Jenkins Wants Squad to Stay

1:36pm Sunday 18th May 2008

Cray Wanderers manager Ian Jenkins hopes that all of his players will stay for season 2008-09 and go one better this time in the quest for promotion into the Ryman Premier Division.

Speaking at the club's end-of-season presentation evening, Jenkins said he was confident that if his team stayed together their spirit was strong enough to gain promotion next year.

The Wands narrowly missed out in 2007-08 when they finished third in the Division One South table but lost 1-0 away to second-placed Tooting & Mitcham in the play-off final.

In his first season at Cray, defender Arron Day scooped two of the presentation awards when he was voted Manager's Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.

Another defender Mark Willy took the Committee's Player of the Year award.

Leading goalscorer Michael Power was voted the Supporters' Player of the Year and he also won the Goal of the Season vote for his spectacular long-range goal against Walton & Hersham.

Jenkins voiced praise too for the young Cray Wanderers reserve team and their continuing good progress under manager Mark Hanscombe. Jack Bradshaw in goal and striker Tommy Whitnell made impressive step-ups to the first team during last season, and Jenkins fully expects that they and others from the reserve side have the potential at Cray to be first team stars of the future.