Farnham is first stop as Eastbourne Borough’s next adventure begins
They’re out! All at Priory Lane – fans and officials – will be pouring eagerly over the freshly released National League fixtures, printed in full at the bottom of this page. But before the season, there is a little matter of the pre-season.
And that begins tomorrow (Sat 12th) – yes, in a heatwave.
Borough’s new manager Matt Gray takes his new squad to Farnham for the first of a series of pre-season run-outs. Cue drinks breaks, multiple substitutions and name-that-player guessing games for the coachload of Sports supporters who will follow their heroes to rural Hampshire.
We all know that results in friendlies count for very little, and are often low-scoring as players and coaching staff get their new bearings – although the Isthmian club have actually recruited strongly this summer, and as if it mattered, they despatched local neighbours Badshot Lea 8-1 in last weekend’s friendly.
For Gray, Saturday is simply a step along the way. The close season has seen a larger turn-over of players than some supporters had expected, but that is down to contracts, players’ career paths – and also the need for the new manager to put down his own markers and set out his own style of play.
Borough’s achingly close race for the National South title saw all the excitement of a marvellous season evaporate in the play-offs – ten months of planning and building and achievement, blown away in ten seconds of defensive madness against Maidstone United. Gray will be delighted to find a loyal support base, happy to follow his team over the long miles and hard yards.
But a new team it is: and Matt will need every minute of his half-dozen friendlies to weld it. For CEO Alan Williams, too, it has been a work in progress. “We are very pleased with our recruitment,” Alan told the Herald this week, “and we probably have three or four more players to bring in.”
After tomorrow’s trip to sweltering Hampshire, the Sports have five more dates in the diary before the league programme begins on Saturday 9th August. They are: Saturday 19 July: Dartford (A), Tuesday 22 July: Aldershot Town (H), Saturday 26 July: Kingstonian (H), Tuesday 29 July: Dulwich Hamlet (A), Saturday 2 August: Hashtag United (H).
While the Aldershot Town fixture – with the return of old favourite Tommy Widdrington – stands out, it is a schedule that tells a clear story. This is not a pre-season for high-profile fixtures and Football League opponents. It is a pre-season for preparing and moulding, and being as ready as possible for thse opening National South fixtures.
Last evening (Thursday) Borough supporters had their first chance to Meet the Manager, at a clubhouse Q&A. Gray has brought in almost a complete new team of coaching and support staff, including assistant manager – and Gray’s long standing right-hand man, Jason Goodliffe. Look for a full account of those proceedings on this website soon.
But let’s give the last word, as Borough begin the limbering up, to owner Simon Leslie: “We’ve got a great team in place. They know what they’re doing. This time last year, maybe, we were all a bit over-excited. Now they are as cool as cucumber. Not worried, not panicked. Nothing gets won or lost in August – it’s a long season. The new management team have brought a calm and a belief that will do the trick. They (Gray and Goodliffe) have done this before. They are beacons of positivity!”
Fixtures in full:
Sat Aug 9 Farnborough A
Sat Aug 16 Hornchurch H
Tue Aug 19 Dover Athletic H
Sat Aug 23 Bath City A
Mon Aug 25 Slough Town H
Sat Aug 30 AFC Totton A
Tue Sep 2 Horsham A
Sat Sep 6 Hemel Hempstead Town H
Sat Sep 13 Emirates FA Cup 2Q
Sat Sep 20 Salisbury H
Sat Sep 27 Emirates FA Cup 3Q
Sat Oct 4 Ebbsfleet United A
Sat Oct 11 Chippenham Town H or Emirates FA Cup 4Q
Sat Oct 18 Maidenhead United A
Tue Oct 21 Maidstone United A
Sat Oct 25 Chesham United H
Sat Nov 1 Enfield Town A or Emirates FA Cup 1
Tue Nov 4 Dagenham & Redbridge H
Sat Nov 8 Weston-super-Mare H
Sat Nov 15 Isuzu FA Trophy 2
Sat Nov 22 Torquay United A
Tue Nov 25 Dorking Wanderers A
Sat Nov 29 Hampton & Richmond Borough H
Sat Dec 6 Chelmsford City H
Sat Dec 13 Isuzu FA Trophy 3
Sat Dec 20 Dover Athletic A
Fri Dec 26 Worthing H
Tue Dec 30 Tonbridge Angels A
Sat Jan 3 Slough Town A
Sat Jan 10 Horsham H
Sat Jan 17 Hornchurch A
Sat Jan 24 Farnborough H
Tue Jan 27 Dagenham & Redbridge A
Sat Jan 31 Enfield Town H
Sat Feb 7 Chesham United A
Tue Feb 10 Maidstone United H
Sat Feb 14 Weston-super-Mare A
Sat Feb 21 Torquay United H
Tue Feb 24 Dorking Wanderers H
Sat Feb 28 Hampton & Richmond Borough A
Sat Mar 7 Salisbury A
Tue Mar 10 Ebbsfleet United H
Sat Mar 14 Maidenhead United H
Sat Mar 21 Chippenham Town A
Sat Mar 28 Bath City H
Fri Apr 3 Worthing A
Mon Apr 6 Tonbridge Angels H
Sat Apr 11 Hemel Hempstead Town A
Sat Apr 18 AFC Totton H
Sat Apr 25 Chelmsford City A