Soccer Shorts: Vickers boss Keith McMahon pulls off a transfer coup with the arrival of Loick Pires

BREDHURST JUNIORS are staging a Charity Fun Day on Sunday 19 July at their Central Park Stadium – Sittingbourne’s former ground.

 

Bredhurst Juniors FC All Stars will play Gillingham FC Legends. 

The two sides are locking horns to raise funds for The John Graham Trust, a charity based in Blean near Canterbury that aims to empower adults with special learning needs to develop their independence of life skills.

The charity aims to do this by providing equipment and funding for people with specific needs, this may be educational, social or recreational needs.

The trust is currently focusing on an All Weather Pitch project where the rust aims to raise funds of £120,000.

Doors open at 11:30am and there will be Irish dancing, Karate, Judo and Sumo wrestling etc, plus many stalls and attractions including Zorb football, a live driving experience, bouncy castles and many more. There will be a live band, barbeque and hog roasts and a picnic area for families to enjoy.

BROMLEY and all other non-league clubs who played in The FA Cup First Round last season will receive £7,000 each from their share of The FA Cup Pool Fund.

DOVER ATHLETIC have confirmed that goalkeeper Mitch Walker, 23, has signed a new deal to stay at Crabble until the end of the 2015-16 season, making him the tenth player on contract for next season.

Andrew Rafferty, Richard Orlu, Sean Raggett, Tyrone Sterling, Tom Wynter, Jamie Grimes, Ricky Modeste, Tom Murphy and Stefan Payne are staying at the Vanarama National League club.

Connor Essam, Liam Bellamy, Nick Deverdics and James Poole have been offered new deals and the club await their decision.

Two players, defender Sean Francis and striker Nathan Elder, have departed and have signed for Bromley and Tonbridge Angels respectively.

Christian Nanetti, Adam Mekki, Barry Cogan, Jake Reid, Joe O’Cearuill and Solomon Taiwo have been given permission to find themselves new clubs, although they can report for pre-season training at Dover Athletic if they can’t find new clubs.

Goalkeeper Lee Hook will be staying at the club in a coaching role.

DULWICH HAMLET goalkeeper Phil Wilson will be raising money with the 5^th Camberwell Cubs Scouts for the Norwood Food Bank and the World Wildlife Trust.

The 32-year-old will be facing spot kicks on the Greendales AstroTurf behind the club’s main stadium at 11:00 on Saturday morning. 

It’s just £1 for three kicks from the penalty spot and there’s a prize on offer of a pair of Wilson’s gloves for the outright winner.

ERITH & BELVEDERE manager Matt Longhurst has enticed striker Brendon Cass to Park View Road to become his player-coach next season.

Cass scored 26 goals for their Southern Counties East Football League rivals Tunbridge Wells last season.

Aaron Lacy (assistant manager), Neil Hunter (player development and scout) and Darren Mace (goalkeeper coach and head of youth development) head up Longhurst’s management team.

A club statement said: “Brendon Cass has joined up with the Deres. Brendon needs no introduction to people in Kent football, his goalscoring record speaks for itself and this will be his first step into management and we are delighted to welcome him to the club.”

Longhurst has tonight unveiled the signing of central defender Joe Vines, who is one of many players to leave league rivals Greenwich Borough this summer.

Longhurst told www.erithandbelvederefc.co.uk: “Joe is someone I watched last season in admiration really. He wears his heart on his sleeve and after a meeting with him I’m convinced he’s a big piece of the puzzle we had missing last season.

“He has won many trophies across a great non-league career at a really good level and his experience, quality and leadership is something that doesn’t offer itself often so after a long meeting I’m delighted he’s agreed to come on board this year.  I think he’ll have a big impact on the group.”

Vines’ former Greenwich Borough team mate Jamie Wood is also at Park View Road, although striker Paul Vines, who scored 29 goals for Boro’ last season and captain Aaron Day remain free agents at present.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley has unveiled the signing of versatile Phil Starkey, 27, from Ryman Premier League champions Maidstone United.

“He’ll should prove a very good signing for us and he comes with a lot of higher level experience behind him,” Cugley told www.folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk.

HYTHE TOWN are staging a Supporters Meeting and Meet the Manager Evening at Reachfields Stadium on Friday 19 June.

The Ryman League Division One South club said: “This coming season promises to be a very significant one for all Reachfields regulars.  All of you are therefore invited to an evening at the clubhouse on Friday 19 June at 7pm.

“During the evening we will not only bring you up to date with all of the latest comings and goings, but we will also bring you news of some changes that we have made and consult you about one or two others we are planning.

“There will also be a Questions and Answers session attended by our manager, chairman and other club officers and an opportunity for you to speak one-to-one afterwards if you wish.

“Please be assured that this is not an attempt to press-gang anybody into jobs, but as we approach our fifth season at this level we feel that the time is right to be moving the club forward and we value your input and your opinions.”

Talking ahead of a key evening for supporters of the club, supporters’ representative to the board, Andrew Johnson told www.hythetownfc.co.uk:  “The general feeling at the club is that for its first year the Supporters Group has been a success. We now have several supporters closely involved with the club, be it in the boardroom or helping with the pitch and maintenance of the ground, as well as others who are willing to lend a hand on match days. 

“There can never be enough volunteers and everyone's help is very much appreciated by the directors, management team and players. The club is now looking for ways to push on and move forward regarding our supporters, and as such we are looking for any new ideas or thoughts in how this can be achieved.

“On a personal note, I wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you who came to our presentation evening. The night was a great success and as well as being very enjoyable it also raised somewhere in the region of £1,300 which is a magnificent figure and will be some very welcome funds for the club.”

MAIDSTONE UNITED have confirmed that they have sold 850 season tickets ahead of their Vanarama National League South campaign gets underway in August.

TONBRIDGE ANGELS manager Steve McKimm has unveiled his second summer signing from their Ryman Premier League rivals Lewes.

Winger Nick Wheeler, 24, has the ability to play on either flank and score goals.

McKimm told www.tonbridgeangelsonline.co.uk: “With previous experience at Charlton Athletic youth, Burgess Hill Town and most recently Lewes, Nick has undoubted pedigree at non-league level.”

VCD ATHLETIC recently-appointed manager Keith McMahon has pulled off a transfer coup with the arrival of striker Loick Pires, 26, from Welling United.

A club statement said: “This is a massive signing for the club and is sure he will be a big hit with the fans and will be a big asset to the team.”

The Ryman Premier League club has also confirmed that two midfielders have arrived from Cray Wanderers - Max Fitzgerald, 21, and Giannoulis Fakinos.

McMahon has signed 12 new players since taking charge of the club last month.