Billericay Town and Dover Athletic faced off in a high-stakes Isthmian League Premier Division Play-Off Semi-Final With a place in the final and the chance at promotion on the line both sides brought intensity and grit in a game that would ultimately be decided in extra time Despite a lively and fast-paced start from Billericay with Bradley Williams bursting down the right and firing over after a strong run Elliot Long tested the Dover keeper with a low drive while Femi Akinwande and Frankie Merrifield created dangerous openings that couldn’t be converted testing Sam Donkin with a long-range shot and curling a free kick just wide Their best opening came when a free header from Ryan Hanson was comfortably collected Billericay’s biggest chance of the half came just before the break when Long’s strike was parried into the path of De-Carrey Sheriff The second half continued in much the same fashion Dover should have taken the lead early on when Donkin made a superb double save to deny George Nikaj and Matthews Davis rattled the crossbar with a towering header while Williams and Akinwande kept the visitors’ defence alert There was controversy as Dover looked to have scored after a frantic goalmouth scramble but the officials judged the ball hadn’t crossed the line Billericay’s penalty appeals were waved away shortly after and both sides pushed for a late winner without success The deadlock was finally broken in extra time Femi Akinwande struck first for Billericay after a brilliant counter-attack cutting in from the left and seeing his effort bounce off the post and onto Walker’s back before trickling over the line Alfie Matthews curled a sensational free kick into the top corner to equalise a stunning response that shifted the momentum the game appeared destined for penalties until Matthews delivered again Another expertly taken free kick dipped over the wall and found the back of the net to give Dover a late lead Matthews was substituted in stoppage time to a hero’s ovation and Dover saw out the final moments to secure their place in the play-off final against Dartford on Monday Isthmian League – Premier Division Play-off Semi FinalAttendance: 2,857Kick-off: 7.45pmVenue: New LodgeBillericay Town: Title chasing Billericay take the win after handball controversy at New Lodge Invicta returned empty-handed from Essex on Good Friday bemoaning a penalty decision (or lack of) but with 1st Team Manager Jay Saunders happy with what he saw from his side against potential Isthmian Premier Division champions Billericay Town The manager made just 1 change from his first game in charge with Nathan Green returning from suspension in place of Matthias Fanimo Invicta reverting to a back 3 with Frankie Morgan deployed as a left central defender Invicta’s bench was boosted by the returns of Dan Smith and Joel-Michael Odeniran Brad Walledge firing over from a tight angle inside 2 minute Nathan Green firing low across the face of goal a few minutes later while the hosts were limited to a couple of blocked shots Joe Turner took on set piece duties and almost created the first big chance of the afternoon with a free kick from wide on the left on 26 minutes Billericay goalkeeper Sam Donkin forced into action at the back post to keep the ball from the head of Ade Yusuff Evans Kouassi then fired over from the resulting corner Gavin Hoyte headed wide from a corner on 35 minutes as the hosts appealed for a foul wasn’t given If anyone would be disappointed to go in level it was Invicta who carved out 2 chances just before the break Yusuff and Kouassi linked on the break to create a chance for the former to fire just over at the near post Into stoppage time Miquel Scarlett threaded a ball through a number of blue shirts to find Joe Turner on the edge of the penalty area but the midfielder was only able to force Donkin into a save with his feet The moment that may have defined the afternoon and potential the title race came inside the first minute of the 2nd half working a crossing opportunity for Morgan that forced Donkin to punch only as far as Kouassi the Invicta forward fired his effort beyond the keeper only to find the arm of Billericay defender Jay Porter on the goal-line Despite strong appeals from the pitch and the bench a penalty Billericay forced a first save of the afternoon from Jonny Henly on the hour mark Tyrell Miller-Rodney hitting a driven effort from 25 yards out Invicta dealt with the first corner short and then cleared the 2nd but the hosts maintained the pressure eventually feeding Bradley Williams to drive a low ball across the 6 yard box for Frankie Merrifield to turn home from close range Invicta hadn’t given up on throwing a spanner into the works of the Isthmian Premier promotion battle Brad Walledge almost forced his name into the voting for goal of the season with an effort from near 30 yards that fizzed just past the top corner of Donkin’s goal But Invicta were soon punished for not taking chances ironically Porter the man to deliver the low cross this time Merrifield doing well to beat Morgan to the ball to turn home another from close range Williams forced another good save from Henly before Kouassi and substitute Dan Smith found the target without testing Donkin Substitute Moses Emmanuel was on the end of the chance to kill off the game with a few minute remaining getting the ball back from Charlie Panton as the hosts countered quickly but unable to keep his effort down and striking the stand rather than the net Invicta were unable to punish the miss however Turner shooting wide in injury time as handfuls of the 1,436 crowd were beginning to make their ways to the exit Invicta were left to pick themselves up for Easter Monday’s final home fixture of the season against Lewes before travelling to Cray Valley PM on the final day of the season Alcaline Stadium Cheriton Road Folkestone Kent CT19 5JU Majority shareholder Addington Leisure Ltd Dover head to Billericay in our Isthmian Premier Division Play Off Semi Final Dover Athletic secured a play-off place with a 3-1 win at Chichester City in a tense final-day clash Lewis Rustell’s spectacular overhead kick gave the hosts a 25th-minute lead but George Nikaj equalised before half-time Ruben Soares-Junior tapped home in the 70th minute after great work from Roman Charles-Cook and a late penalty from Luke Baptiste—his 20th league goal—sealed victory deep into stoppage time Mitch Walker made key saves on his return from injury In our away meeting earlier in the season Dover earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Billericay on a hot afternoon in Essex George Nikaj set up Luke Baptiste for a saved effort while Lindell Stewart and Baptiste both missed late first-half chances The breakthrough came on 70 minutes when Baptiste cut back for Nikaj to tap home capitalising on defensive uncertainty to equalise Dover Athletic fell to a narrow 1-0 home defeat against Billericay Town with Montel McKenzie’s deflected first-half free-kick proving decisive Despite dominating possession and creating several chances—most notably through George Wilkinson who was twice denied brilliantly by keeper Sam Donkin—Dover couldn’t find a breakthrough Roman Charles-Cook and George Nikaj combined early on while Alfie Matthews and Luke Baptiste impressed in midfield Late efforts from Fuad Sesay and substitutes Eniye Amgbaduba and Francis Mampolo couldn’t beat a resolute Billericay defence Billericay Town beat Cheshunt 4-2 in a thrilling finale but fell short of securing the Isthmian Premier Division title with Tommy Davis and Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite putting them 2-0 up Frankie Merrifield struck before half-time to give Billericay hope Matt Johnson and Decarrey Sheriff turned the game around Sheriff then missed a penalty as Constable pulled off a fine save but it wasn’t enough to clinch the title on a dramatic afternoon Billericay Town finished in 2nd place in the Isthmian Premier League with 87 points from 42 matches level on points with leaders Horsham but behind on goal difference with a goal tally of 83 scored and 42 conceded 09/04 – Chatham Town (N) – Won 3-2 (Alan Turvey Trophy Final)12/04 – Potters Bar Town (A) – Won 2-018/04 – Folkestone Invicta (H) – Won 2-021/04 – Canvey Island (A) – Won 3-026/04 – Cheshunt (H) – Won 4-2 Adult £13 Concession £8Young Adult (12-17) £511 or Under £1 Invicta kick off the Easter weekend with a trip to Essex on Good Friday to take on promotion-chasing Billericay Town Just 2 point separates the top 3 in the Isthmian Premier Division with Dartford leading the way ahead of Billericay and Horsham All 3 are already assured of at least a playoff spot The race for the final 2 places was cut to just 4 teams last weekend with Chatham and Carshalton both suffering defeats that leave them too far adrift to catch 5th-placed Cray Valley 9 points off the playoffs with 3 games remaining Chichester City go into the Easter weekend 4 and 5 points behind Cray Valley and Dover respectively They will need to close the gap this weekend to remain in contention on the final day when they will host Dover Bognor Regis kept their hopes of avoiding the drop alive by beating Dulwich Hamlet last weekend leaving both themselves and Hastings United 8 points behind Dulwich with 3 games to play The means either will be relegated should they fail to win any of their remaining 3 games or should Dulwich take 2 points from their 3 Hendon occupy the final relegation place and will be relegated should they fail to win and Dulwich take 3 points against fellow strugglers Canvey Island who need 2 more points to be safe themselves Aveley have already been relegated and Welling United will join them should they fail to better Salisbury’s result Welling host playoff-chasing Maidstone United while Salisbury travel to already relegated Weymouth Last year’s Isthmian Premier Division playoff winners Enfield Town sit in 19th and face St Albans City on Friday who currently occupy the final relegation place Ramsgate could wrap up the title with a win over the Easter weekend travelling to relegated Hythe Town on Friday before hosting Thanet rivals Margate on Easter Monday They currently sit 7 points clear of Sittingbourne who host 3rd place Burgess Hill Town on Friday leaving Merstham and Beckenham Town fighting for the final place Brentwood Town could secure the Isthmian North title and promotion to the Isthmian Premier Division with Left back Nathan Green will return to contention having now served his 4-match suspension for his dismissal against Chichester City last month Midfielder Luke Allen has departed the club this week We thank Luke for his efforts for the club and wish him the best for the future Jay Saunders spoke before the Good Friday trip to Essex: “I’m looking forward to the easter weekend I know Gary [McCann] well and a few of their players too but it’s one players should be looking forward to Despite us not having much to play for we were very disappointed with the defeat last week you never want to lose any game of football but in a way it will help us going forward and making decisions We are hoping we will have a few bodies back for the Easter Weekend.” Billericay Town sit just 2 points from the top of the Isthmian Premier Division Billericay won the Isthmian Premier Division back in Invicta were 7 games unbeaten against Billericay until a 3-0 defeat at the Alcaline Stadium in September winning on both of our visits since The Blues returned to the Isthmian League in 2022 including a 3-2 win thanks to a late comeback with Ade Yusuff on the scoresheet Billericay Town manager Gary McCann is one of the most experienced in the Isthmian League After departing Silver Jubilee Park in 2018 McCann joined National League South side Hampton & Richmond for a 5 year spell before returning to the Isthmian League to take the reins of Billericay in the summer of 2023 After narrowly missing out of the playoffs last season McCann lead his side on a title charge this campaign with a playoff place already secured going into the final 3 games After firing Hornchurch to promotion last season Femi Akinwande returned to Billericay Town in November and has scored 14 goals in 26 appearances Akinwande struck against Invicta for Hornchurch last season when The Urchins won 2-0 at the Alcaline Stadium Charlie Prescott and Adrian Dawkes from Seasiders Radio will be there to bring you live radio commentary from Princes Park Always check rail times/strike action before you travel Suuporters can reach Billericay by train taking approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes Chance at Stratford International to Stratford (London) where Greater Anglia serves run to Billericay Billericay Station is a 22 minute walk from New Lodge Supporters can cut the trip by taking the 9 bus service from the station to London Road Supporters can pay on the gate or buy online for this fixture it was Easter weekend for our 340th parkrun and while eggs and bunnies may have been thin on the ground (well it was only Saturday) the number of people enjoying their parkrun fix certainly weren’t thin on the ground A whopping 430 of you (our second biggest ever attendance) ran there were big numbers wherever you looked on Saturday split between 32 of the pretty in pink club and a massive 19 pacers hopefully assisting you round to a shiny new personal best a massive thanks to all 51 of this weeks volunteers were 29 visiting our event for the first time and an amazing 20 finishers taking on their first ever parkrun Welcome to you all and I hope you had a great morning and that we'll see you back very soon one of our current group of Duke of Edinburgh students and behind the cameras we had Duke of Edinburgh student Christopher (MkII) and you can see their handiwork within this report and on our website and Facebook page the numbers don’t come much bigger than the next one and the lucky recipient of the very limited edition money can’t buy certificate was Josh Flook and your name will forever be associated now with Billericay parkrun our Hall of Fame (or Rogues Gallery if you prefer) is filling up nicely - next stop our 90,000th finisher - will it be you? Our furthest tourist award this week went to a group from Germany We also had a massive 13 parkrun milestones to celebrate with 11 of those being for parkruns completed and 2 for volunteering stints but the one standout milestone must be for Chris Porter as Chris managed to time it so she did her 100th parkrun at the same time as her 50th volunteer stint I’ll need a lie down soon to get my head around all these big numbers I mentioned Stanley at the top of our report and Stanley is our little Vitality Dachshund who since he has joined us likes to get in on the action wherever possible encouraged people to sign up on the roster and this week he was trying his paw at Barcode Scanning as the Instagram and Facebook posts would have shown If you would like to help volunteer over the coming weeks, just email us at billericay@parkrun.com and we will add you to the roster for your chosen week/s None of the roles are difficult and volunteering can be enjoyable (especially with a warm coffee) we have a real demand for marshals and for volunteers to sort finish tokens in the cafe after the event parkrun is focussing strongly on people walking at parkrun and the huge benefits in getting active if you know someone that's been hesitating about coming along next Saturday is the day to make it happen We'll have four parkwalker volunteers on duty to support and encourage walkers and they'll be joining plenty of others that are already valued members of our community It could literally be the first step on a truly wonderful journey so to conclude and before I pass you over to David who is in charge next Saturday Have a brilliant week all and we will see you next Saturday © parkrun Limited (Company Number: 07289574) No part of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner by Mark Hunt | Apr 6, 2025 | Match Day Reports New Stadium First Team Tickets Club News Contact Us Instagram YouTube Twitter Our club sponsor page A PLAN for over 1,100 new homes on greenbelt land in a south Essex town is “bleak indeed” according to some local residents reports the Local Democracy Reporter Basildon Council gave developers the green light to build 250 homes on greenbelt land off Laindon Road in Billericay at a packed meeting on January 8 A large number of residents thought to be around 100 people turned up to “desperately urge” the council to throw out the controversial plans The plans include more than £1.3m investment in infrastructure as well as half of the homes told the committee various proposed developments could see more than 1,100 homes built in Billericay and raised concerns about the Government’s plans for more house building He said: “The committee needs to be mindful of the cumulative effect of the application together with other applications in Billericay already approved together with pending applications in London Road and Mountnessing Road which will result in a total of some 1,100 plus new homes being built on what was greenbelt in Billericay over the next few years We have in the report 14 pages about the greenbelt which concluded that our valuable greenbelt It is this Government’s view that greenbelt particularly in the southeast of the country little value when your objective is to build and build The outlook for Billericay as a historic town surrounded by greenbelt is bleak indeed.”  which burst into loud applause at various points during the hearing A number of residents spoke during the meeting and raised various concerns including loss of greenbelt and infrastructure One worried woman told the meeting: “I have serious concerns about the safety both during any construction phase and on completion very specifically the section at Laindon Road end where it is being proposed to run in parallel to and be bisected by the estate road Where the path is crossed by the road appears to be a point where a number of hazards are likely to exist the road has two bends and a slope between two levels of development; however I see no details of the safe crossing point being established in the officers’ report The loss of the open and rural aspect of the footpath will be hugely detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the community a right of way through a housing estate is not comparable the proposed development will compromise the useability of the path and remove its current amenity.”  Resident Greg McManus said: “As a local resident I wish to highlight key objections to this planning application These 250 homes would be alongside the unique and ancient woodland which clearly would result in a large increase in population and foot traffic The council along with us residents carry a responsibility in protecting this ancient woodland for future generations these proposed dwellings would cause a significant increase on now proposed even narrower single lane Laindon Road impacting hugely on residents and hundreds of school children attending the two nearby schools with greater potential of injury and possible death The dramatic increase in congestion and increased pollution in Laindon Road would inappropriately impact our local health and our access to facilities and local businesses as there are no dual carriageways There is not sufficient infrastructure in Billericay to support this large increase in population Developers are clearly focused on Billericay to obtain higher purchase prices for homes with no requirement to pay for additional infrastructure – this can’t be right particularly given the logical large rise in local demand for schooling This proposed location west of London Road is not an appropriate location so long with other rate-paying residents in Billericay I desperately urge this planning meeting to reject or at least defer the decision on the developer’s plans.” Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" A solitary second half goal by Lee Harding was enough to prevent Billericay from taking over at the top of the Isthmian Premier Division table while strengthening the Hornets’ own promotion hopes in front of a season’s best league attendance at the Fusion Aviation Community Stadium More than 1,500 spectators gathered on a freezing afternoon yet had little to cheer during a competitive first half that provided little in the way of goalscoring chances for either side But all that changed inside a quarter of an hour of the second half when Ola Ogunwamide collected a short corner from Harvey Sparks and picked out Harding who swept the ball home from the edge of the box to make it six league wins in a row for Dom Di Paola’s injury-hit squad images and video highlights can be found at the link below Read Full Match Report Hats off once again to all our media team for their work yesterday A special mention for John Lines’ superb photography Some of today’s shots strike me as particularly outstanding Last MatchIsthmian League Premier DivisionThe Fusion Aviation Community Stadium, HorshamSaturday April 26 2025, 3:00 pmHorsham5Hashtag United1Match Report Next MatchSussex Senior Cup FinalAmerican Express Stadium, FalmerThursday May 8 2025, 7:30 pmHorshamLittlehampton TownView Fixtures Send a tweet containing #HorshamFC to get involved. Thy man scores again things self entitled fans love to see.💛💚#HorshamFC https://x.com/robbiemurdoch28/status/1875881834388877785/photo/1 13918045.Limited by Shares: Major Shareholding (100%) Horsham Football Club CIC.Registered Address: The Hop Oast Stadium,Worthing Road,Horsham,West Sussex,RH13 0AD Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Deliveries, Returns & Refunds Powered by: Lello Co A link to set a new password will be sent to your email address Chelmsford City will continue their Essex Senior Cup campaign in the fourth round of the competition when they clash with former National League South rivals Billericay Town on Tuesday night Isthmian League Premier Division outfit Billericay stand between City and a place in the quarter final stage of the competition Here’s all that Clarets supporters need to know ahead of the game… Click below to watch the highlights of our last competitive outing against Tuesday’s opponents Isthmian League Premier Division side Billericay Town will hope they can complement their strong 2024-25 season so far with an extended Essex Senior Cup run Gary McCann’s men sit 4th in the third tier of non-league football and have enjoyed a productive campaign up to now the Blues are undefeated at New Lodge this season and possess the joint-strongest defensive record in the Isthmian League Premier Division Jack Paxman and Tyrell Miller-Rodney are all part of Billericay’s arsenal of experienced players who have previously played in the sixth tier Tuesday’s opponents entered the Essex Senior Cup in third round of the competition and beat Concord Rangers in the last round to set up this week’s tie Robbie Simpson is allowed to name five substitutes on the bench in this competition and the manager can introduce all five substitutes if he wishes to do so We are pleased to announce that following an appeal, the red card issued to Archie Tamplin in our game vs Worthing has been rescinded We would like to thank the FA and the appeal board for the swift action and decision Jazzi Barnum-Bobb is cup tied and ineligible to play Chelmsford City Head of Medical Performance Arron Benstead offered supporters a comprehensive player fitness update last week Chelmsford City Head of Medical Performance Arron Benstead has provided updates on the fitness of Ryan Blackman, Ruaridh Donaldson and Arthur Penney ⬇️#ClaretsTogether Supporters travelling by car to Tuesday’s game should know that the journey from the EMJ Community Stadium to New Lodge takes around half an hour The Chelmsford City Supporters Club coach is not travelling to Tuesday’s game Match tickets for away fans are available to purchase online here via Billericay’s official ticketing website Tickets can also be purchased at the gates on matchday Radio Clarets will provide live audio commentary of proceedings at New Lodge Clarets fans can find pre-match coverage of Tuesday’s match and live updates of the proceedings by following the club’s X (formerly Twitter) page: @OfficialClarets, Instagram page: chelmsfordcityfc and Bluesky page: chelmsfordcityfc Post-match reactions will be found on the club’s website, official social media channels and on ClaretsTV Chelmsford City FC © 2025 It looks like you haven't added any items to your cart yet We are very disappointed that Basildon Council plan to introduce weekend pay and display parking charges at the Lake Meadows and Radford Crescent car parks will be very damaging to Billericay parkrun The charges are due to come into effect on 1 April 2025. You can read the Council’s notice about the charges here We sent our objection to the proposals to the Council today If you would also like to object to the charges we would suggest you do so as soon as possible before the deadline on 27 March 2025 Objections should be emailed to legal.admin@basildon.gov.uk If you would find it helpful to work from a template email, we have prepared a draft email for you to adapt here - Template Email A big thank you to everyone who alerted us to this and to all those who have already objected 🙂 Objection to weekend parking charges proposal for Lake Meadows Car Park and Radford Crescent Car Park We are the volunteer organisers of Billericay parkrun a free weekly 5km community running and walking event held at Lake Meadows Park The event began in June 2017 and is currently attracting 300-350 runners and walkers per week making it the largest parkrun in the Basildon Borough We are writing to object to the proposed introduction of weekend parking charges at the two car parks used by Billericay parkrun participants (Lake Meadows Car Park and Radford Crescent Car Park) which will introduce damaging barriers to participation at our event and be highly detrimental to our ability as volunteers to deliver it both in principle and to the specific proposals Billericay parkrun is open to runners and walkers of all ages and fitness levels it is free to take part in and has very low barriers to entry we recorded over 14,000 5k runs and walks at the event There is a considerable volume of independent research which shows the very beneficial effect of attending parkrun events as a volunteer, runner or walker on individuals’ physical and mental health outcomes (indexed here) The event has been particularly successful in attracting groups which have lower participation rates in sports including women (around 45% of our participants are female) individuals with disabilities (including visually impaired individuals individuals with diabetes and individuals with cancer who are part of the Billericay parkrun 5k Your Way group) and individuals who did not previously exercise regularly (including by specifically welcoming walkers as well as runners) Although many Billericay parkrun participants travel to the event on foot or by public transport this is not feasible for a significant number of participants Introducing parking charges will mean that it is no longer free for those residents to participate in the event creating a barrier to people’s participation in an activity which has a profoundly positive impact on health in the Borough and which is already delivered extremely cost-effectively at no direct cost to Basildon Council We rely on 30-40 people to volunteer each week in various roles for the event to go ahead and the large volunteer base that now makes the event successful has taken many years to develop We are very concerned that we will encounter significant obstacles with attracting and retaining volunteers if they have to pay parking charges each time they volunteer This will significantly hinder our ability to operate Billericay parkrun a group of Billericay parkrun volunteers arrive at the park before 7:30am to unlock the park gates the ‘Changing Places’ disabled changing facility and the toilet block on behalf of the Council before setting up the event equipment and litter picking the event area As well as being inconvenienced by having to pay for car parking midway through this set-up process when the charges become effective from 8am the proposals mean that volunteers undertaking this role and providing assistance to the Council would have no choice but to pay for 4 hours of car parking Many of our volunteers in this role are retired and others are full-time students so we are likely to have to reconsider whether we can continue to operate in this way if the charges proceed as planned The charges would deter parkrun participants from doing this particularly as the proposed pricing structure will mean that most participants will be presented with a choice between paying £1.60 for 2 hours (which will cover attending the parkrun briefings from 8:45am and then running/walking the event) and paying more than double that for 4 hours (£3.50) to attend the event and then go to the café afterwards Aside from it being counterintuitive to make a 4-hour ticket more expensive per hour than a 2-hour ticket the charges will deter people from remaining in the park after parkrun detracting from the important social benefits of attending the event and also harming the business of the café which has just reopened after a change in ownership and major refurbishment Billericay parkrun starts at 9am on Saturdays Most volunteers arrive at 8:30am and our pre-event safety announcements (attended by all participants) take place at 8:45am The proposed charges would mean that the Radford Crescent Car Park could not be used by people attending Billericay parkrun as the event is already underway at the time the charges would come into effect This would present significant issues with parking on Saturday mornings Because there are not enough spaces in the Lake Meadows Car Park to accommodate all of the Billericay parkrun participants who arrive by car we currently encourage participants to use the Radford Crescent Car Park so that there are still spaces available in the Lake Meadows Car Park for other park users and users of the swimming pool and the Lake Meadows Car Park will reach capacity with no alternative car parking available for parkrun participants and other park/pool users the Council decides to proceed with implementing parking charges it is essential that the charging period does not begin during the main hours that Billericay parkrun is in operation (8am-11am) as otherwise there will not be enough car parking for all parkrun attendees Once the Lake Meadows Car Park is at capacity park users would have no option but to pay for 4 hours of car parking in the Radford Crescent Car Park It is inappropriate to carry the weekday parking charge structure into the weekend as there is an entirely different use case (e.g attending the bowls club or using the swimming pool) Very few people require 4 hours of parking at the weekend but they would nevertheless still have to pay for it the new proposals represent a significant departure from that approach as the Council is now seeking to generate revenue from residents in the Billericay area when they park at their local parkrun event at the weekend This does not reflect a consistent or equitable approach across the Borough as Basildon Council has not proposed to introduce charges on residents of Basildon participating in Basildon parkrun at Northlands Park or on Wickford residents participating in Wickford Memorial parkrun at Wickford Memorial Park no parking charges are levied or proposed at any other Borough owned park car parks including at Basildon Sporting Village unfairly prejudicing Billericay residents’ access to their local park facilities versus residents of other areas in the Borough We are very grateful to Basildon Council for all the support you have shown to Billericay parkrun throughout our almost 8 years of operation the charges (both in general and in the particular way they have been proposed) will seriously damage the successful community we have worked very hard to build and will inevitably deter people from taking up the opportunity of free exercise in the park We very much hope you will cancel the introduction of these charges on Saturday mornings We also oppose the charges on Sunday mornings in support of the Lake Meadows junior parkrun volunteer team If you wish to discuss any of our concerns in more detail please contact us at billericay@parkrun.com or call me Horsham welcome Billericay Town to the Fusion Aviation Community Stadium tomorrow at the end of a week that saw an outstanding victory at Worthing in the Sussex Senior Cup quickly followed by significant snowfall the following day Although a 3G pitch provides remarkably good protection against the majority of weather events one thing that it cannot insure against is snow that has been frozen solid by consecutive heavy overnight frosts the call went out this afternoon for volunteers with brooms a call that was quickly answered by twelve good men and true with the result that the area of the pitch which remained in the shadow of the woods has been completely cleared of snow because its star volunteers refresh the parts that other stars (e.g That win at Worthing brought to six the number of successive victories for Dom Di Paola’s side Despite fielding what the manager described as a ‘makeshift’ lineup containing two players returning from injury and a loanee who only signed on the morning of the match the Hornets produced one of their best displays of the season to knock out their higher-ranked opponents Although the match was eventually decided on penalties with Ola Ogunwamide converting the crucial final spot kick there was no doubt that the victory was entirely merited a fact very fairly confirmed by the Worthing camp The only dampener on the evening was the injuries picked up by forwards Shamir Fenelon and Dan Ajakaiye Fenelon is expected to be sidelined for some time with a hamstring strain although Ajakaiye hopes to have recovered from a very painful – and bloody – blow to the mouth The win backed up the convincing 3-0 triumph over Carshalton Athletic the previous Saturday a result made all the more impressive for the fact that the visitors had never previously lost at Hop Oast While the Hornets are clearly in prime form the same can also be said of tomorrow’s opponents That run has seen them rise to second place a single point adrift of leaders Dover Athletic Defeated just twice in the league all season and with the meanest defence in the division a fact underscored by the closeness of the last three matches between the sides The fixture at Hop Oast last time around had no goals but plenty of action the high spot being James Hammond lobbing the goalkeeper from inside the centre circle but seeing his effort rebound off the post The most recent meeting came at the start of December when Horsham took the lead at New Lodge through a brilliant Fenelon strike only for Billericay to hit back with two quickfire goals by Todd Miller and Femi Akinwande in the second half the same fixture saw the Hornets come away with the points in a mirror image of this year’s game with goals from Charlie Hester-Cook and Fenelon securing the points after Frankie Merrifield had put the hosts in front All of which points to tomorrow’s encounter being another absolute cracker The match kicks off at 3pm and all the usual offering will be there for everyone to enjoy After picking up an award-winning programme (£3 cash at the kiosk or pay by card in the club shop) and a 50/50 draw ticket or two check out the expanded range of HFC-branded goods in the club shop sit yourself down with a drink and something from our outstanding kitchen read your programme and watch live FA Cup football as an appetiser for the real thing Tickets can be purchased in advance HERE at a discount compared to on-the-day prices Supporters are reminded that parking is only available at the Park & Ride catching the number 23 or 98 bus from town or being dropped off at the ground means not having to worry about finding a space Well done to the Horsham volunteers for clearing the snow of the ground for tomorrow’s match you are the best Many Thanks Thank you - your cookie preferences have been updated Councillors spent time with residents and the dedicated volunteers who generously support members Billericay Men's Shed is a local community group born out of the idea of a traditional shed with one key difference - You're never alone at a Men's Shed The group offers a safe and supportive space for men to socialise with likeminded individuals and have fun through activities such as painting Whilst attending this Wednesday's session, Councillor Gavin Callaghan praised the initiative highlighting the importance of addressing men's health issues, he said: "I'm proud to be visiting the award-winning Billericay Men's Shed today to hear more about the incredible work they are doing and their aspirations for growth in our borough "I welcome any opportunity to highlight the issues of men's health Suicide remains the leading cause of death in men under 50 rates of prostate cancer detection are high and you are 20% more likely to survive with early detection The work that organisations including Billericay Men's Shed undertake to support and empower men before during and after circumstances interrupt daily life needs to be championed and they have my and my administrations full support." Cllr Jack Ferguson said: "One in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime either caring for someone with the condition I am proud that our borough has groups such as the Billericay Men's Shed to help support those who need an outlet a place to reignite their hobbies and to connect with others at a time where loneliness can be overwhelming."   Billericay Men's shed was established by Kim Barford two time winner at the Basildon Volunteer awards 2024 after the diagnosis of her father's dementia Kim took her father to a Men's shed in Maldon and decided to establish a group in Billericay as an outlet for those diagnosed in the area Billericay Men's shed meet every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. If you or a loved one would like more information contact billericaymensshed@gmail.com When life is difficult, Samaritans are here - day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org  to find your nearest branch Contact Basildon Council's Press Office at pressoffice@basildon.gov.uk for further information Dartford stretched their unbeaten run to an incredible seventeen league games after demolishing high-flying Billericay Town in a thrilling encounter at Bericote Powerhouse Princes Park in front of 1,634 supporters The Darts flew out of the blocks on this beautiful afternoon to take an early lead via a superb drive into the top corner from Olly Box (5) That was followed by a George Whitefield header from Samir Carruthers’ corner in the fifteenth minute as the hosts put the visitors to the proverbial sword Ady Pennock’s side were in scintillating form as they seemed to rip open the Billericay defence at every opportunity on the way to an eighth straight win Not even the loss of Carruthers to injury after just 23 minutes could derail Pennock’s men nor the loss of Box to injury after the hour Both Louis Dunne and Eddie Dsane slotted in with ease to replace the duo respectively The remaining outfield substitutes would also contribute this afternoon with Tyler Christian-Law coming on for Josh Hill (76) and Jeremiah Pinder replacing Hayden Bullas (82) the visitors did gain some minutes of possession before the break but the Josh Hill-led Dartford defence dealt with everything that came its way only Blues’ skipper Matthew Johnson’s timely block prevented Box from netting a third for the hosts before the interval With Billericay boss Gary McCann understandably unhappy with his side he made two changes at the beginning of the second forty-five Tommy Davis and Tyrell Miller-Rodney were the two to leave the field as Emmanuel Moses and Elliott Long replaced them respectively Those changes would then be followed by a triple swap in personnel in the 75th minute and Ashley Nzala coming on to replace Matthew Johnson the early stages of the second-half saw the visitors begin keeping the ball more they failed to trouble the Dartford defence and it wasn’t long before goalkeeper Sam Donkin was called into action to pull off two excellent saves to thwart Olly Box (58) and Eddie Dsane (61) which Callum Jones reached first to score his ninth goal of the season and Dartford’s third (62) Billericay did respond on this occasion though but a brilliant block by George Whitefield prevented De’Carry Sheriff from pulling a goal back (68) before Jacob Marsden denied Femi Akinwande shortly afterwards The result was then sealed by a fine Eddie Dsane finish (72) following superb work by the excellent Callum Jones who had stolen the ball from Matthew Johnson raced to the byline while fending off the Billericay skipper before chipping in the perfect ball for his teammate The Dartford number seven’s performance earned him a thoroughly deserved Man of The Match award this afternoon The visitors responded via De’Carry Sheriff once again But Marsden stood firm to tip the ball behind to secure his ninth clean sheet of the campaign (89) as the Darts went on to leapfrog their opponents in the Isthmian Premier League table after a superb display in Kent Callum Jones.SUBSTITUTES: Tyler Christian-Law Bradley Williams.SUBSTITUTES: Emmanuel Moses Match Photos Gallery GrassbanksDartfordKentDA1 1RTUnited Kingdom Telephone: 01322 299991Email: info@dartfordfc.com Dartford FC prides itself on being a community club wholly committed to eradicating all forms of discrimination and we continue to take a zero-tolerance approach we remind all supporters that anyone using discriminatory or abusive language will be asked to leave the stadium immediately and will face future punishment It seems hard to believe that we are already into February and that the rash of parkruns over Christmas and New Year are disappearing rather quickly in the rear-view mirror But have you noticed how the days are starting to stretch out; lighter mornings and late afternoons As we celebrated our 329th event on Saturday as last week we heard that Trevor Linahan had passed away Trevor was a fun and good friend of Billericay parkrun but he also helped with setting up first thing in the morning You will be much missed Trevor by all of us at the parkrun community and our condolences go to all your family and friends on a chilly Saturday morning 351 of you gathered to once again get your parkrun fix on our 5 lap alternate course No doubt as you turned up you would have been pleasantly surprised to see that the Café had reopened The Café has had a complete makeover in every way which is very welcome news meaning our lovely volunteers can grab a coffee to keep them warm while cheering you all on We wish the new owners well and hope you all enjoy the facility we had a wonderful 32 of the High Viz gang on duty this week and they did a sterling job looking after everyone as our 5-lap course can get a bit congested in places when we start hitting the 350 + athletes mark 55 of you or nearly 18% of the field achieved a shiny PB so the conditions were obviously favourable to having a good walk or run Amongst you were a staggering 40 first timers to Billericay parkrun and 13 of you doing your first ever parkrun anywhere and no doubt you received a rousing first timers welcome from Denis one of our current Duke of Edinburgh award students was the young lady behind the lens snapping you all so please take a look at them on our Facebook page or website we had Stuart Ford doing his 100th parkrun Angela Jasper and Julia Langton completing 25 parkruns Simon Martell completing 25 volunteering stints and Thomas Fairweather and Lauretta McKenzie (two of our current Duke of Edinburgh students) completing their 10th volunteering stints so to conclude and before I pass you over to Katie who is in charge next Saturday here are some of my favourite photos from this week You'll be seeing more of him in the weeks to come Dover Athletic suffered a narrow defeat at home to Billericay Town in a hard-fought contest with a first-half free-kick from Montel McKenzie proving to be the difference Despite controlling large periods of the match and creating several clear-cut chances Dover were unable to find the breakthrough needed to take anything from the game as Roman Charles-Cook delivered a dangerous cross into the box in the third minute only for George Nikaj to head narrowly wide with Alfie Matthews and Luke Baptiste linking well in midfield to drive the team’s attack forcing Jordan Gillmore into a routine save from a close-range effort by De-Carrey Sheriff in the 15th minute Dover’s best opportunities of the first half came midway through with George Wilkinson at the heart of the action his close-range effort was brilliantly saved by Billericay’s goalkeeper Sam Donkin who then produced another outstanding stop moments later to deny Wilkinson once again it was Billericay who broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time A deflected free-kick from McKenzie found the bottom corner leaving Gillmore helpless and the home crowd stunned The second half saw Dover come out with renewed energy Alfie Matthews orchestrated play from midfield tested Donkin with a long-range effort in the 87th minute including a few late corners toward the end Changes in the closing stages brought fresh legs onto the pitch with Eniye Amgbaduba and Francis Mampolo introduced to add attacking impetus Frustration was evident among the Dover supporters as key decisions went against the home side the result leaves Dover reflecting on missed opportunities but still 4 points clear at the summit of the Isthmian Premier Division table The squad will look to bounce back on New Year’s Day against Horsham Attendance: 1,236Referee: Joseph Dann-PyeVenue: Megger Community Stadium by Mark Hunt | Dec 21, 2024 | Match Day Reports [email protected] [email protected] Cadent is replacing 2.5km of gas pipes along London Road Wickford to Billericay from 2 January to 8 September The work starts from outside of number 168 London Road Wickford along London Road to the junction with Harding’s Elms Road Most of the work will be completed with temporary traffic lights there will be a road closure in place in August for the junction of London Road with Harding’s Elms Road there have been multiple repairs on these gas mains resulting in extensive traffic management measures each time These frequent repairs have significantly disrupted the highway and community “After significant discussions with the local council and highways authority we have developed this project to reduce the overall disruption While this project will temporarily affect the area it is designed to eliminate the need for recurrent repairs thereby reducing long-term traffic congestion and disruption this proactive approach will enhance the reliability of our gas network and ensure that we can keep our customers safe and warm.” This work to upgrade ageing gas pipes will ensure the local community can continue to receive a safe and reliable gas supply into the future for many decades to come The work will be carried out in six phases: Phase 1          2 January – 3 March Phase 2         2 January – 30 March Phase 3        24 March - 10 April From junction of Church Road with London Road to Woolshots Farm Phase 4         31 March – 25 April Phase 5         5 May – 17 August Crays Hill to the junction with Harding’s Elms Road Phase 6          11 August - 8 September London Road and Southend Road junction with Harding’s Elms Road Billericay – Road closure at junction – diversion via Wash Road To keep disruption to a minimum and get the traffic flowing back to normal as quickly as possible we’ll be working seven days a week Our working hours will be Monday-Friday 7am-7pm Saturday 8am-5pm and Sunday 10am-4pm (No noisy works will be carried out on this day.) Customers with questions about this work can contact the team by: Phone: 0800 085 4478 – Monday to Friday 8am-8pm Email: [email protected] Cadent is the UK’s largest gas distribution network with a 200-year legacy We are in a unique position to build on strong foundations whilst encouraging the curiosity to think differently and the courage to embrace change maintain and innovate the UK’s largest gas network transporting gas safely and protecting people in an emergency Our skilled engineers and specialists remain committed to the communities we serve working day and night to ensure gas reaches 11 million homes from Cumbria to North London and the Welsh Borders to East Anglia Here at Cadent we support the Government’s plans to reach Net Zero by 2050 That means we’re backing the introduction of hydrogen as a low carbon alternative to natural gas for the future We know people love the controllability of gas and it makes sense to switch to the lower carbon alternative offered by hydrogen which we believe can keep homes and businesses warm for generations to come Cadent manages the national gas emergency service free phone line on behalf of the gas industry - 0800 111 999* Cadent Gas Ltd is owned by a consortium of global investors *All calls are recorded and may be monitored 0800 111 999*