We're just trying to move it to the next level, says Seven Acre & Sidcup chief Lee Hill

SEVEN ACRE & Sidcup owner Lee Hill has heaped praise on a chairman of a rival club.

Manager Hill saw his side come away from Meridian VP on Saturday with a 1-0 victory, courtesy of a last-gasp winner from striker Jamie Williams, who bagged his sixth-goal of the campaign.

Charlton-based club Meridian VP have made plenty of strides to get their ground at Charlton Park Lane up to scratch ahead of the fourth Kent Invicta League campaign.

Meridian VP chairman Dwinder Tamna has worked tirelessly to completely enclose the ground, install a 138-seater stand and there’s six floodlight pylons erected waiting for bulbs to be erected to light up the ground.

Once the lights go in, then the ground will be suitable to host Southern Counties East Football League football.

Seven Acre & Sidcup, meanwhile, whose origins are from Abbey Wood, before moving in to Cray Wanderers’ former ground at Oxford Road in Sidcup, are in the first season of their three-year groundshare deal at Ryman League Division One North club Thamesmead Town.

“We’re trying to move up to the next level,” said Hill.

“I think that shows our intent.  Five years’ ago we were playing on park pitches!

“It (playing at Thamesmead) just makes the league a better value league and we’re treated over there really well by Sporting Club Thamesmead. We like to play on the pitch and the stadium itself.”

Hill was impressed following his club’s first visit to Meridian’s new look ground.

“What Dwinder’s done, he’s moved it up to the next level,” said Hill.

“Five or six years’ ago people were talking about Seven Acre and Meridian probably laughing at us where we’ve come from, Kent County Division Two, but all the hard work that Dwinder’s done down here just shows you what you can achieve with the grant money.

“Now they’ve got probably a Ryman League ground and hopefully can push on – a bit like ourselves.

“He’s done really well. We get on really well with Meridian as well.  Fair play to them.”

Seven Acre & Sidcup climbed up a place into the top five in the Pain & Glory Sports Kent Invicta League table following their win at the weekend with 15 points from seven league games.

The club are four points adrift of league leaders Lydd Town, who claimed top spot following their 4-0 win at Crockenhill – and Hollands & Blair losing 2-1 at home to Sutton Athletic.

When asked whether he’s looking to get promoted at the end of this season, Hill replied: “I think it’s too early.  It’s an old cliché, we’re trying to walk before we can run.

“I feel we’ve improved every year in what we’re trying to do.  Off the field with the committee we’ve got with Sam Taylor, who is excellent behind the scenes and on matchdays.

“We’re just trying to move it to the next level.  We’ll settle for half-way in the league, try to improve again this year and push forward.

“We’re trying to get some more sponsors in.

“At the moment we’re finding our feet over at Thamesmead and hopefully we can move on in the next couple of years’ but this season definitely try to progress up the league and hopefully lay the foundations down for next season.”

Hill takes his side to Oakley Road in Bromley on Saturday to play Glebe in the first round of the Kent Invicta League Challenge Trophy.

“Looking forward to playing Glebe,” he said.

“It’s another local derby to us.  They’ve come on leaps and bounds.  They’re under new management as we all know.  They’ve got a couple of changed players but again it’s a Cup game. It’s a one-of game and on our day we can beat most teams and I’m looking forward to that.”

Visit Seven Acre & Sidcup’s website: www.pitchero.com/clubs/sevenacresidcup