Eastbourne Borough revolution continues with rash of new signings

A host of new faces have been unveiled by the Sports in recent days as Beard plots a National League South promotion bid.

Defensive midfielder Imran Uche, a versatile 23-year-old, is the newest addition to Beard’s squad and joins from Isthmian Premier side Billericay Town.

Originally from Richmond, Uche joined the Hampton & Richmond Borough Academy aged 16, completing the two year programme, and captaining the side for his second year. Upon graduating, Imran moved into the non-league game, but returned to Hampton every pre-season where his improvement was noted each year.

After spending the 2019-20 season with Bedfont Sports in the Isthmian League South Central, Imran once again spent pre-season with the Beavers, and Gary McCann saw enough in the friendly matches to offer the then 20 year old a first team place. He then joined Harrow Borough for the 2021/22 campaign, before a move to Essex last season. Able to play across the midfield or defence, he will be a welcome addition to the team.

Former EBFC youth player Freddie Carter has joined from Gillingham. The young centre-back is no stranger to Priory Lane having played for the club’s U18 side before leaving for the EFL side in March 2021.

He was part of the U18 team which reached the Second Round of the FA Youth Cup in 2020/21 – the furthest the club have got in the competition in their history – before losing away at MK Dons. Carter went on to make his first team debut in a mid-season friendly against QPR before he made the move to Priestfield Stadium.

Whilst he didn’t make a first team appearance for the Kent outfit, he did play for the Gills’ youth academy before he spent majority of last season on loan at Cray Wanderers in the Isthmian Premier.

Former Crystal Palace defender Daniel Quick has also been, well, quick, to join the Priory Lane revolution.

The 20-year-old centre back has previously worked with boss Beard during his loan spell at Dorking Wanderers last season, and joins after being released from Crystal Palace this summer. He came through the ranks at Selhurst Park, and was virtually an ever-present in the heart of the defence as Palace Under 18’s narrowly missed out on the Premier League South title in 2020/21.

Quick is a versatile defender that is capable of playing anywhere across the defence, and went on to feature in the defence for the Eagles’ Under-23s in 2021/22 and made 13 appearances, including a start against Portsmouth in the EFL Trophy. His performances earned him an appearance off the bench against Manchester United in the 22/23 pre-season tour of Australia and Singapore.

He went on loan to Dorking at the start of last season, where he first met new Sports boss Beard, and ended the season with a spell at Billericay Town.

De-carrey Sheriff has signed from Kettering Town. The left-footed attacker came through the youth system at Colchester United, during which he enjoyed loan spells with Maldon & Tiptree, Dulwich Hamlet and Needham Market.

Now 25, Sheriff was released by Colchester in the summer of 2019. He was quickly snapped up by Concord Rangers, before joining Kettering Town in 2020/21. He spent the proceeding three seasons at Latimer Park for the National League North side, before making the switch down to the south coast this summer.

Midfielder Jack Clarke has arrived from National League side Chesterfield. Clarke, 24, arrives at Priory Lane with plenty of experience at a higher level and becomes the latest face in Mark Beard’s exciting squad.

The left-footed playmaker came through the ranks at Aston Villa, playing for their Under 21 side before joining Chesterfield. He was part of the team that achieved back-to-back play-off finishes in the National League, and whilst he has also had a spell on loan at Yeovil Town, he will be keen to make an impact on the south coast for the Sports this season.

Creative midfielder Jack Paxman has signed from Ebbsfleet United. Paxman, 29, is no stranger to the National League South and is new manager Mark Beard’s second new signing at Priory Lane.

And the former Southend United scholar has a wealth of experience at this level. The creative midfielder joined Ebbsfleet United in September 2020 from Billericay Town after impressing in pre-season games. He joined Chelmsford City aged 19 and following spells with Thurrock and Witham Town, he signed for Maidstone in March 2015, helping the Stones wrap up the Ryman League title that season.

The following year he was part of back-to-back promotions, scoring in the penalty shootout win in the promotion final of 2016 against Ebbsfleet. Paxman spent almost five seasons in total with Maidstone, playing regularly in the National League for them, amassing more than 150 appearances and becoming their longest-serving player in the process by the time of his departure.

Assured, calm and confident on the ball, Paxman is regarded as one of the foremost technical players in the league and earned the Supporters’ Player of the Year award in his first season at the Fleet.

Experienced centre-back Alex Finney is another new face at Priory Lane. Finney amassed over 100 games for Maidstone United and joins the Sports after two seasons at Ebbsfleet United.

An experienced and assured centre-back, the towering 6ft 4in defender came through Leyton Orient’s youth ranks before signing for Bolton Wanderers, making his senior debut in the Championship in 2016.

Later that year, he signed for Queens Park Rangers, from where he joined Maidstone United on loan in August 2017. He was named the club’s player of the year before being signed on a permanent two-year deal. He made over 100 appearances for the Stones.

Finney moved on to Aldershot Town at the end of 2018, extending his deal at the EBB Stadium in 2020. He then joined Ebbsfleet United for the start of the 2021/22 campaign and although he spent part of his first season injured, he returned to feature in the club’s run to the promotion final before helping Fleet win promotion to the National League last term.

Keeper Ben Dudzinski was another recruit confirmed earlier this week, from Dartford.

The 27-year-old has regularly impressed upon his visits to Priory Lane and becomes Mark Beard’s fourth new signing at Priory Lane, following the arrival of Alex Finney, Jack Paxman and Jack Clarke.

Dudzinski helped Oxford City reach the Vanarama National League South play-offs in the 2021/22 campaign and was rewarded for his displays with a place in the division’s team of the season.

He kept 14 clean sheets in the league that season, and at one point managed seven shutouts in eight games. Last season he joined Dartford in February and ended the season at Princes Park as Alan Dowson’s side missed out on promotion.

The former Havant & Waterlooville stopper kept three clean sheets in his first four games with Dartford but the Darts missed out after losing in the play-offs last term. He counts Hartlepool United, Havant and Sutton United among his former clubs, before he left Oxford City after nearly three seasons for Dartford.

Young keeper Harrison Foulkes will compete with Dudzinski for the No1 jersey at the Sports this season after the youngster joined from Derby County.

Foulkes, 22, has family in the area and is looking forward to the challenge at Priory Lane. He came through the youth academy at Hull City, before transferring to Derby County in the summer of 2021. Whilst with the Rams, he enjoyed two separate loan spells at National League North side Kettering Town last season to gain first team experience.

During his time with the Poppies, Foulkes impressed with a number of fine performances from his 17 league outings, before ending the campaign on loan at Ilkeston Town. Foulkes made 17 appearances for the Rams’ Under-21s in Premier League 2 – Division 1 in the 2021/22 campaign following his arrival from Hull and trained with the first team squad on a regular basis, as well as acting as the number three goalkeeper.

He made three appearances for the Under-21s in league action last term while he was been on the bench for the first team last season on two occasions.

Borough have also announced that Brad Barry will stay at Priory Lane for the 2023/24 campaign. Barry, 28, has signed a new two-year deal with Borough and becomes the first of last season’s squad to commit to the club as it moves into full-time football. He has also been named club captain for the 2023/24 campaign.

The defender will be able to call upon his previous experience in the Football League to help make the transition back into a full-time set up, and Mark Beard will look to the former Brighton & Hove Albion youngster to be a leader at the back. After joining from Stevenage last summer, Barry made 36 appearances across all competitions for the Sports and will look to add to that tally this campaign.

Having left Brighton as a youngster in 2015, Barry went on to join Swindon Town for two years, before a spell with Chesterfield. He then joined Barrow in 2019, where he was part of the side which won the National League title in 2019/20 before joining fellow League Two side Stevenage in 2021.

The host of signings follow news that James Hammond, Greg Luer and Mitch Dickenson have all left Priory Lane. As the club makes the transition into full-time football, all three players were offered full-time professional contracts to stay at the club. However, Hammond, Luer and Dickenson have been unable to commit due to existing work commitments and we wish them all the best for their futures.