Boreham Wood are absolutely delighted to announce three very important signings in the final week of our pre season.
Well known to our supporters is the combative central midfielder Sam Cox, who actually put pen to paper last Thursday. Sam is someone the manager and coaching staff rate very highly and with his positive disposition and ambition to progress up the leagues, will be a bonus and he will again be instrumental in any success we may achieve this season..
Another midfield player joining the club following his release at Watford is teenager Ryan Hope. Ryan is a strong and intelligent young player who can handle the transition into mens football. He has really impressed everyone throughout pre season, not only with his strength and ability but with attitude, discipline and desire and we expect him to develop as the season progresses..
Finally after agreeing things successfully with Arsenal, the club can announce that we have signed their 19 year old England youth international striker Austin Lipman on a season long loan.
Austin as our supporters know, was with us for 3 months last season and was instrumental in our improved league form and very successful FA Cup run. Now a year older and with another good pre season under his belt, Austin arrives back at the club with an expectation to hit the ground running.
Boreham Wood Chairman Danny Hunter said. “It was important that this pre season we learnt the lessons of previous years, did not tie down our budget too early and remained patient, which is not always easy”..
“Obviously over time as Chairman, you gain contacts within the game and this will be my 16th season. Your friendships with clubs grow, you gain experience over the years, so Its important to BWFC’s growth that these relationships continue to flourish. Over this summer it has certainly helped to get certain deals over the line and as such I would like to thank John Still, Terry Harris and Gary Sweet at Luton Town in regards to signing striker Lee Angol on a year long loan. While thanking Arsenals Dick Law, New Academy Head Coach Andries Jonker and Club secretary David Miles for their assistance in getting the Austin Lipman, long term loan deal done in such a timely and expert fashion”..
The Chairman continued ” Its been a tough last 6 months but it was vital that this spring and summer, that I worked closer with our day to day and operational staff at improving the clubs infra structure and our profile in general. We knew we needed to get the New West Stand officially opened but with a top side coming to Meadow Park and thats very difficult in this day and age. We have managed to do that and also managed to organise our strongest pre season programme for some years. My commercial team, then secured two or three very solid long term deals and I then finalised and signed a 3 year main sponsorship deal with Barnet and Southgate college, that could transform the club going forward.
The Chairman concluded “That has allowed me to give our Gaffer Ian Allinson and his assistant Luke Garrard, a slightly improved budget to get in the additional players that they wanted.. Apart from perhaps not getting the cover centre half that they were looking for, they’ve actually got what they set out to achieve in pre season”..
Manager Ian Allinson said ” I believe we’ve now got a more balanced and tight knit squad, we’re a younger team than last year but still very experienced and this group of players in the main know this level. We finished last season well with a mean defensive unit and I think that will continue. We have a settled midfield that was supplemented with the signing of Scott Thomas and the return after injury of Ricky Shakes. We’ve then done decent business up top and with any luck with Lee Angol and Austin Lipman, we may have added not only good striking options but good attitudes and goals to our ranks and I believe we could genuinely surprise a few this season”..
Arsenal Season Ticket holders will receive HALF PRICE entry into all Vanarama Conference South fixtures at Meadow Park this season – Full story here: https://www.borehamwoodfootballclub.co.uk/roll-up-half-price-entry-for-arsenal-season-ticket-holders/
