Setanta Sports have vowed not to cut back on Thursday night football. Setanta’s plan was to make Thursday night the home of Non League football. This was proved last season not to be a great success as it seemed to cost clubs revenue through gate receipts and clubs playing away from home suffered with less support.

“We won’t be going away from Thursday’s. In fact, we very much want Thursday night to become Blue Square Premier night on Setanta.”

One thing Setanta have to get right this season is their organisation of the games they are to screen. Too many times last season games got switched around when they felt like it and clubs felt the impact of this. Stevenage playing Farsley on a Thursday night was one game especially I questioned why they would want to show that? A cold January evening where we had to make one of biggest journey’s of the season against one of worst teams in the league. Surely it didn’t make the best viewing at home and help enhance the Blue Square Premier as a league. Anyway unfortunately it does look like Setanta is here to stay for the foreseeable future so get used to Thursday night football while we are still in this division.

Halifax striker Jon Shaw is being linked with a move to Boro according to today’s NLP. Surely GW would not be after yet another striker after already signing 4 this summer along with Steve Morison signing a new contract. At this moment in time Boro have 6 main strikers and youngsters Elliot Buchanan and Jerome Anderson coming through, but both are likely to go out on loan this season. Quite simply there is no point in a) Boro looking for another striker and b) Shaw joining us if he wants to play first team football next season. Shaw would of been a good signing if we hadn’t already had too many players in that department and is also being linked with moves to fellow Blue Square Premier sides Rushden & Burton as well as some clubs in the football league.

Courtney Pitt is again being linked with a move to Stevenage. The wing back was released by Cambridge at the end of last season and is currently looking for a new club. Chris Vessey, who is quite a reliable source for news from Cambridge, says that Pitt spoke to Boro yesterday about a move to Hertfordshire, but also discussed a move back to Cambridge today with view to returning to the club he left a month ago. This could be one to keep an eye on as GW said that left back was one position he was still looking to strengthen and with Pitt being a similar type of player to Eddie Anaclet who signed last month from Oxford then this is a real possibility of happening.

New Boro striker Lee Boylan has expressed his surprise at ex manager Jimmy Quinn’s departure from Cambridge United. It seems that Quinn was all set to stay on at the Trade Recruitment Stadium for this season before leaving by “mutual consent” a couple of days ago. This adds to the speculation that Quinn left due to irregularities regarding Rob Wolleaston’s transfer to Rushden. Meanwhile the U’s have signed Lee McEvilly from Accrington Stanley. McEvilly is a good player at this level and Stevenage were said to be interested in his signature, but to be honest I’m quite pleased that he hasn’t joined us. I want us to play good, attractive football next season on the pitch and with McEvilly in the team it makes that more unlikely as he is a target man who thrives on football played up to him in the air.

Former Boro boss Peter Taylor has added another new face to his Wycombe team for next season. Gavin Grant, who had a successful loan spell here towards the end of last season, has joined the club on a two year deal after his release from League 1 side Millwall. I thought Grant was one of the better signings by PT along with Tommy Smith and wouldn’t of minded if GW had signed Grant for next season. Regarding his new signing Taylor said…

“He’s got bags of potential and he’s a good finisher. He’s got an eye for goal, he’s quick, he’s an athlete and will get better.”

“He did well at Stevenage. His goalscoring record speaks for itself and he gets into positions to score goals.”

I personally didn’t have him down as a prolific goalscorer which Taylor seems to say. PT played him wide right in a 4-5-1 formation and he was a player that blew hot and cold. Some games he would be quiet and you’d forget he was playing, but would pop up with a goal while in other games he’d be a constant threat, but not have a finish at the end. What Grant did have is potential and if nurtured correctly could be a useful acquisition to the Wycombe team.

Tonight was the night where the Stevenage Borough Supporters Association had their AGM. The meeting showed that the SA continues to be an important part of the club as it provides a vital link between the club and its supporters. Overall, the meeting went well and a lot of points were raised which could help promote the SA further. I’m sure the club or SA will publish a more detailed account of what happened at the AGM tonight in the not to distant future.

The second half of tonight’s meeting was an open forum with Boro’s new management team. Graham Westley and John Dreyer were accompanied by Bob Makin and all discussed their plans for next season at length with the Boro fans. Below is some of the main points from the forum.

• The deal to sign Craig Westcarr from Kettering is nearing its completion and a “sensible” deal should be reached within days. GW mentioned that he was “appalled” by Kettering’s conduct over the saga.
• GW said he was happy with the squad as it is, but is still on the hunt for a left back. He mentioned Scott Laird as the only current player occupying that position with the possibility of Wilson or Martin filling in if needs be. I assume Fred Murray is no longer at the club.
• 2 out of the 3 transfer listed players (Westwood, O’Sullivan & Vincenti) have had interest shown in them by other clubs. GW expects them all to leave BHW this summer.
• GW mentioned that Christie and Boylan didn’t join the club for “mega” money as their previous clubs have stated in the press.
• It seems John Dreyer was very influential in the signing of Anthony Thomas. Dreyer also revealed that Thomas played in a SBFC reserve game sometime during the 06/07 season when he and GW were after him at Rushden.
• There have been some delays regarding the new shirt, due to printing problems at the back of the shirt. It’s expected to be in the shop next week. We will also know more about the new away shirt within the next week to ten days.
• The friendly that has been set up with Gillingham was part of the financial package the two clubs agreed on when Stimson left. Bob Makin revealed that Boro are to get a large proportion of the gate receipts from that game.
• GW again reiterated that he intends to play attractive football with a better discipline. He also said that he has learnt a lot while out of the game.