We have great chance of winning title, says Stein
FOOTBALL JASON Stein is predicting big things from Oakwood B this season and described James Frener and Alex Koslover as “big additions” to a squad bustling with quality.
Six players have left the club which will not be competing in the Peter Morrison Trophy as Stein believes it “is no longer viable to enter two teams” until it is played under the same eligibility rules as the Cyril Anekstein Cup.
Stein added: “Top three is the target I’ve set us and if we can stick around the top three for the majority of the season then we’ll have a great chance of winning the title.
“I think there are five or six sides — ourselves included — that will really fancy themselves.”
Momentum is key for Redbridge B and their manager, Sam Rank, is confident they can replicate their excellent form over the second half of last season. Having kept his squad intact, he said: “We’re aiming to win the title and have strengthened from within from the club.
Captain Brad Gayer, Dean Ben Yosef, Craig Sandford, Daniel Bean and Dan Andrews are the key components behind “a good, high tempo footballing team who will be hard to beat”.
Hendon B have a new managerial team in place in the shape of Jonathan Nesbitt and James Neidle. A midtable finish is the objective, according to Nesbitt, “to give us something to improve on for next year”.
Nesbitt is pinning his hopes on a big season from Gideon Barth following the departure of Avi Mocton and Ben Blackstone, while Gideon Caller is another absentee.
Nesbitt said: “We will bring a lot of grit and determination to each game, and I think will cause a number of upsets due to high energy performances, and pace on the wings and up-front to counter-attack.”
Zack Gothelf will work alongside Jonathan Adelman at the helm of North London Raiders B.
Club chairman Adelman insists the team are approaching the season with “renewed energy having reshaped their respective B and C teams.
“Last year was a very difficult one,” he said. “We lost stalwarts like David Esterkin for the season with injury, and others like Adam Posner and Mike Hershman to migration to America.
“As this is essentially a new side, we’re an unknown quantity, even to ourselves so we will just have to see how quickly and how well we gel.”
Keen to take away the focus of his team’s hopes, Adelman continued: “There’s no question that the very public acquisition strategy of Scrabble this summer has heaped the pressure on them to win the league at a canter. Brad Gayer “I’m sure Oakwood and Redbridge will feel they can challenge them all the way. As for us, we will aim to be competitive and see where that gets us come the home stretch.” Lions B go in search of silverware on four fronts, with Samuel Marchant’s boys also in action in the Hertfordshire County Cup. He said: “We know that the standard will be tougher, which means we have to work that much harder if we want to achieve something special. “The squad is strong and showing a lot of promise. We have an average age of 21 and there’s a lot of growth to be done individually and together. “We are also highly ambitious, and all being well, we would love to be challenging for the promotion spots again. We are aware it will be very difficult but we feel as though if we want to achieve great things, we have to aim for them. Division Two champions Scrabble FC have been busy strengthening their squad over the summer. Josh Bharier and Josh Green w i l l h a v e rival defences shaking in their boots. Bilbaum, Brixton Old Boys, Faithfold A, Finchley City FC Los Blancos WEEK ONE FIXTURES Redbridge JC B vs Hendon B, Athletic Bilbaum vs Lions B, Finchley City FC vs Los Blancos, Oakwood B vs North London Raiders B