Soccer Shorts: We'll probably have to reach FA Cup Quarter-Finals to be on the Box - Martin Hayes

Friday 10th December 2010

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BECKENHAM TOWN’S FA Carlsberg Vase match against Kings Lynn Town has for the second consecutive weekend been postponed.

With the Eden Park Avenue pitch still buried beneath a blanket of frozen snow the inevitable decision to call the game off was made this morning.

Club officials hope it’s third time lucky next Saturday, 18th December.

BROMLEY secretary Colin Russell hopes tomorrow’s game away to Weston-super-Mare goes ahead and spoke about some recent player movements at Hayes Lane.

Mr Russell told www.bromleyfc.net: “I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms! Tomorrow will be four weeks since our last league game and with just the one, ultimately disappointing, cup match in between, I suspect that the next game will feel a little like a pre season friendly (only played in much, much colder conditions!).”

He added: “Hopefully that next match will come tomorrow when we are due to travel to Woodspring Stadium to take on The Seagulls. Had the game been scheduled for yesterday it would almost certainly have been off but apparently the pitch was beginning to finally start thawing at around lunchtime so I’ve got my fingers firmly crossed.

“Weston have arranged for level three referee, Ron Ganfield (who I am sure that everyone at Bromley FC other than Wes Daly will have fond memories of as he was in charge of our play-off victory over AFC Wimbledon) to carry out an inspection at between 8:30 and 8:45 tomorrow morning, in conjunction with the match referee who is based in Wiltshire.”

Speaking about team personnel, Mr Russell said: “There’s been a bit of a shuffle in the first team squad. I’m sure you’ll join me in thanking John Scarborough for his efforts (and rather unusual goal celebrations) so far this season and in wishing him all the best for the future.

“Joining the Club is 28 year old winger, Howard Newton. Howard has represented Guyana at full international level and recently returned to England from New Zealand where he helped Hamilton Wanderers win their league.

“Howard, who can play on either flank, has spent the past four seasons at Staines and scored 10 goals for them in Blue Square Bet South last season.

“Also coming in is a familiar face in the form of Danny Hockton. A swap deal was completed last night which saw Paul Vines join Maidstone on loan for 28 days with Danny moving in the opposite direction.

“In his previous time with the Club Danny scored 31 goals in 60 appearances and he has been in good form for The Stones where he has already netted 11 times this season.”

DOVER ATHLETIC chairman Jim Parmenter has hit out at ITV and ESPN bigwigs for snubbing his non-league FA Cup giant killers (writes Justin Allen).

ITV failed to even show extended highlights of our 2-0 first-round win at Gillingham.

And neither network picked the club's 2-0 home win against Aldershot as a live game.

Dover have so far earned just £6,750 in TV revenue despite being the lowest-placed non-league club through to the third round (and one of only three in total through along with Crawley and York).

Meanwhile, FC United have scooped a cool £110,000 in total after their live televised second-round replay against Brighton, which they lost.

Non-league clubs AFC Wimbledon, Ebbsfleet United and Cambridge United have all earned more TV revenue despite being out of the competition.

Mr Parmenter told www.doverathletic.com: "We're obviously seen as an unfashionable club yet put two Football League sides out of the competition - and did so comfortably.

"We didn't even get a penny from ITV when we put Gillingham out, which was one of the ties of the round. Anyone with an ounce of football knowledge would have told you that.

"I'm a big fan of what is happening at FC United and fair play to them - but, surely, the TV networks should spread things out a bit. We've been the story of the first two rounds and have only earned £6,750 in TV revenue.

"Clubs at our level rely on every penny we can get - and surely we deserve some decent coverage for reaching the third round, while others like AFC Wimbledon and Ebbsfleet, who are both out, have already had a live game and earned more money than us."

Dover travel to Huddersfield in the third round, where a live TV game is worth £144,000 to both clubs. But once again the club have been snubbed.

But manager Martin Hayes said: "We'll probably need to get to the quarter-finals to get on the box."

Striker Donovan Simmonds has signed for Dover Athletic - and goes straight into the squad for Saturday's clash with Maidenhead.

Former Coventry kid Simmonds, 22, has played League football for Gillingham and also featured a number of times in the SPL for Kilmarnock.

Most recently he has been playing for Nuneaton in Blue Square North.

Hayes added: "Donovan has been training with us this week and we've been impressed. We needed to bolster the frontline.

"I see Donovan as someone who will create a lot of chances for us. He has pace and will be someone the fans enjoy watching."

Unfortunately, Simmonds cannot feature in the FA Cup clash at Huddersfield as he is cup-tied but Hayes added: "As great at the Cup is, we have a league campaign to worry about - that's our biggest priority - and Donovan comes in with that in mind."

Heading out of the Crabble exit door is Bobby Aisen, Jason Norville and Nicky Nicolau.

The Whites boss said: "We have a very large squad and a number of players aren't getting regular first-team football. We had to trim the squad and wish the lads all the best for the future."

Meanwhile, Dover Athletic is offering a small group of Whites fans a very special travel experience when the team visit Huddersfield for the third round of the FA Cup on the 8th January.

The DAFCAIR experience now also includes UPPER TIER SEATING and a TWO COURSE MEAL before the game, plus light refreshments at halftime.

The club will be chartering a private plane to transport the first team, management, backroom staff and board to the game on the morning of Saturday 8th January and are offering 20 exclusive VIP tickets to fans and sponsors to join them.

VIP ticket holders will travel with the First Team on a luxury SAAB 2000 turboprop aeroplane from Manston International to Manchester Airport. Light snacks and softdrinks will be provided on the flight as part of a full stewardess service.

On arrival at Manchester the party will be transferred, along with first team, by luxury coach to the stadium in Huddersfield.

Following the game VIP ticket holders will return to the plane for the journey home and who knows....maybe one hell of a party at 25,000 feet.

Each of these very special VIP tickets requires a minimum £500 donation to the club.

You can book your ticket by e-mailing dafcair@doverathletic.com

EBBSFLEET UNITED’S home game against Hayes & Yeading United in the FA Trophy First Round on Saturday is hanging in the balance as the club issued a desperate call for volunteers to help clear terracing.

With some match action for Liam Daish's side much-needed, not to mention match day income for the club, Fleet officials are keen to see the game go ahead.

And club secretary Peter Danzey issued a rallying call for supporters to help out on Friday to ensure the game goes ahead.

He told www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk: "At the moment, the pitch is not frozen but the terracing and stadium surrounds are and to give ourselves any chance of playing on Saturday, we need to clear these areas."

Although a thaw is forecast from Friday as temperatures rise, there is still plenty of snow lingering around the ground. As many volunteers as possible are called for tomorrow morning and the club has asked that you bring as much equipment (shovels, brooms, wheelbarrows, etc) as you can.

The Fleet's fixture casualty list added another victim last night following the postponement of Eastleigh's Hampshire Senior Cup game against Havant & Waterlooville.

As county cups take precedence over league games in this instance, that fixture has been rearranged for next week meaning our home game against Eastleigh, orginally scheduled for Tuesday 14 December, has been postponed.

Discussions regarding a new date for this game are now ongoing.

ERITH TOWN manager Tony Russell is searching for a new physio and any interested parties should call him on 07742 203 248.

FISHER are pleased to announce that former striker Elstrom Die has returned to the club.

The Frenchman scored 11 goals for the Fish last season including the first ever goal for the reformed club against Beckenham Town in August last year as well as a match winning hat-trick away at Erith & Belvedere.

Die left Fisher in the summer and joined East Grinstead before joining Kent League rivals Tunbridge Wells in October – and he goes straight into Gary Lisney’s squad for tomorrow’s fixture away at Sporting Bengal United.

Fisher Club Secretary Joe Arif told www.fisherfc.co.uk: “Elstrom is a popular player at the Fish and put in some excellent performances for us last season.

“It’s pleasing to see the management constantly trying to improve the playing squad and I see the recent signings of Marco Bianchi and Elstrom Die as real positive moves.”

Meanwhile, right-sided defender Marco Bianchi has today completed his registration for the club.

The 19-year-old played under Gary Lisney whilst Gary was manager of the Welling U18s in 2009, he then moved on to the Welling reserve side at the same time Gary took the reigns at Fisher in summer 2009.

Bianchi then moved on to Croydon Athletic and was an important member of the team that won promotion to the Ryman Premier last season.

He also played at full back during the Rams visit to the Fish earlier this year in the London Senior Cup, scoring the 4th penalty against Fisher in a dramatic shoot out that saw Croydon progress to the semi-finals of the London Senior Cup.

He has since enjoyed a spell at Ryman North outfit Thamesmead Town but left due to lack of first team football. Marco goes straight into Gary Lisney’s squad for Saturday’s visit to the Mile End Stadium as Fisher take on local rivals Sporting Bengal.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley says he is expecting a tough game at Hendon tomorrow.

Invicta remain just one place above the drop zone in the Ryman Premier League following a disappointing goal-less draw against fellow strugglers Horsham in midweek.

Looking ahead to the game at Vale Farm, Wembley, Cugley told www.kentishfootball.co.uk: “They’re a good side, a very good footballing side and if we play like we did first half (against Horsham) we’ll have a good game - and if we play like we did second half, as I said earlier, we’d be chasing the ball a little bit.”

HERNE BAY insist tomorrow’s deferred FA Carlsberg Vase Third Round tie against Colliers Wood United is definitely ON.

The Winch’s Field pitch has been receiving some TLC from the one and only Charlie Turner all week and is in very good condition.

The prize for the winners will be a home tie against either Current FA Vase holders and winners the previous season, Whitley Bay (Northern League Div.1 step 5), or AFC Liverpool (North West Counties League Div.1 step 6) on Saturday 22nd January

MARGATE travel to Lewes tomorrow for a mid-season friendly to lock horns with former Croydon Athletic manager Tim O’Shea.

Margate manager Iain O’Connell is eager to resume match action after the weather enforced lay off.

He told www.margate-fc.com: “I’d much rather have had the opportunity to put our defensive problems right in a match.

“The second half against Tooting just wasn’t good enough. I wanted us to go out and play (with the cushion of a 2-0 lead), but we didn’t.”

“Individual errors have cost us dearly. It seemed that if you go back a few weeks, the defence were playing really well but we weren’t scoring goals. Now we look dangerous going forward and fallible at the back. It’s such a turnaround.

“Players have got to take responsibility, stop passing the buck and doing the simple things properly.”

Reflecting on what the cause of this unwanted turnaround might be, the Gate boss is looking to a psychological hangover from the Sutton game. “We played really well in that game. Our preparation was spot on and we deserved to win.

“But we’ve struggled since and players have got to be mentally strong.

“I know the players I have at the club are good enough and I still think that we could have a good season. But I need a response from the players sooner rather than later.”

The Gate boss has an eye on next week’s home Ryman League clash with Hendon. “The match against Lewes gives me an opportunity to try some things out” he explained. “We’ll be without James Pinnock and Jay Saunders through suspension so we’ll need to shuffle the pack.

“So I need to look at other players in their positions as well as taking another look at the system as well.”

“This is the type of match I wanted,” he added.

The match kicks off at the Dripping Pan at 3pm and tickets will be just £5 for adults, £3 for Concessions and Under 16’s free.

MAIDSTONE UNITED manager Andy Ford has continued his rebuilding of his squad today with the signing of one new player, the release of two players and a loan exchange of another.

Ford, assistant Steve Butler and club secretary Darren Lovell, were all in attendance at Cheriton Road to watch Folkestone Invicta’s goal-less draw against fellow strugglers Horsham on Tuesday night.

The club website www.maidstoneunited.co.uk reports that joining The Stones from Sevenoaks Town is midfielder Richie Stevens, 20. Attacking midfielder Antonio Gonnella has moved on after finding his first team chances limited following injury.

The final player movement of the day has seen leading goal scorer Danny Hockton move on loan to Conference South co-leaders Bromley. To counter this movement, prolific goal scorer Paul Vines has joined Maidstone from Bromley meaning that he again teams up with his brother Joe. Paul will make his Stones debut in Saturday's home league fixture against his former club Tooting & Mitcham United.

Stevens joined Sevenoaks Town from their Kent League rivals Corinthian last October and made his debut as substitute in the League Cup against Tunbridge Wells.

Young striker Jake Hobbs looks set to make the opposite move after being released by the Stones this week.

SEVENOAKS TOWN also confirmed that Mike Lord joins brother Jon at the club, but the weather has delayed his debut. Lord moves from Tunbridge Wells, having made the step-up from County League football with Tonbridge Invicta in season 2007/8. He scored 43 goals in 98 games for The Wells.

Chris Edwards is a versatile midfield player and moves from Erith & Belvedere

The squad trained at Swanley during the week, with boss Keith Levett calling the players in for another session at Bexleyheath on Saturday.

But Levett has confirmed that big target-man Benji Agana has left his home-town club after only a short spell following his switch from Tunbridge Wells.