Cray Wanderers vs. AFC Whyteleafe
Pre-Season Friendly – Saturday 4th July, 3 pm – Match Preview
Flamingo Park Sports & Leisure, Sidcup By-Pass, Chislehurst BR7 6HL
FREE ENTRY FOR ALL SUPPORTERS
At an exciting time for football with a compelling World Cup Finals coming down to the business stage of the tournament non-league football gets pre-season properly underway on Saturday with a unique friendly match at Flamingo Park. Cray Wanderers now in a third pre-season at Flamingo Park face new tenants as announced in May, AFC Whyteleafe in perhaps a meet and greet occasion as the oldest club in the league (1860) are joined by its youngest (2021). Kick off 3 pm with free entry for all supporters with a printed commemorative match programme available.
Cray Wanderers look forward to an eighth consecutive season in the Isthmian Premier and in what was a very competitive league in 2025-26 finished in a second straight top ten position ending in a respectable seventh and never dropped below that position all season. The league gets stronger and stronger year in year out and the 2026-27 season promises to be no different.
The Wands have been fortunate to get a fair bit of business done early and perhaps most important was keeping the managerial team. Manager Tim O’Shea into his second season as boss is once again joined by Assistant Mark Stimson, coach Roy Brooke, Goalkeeping Coach Alfie George and physio Ally Maloney and helps to have that continuity on the bench.
Also vital to keep a core of retained players that did so well last season and defenders Crossley Lema, Frankie Morgan and Quade Taylor are joined by midfielder Frankie Raymond and forward players Lateef Adaja, Ola Ogunwamide and Daniel Ajakaiye. Perhaps the best news for supporters was that of striker and last season’s top scorer Alex Hernandez committing to a second season.
New arrivals include goalkeeper Henry Molyneux from Chatham Town, defenders Charlie Paye from Bromley and Rob Strachan from Erith & Belverdere. Midfielder Alfie Payne joins the Wands from Dulwich Hamlet while Mitch Chapman after a couple of seasons recovering from injury and George Brooke returns after spells at Ashford United and Erith Town. Up front Ade Yussuf joins from last seasons champions Folkestone Invicta.
Rob Strachan
Alfie Payne
The Wands said farewell to skipper Tom Bonner who announced his retirement and the departures of Harry Seaden, Adrian Gyamera, Remi Sutton, Ralfi Hand and Jordy Mongoy who have joined Brentwood Town, Dartford, St Albans City, Margate and Sittingbourne respectively. Max Fiddes and Alex Stepien-Iwumene’s loan spells have come to an end.
Cray’s pre-season campaign is extremely competitive with three matches against National South opposition to follow vs Dover Athletic (A, 11/7), Folkestone Invicta (H, 14/7), Tonbridge Angels (H, 18/7) and then a revitalised Cray Valley PM (H, 21/7), a Crystal Palace XI (H, 25/7) and finish at Faversham Town (1/8) ahead of the new season on 8th August.
AFC Whyteleafe are a remarkable story having been formed only in 2021 following the demise of the original Whyteleafe club who Cray played as recently as the 2018-19 season. Formed by Chairman Kelly Waters the club started out in the Surrey Leagues and joined the Southern Counties East League earning promotion as champions in 2023-24. They moved to the Combined Counties Premier and once again were promoted in 2024-25 and also reached the FA Vase Final at Wembley beating Soul Tower Hamlets, Saltdean United, Harefield United, Tadley Calleva, Dereham Town, Egham Town, Bourne Town and Andover (New Street) before losing narrowly to Whitstable Town (1-2). They carried this on into the Isthmian South-East finishing fourth and reaching the playoffs where they had to do it the hard way beating Jersey Bulls and AFC Croydon Athletic both away and on penalties to reach Step 3 in pretty much no time at all.
On May 7th the club announced on its social media channels that the club after exhausting all avenues to remain at Church Road and after requests locally for a ground share being blanked by other clubs, Cray Wanderers offered a slot which was accepted and so Flamingo Park will most likely host Isthmian League/Step 3 football every Saturday.
The club are managed by Ennio Gonnella who has committed to the club and added former Wands coach Nathan White to his managerial team in the summer.
AFC Whyteleafe are certainly full of ambition and confirmed retained players Helge Orome, Slav Huk, Dan Bennett, Corey Holder, Ryan Gondoh, Palace Francis and Palace Francis. New arrivals announced are defenders Dami Olorunnisomo and Montel McKenzie from Folkestone, from Tonbridge come Matty Warren and Francis Mampolo and forward Ade Cole from Brentwood Town.
The Leafe’s pre-season schedule so far confirmed sees a home game with Beckenham Town on Tuesday 7th July and then visit South Park Reigate (11/7), Punjab United (14/7), Corinthian Casuals (18/7), SE Dons (21/7) and Cray Valley (25/7) finishing at home to Sittingbourne on 28th July.
The scene is set tomorrow for a piece of history and despite World Cup fever being in full swing many supporters have yearned for a return of local affordable football, VAR free and to meet once again friends and fellow supporters in order to rebound on the games current high profile. It should be a great occasion in the sunshine, 3 pm kick off and the start of a new era.
