Ryman League Division One South
www.sittingbournef.co.uk
BRICKIES V Three Bridges Tues 16th August 2016 Kick off 7.45pm
£2.00
Sittingbourne FC The DMA Stadium, Woodstock Park, Broadoak Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8AG Tel: 01795 410777 www.sittingbournefc.co.uk Sittingbourne FC is a members club CLUB OFFICIAL President: Allan Crowshaw Vice President: Alan Barty Hon Vice Presidents: Tania & Andy Spice Chairman: Maurice Dunk Vice Chairman: Ken Medwyn Secretary/Treasurer: John Pitts OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS John Cooper (Commercial). Peter Pitts (Media, Web site, Programme editor, stadium announcer,) David Brown (Youth development), Colin Page (Ast Treasurer), Danny Appleton (Turnstile Manager) Board Room Hospitality: Sandra Pitts & Carol Cooper, Lottery Secretary: Hilary Joines. Club Historian: Dudley Hird. Programme Sales: Sian Goatham. Turnstile Operator: Faye Goatham Club Welfare Officer: Lee Tappenden Match Reporter: Tony Rickson Groundsman: Roger Pudner Club Photographer: Ken Medwyn Club Shop: Ann Morrison & Clive Phillips
Playing Management Manager: Nick Davis Assist Manager: Tony Cornwell Coaches: Damian Hopkins and Jono Richardson. Kit Manager: Warren Chambers Team Assistant: Harry Chambers Physio: Tom Martin Under 21 Managers: John Embury and Jermaine Darlington.
WOODSTOCK GROUND REGULATIONS 1. All persons entering the ground are subject to the rules and regulations of The Football Association. 2. The club reserves the right to eject or prosecute any person who within the club premises is considered by the club committee or its employees to be or have been behaving in the following ways: a) Entering the field of play before or during the course of the game. b) Using obscene, abusive or racist language or persistently swearing. c) Being intoxicated by drink or drugs. Further, persons will not be allowed entry to Woodstock Park if in the opinion of the gatemen, stewards or any members of the management committee they are intoxicated. 3. NO bottles or metal cans, glasses or weapons of any kind are allowed in the ground. The stewards have the right to search a spectator if they have grounds to believe that the person is in possession of any item that is deemed to be a danger to other spectators. 4. Alcohol must only be consumed within the confines of the club house. 5. The climbing of fences or floodlight pylons and all buildings within the ground is strictly forbidden. 6. All vehicles parked within the boundaries of the club’s car park must be parked within a designated space unless otherwise directed by a steward. No responsibility is accepted for any mishap that may occur. Car parking is at owners risk.
TEAM CHECK RYMAN LEAGUE DIV 1 SOUTH
V
SITTINGBOURNE
THREE BRIDGES Manager: Paul Fali Ast Manager : Keith George Coach: Simon Womull, Paul Hammond Physio: Tracy Weller Kit Manager: Ray Bugg
Manager: Nick Davis Assistant: Tony Cornwell Coaches: Jono Richardson, Damian Hopkin Physio: Tom Martin Kit Manager: Warren Chambers Matchday Asistant : Harry Chambers
MATCH OFFICIALS Referee: Mr Searle Isaac, Assistants: Mr Joseph Stokes, Mr Daniel Doyle
GOALS
SUBSTITUTE
PLAYED
GOALS
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PLAYED
Red & Black Stripes Shirts, Black Shorts, Black Socks
Royal Blue Shirts and Shorts
Simon OVERLAND
Kieron THORPE
Tom BRUNT
Steve SARGEANT
Tom CARLSE
Drew COONEY
Jono RICHARDSON
Hakeem ADELAKUN
Remell DAVIS
Callum DONAGHEY
Jack STEVENTON
Jamie CRELLIN
Stefan WRIGHT
Mitchel CASSELMAN
Conrad LEE
Tom BOLD
Miles CORNWELL
John LANSDALE
Hicham AKHAZZAN
Allan TAIT
Stephen ITA
Devon FENDER
Josh WISSON
Tony GARROD
Mark CHIVERTON
Anthony OLEKA
Michael HURCOMB
Dan MOBSBY
Dan TANNER
Ben GODFREY
Jake EMBERY
Mar PULLING
John’s Jottings Welcome to Woodstock Park from The Club Secretary Welcome everyone to another season of Ryman League football. We visited Cray Wanderers, one of the favourites to win this league, last Saturday. Hopefully we got something out of that game. These notes had to be done before the game so I am unable to comment on it here. Last season had its ups and downs. For me the big disappointment was our loss to Hoddesdon Town in the FA Cup and our equally poor showing in the FA Trophy at Horsham. On the face of it our draw in last seasons FA Cup for the first few rounds was kind to us. Unfortunately we did not "turn up " against Hoddesdon and out we went. Our draw in the FA cup this year has not been so kind. We play Hythe Town here next Saturday. The kick off time has been bought forward to 2:00pm so as not to clash with a function in the clubhouse. The main bar will be closed to supporters so everyone will use the bar in The Dining room. Hythe, last season, did the double over us winning 2-0 in both matches. We really need your support for this vital game. The cash reward a victory brings can really help us get through the season. Positives though were the winning of The Ryman South "Respect" award and reaching the semifinal of the league cup beating two premier Division sides on the way. In the FA Trophy we have been drawn at home to Bury Town who play in Ryman League Division One North . This match will be played on Saturday 8th October. The winners play Hanwell Town or Bedford Town away on Saturday 29th October. A warning here to those supporters who book early for our trip to Guernsey. We are due to visit Guernsey on 29th October so if either ourselves or Guernsey or both of us win our Preliminary Round FA Trophy match then our league match at Guernsey will be postponed and we will have to play them on a midweek date. We will be pretty familiar with Ramsgate before this season is through (as if we weren’t enough already!) as we have drawn them at home in both the Alan Turvey trophy (League Cup), and the Kent Reliance Kent Senior Cup. Virtually all of last seasons squad have returned. The exception being George Crimmen who has signed a contract at Ramsgate. Nick has signed a few new faces. News on them can be found later in the programme. Our league has seen a few team changes. Folkestone Invicta and Worthing move up to the Ryman Premier Division. Lewes come down from the Ryman Premier whilst Godalming (from the Southern League) and Cray Wanderers ( from the Ryman North Division ) move sideways. Greenwich Borough move up from the SCEL and Whitstable go down to the SCEL. Our visitors today are Three Bridges. Last season they achieved the double over us with 1-0 and 2-1 wins. Three Bridges finished in 14th place compared with our final position of 18th. They gained 12 more points than us.
JOHN
Theo Paphitis, Chairman, Ryman
BUSINESS NET WORK MISS A.N. OT ABC LIMIT HER ED
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From the Assistant Manager I write these notes on behalf of Nick who is having a well deserved weeks’ holiday before the new season commences. The close season has been very hectic and somewhat stressful as we have been tirelessly working on strengthening and formulating the squad, ready for the start of the new season. The pre-season friendlies have enabled us to trial a large number of players who have mainly requested to join Sittingbourne FC and also a number of others who we have invited along. We have experimented in all of the six pre-season friendlies trying to give everybody minutes and a fair chance of expressing themselves in order to gain a place in the final squad. This has influenced a number of the final results in the friendlies but most importantly enabled us to select what we think will be a strong squad to represent the club this season. We have re-signed eleven of last season’s squad with Sittingbourne regulars Jono Richardson, Hicham Akhazzan, Tom Brunt and Adam Molloy included together with Conrad Lee, Stef Wright, Steven Ita, Tom Carlse, Michael Hurcomb and Miles Cornwell and youngsters Josh Wisson and Jack Steventon. The new signings to date include the promotion of some of last year’s under 21 players Danny Rumbold, and Jake Embery to the first team squad and new signings Danny Leonard, Remell Davis, Joe Fuller, Dan Tanner and Simon Overland. We are also hopeful at the time of writing these notes of making one further addition to bolster our attacking options. Some of the new additions need no introduction but over the next few weeks we hope that you all get to know the lads and welcome them to Sittingbourne FC. All the cups have now been drawn and we are very pleased to have home advantage in all of these competitions. There are some difficult opponents including Hythe Town and Bury Town in the Emirates FA Cup and FA Trophy respectively and of course our old adversaries Ramsgate FC in both the Alan Turvey Trophy (league Cup), and the Kent Senior Cup. The new staff appointments of Damian Hopkins as Goalkeeper coach and Jono Richardson as player / coach strengthens and unites the management team. And we are also pleased that Harry Chambers and physio Tom Martin continue to support the club and remain very important members of the field staff. We are looking forward to getting the season under way now and also look forward to all of your continued support. Come on you Brickies! Tony
From the Programme editor Firstly an apology that there are no numbers in the player line up. Neither team was able to supply me with them before the programme went to print. It was nice to have a rest from helping to run a football club but when one season finishes and before the next starts its time to think about the new season and in particular upkeep and improvements to the ground. Our groundsman Roger Pudner helped by Ray has overseen the work on the pitch which has included putting on 40 tons (yes 40 tons!) of special topsoil on it and bags and bags of seed. Ken Medwyn has overseen the areas of 3g grass near the dug outs and where the players enter the pitch, and we hope that this plus drainage work near the dug outs, will cure the waterlogging problem that we have had in those areas. Alan Barty and John Pitts have been working on making the perimeter advertising boards more secure by fixing wooden rails to the existing metal railings and Alan has also been working hard on improving the lower dressing rooms and facilities. Alan Crowshaw, our president, has been tidying up various areas whilst my modest contribution has been to repair the broken bits of PA wiring, and doing some weeding! Danny Appleton has also helped out by doing a bit of painting. We haven’t heard anything about any move of ground yet and so when funds become available we will be concentrating on improving what we have. The close season is always hard financially as without much income the ongoing costs (like the top soil, seed, and a new grass cutting machine) put a strain on us. Nick and Tony have been busy in the close season and there are some promising players amongst the trialists. We have managed to get a few more advertising boards for this season but there is still plenty of room so if anyone can put a lead our way we will be very grateful. We are still looking for player and team management sponsors—it’s a modest £40 and if you are interested please see any committee member We also want to thank Paul Joines and the other founder members of the new supporters club committee as a healthy supporters club is always good for the club as a whole. Other improvements that I am involved in include the design of a new web site and thanks for that go to Steve Chapman of Steve Chapman Design, and also Thermal Print Services on the Eurolink. It is hoped that it will go live soon. So here’s looking forward to a successful season. Peter
MY LOVE OF NON-LEAGUE FOOTBALL by Tony Incenzo of talkSPORT Radio (twitter: @TonyIncenzo) IN THE BEGINNING I’ve been watching Non-League football on a regular basis since I was 10 years old. What I like most is that the players, club officials and supporters are there for the love of the game. The true spirit of football exists at Non-League level. I grew up in North-West London and I was taken by my family to see my local club QPR as a child in the 1970’s. I’ve always supported the R’s, but when they were playing away from home I started going to see my local Non-League clubs – Hendon primarily, but also Finchley, Barnet and Edgware Town. GROUNDHOPPER From there, I decided to visit every Non-League club in London as my groundhopping bug began. By the time I was 17, I had visited all 92 Football League grounds and I visited all the Scottish League grounds whilst still a teenager. Since then, I’ve continued travelling all around the country to visit Non-League clubs. Last season, I chalked up my 2,000th ground at FC United of Manchester. WORLD RECORD One of the best groundhops was being part of a world record in March 2004. I joined 250 other groundhoppers to watch five matches at five different football grounds in one day in the Central Midlands League. This is listed in the Guinness Book of Records and we received certificates confirming the world record at the end of the fifth game. INSIDE PRISON! In December 2011, I set about watching a match inside Feltham Prison in Middlesex. This featured a team called Phoenix FC, who had to play all their fixtures at home (for obvious reasons!) as inmates of the Young Offender Institution at Feltham. I received special permission by email to attend a fixture, but I was told not to bring a phone or a camera with me. I was instructed to arrive in the main car park along with the match referee and the visiting players from Hanworth Villa Vets. We were met by members of the prison staff who escorted us all in together…via an airport-style metal detector, a body search, numerous locked gates and along a path to the changing rooms. This process took 45 minutes. After the players and ref got changed, we were then accompanied through more locked gates out to the playing area. A high mesh fence with barbed wire on top surrounded the football pitch. There were dugouts along one touchline and I watched the match from there as the only spectator. THE FUTURE I have now been to 2,068 football grounds and have completed visits to the all the grounds in the top 16 divisions of English football down to Non-League step 4. Then at step 5 I need 27 grounds and another 81 at step 6. There are endless possibilities at step 7 and below. Also, I’ve been to 35 European countries plus the USA for football – so it would be nice to visit more countries. Follow Tony Incenzo on Twitter @TonyIncenzo
August Home Fixtures EQUALITY “The Ryman Football League strongly support recent FA statement that there should be a zero tolerance approach against racism and all forms of discrimination. Accordingly any form of discriminatory abuse whether it be based on race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, faith, age, ability or any other form of abuse will be reported to The Football Association for action by that Association.� (Useful numbers:-The FA 0800 085 0508 / Kick it Out 020 7253 0162)
From the Chairman First home game of the new season and all Chairman up and down the Country live in hope that this one is successful. As I start my 4th season as Brickies Chairman I can look back and honestly say we have improved a little each year. When I say that I am of course talking about the whole package on and off the field. My hope is that this year we can continue to take more small but positive long lasting steps forward. I think the move from Bourne Park three years ago brought about a lot of uncertainty in the Town. Many people thought that we would fold after a season or two. Those doubters did not reckon with our fantastic supporters and very hard working committee and we are now established at Woodstock. The return of the supporters club is a huge step in the right direction and let's hope it pushes us to being an even tighter knit group. Confidence is growing in our future and it certainly has been easier this year to attract advertising and sponsorship. A huge thank you to my committee who have worked so hard this summer assisting our groundsman in getting the pitch looking better than ever. On the back of having our very own Josh Wisson captain England Schools Team last year we now have the news that Harry Smith has signed professional forms with Millwall. Hopefully a second season with U18's and U21's in support will be as productive. At the other end of the time scale let's hope Hicham Akazzan can continue to clock up goals and appearances. That player shows the longevity and spirit that this great club is all about. We all wish Nick Davis and his management team all the best for the coming season and hope all players reach their true potential. A warm welcome back this evening to our visitors Three Bridges and the officials.
Player sponsorship Hicham Akhazzan
All other players and team management are available. To sponsor a player / team management member please see myself (Peter Pitts) or any member of the committee. Cost is ÂŁ40 for the
Sponsors of the Woodstock stadium—www.dma-group.co.uk
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Sat 13 Aug Tue 16 Aug Sat 20 Aug Sat 27 Aug Mon 29 Aug Sat 3 Sep Tue 6 Sep Sat 10 Sep Sat 17 Sept Tue 20 Sept Sat 24 Sept Tue 27 Sept Sat 1 Oct Sat 8 Oct Tue 11 Oct Sat 15 Oct Tue 18 Oct Sat 22 Oct Sat 29 Oct Sat 5 Nov Sat 12 Nov Sat 19 Nov Tue 22 Nov Sat 26 Nov Tue 29 Nov Sat 3 Dec Sat 10 Dec Sat 17 Dec Mon 26 Dec Sat 31 Dec Mon 2 Jan Sat 7 Jan Sat 14 Jan Sat 21 Jan Sat 28 Jan Sat 4 Feb Sat 11 Feb Sat 18 Feb Sat 25 Feb Sat 4 Mar Sat 11 Mar Sat 18 Mar Sat 25 Mar Sat 1 Apr Sat 8 Apr Sat 15 Apr Mon 17 Apr Sat 22 Apr
OPPOSITION COMP Cray Wanderers Three Bridges Hythe Town South Park Greenwich Borough Corinthian-Casuals Hastings Utd Whyteleafe Horsham Herne Bay Lewes Ramsgate East Grinstead Bury Town Walton Casuals Molesey Three Bridges Tooting & Mitcham Guernsey Chatham Town Godalming Town Hythe Town Ramsgate East Grisnstead Town Herne Bay Lewes Dorking Wanderers Chipstead Faversham Town Hastings Utd Greenwich Borough Carshalton Athletic Guernsey Chaham Town Walton Casuals Cray Wanderers Tooting & Mitcham Molesey Hythe Town Godalming Town Chipstead Dorking Wanderers Corinthian-Casuals Whyteleafe Carshalton Athletic Horsham Faversham Town South Park
League League FA Cup League League League League League League League League League League FA Trophy League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League League
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@ = After Extra Time + = Own Goal # = Sent Off 1,2,3, etc after players name = goals scored * = Subs used and players substituted ** = Sub was Substituted KSC = Kent Senior Cup Lge Cup = Isthmian League Cup League = Ryman Isthmian Lge Div 1 South FAT = FA Challenge Trophy FAC = FA Challenge Cup KSC = Kent Senior Cup
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The Offical Sittingbourne FC Website for up to the minute news and stats. WWW.SITTINGBOURNEFC.CO.UK News, Reports, Fixtures, Photo’s, Ex Players, Brickies Lottery winners, Directions and much more. Plus the offical Sittingbourne FC Forum. Follow us on Twitter @SittingbourneFC
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Match Reports By Tony Rickson Final match of last Season Saturday 23rd April 2016 Ryman League Div 1 South Sittingbourne 01 Molesey 1 Att 109 Tom Brunt has got some spectacular goals for Sittingbourne in his three years at the club, but he left it until the last two minutes of the season to get his first this year. His first-time shot from 25 yards flew in for the equaliser, meaning Sittingbourne ended the season with a run of just one defeat in their final five games. Brunt’s had an in-and-out season, especially since Christmas, and was dropped down to sub for this game, but he proved you can’t keep a good man down. Sittingbourne again showed plenty of potential for next season, and though they probably gave the ball away too easily at times they proved they could match a side who have been in the top 10 of the league all season. Sittingbourne made two changes from the team that drew at Chatham a week previously, fullbacks Conrad Lee and Billy Parkinson returning to the starting line-up at the expense of skipper Brunt and Stefan Wright. On a chilly April day, they played out a goalless first half with few chances at either end against a Molesey side who had already beaten them this season and again played some decent football. Sittingbourne created little bits, with Parkinson getting in a good position for a low cross which didn’t find a teammate, and the ever-dangerous Steven Ita delaying his pass as the better-placed Tom Carlse screamed for the ball. There was a scare as midfielder Adam Allen took a tumble right over the hoardings behind the goal but he scrambled back and carried on regardless. Lone striker Miles Cornwell lived up to his first name as he made run after run to try to find good positions but Molesey had a couple of athletic central defenders where other teams often hide their slowest players. Early in the second half, Cornwell forced a desperate Molesey clearance as he found space after an excellent Jack Steventon run, and then broke clear on a defensive error only to see the keeper tip his shot round. Molesey seemed to step up a gear on the hour mark and after keeper Adam Molloy made a spectacular save from a close-range shot, he could do nothing to prevent Stanislaus scoring after a quick break saw Sittingbourne outnumbered three to two in the central area.
As Sittingbourne fought back, Molesey were happy to protect their goal by conceding the odd free -kick, though no booking resulted when Ita was callously fouled, even though home players had previously been cautioned for dissent as well as kicking the ball away. The dissent booking, for Allen, followed what seemed a clear foul on Cornwell in a dangerous position which the referee didn’t give. The season wasn’t exactly meandering to a finish, as Sittingbourne kept plugging away, but the chances of a dramatic climax seemed to be dwindling as Molesey held onto their lead. But for a few months Sittingbourne have been dab hands at getting late goals and they did it again here. With 88 minutes played they got the ball wide, which always seemed their best option for creating chances, and when it came in, Cornwell laid it back for Brunt to strike perfectly into the top corner to make it 1-1. Once again, Sittingbourne enjoyed some raucous support from their ever-faithful fans, and that’s been one of the hallmarks of what’s proved to be an enjoyable, though occasionally frustrating, season. So thanks to the players and management team for that, and here’s to carrying on the good work into next season after laying such sound foundations this time around.
Sittingbourne: Molloy, Parkinson, Lee, Richardson, Crimmen, Steventon (Brunt 68 mins), Carlse (Wright 68 mins), Allen, Cornwell, Akhazzan (Hurcomb 82 mins), Ita
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Grant Wilbur hails the end of the close season The 'Close Season' is finally over, but why do we have one in the first place? The FA Rule (B8(b)) is as follows:- "The 'Close Season' shall be defined as the period between 1 June and 30 June inclusive each calendar year, save where The Association makes an order to the contrary�. Matches which are allowed, under clause (c), include certain small-sided matches, matches between services teams whilst in camp, matches involving boys' brigades and scouts, matches for national representative teams and matches in The FA Women’s Super League. So most of us have go without our footy fix for a whole month. But hold on to your hat...it used to be FOUR months. The FA Council decreed in 1891 that:- "No club or player shall take part in a football contest (other than practice matches between teams of the same club) from 1 May to 31 August". Since then the Rule has undergone a number of adjustments, but the basic outlook has remained the same. Why was a 'Close Season' introduced in the first place? It was "in deference to summer sports", according to the Official FA History. So here we are at the first home match of Season 2016-17 and so much seems to have happened since the end of last season Euro 2016 in France and Olympic Football in Brazil helped to quell any withdrawal symptoms for supporters. A national referendum also took place and the country voted to leave the European Union and when this happens it will definitely have some impact on football in this country. The freedom of movement for people in the EU comes at the price of heavy restrictions on visas for potential signings from Africa, the Caribbean, South America and Asia. Once the UK leave the EU, it will be free to treat footballers from all countries equally, which will broaden the pool of talent for our clubs. Of course there will be some fall out for the EU players and UK clubs but to what extent remains to be seen. This was spotted on Twitter following the referendum: CrockenhillFC @CrockenhillFC16 Just to let everyone know, the UK leaving the EU will not affect Crockenhill's European signings this summer.... England have a new manager in Sam Allardyce following the resignation of Roy Hodgson after his young side exited Euro 2016 in humiliating style losing to Iceland in the first knock out stage. Finally, West Ham United have moved into their new home the London Stadium and enjoyed a 3-0 win in the Europa League Qualifier against NK Domzale.
NON-LEAGUE fans across the country, rejoice! No longer must you spend your Saturday afternoons traipsing around shopping centres - proper football’s back! Of course we’ve had pre-season for the last month but with nothing riding on the results, it’s not quite the same as the real thing. It may only be a few months since your side last kicked a competitive ball but as ever in NonLeague, a lot of things have changed. In the National League, we waved goodbye to Cheltenham Town and Grimsby Town and welcomed back Dagenham & Redbridge and York City. Bristol Rovers and Cheltenham have proven in the past two seasons that relegated sides can bounce back at the first attempt but it’s far from easy.
Much like Forest Green, Eastleigh will be tipped again due to their generous budget and with the hungry Chris Todd in charge, they have a chance. Gateshead and Wrexham have both recruited heavily this summer and if they gel, they could both mount a challenge while Tranmere and Lincoln have also got the necessary qualities at their disposal. If the National League looks tough this season, the North division is arguably as difficult to call, if not more so. FC Halifax Town are favourites and with ex-North Ferriby chief Billy Heath at the helm, an instant return to Non-League’s top flight isn’t out of the question.
Luckily for the Daggers, they have one of the shrewdest managers in the business at this level and you’d be a fool for backing against John Still.
Heath won promotion with Ferriby last term and has taken a number of those players with him to the Shay but they’ll need to be at their best in the ultra competitive North division.
The man who masterminded Luton Town’s return to the Football League knows Non-League inside out and it would be no surprise to see the Daggers at the top.
AFC Fylde, who lost to Heth’s Ferriby in the promotion final last term, have gone full-time and Dave Challinor will be desperate to take his side into the National League.
York boss Jackie McNamara certainly has an impressive footballing CV - over 250 appearances for Celtic and 33 caps for Scotland - but as we all know, that doesn’t mean much in the National League.
Harrogate Town have recruited well while Kidderminster and Altrincham will be hoping to do well after relegation last season.
Promoted clubs Darlington 1883 and Salford City will have momentum and high expectations - it’s a tough one to call.
Plenty of big names have come… and plenty have failed. Credit must go to McNamara for sticking with In the South, it’s also extremely even although the Minstermen and wanting a crack at taking them Ebbsfleet United will once again start the campaign back into the Football League. as favourites. And while he may not have known too much about Whitehawk, Chelmsford, Maidenhead and Welling this level of football, he has certainly made some will all expecting to compete but there is room for shrewd signings which should stand them in good one or two surprise packages to make their mark. stead for the long campaign ahead. At Step 3, the Northern Premier League and RyForest Green Rovers, defeated in the promotion man Premier League have another week to wait final at Wembley last season, are the bookies’ fa(sorry!) but the Southern League also kick off tovourites and you can see why. day. With ex-Peterborough and Swindon boss Mark Full-time outfit Basingstoke, managed by NonCooper now at the helm, you would expect them to League legend Terry Brown, will be among the fabe a bit tougher than in recent years. vourites but expect the likes of Leamington, WeyThey’ve brought in some youth at the back and de- mouth, Slough, Kettering and Hayes & Yeading to spite losing the imposing Jon Parkin, signing Matt also be strong. Tubbs could be a masterstroke. Regardless of the team you support, it looks like If Cooper can get him back to anywhere near his another cracking season of Non-League action is best, he’ll be in with a shot of the golden boot and finally upon us! will provide a massive boost to Rovers. Steve Coney
Tony Writes Congratulations to Harry Smith who this time last year was a Sittingbourne player and has just joined League One side Millwall on a two-year contract.
Smith’s transformation into a full-time pro was swift but never unexpected after the potential he showed as a Sittingbourne player. The 21-year-old joined the club a couple of years ago and immediately impressed with his touch which for someone as tall as 6ft 5in was surprisingly good. But he was also dangerous in the air and led the line well, and it was no shock when ambitious Folkestone Invicta moved in for him last December.
He did well for them, scoring 13 goals as they stormed to the Ryman South championship and attracting plenty of scouts from professional clubs at the same time. He recently went on a two-week trial at Millwall – during which he popped back to Woodstock to see Sittingbourne and Folkestone meet in a pre-season friendly – and at the end of it was signed for an as yet undisclosed fee. Sittingbourne will receive 15% of it as part of the deal agreed when Smith made last year’s move. Invicta boss Neil Cugley said: "We’re delighted for Harry. He came to the club, worked hard, did well and we’re not there to stop a lad going into professional football.” Millwall manager Neil Harris, an excellent striker himself in his playing days, said: "We are delighted to get Harry on board. He was flagged up by our recruitment department and has done well since he came to us during pre-season. "Harry has the attributes to be a very good footballer but there is still a lot that he has to improve on as a player. Physically he is a good size but his technical abilities are clear for all to see as well, so the potential is there. He will have to work hard with us and at the same time we will have to be patient with him as he looks for chances to get into our first team." Smith’s not the first ex-Sittingbourne player to join Millwall, as he follows a route taken by Neil Emblen and Micky Harle more than 20 years ago when they were sold for £210,000. Emblen stayed a year at Millwall before being sold to Wolves for £600,000 – not a bad profit! – and also played for Crystal Palace and Norwich. He now lives in New Zealand and is still involved in football. In more than 20 years of watching Sittingbourne, I reckon he’s the best player I’ve seen at the club. I remember him playing for Sittingbourne at Atherstone while being watched by then Millwall manager Mick McCarthy – no pressure there then. The boss must have liked what he saw because the deal went through shortly afterwards. Soon after, I answered a call at my desk at the old East Kent Gazette office in Sittingbourne and immediately recognised the unmistakable voice of McCarthy. In my experience as a sports journalist, football managers never phone you unless they want to tell you off for something, but McCarthy just wanted the paper’s readers to know how pleased he was with Emblen and what a good signing he was proving. Let’s hope someone will be saying the same about Harry Smith in years to come. Tony Rickson
Our core business is to provide cost management services to the construction industry. Our client base includes subcontractors, contractors, corporates, private businesses and public sector organisations. We adopt industry accepted approaches to cost management/ procurement. We apply these diligently and conscientiously to each project. Our staff regularly undertake CPD training and university studies in order to keep abreast of developments in the industry. In addition to our collective experience and expertise, Our software systems enable us to deliver efficient services to our clients. We are also currently looking at ways in which we can further benefit our clients using Building Information Model [BIM]. Many of QS Consults’ clients are already involved in the construction industry with our services complementing their own. By way of example with public sector clients we can prepare cost studies (including market testing) to enable them to make more informed decisions regarding proposed projects and estates strategies. On the other hand for contractors and sub-contractor’s we provide estimating and tendering services allowing them to focus on their core business of delivering construction projects. Just some of our projects are shown below: Some clients we work with may have never been involved in construction before and may be considering a one-off construction project. As quantity surveyors we can provide guidance on managing costs and how to minimise costs risks associated with construction projects. Some clients we work with may have never been involved in construction before and may be considering a one-off construction project. As quantity surveyors we can provide guidance on managing costs and how to minimise costs risks associated with construction projects.
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