After what seemed like an interminably long if hot summer and pre-season the 2025-26 Isthmian Premier season is back and the always pleasurable if sometimes stressful nine months of enjoying the home matches and travelling to some great away towns and cities gets underway on Saturday as the Wands host Canvey Island.
Kick off at Flamingo Park, 3 pm.
Cray have had a very satisfactory pre-season unbeaten after six games and ended the schedule with an encouraging 2-0 win against Maidstone United last Saturday with goals from Ashley Nzala and Lateef Adaja. Defensively, the clean sheet was pleasing for the management team and was a good way to end a steady pre-season which although only had six matches left plenty of space for training and team bonding.
Additions in the summer who already seem to be hitting the ground running are goalkeeper Harry Seaden, full backs Prosper Keto and Frankie Morgan, midfielders Luke Allen, Tom Jackson and Nodirbek Bobomurodov and up front Nzala scored five during pre-season and had a spell at Canvey Island a few seasons ago.
The way the fixtures have panned out with Tuesday’s game with Folkestone Invicta now being played at Flamingo Park, four of the five August league matches are at Flamingo Park. Cray will be looking to maintain the fine home form since the turn of the year losing just one league match in 2025.
Canvey Island make their second visit to Flamingo Park under new management and sees two former Tottenham players in the manager hotseat with Tim O’Shea for Cray Wanderers and the very experience Peter Taylor, appointed in May replacing Brad Wellmen who briefly was manager of England in 2000.
The Gulls finished 17th last season and have added a number of new signings in the summer including goalkeeper Lewis Greene, defenders Alex Moss, Olu Shobowale, Callum Morris, Joe Halsey and Danny Nesbitt. Midfielders Kobey Yeboah, Lewis Jaggs and forward Charlie Stimson.
Canvey Island make their home bow for the 2025-26 season on Tuesday evening as they entertain Cheshunt and then at home to Folkestone Invicta on Saturday 16th August.
Last season’s encounters saw a win apiece with Canvey winning 2-0 at home in November 2024 with two Bradley Sach goals. The Wands though won 3-1 at Flamingo Park on 8th March with goals from Frankie Raymond, Soul Kader and Lateef Adaja with Chris Harris scoring for Canvey Island.
In the Isthmian League years the teams have met 16 times, all in the Premier Division with Cray winning five, Canvey Island seven and four draws. Cray have won the last three home meetings but haven’t won at Canvey since January 2012.
There is always something special about the season opener, all clubs start on zero points, a chance for those fans who haven’t been able to sample pre-season to get a glimpse of new players. Also for the first time in the club’s history we have a commentary streaming service with live commentary on Radio Wands hosted by Luca Viscogliosi from 2.55 pm. You can tune in on all match days via the link
https://radio-wands.mixlr.com.
Match day admission, £15 adults, £10 concessions, £5 u16’s-U13s available on the gate or online at www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets/ – Printed Match Programme available, £3 at the turnstile, merchandise, hot and cold food/drinks and bars. Bars open from 12 pm with Charlton vs Watford on the big screen pre-match and Sheffield United vs Bristol City after the game.