WRITE US OFF AT YOUR PERIL!

Summer haul makes us stronger, says Maynard

- Matt Badcock

STUART MAYNARD reckons Wealdstone’s summer business shows they’re being viewed differently by ambitious players – even if they’ll still be tipped for the drop.

The Stones were one of the National League’s shining lights last term, finishing 13th in the table having spent the whole season fighting it out in the top half.

It saw them crowned the country’s highest part-time team with the squad training on the traditional Tuesday-Thursday evenings.

Maynard and assistant Matt Saunders have day jobs themselves but were still able to go toe-to-toe with the National League’s big boys.

While talented keeper Sam Howes has been sold to League One Leyton Orient this off-season, they’ve kept 16 of last year’s squad and added the likes of former Woking attacker Tahvon Campbell on loan while securing a permanent return for former Charlton loaneee Charlie Barker.

And Maynard thinks their retention and recruitment says a lot.

“It’s been our biggest focus,” Maynard told The NLP. “We’ve had interest in four or five of our players but, at the minute, we’ve managed to fend it away and keep the group together. We’re happy.

“We’ve added Tahvon Campbell, who brings real quality and competition in the squad. We’ve signed Charlie Barker permanently after he was released by Charlton – there was a lot of interest in him but obviously he enjoyed it so much with us.