity to put Princes Park on the map, even more.”

Please note that Dartford will be wearing their away strip of all yellow against Tottenham Hotspur.

Visit Dartford’s websites:  www.dartfordfc.co.uk & www.dartfordfootballclub.co.uk/forum  

Photographs courtesy of www.dartfordfootballclub.co.uk/wiki


Dartford v Tottenham Hotspur
Pre-Season Friendly
Monday 16^th July 2007
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Princes Park Stadium, Grassbanks, Darenth Road, Dartford, DA1 1RT