V ALDERSHOT TOWN • SATURDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER, 2020 • 15:00 PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY • SPECIAL ONLINE MATCH PROGRAMME Proud Stadium Sponsor of Tonbridge Angels FC
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ANGELS V ALDERSHOT TOWN • SATURDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER, 2020 • 15:00 PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY • SPECIAL ONLINE MATCH PROGRAMME Proud Stadium Sponsor of Tonbridge Angels FC Halcyon Wealth financial advisers are a client focused, innovative financial services consultancy. Financial advisers with offices in London. Canary Wharf and Tunbridge Wells. www.halcyonwealth.co.uk City of London Head Office 27 Austin Friars, London EC2N 2QP. Tel: 0203 755 1949 37th Floor, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AA. Tel: 0207 956 8553 22 Mount Ephraim Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 1ED Tel: 01892 671 273 STEVE McKIMM Good afternoon everyone and a big And then not much more than 24 hours welcome to Aldershot Town from the later that other door opens with the arrival National League who are our visitors for back into the club of the equally excellent the Angels last pre-season friendly. I thank D’Sean Theobalds who has decided to Danny Searle for accepting our invitation pledge his immediate future with us. to come over and play us here in what If I’m honest I don’t think many of us, will be a really good test. Whilst The Shots myself included, expected to see him back may have only finished in 18th position following what seemed like a dream move last season, the signings they have made to top flight football in Poland. Events during the summer will have given however conspired against D’Sean with everyone in The National League notice of the manager’s position changing quite their intent to try and push on to higher soon after his arrival and then the onset things. Please read Matt Davison’s preview of Coronavirus meant that he was never of our visitors further on in the programme really able to establish himself. He is a and you will get a feel for their potential very level headed guy who I know will quality. simply look upon the whole thing as one of life’s experiences and will have no lasting Here, we have continued to work regrets at how it turned out. I am of course extremely hard in pre-season with not only delighted to have D’Sean back with us. the friendlies, most of which unfortunately have had to be behind closed doors, but Just two days ago I signed 19-year- also a series of very intensive training old Javaun Splatt who has completed a sessions. The matches themselves have two-year scholarship at Derby County’s provided a good range of opposition from Academy and has played for their U18s Step 5 right up to EFL and U23 Premier and U23s. Some of you will have seen League. Everyone wants to win a game of him playing for us at Margate a couple of football including me, but I don’t get too weeks ago and I believe he will give us hung up on the results themselves, it’s all different options up front. about looking at players, experimentation, I’m writing these notes just yesterday and getting back to full fitness. That said and I guess we are still getting over the the score lines have more or less gone with devastating news that supporters at elite league status and four successive victories clubs of which we are one will not now be against Isthmian Premier opposition were allowed back into stadiums for 1st team perhaps put into sharp focus with the visit games from the beginning of October as of Bromley last Saturday. had been expected. Despite the National The Ravens provided us with a lesson League seeming to indicate at one stage in pacey incisive football and a 3-1 half that they would not start competition until time score line in their favour was a very fans were allowed back in that position fair reflection of the balance of play. We seems to be changing with the suggestion improved in the 2nd half and they made a that some form of Government money number of changes but another early strike may be forthcoming to help clubs. for them meant we ended with a three- The position is further complicated, if that goal deficit. In pre-season you can learn as were possible, by National South clubs much in defeat as victory and all of those being required to enter the FA Cup on 3rd lessons we will be taking forward. October (we have been drawn away to We often find in football when one door Farnborough) which of course quite rightly closes another opens, sometimes quite triggers payments to players but what quickly. The excellent Christ Tiehi advised happens after that is still very unclear. us that he had decided after very careful I am grateful to Board members who consideration that at least in the immediate attended training the other evening to future he would not be returning to the support me in explaining this extraordinary club with his priorities lying at the moment position to our players. I ask you to please in Paris particularly after the birth of his stay in touch with the club through the baby son. It was a blow, I will admit, but various communications channels so that a decision I can completely understand – everyone can keep up to date with events family has to come first. as they happen. Steve 3 OUR VISITORS For both sides’ last pre-season friendly we welcome Aldershot Town, our visitors from the National League, who will be looking to do better than their last trip to Kent, a 3-0 defeat at Dartford eleven days ago. “THE SHOTS” The Shots’ last pre-season game was on Tuesday, a 2-1 defeat FACTFILE at Slough, new signing Toby Edser scored Aldershot’s goal after Founded: 1992 the home side had taken a 2-0 lead. Ground: Recreation Ground Aldershot manager Danny Searle is preparing for his second Chairman: Shahid Azeem season in charge at the Recreation Ground. Searle took over in Manager: Danny Searle May 2019 after the departure of Gary Waddock, whose second spell ended after two years at the club. Searle has been busy in the transfer market in the summer, ROSS MCCORMACK most notably the capture of former Leeds and Fulham man Ross McCormack. The Scotsman, now 34, has also played Championship football with Cardiff, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, and has moved for combined fees of nearly £25 million in his career. On signing for the club, McCormack told the club website: “It HONOURS wasn’t a hard decision, now is the right time to come back 1 x Football Conference and get going again in England. Having spoken to Tanns (Craig 1 x Conference Lge Cup Tanner), the gaffer, the staff and the lads here I felt like it’s the 1 x Isthmian League 1 x Isthmian Div One right place to do it.” 1 x Isthmian Div Three Another new addition to the Shots cause this season is Toby 5 x Hampshire Senior Cup Edser. The central midfielder started his career at Charlton, joined Nottingham Forest and had loan spells at Woking and TOBY EDSER RECORDS Port Vale. Most appearances: Frenchman Killian Colombie is another new boy at the Recreation Jason Chewins (489) Ground. He can play right-back or as a winger on both sides. He played youth football for Paris Saint Germain and AS Montigny le Most goals: Bretonneux, but then got the chance to study and play football Mark Butler (155) in the United States where his last club was Sporting Kansas. Record attendance: Onto the players who were a part of Aldershot’s campaign last 7500 v Brighton & HA season and are still wearing the club’s colours, in goal is former (2000) Dover man Mitch Walker. Mitch is spending his second season at the club after making nearly 300 appearances for the Crabble Most goals v Tonbridge: based club. 3 players (1 each) In their defensive line are the options of Lewis Kinsella, a former Colchester United player who initially joined the Shots on loan MITCH WALKER FORM for a month, Jack Sendles-White, a former Northern Ireland youth Last 5 Games: international who has also featured in the Scottish Premiership 14/3 AFC Fylde a L0-1 and joined the club from Torquay, Kodi Lyons-Foster, who joined 10/3 Notts County a L1-3 the club from Searle’s former club Braintree after having initially 7/3 Dagenham & R H L0-1 played for the club in 2017, George Fowler, who made his loan 25/2 Boreham Wd H W3-2 move from Ipswich permanent in 2018, and Alex Finney, who 22/2 Maidenhead a W2-1 played in Kent for Maidstone having also been on the books of Leyton Orient, Bolton and QPR. Last 5 Seasons: 2019/20 Nat Lge 18th In midfield, James Rowe has played for Tranmere, and won the 2018/19 Nat Lge 21st National League with Cheltenham, Josh Rees had a spell with 2017/18 Nat Lge 5th Gillingham after moving to Priestfield from Bromley, and Alfy 2016/17 Nat Lge 5th Whittingham is the son of former Portsmouth striker Guy, and 2015/16 Nat Lge 15th until a year ago was at Hungerford Town. Wide options for Searle include Chike Kandi, Joel Nouble, who JOEL NOUBLE 4 ALDERSHOT TOWN THE LAST TIME WE MET briefly agreed terms with Tonbridge next Saturday. but left without playing a game, stood ALDERSHOT 3 Aldershot, in their various guises, have out against us for Haringey in the 2019 often had a troubled journey. A Football FLINT, BILLINGTON (PEN), MACAULEY play-offs, and featured against us in League side until 1992, they went out TONBRIDGE 2 our last competitive game for Concord, of business during the 1991/92 season.