Manor Round off Pre-Season
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Friday 24th July 2009 |

Kevin Durrant:
"We must tighten up defensively"
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Eton Manor concluded
their pre-season programme with a draw and a defeat
in their final two games. Manager Kevin Durrant continued
to tinker with his formation and line up as he looked
for correct balance in the side and despite taking a
2-0 first half lead at Wadham Lodge last Tuesday (with
goals from Dean Frett and Danny Clarke), the Manor were
pegged back to 2-2 as they made changes in the second
45.
The final act
of pre-season came at Spartan League Cockfosters on
Saturday. The Manor had a disastrous first half hour
where they scored an own goal, had a perfectly good
goal disallowed, conceded a penalty and conceded a 3rd
whilst right back Danny Alleyne was off the field receiving
treatment. Cockfosters added a 4th before half time
and Manor, despite playing some nice football were staring
at a 4-0 deficit. The luck continued to elude the visitors
early in the second half as they twice struck the woodwork
before being awarded a penalty of their own, which allowed
Joe May to reduce the arrears to 4-1. Two quick fire
strikes from Danny Clarke, who looked sharp throughout,
brought the Manor to within a goal at 4-3 and then Michael
Gheorgiou was denied by a good block from the home keeper.
However, Cockfosters
regained their composure and a defensive mix up in the
heart of the Manor defence allowed the home side to
add a 5th goal and it finished 5-3.
Summing up the
club’s pre-season Kevin Durrant said: “We’ve
done ok. We maybe played one game too many last week
and it showed a little in the legs in the second half
at Wadham Lodge. But overall I’m delighted with
our fitness levels which look to be very high. In terms
of the quality of our game, our passing was much better
on Saturday and we played some really good stuff. However,
we did make some sloppy mistakes defensively, which
has been the story of our pre-season. We must tighten
up defensively – there is no question about that,
but going forward we look a threat every time we get
the ball and that is very positive.
We will
have two training sessions this week where we will work
very hard on the shape and the system and then we look
forward to the kick off next weekend.”
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Friday 24th July 2009 |

Skipper Dean Frett
levelled for the Manor
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A third draw in
5 days was the result of a firey pre-season friendly
at London Colney. This was a game that the Manor should
have won, and they were only denied by a harsh decision
to rule out Scott Lovett's late goal.
Colney went ahead
through a first half penalty, but Dean Frett soon levelled
the scores at 1-1 and that is how it finished. Danny
Clarke went close twice for the visitors and Asa Pamplin
hit the post during a thrilling second half cameo appearance.
Assistant Manager
Nick Clark spoke to emfc.co.uk afterwards, saying: "We
have had a tough week this week - 4 games in 8 days
and to come through them unbeaten is a good sign. Over
the 4 games we have looked at plenty of different combinations
in all areas of the team and we are now getting pretty
close to our starting XI." |
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Friday 24th July 2009 |

Kevin Durrant:
"Next three games are important to us"
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Two late goals
ensured a share of the spoils in an entertaining and
competitive pre-season friendly as Eton Manor held Ryman
outfit Tilbury to a 1-1 draw.
Manor looked as though they had won it when Joe May’s
free kick found the far corner with 10 minutes to play,
only to see Tilbury equalise 5 minutes later, ironically
through former Manor forward Manley Brown.
Manor boss Kevin
Durrant was delighted with the performance. He said:
“It was a very worthwhile exercise. I was without
5 or 6 because of the late arrangement of the game,
the likes of Danny Clarke and Sid Nelson were not with
us, so we had some young players out there tonight who
performed really well. The Tilbury side was a strong
one, especially in defence and it was a competitive
game. I think they probably edged the first half and
we just about edged the second. All in all a draw was
a fair result.”
The Manor
boss added that his plans for the season are starting
to take shape: “I think the first 3 or 4 pre-season
games are about blowing away some cobwebs and also to
look at trialists and systems. Now we are down to a
squad of about 20, which is where I want to be and I
have some real selection headaches. We have plenty of
quality, strength and experience and it is about moulding
that into a winning team. Against Tilbury there was
more cohesion in our play and we started to pass the
ball better, which was pleasing. The next three fixtures
are going to be important for us and I expect to see
us kick on again at London Colney on Saturday.”
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Wednesday 22nd July 2009 |

The Manor will
face Tilbury
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Eton Manor Football
Club are pleased to announce an additional pre-season
friendly – as tomorrow evening (Thursday 23rd
July) they will travel to play Tilbury of Ryman League
Division One North. Tilbury are managed by former Manor
boss Graham Chester and won the Ryman League Cup last
season. They also have a number of Manor “old
boys” in their playing squad.
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Wednesday 22nd July 2009 |
Above: Joe May
- a Manor goalscorer
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Eton Manor have
made a steady start to their pre-season programme having
played 4 friendlies in the past 10 days.
Click
here to read a summary of the games played......
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Old Foes in Cup Draws for Manor
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Tuesday 23rd June 2009 |
Above: FA Cup Draw
pits Manor against Stanway
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One thing that
Eton Manor certainly can't complain about in their FA
Cup and FA Vase draws published this week is a lack
of knowledge about their opponents.
The FA Cup has
thrown up a home tie against Stanway Rovers of the Ridgeons
Premier Division. Manor faced Stanway in the Essex Senior
Cup last season and an experimental Manor side containing
4 debutants were dispatched 6-1 in convincing fashion.
The winners will face Beaconsfield SCYCOB who are now
in the Southern League One Midland Division, after loosing
in the play offs of the Southern League One South &
West division last season and then being moved sideways.
In the FA Vase,
Manor will travel to face Essex Senior League opposition
in the shape of Mauritius Sports, who Manor played in
last season's league cup group stage. The winners of
that tie will have a good chance to progress further
with Erith Town or Canning Town waiting in the next
round.
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Tuesday 23rd June 2009 |
Above: Manor's
players return to action
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Eton Manor's players
returned from their summer break last evening as the
club began its preparation for the 2009/10 season. The
Manor coaching staff put the players through their paces
as they seek to get the squad into peak physical condition
before their opening friendly against Brentwood Town.
Manager Kevin
Durrant said: "I'm pleased with tonight. We spent
a lot of time planning the pre-season training and it
paid off with a well constructed session that worked
the boys at the right level."
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Manor draw Clapton and Basildon
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Thursday 18th June 2009 |
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Eton Manor will
face Clapton and Basildon in the League Cup group stage
as they look to regain the trophy that they won in 2008.
Manor crashed out at the group stage last season, after
mistakenly playing an ineligible player in their win
at Mauritius cost them 3 points. The team that went
through in their place as a result was Barkingside,
who went on to lift the trophy.
Click
here to read on......
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Wednesday 17th June 2009 |

Above: Paul Tandy
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"Forever remains a friend
of the club"
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Eton Manor's long
serving webmaster Paul Tandy has stepped down from the
position with club in order to focus on his role at
Tilbury FC.
Paul joined the
Manor when close friend Kirk Whitelock took over as
First Team Manager in 2003 and was an influential part
of the efforts to re-launch the club after the struggles
of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
However, when
Graham Chester moved on from Eton Manor to Tilbury as
manager in 2008, Paul moved with him and is in the process
of building a brand new Tilbury website. Alongside that
role, Paul has also accepted the position of Tilbury
match secretary for next season.
This extra workload,
coupled with a desire at the Manor to have the website
back “in house” has led to the decision
for Paul to hand over the mantle. He has stressed however,
that he remains happy to assist the club in the development
of the website in any way possible.
He said: “It’s
the end of a long association with the club for me.
When I arrived Eton Manor was really at a bit of a low
ebb, but to see the club now finishing consistently
in the top 6 of the league is a delight. Getting the
website off the ground was a real achievement and I
am very proud that it is regularly recognised as one
of the best in the Senior League. I was anxious not
to let it deteriorate last season after 5 years hard
work, but I am now happy in the knowledge that there
is a new group of people at the Manor with the desire
and the drive to push the club forward. So I am happy
to hand it over and know that it will be in safe hands.”
Manor’s
General Manager Alex Lee paid tribute to Paul’s
work saying: “I can’t thank Paul Tandy enough
for what he has done for the club. He designed the fantastic
club badge that we now have, he built a terrific website
and even last season after leaving the club was happy
to maintain the site in his spare time, which is a true
testament to his commitment. He will forever remain
a friend of Eton Manor and is welcome at any of our
matches whenever time allows.”
The
Manor would like to state categorically that the website
will continue to be updated regularly and developed
over the course of the coming season.
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"Updated - Pre Season Fixtures"
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Monday 8th June 2009 |
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Eton Manor are
delighted to announce that they have finalised their
pre-season programme and will play SEVEN friendlies
during July and early August. The full list of fixtures
is:
Sat 11
July – Brentwood Town (H) 3pm
Tue 14 July – Waltham Forest (At Met
Police Ground, Chigwell) 7pm KO
Sat 18 July – Leverstock Green (A) 3pm
Tue 21 July – Kentish Town (At Met Police
Ground, Chigwell) 7pm
Sat 25 July – London Colney (A) 3pm
Tue 28 July – Wadham Lodge (A) 7.30pm
Sat 1 Aug – Cockfosters (A) 3pm
Since the last
update three further fixtures have been added. On Saturday
18th July, the Manor will travel to Leverstock Green
for the second year running. Last season’s game
was the opening pre-season match for the Manor and in
the sweltering summer sunshine Billy Cove’s team
produced 45 minutes of scintillating football to lead
3-0 at half time. However, Leverstock hit back with
3 goals themselves in the second half to draw the game
3-3. The home side went on to have a successful season
finishing 6th in the Spartan South Midlands Premier
Division. Which means that they finished in the exact
same position on the pyramid as the Manor!
Kentish Town
also played in the Spartan South Midland Premier last
season, but a disappointing campaign, following promotion
the previous season, saw the club take just 17 league
points and they were relegated back to Division 1 (step
6) in bottom place. However, they will be amongst the
favourites go back up in the 09/10 season, and will
meet the Manor at the Metropolitan Police Ground in
Chigwell on Tuesday 21st July in a 7pm kick off.
The third
addition is Wadham Lodge FC. Named after their ground,
formerly the home of Ryman club Waltham Forest and currently
shared with Mauritius, Wadham Lodge will be new entrants
to the Essex Olympian League next season. They were
formed last summer by Martyn Fitch, with the long term
ambition of being a Ryman League club. They finished
a creditable 3rd place in the Essex Business Houses
League last season gaining promotion to the 2nd Division
of the Olympian, and their target is to make the Essex
Senior League within the next 3 or 4 years. Wadham Lodge
will host Manor on Tuesday 28th July for a 7.30 kick
off.
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"Manor Pre Season Takes Shape"
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Saturday 6th June 2009 |

Above: Paul Norris
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"Pre-season on track”
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Eton Manor are
pleased to announce that their pre-season programme
is starting to take shape.
The Club will
commence pre-season training on 22nd June and will have
three weeks to prepare for their first friendly, which
is the undoubted headliner of their pre-season matches
against Ryman One North title favourites Brentwood Town.
Brentwood will travel to Mayesbrook Park on 11th July
(kick off 3pm) for what promises to be a competitive
contest. The visitors were beaten 4-1 by Waltham Abbey
in the semi final of the promotion play-offs last season
after a third place finish in the Ryman One North. However,
they are expected to strengthen again during the summer
and under the management of former Manchester City star
Carl Griffiths are many people’s tip for the title
in 2009/10.
Three days later
(Tuesday 14th July) the Manor will be at The Met Police
Ground in Chigwell for a 6.30pm kick off against another
Ryman One North outfit in the shape of Waltham Forest.
Forest produced a miraculous run in the second half
of last season to avoid relegation, eventually finishing
3rd bottom of the league. However, they are expected
to push up the table in the coming season and will prove
another high quality opponent for the Manor.
On Saturday 25th
July (kick off 3pm) the club will face step 6 opposition
when they visit London Colney of the Spartan South Midlands
Football League Division One. Colney finished a creditable
9th out of 21 in the 2008/09 season following relegation
from the Premier Division the previous season. They
will be looking to build on that next time around and
should provide another staging post in the Manor’s
preparation.
The fourth friendly
already in the diary is a trip to face fellow step 5
opposition in the shape of Cockfosters of the Spartan
South Midlands Football League Premier Division. Cockfosters
are about to start their third campaign in the Premier
Division having narrowly avoided relegation last season.
Manor will travel to play them on Saturday 1st August
(kick off 3pm) in what looks likely to be their final
pre-season game, on the assumption that League competition
will commence the following Saturday.
Manor’s
Head Coach Paul Norris confirmed to emfc.co.uk that
the Club were still looking for 2 or 3 further fixtures
to complete the pre-season programme. He said: “We
are looking forward to getting started and to open up
with the Brentwood game is obviously tremendous news
for the club. They are a great side and will be a real
test for our players. Myself and Kevin have been working
hard on piecing together the list of games and we are
still looking at a couple of dates. We are in the advanced
stages of arranging a midweek game around the 27th or
28th of July and we hope to confirm something as soon
as possible on that front."
"Ideally
that will leave us with one more on the 18th and Kev
is chasing a couple of leads there too.”
Norris
also admitted that the strengthening of the squad has
been the other priority since the season ended. He said:
“I seriously feel like the football hasn’t
stopped this time. With the ground share to arrange
and then the pre-season fixtures, plus the search for
a new club secretary and a physio I’ve still been
on the phone to Kevin and Reg most days. We are absolutely
determined to have everything in place for a successful
campaign next season. That includes improving the squad.
We have three confirmed new additions, all of whom have
good experience of higher levels of football and that
is something that we were keen to add, because we have
a lot of boys here who have stepped up from lower leagues
and we needed that bit of know how in crucial areas.
We are still working on one or two things on the playing
front – ideally we’d have 5 new boys to
strengthen what we already have and provide real competition
for places. Essentially we are trying to avoid me having
to turn out again next season, even despite my sterling
efforts at Bowers on the last day of the season!!”
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"Manor Confirm Barking Ground Share"
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Saturday 30th May 2009 |

Above: Reg Curtis-
"I’m absolutely delighted!”
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The Manor have
confirmed that they have reached agreement with Barking
and Dagenham Council to play at Mayesbrook Park in the
2009/2010 season. The Braves will join another of London’s
proudest and oldest football Clubs, Barking FC, in using
the facilities at Mayesbrook Park next season and the
two Clubs have already held a number of extremely positive
meetings about the future together.
The Manor’s
agreement is initially for one year but bothl sides
are hopeful about the arrangement lasting much longer
into the future and giving the Club somewhere to finally
call home.
Club Chairman
Reg Curtis said: “I’m absolutely
delighted that we are moving into Mayesbrook Park. The
pitch here is of an excellent standard and it is right
in the heart of East London which takes the club back
to its roots. We have a wonderful relationship with
the people at Barking and we offer our sincere thanks
to them for their assistance in making this happen.
Our manager Kevin Durrant also deserves special praise.
He has been at the forefront of this from the start
and it underlines his commitment to driving the club
forward on and off the field.”
Manor General
Manager Alex Lee has also been involved
in the discussions from an early stage and he told emfc.co.uk
that there is a long term plan for Mayesbrook Park.
He said: “The one thing this place needs to re-establish
itself as one of the foremost football venues in the
area is a bar. We have given our undertaking to the
people at Barking that we will pursue the possibility
of making this happen. We have already broached the
subject with the council and we will continue to take
forward discussions with them with a view to getting
a match day bar back up and running. This shows our
intention to be here for the long haul and again, it
is important that we fully engage with the council,
Braking FC and all of the other stakeholders to make
this a reality.”
Manager
Kevin Durrant also expressed his delight
at the news saying: “If you look at last season
– our away record was outstanding. We were the
only team to win in the league at Southend Manor, we
won at Takeley, we won at Enfield (albeit in what was
technically our home game), won at Burnham and we drew
at Barkingside. Our problem was our home record and
I have no doubt that the playing surface played a part
in that. The pitch at Waltham Abbey didn’t suit
our passing game and we feel tha the pitch at Barking
will allow us to impose ourselves more on home games.”
Paul
Tandy – Club Media spokesperson said
"Exciting times lay ahead for the Manor. The Club
is heading in the right direction both on and off the
field. The move to Mayesbrook Park next season allows
the Club to finally settle and make plans for the future.
Finally - I would like to put on record our sincere
thanks to Waltham Abbey Football Club for their kind
hospitality last season, we have a great bond with the
good people of the Abbey, and we truly wish them well
in the hunt for success in the Ryman Premier League
next season."
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