Enfield Town 2 Arsenal u21 1

Report By Andrew Warshaw

In front of magnificent gate of over 1,500, our second pre-season outing could not have gone much better as we overcame an Arsenal development squad that was a mixture of under-21 and under-18 players though all of them full time.

Gavin Macpherson switched the teams round from Saturday’s narrow 3-2 defeat against Spurs, starting with a familiar line-up of regulars and using the second half to further assess a number of triallists, supplemented by the likes of Sam Youngs, Taylor McKenzie and Joe Payne.

It was good to see Sam back as well as Ollie  Knight, who appears to have shaken off his injury though Lewis Taaffe is still recovering.

Not surprisingly, our visitors had more of the ball in each half, their wingers particularly eye-catching, but this was another opportunity to see how we performed out of possession given the Step 2 tests ahead and it was all the more pleasing that we ended up winning the game.

After a series of corners and half-chances from the Gunners – either off target or blocked – we took the lead on the half hour through Marcus Wyllie.

Marcus had got little change out of Maldini Kacurri until then but pounced on a sloppy piece of play in the Arsenal defensive third and ran through to superbly bury the ball in the corner in trademark style (pictured).

Arsenal almost responded straight away as a corner found Khayon Edwards unmarked at the back post but he shot over. Rhys Forster then produced an excellent save to thwart Osman Kamara.

Five triallists were introduced for the second period as was Adi Connolly who got lucky once or twice with his handling but more than redeemed himself with a couple of terrific stops.

Town had a let-off when Josh Robinson’s 25-yarder cannoned off the post but on 65 minutes we doubled our lead. A Joe Payne long throw was only half cleared and a triallist wearing 11 smashed the ball home.

Within a minute Arsenal had reduced the arrears through a Dan Casey wonder strike but we still posed a threat on the counter as Reece Beckles Richards wriggled past two defenders.

The last 15 minutes saw Arsenal really step it up  as they drove into the danger zone but a series of chances came and went and we hung on for a highly creditable win that may mean little in the scheme of things but, once again given the quality of the opposition, augured extremely well in terms of our preparations.

All our five new signings were again given a run-out and this time it was the returning Alex Solomon who looked especially assured.

Now it’s all about how we perform with the ball in our remaining pre-season fixtures, all against either Step 3 or 4 opposition.

“We wanted once again to see how we spend time out of possession and work on our shape,” said Gavin. “It was hard for the ones we were trying to look at in terms of trying to showcase themselves but I’m trying to prepare for the season.”

“All in all we’ve beaten a full-time team with a Premiership side so overall we’ve got to be really pleased with the progression so far. The two games against Spurs and Arsenal more than served their purpose. Now I need to see a different side of us at Welwyn Garden City on Saturday in terms of posing a threat. The aim ultimately is to be potent with the football and difficult to break down.”

Town: Forster (Connolly), Parcell (Trialist A), Nembhard (Solomon), Tanner (McKenzie), Thomas (Payne), Smith (Trialist B), Alves (Beckles Richards), Leonard (Youngs), Knight (Owusu), Adjei-Hersey (Trialist C), Wyllie (Trialist D).

Job Advert – ETFC Safety Officer 24-25

The club are recruiting a new Safety Officer for the 2024-25 season.

The job of Safety Officer is to ensure the safety of all visitors and spectators attending events at the QEII Stadium through the operation and management of suitable systems and controls.

The Safety Officer will ensure the club complies with the provisions of its safety certificates and legislation, including the Safety at Sports Grounds guide [The Green Guide], while also consulting and liaising with stewards, club representatives, emergency services, and other necessary parties.

This post is ideally voluntary, though the club may consider a paid role for the right individual.

To apply, please provide your CV and ideally a covering letter detailing your suitability for the role and prior experience to chairman@etfc.london

All interviews will be at the earliest available opportunity.

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Enfield Town 2 Tottenham Hotspur under-21 3

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Considering the quality of opposition, this was an extremely encouraging start to Enfield Town’s pre-season schedule as we build towards our first ever Step 2 campaign.

Before kickoff, both teams gave our trophy-winning disability squads a guard of honour (pictured) and we are grateful to Spurs for agreeing to join in.

The visitors arrived as under-21 Premier League 2 champions but despite the gulf in status were given a real run for their money in the second half after racing into a three-goal lead.

In front of a crowd over 1,000, Gavin Macpherson fielded two separate elevens in each half,  a mixture of first-teamers and trialists followed by a more familiar line-up.

Sam Youngs, Ollie Knight and Lewis Taaffe were the only absentees, with all five of Town’s summer signings given some game time and midfielder Billy Leonard, Hendon’s player of the 2023-24 season , the pick of the bunch, stroking the ball around with eye-catching technique.

Several of the Spurs team had played some part in their under-21 title triumph and they were in front after 15 minutes when Calum Olusesi netted from close range.

We almost levelled after when Alex Solomon, on his return to the club, narrowly missed converting fellow newcomer Nana Owusu’s assist before Will Lankshear, last season’s Premier League 2 top scorer, converted Damola Ajayi’s cross on the stroke of halftime

Lankshear neatly tucked away his second four minutes after the break and almost completed a hattrick before Town, with a far stronger second-half line-up, staged a brave recovery.

Spurs keeper Josh Keeley saved superbly from Herson Alves at close range before  Marcus Wyllie raced through to reduce the deficit on 73 minutes.

Marcus was inches away from a second and Town proceeded to miss a couple more excellent chances, notably from yet another newcomer, Joash Nembard who somehow missed the target from a couple of yards out.

With nine minutes to go, however, Leonard took advantage of a rare mix-up in the Spurs defence and shot home sweetly.

“Overall very pleased with a lot of what I saw today against full-time professional players who are going to finish if you give them space,” said Gav.

 “But after a deliberate first-half screening exercise, we gave the second-half team a bit more purchase to go after the ball and caused them a lot of problems.”

“We conceded three typical early pre-season goals and really should have taken the Herson and Joash chances, pre-season or not. But as I say really pleased in general.”

Town: First half

Connolly, Solomon, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Adjei-Hersey, Owusu, Trialist, Beckles-Richards, Trialist.

Second half: Forster, Nembhard, McKenzie, Tanner, Parcell, Thomas, Smith, Payne, Leonard, Alves, Wyllie.

It seems only yesterday that we clinched promotion to National League south yet tomorrow, Saturday, we begin our pre-season schedule with the annual home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur’s under-21 development squad, kickoff 3pm.

Having lifted the Premier League 2 under-21 play-off final trophy last season, Tottenham’s visit promises to be a mouth-watering occasion and a huge test for our new-look squad as we start preparations for life at Step 2.

With a large crowd expected, fans are advised to arrive as early as possible. Advance tickets are still on sale at https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/brand/match-tickets

“Both this game and the Arsenal game on Tuesday are absolutely deliberate,” explained Gavin Macpherson.

 “We work from minute one in training on how we’re going to shape up out of possession and these two games, by definition, mean we should spend a lot of time without the ball.”

“The boys will have to work into a shape because I need to understand that they understand what I want. It’s a simple as that.

“Then you start to get into the other pre-season games like Welwyn Garden City  when, no disrespect to them, we should start to dominate games and see another side of us.”

AW

There was standing room only at Butler’s Bar at a packed members’ meeting on Thursday night as we looked ahead to our first ever season at Step 2 starting on Aug 10 with a tasty trip to Torquay.

Chairman Paul Reed opened proceedings with a look back at last season, an overview of board decisions and our financial position, followed by a lengthy discussion regarding ground improvement

Paul was followed by Gavin Macpherson who discussed our new signings and hopes for the season, thanking the fans for their support and urging patience as the management team continues to strengthen the squad for the challenge ahead.

Paul revealed that sponsorship levels were already considerably greater than last season, in large part down to the two new board members, Graham Dodd and Neil Lutwyche, with Powerday again our headline shirt sponsor.

Membership has increased to a record 425 and season tickets are currently standing at a healthy 116 several weeks before the start of the season.

There was a round of applause when Paul confirmed that the stadium will continue to be named after Dave Bryant while in terms of finances, Paul revealed that gate receipts last season were 70 percent higher than we budgeted for, putting us in a healthy position  moving forward.

Financial scrutiny will be far greater in the National League than Isthmian league but the position we are in will allow us to increase the playing budget for the new season by 30 percent, Paul revealed, pointing out that it is nevertheless far more expensive now to attract players.

“The average cost of bringing in a good quality Step 2 player is almost double that of a good quality Step 3 player,” said Paul. “We are having to be cute to work around that.”

Whilst we will undoubtedly be in the bottom half of the table in terms of what we can offer compared with other National League South clubs, “budgets themselves are not necessarily an indicator of where you sit at the end of the season”, added Paul, proving the point by giving several examples.

Much of the discussion focussed on our ground improvement plans and after various options were debated, the vote was virtually unanimous for us to construct a new 400-seater stand opposite the main stand for approximately £120,000 plus VAT, much of it funded by grants and at a prospective cost to the club of £36,000 plus VAT

There will also be three new turnstiles – two at the far end of the ground and one where the existing turnstiles are. All the ground development work must be completed by March 31, pending planning permission.

Finally, another plea also went out for a badly needed safety  officer so if there is anyone out there who would like to offer his or her services please get in touch asap providing your CV and ideally a covering letter detailing your suitability for the role and prior experience to chairman@etfc.london

Then it was Gavin’s turn to address members with his thoughts about the season completed and the one ahead.

“Without the support throughout the season I’m not sure we’d be where we are today,” Gavin began, gaining a round of applause in the process before thanking the board and his whole management team for a “collective” success.

“Dulwich away was probably the pinnacle for me until, of course, the playoffs.”

Touching briefly on the Fenix trophy Final Four in Italy Gavin joked that the players were “still in promotion mode” before turning to the serious matters ahead.

“I said straight after Chatham that the hard work would start immediately and so it has” said Gav. “We’ve put ourselves in a different bracket of football and with that comes tests all over the place. But it’s where we want to be and we have to embrace it.”

Whilst happy with our five new signings so far, Gavin said he hadn’t finished yet. “It’s a bit of a slower burner if I’m honest. The biggest hurdle in terms of recruitment  is that we’re the new kid on the block, an untested, untried entity at this level. That comes with needing patience and smart thinking.”

Gavin wished those who have left the club well. “Some of those who have left were my choice, that’s the sad part of this job because of all of them played a big part in what we did last season. But some were their choice.”

Asked specifically about James Richmond, Gavin  explained Jimbo was still coming off the back of “a fairly difficult injury to navigate” and had himself opted to join Hayes and Yeading.

“I would have wanted to bring him back but we have to respect Jimbo’s decision. We need to focus now on those who have come in, some of whom have Step 2 pedigree and one or two of whom have even played at Step 1.”

Whilst Billy Leonard, one of the newcomers, has not played above Step 3 in non-league, he was Hendon’s player of the year last season. “I tried to bring in Billy a year ago but it didn’t work out,” Gavin revealed. “I think you’ll love him. He has massive ability.”

In what was clearly a comment about rumours of a possible Mo Faal return, Gavin understandably gave little away. “I keep getting asked about players who have previously been here.  We’ll have to wait and see on several fronts. There’s going to have to be some patience all round but hopefully I’m not done yet.”

Andrew  Warshaw

We will kick off our debut campaign in the National League South at Plainmoor, as we have been handed a trip to Torquay United on the opening weekend of the 2024/25 season.

We kick off the season on Saturday August 10th. It’s set to be a busy August for the Towners, with away days at Truro City and Chippenham also on the schedule. Our first home fixture at step 2 takes place on Saturday 17th August when we welcome Weston-super-Mare to North London. That’s followed by Slough Town on the evening of Tuesday 20th.

The festive calendar also makes for exciting reading, as we host Boreham Wood on Boxing Day, before opening 2025 at Clarence Park, St Albans on New Year’s Day. We will meet both sides again on the Easter weekend, before rounding off the season at home to Worthing.

As a National League South club, Enfield Town enter the FA Cup at the Second Qualifying Round stage in mid-September, and the FA Trophy Second Round Proper in November. There is no league cup in the National League, but we will participate in the Senior Cups of both the Middlesex FA and London FA this season.

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Enfield Town’s 2024/25 Fixtures In Full:

Please note, all fixtures are still subject to change. Visit etfc.london for updates

As we prepare for the 2024-25 season, the following players have not returned to the squad:

We extend our sincere thanks and best wishes to all five as they depart the club.

Ahead of our first ever season in Step 2, an important reminder that our annual pre-season members meeting takes place this Thursday, July 11, in Butlers’ Bar starting at 7.30pm

Chairman Paul Reed will provide an update on player movement and our financial situation. There will also be a discussion on volunteers as well as ground development plans.

Manager Gavin Macpherson will join the meeting to lay out his plans and hopes for the season and take questions from the floor, accompanied by at least one player.

This is the time to renew your membership if you haven’t done already and also for any new members to join.

We are very pleased to announce the addition of defender Alex Solomon ahead of next season.

A Cyprus U21 international, Alex was part of the academy setups at Crystal Palace, Leyton Orient, and Leicester City. Capable as a central or left-sided defender, he is no stranger to the club, having initially signed for the Towners during the second half of the 21-22 season before moving on to Hampton & Richmond. He began last season with the Beavers before making 25 appearances – including in the Isthmian play-off semi-final – for Wingate & Finchley. He has also worn the shirts of Kingstonian and Swedish side Ytterhogdals IK.

“Alex is a versatile player with step 2 experience”, said gaffer Gavin Macpherson. “Having recently left the pro game Alex is keen to play at a high level and is hungry to succeed. He impressed me last season and adds further competition which is crucial. I am, however, still working hard to add to the squad”

Welcome, Alex!

Huge congratulations to ETFC life president Roger Reed, father of Town chairman Paul Reed, who has just been named president of the Isthmian League.

Roger received the accolade at the league’s recent AGM on the same day Marcus Wyllie picked up his trophy as Golden Boot winner and our promotion to National League south was also celebrated.

Roger (pictured, far left, with the ETFC family) had already been made a life member of the league, a rarity in itself, and now takes on the presidency after acquiring almost legendary status.

“It’s an ambassadorial role and I’m incredibly proud,” said Roger who, at 77, takes over from Lord Richard Rosser who passed away earlier this year. “I was totally gobsmacked and consider it a great honour to follow in the footsteps of Richard.”