Soccer Shorts: Ex Spurs coach joins Sevenoaks

AS TELEPHONE ticket sales at Ebbsfleet United’s Stonebridge Road closed today, the Football Association have confirmed that Wembley Stadium will sell FA Carlsberg Trophy Final tickets on the day.

Fans still hoping to watch the Fleet’s Wembley debut on Saturday 10^th May, can purchase tickets from Wembley Stadium from 9am on the day of the match against Torquay United.

Next week www.kentishfootball.co.uk will bring you our EXCLUSIVE interviews ahead of Kent’s Big Day Out.

BROMLEY star Mark Corneille picked up both the club and supporters’ player-of-the-year awards at the Blue Square South club’s presentation night last weekend.

The Hayes Lane outfit also gave awards to Bobby Bowry, Tutu Henriques, Nic McDonnell, Andy Walker, Gareth Williams and Sam Wood, based on career appearances.

MARGATE striker James Pinnock scooped the player-of-the-year awards at Hartsdown Park.

With 27 goals in 51 appearances Pinnock was a worthy winner of both the supporters’ player-of-the-year and the players’ player-of-the-year.

The former Welling United striker has been ever present for the Blues this season, missing just two games in the Ryman League Cup and the FA Trophy replay against Leamington.

He scored two goals in a game on five occasions, including his maiden hat-trick, against Heybridge Swifts.

Winner of the young player-of-the-year was Aaron Quain, who has emerged as a pacey, skilful wide player, making 13 appearances for the first team - 12 of them in the Ryman Premier League.

TONBRIDGE ANGELS can confirm that they have arranged a pre-season trial for central defender John Beales.

The trial with Bristol Rovers will last between two and four weeks.

The news comes after much speculation about the future of the highly-rated defender, following interest from Bristol Rovers earlier in the season, when he played a reserve team fixture for the western club.

Meanwhile, the west Kent club have announced that they will be splashing out £100,000 on ground improvements at Longmead Stadium this summer.

Work includes installing at least 600 new seats in the west stand and extensive works to the playing surface.

ASHFORD TOWN owner Don Crosbie cannot wait for the new season to start, after ending their campaign top of the form book.

And he believes current manager Steve Lovell is the man to bring the Ryman League Division One South title to Homelands next season.

“One very important point for me is that the highs certainly outweighed the lows, especially after Clive Walker went belly-up and Steve Lovell came in to rescue the ship without a rudder,” Crosbie told www.ashfordtownfc.co.uk.

“I believe Tony (Betteridge) and I have done a great job since arriving at this club.

“With local youth team development and communication being a priority, with a reserve set up to be proud of silverware, and a first team that are proud to wear the badge, with guts and determination, I am very happy.

“I for one can inwardly feel satisfied that what was promised is being delivered and all the background snipers can crawl back into their holes.

“Tony and I have enormous work to do during this summer close season with pitch and ground renovations and of course our total sports redevelopment moving into the final stages.

“Many thanks go out to all genuine Ashford Town flag wavers, you have been inspirational behind the scenes and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your fantastic support.”

BECKENHAM TOWN are looking for volunteers to fill two vacancies within the Eden Park Avenue club.

Club secretary Peter Palmer said: “We are looking for someone to take over the club’s successful website - www.beckenhamtownfc.co.uk  - and also for next season to produce and edit the club’s match day programme.”

Anyone interested should telephone Mr Palmer on 07774 728 758.

ERITH & BELVEDERE joint-manager Chris Cosgrove knows his side under performed this season, finishing their Kent League campaign in seventh place - 29 points behind promoted champions Thamesmead Town.

Last summer Cosgrove claimed that his side would win the title but admitted his comments contributed to his downfall.

“The position we’ve finished in is obviously disappointing, but I don’t think that position reflects everything we’ve done this year,” Cosgrove told www.erithandbelvederefc.co.uk.

“Last five games we’ve been positive but throughout the season, we’ve not really had the rub of the green.

“Injury time goals, injuries to key players, referee’s decisions, I think every bit of bad luck that you could have possibly had this year, we’ve had it and has gone against us. It’s not sour grapes, but that’s how it’s been.

“It’s been hard, and sometimes it’s wore us down. I’ve had to change the team probably three times through the course of the year through injuries and whatever.

“Of course we’re disappointed but I feel the basis of a good team is here. In the latter part of the season we’ve shown good heart and desire.

“But we’ll be looking to add a few players to the squad to freshen things up a bit.

“Paul Gorman and I feel we’ve got a good team here but we feel, looking at our final league position, we’ve very much under achieved.

“I feel we need a few good additions to the squad. We have a lot of good players out there but most of them are quite young and although they are very good on their day, they’re not strong enough to produce throughout the season.

“We’ve got these youngsters on board who will be good squad players and we will look to develop them but we are looking to bring in a few good quality players who we have already started talking to and we’re looking to bring them in as soon as possible.

“We’ll start preparing the players for the new season in June and I know a lot of the boys can’t wait to get going again.

“Hopefully, by the time the first league fixture comes around, we’ll be able to hit the ground running.

“As I say, this year we’ve been good in parts and we started the season well, had a couple of decent cup runs.

“We’ve had some good games but we need to get our consistency levels together and I think that will come with a settled side.

“When you have to keep chopping and changing every week through injuries and the like, it’s hard to get settled but with a settled side, the results won’t be as inconsistent as they sometimes were.

“Hopefully we’ll make a good run and put some good performances together and not just the odd good one here and there.

“And I won’t predict that we’ll win the league next year because that slapped me right in the face this year, but what I will predict is that we will be very, very close. Very, very close!”

HERNE BAY chairman Mr John Bathurst will stamp down on poor discipline next season, after a poor record has cost the Winch’s Field outfit £250 in fines this season.

The Kent League outfit amassed 144 disciplinary points (1 for a booking and 3 for a red card) for the season.

This total brings with it a third fine for the club, this time it is £150. Bay have already been fined £25 and £75.

“The vast majority of our bookings have been for talking back to the referee and that is unforgivable,” Mr Bathurst told www.hernebayfc.net.

“We can’t pass this fine on to the players so our financial position gets even worse.”

HYTHE TOWN have arranged a booze bus for Saturday’s Kent League Cup Final against Erith Town at neighbouring Folkestone Invicta’s Cheriton Road ground.

Hythe will be opening their clubhouse at Reachfields Stadium, Fort Road, from 12 noon, with a supporters coach leaving at 1:45.

A statement said: “It would be brilliant if we can pack the bar out and start the party early, at the same time letting the players know we are right behind them from the off.”

Anyone interested in joining the coach should telephone secretary Mr Martin Giles on 01303 265 962.

SEVENOAKS TOWN are delighted to announce that Andy McAllen has been appointed as the new under 16 manager.

McAllen’s CV is very impressive, however, as he is a UEFA qualified football coach and Sports Management graduate.

He has over 10 years of top quality coaching experience at some of the biggest clubs in England, coaching at Tottenham Hotspur, Reading and Wycombe Wanderers.

McAllen has now taken charge of the club’s new under 16 side and will be holding an open evening for new and existing players.

If any new players are wishing to attend they should contact Paul Lansdale on 07876 444 274.

Sevenoaks Town Juniors will also run an under 16 team in the Tandridge League next season and will be closely linked with the Kent Youth League side, enabling the club’s to ensure that they continue to provide youth football for as many players as possible, while giving everyone in the joint squad the opportunity to play at the highest level.

Mr Graham Logsdon, the club’s general manager, told www.sevenoakstownfc.org: “These are very exciting times for both the senior and junior sections of our club and demonstrates our joint commitment to developing our youth section.

“This appointment will enable the club to achieve their footballing ambitions over the following years.”

DESPITE finishing runners-up in the Kent League for the past two seasons, VCD Athletic are expected to line-up some impressive pre-season friendlies.

A statement issued by the Crayford based club, on their website www.vcd-athletic.co.uk, said: “The club has some excellent friendlies lined up against some big sides in what promises to be another enjoyable year of football down at Oakwood.

“Dates and opponents are to be advised but four games have already been agreed and these are against higher non-league opposition and there is the possibility of a couple of league sides coming down this year to follow in the footsteps of Gillingham, who brought a side last year.”

Meanwhile, an amateur football team from De Haan near Oostende in Belgium are looking for a friendly game against an English club in the Kent coastal region to be played here at the end of August.

Interested clubs should email Jan Vermast  - info@zonnehuis.eu 

Please mention that you read this on www.kentishfootball.co.uk when making contact - no other details given.

Visit Club websites:

www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk

www.bromleyfc.net

www.margate-fc.com

www.tonbridgeangels.co.uk

www.ashfordtownfc.co.uk

www.beckenhamtownfc.co.uk

www.erithandbelvederefc.co.uk

www.hernebayfc.net

www.hythetownfc.co.uk

www.sevenoakstownfc.org

www.vcd-athletic.co.uk