Three defensive reinforcements to bring you; with one retained and two new signings who you may have seen in recent pre-season action.

Firstly, versatile defender Josh McLeod-Urquhart – gradually back on the road towards recovery – has signed on for the 2022-23 campaign. He started last season well with three wins and two clean sheets before a season-ending injury at the end of August. He will be looking to add to his 27 appearances and three goals for the club once fully fit again. Welcome back, Josh (pictured with Andy Leese)

We also welcome two defensive additions to the club in Wynford Marfo and Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite. Dequane spent time with Carshalton Athletic and Potters Bar last season, and has also turned out for Welling Town and Maldon & Tiptree. Right-sided defender Wynford was a regular in Leyton Orient’s Under-18s side before most recently representing St Neots Town.

Andy Leese commented on the two: “Both are really good lads; good characters; good pedigree. Both have been with professional clubs: Dequane’s been at Spurs and then Luton, and Wynford’s been at [Leyton] Orient. They’ve come out of the professional game and into non-league clubs – they were at St Neots last year together, for example – but they’ve been very impressive. They’re disciplined boys, they work extremely hard, and they’ve come in and really impressed us with their ability and versatility. Thanks to Mark Salton at 12 Mountains Agency for helping get them in.”

The club are delighted to confirm that striker Jake Cass has agreed to stay at Enfield Town for the 2022-23 campaign.

The ever-popular Jake joined from Bishop’s Stortford mid-way through last season and hit 10 goals in 18 appearances for the Town.

Welcome back, Jake!

The club has recently discovered an issue concerning the registration of a player.

This has been raised with the Football Association who will rule over the matter in due course. The other club involved is Cheshunt.

Given the dispute the club has decided not to partake in the tournament at Theobalds Lane this Saturday.

The club apologise for any inconvenience caused and will make donations to the charities connected to Saturday’s event.

Enfield Town FC are proud to support  The Big Step,  a campaign to end all gambling advertising and sponsorship in football, led by those who have been personally harmed.

The Big Step are part of Gambling with Lives,  a charity set up by the families and friends of young people who have taken their own lives as a direct result of gambling. 

The campaign delivers gambling awareness sessions and a string of other initiatives designed to discourage players from gambling.

Earlier this month, more than 60 people affected by gambling – including families who have lost loved ones–  walked from Manchester to Liverpool to demand gambling reform.

With the online gambling industry increasingly pervasive in lower-league football, there is a growing need to update the  UK’s 2005 Gambling Act which is now out of date.

Non-league clubs are particularly susceptible and The Big Step  wants a blanket ban on gambling advertising in football.

Last week’s ETFC members meeting included a special appearance from  Chris Gilham, who stepped in on Zoom to replace The Big Step founder James Grimes, a former gambling addict, in speaking to members to raise awareness of the dangers surrounding gambling.

Chris gave a passionate account of  how the practice had affected him personally and how at one stage he considered taking his own life.

“It affects both your mental and physical health,” said Chris who revealed that a petition launched by the Big Step already has some 67,000 signitures. “We need to get all gambling sponsorship out of football, not just on shirts but all advertising.”

Players come and players go but Andy Leese believes the squad being gathered for the new season will be just as competitive as during the last campaign.

“We’ve lost some players we didn’t really want to lose but it’s that time of the year,” Andy told last week’s  members meeting when giving a frank and honest appraisal of the current situation.

Andy, like the chairman, has spoken several times to Mo Faal in recent weeks but while Mo decides where his future lies with his contract having expired, the focus is on those who back in training and playing pre-season games including new signings Juevan Spencer, Scott Shulton, Marcus Wyllie, James Dayton and Ben Frempah.

“Whilst we are sorry to lose certain players the key is to focus on what you’ve got,” said Andy. “So far, so good. I’m really pleased with the attitude. I of course understand Mo wants to move up a level and try and become a full-time professional. I’ve invited him into training and will try and work my magic again by persuading him he belongs here but you have to respect the guy. He did what he said he would last season with his goals and I’m a bit surprised no-one has taken a chance on him yet.”

Andy made the point that there are goals all over the pitch in terms of the players who have already committed themselves including Adam Cunnington, Sam Youngs, Jake Cass and Lyle Della-Verde.

In response to a question about Andre Coker, who has been out of the game for disciplinary reasons, Andy said Andre was keen to right the wrongs of the past when he becomes available again.

“He’s been very humbled by events and really wants to come back. He’s pretty remorseful and I’ve seen a change in him and am prepared to give him another go,” said Andy.

The manager made a point of praising everyone responsible for maintaining  our pitch during the summer. “The work that’s gone on is first class, nothing short of incredible.”

He also gave an insight into how the state of the pitch determines selection. “There is no way back in February, say, that we could play football from the back. That’s why we played more directly when it suited us. All the players felt the same way.”

Reflecting on our playoff defeat to Hornchurch, Andy believes being shorn of crucial players so late in the day, including Scott Thomas, Lee Chappell and Nathan Smith, affected proceedings

“I’ve done a lot of soul searching and I genuinely thought we were in a winning position. With some extra experience on the pitch  we might have made some different calls.”

But onwards and upwards with the following message to the supporters.

“The support we get wherever we’ve been has been nothing short of fantastic. The players love it and so do I. I always tell the players about us being owned by the supporters and what that means. They all have a stake in us. I remember when we got battered at Eastleigh in the cup. We had a torrid time and were all doing Covid tests  before we even got on the coach. We took a side that was nowhere near full strength but the support  that day sticks in my memory. It’s the sense of belonging.”

And the ambitions for the season? “We want to do at least as well and try and go one better. We’ve got the nucleus of players and are again a top five team. Which of those places we take, I don’t know. We also want to go deep into the cups competitions which brings both prestige and revenue.”

Andy was joined at the meeting by Sam Youngs and Adam Cunnington, both of whom expressed the same sentiments about the fans and the work that has been done on the pitch.

“The increase in fan numbers really helps us a lot,” said Adam. “It’s all set up to realistically go to the next level. There is absolutely no reason why we can’t match last season. That’s why we re-signed, not just so we can have a chat with our mates and be a mid-table side.”

“There are teams who spend a lot more money,” added Sam. “But player for player, every time we go on the pitch we think we can win. We may not necessarily always be favourites on paper but we have kept the core of the team. And the biggest thing we’ve got in our favour  is our togetherness.”

This year’s annual pre-season members meeting was conducted both in person at Butler’s Bar and on Zoom.

It was in two sections, with the chairman and vice-chairman taking the floor for the first part, reflecting on last season and looking ahead, followed by the manager and two players, Sam Youngs and Adam Cunnington

Part One (Paul Reed and Paul Millington)

Paul Reed

The chairman began by pointing out that gates were up last season by 40 percent on our previous completed season. This meant we were able to maintain a strong playing budget and allowed us to be financially stable despite the impact of Covid and enabled us to bring in the likes of Jake Cass. Paul recalled we achieved our highest ever points position and points per game at Step 3.

As regards stewarding we will be utilising the professional stewards who were employed towards the end of last season and who are all first-aid trained.

We are looking at making a profit for the 2^nd season running, said PR, a rarity in itself. Improved gates means additional revenue from the bar, shop etc and less reliability on one individual source of income.

The academy remains an important source of income whilst our debt position is much improved. On the field, the academy won their regional league to compete in the Champion of Champions and lost narrowly to Chelmsford who went on to win the entire competition.

Despite the women’s first team getting relegated, the women’s section is in good health especially at youth level.

As far as the community section is concerned, the Saturday morning soccer schools still attract over 100 kids while the disability section continues to grow. Our social media presence is much improved, giving us extra profile.

On the technical side, the first team players are now equipped with GPS tracking systems to ascertain how fast they run, heartbeats etc. This is used extensively for analysis by the coaching staff and represents an important innovation.

A colour promotional brochure showcasing the club and at no cost to ETFC is almost at the printing stage and will be distributed throughout the local area in the build-up to the new season. 

Paul Millington

Paul focussed on an extensive outline plan for a new 700 sq metre single storey facility, prompted by the need to expand the academy. To increase the intake, we need more accommodation. At present classrooms are restricted to the bar area and portacabins.

Planning permission has been submitted for an additional couple of cabins. Not yet formally granted but likely on condition that it would only be a temporary situation for 3 years, with a permanent solution in place by then.

The unused grassed area behind the portacabins has been identified as the most likely possibility since Butlers Bar itself is a listed building. It will include a bigger bar and the club shop and provide classrooms for the academy during the day. It will also be available for functions. Discussions are underway with the Football Foundation to see what funds might be available as well as with the LBE.

Paul Reed

All players from last season were invited back for pre-season. Some decided not to take up the offer and the coaching staff have been working hard to identify how the gaps can be filled. PR mentioned James Dayton, Marcus Wyllie and Scott Shulton as new arrivals and later in the meeting the signing of centrehalf Ben Frempah was announced.

Team spirit last season was the best PR had ever seen and the same togetherness will be important. PR disclosed that players’ personalities were just as important a factor as playing ability when brought to the club in order to foster team spirit.

PR said there was a deliberate plan to get quality pre-season opposition and heaped praise on those who have been tending our pitch. Season ticket sales going strong, with over 100 already, while NHS season ticket offer and Go To Town has been extended.

In terms of sponsorship, WWE was always a one-season deal. Negotiations are at an advanced stage to announce a new main sponsor.

Finally, Paul introduced the concept of potentially replacing the playing surface with an artificial pitch and outlined the pros and cons.

The pros include a strong driver of revenue, potential success on the pitch (Aveley, Worthing, Dorking etc), providing a consistent playing style, saving money on hiring outside facilities and dealing with extreme weather conditions, whether winter or summer.

The risks include the need for commercial borrowing, whether supporters may be disenchanted, potential long-term injury risks, conflict with athletics at peak times and the need for more on-site presence .

In terms of costings, PR laid out the following estimates:

Installation – £600,000-700,000

Equipment/booking management system – £10,000

Extra staff – £10,000 pa

Need to save £250,000 over 10 years in order to replace the artificial pitch with another one at that point.

Total cost over 10 years would be approx £1m and PR estimates that we would need to hire the pitch out for 10 to 12 hours a week to break even.

The proposal is to engage with relevant stakeholders and then, at the agm  in January, put a business plan in front of the members ahead of a potential vote.

(Part 2 of the meeting will be published tomorrow)

Because of the unseasonally hot weather, we are pushing kick-off against St Albans City in our pre-season friendly tomorrow (Tuesday) back to 8pm.

The temperature by then is likely to be lower than when we played in at Cockfosters or Maidstone.

We advise supporters not to attend if they have any health conditions that may be impacted by the heat (we can refund any tickets already purchased if they contact the club).  We are also stress to our volunteers that they have no obligation to attend.

Maidstone United inflicted Enfield Town’s first defeat of pre-season with a comfortable 6-1 win on a sweltering afternoon at the Gallagher Stadium.

In truth this was a very useful test for our gradually-developing squad against National League opposition, and while the hosts demonstrated their quality throughout, Town did fashion a number of chances which on another day might have seen them leave with more than the single goal for their efforts.

Both sides attempted to build during the opening exchanges, though the hosts had the first real chance as James Alabi spun his marker well but was denied by the legs of the returning Nathan McDonald. The Town ‘keeper was powerless a couple of minutes later, as Sol Wanjau-Smith found room along the left-hand channel and squared to Sam Corne who had time and space to pick out the bottom corner.

Not that this appeared to dent the visitors’ confidence, as Jake Cass lined up an effort from 20 yards and was only denied an instant equaliser by the crossbar. Just as Town looked to grow into the game, however, Maidstone hit a second as Roarie Deacon was released down the right and pulled back for Henry Woods to steer home. Again Town broke beyond the halfway line and tried in vain to create – often lacking a clinical final pass – and again Stones were ruthless in their response by adding goals three and four within eight minutes. Summer addition Alabi skipped past two defenders to curl one in from the edge of the area, before he played a role in the fourth; drawing in a Town defender and allowing Wanjau-Smith freedom to latch onto a looping pass and finish across McDonald for four.

To their credit, Town recovered and began to work some clearer opportunities towards the end of the half; Jake Cass played in behind and narrowly denied while attempting to round goalie Yusuf Mersin, before Enfield did pull one back on 36 minutes. Cass was put through for a carbon-copy chance, this time opted to shoot, and while his effort was well repelled by Mersin’s feet, Marcus Wyllie was on hand to knock in the rebound for his first Enfield Town goal.

Ryan Kirwan, playing in a more advanced role down the left, met a header from a free-kick before two huge chances for each side on half-time as Alabi rattled the post with an audacious scissor kick; at the other end, Marcus Wyllie’s persistent pressing on the edge of the Stones box allowed him to dig out a low cross towards Cass, whose shot on the slide bobbled agonisingly wide of the mark from close-range.

HT: Maidstone United 4-1 Enfield Town

Town introduced Adam Cunnington for Wyllie, Wynford Marfo for Lewis Taaffe and academy product Lucas Jordan for Ryan Kirwan in the second period as McDonald was again pressed into action to deny a Maidstone trialist and then Regan Booty with two good stops. Cunnington miscued a header and Jordan showed some promising involvements, including an impressive solo run along the left flank; the resulting corner met by a combination of Nathan Smith and another academy graduate, Kian Wilkes. The two-step difference between the sides would eventually tell twice more in the final six minutes, as substitutes Dominic Odusanya and Perri Iandolo each produced terrific long-range efforts to put the gloss on the home side’s victory.

“I’m not keeping count; I never have done in a pre-season game”, said Andy Leese.

“Some real positives, one or two little negatives… some good lessons for us as well today.”

“We’re playing against a very good outfit today who have all the momentum having come out of the division below and then added some players. You can see the difference in the levels.”

Quality centre halves are hard to come by so we are delighted to have signed Ben Frempah from Hayes & Yeading United.

Italian-born Ben, a 27-year-old ex-professional,  was virtually ever-present in the United side which finished runners up in the Southern South Premier last season before falling to defeat in the Play-Off Final against Farnborough, just failing to gain promotion to Step 2.

Early on in his career Ben jumped seven tiers to join Leicester City and made his professional debut with Ross County north of the border.

Other clubs he has played for include Hendon, Guiseley and Solihull Moors before getting another professional chance with Wycombe Wanderers. He has also turned out  briefly for Wingate & Finchley.

“He fits the profile of what I think we need,” said Towners manager Andy Leese. “I think we’re quite fortunate to get him to be honest. He had some other options but I managed to convince him this was the place to play his football.”

Welcome Ben