Media Watch - Tonbridge Angels

Warrilow is confident
Tonbridge Courier

TOMMY WARRILOW, pictured, says Merthyr Town will not be taken lightly tomorrow afternoon.

It is set to be a busy two weeks on the road for Tonbridge Angels as they travel to Wales in the FA Trophy this weekend and are westbound once more next week at Truro City. Angels are on a five-match unbeaten run, but will not be underestimating the threat posed by Southern Football League Division One South & West outfit Merthyr, despite being overwhelming favourites.

However, Warrilow is confident in his side's ability and sees no reason why they can't go a long way in the competition. "Why not?," he said. "After this one it's back in with the big boys again and then you need a bit of luck. As I said the other week, there's always someone who comes out of the pack and makes a go of it in this competition, why not us? One thing we are not going to do at Merthyr is go down there and think we're two leagues above them and look down on them. If they think we're going to be big time Charlie's they are looking at the wrong club. We know how hard we've worked to get where we are."

With Ben Judge suspended, Olly Schulz will come into the starting line-up and Warrilow says he has got the chance to make the spot his own. "He came back in and did well on Saturday (Schulz was a second half substitute)," he said. "He looks like he has got the bit between his teeth and that is what we want. He has to go out there and keep his place. If he goes and does well it is Judgey who will have to sit down for a while. As I've said, competition for places really does help."

Martyrs get a cash windfall for Trophy run
Terry Phillips, South Wales Echo

MERTHYR Town have earned £4,000 plus a home tie against Kent club Tonbridge Angels in the FA Trophy.

Ian Traylor scored twice for the Martyrs in their FA Trophy replay against Shortwood United and clinched a place in the first round.

The reward is a tie against Blue Square Conference North club Tonbridge, who have won four and drawn seven of their 15 League games so far this season.

Their top scorer is former Gillingham and Dover Athletic striker Frannie Collin, while George Purcell and Chris Piper scored their goals in a 2-1 third qualifying round win against Hitchin Town.

Purcell is an ex-Ebbsfleet United, Braintree, York City and Eastbourne player, while Piper joined Angels from Sutton United.

Tonbridge face Merthyr Town in the first round clash on Saturday, November 24 (3pm).

Worgan praises tan-tastic Angels boss for ambition
Greg Miles

Tonbridge Angels keeper Lee Worgan paid tribute to boss Tommy Warrilow for the impact he’s had on his career. Goalkeeper Worgan is the longest serving player left at Longmead in the reign of Warrilow, who this week celebrated his fifth anniversary in charge. The 28-year-old signed in the summer of 2008 and last month made his 200th appearance for the club.

Warrilow had taken charge the November before Worgan’s arrival, and guided the Angels to five points outside the play-offs in the Ryman Premier in his first year as a manager having been assistant at Horsham.

Half a decade on and the club is again striving towards the play-offs, now in the Blue Square South, having gained promotion at the second attempt via the Ryman Premier play-offs. It’s that ambition which made Worgan join the club in the first place.

“Having the ambition is something you often hear as a player, but it was different when Tommy was saying it,” he said. “During the week he’s very much your best friend, you can chat to him about anything. During the game he’s really professional and will tell you what he thinks. He’s fantastic. I couldn’t speak more highly of him to be honest.”

Worgan was playing for Hastings United when he got a call from Warrilow who’d been put in touch by Anthony Storey who was on loan to the club from Lewes at the time. “He showed me around and explained where he wanted to take the club,” he said. “He was very enthusiastic about the steps he wanted to take. Promotion was the main aim, and he wanted to do well in the cup competitions, which we finally started doing on Saturday. He’s so hungry for success and that filters through the squad. He wants to push on to the Conference Premier.”

Although the former Cardiff stopper celebrated his 200th appearance last month, he wasn’t sure if he’d even make his second game for the club having been sent off on his debut on the first day of the 2008/09 season after handling outside the area.

“It was a harsh sending off,” he said. “I think I put my hand through the dressing room door afterwards - I was so angry. I thought I was going to be shown the door after that.”

That’s a memory now though as he’s made himself a mainstay of Warrilow’s side. "Once you’re established you start playing your best football,” he said. “I’m more confident and comfortable. I have no reason to want to go anywhere else at the moment. It doesn’t feel like I have been here for so long. Every day is fresh.”

He now feels confident enough to get away with a bit of banter with the boss as well, and gave an insight into the dressing room spirit. “I know he (Warrilow) was a bit of a pretty boy as a player,” he said. “He’s always first in the shower and doing his hair. He likes his fake tan and getting down the gym. He does get a bit of banter for that. He likes to think he’s well dressed as well.”

Warrilow's side almost sneak victory as Worgan stars
Kent and Sussex Courier

TOMMY WARRILOW is the first to admit Tonbridge Angels rode their luck at times on Saturday, but he still came away from Longmead frustrated that his side hadn't taken all three points. Angels had the heroics of keeper Lee Worgan to thank for the scoreline being goalless at the break, the 28-year-old pulled off four top class saves.

"He kept us in it with those saves in the first half," Warrilow said. "Like he said at the end of the game, that's what he is there for. I don't know what to say about him – his is the one position I have never had to look for a replacement."

The visitors eventually took the lead on the hour mark through a Mark Bentley header, but Warrilow's side came roaring back. Substitute Rory Hill fired them level and Angels dominated the final quarter.

Tom Davis thought he should have had a penalty when he was upended in the box, while Olly Schulz saw a header ruled out for a foul in the 90th minute – it was harsh to say the least. Then, with the final kick of the game, Hill hit the bar with a shot from the edge of the area.

"I'm not going to lie, we were lucky to come in at half-time 0-0 – they could have been out of sight," Warrilow said. "It was our own downfall really. They popped it about a bit, but while Worgs made some good saves, they weren't really hurting us. We just kept giving the ball back. We'd win it and then give the ball back to them. The second half was a much more even affair and we finished the stronger in the last half hour. We should have won it."

He added: "Olly was fine. There was nothing wrong with that goal. He climbed and won the header early. We hit the bar with the last chance and Tom had a good penalty appeal turned down. Those big incidents have not gone our way."

Is this the same Tommy Warrilow that played for Crawley in our encounters with them in the late 80's?

fistral10 wrote:Is this the same Tommy Warrilow that played for Crawley in our encounters with them in the late 80's?

Yes it is.

Tommy Warrilow joined Crawley Town during the close season of 1987 after being released by Torquay United. His only other club at senior level was Millwall.

He also played against us for Crawley in the 4th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup in November 1989, when we drew 3-3 in the first game at Town Mead (I seem to remember that Kevin H had the rather large German Shephard dog with him that afternoon!), when we scored two late goals through Dai Webley and Phil Green to take the game to a replay at PP. Anthony Hughes and myself slid down the grass bank when we equalised!

We won the replay 3-1 with goals from Kevin Rogers, Dai Webley (inevitably) and Ceri Williams. Cliff Cant was booed every time that he touched the ball that night.

They both also played against us in the final game of the season that year when we won the Beazer Homes Championship and promotion to the GM Vauxhall Conference (as they were then known).

The attendance at Crawley in the first FA Cup game was 1,649 and there were 1,920 in the replay at PP on the Tuesday evening.

There were 3,341 at PP for the final league game of that season.

Dai Webley managed to scored 52 goals in all competitions that year (36 in the league, 5 in the League Cup, 6 in the FA Cup, 4 in the FA Trophy and 1 in the Welsh Cup)

Wasn't Warrilow sent off in the replay at PP, I seem to remember he had a go at Phil Green after we scored one of our goals.

LONG TRIP IS NO EXCUSE, WARNS ANGELS BOSS
Non-League Daily

Tommy Warrilow, manager of Blue Square Bet South club Tonbridge Angels, will not accept a long coach journey to Wales as an excuse if Angels flop in the FA Trophy first round on Saturday.

Angels decided against an overnight stay and will instead travel to opponents Merthyr Town on the morning of the game.

The Welshmen play in Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South & West – two levels below Angels – but Warrilow is taking nothing for granted.

He said: "We’re staying overnight when we play Truro next week but I spoke to the players and they’re happy to travel to Wales on the morning of the game. The journey is an easy excuse if the worst should happen and we go out but I’m not having that. We used to travel on the day back in the 80s so today’s players should be able to handle it. I don’t know a great deal about Merthyr and why would I!? What I do know is we can’t go there as Big-Time Charlies expecting to win just because we’re two leagues above them."

http://www.kentonline.co.uk

Tonbridge Angels keeper Lee Worgan eager to face former club Merthyr Town in FA Trophy
Ravit Anand
footballexclusives.co.uk

Tonbridge Angels goalkeeper Lee Worgan is looking foward to a trip to Wales to face former side Merthyr Town in the FA Trophy First Round, where he spent time on loan back in 2006 and returns six years later.

Since then the former Wimbledon stopper had spells at Eastbourne Borough and Hastings before joining Tonbridge where he has established himself as one the Conference South's reliable and consistent performers that has seen him notch up 200 appearances for the club.

But it was when Worgan was at Cardiff City that he went on loan to the Welsh side and has fond memories of his short spell at Penydarren Park:

"When I was at Cardiff I went on loan there so it'll be nice to go back because I made my Wales U21 debut there as well. I look forward to going back and the manager Sheps [Garry Sheppard] was playing when I was there so it'll be nice to go back and get a result then come home from a long journey."

Tommy Warrilow's men go into the game clear favourites against their Southern Football League opposition being unbeaten in their last five matches. The Kent outfit beat Hitchin Town 2-1 to make it to this round while Merthyr Town came through against Shortwood United in a replay by the same scoreline.

While the occasion may be momentous for 28-year-old, Worgan is well aware of the formalities at hand to progress in the competition:

"We're more than capable of kicking on. It's a competition realistically we could go on and do well or win."

Posted on Twitter account:
Merthyr Town FC
@MerthyrTownFC

Pitch inspection 7.30 tomorrow morning for game v @tafc in #FATrophy

fistral10 wrote:Wasn't Warrilow sent off in the replay at PP, I seem to remember he had a go at Phil Green after we scored one of our goals.

Fistral is quite correct - Tommy Warrilow was dismissed in the replay immediately after Ceri Williams scored the Martyrs third goal of the game in the 64th minute.

The Martyrs had played with ten men since the 16th minute when Phil Green was sent off after an 'altercation' with Cliff Cant (the reason why he was booed every time he touched the ball).

Warrilow didn't actually play against us in the final game of the season at PP.

Tonbridge are in the Blue Square South, not The Blue Square North (unlikely being in Kent) as the SW Echo states.
My article for the Express, which was not used, mentioned Lee Worgan and Tommy Warrilow.