We are pleased to announce that Kyri Neocleous has been appointed First Team Goalkeeping Coach. Kyri is no stranger to Enfield Town as a former manager of Enfield Town Ladies, and was most recently GK Coach at National League South side Braintree Town. We wish all the best to Jake Murphy, who has departed the club.
Andy Leese commented: “We’re sorry to lose Jake but delighted to secure Kyri as an experienced coach.”
Town are pleased to announce the signing of Blaise Riley-Snow on a dual registration from Cheshunt FC
Twenty three year-old defensive midfielder Blaise spent last season in Scotland, playing for Raith Rovers and Alloa Athletic having previously been a professional in Spain. Welcome to the club, Blaise.
Further to our dispute with Cheshunt with regards to Ben Frempah this summer, both clubs have now spoken and are keen to move on having accepted that mistakes were made around the registration of the player. As a club we recognise and thank Cheshunt for their help in allowing us to complete the dual registration of Blaise in a speedy fashion. Whilst the player has signed league forms, we wait to receive clearance that he will be eligible to play tomorrow.
After what seems like no time at all, the new season gets under way tomorrow (Saturday) as we entertain Folkestone Invicta in our opening league game, writes Andrew Warshaw.
Last season Folkestone finished sixth, just outside the playoff places, and look likely to again feature in the promotion race.
In the corresponding fixture last season we suffered a rare home defeat losing 2-3 in front of a crowd of 501 in early December.
Our visitors have enjoyed a good pre-season concluding with a 1-0 win over National League south Dover Athletic and a 4-2 win over Ashford United.
Tickets for Saturday’s home league game with Folkestone are available at
In the build-up to the game, we are delighted to announce that Bilal Sayoud and Lyle Della-Verde have both re-signed for Town and George Rankin from our Academy has also signed. Both Bilal and Lyle are available to play Saturday.
Manager Andy Leese says the bulk of the squad are now back from work or holiday commitments with only one or two absentees on what is certain to be an energy-sapping afternoon in the heat.
“It all starts again tomorrow in what will be a very difficult challenge,” said Andy. “Folkestone look to have built an even stronger squad than they ended last season with, and in addition the weather will challenge the fitness of both teams.”
“We are good to go after some hard work on the training ground and we hope to have everyone available barring a couple of players absent on holiday, not just the starting 11 but the bench as well. We are in good spirits, ready to go and looking forward to seeing the stadium in good voice. We want to pick up where we left off last season and we need your support as always to do that.”
Our away fixture at Kingstonian, scheduled for Saturday Aug 20, has been switched to the following day, Sunday Aug 21.
The reason is that Kingstonian’s landlord Tooting & Mitchum have a home cup tie on the Saturday.
Kickoff time remains at 3pm
Enfield Town are very proud to be partnering with The Big Step this season to support their campaign to remove gambling advertising in football. The Big Step are part of the Gambling with Lives Charity. More information on their campaign can be found here.
the-bigstep.com/home
Our Chairman, Paul Reed said: “We know that gambling can and does have a huge detrimental impact on individuals and family life and as a community club we are proud to be associated with Gambling with Lives and the Big Step. “
Enfield Town 2 Berkhamsted 0
Enfield Town’s final pre-season friendly resulted in a low-key 2-0 victory over a well-organised Berkhamsted side, writes Martin Bentley.
The stifling heat resulted in a slow-paced game that will undoubtedly bear little resemblance to next Saturday’s opening league fixture against Folkestone, although Town’s overall performance was encouragingly efficient.
Neither side succeeded in troubling the goalkeepers in the opening half hour, although Lewis Taaffe shot narrowly over, and Marcus Wyllie missed inexplicably from five yards after being set up by Ryan Kirwan.
The first on-target efforts came from the visitors, both being dealt with well by Nathan McDonald, but Town got their noses in front after 41 minutes, with Lyle Della Verde curling a trademark sublime freekick past visiting keeper Craig Hill.
The second half continued in similar soporific vein, not helped by the inevitable procession of substitutions. Taaffe had a shot well saved after being set up by Wyllie, and Della Verde shot narrowly over before Town scored a second after 79 minutes. Once again the assist came from the industrious Wyllie, his pass being converted by a triallist from close range.
Town line-up: McDonald, Spencer, Kirwan, Thomas, Bray, Richmond, Taaffe, Youngs, Wyllie, Triallist, Della Verde.
Subs: Braithwaite, Connolly, Marfo, Sayoud, Smith, Wihongi, Wilkes, Triallist
The club continue to get the QEII ready for the eagerly awaited start of the season. Back in May we were joined by first-year players from Spurs Academy. The under 18s teamed up with our band of volunteers to help out with a range of jobs, from sweeping the terraces to weeding.
After meeting volunteers and getting to grips with a range of jobs across the stadium site, the players met with Vice-Chairman Paul Millington and his team to learn more about the important role the community plays in supporting grassroots football.
Speaking after meeting the players, Paul Millington, Vice-Chairman of Enfield Town FC, said: “It was fantastic to welcome the boys to Enfield Town FC and great to see them getting stuck into their jobs with such enthusiasm.
“Clubs like ours depend on the incredible support we’re lucky to receive from a committed band of volunteers within the community. It was great to show the boys first-hand the work that goes into running a Club at this level.”
Anton Blackwood, Senior International Football Development Manager at Tottenham Hotspur, said: “The boys were a credit to the Club and showed a huge amount of willingness to help out and work together with volunteers.
“We have long been a Club embedded within our community – both in Tottenham and Enfield – and it was brilliant to see the players enjoy playing an active and important role in the local area”.
Our thanks to Spurs and we look forward to welcoming them to the QEII again soon.
(picture produced with the permission of THFC)
We are pleased to announce another three additions to Town’s squad for this season, who you may have seen in recent pre-season action:
Centre-back James Richmond has joined us for 2022-23. The 27-year-old had been skipper at Merstham for the last three seasons and was previously at Burgess Hill Town, where he was voted their Player of the Season in 2017. He’s also had stints with Carshalton, Kingstonian and Leatherhead.
Another central defender to sign with us for 22-23, who will likely be familiar to a number of you, is Rian McLean. 23-year-old Rian started out with Leyton Orient’s academy and enjoyed an initial stint with us in 2018 following an impressive trial period, before signing a deal to join Doncaster Rovers. He has also represented Hendon, Margate, Sheffield FC and most recently Witham Town.
The third signing to bring you is young midfielder Kian Wilkes, who has progressed from Enfield Town’s U19 academy to the first team this pre-season. He has spent the past couple of seasons with Leverstock Green – winning their Young Player and Manager’s Player of the Season awards last term – and he came off the bench to set up our first goal on Saturday at Hayes & Yeading.
Welcome, lads!
Hayes and Yeading United 3 Enfield Town 2
The scoreline may have flattered us somewhat but there were more than a few mitigating circumstances surrounding Saturday’s defeat to fellow Step 3 opponents in our penultimate pre-season friendly, writes Andrew Warshaw
Firstly Hayes and Yeading, who lost in the Southern League Premier Division South playoff final last term, were a week ahead of us in their preparations, kicking off their league campaign next weekend.
Secondly, they had almost a full-strength side. Perhaps most importantly of all, we were missing at least EIGHT players who might ultimately be considered members of the first-team squad.
Certainly at one stage it looked as if we might be overrun by a slick, quick-thinking, one-touch-passing H and Y side, reminiscent of that 7-1 drubbing almost exactly a year ago.
Yet it must be emphasised we are still a work in progress and one could only feel for the management team in terms of planning with so many key players absent for one reason or another.
However superior H and Y were for long stretches, there were definitively positives to take away from the game, not least another eye-catching performance from young Marcus Wyllie who is surely getting ever-closer to playing his way into consideration for a starting spot on Aug 13.
Hayes were quickly out of the blocks and twice came close in the opening couple of minutes though Town, too, could have gone ahead had Bilal Sayoud produced a stronger shot when rounding the keeper.
The deadlock was broken on 16 minutes when Keano Robinson’s 20-yard strike was hit so powerfully, Nathan McDonald could hardly react.
A great block by Juevan Spencer, who again looked to be an excellent signing, prevented a second goal while at the other end Lewis Taaffe was through on goal but lost his footing at the vital time.
The hosts doubled their lead on 25 minutes when Cole Brown took advantage of defensive hesitancy and curled a sublime effort into the far corner.
Town then survived no fewer than three more gilt-edged H and Y chances before the break including a Mo Bettamer freekick that smashed through the wall and almost pole-axed McDonald who somehow managed to stand firm.
H-T 2-0
Both sides made a flurry of halftime changes but it wasn’t long, despite us switching formation, before our hosts made the game safe, Robinson curling another unstoppable effort beyond McDonald for 3-0.
Whilst it might be argued that H and Y took their foot of the gas, Town commendably never gave up and finished the stronger. On 79 minutes, Wyllie superbly held off his marker to reduce the deficit with a composed finish.
Appeals for a H and Y penalty were waved away before, six minutes from time, Wyllie turned provider for Bruno Tavares to slot home.
“A good workout against very strong opposition who begin their league campaign in a week but frustrating that we don’t have anything like the squad we will have available in two weeks,” was Andy Leese’s assessment.
“Some good performances across the group we had available, and a chance to familiarise some combinations but still lots of work two do before we start in two weeks.”
Town starting line-up
McDonald; Spencer, Bray, Richmond, Kirwan; Thomas, Shulton, Taaffe, Tavares; Wyllie, Sayoud
Subs: Connolly, Jordan, Marfo, Wilson-Braithwaite, Wilkes, Smith, McLean
Ware 1 Enfield Town 4
Enfield Town recorded a comfortable 4-1 win over Ware in their latest pre-season friendly, played for the Sean Mynott Memorial Shield, writes Martin Bentley.
In an open encounter, with Town again fielding a mixture of available regulars and newcomers, a hat-trick from the unlikely source of Lewis Taaffe saw the Town home after being matched for more than an hour by their hosts.
Town succeeded in getting their noses in front after only four minutes when Lyle Della Verde’s 30-yard free kick deflected off a home defender, leaving the Ware keeper wrong footed, frustrated, and standing by the wrong post.
Ware gained the upper hand for a while, stretching the Town defence on the flanks but only managed shots off target. For Town, Marcus Wyllie had a shot well saved, and Ware’s keeper did well to cut out a number of dangerous crosses, before the home side levelled after 43 minutes, from a penalty that can only be politely described as ‘soft’. Ex-Towner Sam Chaney sent Nathan McDonald the wrong way from the spot.
H-T 1-1
The second Town goal arrived after 56 minutes, with Wyllie’s perseverance after his shot was saved resulting in a cut-back to Taaffe and an excellent finish.
The home side were unlucky not to be level again on the hour when McDonald brilliantly tipped a 20-yard first timer onto the crossbar.
Town eventually made the game safe with two goals in three minutes from a goal-hungry Taaffe, the first a looping far-post header from Wynford Marfo’s cross after 71 minutes; the second a neat lob from the excellent Wyllie’s headed pass.
There was still time for an excellent save from sub keeper Adi Connolly near the end, but by then the Town win was confirmed.
Town line-up: McDonald, Marfo, Braithwaite, Thomas, Richmond, McLean, Taaffe, Youngs, Wyllie, Tavares, Della Verde.
Subs: Shulton, Wilkes, Bray, Jordan, Whyte, Connolly
