ANYONE CAN BEAT ANYONE IN THIS LEAGUE, SAYS JAMIE WOOD
By Jerry Dowlen
Tuesday 1 September 2009

Cray's long-serving striker Jamie Wood , more than ten years at the Club , more than 400 games and 100 goals to his name, kindly gave Jerry Dowlen an interview after the Bank Holiday Monday win at Margate.

Jerry : "The first question has got to be, after your long service at the club and your major contribution on the field to Cray's progress through the divisions, was it a very special moment for you at Aveley to be playing in the Wands' first-ever Ryman Premier League match?"

Woodie : "Yes, very special. As a matter of a fact it felt quite strange. but yes the club has come a long way, and I am very pleased to be taking part in it all."

Jerry : "And when Cray got their historic first-ever win in Ryman Premier football , 2-0 at Tooting last Tuesday night, who should be scoring the two goals but the brothers Lewis and Jamie Wood!"

Woodie : "Do you know what, until you said that just now, it hadn't even struck me. Wow. yes, that is a good one for the record books. something to be proud of."

Jerry : "Six games in to the season, I know it is early days, but what are your first impressions of playing at Ryman Premier level?"

Woodie : "Above all it's clear that extra fitness and physical strength are required at this level. As for any difference in technical skill, it's a bit difficult to put it into words, but it doesn't seem that much different from Division One South, really. I expect we are going to find though that all the teams in the Ryman Premier are going to give you a hard game, whereas in Division One South you'd say there was more of a gulf between the top sides and the ones lower down the table.

"I'm sure we are going to do all right. some new players have been brought into the squad, and it needs more time for us all to get to know each others' game. We may not always play the same way that we did in Division One South, sometimes we might change it around a bit. the early results in this League seem to suggest that anyone can beat anyone, and it hasn't settled down, it's too early."

Jerry : "Yes, for example Tooting are second in the table, and we've beaten them. So, you are sounding positive, is that the mood in the dressing room?"

Woodie : "Yes, the dressing room is in very good spirit - certainly much better after Monday's win at Margate . I must admit that Saturday versus Hastings was a very bad day, but we have come out of that now, and everyone's bubbling , there is lots of good banter and geeing each other up."

Jerry : "It's great to hear this, the fans are always interested to read about the management and the team."

Woodie : "Cray has a brilliant fan-based website, I know that the players always have a look at what the fans are saying, the players know that the fans will tell it like they see it. It's good too if the fans can hear the players' side of it, like you find on some of the other clubs' websites where they have regular features and interviews with the manager or the players."

Jerry : "That is something that Gary Hillman and Jenko have asked us to develop more this season, on the Forever Amber website and in the match programme, so we are hoping that we can bring the supporters a steady flow of interviews with the Cray players throughout the season. We especially wanted to start with yourself, because you have seen it all build up since Cray were a Kent League team, you have been with the Cray success story all the way."

Woodie : "Well, I did leave a couple of times ( Folkestone and Thamesmead) but if I count correctly there are Jamie Kempster, Ross Lover and Mark Willy as well as myself who played for Cray in the Kent League, and I'm wondering whether Lewis did too?"

Jerry : "Yes, Lewis played quite a few times for Cray in the Kent League, more times than perhaps is remembered."

Woodie : "So yes, there are five of us who go back to the Kent League. I can only repeat that I am very pleased to be a part of it, and it is not just me or the five from the old days, it is all of the team here at the club now that are working hard for Cray and looking to build on what has gone before."

Jamie Wood fires home Cray's first goal at Folkestone last season.