K'S MAKE DOUBLE SIGNING

Kingstonian FC are delighted to announce the signing of two players from local rivals Walton and Hersham. Striker Scott Edgar and defender Chris Whelan both join the club, whilst Sean Thurgood moves in the opposite direction.

Scott, 26, spent several years in the Scottish League, where he played for Queens Park and Stranraer among others. He spent just over a year with Walton before moving to Kingsmeadow.

Chris made almost 200 appearances in his five seasons with The Swans after joining them from Bangor City. Previous to that he won the Welsh Cup with Llansantffraid in 1996, playing in the European Cup Winners' Cup the following season.

Manager Kim Harris said: "I'm delighted that Scott and Chris have agreed to come to Kingsmeadow. I've been looking for a striker for some time, and Scott fits the bill perfectly.

"Chris is somebody that I've known for a while, and he'll bring a wealth of experience to our team. I wish them both the best of luck in our colours."

Defender Sean Thurgood is currently on loan at Walton, and his move will become permanent on Friday 21st February.

The semi-final draw is as follows:

"In which cup will K's progress the furthest now?"

Vote now on the main page.

SHAREHOLDERS' REVOLT HITS Ks by Paul Warburton and Tony Flood

The future of double FA Trophy winners Kingstonian is in doubt after a shareholders revolt, led by former chief executive Chris Kelly and other ex-directors, effectively scuppered the Company Voluntary Arrangement which would have allowed the club to come out of administration.

An the vote may be the opening shots in a battle for control of the Surrey club - with local businessman Malcolm Winwright, unsuccessful with a 750,000 bid a year ago - back on the scene.

If no deal can be done before the end of next month, the Surrey side could be banned by the Ryman League and forced into liquidation.

The shareholders - many former members of the consortium which tried to buy Ks nine months ago - defeated a move which would have given managing director Anup Khosla a controlling interest in the new company in charge of the club.

Former chairman Alan Kingston, one of the rebels, hinted at a move to oust the controlling Khosla family when he said, "My reason for a no vote was to get some positive action from the current board.

"In the last year weve seen the teams playing strength being run down, and it really has got to the stage where enough is enough."

Administrator Nick Hood had called the meeting to approve the issue of the remaining share capital of Kingstonian Football Club Ltd to Khosla, but the proposal was rejected by a four to three majority.

With most votes cast by proxy, the final total was 85,945 in favour and 125,870 against. The issue of the 750,000 shares, which would have given Anup and his father Rajesh, the chairman, a controlling interest, was a condition set by them for authorising the administrator to fund a CVA by paying 15,000 to settle with preferential creditors - the taxman, VAT and the Department of Trade and Industry.

The club will stay in administration. If there is no CVA by the end of February, the company which owns Kingstonian will go into liquidation.

Rajesh Khosla said: "The shareholders who voted against us have been misguided. Their action is not in the clubs best interests. Most of them are the former directors who took Kingstonian into administration."

They include Kingston, Malcolm Grant, Barry Gold, Gerry Desler, Noel Verbruggen and Kelly.

Kelly, who quit ten days after the Khoslas took over, says the are making a stand for the long-term good of the club. "The resolution to give the remaining shares to the Khoslas for 2p a share - which would merely pay the main creditors - was not acceptable," he said. "It is now deadlock. The Khoslas own the ground but we own the team. If he wants our shares he must pay a realistic price."

At the time, Hood said the consortiums bid was too late and a conditional offer. This week he said: "I will be taking advice on how to find a way forward - otherwise the company will go into liquidation."

KELLY WRONG TO BLOCK KHOSLAS

I attended the Kingstonian shareholders meeting last Monday. And I was angered by former chief executive Chris Kellys explanation for throwing Ks into further disarray by blocking the Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) agreed with creditors last August.

He argued that the Khosla family, who own and run the club, were not committed to the team. His criticisms were based on inaccurate speculation, Chris himself not having appeared at a Ks game since he was removed as a director.

And he failed to address why the CVA was necessary in the first place. He, and the former directors who supported him last Monday, presided over a financial shambles which left the club owing nearly 900,000, including 179,000 in payroll liabilities to the Inland Revenue and more than 400,000 to Barclays Bank.

He overlooked this when criticising the Khoslas for their tight budgetary control.

When criticising the Khoslas over the December departure of manager Steve Sedgley, he also over-looked the eight managers Ks went through in his eight years as managing director. And when he criticised the Khoslas for not settling the CVA or paying off football creditors, he was plain wrong.

The ex-directors actions put Ks immediate future in doubt. And it still remains unclear how they are for the long-term good of the club. Only Chris and his colleagues stand in the way of Ks coming out of administration.

It is time they got out of the way. And stayed out of the way.

Mark Murphy,
Chessington.

Brand New Car - To be won on the 31st January

Week 4 - Drawn 24/01/03



2000 Jackpot X.1851 Mrs Aldred

500 L.3712 Mr G Garden

200 EE0420 Mrs Marsden

200 R.0804 Jayne Blackburn

100 U.6352 S Clarke

100 AA0440 M Tarttelin

100 M.2466 Mr R Walker

100 J.4384 Mrs McCormick

100 AC4658 Mrs Foulger

100 HH3022 B W Sargeant

100 F.6797 M Jones

50 SS6482 Mr P Jack

50 K.2365 Mrs Arden

50 A.6931 Eliza Jeffrey

50 XX3003 Mr G Phillips

50 J.2426 Mr D Watson

50 W.0823 Mr J Gill

50 QQ4159 M Lehman

Plus over 400 other prizes each week, see full result sheet for details.

Promoter G. Warburton. Reg with the Gaming Board

ISTHMIAN LEAGUE ANNOUNCES THREE MORE YEARS WITH RYMAN

The Isthmian Football League has successfully negotiated a three year extension to its current agreement with main sponsor The Ryman Group.


The announcement, made at a meeting of clubs last night (Thursday 23rd Jan), means the competition will carry the name of Ryman until at least the end of the 2005/6 season. The Group first backed the League in 1997 and the new agreement means a total of nine seasons under the Ryman banner.


Chairman and Managing Director Alan Turvey said: I am delighted to be able to continue our association with The Ryman Group. Not only do they support our clubs and competition financially, but they provide so much ancillary assistance.


The sponsorship is to the value of 400,000 making a total over the nine year period in excess of 2.5 million.


Ryman Group Director Malcolm Cooke said We are pleased to continue our strong links with the League and wish them continued success for the future.

FAIRCLOUGH FOR ENGLAND

Former Stevenage Borough boss, Paul Fairclough, has been appointed as the new man in charge of the National Game XI, better known as the England semi-professional team.


The Football Association made the appointment following John Owens decision to stand down last year, since when his assistant, Steve Avory, has been in charge. Avory, I understand, will remain in the managerial team.


Fairclough (pictured) has been out of the limelight since being dismissed from his second spell in charge of Stevenage during last season when he was succeeded by Wayne Turner.


The 53-year-old Liverpudlian previously guided Boro during the most successful period in their history between 1990 and 1999 when they rose from the ranks of Division Two of the Ryman League to the Nationwide Conference championship in 1996, being denied promotion, of course, due to their Broadhall Way ground being deemed as unsuitable.


His arrival at Soho Square was not altogether unexpected and he is certainly one of the most respected managers on the non-League scene.

• James Harden
  
• Danny Laverick

The support of anybody wishing to attend the game will obviously be appreciated.

Kelley (sic) out to stop cut-price Khosla deal by Tony Flood

CHRIS KELLY and other former Kingstonian directors are set to prevent shares going to managing director Anup Khosla at a giveaway price - and this could lead to the club being thrown out of the Ryman League.

Kingstonian's administrators have called a meeting of shareholders tomorrow to pass a resolution approving the issue of the remaining share capital of Kingstonian FC Ltd. to Anup Khosla.

The issuing of these shares is a condition of the funds being made available to the Company for distribution in the Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA). Without the money, the CVA will not go ahead and the club will not be able to compete in the Ryman League.

It is estimated that the former directors and others willing to vote against the resolution hold more than 100,000 of the 236,000 shares in the company. As it is one share per vote, they stand a realistic chance of scuppering the CVA.

Kelly, who quit as chief executive on April 25, ten days after Anup and his father Rajesh Khosla took over, says the ex-directors are making a stand for the long term good of the club.

Kelley who claims he is owed 4,000 in unpaid wages, said: "It was understood the CVA would be settled and all football debts would be paid, but this has not been done. The resolution would give the remaining 750,000 shares to the Khoslas for 2p a share - a meagre 15,000 which would merely pay the main creditor, the Inland Revenue.

If the resolution is not passed the Khoslas will have to stump up something like 100,000 to pay debts in full or risk being thrown out of the Ryman League."

Brand New Car - To be won on the 31st January

Week 3 - Drawn 17/01/03



2000 Jackpot EE0024 D McCoullagh

500 C.6351 J Williams

200 AN3509 H Purtell

200 K.0360 E Bilsbrough

100 H.0757 Mrs Mangan

100 L.5389 M Hayway

100 B.5281 Mrs Fitzpatrick

100 VV1057 Mr F Fox

100 L.5860 Mr S Harvey

100 FF0783 Mr G Maxwell

100 A.5932 Mr D Monkley

50 E.3845 M Osborne

50 C.0251 Mrs Ford

50 H.4786 M Timlin

50 B.2178 P Marsh

50 M.6730 Mrs Crane

50 HH4514 Mrs P Mansell

50 L.1938 Mrs Haynes

Plus over 400 other prizes each week, see full result sheet for details.

Promoter G. Warburton. Reg with the Gaming Board.

The Nationwide Conference announced today that their recent invitation to Clubs in the Premier Divisions of the three Feeder Leagues to join a new Conference format has been oversubscribed with 75% of the 69 clubs eligible applying to be part of the new Structure.

Conference, Chief Executive, John Moules said "This is an overwhelming declaration by the clubs themselves that they regards change as necessary - and they want it now! They no longer want to be embroiled in further delays, surveys, or politics. Football is about clubs and the clubs have on this occasion spoken. If, we live in a democracy then the simple rule change to expand the Conference to 66 clubs should be implemented immediately, to be in place for season 2003/2004".

He continued "Our preference is to have two semi-national divisions, feeding into the current Nationwide Conference of 22 member clubs. We propose to continue to operate promotion of three clubs from the feeder leagues Premier Divisions and introduce play-offs between the three Conference Divisions while increasing promotion with play-offs with the three feeder leagues and the two semi-national divisions. The net affect on all of the proposed changes will benefit each level of football with increased promotion and the excitement of play-offs. The net affect of the new structure will provide excitement throughout a playing season and increase attendances. It also provides for the Football Foundation to channel grants to promoted clubs, as opposed to the current system of funding all those in contention for promotion as the entry criteria for the two semi-national divisions will be set to accommodate this and will be a lower requirement than the current Conference criteria.

"We have already commenced discussions on new sponsorship and we are progressing the task of selecting the 44 clubs who would form the two new semi-national divisions. This will be a lengthy process and those who have not applied will need to meet the deadline this month with their completed application forms to be included in the selection process".

Kingstonian Reserves 7 - 0 Raynes Park Vale Reserves

The first XI may have gone out of the FA Trophy on Tuesday, but the Ressies went through to the quarter finals of the Surrey Premier Cup with a stunning third round win at their new home at Dorking FC the previous evening (writes Sen Cotter).

K's young squad, with 11 of the 13 under the age of 19 from the Kingston College Academy squad, plus senior players Adrian Jones in goal and manager Trevor Jones at centre back, gave a master display of passing and finishing on the heavy surface.

Wrecker in chief was prolific forward Luke Fontana who converted penalties in the 13th and 30th minute of the first half after first Josh Francois and then himself were pulled down in front of goal.

Luke then worked an opening for Michael Deans to crash home a screamer from all of 30 yards two minutes after the interval before adding three more precision finishes in the 69th, 76th and 82nd minutes when put through one on one with the visiting keeper.

The other goal came from Dean Pitcher on 73 minutes to make it 5-0. This was the signal for Adrian Jones - who had collided heavily with his manager in the first half and just before Pitcher's goal had pulled off a fine diving save to his left - to go off as a precautionary measure, leaving his versatile namesake Trevor to put on the sweater and gloves for the last 18 minutes.

TEAM: Adrian Jones (Craig Fontana 73), Matt Bradford, Jon McDonald, Sam Dean, Trevor Jones, Danny Laverick, Jake Newton (Chris Nurse 56), Michael Deans, Luke Fontana, Josh Francois, Dean Pitcher.

(Many thanks to Ressies' Team Secretary Robert Wooldridge for squad details and timings and Club Secretary Graham Richards for support and setting up the new groundshare. Dorking is a very pleasant, friendly, club by the way - typical is their bar lady who looked after my jacket for me all week after I left it there when the tie was cancelled the previous Monday. Well worth the journey when the Ressies are next at home - and well worth looking at the next generation - hopefully - of K's players.)

I have had it confirmed to me today by The Ryman Football League that the next round of The Bryco Cup has been drawn but will not be announced until next Wednesday 22nd January 2003. The reason is that as we must all know is that we basically all have a great overlap of FA Trophy , Senior County Cup and respective League Cup games at the same time and the possibility of potential replays. In other words let's get some of these games completed as there is still the additional knock on effect with having to rearrange league games.

To All Member Clubs, Life Members, Vice Presidents and Board Members

EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

I hereby give notice that an Extraordinary meeting of the League will take place at 7.30pm on THURSDAY 23rd JANUARY 2003 at Le Meridian Hotel, Gatwick Airport. The agenda is set out below. All members are requested to attend in view of the importance of the matters to be discussed and the information to be distributed.

AGENDA

1. Introduction and welcome.
2. Announcement regarding the main title sponsorship of the League.
3. Announcement of the Championship prize money to be paid for Season 2002/2003.
4. To discuss the invitation given by the Football Conference to Premier Division Clubs to make application to be part of a newly formed Conference of up to 66 Clubs and to agree the response of the League.
5. To receive a presentation of the conclusions of a working party established by the Boards of the Isthmian and Southern Leagues to agree the establishment of geographical boundaries of the two leagues; to discuss the proposed allocation of Clubs and the proposed responsibilities for the running of the respective divisions.
6. Any other business.

Nick Robinson
League Secretary

Brand New Car - To be won on the 31st January

Week 2 - Drawn 10/01/03



2000 Jackpot U.3413 Mr Richardson

500 C.3242 Mrs McHugh

200 L.2594 Mr M Dilley

200 AG2103 T Fox

100 T.5193 Mr A Huntington

100 L.4734 R Cowling

100 V.6286 Mrs H Heavyside

100 C.4894 Mrs Yorke

100 KK3928 Mr P Matthews

100 CC2247 S.M. Loton

100 GG6948 Mrs Green

Dear Colleague

Re: The Football Conference

I am writing further to my recent correspondence regarding the above and the letters that your club will have received inviting applications for membership for Season 2003/4 etc.

I write to advise you that at a meeting of the Football Association Sanction and Registrations Committee held in London on 7th January the proposed amendments to Article 3 and Rule 2 of the Football Conference were considered. I am delighted to tell you that it was decided that the proposed amendments for season 2003/2004 could not be accepted as the proposal was considered not to be in the best interests of football for this season. However it was decided the proposals would be referred to the National League System Committee with a recommendation that the Football Conference and the National League System Committee work together in order that the best interests of the game can be upheld. It would be normal practice for the various Leagues to be invited to give their views to the Committee. Any decisions would then be referred to Council for confirmation or otherwise.

In the circumstances I would submit that there is no necessity for your club to complete and return the Application form by 15th January or indeed give notice of Resignation (unless you wish to do so).

Both the Southern Football League and ourselves are in unison on this matter and are working together for the future. The actions of the Conference are considered to be disruptive for reasons best known to themselves.

Yours sincerely

Alan C F Turvey
Chairman

K's Youth v Walton Casuals

Ks went out of the Southern Youth League Cup in controversial circumstances last night 1-2 to Walton Casuals at a nearly frozen (but playable) Franklyn Sports Ground.

Casuals opened the scoring after roughly a quarter of an hour, and then Chris Wales notched up a quality equaliser after half an hour. Except it wasn't - I would say that the goal was disallowed, but it's difficult to say that when the referee decided that the ball never went in, despite it going inside the far post by about a yard... It turns out there was a pretty decent hole in the net and Chris' shot was so accurate it went through the hole without ruffling the net. So when Casuals scored just before half time (with the ball going through the net and hitting the back fence) it was time to be aggrieved, even more so when the unfortunate and blameless groundsman was ordered to sew the offending net up during half time.

The second half was almost all Kingstonian attacking and great Walton Casuals defending, and Craig Watkins (I think it was, if anyone wants to put me right I'd be happy because I can't remember) scored a solitary reply after the hour.

Despite all the controversy concerning our "goal" my feeling still is that the right team won, and Walton Casuals will now be at home to Croydon Athletic in the quarter-final. Having said that, I don't think that even in this stupid and crazy sport I will ever see something like that first half incident ever again and it will be something I will always remember with gritted teeth and a forced laugh.

Ks team was: Matt Sargent, Danny Laverick, Jon McDonald, Chris Head, Matt Bradford, Sam Dean, Belal Aiteouakrim, Chris Wales, Craig Watkins, Dean Pitcher, Josh Rose. Subs (all used): James Flaherty, Tim Hurren, Craig Fontana.

Brand New Car - To be won on the 31st January

Week 1 - 03/01/03 (Drawn 20/12/02)



2000 Jackpot U.3746 J. SINCLAIR

500 G.4066 Mrs Hull

200 TT5121 E. Walmsley

200 B.6177 Mrs Gardner

100 DD1695 J. Huggan

100 G.6477 P. Nelson

100 CC1621 F.H. Nixon-Betts

100 EE2032 L. Gaffikin

100 P.0351 W. Fernie

100 D.5039 Mrs McKeown

100 KK1625 Mrs Burton

The Supporters Club are holding quiz nights on both Friday 31 January and Friday 28 February which will include a fish n chip supper and start at 7.30pm. Remember these are open to members and non members, so why not bring along your friends and family.

We've also allocated Friday March 28 and Friday April 25 as Supporters Club social evenings, so make sure you pencil them in your diaries now to make sure you dont double book yourselves! More details nearer the time. Your support at these evenings is really appreciated and it would be great to see as many of you as possible on January 31.