By John Mead
Boreham Wood Football Club hit the ground running this Saturday 9th July
with a mouth-watering Season opener against Championship Watford. This is followed three days later by the visit of John Still’s Second Division Dagenham & Redbridge.
There is no looking back for Wood, whom after seizing the opportunity to play their
first ever Season in the Conference Pyramid, which heralded a fourteenth place
finish, it appears the only way is up!
A visit to the Meadow Park ground prior to the first training session last
Thursday showed the ambition that is bubbling within. Behind the scenes a superb gym facility is nearing completion, together with two fantastically equipped classrooms for the PASE students. The fans can enjoy a high standard of football, considering the ambitious signings Manager Ian Allinson has already made in the close Season. All this played out on a perfectly prepared playing surface that has the look of a snooker table, with new improved catering facilities to boot, there is plenty to entice fans of football to Meadow Park.
Both fans of The Hornets and The Daggers will be keen to see their teams in action
for the first time this Season. Watford begin a new era under Manager Sean
Dyche, who will be forced to regroup after Malky Mackay left for Cardiff City,
along with First Team Coach, Joe McBride, and more recently promising
midfielder Don Cowie.
Dyche, already without the services of leading scorer Danny Graham who signed for Premiership newcomers Swansea City for £3.5 million has money in the purse and will be keen to strengthen.
David Mirfin will be given his chance to impress the Hornets fans with the centre
half signing from Scunthorpe United.
Meanwhile John Still has secured the services of Medy Elito, an exciting prospect who has played for England already at “Under 17”, “18” and “19” level.
Wood have made some impressive additions to the Squad, which should entice the town to come and follow their quest for a top ten finish this Season. Giant shot stopper Michael Jordan, a twenty-seven year old who played 45 games for Farnborough last Season, has a winning mentality, taking his former Club to the Play-off Final last Season. He played seven games for Chesterfield and saw Lewes over the line several Seasons ago when they won promotion to the Conference Premier Division.
He is joined by former Farnborough favourite James Smith, a twenty-five year old
centre half who played seventy seven games for the Hampshire side in two Seasons
and has Captained the England Non League International Side on occasions.
Possibly the signing of the Season is the third in the trio of recruits from
Farnborough, twenty-seven year old Daryl McMahon. Dublin born, he spent three years at Leyton Orient scoring five times from midfield in seventy two appearances, before featuring for Stevenage Borough and Cambridge United.
Add to that the acquisition of twenty-four year old 6ft 4inches tall Charlie
O’Loughlin, a defender signed from Solihull Moors who along with McMahon played for Port Vale, the new look Wood defence should be more than capable of
allowing the fleet footed front line to deliver the spoils this Season. Veteran
goal machine Lawrence Yaku also joins from Hampton & Richmond Borough,
along with wide man Barrie Matthews. It doesn’t end there, with Wood boss Ian
Allinson declaring, “We are hoping to sign at least two more, a defender and a
forward before Saturday’s curtain raiser.”
Boreham Wood versus Watford – Saturday 9th July, Kick off 3pm.
Boreham Wood versus Dagenham & Redbridge – Tuesday 12th July, Kick off
7.30pm.
