I am sure there will be many topics to add to this thread over the coming weeks and months but just to start by saying a really good write up in the Observer today by Chris about the season gone, season ahead, ambitions, support from the board and what is required next year to improve squad and get us promoted. Totally agree with everything he has said but still think the signings of Christie, Sam Beale and Ollie Rowe are absolutely critical to us being successful next year. Ill also throw Jack Dixon into the equation as he just got better as the season went on. Just wish it was starting all over again tomorrow. Its going to be a long and boring few months without football.
Sinnks Stays!
The latest player to commit to the U’s cause for the up and coming 2018-19 season is imposing Centre Back Sinn’Kaye Christie who signs on contract to the end of the 2018-19 season with a years option to extend for the 2019-20 season. Since arriving in the new year Sinn’Kaye has made a real impact which has coincided with the Clubs best run of results over the course of the season. On signing Sinn’Kaye commented, ‘I’ve had options to go elsewhere but I really love the atmosphere around the club, the lads are great, the Gaffer is top drawer and the supporters are amazing!’
Manager Chris Agutter also commented, ‘Sinn’Kaye has been very impressive since coming in, he’s a great lad, wants to learn and has so so so much room for improvement-similarly to Antonio and the other players that I know are with us with a heavy pre-season on his side we will see a bigger and better Sinn’Kaye Christie come the start of next season.’
Well thats super news to wake up to. Fantastic signing and can’t wait to see how good he is with a decent pre season behind him. Hes like a wall but really good on the ball as well. Had Jack Barham in his pocket couple of weeks ago. Mr Rowe and Mr Beale now please 🙏🙏🙏
So the news on the grapevine is if Hartley Witney won yesterday, which they did 1-0, in their play off final v Cambridge City then Corinthian Casuals will be promoted despite losing their own final due to the amount of points accrued during the season. Its an absolute minefield but if correct that has to be good news for Hastings for next season assuming we would be in the same league as them after the restructuring. It also makes it equally frustrating that four teams went up from our division and we were not one of them!
So the news on the grapevine is if Hartley Witney won yesterday, which they did 1-0, in their play off final v Cambridge City then Corinthian Casuals will be promoted despite losing their own final due to the amount of points accrued during the season. Its an absolute minefield but if correct that has to be good news for Hastings for next season assuming we would be in the same league as them after the restructuring. It also makes it equally frustrating that four teams went up from our division and we were not one of them!
Agree that Casual's promotion would make it easier for the rest of us. It's very difficult to compete against a club that can attract big wage-earners from all around the area without paying them any money at all.
Yes you are right John Corinthian Casuals seem to have been promoted as the best losing play off finalist on a points per game basis, but poor old Walton Casuals seem to have disappeared altogether as they are not listed in the new set up which seems strange!
Seems we have lost Chipstead, Molesey, South Park and Shoreham and Gained Haywards Heath, Sevonoaks, Three Bridges & Whitstable and also lost the 4 promoted teams which makes a league of 20.
I think that’s right Adrian , Walton off to the Southern League, no more walks along the Thames embankment.
Some very thin dividing lines though...we lose South Park and Chipstead but keep Whyteleafe, less than 5 mile miles from Chipstead.
Don’t know John and to be honest care even less. No doubt Frannie will end up at some big spending club. Of more interest has anybody got any news about Ollie, Sam and Jack?
Well that's an absolute disaster but not unexpected. Best defender in the league for me and most other supporters and absolutely the kind of player you have to have on board to progress from this league. What a signing for Ashford and they are clearly showing their intent for next season early.
I'm sure we will get the usual travelling excuse as the reason and nothing to do with money or budget cuts, buried somewhere under the heading of another super 17 year old agreeing to stay, but think this is really sad and a huge loss for the club and supporters. Guess it gives young Pritchard a chance who looks a lot more comfortable there than Fielding in at right back but need to be building a team around the likes of Rowe. When you are letting your very best players go it makes it really tough for long term supporters like myself to want to support player funds. Lets hope the doom and gloom is followed up with some good news of some new quality coming in for once.....if the manager has the money to do it of course.
All the best to Ollie. Top bloke and one of the best defenders I have seen at Hastings for many years. Hugely disappointing but nothing new
Good news on Dixon and clever timing with the announcement of Ollie Rowe. Chris is exactly right in his assessment of him. Really poor first half of season but superb from Xmas onwards and got better as the season went on. And despite a rather unfortunate sending off at Greenwich, seems to have brought some discipline into his game. Really pleased to see him stay. Believe that just leaves Sam Beale now to decide on his future and then hopefully some new faces into the club.
Bad news that Ollie has gone ,excellent player and top bloke. Probably inevitable as he only lives just up the road in Maidstone, so not far to travel. Let’s see some new signings now.
I've been out of the loop a little lately; so please excuse me if the answer has already been given: how do matters stand with Sam Cole and Tom Vickers?
I'm sorry, but this is a little bit different from Harry Stannard travelling from Ramsgate to play. Hastings to Maidstone 31 miles, Ashford to Maidstone 21 miles...fact. Lets stop all the rubbish on here and on twitter about travelling being the only reason. If Ollie was happy at Hastings, and the money was right, are supporters honestly telling me he has left because he has 10 miles less to travel? I would hazard a guess that budgets have been cut again but lets see. Lets see if the some of the names circulating around the Pilot Field for the past couple of months do come or is Chris now relying on the generosity of the supporters. Seen and heard it all before I am afraid. We have the best young manager we have had for many years who has only one target next season. I do very much hope the board are doing all they can to support his ambitions.
Bad news that Ollie has gone ,excellent player and top bloke. Probably inevitable as he only lives just up the road in Maidstone, so not far to travel. Let’s see some new signings now.
Obviously a good player and a top bloke but some memories would seem to be a little short. What happened nearly a year ago is pretty well known so why pretend ?
Sorry Hythe Club Man you have lost me. Admit memory fading but what happened a year ago ?
Nearly a year ago around six of your guys who wanted away in the close season suddenly found that they were required to stay for another year as the club had inserted options on their contracts that they said they were unaware of. At the time many said that players should be more aware--others said that in a fair environment they should have been made aware, or at least asked.
This story swept all around other clubs especially when those clubs tried to sign the said players. Whilst it is true that nobody was privy to the full picture it has since been seen that most if not all of those guys have departed the club.
-- Edited by Hythe Club Man on Thursday 17th of May 2018 09:37:12 AM
So whilst Ashford add the signing of Cray Wanderers captain to that of Ollie Rowe yesterday, amid rumours and speculation over budget cuts, of course all completely unfounded, we announce less than 24 hours later of the massive loss of revenue for next season. All pure coincidence of course.
Hastings United chairman Dave Nessling says the new division the football club will play in next season is likely to cost it around £10,000 in reduced matchday income. Hastings will line up in the new Isthmian (Bostik) League South East, which will contain 20 teams as opposed to 24 in Division One South during the 2017/18 campaign, meaning there will be eight fewer matches (38 instead of 46) and four less home games. Nessling said: “Obviously there’s going to be reduced income because we’ll have four less home matches in the league.
Potentially we reckon with gate revenue and secondary spend that goes on, maybe as much as £10,000 over the four games in income. “I’m a firm believer that the division should be 22 (clubs). I think 24 is too many and 20 is not enough at our level when we’re used to midweek travelling. Twenty-two has been proved right over all the years in most divisions.
The provisional club allocations for steps 1-4 of the National League System for 2018/19 were announced following last Thursday’s meeting of The FA’s Leagues Committee.Hastings faced 15 of the 19 other clubs last season. The remaining four - Haywards Heath Town, Sevenoaks Town, Three Bridges and Whitstable Town - have come up from step five.Hastings will not play Chipstead, Molesey or South Park next term as those three clubs are in Isthmian League - South Central.Four clubs were promoted from the 2017/18 Division One South. Carshalton Athletic and Lewes went up automatically as the top two, Walton Casuals as play-off winners and play-off runners-up Corinthian-Casuals were promoted as the best losing step four play-off finalist on a points per game basis. All allocations are subject to FA appeal within seven days.“We will probably have very little midweek football because there’s 38 Saturdays in the season and I would imagine most of our fixtures are going to be on a Saturday,” continued Nessling. “The travelling I don’t think there’s a lot of difference to what there was last year.“My biggest fear out of all of this is they’re bringing too many clubs into the semi-pro game that can ill-afford to be there - they get to that level and then find it a real struggle.“Step five (one level below Hastings) is being eroded because the better clubs are going to step four and then they’re struggling at step four. There’s been quite a yo-yo effect.” Hastings plan to offset the reduction in matchday income by increasing their commercial activity.
-- Edited by johnw on Thursday 17th of May 2018 01:48:38 PM
Soon comes around eh? That time of year when we all wonder who's staying, going, coming etc etc. Re last August when there was all that uncertainty about Collin, Bodkin, Pidgley and Stannard - well, that's water under the bridge now and very few of us on here know what actually went on. I do recall mutterings about potential player losses when Steve Watt left in October. Certainly interesting to see that he's has moved on from Margate along with several players hitting the road - Pidgley and Bodkin for starters, that lad Cheidozie who scored loads....
Rumours were doing the rounds a while back about Ollie so while it's all very disappointing to lose him, it's no great surprise but the important signature on the dotted line for me was always Chris Agutter's. Absolutely vital he is here in August to carry on what he started. That team for one so young was doing really well last season and 5 months on, bigger, stronger and more lessons absorbed from Chris & Co, can only be better and should be amongst the front runners.
A real concern, purely on the playing front, is hanging onto the players - but on the financial side there are several potential Paul Smiths amongst them. For those who don't know - Paul was 18, played half a dozen or so games for Hastings Town in the Southern Prem years 23 - 24 years ago, canny bit of business by the club saw him on contract and snapped up in no time for £50k by Nottingham Forest - big money now, massive money then - plus a pre season friendly against Forest's full 1st team which saw 4888 through the gates. And it could've been better because Man U were sniffing after him too! On contract - good for the player especially when he steps up - and good for the club too.
Early early pre season days so let's wait and see what transpires.
Good to see Adam Flanagan doing well with a new job to start at Dartford.
Dave Nessling raises concerns about step 5 clubs coping when they get up to step 4 - ie Haywards Heath etc joining us. The semi pro game went through a long period of standard adjustment when Conference North and South were formed in 2004-2005. Standards dropped in the divisions below - for example the top 10 (or whatever it was) of the Southern Premier, along with the top ten from the Isthmian and Northern Premiers were placed in the new Conference divisions, I'm pretty sure relegation and promotion were tinkered around with and one of the tinkerings was the one that saw Lewes go up from the equivalent of Bostik South to Conference South, bypassing Bostik Prem. Two promotions for the price of one! Long time supporters will remember the frustration of United missing out (all too comfortably) on at least getting a place back in a lower standard Southern Premier which was available for the top 7 or 8 in the Southern's Eastern Division which we had ended up back in after relegation in 2002-2003.
We have had that and more this last few weeks with adjustments added to adjustments (Thurrock resigning from Bostik Prem and the two Osset clubs in Evostik North merging) and the natural progression of the game hit big time by nine step 3 clubs, 3 from each division - reprieved from relegation. And promotion reached farcical stages with four going up from Bostik South when Corinthian Casuals went up despite losing their play off final. Clubs that should've gone down didn't, and clubs who shouldn't have gone up, did.
And prepare for more of this because the semi pro game which is surely heading for four divisions at step 3 (Bostik Prem etc) and eight at step 4 (Where we are now) will need another step 4 division to properly complete the semi pro "Triangle".
We missed an opportunity last year with four sides promoted from our league. That is not a criticism of Chris. He achieved as much as anyone might reasonably expect coming in when he did, with the hand which he was dealt. Next season the league looks clearly weaker. But with only one certain promotion place we cannot be the least complacent. We have to hit the ground running and as Phil says that means as an absolute minimum we need an experienced quality central defender and striker.
As always, I have sympathy for the Board. A football club at any level is a financial nightmare of conflicting demands. The new ground - as far as what at least is in the public domain - seems kicked into the long grass. Inevitably, that must make the Board's financial planning very uncertain. Come what may, there is a primary obligation on the Board to do nothing which compromises the long term future of the club. Yet I hope that enough money can be found to secure the services of the players we need. We really do need to get out of this league which, with the reduced number of games, has the feel of 'County League' about it.
We are delighted to announce the signing of former Fulham, Leyton Orient, Stevenage and Swindon Attacking Midfielder Alex Smith. Read more @ t.co/rrVt0P3aTR #HUFC #MoreNewSignings #WinnersDoMore #NewSeason ⚽️ t.co/idT7TRgxYz
Good luck and hope that expectations are fulfilled
Wiki site and other research suggests that injury has upset appearances over recent years
Hope that is in the padt
Nice to hear from you Roger, presume that you are still in Cornwall. The optimists amongst us are hopeing that it won’t be too long before United are playing down your way.......Truro in the National South......now that would be a good day out.
Thanks Phil
Still very much passionate about the club
Get to see 1 game a year, courtesy of live streaming from Guernsey away
Truro is 29 miles away and prefer to follow United on twitter feed than watching live football in Cornwall
Glad to see per the Club website that Tom Vickers has signed for next season. One of my favourite players of recent years. Injury free, he is a superb player.
FPF funding makes Ajakaiye a ‘U’!
The Club is pleased to announce the signing of 20 year old striker Daniel Ajakaiye from Kingstonian FC for an undisclosed fee. Read more @ t.co/U6AhZUvDEk #HUFC #FPF #NewSeason t.co/WCHBH4TdNM get in there
Good news and looked a very good player in the short time he was with us. Just need that central defender and striker now and I am guessing Chris will be done nice and early.
Good news and looked a very good player in the short time he was with us. Just need that central defender and striker now and I am guessing Chris will be done nice and early.
John I wonder whether Daniel is intended as 'the striker' - with what we already have - or whether Chris plans to acquire another? Certainly we need a central defender! But I'm very pleased the way things are going. Yes, if Chris gets the signings done well before pre-season then we have a fair chance of getting the good start which is essential to stand any prospect of promotion.
Haven't heard how Tom got on at Crowborough-who announced they had stopped paying their players recently. I thought Tom always played really well for us as a centre half. Hope he is back to full fitness.
Think you are correct Geoff, Daniel looks like the ‘Striker’ , but as you say central defender has now to be top priority. No news yet on Sam Beale or have I missed it. Another player that seems to have fallen off the radar is Sam Cole...whatever happened to him.?
The squad is looking good and we arn’t in June yet. Chris is really getting the players he wants in and I’m sure we will have more signings announced soon. Haven’t looked forward to a season as much for many years. Sad to loose Ollie but that’s football, if we sign an experienced centre half some other club will feel as we do.
Ogboe A-Go!
Former Millwall, Bromley, and Phoenix Sports Winger Kelvin Ogboe is the latest addition to the Hastings United First Team.
Following an impressive season with Phoenix Sports the Gaffer has moved quickly to get his man, ‘Myself and Browny have watched Kelvin on a number of occasions this season and every time he’s impressed, Kelvin can play anywhere down the left side, is very mobile, powerful and athletic, and is excellent in both boxes. As always we’ve done our homework in terms of off the field and know that Kelvin is the right type of character who’ll be a positive impact on what is already a very good dressing room. Across the board, we are now technically neat and tidy, very mobile and very very athletic with a nice sprinkling of experience-we’re nearly there in terms of the squad and myself and all the staff are really pleased.’
Ogboe commented, ‘I’m delighted to be joining Hastings United, after speaking with the Manager it was clear the Club had the right ambitions and it was something I want to be apart of, I look forward to the challenge ahead.’
Doing business early has to be good, just worry that Golding, Antonio Walker, Alex Smith, Ajakaiye and Ogboe are all very similar, pacey wide men but what do I know, and how many times have we wanted just one pacey wide man at the Pilot Field. Certainly building a young, pacey squad.
Like Phil, just need that central defender now along side the fantastic Christie and still that out and out 30 goal a season striker unless of course the management have decided on Rodari for next season, should he not be picked up on the trials he has had. Hear Medlock may be available again!
Also assuming Beale will not be resigning, but if so, still believe Crutts is best left back in the league even if he doesn't' like playing there.
Finally back to Ogboe, interesting that less than a day ago Phoenix announced he was staying. Maybe he is mates with Ajakaiye as See both played for Bromley youth against Hastings a couple of seasons back.
Ryan Andrews and Kweku Ansah are the latest players to commit to Phoenix Sports for the 2018/19 Season.
The pair were a key part of the side last year with Andrews making 23 appearances and Ansah turning out 42 times for the club.
They join an already strong list of players that will continue their Phoenix career next term.
Steve Phillips Ashley Proberts Lewis Mingle Jack Barry Danny Young Jack Hopkins Tony Robinson Zak Bryon Kelvin Ogboe Freddie Olufsen Alfie Aldridge Josh Jackson Jonny Miller
Following Daniels transfer from Kingstonian I see we have a friendly against them at the Pilot Field on Saturday 21st July 3pm, according to their website
Mmmm. Others (my friend Mr Ig for one) were more positive about Calum than I was. I admired his runs and his energy in testing defences but playing where he was for us he simply should have scored more. He started so well but then the goals dried up and I felt an element of frustration set in. Of course I wish him well; I just hope he can get the right coaching at whichever his next club might be to move his career forward.
Almost there? Yes I think so Phil. I know Tom Vickers can play as a centre back but I still see him more as a midfield player. So I would still like to see another specialist centre back. Perhaps an 'old style' centre half like Sean Ray in his prime? One bonus Sean gave us in the past was his ability to score a significant number of goals from set pieces. We have fallen short of that in recent years and should look to correct it if we can in the season ahead.
Chris has assembled a good looking 22 man squad. He looks to have recruited the type of players we have all asked for.
Really looking forward to the start of the season.