On Saturday Welling United play their first home game of the Vanarama National League South 2023-24 season when they entertain Hemel Hempstead Town.
For many Welling supporters the match at Park View Road, now known as the J Hearnden Skip Hire Community Stadium, will be their first look at Danny Bloor’s new look Wings. In their opening game, away against Truro City, only Antony Papadopoulos started who was in the Welling squad at the end of the 2022-23 season.
They could barely have got off to a worse start than they did at Truro’s temporary ground in Plymouth when finding themselves three down in just over twenty minutes. Cameron Green scored a debut goal to give the Wings hope but two more Truro goals before half time put paid to that.
After the interval, Bloor’s team had the better of the weather conditions but had far too much to do and had to settle for a consolation goal with three minutes remaining. TJ Bramble was tripped in the penalty area, a spot kick was awarded, and Papadopoulos stepped up to convert.
Someone who the Wings’ supporters will recognise will be sitting in the away team dug-out as Hemel are now managed by Brad Quinton and he has many of the same staff as he had with him when at Welling. When he took over at the Tudors, they were in the relegation dogfight but he led them away from the drop zone. At one point they looked like they might sneak into the play-offs but they dropped away and finished in fifteenth, two points and one place above the Wings.
While the Welling team was having a tough day on Saturday, the Tudors enjoyed theirs with a one-nil win over hotly fancied Yeovil Town. Over twelve hundred spectators saw the hosts claim the points courtesy of a goal by Joe Iaciofano with twelve minutes remaining.
When the two teams last met at Park View Road last season, Quinton had just taken over and led the visitors to a one-nil victory courtesy of a late Jamie Sendles-White own goal.
Although, not as extreme as Welling, Quinton has changed the squad during the summer so last season’s game should have little bearing on the form guide for Saturday’s encounter.
Images courtesy of Dave Budden