Five Rovers

The weekend saw a number of new signing announcements from Pitching In Isthmian Premier newcomers Stanway Rovers, and you'll perhaps recognise most of their new faces.

Dion Curtis-Henry, a goalkeeper, came through the ranks at Peterborough United before first gracing our league as a loan signing for Soham Town Rangers. He went on to have a loan spell at Boston United before leaving the Posh for Crystal Palace, and whilst at Palace had loan spells at Maidstone United and Hampton & Richmond Borough. When his time as an Eagle came to an end he signed for Billericay Town, then in National League South, following which he went back to the Beavers before a move to Crawley Town. 

He spent a little time at Brightlingsea Regent during the 22-23 campaign, playing twice, and then during the 23-24 season played twenty one times for Hornchurch as the Urchins became our League Champions. Last season saw him play for Hanwell Town and make eight appearances for Sittingbourne before a move to Carshalton Athletic, where he played ten times.

He played ten times for Brantham Athletic last season,  twice for Welling United, and also spent time with Tilbury and Whitehawk.

Joe Paxman started last season with Grays Athletic, and went on to play thirty eight times. He moved to Grays from Maldon & Tiptree, where he made seventeen appearances after joining from Horsham midway through the 24-25 season. 

Joe signed for Horsham in the summer of 2024, but previously spent two seasons as with Canvey Island. Joe made thirty two appearances during the 23-24 season- which followed a 22-23 campaign when he played thirty eight times and scored five goals as Canvey reached the Pitching In Isthmian Premier Play Off Semi-Finals. 

He joined the Gulls from Grays, where he made forty appearances during the 21-22 campaign after signing on the previous season, which was of course cut short by a covid lockdown after he had played ten times. Prior to Grays he spent time with Basildon United, where he played eight times before the 18-19 campaign came to an end, and another twenty one times before the first covid-affected campaign crashed to an early end. He was with East Thurrock United during the 2014-15 season, and also spent time with Romford, Tilbury, Great Wakering Rovers and Aveley, after playing youth football with Southend United. 

Matthias Fanimo, a winger, spent his early years with West Ham United, and even made the first team before departing East London. He spent time with Bishop's Stortford, Eastleigh, Margate and Hornchurch before heading to Europe, where he played for a number of years for Drava Ptuj and Koper in Slovenia, Mladost Doboj Kakanj and Sarajevo in Bosnia Herzegovina, and Slaven Belupo in Croatia, before returning to the UK to play for Ebbsfleet United during the 23-24 season. The 24-25 season saw him at Folkestone Invicta, where he played thirty five times and scored three goals, and last season he was with Cheshunt, playing forty times and scoring five goals. 

He has played for England at Under 16, Under 17 and Under 18 level.

Kenedi Dariri was at. Canvey Island last season, playing thirty nine times and popping up with three goals. The defender joined the Gulls from Grays Athletic, where he played forty one times during 24-25. He was previously a big part of the first team squad at Barking, making his first team debut- so far as we can see- during the 21-22 campaign and becoming one of the first names on the team sheet.

Tom Graves, a defender, makes a move from Halstead Town in the Essex Senior League. He played forty times last season, and forty three the season before, after joining the club from Dunmow Town of the Thurlow Nunn League. He made thirty four appearances for Dunmow during 23-24.