In response to vicious internet rumours claiming that Fisher have accepted voluntary demotion from the Blue Square South, the Fisher Chairman Martin Eede stated;

"We have absolutely no intention of accepting any demotion whatsoever. We're in this to the bitter end and will fight all the way. I had a chat with Dave Mehmet over the weekend and the manager remains 100% committed to the cause.

"In fact, the squad are in bullish mood and are looking forward to the remainder of the season. There are a lot of points still to be played for and we've got a run of games now against teams in and around mid table and the lower regions.

"Apart from Eastleigh we've played the top five home and away now and we're confident we can start picking up points again hopefully sooner rather than later."

Speaking on Fisher's current financial difficulties, the Chairman continued;

"To be frank, I'm a little upset with all the negativity being spread around the club. It doesn't do any of us any favours. We're very much in a relegation dogfight and we need our supporters to stay with us. In the last few day's we've been busy trying to strengthen the squad and we should have one or two further signings on board in time for the trip to Dorchester on Saturday."

Talking about the Press Teams recent stance against the FA over the recently lifted transfer embargo - Eede said;

"As far as I am concerned it's water under the bridge. The club have maintained a good working relationship with the league and FA and they've both been very supportive. It's a new year and a chance for us to draw a line on what's been said or done before and move on. It was a good performance at AFC Wimbledon on New Year's Day and we hope to build on that in January."

Newport County manager Dean Holdsworth is confident that his side will have a successful 2009 after their impressive 3-1 win over Blue Square South leaders Chelmsford on Saturday.

County ended the Clarets unbeaten record on the road in the league this season with a convincing display and Holdsworth was quick to pay tribute to his side and the Exiles boss has promised the Spytty Park faithful that the result won't be a one off

He told the SouthWalesArgus: "I think it was a performance that came with us having our backs against the wall a little bit in terms of numbers, but every one of my players did what was expected of them and more.

"From the first to the last whistle we approached the game in the right way, we played to our strengths and to their weaknesses and I felt we played the whole game magnificently.

"I thought our midfield were busy and they couldn't compete with us and the front two were excellent.

"Craig Reid was sensational and Rob Duffy played really well as well.

"It's a great day for us, we've had a really nice run lately and showed we are improving and hopefully 2009 can be a much better year for us."

The Ironsides mentor also emphasised how important it was for his side to perform as they face some crucial upcoming fixtures.

He added: "We've got some big games this month, it's a vital month for us, but I believe we can be strong and keep pushing on."

Darin Killpartrick will take temporary charge of Bognor Regis after the resignations of Mick Jenkins and Andy Awford from the Nyewood Lane club.

Killpartrick is a popular choice amongst the club's fans and they'll be happy to see him take over the reigns.

A statement released by the Rocks secretary Simon Cook on the club's official website said: "No immediate decision will be made on the position of manager, but the club are fortunate in having Darrin Killpartrick who has committed to remaining at Nyewood Lane, and will certainly hold the fort whilst decisions are made."

Hawks director of football Derek Pope has angrily denied claims from Eastleigh that he has been chasing some of their players.

Bids for striker Andy Forbes, defender Steve Clark and midfield dynamo Peter Adeniyi were rejected according to Eastleigh, but Pope declared that as nonsense.

'We have not been chasing a single player of theirs,' insisted Pope.

'Their director of football rang me and said all his players were up for grabs and did we want anybody.

'We asked about one or two players and what money they were on.

'When they told us the amount of money they were getting, we said forget it.

'We can go into the Football League and get a player for the money they were talking about.

'So we have not made an approach for any of their players.

'It was they who asked us if we wanted any.

'We have not made any offers for any of their players and that is final.'

Relationships between the two clubs have been strained ever since manager Ian Baird (left) walked out on the Hawks 14 months ago to switch to the Spitfires.

Matters came to a head over the protracted transfer of former Hawks skipper Tom Jordan, with both sides accusing each other of dirty dealings.

Jordan eventually made the move, but it left bitter feelings in both camps.

'There was the unsettling over Tom Jordan, but he decided in the end to make the move so good luck to him,' said Pope.

'But we have not been touting Eastleigh players – we are not that type of club.

'If we want someone we will make it official through the right channels.

'We have a good squad of players, even though we have underachieved in the first half of the season.

'A lot of that has been down to the fact that key players have been missing at vital times.

'Now we are starting to get those players back and we can go on and improve dramatically.

'I am not saying we will win the league or even make the play-offs, but we will do a lot better.'

The Hawks will look to notch a third consecutive league win when they entertain bottom club Bognor at West Leigh Park on New Years Day (3pm).

Worcester City players and staff have been asked to take a pay cut as the club continues to tighten its purse strings.

Chairman Anthony Hampson broke the news to manager Richard Dryden and his squad at a meeting at St George’s Lane.

The revelation comes just days after Dryden was forced to release scout and reserve team manager Geoff Ashby and was stopped from recruiting players following the departures of Troy Wood and Jemiah Richards.

Wages were already significantly lower than some of City’s Blue Square South rivals but Dryden believes the players are prepared to take the hit.

He has been full of praise for the attitude of his squad and their willingness to play for the club and not use money as a motivating factor.

“There’s going to be a few cutbacks on the playing staff,” Dryden said. “Everybody has been asked to take a bit of a cut. It’s been a shock to the players but I think everybody is geared to keeping the club going. Everyone wants to do their bit.

“The chairman sat down with us for an hour and went through things to keep the club going.

“I am still committed to the cause. I am here and we have got to keep focused on the playing side of it. The chairman has come in to sort things out, he’s asked for our help and hopefully we will be stronger for it.”

Chairman Hampson said: “It was explained to the players that their support and understanding would be required and that the manager would be looking for economies.

“No chairman is happy to be put in a position where his team has worked so hard to earn a respectable position in their league in spite of the wranglings off the field and then demotivate them. However, economies have to be made in the coming weeks across all activities in the club. The understanding of all staff and supporters is vital for the long-term future.”

He added: “In tandem with savings, income generation is also under review and a strategy to raise money via the supporters and other friends of the club will allow for planned events in the new year.”

Plans to swell attendances by admitting under 16s for free with a paying adult have already been announced for Saturday’s visit of Bognor Regis Town.

The running of the social club is under re-view and yesterday around £1,600 was received as a result of appeals to “local individuals.”

Dorchester Town chairman Eddie Mitchell has called on the county town public and the business community to join forces and raise £20,000 to help the Magpies keep their star players.

Mitchell saw his side record their third consecutive Blue Square South victory in the space of eight days with a thrilling 4-3 triumph over in-form Thurrock last Saturday.

But a lowly attendance of 357 has increased fears the club may be forced to let go of its top assets in order to help balance the books.

Speaking after the game, the Poole-based property developer said: “It was a fantastic afternoon’s entertainment at the Jewson Stadium and I think we were very worthy winners playing some superb football.

“The team is really starting to gel and Shaun Brooks has got them playing a very attractive brand of football that is pleasing to watch and is also now getting its rewards.

“My only regret is that not enough people are coming down to the stadium to see this team play which is very worrying as in the current climate I cannot afford to sustain my level of financial commitment and I will have to make cut backs to secure the club’s future if things don’t improve very quickly.

I am currently putting in between £6,000 and £7,000 every week at the moment and have so far spent £140,000 since July supporting the Magpies and it would break my heart to have to take apart Shaun’s squad.”

One fan who is not yet ready to see his beloved Magpies’ squad dismantled is 19-year-old student Dev Ward who lives in Worcester and has been a fan and regular spectator both home and away for almost 15 years.

He said: “Living so far away from the club makes it very difficult for me to get to every game which is why I decided to take on Eddie’s challenge and try to do whatever I could to help out.

“Twenty thousand pounds is a lot of money to raise, especially with the country in recession and it being so close to Christmas, but I believe it can be done and nothing is impossible.

“Put simply, if every Dorchester resident donated £1 to the club, whether they were a fan of the Magpies or not, we would achieve our target very quickly and easily.”

Along with another exiled Magpie fan – London-based James Tizzard – Ward runs the club’s official website, and the pair have set up a donations page at dorchestertownfc.co.uk where anyone can easily make a payment via Paypal to the collection fund.

Ward added: “The money raised will go straight to the club and be used to help meet the shortfall in the players’ wage budget which is currently funded solely by Eddie Mitchell.

“I am also going to be writing to many local companies asking them to support their local club, either by making a donation of cash or goods which could be auctioned off to raise further funds.”

Anyone wishing to make a donation directly to the club can do so by putting cash or a cheque made payable to DTFC Ltd, into an envelope marked ‘Magpies Budget Fund’, and dropping it into the club office during the hours of 10am-4pm, Monday to Friday.

The club is planning to thank everyone who donates with a framed Roll of Honour plaque in the 18-80 lounge bar naming all of the supporters who helped with the initiative.

Welling manager Andy Ford should find out later this week the health of midfielder Ryan Johnson.

The former Sittingbourne player collapsed on the pitch during the warm-up before the FA Trophy win over Weymouth on Tuesday night after having a fit.

Ford explained: "I spoke to Ryan late on Tuesday and he was recovered fully and talking.

"He was in hospital waiting for the results of blood tests and I'll be talking to him later to find out how he got on.

"We don't know what it was, it might have been a one-off."

Ford paid tribute to his players after the disruption failed to put them off their stride against Weymouth as the Wings raced into a 2-0 win within 18 minutes.

"Everything that happened meant it was really strange and a quiet dressing room," said Ford.

"We didn't want the game to be delayed and at one point I was giving my team talk when the ambulance men came rushing in."

Braintree Town are in no rush to appoint their next boss.

And one of the main reasons is that they already have a ‘serious contender for the job’ – Brad Quinton – filling in as caretaker boss at Cressing Road.

Quinton has helped the Iron to a win, draw and defeat since stepping in following the exit of former manager Lee Patterson.

He is very much in the running to take over on a permanent basis – as long as he can continue playing.

“Brad has settled things down and is working very hard behind the scenes,” Iron chairman Lee Harding told the Times.

“We’re mindful of the progress he’s made.

“He’s well-thought of at the club, liked by the lads and has been assistant manager for a while so he’s certainly a serious contender for the post.

“Having said that, he’s still very important to us as a player and it might be, if he were to get the job, that we bring someone else in to work alongside him as joint-manager.

“We’re really not sure at the moment but, because we’re not in a great rush, it may well be that Brad steers us through the Christmas and New Year fixtures.”

Bath City head to Welling United this weekend seeking revenge for the opening-day nightmare which boss Adie Britton admits had a massive impact on his team's fortunes this season.

The 4-0 thrashing at Twerton Park back on August 9 left City's players shell-shocked and deflated the air of expectation that had been growing before the campaign kicked off.

City endured a stop-start couple of months after that as they scratched around for form, particularly at home, and it is only in the past few weeks that they have been able to put a sustained run of results together.

"That was a massive shock to the system," said Britton.
"It was a result that we took a while to recover from, certainly in terms of confidence.

"The result came out of the blue. We hadn't done too badly in pre-season and had beaten Salisbury City the week before so we went into the game with every confidence.

"Unfortunately the wheels came off. We played pretty well for 25 minutes and had some chances but it all went wrong after that. Paul Evans was also at fault for three of their goals and it is very rare for him to have an off day.

"It really did set us back. It affected our game, especially at Twerton Park, and it might be one of the main factors for our poor home record this season."

With the memories of that loss so fresh in the memory, as well as the injury-time defeat at Park View Road last season, Britton said there will be no shortage of motivation for his players going into this weekend's game.

"There is no question that we will be up for it," he vowed.
"This is a game we have got to get something out of."

The mood is good around York Road as Maidenhead UnitedFC  prepare for the visit of Bromley on Saturday.

Magpies manager Johnson ‘Drax’ Hippolyte revealed the squad have been training well, while he has been glued to the phone discussing potential loan deals with other clubs.

A weekend off from action allowed Drax to ponder over his squad as well as nurse some of his players back to fitness ahead of the festive period.

“We’re getting players back from injury now, like Dominic Sterling, and I need to get them back in the squad,” said Drax. “Richard Pacquette has also been back in training, so I need to move some players about.

“I’ve been on the phone all morning ducking and diving, trying to get some players out on loan. James Hamsher’s gone to Godalming Town for a month and played 80 minutes last night (Tuesday).

“He’s one that I see as having a great future ahead of him, but we want to get some games under his belt.”

He continued: “We’ve had a couple of unrealistic offers for Grant Cooper so we’ll wait and see on that one.

“There’s one or two others who I’m trying to send out, but I can’t let you know who at the moment. I’ve found them clubs so now it’s a case of finalising it. One of them has an agent so I’ve been talking to him.”

After issuing the threat of a mass clear-out, Drax has opted to take a different approach by moving players around on short-term loan deals to sharpen up his squad.

“I’m shuffling it around and keeping it fresh,” he said. “Some of the players are low on confidence and need a few games.”

United return to Conference South business on Saturday against Bromley and Drax is expecting a tougher time than the previous meeting when his side won 2-1.

“I’m not taking anything for granted,” he said, “We expected a tough game last time but it wasn’t and we won.

“But now the manager has moved things about and I’m expecting a harder time because they’ve found form.”

Captain Ashley Nicholls is a slight doubt for the match.

Terry Brown admits he regrets not keeping hold of forward Robin Shroot after the former AFC Wimbledon man appeared on the verge of signing a contract with Championship big-boys Birmingham City.

Shroot is at St Andrews on a week’s trial, and was set to play alongside Kevin Phillips in a specially arranged friendly on Tuesday afternoon.

And Brown admitted the departure of Shroot, who quit Kingsmeadow in the summer and ended up at Harrow Borough, was still a source of frustration.

Brown said: “We desperately wanted to keep him and we made him what we thought was a very good offer.

“But he had a couple of people working on his behalf, and to be honest I always felt they wanted him out of the club so that they could tout him about.

“I don’t think that playing one friendly will tell Birmingham if he’s good enough for the Championship, but the boy is more than capable of playing in the Football League, and is a very talented young man.

“With a bit of luck he can make a good career for himself, and I wish him all the best.”

The Dons boss also has to make a contract decision on midfield playmaker Dwane Lee, who remains on non-contract terms at the club.

And Brown admitted he was swaying towards offering the former Barnet man a deal.

He added: “He has done very well for us up to now.

“There is no rush as he has no ties to any other clubs, but I will be looking to get things tied up early in the New Year.

“He still needs to work on his fitness, and he has been a bit ill recently, but his performances have certainly helped his cause.”

Bognor Regis have signed forward Jones Awuah.

A Ghana international with two caps, Jones began as a youth player for Gillingham, eventually breaking into their Championship side. Later moved to Sittingbourne (loan), Worthing (loan), Dover Athletic (loan), Woking (loan), Sutton United, Aveley, Beckenham Town, Maidenhead United, Bromley, Dorchester and Fisher Athletic.

He scored against the Rocks, playing for Fisher at Nyewood Lane in September. He rejoins manager Mick Jenkins, having been leading scorer for Dorchester under Mick a couple of seasons ago.