WANDS ANNOUNCE GROUNDSHARE DEAL FOR ACADEMY TEAM
By Trevor Mulligan
Thursday 23 July 2009

Cray Wanderers are pleased to announce a groundshare deal with Otford United FC from the Vandanel Kent County League. This will allow the Coopers and Cray Wanderers Football Academy to play their Ryman Youth League games at Otford's Recreation Ground facilities over the next two seasons.  The games will be played under floodlights on Thursday nights, with each game kicking off at 7.30pm.

Academy Manager and Cray Wanderers Reserves Assistant Manager, Darren Anslow, speaking to me this morning said "I am really happy that we have secured this deal with Otford. The facilities are fantastic and the playing surface is first class."

Darren continued, "As soon as I discussed the Academy with Otford Manager, Dennis Leigh, it was apparent that we both had the same views on the development of young players, and that really helped broker the deal."

The Academy is a venture between Cray Wanderers FC and Coopers Technology College in Chislehurst, and first came together as an achievable initiative during the 2008-09 season.

Darren added, "I would like to thank the Otford Chairman, Mr David Hobson, and the Secretary, Mr David Dugay. Both men played a big part in making this deal possible."

Cray Wanderers Chairman, Gary Hillman, is also really pleased with the groundshare agreement. "Thanks to Darren's hard work and commitment with the Academy, we will soon begin to see the fruits of everyone's labour," he said to me, concluding, "We also thank the Members of the Otford United Committee. This is the start of a fantastic relationship between the two clubs."