A Dartford summer

We couldn’t write about our new clubs prior to our AGM, so over the next couple of weeks we’re going to catch up on their signings and other news 

We are about to welcome back Dartford for the first time since they won the title in 2010, We suspect Darts fans will be confident that their stay will be a short one!

Boss Ady Pennock has reshaped his squad over the summer, with a number of new arrivals:

Luther Williams is a name you are likely to recognise, as the centre back was a big part of Leatherhead’s success in our South Central Division last season. He made twenty four appearances for the Tanners, and helped out at the other end with two goals. 

Luther came through the youth ranks at Chelsea, before heading North and joining Sheffield United. Whilst with the Blades he played Under 18 and Under 21 football, but also saw his game time sadly limited through injuries, He moved to Fetcham Grove last summer.

Dwight Pascal is another name you are likely to recognise. The full back was at Potters Bar Town and Dulwich Hamlet last season, ending the campaign with the Scholars and playing fourteen times, after nine appearances for Hamlet. 

Dwight came through the youth ranks at Barnet before becoming a first team Bee. The full back moved on to Potters Bar Town for the first time and made nineteen appearances before the 19-20 campaign crashed to a premature halt, and then he headed back to the Hive before later returning to our Scholars, playing thirty nine times and scoring two goals during the 21-22 season. He spent the 22-23 season with Kingstonian, playing thirty three times and scoring once.

Midfielder Denzelle Olopade spent much of his youth career with Norwich City, as an Academy scholar and in their Under 18's. He then moved into London to sign for Crystal Palace, where he was part of the Development Squad. He came our way with Ramsgate during 21-22, playing forty three times, and followed that with twenty four appearances during the 22-23 season. Last season saw him play for Erith and Belvedere.

Keeper Jacob Marsden is one of a trio of players coming in from Chelmsford City. Jacob is another player who has been our way before, but you might need a good memory to remember him. The former Ipswich Town youngster played for Leiston and Mildenhall Town back in 2017, with a spell at St Ives Town in between, before heading to Scotland and signing for Hamilton Academical. He headed back to England with Needham Market before moving to the Clarets four years ago.

Forward Callum Jones was in our Premier Division last season, playing on loan at Billericay Town from parent club Chelmsford. Callum came through the ranks at Colchester United, coming through the youth system to play regularly at Under 18 and Under 21 level, and in reality saw his time at United eventually ended by serious injury. He joined City in the Spring of 2021 and had more injury woes in Claret, including a broken ankle. We suspect- although it doesn't seem to appear in his biography- that he is the same Callum Jones who made nine appearances for Maldon and Tiptree during the 2018-19 campaign, as if it isn't him he'll probably be the only Colchester United youth in the past ten years not to have played for the Jammers at least once!

Ben Allen is another you will recognise, as he finished last season at Haringey Borough. Forward Ben actually joined Borough for the first time during the 22-23 season, and was an immediate success. He scored on his debut, and then managed eleven goals in nineteen matches. He made ten more Borough appearances in the closing stages of last season. 

He started last season at Chatham Town, and has managed seven goals in twenty six matches. Prior to his first Borough spell Ben was with Aveley, and indeed scored four goals for the Millers last season. He first came to our attention as a youngster with Phoenix Sports before being snapped up by -then League One- side Gillingham. He had loan time at Greenwich Borough, Lewes and Bromley, and has since turned out for Welling United, Concord Rangers and Hungerford Town.

Striker Duane Ofori-Acheampong is familiar to the Darts faithful- and perhaps to Isthmian watchers.His most recent spells with us were during the 22-23 campaign, where he spent some time on loan at Sittingbourne, and a spell at Hythe Town that season where he made nine appearances. Last season, whilst at Torquay United, he also had a spell with Concord Rangers, playing six times and scoring once. 

Duane has played for a number of other clubs. The list includes Southend United, Grays Athletic, Braintree Town, Dover Athletic, Cray Wanderers, Torquay United, Woking, Wingate & Finchley, Harrow Borough and Whitehawk. He also had a loan spell at Sittingbourne whilst at Hungerford Town, playing eight times and scoring five goals and his 22-23 loan saw him play seven times and score twice. 

Centre half Josh Hill begins his third spell as a Dart, after spending last season at Hemel Hempstead Town. You might recall that Josh spent some time with Enfield Town during the 22-23 campaign, making three appearances on loan from Dulwich Hamlet, who at that point were in National League South. 

Josh has a great deal of experience at a higher level. Amongst his other clubs are Boreham Wood, Havant & Waterlooville, St Albans City, Wealdstone, Braintree Town and Welling United.

Samir Carruthers is another arrival from Chelmsford City. The midfielder has experience at a much higher level, playing youth football for Cambridge United, Arsenal and Aston Villa before graduating to the Villa first team. He moved on to MK Dons and made more than one hundred appearances before moving further north to Sheffield United. Spells at Oxford United and Cambridge United came next as he realised an attraction to University cities, and then he moved on to Hemel Hempstead Town before first becoming a Dart. He spent 22-23 with the club, moved on to Chelmsford, and now he’s back. 

And that, we think, is finally your lot!