FA Cup run will stand us in good stead in getting a new ground, says Greenwich Borough's Paul Blade

GREENWICH BOROUGH assistant manager Paul Blade says the club’s lengthy FA Cup run is putting them on the map.

The sole surviving Southern Counties East Football League side have already knocked out Lancing (2-1), St Francis Rangers (5-2) and Chessington & Hook United (1-0).

Manager Ian Jenkins takes his side to Beaconsfield SYCOB in the Second Qualifying Round on Saturday.

The Buckinghamshire outfit play one league higher than Boro’ and are in the bottom four in the Southern League Division One Central with two wins and two draws from their nine league games.

Greenwich Borough, meanwhile, go into the game sitting in ninth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League table with four wins and a draw from seven games – 14 points adrift of leaders Erith & Belvedere – but they have won their last six games in all competitions.

“I think The FA Cup has sort of put us back on track,” said Blade, whose side are favourites for the league title.

“There’s been a lot of changes. What you don’t realise is we haven’t got one player left from last year, who was in the original squad when we took over.

“It has taken time, probably a bit longer than we thought, but we’ve kept going at it.

“We’ve been good one week and not so good the next. There’s been a little bit of inconsistency but the last six games we’ve clicked.  We’re unbeaten. We’re a little bit fitter and that helps.

“We’ve tried to instill our ideas on how we want to play and we’re getting there.

“We’re six unbeaten, which is good. We’re scoring goals. We’re still creating lots of chances, probably not scoring as many as we’re creating but we are scoring, which is always a good sign.”

Beaconsfield SYCOB go into Saturday’s FA Cup tie as favourites but Blade is confident his side can go there and cause an upset in the club’s biggest test in the competition so far.

Greenwich Borough are only three wins away from the First Round.

Blade said: “We’ve had them looked at so we know a little bit about them, no doubt they’ve looked at us.

“They’re a league above so I suppose you can say we’re the underdogs. We know we’ve got players who have played at the higher levels so that’s not a problem for us.

“They’re a fairly physical, big side but we’re strong and we like to play. We’re going into it confident, but we’ll always show the other side respect.

“They are a league above, so they’re where they are and we’re where we are.

“We are confident and we are playing well. We’re really looking forward to it and we’ll enjoy the day.”

Greenwich Borough have already banked £6,425 from their FA Cup run and there’s another £4,500 up for grabs this weekend.

“It’s massive, massive. Purely financial more than anything else,” added Blade.

“Saturday is worth four-and-a-half-thousand, which is a big part of it and we’ve had three games now so financially that’s great for the club. If we win on Saturday, even better, because you’re looking then to get to the First Round and anything happens then.

“A FA Cup run gives you profile for the club. As everyone knows we’re looking to try and get a new ground so The FA Cup is a great history of football so if a club like us can do well, promote the club and get the club’s name out there, it stands us in good stead when speaking to the council and looking to try and get a new ground.”

Greenwich Borough are in the second year of their groundshare deal to hire Dartford’s Vanarama Conference standard Princes Park Stadium.

Blade said: “It’s great. We see a lot more faces, which is nice.  The Dartford chairman and a few of their committee watch our games as well. They’re very complimentary and they look after us. Everything we need, they provide. 

“It’s my old club, where I spent a long time, where I learnt my trade as a coach and everything else of the old managers there like Peter Taylor.

“We’d love our own ground but we’re thankful to Dartford.  Playing in a nice stadium, a great surface, which suits our football.  No disrespect to the Kent League clubs, they’ve not got what we’ve got and it gives them a lift to play in a nice stadium, on a nice surface.”

Meanwhile, the club have today appointed Kelly Mallion as their new general manager.

A club statement said: “Kelly is highly skilled and experienced in PR/marketing.  Kelly will bring these qualities to the club and work on a daily basis in promoting our vision of returning to the Royal Borough of Greenwich and raising our profile in the football and local community.”

Visit Greenwich Borough’s website:  www.greenwichboroughfc.co.uk

Beaconsfield SYCOB  v  Greenwich Borough
The FA Cup Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 27^th September 2014
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Holloways Park, Windsor Road, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire HP9 2SE