A Big Bostik (South East) pre-season, part eight: Hythe Town to Whyteleafe

By Ian Townsend

An eight-part guide to the - currently announced- pre-season fixtures involving our clubs. Part eight concludes Bostik South East.

Hythe Town

Given quite how close the Cannons came to the playoffs last time around they have to be pretty highly fancied to do even better in the new campaign. They’ve kept the majority of the squad together, and start their pre-season with the visit of Dover Athletic on Monday.

Here’s their programme:

Sevenoaks Town FC

Sevenoaks Town FC

  • Monday 9th July 2018 Home v Dover Athletic 7.45pm
  • Saturday 14th July 2018 Home v Dorking Wanderers 3.00pm
  • Tuesday 17th July 2018 Away v Lydd Town 7.45pm
  • Saturday 21st July 2018 Home v Crawley Down Gatwick 3.00pm
  • Tuesday 24th July 2018 Home v Canterbury City 7.45pm
  • Saturday 28th July 2018 Away v Romford 3pm
  • Saturday 4th August 2018 Away v Tilbury 3.00pm

Phoenix Sports

Sports sat just outside the playoff places for much of last season before falling away to finish in eleventh place, but that hasn’t dampened the optimism of the fine folk at the Mayplace Ground. The foundations continue to look solid, too, with the Academy side winning the Algarve Trophy a couple of weeks ago.
Here’s their schedule:

  • Saturday 14th July - 3pm - K Sports - Away
  • Wednesday 18th July - 7.45pm - Carshalton Ath - Away
  • Tuesday 24th July - 7.45pm - Erith Town - Home
  • Saturday 28th July - 1pm - Holmesdale - Away
  • Tuesday 31st July - 7.45pm - Chatham Town - Home
  • Saturday 4th August - 3pm - Met Police - Away

Three Bridges FC

Three Bridges FC

Ramsgate

The Rams are building well for the new season, and have just announced the signing of striker Harry Stannard from Margate. Losing Alfie Paxman to Folkestone Invicta will undoubtedly be a blow, but there looks to be enough about Lloyd Blackman’s squad for supporters to expect an improvement on last years sixteenth place.

  • Sat 7th July, 10:30 a.m - Punjab United (away – Gravesend)
  • Sat 14th July, 3pm - Tooting & Mitcham (away)
  • Tue 17th July, 7.45pm – Bromley (home)
  • Sat 21st July, 3pm – Folkestone Invicta (home)
  • Tue 24th July, 7.45pm - Deal Town (away)
  • Sat 28th July, 3pm - Bowers & Pitsea (home)
  • Tue 31st July - 8.15pm - Balham (home)
  • Sat 4th August, 3pm – Margate (away)

Sevenoaks Town

Last season’s Southern Counties East champions romped to the title, finishing six points ahead of runners up Whitstable Town and sixteen points clear of much fancied Crowborough Athletic, so expect them to be no pushovers during their first ever Bostik League campaign. They have a fantastic Kentish pre-season lined up, and we’ve attached their poster giving details.

Blakey's Shed!

Blakey's Shed!

Sittingbourne

The Brickies had a fantastic start to their South Division campaign last time out, and a fantastic finish. Sadly the bit in between wasn’t so good, and left them in fourteenth place, but if they start the new season how they finished the last one, who knows how far they might go?

  • Saturday 7th July, Bearsted, Away, KO time confirmed as 12.00
  • Tuesday 10th July, Forest Hill, HOME, KO 7.45pm
  • Saturday 14th July, Cray Valley, Away, KO 12.30
  • Tuesday 17th July, Canterbury City, Away, KO 7.45pm at Faversham FC Ground
  • Saturday 21st July, Bowers & Pitsea, HOME
  • Saturday 28th July, Sheppey Utd, HOME
  • Saturday 4th August, Carshalton Athletic, Away, 3.00PM

Thamesmead Town

Magnificent Mead had moments last season where they truly lived up to that moniker, but they never quite managed enough consistency to trouble the playoff positions. They did, however, find the opposition net a staggering one hundred and three times- only Cray Wanderers got more- so their supporters were certainly admirably entertained, if perhaps living on their nerves as they conceded 81! Here’s their pre-season schedule:

Sevenoaks Town friendlies

Sevenoaks Town friendlies

  • Saturday 14th July - AWAY to UCKFIELD = kick off 3:00pm
  • Saturday 21st July - AWAY to GRAVESHAM BOROUGH = kick off 1:00pm
  • (please note the early kick off and that GBFC play at Chatham Town FC)
  • Tuesday 24th July - HOME to DARTFORD = kick off 7:45pm
  • Saturday 28th July - HOME to GILLINGHAM = kick off 3:00pm
  • Tuesday 31st July - AWAY to MARGATE = kick off 7:45pm
  • Saturday 4th August - AWAY to CANVEY ISLAND = kick off 3:00pm

Three Bridges

Bridges are back, after only a year away, and perhaps this will be the year when they achieve their highest ever League position? The best previous result was seventh in the South Division in 2014-15. Bridges finished second in the Southern Combination Football League (Sussex County) last season behind Haywards Heath Town, who they will meet again in the new campaign.

  • Sat 07, 13:00 A Molesey FC
  • Tue 10, 19:30 A Alfold FC
  • Sat 14, 15:00 H Merstham FC
  • Tue 17, 19:45 H Sutton Common Rovers
  • Sat 21, 15:00 H Guildford City
  • Tue 24, 19:45 H Chichester City
  • Tue 31, 19:45 H Tooting & Mitcham United

VCD Athletic

VCD finished seventeenth last season, but then they didn’t have the firepower of Charlie MacDonald! Well now they have, along with a number of other exciting singings, and you can get an early view of them at the following matches:

  • July 14th A Punjab United
  • July 17th A Cabvey Island
  • July 19th H Bishop’s Stortford
  • July 21st TBA
  • July 24th H Bowers & Pitsea
  • July 28th A K Sports
  • July 31st H Leatherhead
  • Aug 4th H Barking

Whitstable Town

After two seasons in the SCEFL, the Oystermen return to the Bostik fold and will hope to better their best previous finish of 8th in 2015. Manager Scott Porter has strengthened the squad since last years second place finish, and supporters at the Belmont Ground will undoubtedly be feeling confident as the new campaign approaches. Here’s what that approach looks like:

  • Sat 14 July 15.00 Tunbridge Wells (Home)
  • Sat 21 July 15.00 Ashford FC (Home)
  • Tue 24 July 19.45 Lydd Town (Home)
  • Sat 28 July 15.00 Lordswood (Away)
  • Tue 31 July 19.45 Folkestone Invicta (Away)
  • Sat 4 August 15.00 Grays Athletic (Home)
  • Tue 7 August 19.30 Whitstable Town Academy (Home)

Whyteleafe

Leafe had moments of absolute magnificence last season, and with more consistency could undoubtedly have troubled the playoff spots. Their eighth place finish was the best for three seasons. Their pre-season programme is almost all at home and will undoubtedly be a big test for a revamped squad.

  • Sat 07 Jul A Tonbridge Angels
  • Tue 10 Jul H Welling United
  • Sat 14 Jul H Corinthian Casuals
  • Tue 17 Jul H Leatherhead
  • Sat 21 Jul H Tooting & Mitcham
  • Tue 24 Jul H Merstham
  • Sat 28 Jul H South Park
  • Tue 31 Jul H Kingstonian
  • Sat 04 Aug H Molesey

Where next?

FA Cup early rounds- draw made The draws for the FA Cup Extra Preliminary and Preliminary Rounds were made today
A Big Bostik (South East) pre-season, part seven: Ashford United to Horsham An eight-part guide to the - currently announced- pre-season fixtures involving our clubs. Part seven takes us South East.

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