Several signings for Smith at Cray
Cray Wanderers have confirmed several new signings ahead of their 2023-24 Isthmian Premier Division season
First in is Jack Holland, who joins the Wands from Dulwich Hamlet where he spent two seasons in the National South.
Jack is an experienced central defender who came through the Bromley Youth system but joined Crystal Palace where he spent four years as part of their U18s and U21 setups. At Palace he spent a couple of loan spells at Eastbourne Borough and Farnborough. Jack returned to Hayes Lane for the 2013-14 season and gave great service to Bromley where he stayed until 2021 making 374 appearances, many under the management of Neil Smith. Jack was part of Bromley’s National South title winning campaign in 2014-15 and in the 2017-18 FA Trophy Final at Wembley. Jack signed for Dulwich Hamlet for the 2021-22 season and spent two seasons at Champion Hill making 70 appearances before joining the Wands in May 2023.
Louis Collins is a striker who finished last season on loan at Folkestone Invicta from Tonbridge Angels and scored twice in 13 appearances and also had a brief spell with Hastings United. He made his Folkestone debut against the Wands in February this year. Louis joined Tonbridge in the summer of 2022 from Margate and scored four goals in 26 appearances in 2022-23.
Louis, 21, was a youth team player at Millwall, Ebbsfleet United and Bromley and had a prolific goal scoring record at Youth level before going on to Scunthorpe United U18s on a two year scholarship. He returned to Kent to make his first bow in senior football with two spells at Sevenoaks Town and also at Dover Athletic.
Cray Wanderers have also announced the signing of Frankie Raymond to the club for the 2023-24 season. Midfielder Frankie joins the Wands from Dulwich Hamlet where he made 41 appearances in the National South last season.
Frankie adds considerable experience to the midfield and began his career in the Reading Academy spending loan spells at Horsham, Basingstoke Town, Eastleigh and Hungerford Town before joining Gillingham’s Development side in 2012. In 2014 he moved on to Eastbourne Borough making 70 appearances over two seasons in the National South. From there he moved into the Football League and the National League with Dagenham & Redbridge for three seasons making 56 appearances. He stayed in the National League in 2017 when he signed for Bromley for whom he made 171 appearances in four seasons including reaching the FA Trophy Final in his first season and reached the National League playoffs in 2020-21.The following season he signed for Boreham Wood and was part of the side which reached the 5th Round of the FA Cup making 42 appearances before joining Dulwich Hamlet at the start of last season.
Cameron Black signs on a season long loan.
Central Defender Cameron comes to Cray from Dorking Wanderers and is a player with huge potential. Cameron started out in the Brighton & Hove Albion youth system before joining Dorking Wanderers Academy. He spent a large chunk of the 2021-22 season at Leatherhead and played in both league games against the Wands that season making 29 appearances.
He started the 2022-23 season at Hampton & Richmond Borough but moved to Bognor Regis Town on loan in November 2022 also making 29 appearances for the Rocks.
Cray have brought in left back Jamie Mascoll to the club. Jamie joins Cray from Hornchurch whom he joined from Lewes and played against the Wands in the Isthmian Premier Playoff Semi-Final in April 2023.
Jamie is making his return to the Wands after coming through their Youth system in the late 00’s and joined Cray in early 2016 on loan from Dulwich Hamlet making 14 appearances and scoring twice against Soham Town Rangers and Wroxham.
Catford born Jamie went into the Youth system at Dulwich Hamlet in 2014 and made 8 league appearances in three seasons but during that time spent loan spells with Phoenix Sports and Cray Wanderers. He moved on to Grays Athletic for the 2016-17 season and before the following season joined Charlton Athletic U23s making his first team debut in the EFL Trophy against Fulham in November 2017. After a brief spell back at Dulwich Hamlet on loan in 2019 he was signed by Wycombe Wanderers for the 2019-20 season making eight appearances and part of the side which won promotion to the Championship via the playoffs. He joined Bolton Wanderers for the 2020-21 season making 7 league appearances before joining Waterford on loan in 2021 in the League of Ireland.
He returned to non-league football in 2021 joining Wealdstone making 17 league appearances and before joining Lewes in October 2022 season making 22 league appearances, scoring twice playing in both league matches against the Wands and then on to Hornchurch in March 2023.
George Porter returns to the club after thirteen years away. George comes to Cray from Dulwich Hamlet whom he joined in the summer of 2022 from Dartford.
George was a graduate of Cray Wanderers co-operation with Coopers’ School in Chislehurst and made his debut in the 2009-10 season, the Wands first in the Isthmian Premier. He made an impressive 35 appearances scoring 7 goals which drew the attention of Leyton Orient and signed for the East London Club in the summer of 2010. George made 35 appearances for the O’s and had loan spells at Lewes and Hastings United before signing for Burnley in 2012 but never made an appearance at Turf Moor but did have valuable league experience at Colchester United and AFC Wimbledon on loan.
After a spell at Rochdale he moved to Dagenham & Redbridge for the 2014-15 season before going on to Maidstone United and Welling United. In 2016 he joined Bromley under Neil Smith and was part of the side which reached the FA Trophy Final in 2018 and made close to 120 league appearances for the club.
In 2020 he returned to Maidstone before joining Dartford for the 2020-21 season and then on to Dulwich last season where he made 39 appearances scoring 12 goals.
Cray Wanderers have announced the signing of Archy Taylor to the club
Archy is a right sided defender who comes to the Wands from Hartley Wintney FC and made 16 appearances for them last season.
Archy came through the Metropolitan Police FC Academy and broke into their first team and made 30 appearances in three seasons scoring 3 goals and is a player with huge potential.
Players retained from last season include, David Ijaha, Mitch Chapman, Nyren Clunis, Anthony Cook, Tom Derry, Yahya Bamba, Shaun Rowley and Sam Wood.
Ally Maloney has returned as club Physio for the 2023-24 season.
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