Epsom Sport

Gill hoping for sugar daddy at Croydon

By Graham Moody

4:45pm Tuesday 16th March 2010

Dickson Gill believes Croydon FC will continue to struggle in the Combined Counties Premier division until a rich investor decides to take a gamble on the club.

The Trams beat Dorking 2-0 last Tuesday to end a run of seven defeats in eight games and followed that up with Saturday's 1-1 draw with fellow strugglers Banstead Athletic.

They are only five points off the bottom three having played more games than their rivals and have used a vast amount of players since Tony Beckingham left as manager in September - Saturday's goalkeeper Arron France was their ninth this season.

Chairman Gill replaced Beckingham with himself and believes the lack of money at the club prevents them from bringing in players with any experience.

"We are still building and when you are building something you cannot just get experienced players in," he says.

"We are having a look at players and then deciding if they are good enough or not and that's why we had that dreadful run and it might still continue.

"We are not like Croydon Athletic and cannot spend £400 on one player.

"That's the situation and that's how it's going to be until we get a sugar daddy in.

"Using nine goalkeepers is not as bad as it sounds as the players we have had, we give them a chance but they think they can play at a higher level and leave.

"In the end we gain though because we get a game out of them and not many of them have gone on to better things."

Croydon took the lead in an impressive first half display on Saturday when Martin Smith capitalised on keeper Mark Rouse's mistake, but relaxed in the second half and Joseph Loyza's own goal saw them drop two points.

"We played exceptional in the first half and then didn't quite maintain it," says Gill.

"Banstead have just signed four or five players who have played in the Ryman Premier so everyone expected us to lose given what they have got and what we have got."

Next three matches: Mar 18 Wembley (a), 20 Guildford City (a), 24 Raynes Park Vale.

• Email this page