ANGELS V AFC WIMBLEDON • SATURDAY 15 AUGUST, 2020 • 13:00 V CRYSTAL PALACE U23 • TUESDAY 18 AUGUST, 2020 • 19:15 PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES • 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 BOARDROOM DIARY Good Afternoon everyone, and I would want We have then moved to Playing Behind to type, ‘and welcome to the Halcyon Wealth Closed Doors which has of course increased Longmead Stadium’ but of course that’s the number of requirements not least that not possible since our pre-season friendly representatives from AFC Wimbledon have this afternoon against AFC Wimbledon and had to make a personal visit to The Halcyon Tuesday evening’s against Crystal Palace, Wealth Longmead Stadium to confirm that two very illustrious opponents indeed, have they are happy with the arrangements we to be played behind closed doors as a result have set up. It’s good to report they were of the Covid 19 pandemic Government happy otherwise todays game would not regulations. have been going ahead. Nevertheless, we are delighted to welcome We shall then of course move to Playing The Dons and the Eagles for our first home Matches with Spectators, but we are still fixtures of the season and at the same time waiting from The National League on exact in the case of AFC we can recall some very guidance on how they expect us to operate. competitive fixtures not too many seasons Without trying to second guess what they ago in the Isthmian League. The progress will want clearly the key piece of the jigsaw they have made since those days has been will be attendance and how that is managed legendary with of course one of our own all including probably some kind of Track and time favourites Jon Main going on to help Trace requirement. them in that progression. You can only Let’s, if we possibly can for a moment, congratulate Crystal Palace for their sheer move away from Covid 19 and say a big tenacity in having so many seasons in the thanks to all of you who in some way top flight when too many are quick to write have helped the club financially during this them off. Do read more about the Dons and extraordinary shutdown period. In particular the Eagles in Matt’s piece where he takes a a massive £9,670 has been raised for the closer look at both our visitors. pitch fund which is allowing us to proceed Of course it’s frustrating for the club and for with the purchase of those pitch covers you that we can’t all be together for our first that Peter Elves so eloquently described home fixture of 2020/21 but until there is at the special owners meeting back in a vaccination or proven medical treatment March. These will provide the pitch with to cure the virus then the Government will the protection it needs not only from heavy have to continue to take the necessary rain but also other potential hazards such as steps that reduces risk and that includes snow and ice. It’s a flexible system that can restrictions on those entering sports be adapted to the needs of the pitch and stadiums which we have to abide by. hopefully might even allow our Academy to occasionally use the facility. The Prime Minister has indicated that there will possibly be some relaxation that will Keeping on with the thanks a number of allow supporters back into watch games supporters have joined in with the shirt from the beginning of October which promotion to say thanks to our incredible dovetails nicely with the National League’s National Health Service on the home shirts, announcement that the campaign will and The Sustain Foodbank managed by commence on Saturday 3rd October. We The Tonbridge Baptist Church on those must all work hard to try and achieve that ‘lucky’away shirts. You will of course be if possible and the severe restrictions in able to purchase the replica shirts in the place this afternoon are all part of a process very near future and details will appear on that will hopefully get us to that stage the website. successfully. We will of course be bringing you the latest Even to organise training for our players news of today’s game through various has required us to confirm to The National formats, so from the Boardroom it just League that a significant number of remains for us to say Stay Safe. regulations are in place to maintain Jim Rowe everyone’s safety and security and that this will not in any way be compromised. 3 OUR VISITORS The first of our home friendlies sees us welcome to Longmead AFC Wimbledon who are preparing for another season in league one, three divisions above us. The future is exciting for Wimbledon as they prepare to move “THE DONS” back to Plough Lane, the stadium built on the site of the spiritual FACTFILE home of Wimbledon FC. Photos show an impressive ground, a Founded: 2002 far cry not only from the Kingsmeadow ground they have used Ground: Kingsmeadow since their reformation, but also a ground unrecognisable from CEO: Joe Palmer the old Plough Lane the Crazy Gang played on as the club made Manager: Glyn Hodges its elevation from non-league football to the top flight of English football. Last season Wimbledon were deemed to have finished one CHEYE ALEXANDER place outside the relegation zone of league one in 20th place after the table was worked out on points per game, earning them a fifth straight season in the third tier, although it wasn’t so long ago the club were league opponents of ours. For two seasons, 2006/07 and 2007/08 we were both Isthmian Premier Division sides until the Dons won promotion into what was then HONOURS called Conference South, when they won promotion at the first 1 x Conference South attempt, the middle of three promotions in four years. 1 x Isthmian Lge Div 1 AFC Wimbledon’s manager is former Dons player Glyn Hodges 1 x Combined Counties who played more than 200 games for the original club in the 1 x London Senior Cup 1980s. He’d previously been assistant to Wally Downes before 1 x Surrey Senior Cup taking over in September last season. Wimbledon started their pre-season campaign last Saturday RECORDS with a 5-0 win away to Corinthian Casuals. 17 year old Troy OLLIE PALMER Most appearances: Chiabi scored a 28 minute hat-trick with Nesta Guinness-Walker Barry Fuller (227) and Terell Thomas also netting while Alex Woodyard and Ayoub Assal were on target in Tuesday’s win at Leatherhead. Most goals: Kevin Cooper (104) The club have confirmed a few close season signings. Full back Cheye Alexander has joined after two years in the National Record attendance: League with Barnet. The second signing is Alex Woodyard, a 4870 v Accrington Stanley midfield player from Peterborough. Woodyard was born in (2016) Kent and represented Dartford earlier in his career. Strikers Ollie Palmer and Ethan Chislett have joined from Crawley and Most goals v Tonbridge: Aldershot while Connal Trueman is a goalkeeper on loan from Mark De Bolla (3) Birmingham. There are other players with Kent connections. Full-back Luke FORM O’Neill spent two years at Gillingham between 2017 and 2019, WILL NIGHTINGALE Last 5 Games: Ireland under 21 midfielder Callum Reilly had a loan and a 7/3 Bolton H D0-0 permanent spell at Priestfield as well, and striker Joe Pigott, 29/2 Gillingham a W2-1 now 26, played for Bromley, Gillingham and Maidstone United. 22/2 Blackpool H D0-0 18/2 Oxford U a L0-5 Other forward options include Adam Roscrow, in his second 15/2 Rotherham a D2-2 season after joining from Cardiff Metropolitan University, where he was in the team which qualified for the Europa League Last 5 Seasons: Qualifying Rounds, and Zach Robinson, an 18 year old who has 2019/20 League One 20th spent time on loan at Basingstoke Town and Leatherhead. Other 2018/19 League One 20th players to watch could be Anthony Hartigan, a young midfielder 2017/18 League One 18th who played more than 40 first team games last season, another 2016/17 League One 15th midfielder Shane McLoughlin who joined from Ipswich, left- 2015/16 League Two 7th back Terell Thomas who started his career at Charlton and Will Nightingale, a central defender who has been at the club since he was eight years old. Until last season their first team also JACK RUDONI 4 AFC WIMBLEDON THE LAST TIME WE MET included ex-Angel Mitchell Pinnock, four Isthmian league games saw us now with Kilmarnock. win once away, when Ryan Maxwell, AFC WIMBLEDON 2 Steve McKimm’s excellent connections Scott Kinch and Jon Main, later to play MAIN 8’ 33’ at Wimbledon have enabled us to for Wimbledon, scored in a 3-1 victory. TONBRIDGE ANGELS 2 benefit from some fine young players The Dons won here at Longmead in the getting valuable experience of mens February of that season while the two ROOK 47’ 62’ ATTENDANCE 2,733 football in loan spells at Tonbridge, games the following season both ended SATURDAY 26 JANUARY 2008 • ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION many of whom have gone on to play in 2-2 draws.