News - May 2007

The entrance prices for the pre-season friendly game on Saturday 14th July have been set at:

Adult: £10
Child/Cons/Student: £5

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Quiz night in the Clubhouse - Sunday 24th June - 7pm Start.

£5 entry per team, 6 players max per team

Cash Prize

Prize for the best Team Name

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Grays Athletic in conjunction with Palmers College regret to announce the closure of the Youth Football Academy due to the rising costs of staff and the new criteria set out by the Football Conference.

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Grays Athletic have signed 24yr Old, ex Rushden & Diamonds Central Defender, Jon Ashton, on a 2 year deal, Jon is a versatile player who can play in Defence and Midfield, he started his career with Leicester City, he has played for Notts County and Oxford United before signing with R&D in June 2006.

Jon is currently in the England National XI side who will be playing Finland on 1st June 2007

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Full details and an application form for 2007/08 season tickets can be obtained from the following:

Season Tickets 2007/08

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Grays Athletic have today announced their new entrance prices for the 2007/08 season

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Grays Athletic have signed Derek Duncan from Leyton Orient on a 1 year contract, Derek is a 20 year old, speedy left sided midfielder, he started his career as a trainee with The O‘s

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The Club Bar will be open from 12:00 on Sunday and will be showing the League 1 play-off Final between Yeovil and Blackpool and will also be open at 12:00 on Bank Holiday Monday and will have live football featuring the Championship play-off Final between Derby County and west Bromwich Albion

It has also been decided that from the start of the season you will be able to enter the clubhouse without purchasing a ticket to the game.

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Grays Athletic are pleased to announce that the following players from the Under18 set-up have been offered and accepted 1year pro contracts with options:

Freddy Tandon
Danny Baigent
Jamie Nelson
Luke Woodward

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Grays Athletic currently have the following players for the 2007/08 season:

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Grays Athletic have signed Adam Gross from Barnet FC on a 2 year contract, Adam is an ex Welsh Youth International left back, who was released from Charlton after being a regular reserve team player. Adam is also a regular in the England National XI squad

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Have you ever wanted to join the team on a days training?

Well now you have the chance, Grays Athletic are offering one lucky person the chance to join the team at their training ground, you will spend the day with the squad and experience what it is like as a player with Grays Athletic.

The winner will be the person with the largest bid; all proceeds are going to a local charity, all bidding will close on Friday 29th June 2007

Please submit your bids to press@graysathletic.co.uk or place a sealed bid with your details in the main Club Office, the successful bidder will be notified of the event dates

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Following a board meeting, at which the issue of entrance prices were discussed, next season will see a price increase across the range of tickets on offer, these new prices will be available soon.

You can purchase a Season Ticket at last years prices:
Adult: £252
Child/Cons: £147

These prices are available until June 30th 2007, please fill in the form below (or collect one from the main office) and submit this with your fee.

Download Season Ticket Application

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Due to the magnitude of the Pre-Season Friendly game with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday 14th July 2007, we have been advised on safety grounds to withdraw the offer of the Kids vouchers that were due to be distributed to the local schools for this fixture.

The Voucher scheme will be used for one of the other pre-season games and details will be published when this has been finalised.

Grays Athletic would like to apologise for this situation

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On behalf of Kate and Gerry McCann and all the family, please help us find Madeleine.

Madeleine, age 3, was abducted from her bed in the family holiday apartment, Praia De Luz, Algarve, Portugal on Thursday, 3rd May.

Police and all of Portugal are trying to find her. The Portuguese people, holiday makers and ex pats have been a great support to the family and continue their efforts.

You too can help. Please circulate this plea to publicise Madeleine's photo and ask for information, no matter how small to be passed on to the authorities.

Whether you are in the UK, Portugal, Europe or beyond, please forward to all your family, friends, colleagues and business associates. Someone out there will have some information that will lead to Maddy's return.

The internet can be a powerful tool in finding Maddy, who is so loved and missed by us all.

Let's use it positively.

Please pray for Madeleine and all the family at this devastating time.

We need your help. We know you won't let Maddy down.

God bless,

Pat Perkins
(Family friend)

Appeal Poster

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Grays Athletic have signed Karl Murray on a 2 year contract from fellow Conference side Woking FC, Karl is a 5ft 11in Midfielder who can play in any position, he started his career at Shrewsbury town where he made over 100 appearances, he has had a loan spell at Northwich Victoria before returning to Woking.

Karl has represented England in the National XI game against Italy in 2004 and was selected for the final 16 in 2005 but had to withdraw

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Grays Athletic Football Club is pleased to announce that they have secured a six figure, three year sponsorship deal with Galliard Homes Limited and Fairview New Homes Limited.

Chairman Mick Woodward is delighted with the deal and welcomes both parties to the club, “this is a major investment in the future of Grays Athletic Football Club and I thank both Galliard Homes Limited and Fairview New Homes Limited for their commitment to the club with this sponsorship package”

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With the introduction of the No Smoking Law on the 1st of July 2007 Grays Athletic will be introducing the following policy:

Smoking will be banned throughout the Clubhouse and from all covered sections of the ground, this will include the seated area and the two covered sections by the Changing Rooms.

All smokers are asked to respect the clubs decision to implement these rules and are requested not to smoke in these sections

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Grays Athletic are pleased to announce that both Danny Knowles and Andy Sambrook have both signed new contracts which keep them at the club for a minimum of 1 year

Dennis Oli has signed a 2 year contract, Dennis said that he has turned down several offers from other clubs and wanted to stay with Grays Athletic where he is very happy

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The Grays Athletic U14A team will be playing Chelmsford Youth on Saturday 26th May at Witham Town Football Club. Kick-off is at 11:00

Entrance fee: £3

Address of Witham Town FC:
Spa Road
Witham
Essex
CM8 1UN

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Congratulations to Danny Kedwell who has been called up to represent England in the forthcoming Four Nations Tour

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Grays Athletic have signed ex Woking Striker, Craig McAllister, Craig is a 6ft 1in forward who has had spells at Basingstoke, Stevenage, Gravesend & Nothfleet and more recently at The Cards where he was top scorer with 15 goals this season.

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Grays Athletic have signed Ex Welling Midfielder, Jamie Day, on a 2 year contract, Jamie is an experienced Midfield player and has represented England at U16, U17 & U18 Level, he started his career with Arsenal, before moving to AFC Bournemouth, Dover, Crawley and more recently at Welling United

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Following contract negotiations which were initially thought to be acceptable to both parties, Midfielder John Martin has decided to leave Grays Athletic and has signed for fellow Conference team Stevenage Borough

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Prices for the Pre- Season fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday 14th July will be:

Adults: £10
Kids: £1 one child (U12) with voucher and full paying Adult
Concessions & Other Children U16: £5

Vouchers will be given out to local schools next month.

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Chelmsford League Knock-out Cup Final

Sunday 13th May 2007
Grays Athletic U14A vs Roneo Colts
Venue: Billericay Football Club

Kick-Off: 16:00

Cost:
Adult £3
Child/OAP £1

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Seven people the MS-nificent 7, all of whom suffer from varying degrees of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) will attempt to walk, push or electrically propel themselves by wheelchair etc from Edinburgh to London in 1 month.

Their mission, aside of completing the walk, will be to hand a “Message in a Bottle” to 10 Downing Street highlighting the needs and lack of support for Multiple Sclerosis sufferers and the importance of increased funding for MS in such areas as stem cell therapy, safeguarding the interests of future sufferers.

The walk will commence on the 16th July 2007 from Edinburgh, 10 years to the day that Exeter City fan James Coke, one of the walkers was diagnosed with MS. It will end on the 16th August 2007 outside Downing Street, London when a symbolic “Message in a bottle” will be delivered by the MS-nificent 7 to the Prime Minister.

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Grays Athletic are please to announce that they have signed Danny Kedwell on a 2 year deal from Welling United, Danny has played for Lordswood, Fisher Athletic, Tonbridge Angels, Chatham, Maidstone United, Herne Bay as well as Welling.

Danny won the Conference South Player of the Month three times whilst with Welling, he was also their top goalscorer with 23 goals to his name.

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Due to low levels of stock remaining in the Club Shop anyone wishing to purchase items are advised to contact the Office to check if the items are available, details will also be given as to when the shop will next be open when you call

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Congratulations to Stuart Thurgood, Jamie Stuart & Dennis Oli who have been selected to represent their country in the England National X1 squad at the Four Nations Tournament which starts on May 22 against Ireland at Inverness Clachnacuddin.

John Martin has also been placed on the reserves list for this tournament
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For Full Details

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I felt that the club needed a shake up before we could move forward, as you know, some of the Club players were listed in the non-retained list, I would like to thank them, they have all done really well for the club, one on the list was Ashley Bayes who has been a champion for this club since his arrival; however, I felt that we needed a younger keeper and my decision was to release him, I am sure he will have no problems finding another club.

Other players at the club have been offered contracts and we will find out soon if they have accepted them.

I am now looking to the future and want to develop a successful squad of 18 players who will all be fighting for their place; this will give us the solid base to push forward next season.

Justin

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Grays Retained players and players who have been offered a new contract are as follows,
Andy Sambrook
Jamie Stuart
Simon Downer
Stuart Thurgood
Dennis Oli
Aaron O‘Connor
Anthony Tonkin
John Martin
Tom kemp
Matt Bodkin
Cam Mawer
Danny Knowles

Tom Williamson, Jay Smith, Glenn Poole, Abdu El Kholiti & Gavin Cowan are all having talks with the manager

Grays Athletic today released the following players as there contract will expire at the end of the week.
Ashley Bayes
Anthony Barness
Ashley Nicholls
Peirre Joseph Dubois
Dean Howell
Chukkie Erribenne
Mark Wright
John Turner
Djoumin Sangare

Players who were on loan, and have now returned to their parent club.
Leroy Griffiths
Alex Rhodes
Ben Harding

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Following the defeat at Morecambe on Saturday tensions were mounting whilst waiting for the results of the Altrincham and Southport games, there was an enormous sigh of relief from the crowd and management when the full time scores filtered through, Stafford were beaten by FGR and Altrincham were held to a draw with Aldershot.

The Altrincham result ensured Grays Athletics‘ survival in the newly named Blue Square Prem1er Conference for the 2007/08 season.

Here‘s looking forward to a new season in the top flight of Non-League Football, congratulations to Mick Woodward, Justin Edinburgh, Jimmy Dack, Gary Phillips, Dickie Harper, Phil O‘Reilly, Derek Page, The Squad and everyone else involved with Grays Athletic Football Club, and a special thanks to you the Fans for keeping the faith.

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At present we do not have a list of dates for the Youth Team Trials, these normaly take place betewwn June and July, each individual Manager will set their own trial dates, once dates are available they will be published in the Youth Section of this website and also on the relevant Youth League sites.

Please do not call the main office for this information.

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