Initial thoughts are that I’m buggered. I don’t quite know how Football Manager has done this but the three teams – Weymouth, King’s Lynn Town and Dover Athletic – are the three favourites for the drop. That’s impressive levels of accuracy and hats off to the research team for essentially predicting the future.
I don’t know why I bothered turning transfers on, I needn’t have made the effort considering the number of players Weymouth have taken on trial and signed elsewhere. A few examples are Matthew Blake electing to join Dunfermline, Luca Murphy will pull on the colours of Maidstone and Ollie O’Dwyer was stolen by Stockport County. Matthew Kilgallon looked set to sign for King’s Lynn, only to have his head turned by the bright lights of Bromley as they came in for him at the eleventh hour.
That’s not to say one or two pieces of business haven’t been concluded. At Weymouth, a 16-year-old striker from St. Albans has arrived to bolster the youth ranks. King’s Lynn Town Chairman Stephen Cleeve has been persuaded to open up the cheque book for Scunthorpe striker Kenan Dünnwald-Turan from Scunthorpe for around £2k. King’s Lynn are also in for Guiseley’s Andy Kellett but a deal looks less likely as they are holding out for more than Cleeve is willing to part with.
Dover Athletic have seen three out-of-contract players leave in Alexis Andre Jr., Myles Judd and Djair Parfitt-Williams, All three were refusing to sign new deals and commit to the cause. I don’t need their negativity casting a dark cloud on the training ground. Junior Nkwonta has come in on loan from Dagenham & Redbridge, while Martell Taylor-Croasdale was persuaded to swap Weymouth for Dover on loan.
Ironically, the team meeting at Dover ahead of the season went better than either of the other two, it seems the squad there has already accepted their fate. The meeting held at Weymouth particularly missed the mark like a Boris Johnson apology, Brad Ash was practically ready to walk out at the very suggestion of the club avoiding relegation.
Fortune favours the brave, or so I’m told. I’ve named 16-year-old left winger James Songo as vice-captain at Dover. If that doesn’t put the cat amongst the pigeons, I don’t know what will.
In terms of pre-season results, I parachuted myself in with two games each to go. Dover Athletic had actually lost all four of their friendlies prior to my arrival, mostly money-spinning ties against Premier League Under-23 sides. A win over Billericay and a draw against Maldon & Tiptree gave a level of hope. The opposite was true for Weymouth, who had won all four of their most recent friendlies and then as soon as I took the hotseat, promptly lost the next two. At King’s Lynn Town, Malachi Linton was amongst the goals in two draws including against Truro.
Up next, August and the start of the season is on the horizon.
Coasters Corner 