Billericay Town Pre-Season Squad Update

With four friendlies played and less than three weeks remaining until the Isthmian Premier League season kicks off at New Lodge, Billericay Town’s pre-season preparations are in full swing. Saturday’s 3–1 defeat to National League side Aldershot Town marked the halfway point of a packed summer schedule, with manager Gary McCann continuing to assess his options across a squad that blends returning regulars, new faces, promising youngsters and a handful of players still looking to earn a contract.

Here’s a look at where things stand heading into the final two weeks of pre-season.

Familiar Faces

Several familiar names have been ever-present so far this summer. Goalkeeper Sam Donkin has featured in three of the four fixtures, saving a penalty against Aldershot on Saturday, while club captain Matt Johnson has resumed his role at the heart of the defence.

Left-back Jay Porter is now into his third season at the club and remains an ever-present on the left side of the back four. Young midfielder Charlie Panton has underlined his versatility with appearances at right-back, centre-half and in midfield, an encouraging sign as the 18-year-old enters his second full campaign in senior football.

Further forward, Elliot Long has caught the eye, starring in the 3–1 win over Boreham Wood with two goals and an assist. Frankie Merrifield has also notched twice in pre-season with goals against Hutton and Aldershot, while fan favourite Femi Akinwande has featured regularly across the forward line.

After a delayed start to pre-season, centre-back Tommy Davis returned to action with a 30-minute runout against Aldershot, having missed the opening three games through injury. With four pre-season games remaining, there’s still plenty of time for Davis to get up to speed ahead of the curtain raiser.

New in Town

Among the summer additions, centre-back Ryan Scott, beginning his second spell at the club, has slotted in seamlessly after missing the opening friendly against Hutton. Towering midfielder Tyrese Owen has also featured regularly and added presence in the middle of the park after joining from Aveley.

Fellow central midfielder Ryan Blackman has played in all four fixtures so far and looks to be an early contender for a starting berth, while winger Troy Howard has made an impact with a goal against Hutton and some eye-catching performances on the flanks.

Liam Nash, one of the more high-profile summer arrivals, has operated behind the striker or out wide across three matches and shown glimpses of the quality that made him a key target for McCann.

Meanwhile, central midfielder Jack Evans, who officially joined the club on Friday following a brief contract saga with Chatham Town, is due to make his first appearance tomorrow night against Faversham Town.

“The plan is to give him 45 minutes on Tuesday versus Faversham, all being well,” McCann confirmed in his latest interview to club media.

Injury Concerns

As with most pre-seasons, a few injuries have disrupted preparations. Summer signing Jazzi Barnum-Bobb suffered a knee knock in the win over Boreham Wood, with McCann explaining:

“He’s jarred his knee so still has a bit of discomfort. We don’t think it’s too serious but it’s going to need to be assessed further.”

Winger Alfie Cerulli, who rejoined the club this summer, managed some minutes earlier in pre-season and scored a superb goal against Hutton, but has since been sidelined.

“He’s had groin and hip issues all summer,” said McCann. “He’s been doing work on the injuries but they’re still not going away. He’s got to have some further investigation and we’re hoping again it’s not too serious.”

Midfielder Ben Steward has yet to feature this summer, and the prognosis appears less encouraging.

“He’s already had his knee investigated and it’s not great news,” McCann revealed. “We’re waiting for him to see a consultant on Monday (today), but his could be a little longer term as well.”

Tom Bender, who is continuing his recovery following knee surgery in April, remains around the club but has not yet been offered a new deal. The experienced defender is still working closely with physio Mark Findley as he continues his rehabilitation.

(More) Familiar Faces!

A number of players familiar to supporters have featured in pre-season without official confirmation of a deal. Midfielder Tyrell Miller-Rodney, who made 44 appearances last season, has been a regular fixture this summer and found the net against Hutton, but is yet to be officially unveiled as a Billericay player for 2025/26.

Winger Todd Miller, who was on loan from Wealdstone last term and has since been released, has featured in the past three friendlies and could yet be added to McCann’s permanent ranks. He scored twice in ten appearances across his loan spell in November and December last season.

Meanwhile, defender Jayden Ashbourne, who made two cup appearances last season, has played in every friendly so far as he looks to push his case for a first-team role.

The Youngsters

Several academy and reserve-team players have also been given opportunities to impress. Striker Bobby Kelman, younger brother of 2024/25 League One top scorer Charlie Kelman, has featured in all four games, scoring against Boreham Wood. The 18-year-old made his senior debut last season and could be in line for more regular involvement this year.

Exciting winger Maxwell Appauh, who scored 11 goals in 18 games for Hutton during the second half of last season, has also featured in every match so far, while defender Harry Hutt appeared in the first three games. Centre-back Marcell De Sousa-Boachie, who played for the reserves last season, started the Hutton game and came off the bench against Braintree.

In goal, young keepers Liam Keeble and Zac Akinde both featured for 45 minutes in the opener against Hutton. Akinde, who played eight times for the reserves last term, has regularly trained with the first-team group this summer.

Trialists

Midfielder George Doyle featured in the opening three fixtures before missing the Aldershot game, while left-back Hassan Sadick-Aliu has quietly impressed across all four matches, not least when grabbing an assist for Elliot Long’s second goal against Boreham Wood.

Still to Come

Pre-season continues on Tuesday night as Isthmian League South East outfit Faversham Town come to New Lodge, followed by three away fixtures against Leiston, Chesham United, and Horsham, the latter hosting the Isthmian League Charity Shield clash on August 2nd.

With the squad beginning to take shape and several decisions still to be made over trialists and returning players, the final weeks of pre-season promise to be busy, but the early signs suggest that McCann’s side will be ready to hit the ground running when Wingate & Finchley come to town next month.