Signed, retained, departing

[Comet]

Chuck, Peake, Bates, Stallard, next priority IMO

keeper wise we have a choice 

rest expendable 

[Benjrider10]

5 hours ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

 

Xavier is the big news there. No offence intended, but the others (even considering Olly's goals against Truro,) are squad players who will probably find themselves sent out on loan.

I don’t agree, Ollie Knight can more than hold his own at Step 2. Glad he has signed on again and hope he has a good pre-season. No reason why he can’t make the starting 11 if he does. I have a feeling Lennon Peake will be tempted elsewhere.

Squad shaping up nicely. Half of the all important spine is sorted. We have three good GKs from whom to choose a starter (Forster, Wright, Connolly). Now all eyes on what we are able to do up front. I hope Chukwu stays but clearly we need more.

[Barney]

I agree, at the very least, Knight is an important squad player, he can make things happen and you can't fault his work ethic either.

[The Crowing Cockerel]

Rhys Forster, Joe Wright and Joe Payne signed up for next season.

Makes for an interesting battle for the No.1 shirt at the start of the season.

Its got to be a good sign that players want to remain at ETFC. Certainly makes life easier for the management. Although you've got to think that we need to improve the squad if we're to have a decent shot at survival.

 

[Towningaround]

Re-signing last years squad players inc the training GK isn’t actually a good sign!

The chances are the players who’ve re-signed haven’t had any interest from elsewhere! 

I’ll be interested to see which players sign from elsewhere that will improve the starting 11.

If Peake re-signs I’ll accept that’s not the case…

[The Crowing Cockerel]

I'm pleased about Thompson, Hawkins and Benjamin. The reality is that I'm not sure we're able to do any better in the centre of defence.

Youngs and Parcell were very unlikely to leave.

Bayley Brown was another good retention.

Billy Leonard got better as the season went on, so again he was a good player to hang on to.

Forster/Wright - again, I'm not sure we can recruit any better goalie-wise, so I'm content with those signings.

Whatever happens from here, we'll start the season with a stronger squad than we had last August. However, the remaining signings will define whether I'm excited or trepidatious.

[Meanwhile, it looks very much as if some clubs are 'spunking their budget' early on in the season (or have found a money tree)! Salisbury have signed Briggs from Dorking and Willard from Worthing, which certainly shows some ambition.]

[Barney]

Agreed - remember that the team/squad that we had from February onwards was (I would estimate) comfortably top half in the form table, so shouldn't be too far off the pace required to survive next season (and that's my aim, nothing more). I think this nicely sums up my position too:

45 minutes ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

Whatever happens from here, we'll start the season with a stronger squad than we had last August. However, the remaining signings will define whether I'm excited or trepidatious.

Fingers crossed we do strengthen in key areas, but clearly we have to be astute, as we don't have a money tree.

[Andy R]

See John Ufah has just signed for Welling. Another striker who I think may have been useful to sign. Scored 26 goals for Chatham last season

[andyetfc]

I think Luka Modric is still available on a free  

 

[ETFC2001]

On 06/06/2025 at 20:18, Barney said:

Agreed - remember that the team/squad that we had from February onwards was (I would estimate) comfortably top half in the form table, so shouldn't be too far off the pace required to survive next season (and that's my aim, nothing more). I think this nicely sums up my position too:

Fingers crossed we do strengthen in key areas, but clearly we have to be astute, as we don't have a money tree.

I don’t think we need a money tree to take a punt on a few players.

If this squad we have now is as good enough to stay up, surely getting a few players in key areas we need for preseason can’t hurt anybody. I’m aware it’s only June 9th, but it seems like we’re falling behind quite a bit.

We also badly need depth.

[No bull Towner]

2 hours ago, ETFC2001 said:

I don’t think we need a money tree to take a punt on a few players.

If this squad we have now is as good enough to stay up, surely getting a few players in key areas we need for preseason can’t hurt anybody. I’m aware it’s only June 9th, but it seems like we’re falling behind quite a bit.

We also badly need depth.

Could definitely use a couple of strikers so hoping we get news on that front soon or we will be on a hiding to nothing before the season even starts!!

[The Crowing Cockerel]

Looking back at this: https://offtheline599656488.wordpress.com/2025/05/20/2025-26-recruitment-plan-for-enfield-town/

We obviously need to confirm the position re Lennon Peake, Jack Bates, Anointed Chukwu, Hicham Kasimu, Charlie Stallard and John Oyenuga.

Whatever happens, we clearly need 2 more strikers. Having had some joy in the loan market, I wouldn't be surprised to see Gavin dip in once again this side of Christmas, but surely we should be looking to fill the squad with our own players first and foremost.

Still hoping for a couple of new faces to get the fans excited.

[Towningaround]

If you’re a non league striker I’d imagine this will be the last place and last manager you’d want to commit to playing for. 

Id be shocked if any of last years would even consider staying even if they were wanted!! 

A forward is gonna look at how often and how teams create their chances…..with no new faces in the squad I don’t see how we’re gonna do that any better than last year and that’ll put off any prospective forwards of any note….

[The Crowing Cockerel]

40 minutes ago, Towningaround said:

If you’re a non league striker I’d imagine this will be the last place and last manager you’d want to commit to playing for. 

Id be shocked if any of last years would even consider staying even if they were wanted!! 

A forward is gonna look at how often and how teams create their chances…..with no new faces in the squad I don’t see how we’re gonna do that any better than last year and that’ll put off any prospective forwards of any note….

Thats the conundrum for the management to solve then. I'm fairly sure that unless they can unearth a striker who can hold the ball up, occupy Step 2 defences and somehow bag 15+ goals, then it'll be Step 3 for Town in 26/27.

NLS really looks as if its going to be much tougher this season.

[Andy R]

Jake Hutchinson has joined Folkestone Unvicta

 

[djwilf]

Another new player.    Defender.

[Andy R]

22 minutes ago, djwilf said:

Another new player.    Defender.

Looks versatile as played initially left sided midfield then central midfield as well as centre back and leftback. 

[djwilf]

Guessing Charlie wont be staying based on this.

[Andy R]

He has also played over 150 times for Hampton and Richmond Boro in previous seasons as well as Stenhousemuir in Scotland Division 1

[Towningaround]

On 10/06/2025 at 09:53, Andy R said:

Jake Hutchinson has joined Folkestone Unvicta

 

That’s a good move for him to be honest.

Folkestone I expect to be up there so a drop to step 3 isn’t the end of the world particularly given he’s still only 23.

I didn’t think we ever saw the best of him. Gavin in my opinion used him appallingly and gave him no platform at all. 

It’s also worth remembering that regardless of opinion, he still scored more goals than any other centre forward we had at the club all of last season!!

What I will say is looking at social media posts, some of our fans (a tiny minority as usual) are embarrassing and tagging players in - particularly ones that have joined other clubs - just to throw insults is just scummy behaviour.

One in particular (X account @james_delaney18) even claims to be an Enfield Town part owner which I find even more embarrassing than the usual coked up teenage scrotes. 

Good luck to the lad though I hope he finds the form that earned him 4 years as a pro and goals in the National League Premier.