Soccer Shorts: Ealham decides to retire

Friday 16th May 2008

In tonight’s Soccer Shorts, we bring you this week’s news from the Ryman and Kent Leagues - with more to follow over the weekend.

ALL-ROUNDER Lee Ealham, 34, has announced his intention to retire from the playing side of Kent League outfit Tunbridge Wells.

Ealham is just at home shoring a defender as he is in a playmaker or striking role.

He joined the wells via Hythe Town during rookie manager - Mike Robbins - first week in the hot seat at Culverden stadium.

Robbins and Ealham had previously worked together at Ashford Town and are still expected to work together again in the future.

Although Ealham did not play on the pitch as often as was initially expected, he also played a vital role behind the scenes and was instrumental in helping Robbins take some now familiar names to the galvanised club.

Ealham who started his career at Gillingham, has had an exceptional non-league career and played no less than 481 non-league games for Dover, Dartford, Margate, Canterbury City, Folkestone, Ashford, Chatham, Swanley, Purfleet, Erith & Belvedere and Tunbridge Wells.

Ealham was present at Robbins first win of the season, away to Sevenoaks Town, setting up the goal that killed off their rivals.

He also made senior appearances for the Gills, Lincoln City and Spanish side Magaluf and came through his Gillingham apprenticeship alongside Robin Trott and Richard Carpenter.

“If ever I need advice or a friendly ear, Lee is always there,” Robbins told www.tunbridgewellsfc.co.uk.

"I have tried for years to get the big man to commit 100% but I have never quite pulled it off. However, I have grabbed whatever I could whenever I could get it.”

Wells chairman Mr Nigel Bourne also thanked Ealham for his services and backing, wishing him all the best for the future.

Ealham came in and helped to steady the ship at a valuable time.

“I thank him for everything he has done and his sponsorship board invoice is in the post,” Mr Bourne quipped.

Ealham will pass his Saturday’s by focusing more time in his business and family.

“Non-league football has been good to me,” said Ealham. “I am sure I will be back in one way or another when everything is tidied up off the field.”

With big things planned at Culverden Stadium next season, Robbins added: “He will always be welcome through the gates of fortress Culverden”.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley was keeping his cards close to his chest with regards to on the field developments at the Buzzlines Stadium, writes Tom Marchant.

Cugley is still in talks with the present playing squad about next season and with a number of transfer targets.

“I’m not confirming or denying anything at the moment and quite a few of our lads were away on holiday with us where we all had some great times but that wasn’t the right time to discuss things so as things settle down I’d like to complete things this week,” Cugley told www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk.

“If I start naming names it alerts other clubs as to who hasn’t signed and so I have to be careful. I can say “good news so and so has signed” but then other people think “well that’s alright as so and so is available” so I’m sorry but I have to be a bit careful as that’s the way these things work. I have got players tied on and I hope to make announcements next week.

“I know it’s frustrating for people when other clubs are putting stuff on their websites about various developments but we’ve just got to be patient and a lot of positive announcements will be made once things such as players staying, players coming in, friendlies, are all sorted out properly.

“I don’t want to say something is done when it’s not quite 100% for it to go the other way as that’s no help to anyone.

“When things do start falling into place it’ll show we are trying to get the Club back up again, ensuring we will be competitive next season winning games and getting a bit of buzz back around the place again”.

Two players have left Cheriton Road; left wing back Roland Edge and right wing back Kevin Watson who have both signed for Maidstone United adding to a spree of transfer activity at Bourne Park this week with the Kent side securing the services of former Ebbsfleet United and Margate midfielder Jay Saunders, prolific striker James Pinnock also from Margate and veteran central defender Ian Cox from Gillingham.

Edge only spent a season with the Seasiders but Watson had been at the Club since late 2004 and was duly recognised to be a great servant to the Cheriton Road club.

Cugley said: “We spoke to both of them about staying; Edgey did say he was most likely to be going to Maidstone and Trigger thought maybe it was time for a change. I think he (Watson) had the worst trip of the lot down here apart from Kola, travelling from Essex and to be fair to him he’s been doing it for several years.

“With Trigger I’ve know him a long time and he’s been a friend at the end of everything as you get to know players and obviously we’ll miss him as he’s a good player but I can understand his reasons as Maidstone is nearer to his home, a better footballing standard and perhaps better money and we have to accept these things.

“We knew we’d lose some and they might not be the only ones because we went down or because it might be time for some to move on but I’m honestly not that bothered as you accept it at this level and off you go again. We hope to start a new era at Folkestone with a lot of new players and a lot of positive things about the Club and I’m excited about the future of Folkestone Invicta Football Club.”

The Invicta manager revealed his search for a new coach continues but he is now in discussions with three candidates for the position with an announcement hopefully due to made within the next week.

Numerous enquiries over potential signings have been made and discussions with targets are taking place. Cugley said that he was principally chasing Kent based players.

He explained: “We really want players who can definitely make training twice a week as sometimes that wasn’t the case last year due to distance and we did have a lot of trouble with Operation Stack for example. Players really want to be able to just want to be able to zoom down the motorway and get here.

“With Kent based players getting people training twice a week will be easier, we can then build a decent team spirit and make sure the younger lads we’ve got are brought up right and taught the right way.

“It was been a bit of a headache sometimes last year when you want everyone in and you’ve got all the players definitely coming in and then some get stuck in traffic or whatever, it doesn’t help so it’s something we’re looking to rectify.”

Strengthening in all departments has been deemed crucial by Cugley in order to ensure the Seasiders can compete effectively next season.

At the top of the shopping list is the need to add firepower to a side which didn’t score enough goals last season, whilst new full backs are also sought although the encouraging emergence of Liam Dickson is something the manager said this afternoon he is bearing in mind is his transfer dealings.

Midfield reinforcement has also been deemed necessary and it all adds up to at least half a dozen necessary new signings before next season begins.

Cugley said: “It’s good for the fans as they like to see knew faces, we all do and we want to make sure we get the right ones in with the right attitude to get us back up”.

Cugley was pleased work will commence on the playing surface next Monday. Thanks to a substantial investment of time and money by Director Lynn Woods and his brother last pre season, the pitch has been in superb condition this year and certainly has been the best seen at the Buzzlines Stadium in the last several seasons.

Looking forward Cugley remarked, “We’ve had two, maybe three difficult years, no doubt about that. Definitely the last two have been really difficult waiting for the last week to see where we’d end up. I think it has taken a toll on everyone and I’m sure we can rectify that, get going again and get the Club buzzing again.

“On the pitch wasn’t right last year but off the pitch wasn’t either and needed improving and I think we know that and the Directors know that and the future is in good hands which is why we’ve all got to pull together and get the Club back up”.

WHITSTABLE TOWN boss Marc Seager has unveiled that almost all of his squad have committed themselves to the Belmont Road club next season.

“Almost all the squad who finished the season have committed themselves to next season,” a delighted Seager told www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk.

“It shows what a great bunch of players we have here at Whitstable.

“It was a good thing the club secretary Alan Gower had the presence of mind to bring his briefcase with him on Saturday night to the presentations evening as I was going up to him every five minutes at one stage for another signing on form.

“It’s a measure of how far we have progressed as a side since the beginning of last season.

“If you took the last ten games we were the form team and if we can use that for next season, hit the ground running, who knows where we can finish.

“The players obviously felt that way as they kept saying they did not want the season to end.

“My aim and the clubs as well is to be in with a shout of the play-offs with about three or four weeks remaining of the season.

“We had a great run of results at the end of this season. Let’s see what we can do next.”

Meanwhile, Glen Essem has been appointed as the club’s new reserve team manager.

Ian Hossick has stepped down due to work commitments, having been assisted for the past two seasons by Peter and Colin Budge, who remain at the club in their current roles.

Essem, a UEFA B certificate holder with coaching experience at different levels, will be a great addition to the club.

“I am sure that with his ability and enthusiasm he will build on the good things that Ian, Peter and Colin have been doing these last few years,” said Seager.

“I am delighted that Peter and Colin are staying on board, which means we have stability within the club, which is so important for me as manager and of course the players.

“Also that I will be working with people who know what I expect from the reserves set-up and more to the point that I have complete faith in their judgment when to bring players into the first team.”

MANAGER Matt Longhurst has high hopes for Slade Green next season.

Longhurst, who was the Kent League club’s third manager of the season, has been appointed as the Small Glen club’s permanent manager and is relishing the opportunity.

“Firstly I would like to thank Slade Green for giving me the opportunity to work for the club again this coming season,” he said.

“Last season saw me become the youngest manager in the league and I’m pretty confident that we had the youngest team with the average age just nineteen.

“However, after having to rebuild mid way through the season it was a long haul with the team having only won just one point from the first 11 games. I had to change the whole squad as it just wasn’t good enough to compete at this level as was shown in the results.

“I managed to get 5 or 6 players in that have played at a higher level in the past but really only at youth level and reserve team level and it took at while to adapt to the Kent League.

“Once they had done this some of them have progressed into excellent players at this level, and since I have been in charge we have had Rhett Bernstein leave the club and play professional football in Sweden, Ryan Johnson leave for Sittingbourne and Lee Craig leave for Ramsgate, including numerous offers for some of the current squad so we obviously have players that would play in other Kent League teams which is healthy.

“This season coming I want a squad of players that would all compete for places in the top four Kent League sides which should get us to where we want to be.

“I have already spoken to the players I want and 90% have agreed to sign when the forms are available.

“I’m not going into pre season with 40 or 50 players I want a squad of players ready come July the 3rd to work with and take forward into the season.

“We are also not going to spend weeks on end with no balls running around Hall Place, pre season will be structured small sided games 9v3 s etc to get fit with some SAQ work if that’s right at the top level it should be right at our level.

“I want to bring an air of professionalism to the club and turn its fortunes around. We don’t have a playing budget but we will compete and if we can do that this year I’ll be happy.

“Last season was satisfactory, not good and not bad but next season 14th certainly will be mission failed.

“Once again we will be a young side but with the added experience of players from a higher level and on our pitch we will most certainly be pleasing on the eye.

“I have always said that I would not accommodate for players my pattern or style of play and that is to pass the ball if the players can’t do it we’ll change the players not the pattern otherwise it becomes not enjoyable for myself as a coach and manager.

“The aim is to stabilise the club and the team as last year there were too many changes I can assure that will not happen this season.

“I’m not going to predict we’ ll win the league or finish 3rd or 4th as I don’t want the added pressure on myself or the players.

“We will aim to pass the ball be good to watch and difficult to beat if we can do that we’ll be ok.

“This season will see some excellent teams gunning for promotion including Beckenham Town and VCD who I predict will be there or there about’s again and there’s always one surprise package each year who will it be we ll just have to wait and see.

Longhurst is on the look out for a kit man, a head scout for lower leagues and a goalkeeper coach. Volunteers should contact him by email mattlnghrst@yahoo.co.uk.

MAIDSTONE UNITED pair Marc Clarey and Aaron Lacy are the latest players to sign a deal for next season.

Clarey joined the Stones in March from Ryman One North side Tilbury and impressed joint managers Alan Walker and Lloyd Hume with his defensive displays in the final games of the season.

Fans' favourite Aaron Lacy will be back for another season. His performances in the closing months of the season helped the Stones to preserve their Ryman Premier status.

Joint-manager Alan Walker, speaking to www.maidstoneunited.co.uk, said: "I'm pleased that Marc and Aaron have agreed deals for next season. We've still got other players to talk to over the weekend and next week.

“There are a number of players who will be invited for trials during the pre-season, I'm really pleased with what we've achieved over the past couple of weeks."

Last season's top scorer Mo Takaloo has rejoined Ramsgate on a two-year deal and defender Lee Shearer has left the club.

Congratulations and good luck to Martin Yerby, the Premier League assistant referee from Ashford - he’s on the line for tomorrow's FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium between Portsmouth and Cardiff City.