Billericay building

New Billericay Town boss Gary McCann has started building next season's squad in something of a hurry, and the club yesterday announced the arrivals of Tom Bender, James Blanchfield and Louis Ramsey.

Tom Bender has just completed a magnificent season at Pitching In Isthmian South Central Play Off Finalists Hanworth Villa- and indeed scored the Villains goal in that final. That header was his eleventh goal of the campaign- superb for a defender- and it is rather unsurprising that he has been snapped up by a side at a higher level. He has, of course, spent the rest of his career at a higher level, some of it much higher. He came through the ranks at Colchester United before graduating to the first team, and moved on to play for Millwall, Dartford, Forest Green Rovers and then St Albans City, spending many years as a Saint and making more than two hundred and fifty appearances. We were rather surprised when he joined the Villains after departing Clarence Park, but we're rather less surprised that he has now taken a step back upwards, although he'll be disappointed that he didn't get to take that step in Hanworth, particularly given just how good they were in the first half of that defeat against Walton & Hersham.

James Blanchfield takes a step down from National League South side Chelmsford City. James also has a fine pedigree; he played youth football for Arsenal before making a move to Ipswich Town, where he played at Under 18 and Under 21 level. A loan at Aldershot Town followed, before a permanent move to Dagenham & Redbridge. Concord Rangers followed, and he was a big part of the side which read he'd the Final of the pandemic hit FA Trophy in 2021, starting in that narrow Wembley defeat against Harrogate Town. He moved to the clarets earlier this year.

Finally, a more familiar face for the Town fans, Louis Ramsay returning to the club. Full back Louis spent his formative years with first Tottenham Hotspur and then Norwich City. Whilst with the Canaries he had a loan spell at National League Woking and then moved on to Leicester City, before his first spell with the- then National League South- blues. He spent a little time with Hornchurch, played for a while in the USA, and then spent last season with Concord Rangers.

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