WITH just three days to go before the big kick off, Grays Athletic have made a major foray into the transfer market.
The signings are:
Lee McEvilly: Very experienced striker: Ex Cambridge United
Adriano Rigoglioso: Experienced Midfielder: Ex Morecambe & FGR
Frederick (Fred) Murray: Defender: Ex Exeter City
Ronnie Bull: Left Back: Former Grays player, recently with Exeter City
Sam Cutler: Midfielder: Ex Charlton. Cambridge & Exeter
Preston Edwards: Goalkeeper: Ex Millwall & Dover Athletic, also England U19
Ken Davis: Defender: Ex Grays
Cameron Mawer: Defender: Former Grays Player, recently with Weymouth
Billy Lumley: Goalkeeper: Former Wolverhampton Wanderers trainee
There is still no word on the status of the managerial team, Craig Edwards and Steve Browne. They were both absent while Alan Lewer and Gary Phillips oversaw the 1-0 victory against Maidstone United.
Changes have exasperated the Grays faithful with the message boards full of despair and resignation.
Having said that, all may become clear in the next few days.
There are players who have been signed who haven’t appeared in the pre-season friendlies. Others have signed and then withdrawn.
It may be, that once the dust has settled and the final 18 plus appear that Grays Athletic under Alan Lewer may have quite a competitive team prepared to win ugly and compete robustly.
You have the feeling that an Alan Lewer team would not have capitulated against Bromley.
Once again, from an outsider’s point of view, it calls for another interesting season.
If we can focus on what is central: As Cammy Mawer passed me by in the tunnel last night,he just said: “I just love to play football.”
Let us hope that Grays have now turned a corner.
