I believe in every single one of my players, says Tonbridge Angels boss Tommy Warrilow

TONBRIDGE ANGELS boss Tommy Warrilow says he wants his side to prove people wrong this season.



The Angels begin their third The Skrill South (Conference South) campaign with a home game against Ian Allinson’s Boreham Wood tomorrow.

The Longmead Stadium outfit finished in ninth-place in their first season in the division, but finished in sixteenth-place with 48 points last season, staving off relegation by four points during the last week of the season.

Boreham Wood, meanwhile, finished in ninth-place last season, despite being in and around the play-offs for most of the season.

Warrilow, 49, cannot wait to get the new football season underway and wants to get off to a flying start.

“I think that extra week dragged on a little bit,” he said.

“Last week’s game against Gillingham, the mode wasn’t right. We set our stall out. We’ve had a good pre-season. There’s been more positives than negatives and we want it to start now because all that can easily go out of the window.

“We’re all in good spirits and we’ll know more by twenty-to-five.”

When asked what he’s expecting from Boreham Wood tomorrow, the Angels boss said: “They’re a good side. I expect Boreham Wood to be there or there abouts come the end of the season.

“I’ve got a good relationship with them as a club and their manager is a good friend, who I get on well with and I know they’re going to be a well organsied and be a very strong outfit this year.”

Warrilow says the mood at the club is the best it’s ever been during his reign.

“It’s been very calm,” he said. “The atmosphere around the club is the best I’ve known since I walked through the door so everyone seems pretty positive.

“We’ve messed up a few times in pre-season, but that’s what pre-season is all about.  We are going to mess up this year. We are going to have a bad game and a bad result. The important thing this year is not go overboard about it and stay positive as we can.  No one likes losing games.

“Last year we appreciated how important it was to stay in this league with the two sides that came up (Billericay Town and AFC Hornchurch) going straight back down.”

Warrilow admits he faces a tough start to the new season.

“The first six games, I would say there’s three sides in there who I’d expect to be in the play-offs at the end of the season,” he said.

“The good thing is we’ve got four games coming thick and fast in the next nine games so whatever happens we won’t be jumping from the rooftops.

“We’ve got to go to Eastbourne on Tuesday, then we go to Bromley (next Saturday), then we go to Chelmsford, not far off that we go to Havant & Waterlooville.

“Every game this year, I think teams are looking at us thinking we’re the team they should be getting three points against us this year and we’ll go out there to prove differently.

“I’ve got the upmost faith in the squad that I’ve got there. The confidence in the players has been absolutely on fire.

“I’ve been speaking to Alex (O’Brien, my assistant manager) tonight to talk about a few final pointers and just throwing things out there to chew the fat.

“Everyone’s done well pre-season so the starting eleven tomorrow, the bench will be strong so the starting eleven have to be on their toes because I’ve got no qualms this year in pulling players out and pulling players in and looking at the team and not seeing it weaker at all.

Looking forward to their trip to Eastbourne Borough next Tuesday, Warrilow said: “They had their first year in the Conference South last year and they got sucked into a relegation battle along with us. 

“They’ve got resources over there and they’ve been in the Conference Premier historically so they’ve been up there at the top level and they’ll be well organised.

“Every time I speak to people I say I’m expecting a really difficult game because the league this year is tougher and stronger than it has been in previous seasons.

“We don’t want to get wrapped up in a situation that we were in last year. I learnt a hell of a lot last year regarding the first time I’ve walked in to the door we got sucked into a relegation battle and we don’t want that again.

“I’m hoping people don’t take for granted the league we’re in – I’ve never done it!

“We finished ninth in the first season which was more than good and we had a few comments ‘that weren’t bad for our first season’ and that was fantastic and well better and that we were punching above our weight finishing ninth in our first year in Conference South. It was always hard to emulate that.

“It’s just a difficult league and again the clubs in it are steeped in history playing at this level and above and the teams that have come up and gone down are very strong financially.

“It’s going to be a tough, long season but if we can keep everyone fit and suspension free I’ve got no qualms in my lads going out to compete at this level because I’ve got good players who on our day can beat anyone on our day and I believe in every single one of them.”

Visit Tonbridge Angels’ website: www.tonbridgeangelsonline.co.uk

Tonbridge Angels  v  Boreham Wood
The Skrill South
Saturday 17^th August 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Longmead Stadium, Darenth Avenue, Tonbridge, Kent TN10 3JF