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I’ll bet as
we enter the new season most of you have been sitting on your,
luxury, reclining, spacious Loftus Road armchairs, thinking,
“thank god we can forget about some of the rubbish we have been
served over the past few years now we have returned to Division
One” (or whatever it is).
Ha-ha! Think
again! I’m back to remind you of some of the dross and the sad
cases of under achievement we have come to love and hate by
letting you know how low they have stooped. I may also remind
you of a few good memories as some blasts from the past show
they may just have found their level.
And why not
start with some of those who are out to return to the top, now
that their playing days have passed. Those who just can’t keep
away and finally end up in management. Ernie Howe is still at
Basingstoke (although now without Craig McAllister who in the
end left on a free instead of a big money transfer to us) and
Paul Parker is embarking on his second season at Welling United.
Mark Dennis
is making less marks these days at Eastleigh in the Ryman
League. His team have managed 1 win in 7. The less charitable
would probably suggest it may be down to his insistence on
playing Christer Warren. Although, to be fair, he is actually
playing quite well at that level. In the division below Mark’s
old club Fleet Town have kept up the tradition by installing
Andy Sinton as the new player coach. Without doubt, this will be
one to watch, as surely if you had to choose an ex player to
succeed in management, you would give Sinton a shot?
And now
another face has appeared. Terry Fenwick has taken the post at
Ashford Town in Kent. They are propping up Ryman division one
and bowed out of the FA Cup this week to AFC Wimbledon, and the
idea is that he can turn things around. I reckon Northampton
Town fans might have an opinion on that!
And so to
the players. Yet again, the end of season merry go round has
been taking on fare paying passengers of the Rangers variety.
Two of the newest clashed on bank holiday Monday. At one point
you would have probably expected them to end up at opposite
extremes of the football pyramid, but when St Albans City lost
at home to Lewes, it was fumblemeister Ade Bankole whose team
came out best. Lewes won 3-2, despite St Albans taking the lead
from a cross by Ben Walshe. Yes, young Walshie, who many thought
might find a league club to go to, has to ply his trade in the
Nationwide Conference South now. Ben was involved at both ends
on Saturday, but this time his crosses helped his new side to
their first win of the season, beating Carshalton 3-1.
Incidentally, Lewes are performing well at the top of the table,
due mainly to goals coming from ex Fulham boy Luke Cornwall.
Still in the
Conference South, one team is causing more than a little fuss
with its spending policy. It would appear that Hornchurch have
become the “Chelsea” of the non league. Rumoured to have an
outrageous wage structure of over £1.2 million they are being
accused of trying to buy their way to non league success. This
week, they spent £15,000 on 24 year old Wayne Purser from Leyton
Orient. Those with sharp memories will remember him as a starlet
of our youth academy. Bizarrely he joins fat Caskey, star of
Bristol City’s latest crap attempt at promotion from Division
Two.
Down at
Margate, one of Ben Walshe’s ex colleagues has moved from
Gravesend and Northfleet. Patrick Gradley, was another highly
respected prospect at QPR that just never made it and is hoping
to make an impression. And, to further compound the agony of our
rubbish reserves, Alistair Heselton has found himself at Bishops
Stortford. Stortford is turning into a graveyard for our youth
team stars who never made it! Alistair will find himself in the
company of Steve Parmenter and Mark Graham. The latter seems
settled there and for once has not followed his brother Richard
around the non league pyramid. Richard now at Barnet, will be
hoping for some success this season, alongside Danny Maddix as
the Bees look to push for a return to the Football League.
Barnet have a minor cash windfall at their disposal too, after
recently selling Chris Plummer to Peterborough for £30,000.
Hopefully, Chris will now embark on a successful professional
career with his injury woes behind him.
At the
opposite end of the pyramid one familiar face is Michael Meaker.
He is now with Gladwish Land Sales Hellenic League side Henley
Town, and still can’t stop scoring. He scored a hat trick last
weekend as Henley put 8 past Pegasus Juniors!
Finally to
finish off the latest file, I report on a couple of players
whose careers I should be reporting on as finished! Bradley
Allen is journeying around the Ryman, most recently stopping at
Billericay, and Keith Rowland has very nearly left the country.
We almost got rid of him as he’s been signed by Dublin City, but
in the strangest deal of the year, he has opted to commute to
Ireland for league matches from his home in the south east, and
a deal has been struck with Dagenham and Redbridge to let him
train there all week! Give it up Keith!
There’s
plenty more players to report on so another ex file will be
coming soon, but if you spot someone in your neck of the woods
banging in the goals and he is the spitting image of a crap ex
Ranger, feel free to let me know!
varc@qprnet.com |
