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E T U . COM spoke to new first team manager John Coventry about recent events.

The first thing I want to say is congratulations to Lee, I am really pleased for him. Working with Patto for the last four years as first team coach/assistant manager, I can vouch for just how hard he has worked for East Thurrock United F.C. over that time. Obviously being his assistant I was offered the opportunity to follow him to Braintree F.C. which I can say was a very attractive proposition. For my own reasons I declined this offer and after speaking to the owner of E.T.U. F.C. Benny Bennett, it was decided that I would take over as first team manager with immediate effect. Within hours I made my first appointment, by promoting Lee Williams to Assistant Manager/player. My reasons behind that decision was that I felt I needed someone to lead by example on the training field and during games and Lee fits that perfectly. On Saturday we were without a fixture so it was an opportunity to get together with the players and briefly explain the situation, followed by a light training session. After being in the job for only four days I'm just starting to understand the amount of work needed to manage a non-league football club! My phone has rung continuously.

Tuesday night will be our first fixture away to Ashford Town which Willo and myself are looking forward to. Over the coming weeks I will keep you informed about any changes that may have been made at the club.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has offered support and best wishes, in particular Mick Stevens, Brian Mansbridge, Sam Cox and my wife Christine, as without their help this period would not have been as smooth as it has been so far.

Covo

26/10/2007

Lee Patterson resigns as club manager and moves to Braintree.

Manager Lee Patterson gives his reaction to Saturday's 1-0 win at home to AFC Wimbledon. He told ETU.com "It was a terrific result for East Thurrock against a side which will be in the shake up at the end of the season. Everyone involved played their part and we need to maintain this level of commitment in future games. I thought Steve West was immence up front and led the line well, the midfield got through a lot of important work and the defence stood firm especially towards the end when AFC gambled and push a lot of players forward. To be fair, I think their number 9 Daniel Webb was unfortunate with a goal disallowed, but we got a bit of luck from the Referee's decision to strike off the goal for a push. We now need to approach Monday's bank holiday game with Leyton in the same way, by that I mean take nothing for granted as it will be a hard fought affair. We have one or two knocks, and tiredness will also be a factor as todays game will take a bit out of us due to the weather and the workrate. It was nice to sit down after the game with their Manager Terry Brown, who despite the obvious disappointment of losing was a thoroughly nice bloke.

Pre Season Fixtures/Results

Thursday 19th July Tilbury 0-0 East Thurrock (Trialist Game)

Tuesday 24th July East Thurrock 1-1 Canvey Island

Saturday 28th July East Thurrock 2-2 Dulwich Hamlet

Tuesday 31st July East Thurrock 2-2 Bishops Stortford

Tuesday 7th August East Thurrock 2-2 Halstead

Saturday 11th August Dover Athletic 1-3 East Thurrock

Saturday 18th August Ryman Premier Season starts

Manager Lee Patterson has announced the signing of 11 new players as the East Thurrock boss completely re-vamps the squad for the coming season. Experienced Central Defender Dean Chandler returns to Rookery Hill from Heybridge Swifts, he is joined from Heybridge by former Chelmsford City forward Jamie Richards. Forward Leli Bajada also signs from Leyton where he has been leading scorer for the past 4 seasons. Powerful Centre Forward Steve West also makes a welcome return to Rookery Hill from Conference South side Eastleigh. Two new Full Backs have also joined with former Bishops Stortford Right Back Dave Collis and Left Back Ashley Dumas being recruited from Walton & Hersham. Midfielder Matt Lovell has signed from Tonbridge Angels, forward Keith Martin also returns to East Thurrock colours from Maldon Town and Goalkeeper Matt Reed has also impressed in pre season after a spell out of the game, but with his last club being Newcastle United he will a useful addition. Joining from Grays Athletic is left winger Tom Cruse, and experienced Central Midfielder Martin Carthy from Welling United completes the list. Manager Patterson told ETU.com "I am really exited about this season as I think we have improved in the areas we needed to. Dean Chandler will give us the organisation in the back four, something we lacked last season. Dave Collis has superb delivery and has fitted in well. Ashley is a great prospect, quick and also with good delivery, he is still willing to learn and I am excited at working with him. In midfield, Matt Lovell has come in a little late, but has a quality left foot and can play in a number of positions including central. Martin Carthy is a great signing as he has a proven track record at a higher level, he is good in the air and will provide us with experience and can hopefully maintain his goal ratio that has always been impressive wherever he has played. Tom Cruse is only a young lad, but has plenty of ability, he is an exciting player who likes to run at people and although he has come to us late in pre season I am really pleased he chose us to kick start his football after leaving Grays. Up front, Steve West will provide us with a physical presence, which you need in this league, he has great awareness and a very good first touch. Jamie Richards is a player who epitimises what you want from a player when he runs onto a pitch, his workrate is second to none and he will turn a bad pass into a good one, just with his willingness to run across the line. Leli is a player I have always admired and hopefully provide us with a 6 yard area poacher, he also has a good first touch and is good with his back to goal. Keith Martin has returned in pre season and has worked really hard and he has nicked some goals along the way, he is a great lad and really wants to play here, he will provide competition up front. Mattie Reed has been out of football for a number of years, but then again his last club was Newcastle, he justs wants to get back into the swing of things and we shall see how it goes. There are no gaurantees in football and we will still have to work very hard, but we have some quality players in key areas and I hope they can make a difference. I have been getting a bit of stick from a couple of workmates who reckon we are tipped by most to finish in the bottom 3, so hopefully there is only one way to go. People can have their opinions and I can understand to a degree because I haven't gone announcing each player to make the news like some clubs, instead I have been working fairly quitely putting the squad together that will be able to compete with all the other clubs in the Premier League, something we didn't have at times last season. A lot will depend on keeping players fit, as we will have a fairly small squad compared to most clubs who have bigger budgets, but we will fight for every point and I hope we can get back to how my side played in our first season in this league".

There is some sad news however as Scott Holding has had a second operation on his knee yesterday, he will be out of action for a minimum of 8 weeks. Patterson added "I am disappointed for Scott's sake as he thought he had the problem sorted with the first operation, he had an offer to leave in the summer, but opted to stay and he was really looking forward to the start, he has shown loyalty towards myself and the club, and I shall ensure Scott is looked after during his time out".

East Thurrock won 3-1 at fancied side Dover Athletic today with goals from Danny Harris, Steve West and Leli Bajada gave Thurrock a 3 goal lead before a Jimmy Drydan strike with 10 minutes to go gave Dover a consilation goal. In temperatures nearing the 80 degrees saw some good attacking play from the Essex side. Manager Lee Patterson told ETU.com "I am delighted with the win today as Dover are favourites to win their league and have some impressive results in pre season so far. We still have a bit to do, but we looked good going forward and worked hard to gain the initiative on a red hot day. Jamie Richards worked really hard and Leli Bajada and Steve West linked up well. Matt Lovell is also looking like a good signing and is comfortable on the ball and can play a number of positions. Lee Burns is enjoying playing more central and Dean Chandler is organising the back four. Gary Ansell, Ben Boyce, Keith Martin, Steve Pashley, Kris Newby and Max Cornhill all played 90 minutes for the reserves after injuries or holidays, so it gives me some thinking to do before next Saturday". We have been tipped by most to finish in the bottom 3. If thats the case there is only one way to go, we are still running with a very modest budget compared to most teams in the division, but we have strengthened all over the team and whilst I have not gone announcing it everywhere, I am very pleased with who we have signed and am optimistic we can compete with sides in this league".

Two goals from Steve West earned yet another draw in the pre season build up to the new season. Thurrock fell behind after a mix up in the home defence and former St Albans star John Pollard lashed the loose ball home. West equalised from a cross from Jamie Richards and added a second with 10 minutes to go with a powerful shot from 20 yards after quick thinking from Danny Harris and Leli Bajada. Halstead scored in the final minute from a corner.

Manager Lee Patterson added "We have tried out various formations and I am close to my starting X1. It is a new team with at least 9 new players on board. I see on a few sites we are tipped by m

East Thurrock Manager Lee Patterson spoke to ETU.com today about the latest goings on at pre season. He said "We are gradually getting there with regards to the squad, I have some decisions to make this week as we have to trim the squad down. We have several injuries to Scott Curley,

Lee Williams, Gary Ansell, Scott Holding and Jamie Riley which has meant they have missed critical minutes on the pitch. I still have to finalise some details with one or two players, but we should have it more or less sorted by next Saturday's game at Dover. I have arranged another game this Tuesday at home to Halstead, which will be a good test. Last Tuesday we were supposed to play Bishops Stortford first team in a game which was arranged between Martin Hayes and myself as part of the deal which took Mick Stanbrook there on a free transfer. Martin sent over a disappointing side and never even came himself which I feel was a little disrespectful, we agreed that it would be a first team when the deal went through so it did annoy me a bit, but nothing really surprises me in football nowadays. I learn something new each season as a Manager. Saturday we had a good workout, and we now move to our final couple of games to get things right for a tough start away at Boreham Wood".

East Thurrock came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with Dulwich Hamlet today. Goals from Kris Newby and Keith Martin ensured Thurrock remain unbeaten in their games so far. Manager Lee Patterson told ETU.com "There are positives and negatives from todays game which will always happen during pre season. Negatives are we conceded two sloppy goals which is always disappointing, but we looked good going forward and did create a number of openings that should have been taken. Craig Edwards sides are always difficult to play against and never give you an easy time, but we got valuable match fitness in and came from behind twice and never gave up".

East Thurrock called off last nights game with Bowers United as a precaution due to the heavy rain yesterday afternoon. Manager Lee Patterson told ETU.com "The pitch is the best its ever been as Mick Stephens has worked wonders and we agreed that to damage it this early would be no good in the long run. It was disappointing for us as well as Bowers as we had planned to use the game for more match fitness.

East Thurrock drew 1-1 with a lively Canvey Island team tonight. A Danny Harris goal in the second half cancelled out a first half strike from former East Thurrock forward Danny Curran. East Thurrock made 9 changes at half time and Manager Lee Patterson added "It was only our first game, so I wasn't expecting it to be perfect and I was impressed with Canvey, who I thought looked a very good side. Their goal was a little disappointing, but we worked hard and Danny Harris scored a good goal and there was plenty of positives to take from the game. We have another game this Thursday night at home to Bowers United and at the moment its all about getting match fit and working hard".

East Thurrock begin their pre season schedule on Tuesday against Canvey Island with Manager Lee Patterson recalling some memories about previous fixtures he said "When I first signed for East Thurrock back in the late 80's both clubs were in the Essex Senior League and the games were compeditive to say the least. Canvey had a fair few players who got stuck in and the games were full of tackles that were full bloodied. Canvey then had several years of success and I was at Villa Park when they won the FA Trophy and they were promoted to the Nationwide Conference. When Jeff King moved onto Chelmsford, Canvey dropped back to Ryman 1 North and John Batch stepped up from his successful Reserve side and has done an excellent job seeing them competing for a play off place all last season until just missing out in the final week. John is a very likeable person, who I think will do very well with Canvey this season and his team get the ball down and play good football, so it will be a difficult start to our pre season schedule. Results are not as important as getting players fit, although I want the players to get used to each other and work on our pattern of play".

Manager Lee Patterson has released trialist Anton Innocent without him playing a game. Patterson said "Anton has been training with us since the start of pre season and was due to play at Tilbury on Thursday and against Canvey this coming Tuesday, he told me he had a school trip for Saturday and couldn't come training, but he played for Folkestone Invicta instead. It wouldn't really bother me about playing for another club in pre season, but I just can't be asked with players who tell lies so I have told him to not bother coming back. He lives in Grays and it could have been fairly local for him, but that won't happen now.

East Thurrock fielded a team of trialists at Tilbury tonight and came away with a 0-0 draw. Manager Lee Patterson said "To be fair it wasn't the best of games with only a couple of half chances for either side. Some of the players had been travelling a fair bit on the train to come training with us, so I needed to see what they could do in a game rather than on the training ground. A couple of them showed some nice touches, but overall I can't offer them anything as far as the first team goes. It would be nice if one or two of them dropped into our Reserves and stayed at the club,as they are still young enough to learn, but with the travelling I doubt if they will take up my offer, but we shall see. The game served its purpose and I would like to thank Tilbury for hosting us tonight and wish them well for the coming season.

Manager Lee Patterson spoke to ETU.com about the game at Tilbury tomorrow night. He said "With several trialists to look at, none of the first team will be involved at Tilbury. They will be training instead. I have included some of the Reserves who are expected to push this season for a place in the squad and Steve Pashley is also happy to play. Most of the players on show have come from Tilbury's league along with a couple who have been released by pro clubs.

Saturdays trilaists game at Burnham Ramblers was cancelled late last week, Manager Lee Patterson spoke to ETU.com about this and how pre season was going. He said "We originally wanted to use the Burnham and Aveley games to look at some trialists who had written to the club and had attended training, but I could tell even in the some sessions when we played keep ball that they would be able to get into the squad, so we called off Saturday's game at Burnham, with the Aveley game already being cancelled we will now have a look at a few at Tilbury this Thursday night although a lot of the first team will all play 45 minutes dependant on how much training they have done. A couple of players had holidays and they have only done a few sessions, so they will have to train more so they don't start to pick up injuries as they are not ready.

There are a couple of changes to the pre season programme with the home games against Aveley and Welling being cancelled. Manager Lee Patterson said "Mick has done a fantastic job on the pitch, but we both agreed it will be better for us in the long run if we wait till the Canvey Island game on the 24th before we play on it. Welling cancelled because they were offered a game with Gillingham on the same day, which if it were us I am sure we would have done the same thing. We are now looking to go away that weekend and play a game with an overnight stay and nightout for all the players.

Pre season training starts this Tuesday evening with Manager Lee Patterson talking to ETU.com about the squad changes and the work that has gone on throughout the close season. He said "There are a number of players that will not be returning this season, namely Kevin Mully, Shaun Batt and Danny Gabriel. Kevin told me towards the end of last season that he wanted to drop down a few leagues and take it a bit easier before he hoped to go away travelling towards the end of the year, he is a fantastic lad, who I will always have time for, he has always given 100% and leaves with my best wishes. Shaun's loan was up with Dagenham, and he was transfer listed and I had a couple of conversations with him about returning, he has joined Fisher Athletic as he wants to play as high as he can. Again Shaun is a lovely lad, and I hope he enjoys himself with Fisher. Danny Gabriel had said he wasn't going to play at all as his work was affecting his football, this changed about a month ago and he contacted me to say he wanted to stay but had a couple of offers from Heybridge and Thurrock. He rang me to say he had a substantial offer including a signing on fee from Heybridge which was something we couldn't get anywhere near, although he did say he would rather stay if we could up our offer, but it wasn't something we could do. Danny's goals were a big part in us staying up last season and he is a great lad to have around the place, but we cannot match some wages from big spending clubs and so we move on. I have been busy over the summer months, but the usual thing happens with players playing clubs off on one another, it can be a little frustrating, but I have agreed terms with at least 5 new players, and I have made offers to a further 3, who if they come, then we will have the best East Thurrock side I have managed. There is a long way to go before the season starts, but I hope to have the squad sorted out before we play Canvey Island on 24th July. Two players have signed contracts already, with two others agreed to sign their contracts this week. I never like to name names, as not to add too much expectation on the side, but I learnt a lot from last season so we need to make sure we are a side capable of competeing with every team in the league.

The Pre Season friendly on Saturday 11th August has been moved to Dover Athletic's Crabble Ground.

Manager Lee Patterson is delighted to announce that former Aveley Manager Keith Day has joined the backroom staff. The former Leyton Orient Centre Half will combine a scouting role with Assisting with the coaching alongside Assistant Manager John Coventry. Patterson added "I am really pleased Keith has agreed to come on board, his experience will be a big plus and his role will be really important in how we want to approach next season. On the playing front, it does seem a little quite as there are a lot of clubs that are announcing signings and we haven't had much news. I have already agreed terms with a holding midfield player, and am at present in talks with at least 7 new players in positions that we feel we need to improve in. I never like to name names, as players can tend to let you down, but if they all agree to come, we will have a very strong squad. Last season was very difficult and once you are down the bottom it becomes difficult to get out of it. We didn't have enough strength in depth and had to rely on the youngsters too much. I will take part of the resonsibility as some of the signings were not right, which is important that we bring in players who will make a difference. With regards to next season, I think its important to get a good start in, and we will know how we will fair after about 12 games.

Club Awards

East Thurrock held a Barbecue and Presentation day at the Club on Sunday, the following players were awarded:

First Team Player of the Year: Lee Williams

First Team Player's Player of the Year: Lee Burns

First Team Supporters Player of the Year: Kevin Mully

First Team Young Player of the Year: Bradley Stevens

First Team Clubman of the Year: Craig Perrin

Reserve Team Player of the Year: Robert Hodgeson

Reserve Team Player's Player of the Year: Kris Newby

Reserve Team Most Improved Player: Lawrence Smith

02/03/07: ETUFC Manager Lee Patterson has been named as Ryman Premier Divisions February Manager of the Month. Congratulations!

19/02/07: Matthew Batt has signed for East Thurrock on trial for a month from Dagenham & Redbridge, Manager Lee Patterson told ETU.com "I am delighted to welcome Matthew to the club, as brother of Shaun, we have been aware of Matthew for a while and although only young he comes with bags of potential and the recommendation of Dagenham Manager John Still.

12/02/07: Gary Ansell has extended his loan from Burnham Ramblers for another 5 weeks.

22/01/07: Stuart Williams has joined Concord Rangers in a bid to step up his fitness after returning from a long term knee injury. Williams has been training for a number of weeks now and Manager Lee Patterson feels like its just match fitness that he needs. He added "I spoke with Eddie Crace at Concord and they are willing to take Stuart on a week to week basis, he has trained hard now for a while and its better for Stuart to get games in at a level where he can ease back into thne swing of things. He is a naturally fit lad, and I am sure he will be ready for us after 3 or 4 games. I am hopeful one of those will be tomorrow night where Concord play Southend Manor".

21/01/07: East Thurrock United have signed Central Midfielder Scott Curley from Redbridge, Curley has also played for AFC Wimbledon and Leyton.

17/01/07: Ade Olayinka has signed for Redbridge on a short term loan. Manager Lee Patterson added "Ade needs to get match fit as he joined us having missed a lot of games and training due to his job. I spoke with Redbridge who haave agreed to take him on a loan which will hopefully benefit everyone. Ade is very versatile and once he is fit I believe he will be a big plus for us".

11/01/07: Former striker Gary Ansell has signed for the club on loan from Burnham Ramblers.

03/01/07: Chris Lewis looks set to join Burnham Ramblers on loan for the rest of the season. Manager Lee Patterson told ETU.com "Chris is in an early stage of his development and is a little frustrated not playing more regularly. We have agreed a loan deal with Burnham where he will get some experience and we shall see how he gets on".

02/01/07: Kevin Mully has seen a Specialist about his fractured chhekbone and will be out of action for approximately 4 weeks.

29/12/06: East Thurrock United have released Goalkeeper Jamie Lunan, Lunan joined in the close season from Chelmsford City and has been a regular this season. Manager Lee Patterson told ETU.com "It was a difficult decision and what Jamie and myself spoke about will remain between us. I have decided to run with Jamie Riley and to have to release a player who I really like is always hard. I would like to thank Jamie for his time with us and I have hopefully helped him get another club straight away with Leyton expressing their interest, so I hope he gets sorted out".

24/12/06: Manager Lee Patterson talked to ETU.com this morning about the Boxing Day derb y with Billericay Town. "It will be a difficult game as Billericay are a good side and I expect them to be challenging to get into the play offs. We beat them earlier in the season in the league cup so should take some confidence from that, but that was then, and Billericay will be wanting to avenge that defeat. With it being an earlier kick off, I hope we get a good crowd and a good atmosphere, but most of all I would like us to continue to show the same desire we have in the last month".

22/12/06: Jamie Riley, Chris Lewis and Max Cornhill have all signed contracts for the club. All three players put pen to paper on Thursday night and signed until the end of next season. Manager Lee Patterson told ETU.com "I am delighted that all three have signed on as they are all the right age and are the future of East Thurrock".

21/12/06: Ellis Remy looks set to leave Rookery Hill and return to former club Folkestone Invicta. Remy was released by Folkestone in November after the club were reported to be slashing the wage bill. Folkestone then put in an approach last week to which Remy was quoted as saying he wasn't interested in returning to a club who stopped his money and released him. It appears he has had a change of heart and wants to leave the club. Manager Lee Patterson told ETU.com "I am sorry Ellis has decided to leave, but it is purely a financial decison on his part, he has been offered nearly double his expences there and gets a signing on fee, which is handy before Christmas. Plus he said he only has to train once a week. I would have liked to work with Ellis more as I think he has more to come and is only 22, but it isn't to be. We only have to clear up some final details and he can join Folkestone in time for Saturday's game.

20/12/06: The Reserves host Heybridge Swifts in the Essex Premier Cup at Rookery Hill this evening. Kick off is 7.45pm.

18/12/06: The kick off for Boxing Day's derby with Billericay Town has been moved to 1pm

16/12/06: East Thurrock won 2-0 at Worthing today with a battling display. Thurrock created at least 4 good chances in the first half with Ellis Remy striking the post before drawing 2 other stops from the Worthing custonian before a penalty by James Bunn on the stroke of half time, after a foul on Max Cornhill gave the Rocks a half time lead. The second half again saw the Rocks take the game to Worthing before Lee Williams ran the length of the pitch to connect with a Shaun Batt cross. Worthing created a couple of chances near the end, but the Rocks defence, with Bradley Stevens in particular defended superbly. Manager Lee Patterson told ETU.com "John Coventry has to take a lot of the credit for our attacking line up, we had a lot of forward thinking players in the side today and it paid dividends with a good win". Line up: Jamie Lunan, Wes Faulkner, Steve Harrison. Kevin Mully, Bradley Stevens, Max Cornhill, Lee Williams, Shaun Batt, Ellis Remy, James Bunn (Danny Hayzelden) Danny Harris (Jon Turnbull 60) Subs not used: Ade Olayinka, Tommy Laws, Jamie Riley.

12/12/06: Goals from Shaun Batt, Ben Boyce and a brace from James Bunn secured a 4-3 win at Concord Rangers in a friendly on Canvey Island. The game was beneficial as it gave valuable minutes to players who have not featured for a while and a few trialists. Concord featured former East Thurrock players Grant Lee and Danny Greaves, whilst current players Chris Lewis and Ryan Sammons both played. ETU Team : Jamie Riley, Bradley Stevens, Kevin Mully (Lee Williams), Tommy Laws, Steve Harrison, Lee Burns, Danny Hayzelden, Ade Olayinka (Lloyd Anthony) Kris Newby, Shaun Batt, James Bunn (Ben Boyce 60)

08/12/06: Manager Lee Patterson spoke to ETU.com today about a number of things including the departure of Steve Mosely, some changes to the squad and a new signing from Dagenham & Redbridge. He told ETU.com "Firstly with regards to Steve, his work commitments have changed and he is no longer able to make training nights and games. Steve has decided to step down and I would like to thank him for his help over the last season and a half and wish him well for the future. John Coventry has now stepped up and is now Assistant Manager to myself and we are looking to bring in a player Coach. We put in an approach for a player who we think would fit the bill and I can talk to him after the weekend. There have been a number of changes to the squad in the last week or so which John and myself have agreed are necassary for us to move forward. Out of the door go recent signings Kola Okikiolu and Walid Matata. Both are likeable lads, but were not really what we were looking for, Kola has a lot of work commitments where he is unable to make Thursday night training and Walid has had to make way to enable me to bring in Shaun Batt from Dagenham & Redbridge on loan. Shaun has been with us before, joining on loan last season but broke his jaw, which meant he missed 6 weeks with injury. I think Shaun is an exciting player who has pace, which will cause sides problems. I have been trying for a while to bring him in and I am delighted he has agreed to come. He will go straight into the squad for tomorrows vital game with Slough Town. We have also recruited a couple of defenders with Marcel Nugent joining from Maidenhead and Tommy Laws signing also from Dagenham. Both featured in the Reserves 4-0 win at Burnham last Saturday. Both have experience from pro-football with Tommy having played some 50 games for West Ham's Reserves and Marcel playing at Reading and Q.P.R. Ade Olayinka has also returned to training and although a little short of match fitness, he will hopefully prove to be a valuable addition.

I know this season has been disappointing, but rest assured John and myself are fully committed to keeping East Thurrock in the Ryman Premier League, the spirit amongst the players is good and they all know how some results have not gone for us and we have enough quality in our squad to turn things around.

From my point of view, I have said all along, we cannot compete with some teams in terms of budgets, and in fact there are only about 2 or 3 teams with less money than we have, so our league position probably isn't that unrealistic, but, that aside I believe we have a good set of players for our budget and with a little more luck we can start to climb the league.

Other news is Chris Lewis has joined Concord Rangers on a month's loan, Chris just needs some games to get his sharpeness back and I am sure he will benefit for regular football. I think people forget he is only just 17 and this is his first season.

15/11/06: Co-Manager Lee Patterson gives his reaction to recent results and tells ETU.com of some changes to personnel in the squad. He told ETU.com "Its been a really disapponting time at the moment and we are in a bit of a rut, luck certainly plays its part with football and we are right out of it at the moment. That aside we have missed enough chances in recent games and are still making mistakes which are being punished. We will be looking to make some changes to the squad and will not rest on our laurels. I am hopeful to have several players train with us on Thursday and if we can agree terms, then I expect a few changes to Saturdays team. Last night summed up our luck, when a poor Referee made some decisions which were to have a bearing on the game. Having sent off the Dover player for a shocking tackle on Chris Lewis decided to even things up by sending off Lee Burns for next to nothing, if he sends him off for remonstrating with a Dover player, then how comes the Dover player he was involved with got away with it? It was a poor decision and the particular Referee always wants to be the centre of attention, larging it up with several comments and continually holding up play to talk to players but taking no action. He even asked for stewards to guard his door after the game which is embarrassing as he had also sent Scott Holding off for using a swear word when asking if the nasty gash on his leg had not been given as a foul. Decent Referees are always the ones you don't see or hear and you certainly couldn't say that of this ref. I understand we have to have them to play football, but the standard is poor and last nights was at the lower end of the scale.

18/09/06: Co-Manager Lee Patterson spoke to ETU.com and gives his reaction to last night 1-1 draw at 4th place Horsham. He told ETU.com "It was a pleasing result in the end, I thought we did ok during the first half, but lost Garry Wotton and then Kevin Mully which meant a shuffle round. We dropped too deep and invited them on to us too much, which meant we were under pressure for long spells, that said Steve Harrison and Danny Harris could have won the game for us if it wasn't for two great saves from their keeper. We have picked a few more injuries in key areas which is a concern, and we now go back to Bromley for the FA trophy on Saturday having stabilised our league form a little."

16/09/06: Co-Manager Lee Patterson spoke to ETU.com about Boreham Wood Manager Steve Cook's comment that East Thurrock were the "poorest team they will play". He told ETU.com "I was made aware of the comment, which is always disappointing, but I suppose Steve is upset that because he has lost to a team with a lot less finances at their disposal. Perhaps he feels that with his budget, he expected to win easily? Who knows? If we are the poorest team they will face, and we beat them, they might be in trouble then!!".

15/09/06: Co-Manager Lee Patterson gives his reaction to yesterday's 2-0 home win against Boreham Wood. He told ETU.com "It was a good win against a side in form, we aslo needed to get a win at home, I am also pleased that both our forwards scored. Danny Harris deserved his goal for the endeviour he showed and James Bunn's goal was quality, not many players in non-league could finish that chance like that. Garry Wotton is also an important addition as his experience is invaluable. The whole side looked more confident once we had scored and although Boreham Wood had a few good chances, Jamie Lunan was excellent. There are all difficult games in this league and Boreham Wood will do well this season so it was a good day all round".

14/09/06: Vinnie John has left the club to join Ryman Premier rivals Billericay Town.

08/09/06: Co Manager Lee Patterson spoke to ETU.com about yesterday's horrific injury to Goalkeeper Jamie Riley. He told ETU.com "with regards to Jamie, it was probably one of the worst moments I have seen in football, the impact was completely accidental but Jamie was out cold. The quick thinking of Lloyd Blackman by pulling Jamies tongue out whilst Steve Osborn held his head. Steve Gracie was on the scene in seconds and as far as I am concerned earned his money 10 times over. Steve took control and stabilised Jamie until the paramedics arrived. I am not sure too many people realised the seriousness of the situation and the paramedic told me they were very near to calling the Air Ambulance. Jamie was taken to Farnborough Hospital and I would like to thank Lyndsey Harrison for going with Jamie in the Ambulance. After the game we went straight to the Hospital and were all relieved after an anxious wait that all Jamies test were positive and he was alright. We left him with his family and I am pleased to say that he was allowed out this morning and although will need about 3 weeks out he will make a full recovery. I would also like to add that the supporters of Bromley were very sympathetic and we have had several get well messages including former team mate Tony Boot, who called me today to enquire about Jamie".

01/10/06: Co Manager Lee Patterson gives his reaction to Saturday's 2-1 defeat in the FA Cup to Maidenhead. He told ETU.com "When things are going wrong you start to look at different resons why, but there isn't a lot wrong that a couple of results won't put right. Saturday I would say we were the better side, we had more possession but we didn't take our chances and they scored a fortunate winning goal which the players have said was handball. Luck plays a part and we seem right out of it at present. We must keep working hard and we are the only ones who can put things right. We even hit the inside of the post and the ball spins out again, thats the fine line. As I have said before the players are in good spirit, and I am confident we can turn it around".

25/09/06: Co-Manager Lee Patterson told ETU.com of his disappointment of the U turn by former striker Steve West tonight after he had shook hands on a deal to sign for the Rocks on Saturday evening. Patterson said "Steve rang me to ask about the possibility of returning to Rookery Hill after leaving Leyton on Saturday morning. He came and met us at 6.30 on Saturday night and we agreed terms on a deal and he signed the league registration form. He was given a club tracksuit and shook hands with me and as far as I knew he was coming on Tuesday night to play against Folkestone. His form was faxed to the league earlier tonight before I found out he had been touting himself to Thurrock. When I rang him to ask what was going on, he told me he has signed a deal with Eastleigh. To make things worse I had released a player earlier in the evening to balance the books so we could sign him. I was under the impression that if you give your word and shake hands on a deal then it is done. Thats obviously doesn't mean anything with Steve. Having played with him as a team mate and he has played under me before I expected him to act in a more professional way. I even helped him with his move to Fisher which he wanted due to financial reasons and this is how he repays it".

22/09/06: East Thurrock have signed trialist Alfie Brooks after a successful week with the club, Brooks, 18, recently left Stevenage Borough and has played a few reserve games. He was an unused sub in last weeks FA Cup win at Wingate & Finchley and stays in the squad for tomorrows game against Carshalton Athletic

22/09/06: East Thurrock Co-Manager Lee Patterson looks forward to the weekends Ryman Premier home fixture with Carshalton Athletic. He told ETU.com "It will be a really tough game against a side which on paper look difficult to beat, they have drawn quite a few so it will be a good test".

19/09/06: Michael Stanbrook has joined Nationwide Conference South side Bishops Stortford. Stanbrook has agreed terms and will sign tonight. Although East Thurrock has allowed Stanbrook to leave on a free transfer Bishops Stortford have agreed a 30% sell on fee and will play at Rookery Hill in a pre season friendly next season.

18/09/06: East Thurrock have been drawn at home to the winners of Maidenhead vs Carteton in the FA Cup. The tie will be played on September 30th

17/09/06: East Thurrock progressed through to the 2nd qualifying round of the FA Cup with a 2-1 win at Wingate & Finchley. A super strike from Danny Hayzelden was enough to ease Thurrock through. Co-Manager Lee Patterson told ETU.com "The team progressed on a difficult day with Wingate tragically losing one of their players last Saturday in a car accident and a small ceremony took place before the kick off where all the Wingate players and staff laid roses on the number 10 shirt in the centre circle followed by a minutes silence then a minutes applause. It was very moving tribute and maybe it played on a few players minds. We created several good chances without really getting going, but at the end of the day I am just pleased to be through to the next round. Wingate were very gracious in defeat on an obviously sad time and my thought go out to the family of Simon Patterson whose young life was so tragically cut short and to his team mate Alister Hesilton who is in a critical but stable condition. I wish him a full and speedy recovery".

15/09/06: Lee Patterson spoke to ETU.com today with regards to Captain Mick Stanbrook and looks forward to tomorrow FA Cup tie at Wingate & Finchley. He told ETU.com "With regards to Michael its more a mutual decision and I feel its right for him to move on, he is in agreement and I have challenged him to try to play higher football. I have spoken to Bishops Stortford and he is meeting them tomorrow to hopefully finalise terms. We still have Michael under contract and will have some involvement in where he goes, but I don't see there being any problems but Managers still have to talk to us first. I would like to go on record now and thank Michael for playing for the club, he always gives 100% and played a huge part in our promotion season. He has also done some work for the club in the close season which we very grateful. I wish him every success.

Tomorrow sees a very tricky tie in a competition we want to do well in. The last two seasons have been very disappointing so we approach with caution, but if we can apply the same desire and attitude we did on Tuesday I am confident we can progress".

14/09/06: East Thurrock have been drawn away to Redbridge in the Westview League Cup on Tuesday 10th October

13/09/06: Co-Manager Lee Patterson gives his reaction to last nights 1-0 League Cup win over Billericay Town. He told ETU.com "It was very important to win a game at home and the performance was excellent with regards our approach to the game and the way the players worked hard for each other. Billericay are a good side so we knew it would be a tough match. We must now use this as our standard and approach games in the same way".

13/09/06: Michael Stanbrook has been placed on the transfer list.

06/09/06: Co-Manager Lee Patterson gives his reaction to last nights 2-0 home defeat to Harrow Borough. He told ETU.com "Our start to this season is starting to look like last season where we take one step forward and two steps back. After winning at Leyton I had hoped we could kick on and start a run which with the four or five games coming up we are against sides with similar starts to ourselves, but we didn't start too well and to give Harrow credit they play almost the same way week in week out. We made another bad mistake for their opening goal and although we responded well enough it is frustrating that we had to wait till we went behind before we kicked into life. For 25 minutes of the second half we dominated the game and had a perfectly good goal ruled out by the same poor assistant that got Vinnie sent off against Heybridge. Harrow scored their second in the last 5 minutes from another individual error and effectively killed off the game. We need to approach games in the same way or we will continue to be up and down all season. With regards the assistant referee, I asked him why he had flagged to disallow the goal and he appeared to be satisfied that he had cost us the game, smiling and goading looking for a reaction so he can cry to the FA. He was completely out of his depth and he obviously goes on his power craze for 90 minutes at football. I feel sorry for any sides that he gets appointed".

03/09/06: East Thurrock will face Wingate & Finchley away in the FA Cup 1st Qualifying round after they beat Eton Manor 2-0 at Tilbury today.

02/09/06: East Thurrock continued their good away form with a 3-0 victory at previously unbeaten Leyton. Goals from Vinnie John, Danny Harris and Lee Williams secured the win.

01/09/06: Co-Manager Lee Patterson looks forward to Saturday's visit to Leyton. He told ETU.com "Leyton have had a good start to the season so we know we are in for a difficult game. We worked on some things in training on Thursday evening and if the players can start to eliminate the mistakes then we have a chance. Leyton have signed some good players with ex East Thurrock forward Steve West and Ex Dagenham midfielder Danny Hill among them, but we have some good players ourselves so it will be an interesting game".

29/08/06: ETU.com caught up with Co-Manager Lee Patterson and got his reaction to the Bank Holiday defeat to Heybridge Swifts. He told us "If I put into perspective the difference in playing budgets, then the result would be right. Heybridge probably have 3 times what we can pay so it will always be difficult to compete against these sides and there are a fair few other sides who are also going for it this season. Once again mistakes are proving the difference and once you start chasing the game trying to haul yourself back into the game the other side will also create chances. We cannot give goals away in the manner which we have and expect to win games. I thought we started well enough and passed the ball well, but once we went behind confidence comes into it a little as well. We have spoken at length to the players and if the same players keep making mistakes we will have to change personnel as we cannot keep gifting sides goals like we have so far. I thought the Referee was weak again, the decision to send Vinnie off was pathetic and also meant an uphill struggle. Its not an excuse regards the Referee as he never contributed to the goals we conceded, but it contributes when decisions seem to go against you for most of the game. We won't dwell too much on Monday and will move on and try to improve when we visit Leyton on Saturday".

27/08/06: Co-Manager Lee Patterson gives his reaction to Saturday's 2-0 win at Ashford Town (Middx) and looks forward to the bank holiday game at home to big spending Heybridge Swifts. He told ETU.com "I was really pleased with the win at Ashford as its nice to get 3 points on board. The report on them was spot on and the way they play I can see them upsetting teams. We still have a lot of work to do in areas of the team and we are not the finished article yet, we had to change things at half time which turned the game in our favour, the clean sheet was also a big plus so all round it was a good day. We now move onto a tough game against one of the fancied sides Heybridge, they have one of the biggest budgets in the division and have some top players like Richard Jolly, Shaun Marks, Mike Shin and Ian Wiles. They have added former Spurs central defender Stuart Nethercott, Jamie Richards and Danny Gay during the close season and play with pace and movement. It will be a difficult game which we will have to be at our best if we are to win".

26/08/06: A Scott Holding penalty and an Alex Fiddes strike earned Thurrock their first win of the season at newly promoted Ashford Town (Middx)

24/08/06: Martin Tuohy has joined Ryman Division 1 side Aveley on a month's loan.

24/08/06: Kevin Mully has joined Concord Rangers on loan on a game to game basis. With Concord in the Essex Senior League he can dual register.

23/08/06: Wes Faulkner, Kevin Mully and Steve Harrison are all playing in the Reserve game at home tonight vs Burnham Ramblers. Kick off is 7.45pm

23/08/06: Co-Manager Lee Patterson gives his reaction to last nights 1-1 draw at big spending Margate. He told ETU.com "The performance was excellent and the players responded after Saturday's disappointment with a great deal of credit. After a bad mistake to put us behind it could have got everyone down especially with a big crowd behind them, but we battled back well and Vinnie was very unfortunate hitting the post and the bar in the first half. We got our just rewards with Vinnie equalising with about 10 minutes left and I thought we could have gone on and won the game, but a draw was a fair result. Our midfield worked tirelessly throughout and Vinnie was excellent up front and lead the line really well. The back four defended stoutly and Jamie Lunan made some important stops to make sure we came away with a point".

20/08/06: Co-Manager Lee Patterson gives his reaction to Saturdays 0-2 defeat to Hampton & Richmond Borough. He told ETU.com "I am very disappointed with the performance as I felt confident before the game that we would start with a home win. Both goals were individual mistakes which leads on from our inconsistancies from last season. I thought there was nothing in it during the first half, but once Hampton got the penalty we couldn't get back into the game. We had a good chat after the game and the players know what is expected and we have to put things right for a tough game at Margate on Tuesday. I also felt the Referee was poor, especially as he missed a foul on one of our players leading upto the penalty, but we can't use that as an excuse for under performing".

15/08/06: Elliott Gresham has joined Great Wakering Rovers on a seasons loan.

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