Soccer Shorts: Kent player signs deal with Swedish club

Here are tonight’s SOCCER SHORTS. This week, you’ve got to click to see which club’s we’ve included…

MAIDSTONE UNITED play their penultimate Ryman Premier League game of the season at home to Heybridge Swifts tomorrow and joint-boss Alan Walker believes a win will maintain the club’s status for next season.

“Tomorrow sees us play our final home game of the season against Heybridge Swifts and we are confident that we will get our first home win since our victory over Hendon back in February,” Walker told www.maidstoneunited.co.uk.

“Recently our away form has been much better than our home form but I think that we have had a lot of bad luck at Bourne Park this season.

“However, it is important that we perform as well as we can tomorrow and make sure that we take the chances that we create.

“Obviously I was delighted with the outcome of the midweek fixtures but we are still not out of the woods with regards to relegation.

“At least though, our destiny is in our own hands and I think that if we win tomorrow we should be safe.

A win tomorrow, however, should ease the pressure when the Stones travel to relegation threatened Folkestone Invicta on the last day of the season.

Invicta boss Neil Cugley admits his side must bag seven points from their last three games to stay up.

THE BBC is intending to ramp up it’s coverage of Ebbsfleet United in the week building up to the FA Trophy Final, culminating in a get-together of club employees and fans at Stonebridge Road on the evening of Friday, 9^th May.

The evening broadcast will go out live on BBC1's South East Today show from 6.30pm and fans are being encouraged to turn up at Stonebridge Road from 5.30pm onwards in a bid to celebrate the Fleet's big day out in style.

Supporters should if possible turn up in shirts and scarves to add a bit of colour to the occasion and the BBC will have cameras at Wembley as well as Stonebridge Road for both their lunchtime and evening bulletins.

In the week leading up to the final, South East Today are also intending to broadcast a short news story every night from Monday, May 5 which will feature various guests from players to long-standing and overseas Fleet fans.

SITTINGBOURNE CAPTAIN Joe Dowley, who was taken to hospital after receiving an injury midway through the second half of last weekend’s derby win over Chatham Town, had seven stitches inserted in a head wound.

Dowley, however, is determined to play in tomorrow’s match at Dover Athletic, a side that will pick up the League trophy at the final whistle.

CHATHAM TOWN'S under 15s are playing their Welling United counterparts in the KCFA Youth Cup Final at Faversham Town on Sunday morning, 20^th April. Kick off is at 10:30am and admission prices are £4 (adults) and £2 (concessions).

THE RYMAN LEAGUE are delighted to announce that they have this week signed a three year deal with sportswear suppliers Vandanel for the supply of bench wear to all Member Clubs of the League for the next three seasons.

In August this year each League Club will receive full bench kit and all members of the technical area will be required to wear this kit and no kit showing advertising for any other supplier.

Vandanel become the official bench wear and kit supplier of the League for three years and as part of the deal each Club will receive a voucher for £100 towards purchases from Vandanel each season. The bench kit will be replaced in the third year of the term and overall this represents an extremely valuable contract.

Ryman League Chairman Alan Turvey told www.isthmian.co.uk : "Vandanel have sponsored the League in the past but never to this extent. We are delighted to welcome them back as sponsors and hope that our two companies will grow in liaison with each other".

At a Special Meeting called for the purpose this week the Board of the Ryman League considered an application for a ground share by Horsham FC at Worthing FC for a two year period.

A statement issued by the Ryman Football League explained the situation.

“The Board were deeply concerned that Horsham FC had put themselves into this position by entering into a new contract with developers which did not give them security whereby a new ground was built before the developers took possession of the existing ground.

“This is all the more important because a previous agreement with another developer had provided that security.

“Instead of looking to ground share with neighbours the Club had initially sought a share at Crawley Town FC which would not only have been extremely expensive but was not seen by the League to be in the best interests of the members of the Premier Division because home matches could have been postponed at short notice.

“Horsham FC have therefore asked for permission to play their home matches some 20 miles away at Worthing FC.

“At the current time the Lease which Worthing FC have does not permit such a ground share and the Club currently does allow the Reserve Team of Brighton & Hove Albion FC to play some matches on its ground.

“The League has a policy not to allow "triple sharing" and therefore the Board has agreed to allow the ground share for one season only providing Worthing FC get legal permission from the freeholders and providing only the Worthing and Horsham clubs play at the ground.

“There will be monitoring of the number of games played on the pitch and the maintenance of the pitch.

“In the meantime Horsham FC have been warned that they must achieve certain objects by 31st March 2009 at which stage the Board will consider any request for an extension of the ground share.

“The Club are required to have either obtained planning permission for their new ground or be appealing any refusal or have submitted a fresh application and, as important, have submitted a satisfactory business plan to show how the building of the new ground will be completed and they must also provide proof that funding is in place.

“Horsham FC therefore have a great deal of work to do and retain the support of the Ryman League whose name they have served well during their 35 year membership of the League non more so than in the current season with their exploits in The FA Cup.

“The League wishes the Club well and hopes that the Club is able to overcome its problems.”

GRAVESEND OUTFIT Fleet Leisure won the Inter-Regional Challenge Cup last night, beating Bly Spartans 2-1 at Chatham Town’s Maidstone Road ground.

Fleet started very positively in a hard fought physical clash and eventually made the break through from a Steve Ward corner, which was bundled in by a trademark finish from John Armstrong.

Despite Bly heading home an equaliser, Fleet continued to dominate through excellent movement from Mike Ward.

And the former Tunbridge Wells striker cracked home a volley, following Adam Elwood’s wonderful cross, which sealed the win.

KENT LEAGUE club Slade Green have parted company with central defender Rhett Bernstein. The American has signed pro-forms with a Swedish Second Division club.

However, with the Swedish football season not running parallel with England there is a distinct possibility that he could become available for selection for the Small Glen club in the latter part of next season.