Full-time: Canvey Island 0-0 Chelmsford City (Canvey Island win 3-2 on penalties) Canvey Island progressed to the final of the Essex Senior Cup after emerging victorious in a penalty shootout against Chelmsford City on a cold night by the sea The Clarets created more chances than their hosts in normal time Jordan Greenidge and Jacob Bland were all unable to convert their opportunities both teams’ goalkeepers came out on top in a penalty shootout which determined the winner of the cup tie Ted Collins denied Canvey twice from the spot while the Gulls’ shot stopper Bobby Mason made three saves in the shootout which allowed his side to come out on top in the semi-final with seven of the eleven players who started in last Saturday’s win against Salisbury keeping their places Bland and Greenidge were all inducted into the team City started the game positively and came close on several occasions in the opening 20 minutes The first chance of the game fell to Donaldson in the 6th minute The Scotsman volleyed a knockdown just wide of the post after it fell his way inside the Canvey penalty area Crichlow then forced Gulls keeper Mason into a fine save in the 15th minute His shot from the edge of the box was tipped over the crossbar by Mason’s outstretched hand The Clarets were denied by the crossbar in the 39th minute when Greenidge headed Ryan Blackman’s free-kick towards goal City also started the second half positively Greenidge flashed an effort wide of goal in the 47th minute After a pass from Bland behind the Canvey defence Greenidge held off his marker and produced a powerful shot from a tight angle but unfortunately his effort went the wrong side of the post Ipswich Town loanee Nico Valentine was introduced in the 62nd minute as Simpson looked to find the extra spark which his side needed This change nearly paid off instantly when Valentine came close to helping City take the lead three minutes after his arrival Some good work on the right flank from the winger saw him cross to Bland whose shot from close-range was saved by Mason Collins made his first save of the night in the 67th minute The Clarets’ goalkeeper dived low to his left to keep out Canvey full-back Toni Tinubu’s powerful shot City pushed for a winner in added time but couldn’t find the decisive goal needed to avoid a penalty shootout Finley Wilkinson saw an effort which he struck from the edge of the box go ever so slightly over the crossbar Crichlow then fired a volley straight at Mason substitutes Jake Hyde and Wilkinson scored Chelmsford City’s first two spot kicks Greenidge and Penney all had their penalties saved which allowed Canvey to progress to the final after they converted three of their five efforts from 12-yards out Oguntayo (Wilkinson 89′); Blackman (C) Tamplin (Appiah 81′); Bland (Hyde 89′) Chelmsford City FC © 2025 It looks like you haven't added any items to your cart yet A fourth successive victory by a single-goal margin saw Horsham move to within one point of guaranteeing a playoff spot as they overcame a stubborn Canvey Island side who are theoretically not yet safe from relegation Having struggled to find a way through the Gulls’ diligent defence throughout the first period the Hornets found the breakthrough five minutes before half time through a moment of individual brilliance by Reece Meekums the wide man accelerated diagonally into a central position before smashing an unstoppable drive past Bobby Mason in the visitors’ goal Having been content to absorb pressure in the first half Canvey had to adopt a more forward-thinking approach after the interval and they should have been level within thirty seconds of the restart but the unmarked Elliott Ronto headed wide from eight yards out Conor Hubble then missed another unchallenged header from even closer range before the Hornets managed to regain some measure of control who ended the match with an entirely different back four to that which started Chances came and went at both ends as the additional six minutes turned into seven with Mason having to produce a fine save to prevent Chris Dickson scoring what would have been a brilliant individual goal Zack Abdool-Rassool reports on another crucial victory for the Hornets as the season draws to a thrilling close Read Full Match Report Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" 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 LOVE Island is moving to Canvey Island — as ITV looks to cut costs Our exclusive pictures show plans for a budget-friendly villa on the Essex seafront And show host Maya Jama has been spotted checking out the love nest The surprise switch from Majorca comes as ITV chiefs ­battle a costs crisis which has seen cuts to programmes including Coronation Street and Emmerdale A telly source said: “ITV has already slashed the soap schedule to try to ­balance the books and it was only a matter of time before it looked to entertainment programmes. Packing Love Island’s bags should do the trick Canvey Island was a holiday hotspot back in the 1940s so it’s not that different to Majorca ousted Islanders can head home by bus to Benfleet station then take a 43-minute c2c train to London’s Fenchurch Street The island, which is below sea level and susceptible to tidal flooding, was a popular seaside resort from 1910 to 1950. In 1953 some 58 people died in a devastating North Sea flood. Canvey is protected by 14 miles of sea walls and is connected to the mainland by road bridges at South Benfleet. “The sea wall is perfect for those Maya Jama walking shots “West Canvey Marshes and Thorney Bay beach are great locations for a date “Maya will love Pink Chilliz curry house for a takeaway APRIL FOOLS!This story is in fact an April Fool's Day prank - did you fall for it? See more hilarious trick stories from around the world HERE Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ #spch.spch.s2tb-h .spchc {\n background: #fff;\n box-sizing: border-box;\n box-shadow: 0 2px 6px rgb(0 0 0 / 20%);\n height: auto;\n margin: 0;\n min-width: 100%;\n overflow: hidden;\n padding: 24px 115px;\n }\n#spch.spch.s2tb .spchc .inner-container #spch.spch.s2tb-h .spchc .inner-container {\n opacity: 1;\n transition: opacity 0.318s ease-in;\n }\n#spch.spch.s2tb .spchc .inner-container .text-container Wellmen won the Essex Senior Cup with the Gulls this season and led them to a 17th place finish in the Isthmian Premier Division But he has now opted to step down after four years in charge of the club On this episode of Good Word with Goodwill Vince and Kofie Yeboah react to the Golden State Warriors defeating the Houston Rockets in game 7 and preview the matchup with the Minnesota timberwolves James Harden's postseason struggles and Kofie's eulogy for a successful Detroit Piston's season GMs around the league face the media and a Turbo Mode weekend recap Start your week off right here at the Baseball Bar-B-Cast What is going on with the Galaxy and who is to blame for their abysmal form Christian and Alexis then bring on Professional Referee Organization referees Natalie Simon and Alyssa Nichols to chat why they became refs and how VAR helps or hurts their jobs Christian and Alexis then react to the latest news around soccer in another edition of Rápido Reactions including Harry Kane’s first trophy Trent Alexander-Arnold’s awkward goodbye & EA FC’s newest cover athlete "I don't think they were dirty plays," Atkinson said "But I think it passed the line of physicality." Our 2025 fantasy football rankings continue to be updated but where can you find the rookie class coming out of the draft but warns it won't be easy to find help Mike Tirico is doing much better after missing the 151st Kentucky Derby Fantasy basketball analyst Dan Titus examines the playoff exit — and future — of the Los Angeles Clippers Plus: Scottie Scheffler is once again inevitable In today's edition: The Jets stun the Blues Sovereignty wins the Derby in a thrilling finish smart money has Rodgers and the Steelers getting something done just before the June full-squad minicamp The Mets have lost their 34th game of the season for 16 consecutive years now with one of the worst collective batting averages in the league The top-ranked golfer in the world held a 10-shot lead briefly on Sunday while wrapping up a dominant week in Texas Nearly 22 million people tuned in to watch the race Saturday Caglianone appears to be an immediate upgrade to the Royals' lineup For daily updates and all the latest breaking news sent straight to your inbox sign up to our daily newsletter Thank you for subscribing!We have more newsletters An unexploded bomb has been found on an Essex beach Southend Coastguard managed to detonate the unexploded shell which was found near Canvey Point on the east of Canvey Island Southend Coastguard were called to reports of a possible unexploded shell approximately one mile off Canvey Point The shell had been found by a person out metal detecting in the mud flats and came across the "artillery shell" Further examination found that the shell was indeed from the German navy the coastguard managed to detonate the bomb safely Read more: Police hunting for man and woman from Essex Read more: Listen to the fake voice note where Mersea Island murderer Luke D'Wit posed as a woman A spokesman for the coastguard said: "With an incoming tide a plan was devised to return at 5am and locate the item we could not safely access the area needed to gain further info we agreed to reattend at 4pm [on Sunday] afternoon RNLI Southend Lifeboat and their Hovercraft were tasked to assist with access to the precise area given by the first informant made way across the mud flats and located the ordnance Upon discussion with the Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal a team of bomb disposal experts from Colchester Barracks attended at 1815 "Around an hour later the EOD detonated the item which turned out to be a German WW2 7.5cm Naval Artillery Shell The metal dectectorist did the right thing made his way to a safe distance and called 999 asking for the Coastguard "The coastline and waters around Essex are littered with unexploded ordnance If you spot anything that doesn't look right and call 999 and ask for the coastguard." Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right After a strong comeback in form with three consecutive victories Horsham are looking to extend their unbeaten run to five games in all competitions Following a tough patch in late February and early March the Hornets have bounced back impressively with their last outing against Cheshunt seeing Lee Harding and Lucas Rodrigues find the back of the net with Harding’s last-minute goal securing the win Canvey Island’s recent performances have mirrored their 17th-placed standing They come into this match on a three-game winless streak having dropped points against 14th-placed Potters Bar Town Both teams will bring a significant attacking threat into tomorrow’s game Chris Harris has been their key presence in front of goal netting 11 times this season despite Canvey being in the bottom half of the table Harris scored a brace against Horsham’s Sussex rivals Lewes FC in March and also found the net in their most recent match against Hendon their early-season talisman Chris Dickson has been searching for form having gone without a goal in his last nine appearances The striker will be eager to break his drought and rediscover the goalscoring prowess that made him such a key player earlier in the campaign Horsham have not struggled to create opportunities with their four goals in the last three wins coming from four different players – Harding manager Dom Di Paola sees room for improvement we’ve had numerous opportunities to go twos and threes ahead then that kills them off and they’ll have no energy left We’re not punishing teams when the opportunities arise and then the games become harder.” Although Di Paola continues to challenge his team to reach the potential he knows they possess he will be encouraged by some promising statistics In the last six encounters between Horsham and Canvey the Hornets have found themselves victorious each time the Gulls as a whole have struggled offensively holding the joint fourth-worst attacking record in the league with just 47 goals scored who boast the joint-best defensive record in the league having conceded only 38 goals – on par with second-placed Billericay Town Canvey will be keen to secure their position in the league standings with just eight points separating them from the relegation zone and only five games remaining starting with a crucial game against 20th-placed Hastings who are level on points with Canvey in 18th before a challenging encounter with second-placed Billericay Town the week after with four of their remaining fixtures against teams sitting at least four places below them in the league This presents an opportunity to build momentum and strengthen their position in the table having the potential of catching Billericay Town and Dartford who sit three and four points ahead of the Hornets In the reverse fixture earlier this season at The Steve’s Taxis Stadium Horsham came out on top with a 1-0 victory the midfielder made a brief substitute appearance against Cheshunt after recovering from injury and he is expected to be fit and ready to make an impact in tomorrow’s game James Hammond was forced to limp off during the Cheshunt match but remains confident in his swift recovery as it will mark his 100th appearance for Horsham in yellow and green Not only will this be a personal milestone for the Hornets’ midfielder but he will become the tenth player in the current squad to reach that landmark Can there be any team anywhere else in senior football that can boast such longevity and continuity within their ranks Kick-off is 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 EFL football as an appetiser for the real thing We will be hosting visitors from Southwater Junior Academy at the match who will be providing a guard of honour for the teams as they enter the pitch 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 for their generous sponsorship of the match and to club volunteer Isthmian League Premier Division outfit Canvey Island stand between Chelmsford City and a chance at BBC Essex Senior Cup glory Robbie Simpson’s side have overcome West Essex and Billericay Town in the earlier rounds of the Essex Senior Cup before beating Waltham Abbey in December to advance to the semi-final stage of the competition Should they win at the Steves Taxi’s Stadium on Tuesday night City will reach the final of the Essex Senior Cup for the first time since 2019 Here’s all that Clarets supporters need to know ahead of the game… Click below to watch highlights of our victory over Waltham Abbey in the previous round which set up our upcoming semi-final clash Step 3 side Canvey Island are looking to end the 2024-25 season by securing their league status and silverware Brad Wellmen’s side come into Tuesday’s tie on the back of a disappointing 4-0 home defeat to relegation strugglers Bognor Regis Town The loss has left the Gulls languishing five points above the Isthmian League Premier Division drop zone a midweek semi-final provides Canvey with an opportunity to switch their focus to reaching the final of the Essex Senior Cup for the first time since 2011-12 The Gulls overcame Colchester United to lift the trophy that year Wellmen’s men have beaten Maldon & Tiptree Dagenham & Redbridge and Brightlingsea Regent to set up Tuesday’s clash against the Clarets If Tuesday’s game at The Steves Taxi’s Stadium remains level after 90 minutes then the tie will be decided by a penalty shootout Extra time is not played in any round of the Essex Senior Cup 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 Jazzi Barnum-Bobb and Frankie Edwards are both cup-tied for Tuesday night’s tie Saleem Akanbi and Freddie Hockey all look set to remain sidelined Supporters travelling by car to Tuesday’s game should know that the journey from the EMJ Community Stadium to Steves Taxi’s Stadium takes around 30 minutes Parking at Steves Taxi’s Stadium is free for all but limited on a first-come Additional parking can be found on the adjacent side roads there are still spaces available on the Chelmsford City Supporters Club coach More information about the coach can be seen below Tickets will be on sale at the turnstiles on matchday Radio Clarets will provide live audio commentary of proceedings at the Steves Taxi’s Stadium Clarets fans can find pre-match coverage of the game 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 by | Mar 9, 2025 | Match Day Reports Cray Wanderers vs Canvey Island – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 8th March Cray Wanderers                                                      3 Canvey Island                                                         1 Cray Wanderers bounced back from last Saturday’s defeat at Chichester City to keep alive their perhaps slim hopes of reaching the playoffs with a home victory against Canvey Island on a warm and very sunny afternoon at Flamingo Park the Wands sprung into life around the half hour mark and took the lead in the 35th minute from the penalty spot scored by Frankie Raymond after Soul Kader was brought down Three minutes later Kader was on target making it six goals in five matches for the Bromley loanee Canvey though staged a fight back early in the second half and pulled a goal back in the 56th minute through top scorer Chris Harris the next goal in the game looked to be crucial and came in the 71st minute for Cray scored by Lateef Adaja and although both teams came close late on the Wands saw out the win whiced moved Neil Smith’s side onto 51 points and beat last season’s total with eight games to spare On a remarkably warm early March afternoon and with the Cray Massive in good voice throughout this looked like being a special occasion as the Wands looked to make it 13 unbeaten at home Before the game and in the 71st minute there was a minute applause for Cray Wanderers Life President Peter Jackson and was impeccably observed by fans from both clubs Cray in 9th place saw one change to the side which played at Chichester with captain Tom Bonner returning in place for Quade Taylor following suspension Canvey Island who came into the game 18th and four points off the bottom four were unchanged from the team that drew with Dover Athletic last Saturday The game began a little bit cagey with perhaps Cray shading possession and looked the more potent and Nyren Clunis headed over from a throw in down the right Lateef Adaja who had a superb game coming in from the wing set up Soul Kader with a half chance inside the box who swung a boot at the ball but lacked power and was gathered by Bobby Mason This was followed by Josh Williams out on the right putting over a fine cross but just couldn’t get a touch from the head of a diving Adaja inside the six yard box The match then went through a bit of a lull for around ten minutes with the game having a sedate feel Cray were beginning to up the pressure and in the 20th minute In Clunis saw a low shot saved by Mason and then won a corner down the left from which Remi Sutton saw a near post shot blocked In the 27th minute Cray came closest yet when Adaja cut inside from the left and saw his low shot heading for the bottom right corner pushed round the post by Mason Cray were not to be denied and deservedly went in front in the 35th minute from the penalty spot when Kader who showed good skill to cut into the box and was clipped inside the area by Jamie Salmon Frankie Raymond did the rest with a coolly taken penalty to make it 1-0 Three minutes later Cray had a grip on the game when Kader latched onto a ball over the top from the back and with incredible confidence and no little impudence lobbed the ball over the advancing Mason from inside the D to keep up his remarkable scoring start to his second stint with the Wands Just before half time Adaja saw a shot go wide though Canvey who had been restricted to a couple of blocked efforts and some confident Shaun Rowley handling almost pulled one back right on the interval when Bradley Sach who scored twice when the teams met at Canvey in November saw his effort blocked almost off the line by Tom Bonner Canvey boss Brad Wellman made three changes at the break with Chris Harris Oliver Parsons and Kane Gilbert coming on and certainly made a difference as the Gulls started the second half very much on the front foot and straight away Darren Foxley saw a shot blocked Rowley was called upon to make two fine saves firstly to deny Jeremy Santos who had a fine second half and pushed the shot round the post for a corner From the corner kick the ball came to Sach whose effort was tipped over for another corner The Wands felt they had weathered that little spell but in the 56th minute Canvey were back in it when Santos played a ball from midfield through to Harris who still had a bit to do but finished tidily burying the ball under Rowley to make it 2-1 Cray looked to restore the two goal lead and Adaja who had been desperately unlucky not to score in recent home games cut inside from the right and saw his shot come back off the left post Canvey came close to a leveller when Santos saw a free kick from 25 yards swerve wickedly but crashed back off the crossbar with Rowley beaten in the 71st minute coincidentally just as the minute applause was about to begin went 3-1 up when Adaja down the left scored a cracker as he received possession over 20 yards out and placed a shot which may have taken the slightest of deflections past Mason and into the net Cray now were able to relax that bit more and there were appearances off the bench for youngsters George Penn Eze Ebouzeme who always goes about his business with a quiet authority was unlucky not to score with a shot from twelve yards that required a great save from Mason blocked on the goalline Canvey looked to pull back another goal and Oliver Parsons saw a shot blocked by Ike Orji and in added on time from a corner the ball came to the sharp Harris whose header was pushed over by Rowley In the end though Cray had deservedly picked up the three points which keeps the Wands at least comfortably placed in the Isthmian Premier on 51 points with eight matches to go and remain 9th ahead of trip to 6th placed Carshalton Athletic next Saturday At times especially in the first half the Wands purred like a well-oiled machine and there were some fine performances Rowley who made three fine saves second half Tom Bonner typically resolute alongside Remi Sutton at the back while Ike Orji and Darion Dowrich although perhaps more conservative going forward than other games were accomplished defensively Clunis the silk and there was always the pace of Williams Canvey should be ok with a four point cushion in 18th place but will probably require another at least ten points to be sure Cray meanwhile can look forward to the trip to Carshalton which is always a good footballing test ahead of back to back home games to end March vs Bowers & Pitsea and Dover Athletic MOM — Awarded by Cray Wanderers – U14s Girls – Tom Bonner New Stadium First Team Tickets Club News Contact Us Instagram YouTube Twitter Our club sponsor page Dover Athletic were forced to settle for a point on the road as they played out a 0-0 draw against Canvey Island in the Isthmian League Premier Division Dover controlled large spells but ultimately couldn’t find the breakthrough finishing the match with ten men after goalkeeper Jordan Gillmore’s late dismissal The match started with little action in the opening ten minutes with neither side able to carve out a meaningful opportunity Dover had the first real chance of the afternoon in the 21st minute when a pinpoint cross from Tamas Amgbaduba forced Canvey’s goalkeeper into an awkward punch The ball fell invitingly to Francis Mampolo but he was unable to get his shot away under pressure Canvey responded with their own spell of attacking play winning a corner in the 23rd minute before testing Gillmore from range a minute later The Dover keeper produced a brilliant save to keep out a looping effort from the edge of the box Canvey then squandered a golden opportunity in the 28th minute Dover continued to threaten from set-pieces with their first corner arriving in the 34th minute A flicked header from the resulting delivery trickled just wide of the post another deep cross – this time from Amgbaduba was nodded back into the danger area by Luke Baptiste A late booking for Mampolo just before the break was the final noteworthy moment of the first half The second half began with an early booking for Alfie Matthews in the 49th minute followed by a couple of set-pieces for Canvey Dover then had a dangerous free-kick opportunity in the 53rd minute after Baptiste was clattered in a heavy challenge Matthews stepped up but could only hit the wall with the resulting corner failing to trouble the hosts They controlled possession and looked the more likely to score particularly after the hour mark when a break in play for injuries halted their momentum The visitors made their first substitutions in the 70th minute introducing George Nikaj and Eniye Amgbaduba in place of Mampolo and Kweku Lucan to inject fresh attacking energy Dover couldn’t break down a resilient Canvey defence Matthews was replaced by George Wilkinson in the 85th minute as Dover sought a late push but the game took an unexpected turn in stoppage time goalkeeper Jordan Gillmore was shown a straight red card for abusive language leaving Dover to see out the final moments with outfield player Harrison Pont in goal A last-minute substitution saw Baptiste make way for Luca Cocoracchio as Dover focused on holding on for a point Dover head to Canvey Island in the Isthmian Premier Division Dover Athletic’s Kent Senior Cup run ended in heartbreak as they lost to Welling United on penalties after a 1-1 draw The match began at a high tempo with early chances for both sides Dover threatened from the fourth minute and created a significant opportunity in the 29th minute before Eniye Amgbaduba’s rebound goal gave them a 1-0 lead Welling equalised in stoppage time from a wide free kick missed spot-kicks and key saves decided the contest with Dover’s Jacob Mensah failing to convert Dover now refocus on their league campaign In the reverse fixture Dover Athletic secured a 3-2 victory over Canvey Island at the Megger Community Stadium controversy sparked early when a long-range effort by Elliott Ronto hit the crossbar and was awarded as a goal after offside confusion Ruben Soares-Junior capitalised on a pass from George Nikaj to equalise Ronto restored Canvey’s lead from a free-kick followed by a decisive finish from Nikaj to clinch the vital win Whitehawk secured a commanding 4-0 victory over Canvey Island in the Isthmian League Premier Division at The Enclosed Ground on Saturday The home side struck early as young Gillingham loanee Harry Bridle opened the scoring in the 9th minute Whitehawk doubled their lead just before half-time when Emmanuel Mensah found the net in stoppage time Bridle further impressed by scoring twice more netting in the 49th and 54th minutes to seal the win and his hat trick Canvey Island sits in 18th place in the Isthmian Premier League with 34 points from 31 matches while their away form has been slightly worse leaving them with a goal difference of -15 22/02 – Whitehawk (A) – Lost 0-418/02 – Chelmsford City (H) – Won 0 (3) – 0 (2) on penalties (Essex Senior Cup Semi-final)15/02 – Bognor Regis Town (H) – Lost 0-408/02 – Carshalton Athletic (A) – Lost 1-204/02 – Bowers & Pitsea (H) – Won 2-001/02 – Chatham Town (H) – Won 1-0 More information: https://www.canveyislandfc.com/information £12.00 Adults£8.00 Concessions (over-60’s students with valid ID)£3.00 U16’s (must be accompanied by an adult) as Dartford secured a fourth consecutive victory on the road to stretch their unbeaten league run to thirteen games on a cold day in Essex With fixtures coming thick and fast during this busy period of the campaign Ady Pennock made six changes to his team in a bid to shuffle things around and Duane Ofori-Acheampong to the starting eleven and Callum Jones were given a rest… although the final three were on the bench for this fixture Despite the promise that the game initially offered the truth is that it wasn’t easy on the eye as both teams tried cancelling each other out yet it was the Darts who looked the more dangerous Jeremiah Pinder saw his lovely back-heeled effort blocked by a defender after good work by Tyler Christian-Law in the 14th minute in what was the game’s first real effort of goal when Sam Odaudu’s drive flew narrowly over the top of Bobby Mason’s crossbar The goalkeeper then pulled off a great save to prevent Hayden Bullas from finding the back of the net with a powerful strike (31) Eddie Dsane then saw a defender put in an excellent block to prevent his strike from troubling Mason (43) before his next attempt beat the Canvey Island shot-stopper after great work by Bullas (45+2) The start of the second forty-five saw the hosts put on more of an effort in a bid to get back into the game it was the visitors who came agonisingly close to scoring the next goal after catching Canvey with a swift counter-attack at the centre of the move as he released Duane Ofori-Acheampong the Dartford number nine forced Mason into another good save from a tight angle… however only for another Canvey player get back to clear the danger (68) Ofori-Acheampong was then on hand to clear the ball off the line at the other end after Sonny Hart’s header had beaten Jacob Marsden (74) Bobby Mason then stepped up to save Jeremiah Pinder’s 77th minute effort before Ady Pennock made a double change of personnel… Eddie Dsane and Duane Ofori-Acheampong were the two to leave the field The Darts went on to manage the remainder of the game to complete the double over Canvey Island as well as increase their unbeaten league run to an impressive thirteen games but stand-in Skipper Jacob Marsden marked the occasion with another clean sheet… his third in four away fixtures Ady Pennock’s team sit in fourth place of the Isthmian Premier League table just seven points behind league leaders Dover Athletic The New Year is going to be very exciting indeed… Duane Ofori-Acheampong.SUBSTITUTES: Callum Jones 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 Invicta return to action with the visit of Canvey Island on Saturday After last weekend’s postponed trip to Dulwich Hamlet Invicta return to action with the first of back-to-back home fixtures as we welcome Canvey Island to the Alcaline Stadium It kicks off a busy weekend at the Alcaline Stadium with our U18 side hosting New Ash Green Juniors (10:30am) on Sunday before Folkestone Invicta Women host Hollands & Blair Reserves in the SECWFL Kent Divisional Cup (2pm) Defender Sam Smith has returned to Maidstone United following the end of his month-long loan spell We thank Sam for his efforts during his time with the club Fellow defender Joe Tyrie is set for an extended period on the sidelines after coming off injured last week against Cheshunt Andy Drury spoke to our Head of Media ahead of Saturday’s match: “With Saturday being off we’ve had 4 training sessions since Cheshunt and they’re hurt and determined to go out Saturday and prove a point to put the record straight in front of our fans We want to put things right and to repay the fans for their support and the only way to do that is with performances and results on the pitch We’ve got 17 games left of the season to go and get ourselves where we want to be.” Canvey Island come into Saturday’s fixture 16th in the Isthmian Premier Division 4 points clear of the bottom 4 and with at least a game in hand on those around them Having been rock bottom and pointless at the end of August an upturn in form saw Canvey knocking on the door of the playoffs by the end of November but recent results have seen them slide back down the table Just 3 points in 6 games leave The Islanders 20th in the form guide although postponements over the New Year period have prevented opportunities to get points on the board Wins over Dagenham & Redbridge and Brightlingsea Regent in the Essex Senior Cup either side of Christmas have provided something to cheer away from their league form and given Brad Wellman’s side a semi-final with Chelmsford City to look forward to The sides have met on 5 occasions since Canvey Island’s return to the Isthmian Premier Division in 2022 with the Essex side leading the head-to-head with 3 wins to Invicta’s 2 Invicta have taken the points in the last 2 meetings between the sides winning both games 1-0 thanks to headers; Tom Derry back in March at the Alcaline Stadium and a Bradley Sach own goal when the sides met earlier this season Highlights from both Invicta wins are available on Invicta TV Brad Wellman joined Canvey Island in 2013 before stepping up to assistant manager in 2017 and eventually taking charge in 2021 after the departure of Mark Bentley to Southend United Wellman lead Canvey to a 2nd place finish in the Isthmian North Division before winning the playoffs with a penalty shootout win over Brentwood Town Bradley Sach found the net 5 times in 4 meetings between the sides over the previous 2 seasons After initially moving the Chatham Town in the summer After his own goal gave Invicta all 3 points back in October Sach will be looking to set things right with another strike on Saturday Supporters can pay on the gate for this fixture or purchase online in advance from our online ticket shop If you can make it to the match you can follow the action via our X (formerly Twitter) account. Alternatively, live score updates are available on Football Webpages. The Dugout Sports Bar will be open from 11:30am Food and refreshments will also be available from the truck inside the stadium located between The Dugout and the Folkestone Bowls Club building We have four fanzone bars around the ground serving draught beer one beside the tea hut window and one beside the disability shelter The Dugout Sports Bar will be open from 11:30pm showing all of the days live sport Alcaline Stadium Cheriton Road Folkestone Kent CT19 5JU Majority shareholder Addington Leisure Ltd by | Nov 22, 2024 | Front Page Canvey Island vs Cray Wanderers – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 23rd November Cray Wanderers play the fourth of four successive away league games on Saturday 23rd November as the Wands head to Canvey Island looking to build on last Saturday’s win and stay out of the bottom four Cray come into the game in 16th place in the Isthmian Premier league table on 15 points and buoyed by the biggest league win of the season last Saturday at Potters Bar Town 4-0 and made it three wins out of the last five league games one from the penalty spot and also strikes from Nyren Clunis and Kenny Coker capped off a fine away win against a side unbeaten at home since the opening day of the season The game also saw an excellent defensive display and a tenth clean sheet of the season in league and cups for Shaun Rowley A very youthful Cray Wanderers side exited the London Senior Cup vs Erith Town on Tuesday night and gave a respectable showing but none of the side who played against Potters Bar were in action so will be fresh as manager Neil Smith looks to prioritise games with the Wands league position in mind The Wands will hope to have Tom Bonner back after missing the last three games and Quade Taylor also in contention after being suspended for the Potters Bar Town match Canvey Island have recovered well after losing their first four league games and after Tuesday night’s 3-1 win at Hashtag United are 8th in the league table with a decent haul of 22 points from 16 games played On Tuesday goals from Elliott Ronto (2) and Chris Harris continued the Gulls’ good away form and was their fifth win on the road this season Brad Wellmen’s side at home have beaten Carshalton Athletic (1-0) and Whitehawk (2-1) drew with Cray Valley PM (4-4) and were beaten by Hashtag United (1-2) Folkestone Invicta (0-1) and Chichester City (2-3) Away from home Canvey Island won at Bowers & Pitsea (2-1) Canvey Island beat Milton Keynes Irish and Felixstowe & Walton at home before losing at Biggleswade in the 3rd Qualifying Round They also reached the 1st Round of the FA Trophy after winning at Maldon & Tiptree but were beaten at home by Horsham Canvey Island did advance in the Essex Senior Cup with victory at Buckhurst Hill Top scorer so far is Jason Brown with 6 goals Canvey Island finished in 14th place last season on 54 points and were comfortably clear of the relegation places The two meetings between the teams finished with a home win apiece 2023 with Mason Hall and Bradley Sach scoring for Canvey after Gary Lockyer gave a ten man Cray side the lead Cray won 2-1 at Hayes Lane with a George Porter brace with Sach scoring for Canvey The teams have met a few times in league and cups in recent seasons and Cray will be looking for their first win at Canvey since a 2-1 win on 7th January 2012 with goals from Jack Clark and Tommy Whitnell With both teams playing well in recent weeks this should be a good game in what is always a tough trip for any side and one where conditions often come into play DIRECTIONS TO CANVEY ISLAND FC & ADMISSION Canvey Island FC –The Steves Taxis Stadium Exit M25 at Junction 30 and take the A13 towards Southend You will reach a series of mini roundabouts At the next roundabout take the 2nd exit which will keep a sports centre on your right and follow signs for Canvey Island Football Club Keep left through the one way system and after one mile you will pass the Transport Museum on your right Park Lane is on the right hand side shortly afterwards There is plenty of parking outside the ground A note for supporters looking to travel by train that part of the journey will require a rail replacement bus Trains from London/West Ham/Barking go to Pitsea from where you will need to pick up the bus which takes 15 minutes to get to Benfleet the no 22 bus from Pitsea station will take you to outside the ground (see below) but please give more time for your travelling Benfleet Station is 40 minutes from London Fenchurch Street on the C2C line There is a taxi rank around the back of the station you can use the frequent bus service from the front of the station:  Trains land on the way back after the game There are trains at 00 or 30 past the hour from Fenchurch Street or 09 & 39 from West Ham and would normally take half an hour but due to the rail replacement service please give more time for travelling 35 & 50 past the hour with the rail replacement bus going to Pitsea where you can pick up a train back to London Please check the National Rail Enquiries website for more details You can use the number 22 (this goes from Pitsea) or 27 bus to Leigh Beck to be dropped directly outside Park Lane you can use the number 21 or 21A to be dropped by the sea wall continue walking in the direction you travelled across some playing fields The nearest recommended pubs in Canvey Island are the Lobster Smack a Dickensian themed pub/restaurant which used to feature bare knuckle boxing in the Victorian era (Haven Road the Haystack Public House (96 Furtherwick Road SS8 7AE) and Windjammer (Eastern Esplanade SS8 7HG) there is the Hoy and Helmet (Greene King) which is just across the road in the High Street Opposite is the Half Crown.The recommended chippie is the Islander on Furtherwick Road near the Haystack Pub Canvey Island is a reclaimed island in the Thames Estuary and the coastal part of the Island became a fashionable place to live and visit especially for Londoners looking for a bit of sea air clubs and stalls which are situated not too far away from the ground the area being fairly low is prone to flooding and in February 1953 the North Sea flood hit the island leading to 58 deaths and damage to holiday homes The South of the island has been associated with the petrochemical industry and oil refineries have been based there since the 1930’s Andy Drury and Ade Yusuff speak to Invicta TV Dartford’s unbeaten run continued on Boxing Day and they will be aiming to extend their excellent form at Canvey Island this weekend The Darts moved to 12 league matches without defeat with another comeback victory in their Kent derby against Cray Wanderers Now on their longest unbeaten run in a season since winning the Isthmian Premier title Adrian Pennock’s side have won three on the bounce and five of their last six league fixtures dropping just two points in that time Canvey Island have never beaten a Dartford team in nine attempts The Essex club were defeated on Thursday in their derby with Billericay Town The Gulls have now lost in their last two outings without scoring After half an hour Josh Williams put the visitors in front The second-half became Olly Boxing Day with two very well taken strikes to secure maximum points Olly Box moved on to 11 goals for the season with the brace he smashed home an equaliser on 58 minutes and four minutes later he cut inside and found the top corner The forward has now netted eight in his last nine starts After the game the man of the match spoke to Dartford FC TV and said: “Three points is what we were looking for We started off slow and sluggish for the whole of the first half The gaffa knew exactly what to say to us at half-time to get us going and to be fair it seemed to work we played a lot better in the second-half” Interview courtesy of Dartford FC TV Pennock echoed Box’s summary and praised the character of his squad he commented: “I liked the second-half we went back to basics by working hard” he added: “Every single one of them are so honest Looking forward to Saturday’s trip to Essex the Dartford boss expects a tricky encounter he explained: “We’re going to tinker it a little bit because having two games in three days is crazy really but it will be the same for Canvey as well so there will be no excuses from me We have to be on the front foot from the start to the end it’s a tough one but we’re looking forward to it” Dartford kept up their outstanding record versus Canvey Island earlier in the season The Darts maintained their perfect record in league matches against the Essex club with a seventh straight victory Sam Odaudu put in a man of the match performance and scored his first ever goal at Princes Park The full back stabbed home a volley in the second half to put Dartford ahead Tyler Christian-Law wrapped up the points by taking advantage of some poor defending to slot away the clincher the midfielder’s only goal for the club since joining in the summer Match Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV Dartford’s last visit to Park Lane actually ended all square when the two sides met in the F.A Cup third qualifying round The hosts scored an injury time equaliser to force a replay in October 2010 Danny Heale headed Canvey Island in front during the first half first Ryan Hayes scored a penalty then James White nodded home Three minutes into stoppage time the Gulls won a spot kick The replay was just as dramatic three days later with the game finishing 3-3 Dartford eventually progressed 9-8 on penalties Almost 15 years ago to the day Dartford last visited Canvey Island in a league fixture Lee Burns opened the scoring before Craig Davidson levelled from the spot Jamie Coyle put the Darts ahead and Rob Haworth increased the advantage The lead was stretched when Danny Harris and Burns made it five A consolation goal from James Rowe made the final score 5-2 to the Darts During the same time of year 12 months earlier Cody McDonald bagged a hat-trick on the road and got sent off in a 3-2 win Canvey Island may be down in fourteenth place but so tight is the division that they are just four points away from the playoff places first at home to Horsham then away to Billericay Town on Boxing Day has seen Brad Wellman’s team lose a bit of momentum Tommy Davis and Arjanit Krasniqi condemned Canvey Island to their fifth away defeat of the season The defeat at home to Horsham was only the second time in the league they had failed to score on their own patch In the two previous home fixtures they had joy versus Whitehawk and Cray Wanderers to add six points to their tally The following fixture at Park Lane saw the Gulls progress in the Essex Senior Cup by beating Dagenham and Redbridge 4-0 Dartford wins: 7 / Canvey Island wins: 0 / Draws: 2 Dartford 2 – 0 Canvey Island (17/08/2024 – Isthmian Premier)Dartford 3 – 3 Canvey Island (12/10/2010 – F.A Cup)*Canvey Island 2 – 2 Dartford (09/10/2010 – F.A Cup)Dartford 2 – 1 Canvey Island (05/04/2010 – Isthmian Premier)Canvey Island 2 – 5 Dartford (29/12/2009 – Isthmian Premier)Dartford 4 – 0 Canvey Island (13/04/2009 – Isthmian Premier)* – Dartford won 9-8 on penalties Dartford have drawn five of their last eight on this day the most recent a 2-2 draw at Braintree Town three years ago Two goals in the final eight minutes salvaged a draw from two goals down Jake Robinson halved the deficit from a penalty then in the final minute Jack Jebb scored a brilliant free-kick Tonbridge Angels were comfortably beaten 3-0 at Princes Park Darren McQueen and Elliott Romain put the Darts in control Josh Hill was dismissed for the hosts late in the game but Charlie Sheringham still managed to add a third 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, foul, or abusive language will be asked to leave the stadium immediately and will face future punishment. Two riders die in British Supersport Championship crash after 11-bike pile-up On the banks of the River Thames in the heart of Essex lies a beleaguered bastion of English patriotism a point of refuge for thousands of holidaymaking-turned-relocating Londoners retained its crown as England’s most English town in the 2021 Census Almost three-in-10 locals identified as English only, with an additional 16.9 per cent also saying they are both English and British scratch beneath the surface and there is not much going on behind the 14-mile sea wall to mark St George’s Day A flag of St George flies proudly in Canvey Canvey Island lies on the banks of the River Thames “Englishness is really important,” pensioner Terry White told GB News “I’d do something for St George’s Day but people are too scared.” originally from Poplar on the London Docklands believes other countries across the Anglosphere remain proud of their national identity but fears culture-cancelling efforts to “erase” English history deter people from showing support He said: “We should do something for St George’s Day Moving away from the seafront to Canvey Island’s town centre John Sutton echoed concerns about England’s patriotic collapse “I’m very proud to be English and I’ll be spending St George’s Day with my daughter in Grays,” the tweed-clad pensioner revealed Sutton, who is a member of his local RAF Association, also made comparisons between Britain’s stance towards its military heroes and the affection held for servicemen in America we don’t show any support for our Armed Forces.” And there is also some jealousy at the extent to which the other corners of the British Isles mark their respective patron saint days Sutton snapped: “Even if you look at Scotland with St Andrew’s Day It’s such a shame and it’s only going to get worse.” ARE YOU AFRAID OF BEING CANCELLED ON ST GEORGE'S DAY? CLICK HERE TO HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE COMMENTS BELOW Scots receive a Bank Holiday around November 30 for St Andrew’s Day celebrations with hundreds of thousands of Scots embracing traditional music The Irish diaspora also sent St Patrick’s Day celebrations far from the Emerald Isle with this year's parades stretching from San Francisco to Sydney Britain also holds major celebrations for the Welsh-born patron saint leaving many English people bamboozled as to why the same affection is not shown towards St George admitted: “We do a lot in this country for St Patrick’s Day and I was thinking the other week why we don’t do the same for St George’s Day.” Canvey Island is known as a tourist spot of choice for Essex and East London residents who believes Canvey’s drop in Englishness stems from the failures of Brexit also told GB News: “I will be raising a glass for St George’s Day This has nothing to do with football culture St George’s Day doesn’t seem to be celebrated much at all like everyone else does for St Patrick’s Day.” There is also a growing perception that England is celebrating other cultures' events much more than its own “This country doesn’t do anything to celebrate being English,” Steve Love who relocated from Dagenham after working in the East London pub trade around 20-years ago I’m also sad that Easter isn’t celebrated more We celebrate other faiths without any shame.” Lorraine Adams also said: “It’s not the English way to celebrate our own country and traditions Sir Keir Starmer came under fire for failing to mark Ash Wednesday before wishing Britons Eid Mubarak King Charles also raised eyebrows after making reference to both Judaism and Islam in his Easter message ARE YOU CELEBRATING ST GEORGE'S DAY? CLICK HERE TO HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE COMMENTS BELOW more fury was reserved for Norwood Primary School after it decided to cancel its Easter service citing “inclusivity and respect for the diverse religious beliefs represented” locally But some Canvey locals were clearly struggling to see the point of celebrating St George’s Day. a member of Canvey Island’s Conservative Club I haven’t done anything before and we don’t really do anything to celebrate it in this country.” Jane replied: “I’m sometimes proud to be English but when you see what English people get up to - especially abroad - I’m sometimes not.” who was clearly aware that St George was born in modern-day Turkey also quipped: “We’ve got about five Turkish restaurants That’s the most appropriate way to celebrate St George.” Despite the clear collapse in English pride some Canvey locals remain keen to do their bit “Here in King’s Park we will celebrate St George’s Day as well as a big 80th VE Day celebration,” William O’Dowd said There has been a rise in Turkish restaurants across Canvey Echoing Romford MP Andrew Rosindell's recent calls O'Dowd added: “April 23 should be a Bank Holiday.” King’s Park is located in Canvey Islands’ Newlands ward where English identity reaches a local high of 32.6 per cent Janet Layton also said: “I always put my St George’s flag out on my balcony.” Despite concerns about people being too scared or embarrassed to celebrate St George’s Day GB News found a number of events have been scheduled for April 23 The local Conservative Club is marking the occasion with a bash at 4pm promising a “not to be missed” event in the form of an “old style street party with music” Punters have even been encouraged to wear their best red and white outfits Canvey Island’s Royal British Legion is also knocking off 20p from its wines HOW ARE YOU CELEBRATING ST GEORGE'S DAY? CLICK HERE TO TELL US YOUR PLANS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW An event is being held at the Royal British Legion A painting is displayed on a sea wall on March 24 told GB News: “We’re putting up bunting on April 23 for St George’s Day and we are also doing a big day to mark VE Day on May 10.” Other events include a craft fayre and coffee morning to honour St George at the Methodist Church on Waarden Road on April 26 Castle Point's Tory MP Dame Rebecca Harris also spoke to GB News about Canvey's sense of English pride and declining levels of patriotism more broadly “There are a lot of families who moved here one or two generations ago from the East End of London famous for its ‘blitz spirit’ The sense of national pride and community across Castle Point is one of the things I love best about being the local MP Harris added: “It’s very sad that the feeling of national pride is on the decline I don’t think people feel like this Government reflects or even understands their sense of national pride or Englishness.” Reform UK’s 2024 Castle Point candidate Keiron McGill also welcomed efforts to hold events to mark St George’s Day “I love it when a community comes together,” he told GB News who came runner-up to Harris by just 3,251 votes added: “Much more visual pride should be taken to commemorate this day at least giving English people a day to come together and celebrate I haven’t seen anything listed after reviewing local council websites.” Castle Point Borough Council confirmed it has not scheduled any official events for St George’s Day “There’s none that I’m aware of,” a council worker told GB News. “We have done in the past and sometimes it is simply raising the flag of St George.” DO YOU IDENTIFY AS ENGLISH OR BRITISH? CLICK HERE TO TELL US IN THE COMMENTS BELOW Arcades remain a staple of Canvey's seafront Houses lie next to the shoreline on March 24 Canvey’s fall in national pride mirrors a national collapse from 60.4 per cent to just 15.3 per cent in a 10-year period with the number of British-identifying Englishmen and women surging as a result The 2011 Census put Canvey Island’s English-only population at 77.5 per cent well-above the 27.3 per cent recorded four-years ago And a further 16.9 per cent now identify as both English and British with the proportion of residents identifying as British soaring from just 11 per cent to 52.5 per cent The collapse seen in England was not mirrored in Wales with a modest 2.3 per cent drop in Welshness on the other side of the River Severn and a British bump of just 1.6 per cent Professor John Denham highlighted some of the issues in the methodology used by the Office for National Statistics who previously served as a Labour MP before heading up the University of Southampton’s Centre for English Identity and Politics told GB News: “You can’t compare the most recent ONS with the previous one because they changed the ordering of the questions “Most reliable polls show a gradual shift from people saying they are more English than British to equally English and British but there’s no sign of people stopping being English entirely.” GB News has approached Castle Point Borough Council and Canvey Island Town Council for comment An Ade Yusuff leads Invicta to 3 points against Canvey Island Dover Athletic welcome Canvey Island to The Megger Community Stadium in the Isthmian Premier Division as we look to continue our time at the top of the table in a tense Isthmian League Premier Division clash Chatham Town and Dover Athletic drew 1-1 at The Bauvill Stadium After a goalless first half with several missed chances for Chatham the hosts took the lead in the 51st minute through captain Jack Evans’ curling strike Dover quickly responded as top scorer George Nikaj equalised in the 64th minute but resolute defending and crucial saves from Chatham’s Joe Wright saw the game end level The result extended Dover’s strong form atop the league Kieron Agbebi (foot) and Joe Tennent (ankle) remain unavailable with injury I think Canvey have picked up a little bit from theirs lightly poor start They can be a difficult team and have some good players So what we can’t do is drop our standards and think after the great week we’ve had with the three results that it’s going to be easy because no game in this league is easy So we’ve just got to continue picking up points Obviously with JT injured now and a few suspensions looming it’s going to be a really tricky period coming up towards Christmas We’re going to need everyone involved to stay with us and hopefully we can keep on grinding out results and picking up points” Canvey Island moved up to 10th place with a dramatic 2-1 win over Whitehawk at the Steves Taxis Stadium Whitehawk struck first through Kai Jennings in the 14th minute who later threatened a second but hit the crossbar Canvey equalised when Jaxon Brown was fouled in the box; his rebound off a saved penalty leveled the game The Gulls pressed throughout the second half but only clinched victory in stoppage time securing three points and bringing Canvey within four points of the playoff spots Canvey Island’s league campaign in the Isthmian Premier has them positioned in 10th place with 19 points from 14 games they have achieved a strong record with 5 wins while their away record has been less consistent The team has scored 23 goals but conceded 24 09/11 – Whitehawk (H) – Won 2-105/11 – Buckhurst Hill (A) – Won 3-0 (Essex Senior Cup)02/11 – Chichester City (H) – Lost 2-329/10 – Cheshunt (A) – Won 1-026/10 – Horsham (H) – Lost 0-2 (FA Trophy) We look forward to welcoming Canvey Island to the Megger Community Stadium. More information on getting to the ground can be found here: https://doverathletic.com/visit-crabble/ Adults: £15Concessions: £14U18: £9U11: FREE with a paying adult We now only accept card on the gate and operate a cashless ground Dover Athletic edged out Canvey Island in a thrilling encounter at the Megger Community Stadium securing a 3-2 victory that extends their unbeaten run in the Isthmian League Premier Division to seven matches A spirited display from the Whites in front of 911 fans saw them come from behind twice before sealing the win with a moment of brilliance The visitors took an early lead in controversial fashion After Elliott Ronto’s long-range effort struck the crossbar initial confusion arose as the assistant referee flagged for offside after deliberation with referee Daniel Blades adjudging the ball to have crossed the line and George Nikaj came close to leveling shortly after with a fierce strike that whistled wide Persistence paid off just before half-time when Ruben Soares-Junior netted a beautifully crafted equaliser and Soares-Junior coolly slotted home his 10th goal of the campaign Canvey regained the lead in the second half through Ronto’s second of the afternoon A free-kick from distance caught Dover’s keeper Mitch Walker off guard squirming beneath him to restore the visitors’ advantage and Alfie Matthews stepped up with a stunning strike in the 72nd minute bending the ball into the top corner to make it 2-2 George Nikaj capped off a remarkable turnaround with a thunderous effort from range The ball cannoned off the crossbar and over the line sparking celebrations among the home faithful Canvey pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages with Walker making a crucial save to deny Emmanuel Adebiyi Bobby Mason thwarted Soares-Junior’s bid for a second goal Manager Jake Leberl will be pleased with his side’s resilience and attacking flair as they head into their next fixture top of the table and face off against struggling Bowers & Pitsea Dover Athletic 3Ruben SOARES-JUNIOR (45′)Alfie MATTHEWS (72′)George NIKAJ (74′) Canvey Island 2Elliott Ronto (10′)Elliott Ronto (57′) Isthmian League – Premier DivisionAttendance: 911Kick-off: 3pmReferee: Daniel BladesVenue: Megger Community Stadium Ade Yusuff scores his first hat-trick at Cheriton Road to see Invicta to 3 points Folkestone Invicta returned to winning ways as an Ade Yusuff hat-trick and a strike from Dean Rance secured all 3 points against 10-man Canvey Island Invicta lined up with 3 changes from our defeat to Cheshunt 11 days ago With Joe Tyrie injured and loaned Sam Smith returning to Maidstone United Marvel Ekpiteta and Frankie Morgan came into the defence Andy Drury reshuffled his attack as new signing midfielder Luke Allen replaced winger Joe Turner After an opening half hour that saw chances limited for both sides Ade Yusuff gave Invicta the lead when a mistake from goalkeeper Bobby Mason who kicked his clearance against the forward allowed Dan Smith to find Yusuff who saw a first effort saved but not a 2nd Invicta doubled the lead in 1st half stoppage time allowing Yusuff to fire home from close range Canvey’s Tobi Tinubu picked up 2 bookings in the opening 13 minutes of the second half the see the visitors reduced to 10 men Invicta looked to have sealed the points just after the hour mark Invicta managing to maintain pressure on Canvey after a corner was cleared Amadou Kassaraté laying the ball to Dean Rance on the edge of the box to lash an effort inside the post an effort from a tight angle parried by Jonny Henly before bouncing into the net off Ian Gayle Evans Kouassi dazzled his fullback to deliver a cross from the right that found Yusuff free to head home Ade took the matchball home twice in his second spell at the club from wins away to Ashford Town (Middlesex) and Corinthian-Casuals but this was his first at Cheriton Road thoroughly enjoying the afternoon’s entertainment were given more to cheer as Nathan Green entered the field in place of Frankie Morgan his first appearance since returning ti the club An even louder reception was given to Yusuff as he exited the pitch a couple of minutes later a ball over the Invicta defence smashed home from a tight angle by Emmanuel Adebiyi with little over 10 minutes remaining Invicta will feel the scoreline should have been increased Dan Smith in particular seeing 2 great chances denied in the closing stages 3 points proved vital for Invicta on a day when 9 of the top 11 sides in the Isthmian Premier Division won Ade Yusuff was awarded Man of the Match and a little of Prosecco to go with his matchball by | Mar 7, 2025 | Front Page Cray Wanderers vs Canvey Island – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 8th March Cray Wanderers play the first of three home matches in March on Saturday (8/3) with Canvey Island visiting Flamingo Park for the first time The Wands will be looking to bounce back from last Saturday’s rather unlucky defeat at Chichester City and gain the three points needed to reach over the 50 points mark and beat the total gained last season with nine games still to play The defeat at Chichester left Cray still in 9th place a position they will remain in even if Neil Smith’s side win on Saturday on 48 points and possibly means the playoff hopes remain distinctly faint but the club are in a much better position than when the Wands visited Canvey Island in late November when Cray were very much in a relegation scrap Soul Kader’s goal at Chichester made that five goals in his first four games back with Cray on loan from Bromley and looks to be getting even more sharper a forward who played for Cray during the 1990-91 season scored in his first seven games as a Wand so Soul still has a little way to go Cray will be reassured that Tom Bonner is available for selection again following suspension and Frankie Raymond was one of the star performers at Chichester was free to play after his red card in the Folkestone Invicta game was rescinded by the FA The main injury absentee is ex-Canvey midfielder Charlie Edwards but most of the squad are available to play Nyren Clunis made his 100th appearance against Chichester for the club whilst a young subs bench saw substitute appearances for George Penn on loan from Bromley until the end of the season Victor Damyanovs and Tom Borders with the latter two stars of the Wands U23s team this season Canvey Island will come into the game perhaps in greater need of a win than the Wands with Brad Wellman’s side in 18th place on 35 points four clear of 19th placed Hendon with a game in hand Canvey are four without a win including three without scoring but did pick up a point from a goalless draw at home to Dover Athletic last Saturday which certainly helped the teams chasing for the playoffs believe they still have a chance of catching 5th placed Dover Canvey Island though do have a cup final to look forward to later this month having reached the final of the BBC Essex Senior Cup where they play Hornchurch on 18th March at Colchester United’s JobServe Community Stadium having beaten Buckhurst Hill Brightlingsea Regent and Chelmsford City en route to the final When the teams met at Canvey on 23rd November the home side won a scrappy game played in blustery conditions 2-0 with Bradley Sach scoring twice including a penalty but the final score didn’t really do the Wands justice on the day After losing their first four games of the season their form picked up during the autumn and away form was better than at home They lost their other fixtures at Chichester City (1-2) Home form for Canvey has been surprisingly disappointing as they always seem to do well at home with wins against Bowers & Pitsea (2-0) They drew with Cray Valley and Dover Athletic but lost to Hashtag United Top scorer is Chris Harris with 8 goals and next host Lewes next Saturday This will be a poignant day with Cray paying tribute to the club’s Life President Peter Jackson who passed away last Saturday and the club will hope to give Peter an occasion to remember on and off the pitch £6 concession/U16-13s – on gate or online at www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets –  Match Programme £3 Monthly Meat Raffle draw (£1 ticket or £4 a strip A TRIBUTE TO PETE JACKSON FROM PROGRAMME EDITOR – PHIL BABBS THE PRE-MATCH THOUGHTS/PROGRAMME NOTES OF NEIL SMITH Let’s start by looking back to the game at Chichester City on 1st March which ended in a defeat but one where perhaps we deserved to get something out of the game and unfortunate to come home with nothing I thought first half we probably started a bit lacklustre and obviously after the first fifteen minutes they got the first goal After that though I thought we matched them and more Obviously we get an equaliser and then Chichester get a second goal but after that we dominated without scoring and it was rather harsh on the boys to have to come away with no points We wanted to get a win or at get at least a draw but it was a tough one to take coming away with nothing Taking a look back to Soul Kader’s goal on Saturday That made it 5 goals in just 4 games and we’ve had our historians looking through the records to find a player that has a similar record Neil Missen back in 1990 scored in his first seven games so Soul still has a little way to go but heading in the right direction at least Soul has been brilliant since he’s come in We knew him obviously we had him before when we first arrived on loan from Bromley and also because he was training with the first team at Bromley when I was there He was amazing at that time and then picked up a nasty injury but since coming to us for the remainder of the season he has been superb and he is only going to get sharper and fitter What Soul gives you is if he gets a chance he will take it Looking back to our last home game on 22nd February We had to show an incredible amount of resilience seeing as we were down to ten men for a large chunk of the game I thought we began the match very strong getting an early goal through Soul We then rather gifted them a goal and they had the impetus going into half time Then we lost Frankie Raymond to a red card but the boys pulled together and made that extra man up and Soul scored again Then we go 3-1 up through Josh Williams which was a goal worthy of winning any game We have a great team spirit despite not having a big squad and with kids on the bench we are all pulling together to get that result and it was well deserved I thought Let’s take it to today and the visit of Canvey Island They are in need of three points as close to the bottom four going into today but picked up a useful point at home to Dover Athletic on Saturday which helped the sides chasing the playoffs Traditionally Canvey are a hard side to play against and you never quite know what side of the bed the team are getting out of as can be unpredictable What you get from a Canvey Island side is a real battle we missed a penalty and should have probably got a draw in difficult conditions I know though that their manager Bradley Wellman will have them fired up as they are fighting for their lives and it will be a very tough game for us   We know what we can expect from them but it us up to us to demonstrate our style of play and get another run going after a defeat last Saturday We want to get a win as quickly as we can and at home as well and just see where we are at the end of the season Finally Neil in the programme and before and during the game today we will be remembering Peter Jackson our life President who passed away aged 71 just before kick off on Saturday Peter lived a life through football especially with Cray Wanderers having a 50+ year’s association but also knew nearly everyone in non league football and football needs those characters Obviously it is a very sad loss for the club I did know Peter and during my time at the club was always very supportive whether we won With the history of the club and how important he was when the club were based at Oxford Road and what he did for us since anyone who has been at a club like Cray Wanderers that long deserves an incredible day on Saturday and hopefully we can do him proud and get a result Cray Wanderers FC – Flamingo Park Sports & Leisure – Sidcup By-Pass Flamingo Park lies on the A20 and is the new home of Cray Wanderers and used for the Men and Women’s First Team Academy side and the club house hosts live music and private events For the 2024-25 season Bexley FC will also play their Kent County League Premier games at Flamingo Park M20 – Follow the M20 for 16.8 miles then continue on to A20 for 3.6 miles then continue on to Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 1.9 miles Continue onto Sidcup By-Pass/A20 for 0.3 miles then take a left into the ground entrance and another left for the car park A2 – Get on the M2 from A229 for 5.1 miles After merging onto the M2 after 5.5 miles continue onto Watling Street/A2 for 8.7 miles Use the left lane to take the M25 (S) slip road to M23 for 0.7 miles Merge onto the M25 for 2.4 miles then at junction 3 exit towards A20/London (SE)/Swanley for 0.3 miles take the 5th exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.8 miles Merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles then continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 1.9 miles Continue onto Sidcup By-Pass/A20 for 0.3 miles then take a left into the ground entrance and another left for the car park Via A20 – If traveling from London take A3212 A302 and Westminster Bridge Road and at the roundabout take the 3rd exit onto St George’s Circus/A201 and after 0.3 miles turn left onto New Kent Road/A201 for 0.5 miles Then keep right staying on New Kent Road/A201 for 0.4 miles and then onto Old Kent Road/A2 for 2.6 miles Take a slight right onto Amersham Road/A2/A20 then a left onto Amersham Road/A20 for 0.2 miles Take a slight right onto Lewisham Way/A20 for 1.1 miles and then use the left 3 lanes to turn left onto Rennell Street/A20 for 1.9 miles Use the right 2 lanes to turn slightly onto Sidcup Road/A20 for 0.3 miles then at the roundabout take the 2nd exit and stay on Sidcup Road/A20 for 3.7 miles Then take the A222 towards Bromley/Chislehurst/Sidcup for 0.2 miles then at Frognal Corner Roundabout take the 4th exit  onto the A20 slip road to C Then merge onto the Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 0.6 miles and then onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles Then take a left into the entrance to the ground and another left into the car park Via A13 – If traveling from Essex/East Anglia get onto the A13 for 11.6 miles Use the left lane to take the M25 (N)/M25 (S) slip road to M11/M1/Stansted Airport/Dartford Crossing/A282 for 0.2 miles At Mardyke Junction take the 1st exit for 0.3 miles and then use the right lane to take the A282 slip road to M25 (S)/Dartford Crossing then keep right at the fork to continue towards A282 for 3.8 miles Use the right 3 lanes to stay on A282 then follow signs for M20/M23/Gatwick Airport /M25/Channel Tunnel/Dover for 0.6 miles Continue onto M25 (signs for Dover/M20/Channel Tunnel/M23 for 3.3 miles At junction 3 exit towards A20/London (SE)/Swanley for 0.3 miles and at Swanley Interchange take the 5th exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.8 miles continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Rd/A20 for 1.9 miles and then continue onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles then turn left into the entrance to the ground and then a left into the car park If traveling from Sussex/South best get on Hastings Road/Pembury By-Pass/A21 in Kent from A267 and after 9.4 miles continue straight onto Sevenoaks Bypass/A21 for 3.8 miles and then keep right to continue onto M25 After 7.9 miles at junction 3 use the left 2 lanes to take the A20 exit to London/Lewisham/Channel Tunnel/Maidstone/M20 for 0.3 miles At Swanley Interchange take the 2nd exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.5 miles The Car Park is free for supporters and there should be space between 400 cars on site Please note bays in front of the main entrance are reserved for club officials By Train – Nearest BR Station – New Eltham – 1 mile Trains from London Charing Cross/London Cannon Street/London Bridge or from Dartford/Gravesend There are four trains an hour heading to New Eltham from London Charing Cross For returns there are also four trains back to London From the station walk south-east onto Foots Cray Road/A211 for 0.3 miles then turn right onto Thaxted Road for 0.2 miles Then turn left towards Sidcup Road/A20 and cross over the pedestrian footbridge and take a sharp and then a slight right towards Sidcup Road/A20 for 0.4 miles and then turn right and then a left into the entrance to the ground By Bus – The best bet is to get the 233 from Swanley Eltham or New Eltham which stops on Thaxted Road but is around 0.8 miles to the ground The 162 bus which starts in Bromley stops on Slades Drive where you can access the public footpath opposite the bus stop and is around a ten minute walk to the ground This bus also stops at New Eltham Station for your return journey TAXIS –  TAXIS – ALL DAY CARS – NEW ELTHAM – 020 8850 0032 Nearest Hotel:   Premier Inn London Eltham take A20 Sidcup Bypass until you reach Fiveways where Sidcup Road meets Green Lane Premier Inn Eltham is situated on the corner and the entrance to the car park is on Green Lane https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-eltham.html The Car Park is free for supporters and there should be space between 700-800 cars on site Close to New Eltham Station are the Beehive pub plus the Pope Street Bar & Kitchen and the Nest offers hot drinks/alcoholic drinks and live music There are also places to eat and a wide range of takeaway outlets as well as Fish & Chip and a Pie & Mash shop Alternatively if you travel from Sidcup there are a wide range of pubs to choose from Dulwich Hamlet secured their Isthmian League Premier Division status after a 2-1 home win against Canvey Island on Saturday The result means the South London club can no longer be dragged into the bottom four with Hendon Bognor Regis Town and Bowers & Pitsea making the drop Hamlet fell behind to Bradley Sach’s 11th-minute goal Amaru Kaunda equalised in the 69th minute with Luke Wandadio’s 90th-minute penalty secured maximum points Dulwich are back in action at Carshalton Athletic today as well as things to do sign up to our newsletter A popular amusement park has announced their closure leaving a local community devastated has said they have closed and their site has been cleared of all rides and facilities The announcement from the family-friendly attraction comes just hours after thousands of school children across Essex began their half-term holidays Leisure Island Fun Park has not given a reason for their closure but said they hoped they had created plenty of memories for visitors Locals have been left devastated at the closure of Leisure Island Fun Park One person said the seafront "won't be the same" whilst another person said they "loved bringing my children there and now my grandchildren" READ MORE: The stunning Essex manor where Henry VIII used secret tunnels to romance Anne Boleyn ALSO READ: The Essex restaurant dubbed the 'most romantic place' to eat in the county Carly Geary posted on Facebook: "Sad that other little ones won’t get to experience the fun but thank you for all the wonderful memories with my little one who is now 11 When we first went here with our son 12 years ago we couldn't believe the little gem we found so much cheaper than Southend and we returned time and time again with family Thank you for never trying to rip off families and always giving us value for money A spokesperson for the amusement park said: "We are sadly announcing the closure of Leisure Island Fun Park on Canvey Seafront The site has now been cleared of all rides and facilities "Can we thank EVERYONE who has supported us over the last 20 years we have been open Also can we thank the nearly 3000 members of staff who worked at the park over the years As everyone knows 95% of our staff were 16 and 17 year olds and started their working life at the park "It’s so sad we have had to close the park but hopefully we have created loads of memories for the families that visited us." Dartford registered a first home victory of the season after a smart substitution and tweak in the formation during the second-half saw the points swing the way of the hosts As 819 supporters enjoyed a beautiful afternoon at Bericote Powerhouse Princes Park the two protagonists shut each other out in a rather scrappy first-half the closest anybody came was when Ewan Sanchez’s 38th minute free-kick sailed straight into the arms of Dartford goalkeeper Matt Kerbey The free-kick was awarded after Samuel Okoye and Tobi Tinubu collided just outside the Dartford box It wasn’t the first occasion the two came together either as a more serious collision occurred just five minutes beforehand which resulted in both players receiving treatment and Eddie Dsane getting into some promising positions the visitors’ gameplan prevented any real goalscoring opportunities from occurring during an extremely tight and un-entertaining first-half The prospects of the game improving on the pitch in the second-half looked grim as well to be honest That was until an Ady Pennock masterstroke changed the complexion of this fixture Midfielder Tyler Christian-Law was introduced for defender Mert Apat after 58 minutes which saw the Darts change formation as well they edged ahead via an outstanding strike by the superb Sam Odaudu (62) had Elliott Ronto directed his header on target instead of the wrong side of Matt Kerbey’s upright back in the 48th minute Canvey Island tried to respond but offered very little to test the Dartford shot-stopper from then on despite the hosts pressing forward with pace at every opportunity it was a defensive mistake that sealed the win for the Darts with eight minutes remaining… A wayward pass was intercepted by Tyler Christian-Law and the substitute raced through to open his account for Dartford and seal the points (82) As far as the remaining substitutions are concerned Ady went on to swap Eddie Dsane with Ben Allen (84) and Jeremiah Pinder with George Whitefield (90+4) as the hosts saw out the remainder of the game Sam Odaudu’s superb performance and goal… a certain contender for goal of the season… earned him the Man of The Match award for the second game running And this one was definitely worth celebrating as the Darts jump up to sixth in the Isthmian Premier League table After back to back home games at the Alcaline Stadium Invicta begins a run of away fixtures with a trip to Canvey Island on Saturday afternoon Invicta will visit Barton Rovers in the FA Trophy and Carshalton Athletic in the Isthmian Premier Division with our trip to Horsham now postponed for the 3rd time due to their involvement in the FA Cup 1st Round Invicta’s next home fixture is the visit of Dover Athletic on Bonfire Night. Tickets are available online now and selling fast, we advise supporters to purchase tickets as early as possible. You can purchase online here. Folkestone Invicta Supporters Club is running travel for the trip to Canvey Island, with seats still available. More info on how to book a seat can be found here. Invicta will be missing defender Marvel Ekpiteta following his dismissal against Hashtag United last Saturday. Chris Sessegnon will also be missing having dislocated his shoulder during the 8-1 win over Ascot United in the FA Trophy. Joel Odeniran has been recalled from his loan spell at Isthmian South East Division side Herne Bay. Joel made 9 appearances during his loan spell, scoring the equalising goal in a 2-1 win over Eastbourne Town on Tuesday night in his final appearance. Winger Evans Kouassi will be coming up against his former club, having joined Invicta from Canvey in the summer. Manager Andy Drury spoke ahead of Saturday’s fixture: “The lads have been in for a good week of training as we prepare for a run of away fixture starting on Saturday at Canvey Island. It will be a tough place to go, as recent results have shown but we have prepared ourselves to go give a performance that brings back three points.” Invicta have won just 1 of 4 against Canvey Island since their return to the Isthmian Premier Division in 2022, losing on both visits to Essex. A Tom Derry header at the Alcaline Stadium settled the last meeting between the clubs in March to end that run of defeats for Invicta. Now in their 3rd season back in the Isthmian Premier Division, Canvey currently sit in 16th place with 10 points from 9 games. It hasn’t been the best start to the season for Canvey but 4 wins from their last 6 fixtures suggests an upturn in form in recent weeks. Evans Kouassi wasn’t the only forward to depart Canvey Island for Kent in the summer, with Bradley Sach making the move to Chatham Town. After 8 appearances for The Chats, Sach is now back in yellow, with to games under his belt. Despite having not yet found the net since his return, Sach boasts a healthy record against Invicta, with 5 goals in 4 appearances against us over the past 2 years. Always check rail times/strike action before you travel.  By Train: The closest rail station to Canvey Island is Benfleet. From Benfleet Station, take the 22 bus service and alight at the transport museum which is a 3 minute walk from the Steves Taxi’s Stadium. The game is pay in the gate with no tickets on sale in advance. Folkestone Invicta F.C. Ltd. Registered in England. Company Number 04243803. Majority shareholder Addington Leisure Ltd. “There’s only one politician standing up for England,” Canvey Island pensioner Terry White said with a grin on his face the former bastion of English pride has entered patriotic decline At a time when locals expressed fears about celebrating St George's Day many are now turning to a relatively new political force to restore a sense of English zeal And given Canvey has already elected one Labour MP during the constituency's Tory-dominated inception Reform UK's crusaders now look poised to lead the patriotic fight back on the Essex coast “I just feel so let down,” one local resident told GB News “I voted for Brexit to take back control of our borders but it's just gotten out of control It soon became clear that more and more locals had pinned Canvey’s drop in Englishness on the legacy of both the Tories and Labour Nigel Farage celebrating England's goal at the pub in the 2024 Euros Nigel Farage celebrating St George's Day who relocated to Canvey Island from Dagenham around 20 years ago admitted: “I’m not as proud of being English as I used to be We’ve been let down by successive Governments for the past 20 years.” who had a St George’s tattoo injected onto his forearm also expressed his hopes of Farage turning the ship around Basking in the spring sun outside Sak's Bar Love added: “The only way we can change it now is get Reform in and that’s only if they do what they’re promising went on to describe the Channel crossing crisis as the single biggest issue facing the country And even those who supported Remain could not disassociate Englishness from Farage’s biggest political moment: the Brexit referendum who was among just 27.3 per cent of Castle Point residents to support staying in the EU in 2016 said: “A lot of the change comes from people regretting their decision Nigel Farage visiting Canvey ahead of the 2015 General Election There are also growing concerns about England’s history and traditions being rubbished in recent years a woman was on TV calling for us to tear down Nelson’s Column It’s like every part of our history is getting erased.” A tweed-clad John Sutton added: “I’m in the RAF Association and compared to the Americans we don’t show any support for our Armed Forces … It’s such a shame and it’s only getting worse.” The latest Census highlights the stark drop in Englishness both in Canvey and England at large The 2011 Census had put Canvey Island’s English-only population at 77.5 per cent but the latest survey showed the figure had fallen to just 27.3 per cent four years ago the 8.6 per cent of residents who identified as both English and British jumped to 16.9 per cent with the proportion identifying as British soaring from just 11 per cent to 52.5 per cent which is covered by Castle Point in Westminster delivered a knife-edge Tory victory in the 2024 General Election DO YOU THINK ENGLAND'S HISTORY AND TRADITIONS HAVE BEEN RUBBISHED IN RECENT YEARS? CLICK HERE TO HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE COMMENTS Reform UK’s Keiron McGill secured 12,234 votes just 3,251 ballots behind sitting Conservative MP Rebecca Harris Recent opinion polls suggest Reform UK would now snatch the Essex seaside town along with swathes of others across parts of England with high levels of patriotic fervour And Canvey has been in Farage's sights for the best part of two decades with the Clacton MP visiting the seaside town during his victorious 2014 and 2019 EU Parliament Election campaigns Ukip even managed to represent the coastal constituency in the House of Commons albeit only briefly following Bob Spink’s 2008 defection there remains clear evidence that Reform UK can count on higher levels of support among proudly English voters And Reform UK knows there is an opportunity to monopolise and even cannibalise the issue “Both the Conservatives and Labour have built an education system rooted in British guilt and designed to undermine traditional masculinity,” Ashfield MP Lee Anderson told the People’s Channel Nigel Farage meets supporters in Canvey Island while on the European Election campaign trail “They have ruined patriotism through their failure to make people proud Reform UK will remind the public that Britain is one of the most generous We are hard-working people with every reason to be proud.” He added: “Patriotism demands leadership that believes in its own citizens Reform will always put the British people first - so they choose to stay overlooking the clear local association between patriotism and Reform Harris instead swiped at Labour on the question of Englishness who serves as Kemi Badenoch’s Opposition Chief Whip said: “There is a unique sense of community in Canvey It would be Emily Thornberry’s worst nightmare - lots of vans and St George’s flags.” She added: “It’s very sad that the feeling of national pride is on the decline Labour’s English problem does not just date back to Thornberry’s visit to Rochester & Strood in 2014 or Starmer's apparent inability to display a St George’s flag following his landslide victory “In left-wing circles,” George Orwell wrote in his 1941 essay The Lion and the Unicorn “it is always felt that there is something slightly disgraceful in being an Englishman and that it is a duty to snigger at every English institution.” Speaking to GB News on St George's Day Farage inadvertently echoed Orwell's damning wartime assessment the very thought of Englishness is almost abhorrent," the Reform UK leader said Despite Labour's long-standing patriotism problem ex-MP Tristam Hunt and activist musician Billy Bragg have all proved that left-leaning thinkers believe there is room for Englishness in the Labour Party Dover & Deal MP Mike Tapp believes Labour’s commitment to delivery proves it is already the true party of patriotism The ex-army intelligence officer told the People’s Channel: “When we talk about patriotism that means standing up for the country and what we’ve already seen from Labour is fixing the NHS and reducing waiting times “We’ve put £1,400 extra in millions of workers’ pockets through raising the minimum wage we’ve been trying to stabilise the economy after inheriting an absolute mess and putting more police on the streets to combat anti-social behaviour.” Taking a direct swipe at both the Tories and Reform given they cut the military to its smallest size since the Napoleonic times The NHS was left completely on its knees and tanked the economy then you don’t want what’s best for this country and they’ve voted against all of the measures that will help working people across the country.” And Starmer himself could not help but take a veiled swipe at Farage during his St George's Day tribute WHICH POLITICAL PARTY DO YOU THINK BEST REPRESENTS ENGLISHNESS? CLICK HERE TO HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE COMMENTS BELOW Nigel Farage proudly flashes with UK socks in the EU Parliament "That flag doesn't belong to me as Prime Minister," Starmer said to England in all of its wonderful diversity And we should be proud of that flag and we must never concede it because it's an expression of our values and our patriotism." The Prime Minister also vowed to "wrench the flag out of the hands of those who want to divide this nation and reclaim it for good" adding: "That’s what we must do for our country Following Starmer's St George's Day comments Farage told the People's Channel: "You get the feeling that what's happening today (April 23) in Downing Street - with the flag of St George and Starmer saying he wants to reclaim the flag - basically the Labour Party and the Prime Minister is dancing to Reform's tune." research conducted shortly before the 2024 General Election by More in Common found around 23 per cent of “English only” voters backed Reform UK well-above the populist party's 14.4 per cent UK-wide haul Reform’s support slowly drops when voters feel less English dipping down to just nine per cent among “British only” respondents with 28 per cent of “English only” voters backing the Conservatives in 2024 but just 19 per cent of “British only” voters doing the same the problem for the Tories in 2024 was that the drop in support it witnessed last July was exacerbated by the support it lost from English-identifying voters The Tories suffered a 26 per cent drop among “English only” voters and a 28 per cent slump among “more English than British” voters Labour made the most gains amongst “English only” voters with the once-steadfast Tories handing Starmer an eight-point boost Reform’s subsequent surge in support has likely been propelled by voters who describe themselves as English rather than British More in Common found Backbone Conservatives Loyal Nationals and Disengaged Traditionalists identify more as English than British - with Reform’s support among those groups soaring by four The only exception among groups who were more likely to identify as British came among Disengaged Battlers Despite many in Canvey wanting to deliver a damning verdict on the first 10 months of Starmer’s Government Essex was among the councils to axe its otherwise imminent local election contests this May HOW DO YOU SHOW YOUR NATIONAL PRIDE? CLICK HERE TO TELL US IN THE COMMENTS BELOW Flags proudly on show on Canvey Island's high street The county was arguably seen as Reform’s number one target with the populist party already returning two MPs and emerging as a clear challenger in an additional eight out of 18 seats GB News’s number-crunchers have revealed some of the other patches of predominantly Brexit-backing England where Farage can set his sights More than 20 areas where more than one-in-five locals identified as “English only” will return councillors to their respective county halls on May 1 And many overlap with Electoral Calculus’s recent research pinpointing where Reform UK can expect to make the most significant inroads which could see Reform emerge as its largest party includes Amber Valley and North East Derbyshire which has already delivered a number of by-election successes for Reform could propel the populist party to a similar position in Kent Warwickshire and Worcestershire could also prove fruitful for Farage FOR MORE ON REFORM'S PUSH TO TAKE KENT CLICK HERE Englishness (shown in dark blue) by local authority area Nowcast's forecast gains for Reform UK based on current polling Nowcast also shows Reform UK leaving its mark on Welsh politics which is expanding its support far beyond England could now snatch Montgomeryshire & Glyndwr Neath & Swansea East and Rhondda & Ogmore Farage is expected to perform well in Wales next year potentially even supplanting Labour as the largest party in Cardiff Bay Reform could also surpass Ukip's high point by not only returning MSPs to Holyrood but becoming the third largest party by vote share north of the border Despite much being made of England's drop in Englishness experts have warned against putting too much faith in the Office for National Statistics' nationality data a former Labour MP who now heads up the University of Southampton’s Centre for English Identity and Politics told GB News: “You can't compare the most recent ONS with the previous one because they changed the ordering of the questions “Most reliable polls show a gradual drift from people saying they are more English than British to equally English and British There’s no sign of people stopping being English entirely.” On the overall shift in English identity since 2011 Professor Denham added: “Pride has fallen for Englishness and Britishness alike - no doubt the reasons you heard are part of this.” Invicta TV coverage from our trip to Canvey Island Majority shareholder Addington Leisure Ltd.