Boss Robbo rings the changes for premier challenge

4:03pm Wednesday 6th June 2001

Wood boss Graham Roberts has rang the changes in his playing squad as the club look forward to the new season.

Ironically, this flurry of activity comes a mere few weeks after Roberts' own future at Meadow Park appeared in doubt.

Talking earlier this week, the former Spurs and England star referred to that fateful period following Wood's end of season celebrations, telling me: "Danny [Hunter] rang me that Wednesday night to offer me a deal but it wasn't what I wanted at that precise moment.

"Some of the players phoned me on Thursday to ask what was going on, and Danny called again to say that he needed to know what I was going to do. I was going on a family holiday on that Friday morning at 7am, and I had intended to give him an answer when I got back.

"But Dan wanted a decision there and then, and so I said in that case, it would have to be no, because I wasn't prepared to stay on what was being offered."

However, a resolution was reached within days, after Chairman Hunter called Roberts in the Algarve with a revised deal, which was enough to restore what the Wood owner has called the "winning partnership" at Broughinge Road.

Since this agreement has been reached, Roberts has been busy in moulding his squad, to meet what are certain to be some stern challenges in the coming months.

The first priority was to convince influential skipper Garry Wotton to stay with the club he led to title-winning glory.

Happily, this has been achieved, despite the centre back receiving higher financial offers from elsewhere a point that Roberts was quick to point out illustrates perfectly Wotton's commitment to the cause.

It was revealed that the club have parted company with defenders Wayne Brown and Andy Polston, although Wotton will continue his partnership with Lee Harvey, who has signed on for the forthcoming campaign.

Roberts plans to strengthen his backline with the acquisition of Thame United's skipper Martin Brown, as he was hoping to close a deal this week with the 25-year-old stopper who captained the Oxfordshire club to promotion and the FA Vase semi-finals three years ago.

Wood player-coach Alan Paris appears to have played his last game for the club, after failing to respond to the club's offer by the end of last week.

Paris appeared 36 times for Wood, (five as a sub), scoring once.

More surprising is the loss of midfielder Otis Hutchings, who Roberts often singled out for praise during last season's successes, and whose dramatic turnaround in form won him his club's Most Improved Player award.

"We couldn't agree on money," said a disappointed Roberts, adding that a similar failure to concur on terms has seen the departure of tigerish midfielder Paul Kelly, a former Wood captain and winner of both club Player of the Year awards in the 1999/2000 season.

Kelly made 80 appearances (nine as a sub) for the club, scoring once. Hutchings scored three times in 42 outings.

The erratic Youness Nabil has also not been retained.

However Roberts has secured the signing of long-term associate Micky Engwell for another year, and has added another of his old sparing partners to the Wood ranks, in the form of Martin St Hilaire. The 37-year-old striker played alongside Roberts at Yeovil and Enfield, and includes Billericay among his other clubs.

Last season was an eventful one for him, briefly following Roberts as manager of Hertford before seeing out the campaign at relegated Romford.

Other definite additions to the squad include Wealdstone striker Brian Jones and classy Aylesbury skipper Phil Mason, who enjoyed such a good game for the Ducks at Meadow Park on Easter Monday.

Mason started his career at Newcastle United, and has served Kettering Town, Worcester City, Spennymoor United, Blyth Spartans, Brackley and Oxford City, before joining Aylesbury in the summer of 1998.

Meadow Park favourites such as Andre Delisser, John Lawford and double Player of the Year Dominic Grime remain under contract, and Roberts told me that he is looking to bring in another midfielder and a defender before the new Ryman Premier Division fixtures are published.