Kentish Football 
Deres target half a dozen new faces for serious promotion bid
Tuesday 10th June 2008
ERITH & BELVEDERE’S joint-manager Paul Gorman is “hopeful” that he’ll be signing six new players before the start of the season, as he bids to get the club promoted out of the Kent League, writes Stephen McCartney.
However, the Doncaster born boss is keeping his cards close to his chest but he did reveal that goalkeeper Matt Bromby, striker Nick Smith and midfielder Matt Bedford are staying at Park View Road.The Deres are so serious about promotion next term that fourteen players are continuing turning up for once a week running sessions before they officially report back to pre-season training on 26th June.
“Fourteen players are turning up, which is good to see,” Gorman told www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight.
“They call it the running club on the Tuesday and it gets the cobwebs out of you.
“They're doing it now because they’re getting a good blast. The boys that are with me now from last season know we are serious (about) pushing for a top three place this season.”
The Deres will be running with a first team squad of 18-20 players next season and when asked about Matt Johnson’s future, Gorman replied: “MJ is MJ, he’ll turn up when he feels like it!
“The three of the four are coming back. We don’t know about MJ, we’ll leave it in his court.”
Gorman believes Erith & Belvedere are underachieving and need to be playing Ryman League football as quickly as possible.
“The club shouldn’t be in the Kent League,” he said. “It’s a bigger club than the majority of the Kent League teams, no disrespect to them.
“We’re aiming for a top three finish, hopefully everything goes according to plan. Obviously injuries upset us last year but everything should be ok, touch wood.”
“The club is a big club. The club has actually came down from the league above and it’s the last three or four years that it’s been in the Kent League.
“It’s a Kent League team now. We obviously need to get back to where the club came from.
“We’ve got the ground, it’s just like Dartford, who used to be in the Kent League, having come down from the Southern League. Look at Dartford, they’re back in the Ryman Premier League.
“We need a bit of luck. We’re looking to go up, we’ve got the ambition as well. We want to get the club back to where it belongs.
“I’m hopeful that we’re going to have a strong squad next season and we’re in with a shout to actually do well.”
Meanwhile, Erith & Belvedere are searching for a new club secretary after Ms Kellie Discipline resigned from her positions as director and football secretary with immediate effect.
Gorman revealed that she’s teamed up with newly promoted Thamesmead Town, who will be playing in the Ryman League Division One North when the season kick’s off on 16th August.
“Her resignation has been reluctantly, and sadly, accepted and she leaves with our best wishes for the future,” said a club statement.
“Kellie ends a fifteen year association with the football club and is an experienced and extremely knowledgeable administrator.
“Kellie is well respected within the non-league pyramid not only for her work with Erith & Belvedere but also with the Kent Football League, the Kent Football Association, the Southern Football League and the Conference Leagues.
“Kellie will be sorely missed around the football club and very difficult to replace.
“We wish her well with her future plans and we look forward to welcoming her back to Park View Road very soon.”
Gorman added: “I would like to thank Kellie for her loyal support since Chris and I have been at the club since November 2006 and wish her all the best at Thamesmead Town.”
All interested parties for the vacant football secretary post should apply in writing, in the strictest confidence, to:
The Chairman
Erith & Belvedere Football Club Limited
Park View Road
Welling
Kent
DA16 1SY
Closing date for applications is Friday 27 June 2008 with interviews commencing in early July.
Visit Erith & Belvedere's website: www.erithandbelvederefc.co.uk
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd