Friday, 24 July: Adedeji Oshilaja arrives at Priestfield on loan from Cardiff City. Known to Justin Edinburgh through a loan spell at his previous club Newport County, Oshilaja is a 22-year-old central defender who earned good reviews during a loan spell at AFC Wimbledon last season. The loan spell is through to 3 January 2016.
Monday, 20 July: Gillingham announce the exciting capture of Chelsea's under-21 captain Jordan Houghton on a loan deal through to 3 January 2016.
Sunday, 12 July: Two more players added to the Tunbridge Wells roster, John Sinclair, a central defender from East Grinstead and Luke Mathias, a full back once on Millwall's books.
Friday, 10 July: Mark Stapley will be Tunbridge Wells' new first team coach under Keith Bird, leaving Hastings United to take up the position.
Wednesday, 8 July: Tunbridge Wells announce a list of 18 players among which are old favourites returning to Culverden including Andy Irvine, Hooley Cornell and Jason Barton.
Monday, 6 July: Gillingham announce a new management structure under Justin Edinburgh, who will be assisted next season by David Kerslake, previously a caretaker manager at Cardiff City in the wake of Malky Mackay's departure. Similar to Edinburgh, Kerslake has links back to the Tottenham Hotspur academy and it would be nice to think that the next up-an-coming Gareth Bale might be loaned to Gillingham (we can but dream). Returning to Priestfield as goalkeeper coach is Jason Brown, who had signed a playing contract for next season at Sutton United. The youth team will be managed next season by Wayne Hatswell, who was previously with Edinburgh at Newport County and, finally, there is a new man with the bucket and sponge, Adam Roach.
Tunbridge Wells announce that they have registered 18 players for the coming season but continue to play their cards close to their chest by not saying who any of them are!
Friday, 3 July: Tunbridge Wells have their man. OK, so we've said that before, but this time everything seems to be in order. That man is the ex-Cray Wanderers manager, Keith Bird. Alongside him will be Jason Bourne giving the club the continuity that it would not have had with the previously announced. This time, the players appear to be on-board, although Bird has said that only six or seven of last year's squad are likely to remain. Bird made his name as a successful youth team coach at Bromley before moving on to Cray, where, it has to be said, he time wasn't quite so good. Photo below courtesy of Victor Bethell.
Thursday, 2 July: I've said more than once on social media during the summer that whilst regretting the return to Millwall of John Marquis, if I could be granted one wish in terms of transfer activity it would be that Max Ehmer returned to Gillingham on a permanent basis. Today, Justin Edinburgh granted that wish. Ehmer has signed on a three-year deal and alongside John Egan (second wish now required that he signs a longer deal) forms a solid partnership that will get better as they are both relatively young players. For Edinburgh, you have to say, this has been a good summer so far. Apart from Marquis, he has identified targets and the chairman has made it possible to go out and get them. Edinburgh says he would like another four through the door. A central midfield playmaker and I will be happy with what we've got.
Move away from the keyboards for a couple of days and all hell lets loose ...
Monday, 29 June: Early morning browse and not expecting to find anything significant when news leaps out at me from Gillingham. Andy Hessenthaler has left the club to take up the assistant manager's position at Leyton Orient alongside Ian Hendon. This was a complete surprise and nothing something that I saw coming at all. Moving on a couple of days, a couple of people, rumoured to be ex-Gillingham player, Michael Flynn and Wayne Hatswell, both of whom worked under Justin Edinburgh at Newport, have been interviewed for the vacant position.
Tuesday, 30 June: A new man at the helm is announced at Tunbridge Wells and then situations unfolded at great speed coupled with confusion and no little amount of embarrassment. At lunchtime, Mike Maher, ex-Redhill boss was declared the man the board had chosen to succeed Martin Larkin and whilst it wasn't a universally popular decision with supporters, that was the choice and we would have to live with it. But fast forward to the evening and social media is buzzing that all was not well with the appointment, the players were unhappy with the choice and there was an emergency board meeting already happening. Glenn Garrett, of the Kent and Sussex Courier was tweeting that very few of Larkin's squad would remain at Culverden.
Wednesday, 1 July: I'm actually in the sweltering heat at Wimbledon when the mobile dings its text alert with the news that the club are now announcing that Maher would not be taking the position after all. What ensued was a question of who said what, who posted too quickly etc. Maher's side of the argument is that he had already agreed to take the manager's position at Cray Valley when the Tunbridge Wells offer was made. Tunbridge Wells were far too quick out of the traps to announce that they had their man when no agreement was actually in place. All of which has left the club with a lot of egg on its face and no manager to show for the indignity. In the meantime, Cray Valley were making an announcement of their own to confirm that Maher would be their manager for the coming season. Was it player power that brought about Maher's u-turn or was he never going to accept the position, only Mike Maher knows and he is not going to say. In what might have been an aside, or a consequence of the confusion, one of Tunbridge Wells' better players, Jake Beecroft, was announced by Nick Davis as a signing for Sittingbourne. How many more are going to follow Beecroft out of the door, we can only wait and see.
Wednesday, 17 June: Football League's Fixture Release Day and the planning for the next ten months can begin. Gillingham open up at Priestfield on August 8 with a game that will test their credentials against a side that will undoubtedly challenge at the top, Sheffield United. I'm relieved that Doncaster Rovers away has avoided one of the couple of "can't do" dates and will be ticked of the list. People looking for a weekend away in Blackpool will be disappointed with a late January fixture, whilst Boxing Day throws up a spicy affair down at Swindon. Millwall supporters will be expecting Gillingham to form a guard of honour at Priestfield as we host their championship-winning knees-up on the final day of the season, let them count a few chickens.
Tuesday, 16 June: Gillingham's first announced competitive match of 2015-16 takes them as far west as you can go for their Capital One Cup First Round match against Plymouth Argyle. Split geographically, I'm sure lots of Gillingham supporters would have preferred a trip north to Barnsley, for example, to this difficult evening venue. One thing is for sure, it is out of my boundaries for a Tuesday night. League fixtures announced tomorrow, let's hope those balls fall a little more kindly.
Monday, 15 June: Gillingham announce the signings of Ben Williamson and Bradley Garmston. Williamson, a robust striker from Port Vale, of whom I wrote in November on his club's visit to Priestfield "had been a nuisance all afternoon". Garmston, a right back, who impressed on loan at Gillingham last season, arrives from West Bromwich Albion. Williamson has secured a two year contract while Garmston has signed for three years. Goalkeeper Glenn Morris has signed a one-year extension to his contract, whilst released players Joe Martin and Gavin Hoyte have linked up with Millwall and Barnet respectively.
Thursday, 11 June: Sad news from Tonbridge that Jon Heath has been forced into an all-too-early retirement at 29 years of age with a knee injury. The defender requires an operation and has taken the decision to put his football career on hold while he has that and recovers. A one club man held in great affection by supporters has been truly unfortunate throughout his time at the club with injury. Mr Tonbridge will back in some capacity, of that I'm sure, one day as manager of the club is my prediction.
Wednesday, 3 June: Tonbridge welcome back Sonny Miles, following his release from Maidstone. United that is, not the prison, although the difference is hardly noticeable! A lot of re-winding of the verbals that yours truly has bellowed is required now that he has seen the error of his ways and returned home. At least we will always have that priceless moment when his own goal gave us a point at the Gallagher on New Year's Day, proving he was always an Angel at heart!
Tuesday, 2 June: There is an certain amount of anguish among the supporters at Tunbridge Wells as another player announces his departure via social media. Chris Seenan has used Twitter to inform that he would be taking on a new challenge at an unnamed club in a different league. It is not the departures as such that are aggravating the support but that these moves are being played out with no official announcement from the club, who also are steadfastly stating that no signings of their own will be announced until 1 July when official papers can be signed.
Monday, 1 June: Tonbridge welcome new signing, Nick Wheeler, a winger from Lewes, whilst down the A26, Tunbridge Wells bid farewell to Brendan Cass who has joined Erith and Belvedere in a player/coach capacity.
Wednesday, 27 May: Gillingham supporters will be disappointed on hearing the news that John Marquis has opted to stay with his parent club, Millwall. Last season's loanee did well at Priestfield, but the plucking of the heartstrings of his boyhood club proved greater than the two-year deal that Gillingham were offering. Not surprised at his decision, but the fact that he has only managed to negotiate a one-year deal with another year's option is surprising. It was always going to be 50/50 and I would hope that Justin Edinburgh had others in his sight should this one go against him. Let's face it, he was a Championship striker that wasn't getting a game but did well in the division below, there have to be quite a few strikers on frees that fit that criteria.
Ex-Gillingham loanee, Amari'i Bell, has signed for Fleetwood Town and Lee Minshull, who was tenuously linked with Gillingham and, in our dreams, Tonbridge, has signed for Bromley.
Tuesday, 19 May: Released Gillingham defender, Leon Legge, has signed a two-year contract at Cambridge United.
Monday, 18 May: Real disappointment for Tonbridge supporters as Mitchell Pinnock opts to sign for Maidstone. I cannot blame the lad for wanting Conference South football, but why does it always have to be them?
Thursday, 14 May: Gillingham sign Emanuel Osadebe, an 18-year-old right back/central midfielder, from Tottenham's Development squad. He previously had a spell with Dundalk. Chatham Town received the news they have waited for as they are placed in Ryman South for next season.
Previously: Steve McKimm was especially quick out of the blocks and his retained list was announced a little over a week after the last game. It is:
Retained:
Laurence Ball
Lee Carey
James Folkes
Royce Greenidge
Jon Heath
Tom Parkinson
Jack Parter
Jerrome Sobers
Tommy Whitnell
Leaving:
Billy Bishop
Dee Okojie
Dan Parkinson
Flavio Tavares
Joe Taylor
Marvin Williams (Retired)
Signed:
Nathan Elder
Charlie Webster
Stand out, of course, are the signing of two of the four loanees from the end of last season. Billy Medlock is on the retained list at parent club, Sutton United, whilst we await with particular interest news of Mitchell Pinnock.
At Gillingham, there have been four departures announced. Leaving the club are Joe Martin, Leon Legge, Danny Galbraith and Gavin Hoyte.
Pre-season friendlies have also been announced and I will be updating the list as when they are announced.
Gillingham
Tuesday, 7 July Folkestone Invicta (a)
Saturday, 11 July Tonbridge Angels (a)
Tuesday, 21 July Bromley (a)
Saturday, 25 July Dover (a)
Wednesday, 29 July Brighton & Hove Albion (h)
Saturday, 1 August Portsmouth (h)
Tuesday, 4 August Faversham Town (a)
Tonbridge
Tuesday, 7 July Whyteleafe (a)
Saturday, 11 July Gillingham (h)
Tuesday, 14 July Sevenoaks (a)
Saturday, 18 July AFC Wimbledon XI (h)
Tuesday, 21 July Ebbsfleet (h)
Saturday, 25 July Fisher (h)
Saturday, 01 August Dorking Wanderers (a)
Tunbridge Wells
Saturday, 11 July Crockenhill (a)
Tuesday, 14 July Lydd Town (a)
Saturday, 18 July Chatham Town (a)
Tuesday, 21 July Rusthall (a)
Saturday, 25 July Sittingbourne (h)
Tuesday, 4 August Hildenborough (h)
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