Fans views

A few weeks ago we asked for Wanderers fans to come forward and write us a piece each on their hopes for the season. Here's what they came up with.

Ronan Holland

Despite losing a number of quality first team players from last season, I've still managed to maintain serious confidence in the squad we have for this year. Pre-season has been an eye opener, with Marty Waters and Adam Hanlon among the standout performers. Jason Byrne's return to the club will be important for this contribution to the young players morale as much as the goals he is sure to clock up. Adam Mitchell was a rock at the heart of defence last year and his presence will be key in our survival. My one worry would be the lack of quality in depth within the squad, the over reliance on certain players over the course of the season may be derailed by injuries, and that is something we must be prepared for. With the addition of one or two more players to the squad I would certainly be confidant of survival and possibly (although I say this every year!) a decent cup run. An increase in attendances for both home and away game would also be a bonus, but that's just my outrageous optimism! Up the Gulls.

Tubes Murphy
Despite losing some key players during the off season I am looking forward to the new season with great optimism and would not be surprised with a top 6 finish again. We have still managed to keep a mixture of important players such as Darren Quigley and Adam Mitchell along with experience of Danny O'Connor and the signing of Jason Byrne. This combined with good young players will prove a very good squad for the games ahead.
Evidence of this comes in our pre-season games where we put 5 past Waterford with a great team performance, combined with a great battling team performance against Glentoran, both qualities which are essential for any team for a tough season.
These qualities will be needed when we play teams such as Bohs who have also got a hungry young squad and will be wanting to be the surprise package, along with the quality of Sligo who are the best footballing team in the league.
So all in all its a season to look forward to with great excitement and my tip for most improved player will be young Marty Waters who has looked like he has stepped up to the plate.

Gavin Moran
Two drastic changes occurred in my life in October 2011. I moved abroad to where the sun was shining every day and Friday nights at the Carlisle were replaced by Saturday (or Sunday) nights with Iniesta, Messi and Xavi at the Camp Nou !. I lived in Spain for 3 months, but without internet and no real source of Bray news as I couldn't just pick up a local paper or switch on the local news to see how 'The Seagulls' were doing. As i got on the plane for Barcelona things were looking very good indeed for the Wanderers, 2 games left in the season we'd finish in our best position since 2008 (6th) and with our highest points total since 2001 (51). We had a young talented squad and miracle workers in the dugout. All was well, or so I thought.

When I touched down in January 2012 I was greeted with the news that the management team might be going, we had no players signed on and might not be competing in the Premier Division this season, alot had happened in 3 months clearly! . These past weeks however Pat, his management team and the club staff as a whole have done an amazing job keeping the club together and retaining a large part of last year's squad. A few notable additions headlined by the one and only Jason Byrne have given me some optimism out of the pessimism I was greeted with (along with the cold of Ireland !) 6 weeks ago and I'm quite hopeful that not only and this squad stay up but that it can push up yo mid-table this season. I'm sure I sepak for every Bray fan though when I say a team in the league in 2012 would be my no.1 hope for the next 12 months.

Finally the view of ''Wanderers Weekly''.

Well the off-season certainly was exciting yet nerve wracking as a Wanderers fan. Rumours of financial trouble were starting to circulate. Rumours that we wouldn't be able to compete in the Premier Division. These were put to bed in early January, however the club like many others needs the support of the fans in any way shape or form to continue to exist. January was greated by high profile departures including captain Gary Dempsey, Derek Prendergast, Chris Shields, Shane O'Neill, Jake Kelly & Conor Murphy. Many fans were wondering how we could replace these players. The players already at the club like Graham Kelly have stepped up to the plate to take their place in the first team and they haven't looked out of place. Jonathan Kelty and Adam Hanlon have come in from Arklow Town and have slotted in nicely into the team. The hero that is Jason Byrne has also returned to partner former 'A' team goal scoring machine Marty Waters. Many LOI fans have put Bray down for a relegation dog fight but many wanderers fans are confident of another good season and this confidence runs through to the players who all believe nothing but 100% is good enough and who are confident of another top half finish. Whatever way the season goes I'l be there through the good and the bad.Lets hope for more good than bad. I'm going to go for another 6th place finish this season. COME ON YOU BOYS IN GREEN.

Wanderers finish pre-season with a win

All in all its fair to say that pre-season has gone well for Bray. Having lost both Setanta Cup matches the Wanderers won 3 out of 3 friendlies against other clubs from the Republic. Excluding the Setanta Sports Cup games Bray also haven't conceded a goal as they overcame Waterford by 5 goals to nil, St Mochtas by 2 goals to nil and last night Wexford Youths by 3 goals to nil.

Bray have been played very nice free flowing football during the pre-season matches and this style continued last night against a very disciplined and resilient Wexford Youths.  Wanderers should have taken the lead after just 5 minutes when Jason Byrne headed over from close range. Byrne was key to the free flowing football last night. This continued when Byrne controlled the ball and lied it on for John Mulroy who's shot went just wide. Mulroy was involved again only minutes later when he forced Youths goalkeeper Graham Doyle into a fine save and tip the shot around the post.
Youths got their first real chance on the 18th minute when CJ Browne headed over Quigley's bar from a corner. Marty Waters and Jason Byrne look to already have a very good understanding as to how each other plays. On the 28th minute Byrne put Waters through by he had a shot blocked by CJ Browne. Wanderers took the lead on the 41st minute when Danny O'Connor took a long range shot from around 20 yards out maybe even more which riffled into the top corner of the net leaving the keeper with no chance. Danny will hope he can hit a few more of them during the season.
Quigley got his first major taste of the action 5 minutes into the 2nd half when he tipped over a header from Malone.Marty Waters had one of those nights when nothing seemed to go in for him, however he kept on trying and he got his reward on the 67th minute when he took a long range shot from the just before the edge of the box.The shot curled and nestled in the top corner. A very good strike indeed and Wanderers 2nd long shot of the night. On 72 minutes Wanderers went 3 nil up when Ian Byrne took a shot , again from a fair distance out. His shot was misjudged by the Wexford goalkeeper as it looped into the net over the keepers head. Wanderers could and should have made it 4 nil on the 80th minute when Sean Houston headed wide at the back post when he was free of a marker.
Wexford nearly got one back in the last minute. A cross into the box from Wall was just missed by Furlong on the back post. Furlong was put off from the change in direction of the ball when Kane managed to get a finger tip to the cross.

 BRAY WANDERERS: 1 Darren Quigley, 15 Stephen Brennan, 11 Conor Butler, 3 Dane Massey, 5 Stephen Last, 16 Dean Zambra, 6 Danny O'Connor (C), 18 John Mulroy, 10 Jason Byrne, 21 Kieran 'Marty' Waters

SUBS: 2 Jason Rankin(Last ,58), 7 Ian Byrne (O'Connor H/T), 8 Ger Pender (Mulroy, 63), 12 Kevin Knight (Brennan 77), Jonathan Kelty (Waters 68), 22 Sean Houston (Butler ,68), 25 Brian Kane GK (Quigley , 68), 26 Adam Hanlon (J.Byrne , H/T), 27 Pierce Sweeney (Massey H/T)

WEXFORD YOUTH'S: 1 Graham Doyle, 2 Mark Phelan, 3 Shane Clarke, 4 Jamie Carr, 5 CJ Browne, 6 Shane Dempsey, 7 Brian Nolan, 8 Patsey Malone, 9 Danny Furlong, 10 Aidan Kennan, 11 Shane Nolan

SUBS: 12 Craig Wall (Kennan , 75), 15 Martin Keogh, 15 Thomas Clarke (S.Clarke ,71), 16 Neale Phelan (Dempsey , 71), 17 Chris Fennor (Malone 71)

Interview with Jonathan Kelty

Wanderers weekly last night arranged its first ever interview. As we are a new blog we decided to get a new Wanderer to answer a few questions. New boy Jonathan Kelty was more than happy to take time out to answer a few questions.

Q1: You won the LFA Youth Cup with Arklow in 2010. How good a moment was that?
A1: "Winning the LFA was and still is the best moment of my life. It was unbelievable. We are were the only team outside Dublin to ever win it."

Q2:You have come through the ranks at Arklow Town. Did you ever have trails with any other Irish or English clubs ??
A2: "After winning the LFA I went on trial with Macclesfield Town and then i signed for UCD under 20's."

Q3:You signed for Bray in January.How did that all come about??
A3:"Graham Lawlor is to thank for it all. He was my coach in Arklow and always told me he would ger me to LOI so its all down to him."

Q4:How have you settled in at Bray so far ??
A4:"Right from the first training session all the lads and staff have been really welcoming so I have just slotted in like everyone else now."

Q5:How big is the step up from LSL football to LOI football ??
A5: "Its a huge step in alot of ways on and off the pitch, the pace of training/matches, professionalism and the way everything is run."

Q6:You seem to have taken a place in the starting 11 during pre-season.Do you think that you can hold down that place ??
A6: "I really hope i can do enough to keep the spot but it will be a tough challenge with the players looking to get it from me."

Q7:What are your hopes for next season ??
A7: "For myself i hope to get myself a LOI goal and for the team I hope for a top 5 finish."

And finally
Q8: How hard is it getting up for training at 6 in the morning. ??
A8: "Well living in Arklow means I have to get up a little bit earlier than the rest.Sometimes I have to get up at 4:15 am to get the 5am bus. But if i have a lift i get the extra hour lie in.. but I am enjoying the mornings.It frees up my whole day."

Thanks to Jonathan for taking time out to take part.More Wanderers interviews in the coming weeks and months.
Image thanks to www.braywanderers.ie

Wanderers begin pre-season with a bang

MATCH REPORT- Bray Wanderers v Waterford United

This game was only announced during the week and as you would expect there was only a small support at the game. Credit to the few Waterford fans that made the trip up for this friendly game.

The first half was a even contest with little between both teams, The first chance of the match came to Marty Waters but he shot well wide from a good position. Again then on 7 minutes Bray missed a great chance to take the lead when John Mulroy somehow shot wide after receiving a great cross from new boy Jonathon Kelty.

Then it was Waterford time to have some chances. After 21 minutes Waterford nearly took the lead when Paul Carey headed just over Quigley's bar. On 27 minutes a mix up in the Bray defence lead to Willie John Kiely being though 1 on 1 with Quigley with the Bray keeper standing his ground to make the save.

New signing from Adam Hanlon from Arklow Town was causing Waterford all sorts of problems on the right wing and with 6 minutes to go to have time he nearly turned provider but Marty Waters had his header saved by the Waterford keeper. Bray did however take the lead just before half time when Dane Massey headed in on the back post from a Kelty cross.

Bray made a few changes at half time with a roll on roll off policy being used. Jason Byrne was one of those that came on at half time and it didn't take him long to get on the score sheet. Only 3 minutes into the second half he fired in from close range. That goal seemed to give Bray plenty of confidence as they went in search of more goals. On the 58th minute Daire Doyle picked up the ball on the half way line and ran straight through the Waterford defence to slot past the Waterford keeper. 10 minutes later Kevin knight crossed the ball for John Mulroy to make it 4-0. Then on the 90th minute Jonathon Kelty got a well deserved goal to make it 5.
Final Score Bray Wanderers 5-0 Waterford United.

Bray will see this game as a very good workout for the squad. At times the wanderers played some very good and attractive football which can gives fans plenty to be optimistic about ahead of the new season.

BRAY WANDERERS(starting 11): Darren Quigley, Stephen Brennan, Conor Butler, Colm Tresson, Dane Massey, Danny O'Conor , Adam Hanlon, Sean Houston, Kieran Marty Waters, John Mulroy, Jonathan Kelty.

Waterford United(starting 11): Robbie Hughes, Peter White, Craig Burns, David Breen, Seamus Long, Gary Dempsey, Gary Dunphy, Paul Carey, Willie John Kiely, Ben Ryan, Paul Phelan.

Attendance:100 estimate