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Billericay's Grant Gordon puts faith in Shave re-signing

10:50am Friday 20th February 2009


Billericay Town’s joint boss Grant Gordon has admitted to being angered by criticism of the club’s decision to re-sign combatative midfielder Paul Shave.

The worst-kept secret in the non-league game was confirmed yesterday when Town announced that Shave, who left last October after being sent off for two bookable offences in the FA Trophy defeat at Concord Rangers, was returning.

All week Shave’s impending return has been a major talking point on the club’s website forum, much of it very critical.

“Shavesy has had his problems with referees, but you could never question his commitment,” Gordon said. “We’ve been lacking in height up front and at set-pieces, particularly since we released Ricki Burbridge go to Waltham Abbey to get some games.

“We’ve got the third worst goals for record in the division, but I’m sure we scored more goals when he was in the side early this season.

“He’s a very competitive player who, apart from the threat with his height, gets in the faces of opposition players and takes the pressure off others. He came in for a lot of criticism when he was sent off at Concord and that was justified.

“But the flack that’s been appearing on the club website since it was announced that he would be coming back is wrong.

“People talk about why did we let midfielder Adrian Deane go if we were going to re-sign Shavesy but we couldn’t originally afford to keep Adrian on our budget.

“Shavesy is whole-hearted and is coming to us to play for very little to help the cause as he loves this club.”

Since his departure Shave, who spent a year at Blunts Wall Road, has had spells with Aveley, AFC Hornchurch, AFC Sudbury and London APSA in the Essex Senior League.

Billericay host a Horsham side who are currently on level points with them from two games more.

Said Gordon: “We’ve played most of the big boys now and have got a much better run-in than many of our promotion rivals.

“I hope we win on Saturday and that Shavesy comes in to play a major part just to shut up some of the people who have had a go this week.”

l Billericay host Premier leaders Dover Athletic in their League Cup quarter-final on Tuesday.


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