By Robin Jones
FORMER Birmingham City, Watford and Peterborough United centre forward Ken Charlery is heading a new consortium who have saved Spartan South Midlands Premier champions London Colney from imminent extinction.
The club, who were formed 110 years ago, were in danger of folding after refusing promotion to the Bostik North for the first time in their history because of the extra travelling distances and costs.
Their failure to be allocated by the FA to their Step 4 choice of Evo-Stik South East led to the resignation of manager Joe Sweeney, who had taken over from Ryan Thompson in April 2016, along with four of the club's committee. Several players including the league's top scorer Jon Clements also left.
Former St Lucia international Charlery, who has also played for Barnet, Boston United, Farnborough and Basildon United, had spells as Ware boss and as assistant manager at Harrow Borough and St Albans.
Charlery became a legend at Peterborough when he scored two goals in the 1992 Division Three play-off final including an 89th-minute winner. He is still known affectionately as King Kenny at London Road, where he was assistant coach under Barry Fry.
At Colney he will run team affairs, assisted by Stuart Crawford, who worked with him at Harrow, Ware and St Albans.
Crawford began his career at York City. He subsequently played for Farsley Celtic, Carshalton Athletic and Edgware Town where an injury cut short his playing career at the age of 28. He turned to coaching and management, and worked with the U21 development sides at Wingate & Finchley and St Albans.
Charlery and Crawford have already begun work on assembling the Blueboys squad for the coming season at their current level.
Effortlessly
A club statement said: “London Colney are delighted to announce that a consortium headed up by former Peterborough, Watford and Birmingham centre forward Ken Charlery have agreed to become the new custodians of the club with immediate effect.
“The Blueboys founded in 1907, who were perilously close to folding this month, will now take their place for the 2017-18 season in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division.
“The new consortium would like to place on record its thanks to Tony Clafton (chairman) and Dave Brock (secretary) for making this happen so smoothly and effortlessly and also to the committee members for its tireless work over the years in taking LCFC to the level it is now at.”
Second-placed Hertford Town were promoted to the Bostik North instead of Colney.
Gareth Davies has been named as the new chairman at Cotlandswick with Johnny Armitt as secretary and a newly-reconstituted committee.
Trials and pre-season training began at the club on Tuesday. Colney's first two home friendlies to be announced will be against Kings Langley on July 15 (3pm) and Barton Rovers on July 18 (7.45).
